GENDER STUDIES PROGRAM

Vol. 1 Fall 2012

necessary to break

through the ever-

present glass ceiling.

Another exciting

curricular change is

our new, wholly

online undergraduate certificate in Gender

Studies. Funded by

the University of

Missouri System, the

online certificate can

be pursued inde-

pendently or as part

of the new online

Bachelor’s in Liberal

Studies (BLS). So if

you know anyone

who would like to take Gender Studies

courses but doesn’t want to drive to

campus, spread the word.

Finally, as we reach the half-way mark

of my third year as Director, I am proud

to announce that we have begun to develop a more collaborative ethos, an

approach which epitomizes the fields of

Women’s and Gender Studies. Rather

than annually re-create the wheel as we

consider new programmatic initiatives,

we are going to focus more on support-

ing each other: already we co-sponsor

the Women’s Networking Series, Sum-

mer Girls’ Camp, Trailblazer Awards,

Women’s University Mentoring Pro-

gram, and PRIZM. But this fall, we will

begin a more formal partnership with

Student Services to market and develop

programming for Black History and

Women’s History months. And in

December, for our first large-scale ser-

vice project, we will collaborate with Women Lead to help outfit homeless

women moving into housing—a fine

way to spread the holiday spirit.

--Sally Barr Ebest, Director

Sally Barr Ebest ,PhD

The Gender Studies program has gone through a number of changes in the past

year. Perhaps the biggest, and most excit-

ing, was our August move out of the base-

ment of Clark Hall up to the fourth floor of

Lucas. In exchange for giving the old

Clark offices to the new Veterans’ Center,

we were moved into a suite of offices

replete with new paint, carpet, and furni-

ture. Located right across from the English

Department, our new digs include a glass-

front reception area where our TA, Jason

Vasser, can greet and work with students, a

central lounge/meeting area, mini-kitchen

and storage rooms, and offices—with

doors!—for me and Kathleen. To cele-

brate, we hosted an Open House, spon-

sored by College of Arts & Sciences Dean Ron Yasbin, on November 13.

The Open House, a campus-wide event,

was held in conjunction with our annual

Book Fair. We always time this event to

coincide with Spring registration. Faculty

and staff donate books, which we in turn

give to current and prospective students,

but this year, we added door prizes—

books, of course—to further entice and

reward visitors.

Actually, this has been a year of firsts. Last

spring, Gender Studies faculty decided to

change the format of our meetings. Rather

than leap into announcements and com-

mittee reports, each month two faculty

members volunteer to give fifteen minute

descriptions of their current research, teach-ing, or service-learning activities. This

approach has taken the pressure off already

busy faculty to develop or attend full-

blown colloquia and instead allows us to

learn more about each other’s work in a

more relaxed (and food-filled) environ-

ment. Thus far we’ve heard from Lynn

Staley about service-learning in Business

Writing courses; Virginia Navarro about

teaching Japanese women; and Dayna

Stock’s research on women’s leader-

ship programs.

In keeping with our broader, gender-

based focus, last spring we hired our first

male TA. Jason Vasser—who further introduces himself in these pages—is

pursuing an MFA in poetry. Sitting in

the glass-front office, Jason puts a fresh

and inviting face on the Gender Studies

program. He greets and counsels cur-

rent students, visits classes to recruit

new students, assists in Kathleen’s

Introduction to Gender Studies classes,

and will teach a section in the Spring. In

between such tasks, he represents GS at

various campus events and produces

vital documents, such as this newsletter.

We are thrilled to have him with us.

Shortly after Jason came on board,

Gender Studies received official word

from the state Coordinating Board of

Higher Education that our new certifi-cate in Women’s Leadership was ap-

proved. This program, developed in

conjunction with the Sue Shear Insti-

tute’s Women Lead initiative, should

give our students the leadership skills

From the Director’s Desk

Editors:

Sally Barr Ebest, PhD

Kathleen Butterly Nigro, PhD

Jason Vasser, TA

The GS Newsletter is pub-

lished each semester to

report news to alumni and

friends. Inquires should be

directed to Jason Vasser

UM- St Louis

494 Lucas Hall

One University Blvd

Saint Louis

MO 63121- 4499

Tele: (314) 516-5265

E-mail: j.n.vasser@umsl.edu

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

From the Director’s Desk

Women's Networking Series

LEAD Program

Faculty News and Notes

American Mystics: Female Reformers and Transcenden-

talists of the 19th Century

Gender Studies Scholar Spotlight

Feature Article: A thin line between sexy and trashy

Faculty News and notes

WCPE H Honors Women’s Equality Day

Gender Studies Program

Women’s Networking Series

Kathy Meath, president, St.

