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"By showing others how to find biases in how an author presents a story, we equip them with antennae attuned to the glaring stereotypes in print media and help them become better informed."

Brace Center student fellows for 2000-01 were (left to right) Matthew Steinert ’02, James Sonne ’02, Rachel Higbie ’02, Baolu Lan ’02 and Alexandra Zukerman ’01.

"This is a wonderful instance of work done here that's of value to the world beyond the academy," says Anthony Rotundo, interim director of the Brace Center.

A longtime admirer of Elmer, Higbie examined the artist's private correspondence to understand the challenges she faced and the sources of her courage to defy early 20th century gender expectations. "She wasn't an activist, but her life reflected feminist ideals," Higbie says.

Higbie was one of five PA students who spent last summer conducting independent research projects on gender. James Sonne ’02 examined gender stereotypes in the media surrounding the Clinton-Giuliani New York Senate race; Alexandra Zukerman ’01 analyzed past assumptions and current trends among women in sports; Baolu Lan ’02 profiled Charlotte Bronte's female protagonist in Villette; and Matthew Steinert ’02 considered the plight of women in the Navy.

Each spring, the center receives upwards of a dozen student applications for participation in the student fellows series. Students each receive a $250 stipend upon completion of their project, though they say money isn't a motivating factor.

Through oral presentations spread over five weeks in the fall, the students shared their findings with small audiences in the Brace Center's School Room.

"The diversity of topics shows what a rich and exciting area for study gender is," says Rotundo.

An on-campus lecture last spring by Pat Griffin, former athlete and author of Strong Women, Deep Closets, inspired Zukerman's research on women in sports. "I was amazed by the reality she presented to us and the status of female athletes in the 1980s," says Zukerman. "Growing up in the ’90s, I was never told it wasn't right to be active or that girls weren't as good as boys."

A three-sport athlete at PA, Zukerman chose not to compare male and female athletes, but to emphasize the importance of athletics in terms of building confidence and a positive self-image. "The same traits that sports instill in America's male population can also be instilled in America's female population, where the strengthening of personality is most needed in order to counteract sex-role stereotypes," she writes.

In her research, Zukerman found that recognition and support for women's participation in sports has increased dramatically over the past two decades. She cites the establishment of the Women's National Basketball Association and the popularity of the 1999 Women's Soccer World Cup as examples of this shifting trend.

"It's not that women are less interested or less able or are biologically destined to do housework. It's more that they lack encouragement and opportunity," she says.

A native New Yorker, Sonne chose to analyze the media coverage of his home state's high-profile Senate race between First Lady Hillary Clinton and New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who later dropped out of the race when he discovered he had cancer. "I've always been interested in politics," says Sonne, "and this race was the epitome of male and female stereotypes."

Combing through articles published in Time and Newsweek magazines, Sonne was surprised to find so many instances of gender bias in what he considered respectable publications. Citing adjectives, analogies and quotes the authors chose to use, Sonne determined that Giuliani was a victim of male stereotyping while Clinton emerged virtually unscathed.

"By showing others how to find biases in how an author presents a story, we equip them with antennae attuned to the glaring stereotypes in print media and help them become better informed," he says.

The inspiration for Steinert's presentation on women in the Navy came from his aunt, Commander Linda Vanaria, who endured sexual harassment and discrimination during her 21 years as an officer. Despite his aunt's experience and several well-publicized accounts of mistreatment, including the 1991 Tailhook incident, Steinert found that harassment in the military has decreased dramatically over the past few years.

"Because of the way the military is structured, there are lots of big egos," says Steinert. "Servicemen are trained to put their lives on the line, to be dominant and have harsh attitudes, and that's difficult to change. Commanders need to teach their men that having women in the Navy doesn't make it a weaker organization."

Lan, a fan since age 13 of Charlotte Bronte's work, delved deep into Bronte's final novel to examine the life of its female protagonist, Lucy Snowe. "I read Villette last spring, and it just cried out to be looked at more carefully," says Lan. "I wanted to find out why this narrative had such a grip on me."

For her project, Lan combined the interpretations of feminist scholars like Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar with her own and discovered an even deeper appreciation of Bronte. "The character of Lucy Snowe parallels Bronte's creative life. She is without money, not particularly beautiful, without family, and she has to find a voice in a culture that isn't responsive to female voices," says Lan. "Her life is a drawn-out tragedy, but she achieves authorship of it, and that's precious."

Though Lan had never done anything affiliated with the Brace Center before, she says it was a wonderful experience. "This program gives students an impetus to follow through with an interest," she says. "It's gratifying to have the time to look at a book so thoroughly."

Zukerman agrees. "It was a good exercise in self-discipline," she says. "It was a lot of work, but because I chose the topic, it was something I enjoyed, something I could call my own."

Rotundo, who attended all five presentations, is especially pleased with the results. "The quality of the work was very high," he says. "A couple of the papers are of publishable quality. It just goes to show what PA students can do when you give them time and a topic that interests them."