Monday, Sept. 25

The Role of Gender in Microcredit Programs in the
Developing World

Student Fellow: Becky Agostino ’07
Faculty Advisor: Tom Hodgson, Instructor in Philosophy and Religious Studies

Micrcocredit programs are an important resource in the fight against poverty in the developing world. These programs distribute small loans or stipends to families with children in order to improve the children’s health and education. What role does gender play in the effectiveness of these loans or stipends? This paper looks at studies of household resource allocation and microcredit programs in a variety of developing countries to find out whether children benefit more from credit extended to women or to men.

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Monday, Oct. 16

The Disney Spell: a Sexist Spin on Classic Fairy Tales

Student Fellow: Courtney Fiske ’07
Faculty Advisor: Ada Fan, Instructor in English

Disney animated films are one of the common experiences shared by American children. They speak with moral authority and present tales that instruct children about many aspects of life—gender prominent among them. A comparison of classic films (Snow White, Cinderella, Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast) with the folk tales on which they are based shows the way Disney has reshaped material to express a particular set of gender ideas. The comparison reveals enduring Disney gender themes while identifying some historical changes.

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Monday, Oct. 23

“Demography is Destiny:”
Consequences of China’s One-Child Policy

Student Fellow: Rachel Rauh ’07
Faculty Advisor: Mary Fulton, Instructor in English

In 1979, China’s Communist Party implemented its “one child” policy amidst growing concerns about whether the country’s resources could continue to support its skyrocketing population. Given the traditional Chinese preference for male children, the policy had the unintended consequence of creating a vast gender imbalance in the generation born between 1979 and 2000. What are the effects of this gender imbalance? What dangers does the imbalance pose for Chinese society? This paper addresses those questions, using history and social science research as a guide.

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Monday, Nov. 6

Madame Justices: a Comparative Analysis of the Biography, Temperament and Jurisprudence of Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Student Fellow: Alexander Heffner ’08
Faculty Advisor: Lynn Kelly, Instructor in English

Is there a female voice in court decisions? Is there a feminine judicial temperament? Does the experience of gender discrimination lead female judges to rule in similar ways? The only two women to serve as U.S. Supreme Court Justices, Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, provide a useful case study to address these questions. A close reading of their published opinions and writings, an examination of their life experiences, and a series of personal interviews with judges, legal scholars, and former clerks for the two justices provide complex but revealing answers to questions about women on the bench.

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