Louis Arc.

The program is put on under the

auspices of the UMSL Execu-

tive Leadership Consortium.

ELC’s director is Malaika

Horne. However, there are a

number of women who Dr.

Horne considers “the backbone

of the program.” The Women’s

Leadership Working Group is a

sponsor, comprised of faculty,

staff and professionals from out-

side the university who organize

it and facilitate the small group

discussions after the exercise.

Other sponsors are Career Ser-

vices, Gender Studies Program,

Office of Equal Opportunity &

Diversity, Office of Student

Life, Sue Shear Institute for

Women in Public Life, UMSL

Women’s Leadership Council

and Zonta Club of St. Louis.

By Malaika Horne, PhD The Women’s Networking Se-

ries held its 7th annual program,

Thursday, October 25 in the

Millennium Student Center.

About 90 women professionals

and students attended. The

topic this year was: Filling

Your Professional Toolbox.

The program included an exer-

cise, called, Soft Skills and Pro-

tocols, a panel and ended with a

“Power Networking Reception.”

The panel was comprised of the

moderator Gloria Ross, presi-

dent, Press Club of Metropolitan

St. Louis and panelists Alex

Dietrick, assistant director,

Community Education &

Events, Missouri History Mu-

seum; Dr. Mary Jo Gorman,

ceo, Advanced ICU Care and

The purpose of the Women’s

Networking Series is to en-

hance

the knowledge and skills of

women students about net-

working. The target popula-

tions are women students of

any major and classification

and professional women from

various organizations and sec-

tors.

ELC’s mission is to prepare

students to be effective leaders.

It is reality based; therefore

soft skills such as networking

become the focal point of ELC

activities. In addition, it is a

public service as it prepares

women students to compete at

the highest levels – armed with

the requisite skills to ensure

professional/career success.

their skills to implement

and execute a fundrais-

ing plan that will help a

formerly homeless

young mother set up her

first apart-

ment.Sponsored by the

Sue Shear Institute with

financial support from

the UMSL Women’s

Leadership Council,

UMSL Women LEAD

is a leadership program de-

signed to encourage the civic

engagement of students at

UMSL and instill a passion for

This semester, UMSL

Women LEAD members are

participating in a semester long,

skill-building public service

project to make a difference in

the life of another young

woman. In addition to attend-

ing workshops on leadership

skills like networking, problem

solving, and negotiating, the 10

LEAD students are applying

women’s public sector leader-

ship.

UMSL Women LEAD

www.umsl.edu/

By Dayna Stock, PhD

Gender Studies Program

Faculty News and NotesFaculty News and NotesFaculty News and Notes

I served in AmeriCorps East St. Louis under the education grant as a mentor

and tutor to students at Wyvetta Hoover Young Middle School located in

Washington Park Illinois. Upon completion of two years of service, I

was presented with an education award which I used to enroll at the

University of Missouri St. Louis and majored in Anthropology.

Since 2008 as an undergraduate, I taught as a student teacher in the Center

for Human Origin and Cultural Diversity (C.H.O.C.D.) located at UMSL’s

south campus, where the subject matter ranged from sexism to racism and

focused on how concepts of race are societal constructions. Just this past academic year, I was a

teacher assistant in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Languages for the biological

anthropology course, Human Variation. After graduation, I was accepted in the Master of Fine Arts

program here at UMSL where my genre is poetry.

In addition, I accepted a position as Teaching Assistant in the Gender Studies program because as an

undergrad, the program really helped me understand how gender played a huge role in the develop-

ment of society. It also taught me how issues surrounding power and practice shaped other move-

ments in history when the civil rights of minority groups were threatened. It is with excitement and

gratitude that I introduce myself to the Gender Studies community.

In the fall of 2011 and winter of 2012, Judith Cochran taught Women

Worldwide collaboratively with faculty in S. Korea and Russia. The

Russian course in the winter of 2012 was a collaboration with a Russian

Associate Professor and fourteen students attending Mari University.

The course was so successful that the Russian university faculty wants

to teach the course in collaboration with UMSL women next semester.

As both faculty, Dr. Tatiana Golikova and Dr. Judith Cochran, were

Fulbright Scholars, they were invited to present how they conducted

their course at the International Conference of Fulbright Scholars in London, October 17, 2012. Un-

fortunately, Dr.Golikova was unable to get a visa to attend the conference highlighting additional

political and economic contrasts for women in the two countries.

Judith A. Cochran, PhD

E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor of Tutorial Education

Jason N. Vasser

Teaching Assistant

Gender Studies Program Fall 2012

defined the Transcendental movement and who benefited from work that

females performed.

I have developed a curriculum that examines the social, literary, and politi-

cal contributions of some prominent (but also some lesser-known) women

from the 19th century. Readings will center around Margaret Fuller’s “The

Great Lawsuit,” which questions the fundamental American tenet, “All

men are created equal” and how, were there to be true equality, after a

“slight temporary fermentation,” spiritual and political harmony could be

achieved. Fuller, however, though perhaps best known, was not the only

voice of her day (despite her comment to Emerson that “I now know all

the people worth knowing in America, and I find no intellect comparable

to my own.”)

Other challenging voices from the era include Sophia Dana Ripley’s essay

on “Woman” (1841), Lydia Maria Child’s The American Frugal House-

wife (1832), Susan B. Anthony’s “Women Want Bread” (1870), and the

true story of Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” speech.

American Mystics: Female Reformers and

Transcendentalists of the 19th Century

By Kathleen Butterly Nigro, PhD

Last spring, I received a

small grant from the Gender Studies

program for course development. As

a nineteenth-century literary histo-

rian, I have always been aware that

our focus on that century has been

very gender-specific towards males –

males who were, perhaps, in touch

with their feminine side but who still

Erika Stasiak: Scholarship Sponsor Recognition Reception Speech

(psychology honor society) up and going

again at UMSL; I was voted in as the presi-

dent by the faculty, and am currently the

treasurer. I was the secretary for Golden Key

International Honor Society, and am now

both the treasurer and SGA rep. I have also had the great privilege of interning at the

Center for Trauma Recovery here on

UMSL’s campus. Through my classes in

Psychology and Criminal Justice, I have

figured out what I want to be when I grow

up.

Thanks to another Gender Studies scholar-

ship, I will graduate in May 2013 with a BA

in psychology, a BS in Criminology &

Criminal Justice, a Gender Studies certifi-

cate, a Trauma Studies certificate, and an

Honors Certificate, and still with a GPA

over 3.8. None of this would have been

possible without the extremely generous

donations from scholarships, but encouraged

to keep going.

Gender Studies Scholar Spotlight

I am not sure what exactly

started my love of learning: was it was

my dad reading to me everything he

could get his hands on, which led me

to be able to read at a third grade level by the summer after kindergarten? Or

was it my mom teaching me not only

how to count, but also how to add,

subtract, multiply, and divide at the

age of three using piles of different

colored M&Ms?

What I do know is that I loved learn-

ing, reading, schoolwork, homework

even, from as far back as I can remem-

ber and my parents were always my

biggest fans. Since starting here and at the

Pierre Laclede Honors College, I have been

not only supported I have also been very

involved in campus activities and organiza-

tions including University Ambassadors,

Relay for Life, MLK Day, and Phi Kappa

Phi. In fact, I worked alongside just one other student and an advisor to get Psi Chi

Taking just a moment to acknowledge all

that I’ve received, the scholarships include:

Gender Studies’ Women as Leaders of To-

morrow, John J. Anderson (Phi Kappa Phi),

Kathy van Dyke (psychology), Aubuchon

honors, Chancellor’s council, Phi Theta

Kappa, Macy’s Honors, and UMSL gate-

way transfer. With my sincerest gratitude, I

close with another of my favorite quotes by

Robert H. Schuller:

"What would you do if you knew you could

not fail?"

Gender Studies Program Fall 2012

A thin line between sexy and trashy

While some are still coy about showing

a lot of flesh in public, more and more

young women think it makes them look

cool to wear revealing clothes in public

“I think showing your body means con-

fidence and there is nothing wrong with

it,” said 21-year old Bang Su-won. “ I don't see any problem with women

wearing revealing clothes on the street.

What they wear is entirely up to them.”

The 1970s was a turning point for Ko-

rea in terms of women’s bodies and

their clothes, following singer Yoon

Bok-hee’s “shocking” public appear-

ance in a miniskirt. The fashion soon

swept across the country in no time.

Women started wearing miniskirts and

tight fitting dresses in public.

Showing skin was not perceived as

“promiscuity” to the same level it used

to be. Furthermore, people started to

believe that wearing a miniskirt sym-

bolized women’s free will to choose

what to wear and females started to

recognize it as a means of expressing themselves.

“I want to celebrate my body,” said

Rho Sun-yung, a 29-year-old lawyer. “

Of course I know there is still social

pressure that suppresses women from

showing skin in public here, but I don't

think there is anything wrong with

showing my body.”

By Jung Min-ho, Kim Bo-

eun, and Bahk Eun-ji

Two young women in short

pants walk down a street in Myeong-

dong in central Seoul, Tuesday. As

the temperature rises so are hemlines

and more women are scantly clad.

Older generations may blush over

showing such skin in public, but

younger people are more tolerant

about wearing revealing clothes.

As the temperature gets

higher, the layers of clothes get thin-

ner. A lot of young women strut the

streets in overly revealing clothes as

extremely short shirts or see-through

tops are in vogue this summer. As skirt hems rise and shirts are open to

show more cleavage, some wonder

where the line between sexy and

trashy is when it comes to exposing

flesh in public. Its true that Korean

society has become more open to

women who dress provocatively,

however many people, especially

older generations, still frown at the

sight of women in skimpy outfits.

Yoo

Sang-hee, a 26-

year-old private

bank manager,

said it is a matter

of personal lib-

erty. “ It is basi-cally my decision

what I wear. If I

want to wear an

extremely short

skirt or pants, I

wear that. If I

want to wear a

mesh top that

shows my under-

wear, I wear it,”

Yoo said. “I don't

mind much about

what others think

when it comes to

what to wear.”

She said that Ko-

reans tend to care too much about other people’s views. Thus, they be-

come reluctant to do what they want,

worrying about how others will see

them, pointing out that revealing their

bodies in public is part of the issue.

Korea Times photos by

Bahk Eun-ji, Kim Bo-eun

“ I think showing

your body means

confidence and

there is nothing

wrong with it.”

Gender Studies Program Fall 2012

“Wearing revealing clothes has be-

come very common nowadays, but as

far as my daughters are concerned, I

caution them not to go too far.”

As for guys, while some glue their

eyes to the women in revealing outfits,

others find it uncomfortable. “When I

was on the subway the other day, there

was a woman wearing a short skirt, I

looked away because I didn't want her

to think I’m a pervert,” said Koh, a 26-year-old college student. “It’s actually

quite annoying that I have to con-

sciously look somewhere else because

of women wearing revealing clothes.

Many men used to have an ambivalent

attitude towards women in revealing

clothes; it’s OK for those they don't

know on the street but not for their

girlfriend because they don't like other

guys glancing at their girlfriend’s body. “ You know what? I would be

very proud of my wife, if other guys

looked at her because that means she is

gorgeous.” Song said.

But some people cross the line. Kim

Yu-lan, 24, encountered an unpleasant

scene a few days ago in Apgujeong, an

upscale southern Seoul district. She

came across a young woman who was

wearing an aqua-colored spaghetti

strap dress with an unbalanced hem

which was so short on one side that her

buttocks almost showed. “It was just

downright ugly,” said Kim. “My boy-

friend next to me at the time was also

appalled at the sight.” And with Ko-rean society frowning on skimpy

clothes, Kim finds herself avoiding

wearing outfits that may attract too

much unwanted attention.

Gender equality

Kathleen B. Nigro, UMSL’s

Gender Studies Associate Teaching

Professor, says norms, mostly set by

male-dominant societies, on appro-

priate outfits for women is a form of suppression.

She also said female objectification

underlies the issue concerning

women’s body exposure in public.

“ This type of suppression is even

more insidious than blatant sexism

because of its subtlety and its pre-

tense to support women while en-

couraging females to accept their

own objectification,” she said.

“Therefore, showing the body is not

the entire issue in itself; it carries a

whole host of other cultural issues

that have to be examined beneath that surface.”

A thin line between sexy and trashy cont... “When I wear a sundress I slip on a

cardigan before heading out,” she said.

“I also hate the way old men stare at

women in revealing clothes.” Many

people in older generations have con-

servative views on the issue, express-

ing concerns about problems that could be triggered by skimpy garments.

Chung, a 51-year old housewife said, “

My daughter had a pair of hot pants

that she enjoyed wearing. But they

were so short and tight that I told her

to stop wearing them. And when she

heads out wearing a short skirt, I hand

her a scarf so she can cover her legs

when she sits down.” The first reason

was as a mother, it concerned her that

skimpy outfits would endanger her

daughter’s safety. Chung also said that

growing up she had been taught that a

woman of virtue should dress properly,

and that she is still affected by that

thought.

Continued from previous page

Yoo said nobody can keep others from wearing what they want.

“That’s why Koreans have little indi-

viduality and blindly follow trends,

such as getting the same look through

plastic surgery and purchasing the

same fashion items. If you look at

people on the street in Tokyo or the

U.S. you’ll see how different their

views are.” She saw many women

wear see-through tops years ago, but at

that time, people were looking then as

sluttish women and even spoke ill of

them in their presence. But it became

trendy after some celebrities took the

bold step to wear those clothes and

people gradually became more accept-

ing of them. “Its summer. Its fairly hot

these days. I would feel sorry for my

wife if she couldn't wear short pants or

a thin shirt,” said Jung-rok, a 32-year-

old software engineer.

“Once when I was going up the stairs

out of the subway station, a woman

in front of me who was wearing a

short skirt turned around and gave me

a dirty look, because she thought I

was looking up her

skirt,” said Koh. “I felt wronged be-

cause I was just

looking ahead to go

up the stairs.” More

is not necessarily

better when it

comes to showing

skin, Koh said.

“ The line between

skimpy and trashy

is really unclear.

But when women

show too much

flesh, the sexiness

becomes distaste-

ful.”

“You know

what? I would

be very proud

of my wife, if

other guys

looked at her

because that

means she is

gorgeous.”

The Classical Station.org

Features Classical Women

Wake Forest, N.C. (August 23, 2012) —WCPE’s Music Director William Woltz announces a celebration of Women’s Equality Day,

August 26, 2012. The event honors female composers, conductors

and performers.

“Let's celebrate the great women in classical music,” says Woltz,

who is also Allegro host. “We have truly remarkable ladies to ap-

plaud.”

Here is a partial list of the day’s celebration:

7:00 a.m. Beach: “Lord of All Being”

11:00 a.m.

Clara Schumann: Piano Concerto in A Minor 2:00 p.m.

Chaminade: Piano Trio no. 1 in G Minor 5:00 p.m.

Smyth: Concerto for Violin, Horn, and Orchestra every Sunday

evening from 6-9 p.m.

A complete list of the ways WCPE is available with instructions

for cable and satellite reception can be found at: http://

theclassicalstation.org listen.shtml.

About WCPE:

With a 30 plus year history, WCPE 89.7 FM is a non-commercial,

100 percent listener-supported, independent station dedicated to

excellence in Great Classical Music broadcasting. Community-

minded business underwriters and foundations are among the

150,000 listeners in the North Carolina broadcast area. General

Manager Deborah S. Proctor’s leadership has enabled the WCPE

community to include national and worldwide listeners. Big and

small dish home satellite transmissions serve North America. Other

radio stations and cable television systems use these services to

rebroadcast Great Classical Music, 24 Hours A Day.

Gender Studies Program Fall 2012

Gender Studies Awards

McAffrey Family Scholarship

Amanda R. Bowles

Alan Ross Achievement Scholarship Amanda L. Kowalski

Friends of Sharon Marglous Scholarship

Erika Stasiak

Women as Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship

Samantha E. Williams

Gender Studies Undergrad Certificates

Susan Margaret Cook Cameron Cassidy Metheney

Jalyssa Barney Jessica Young

Emelie E. Strother Ella Laverne Rogers Mary Grace Buckley Jennifer Pierce

John Burke Tina Marie Miller

Ashley Nicole Jones Sarah Rose Michelson

Gender Studies Graduate Certificates

Michelle McCoy

Kathryn G. O’Brien

Barbara Kachur Undergraduate Writing Awards

Creative Writing:

Gwendolyn Chissem,

Class Schedule for Spring

2013

2102 Introduction to Women’s & Gender Studies & Online

2150 Special Topics in Gender Studies:

Women and Politics in a Developing World

Sex and Gender across Cultures

Women in the Islamic Tradition

Sexual Ethics

American Culture and Minority Mental Health

African American History & Online

2230: Psychology of Gender

2290: Gender and the Law

3350 Special Topics in Gender Studies: Maiko, Maids & Masako

Gender and Literacy

3352 Independent Studies in Gender Studies

Class Schedule for the Spring

cont.

3700 Diversity and Social Justice

4100 Introduction to Feminist and Gender Theory & Online

4350 Special Topics in Gender Studies: Violence against Women

4352 Independent Study in Gender Studies

4353 Internship in Gender Studies

4360 Sociology of Minority Groups

4925 Feminism and Witchcraft: A Theoretical Inquiry

4931 English Women Writers, 1300-1750

5450 Special Topics in Gender Studies: The Female Gothic

5700 Diversity, Social Justice and Social Practice

6353 Graduate Internship in Gender Studies

6450 Seminar in Gender Studies: Gender, Language & Identity

History, Community and Social Justice & Online

To our Donors

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All donations are tax deductible. Please mail to:

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