The True Faces of the Sikhs

A presentation of research analyzing the Sikhs and the misrepresentations present within society on Sikhs and the effects it has on the Sikh community.https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/gender_studies/1101/thumbnail.jp

Gender Wage Gap in Professional Sports

My project addresses the issue of a wage gap in sports, throughout the last few months we have especially seen an increase in awareness when it comes to how large the wage gap is in professional sports. This presentation not only uses example of the WNBA and NBA, but also touches on the inequality that has begun in college sports.https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/gender_studies/1103/thumbnail.jp

Nintendo: Playing with Power

Originally founded in 1889 as a manufacturer of playing cards, this book examines the history and political economic status of the multinational consumer electronics and video game giant Nintendo. This book offers a deeper examination into Nintendo as a global media giant, with some of the industry’s best-selling consoles and most recognizable intellectual property including Mario, Pokémon, and Zelda. Drawing upon the theory of the political economy of communication, which seeks to understand how communication and media serve as key mechanisms of economic and political power, Randy Nichols examines how Nintendo has maintained its dominance in the global video game industry and how it has used its position to shape that industry. This book argues that while the company’s key figures and main franchises are important, Nintendo’s impact as a company – and what we can learn from its evolution – is instructive beyond the video game industry. This book is perfect for students and scholars of media and cultural industries, critical political economy of media, production studies, and games studies.https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/ias_books/1130/thumbnail.jp

Reframing the Filipina as a Militant: The Ongoing Revolutionary History of the Philippines

Filipino women make up half of Philippine society, and throughout Philippine history, their experiences have been significant in revealing and evaluating oppressive social structures in the Philippines. Militant Filipino women have been at the forefront of social and political movements. The history and influence of the women-led militant revolutionary group MAKIBAKA combat the gender and class structures of Philippine society identified by the National Democratic movement as the three fundamental problems of Filipino society: U.S. imperialism, bureaucratic capitalism, feudalism, as well as a fourth problem identified by the founder of MAKIBAKA Lorena Barros as a male authority. MAKIBAKA emerged from the growing political consciousness during the 1970s, known as the First Quarter Storm, but had been deemed an illegal organization by the Philippine government and forced underground. Thus, there needs to be more academic discourse about MAKIBAKA, resulting in a majority of the focus on aboveground struggles and organizations and making any contemporary connections challenging. Nevertheless, MAKIBAKA contributes to the ongoing Philippine revolutionary history, to conversations about the role of Filipinas in their gender and labor struggles within the semi-colonial and semi-feudal Philippine society from Martial Law to today, and to contemporary resistance movements. This analysis of the 1) intersectional experiences of gender, class, and ethnicity within MAKIBAKA and 2) its development of tactics from grassroots organizing to direct action and advocacy will show MAKIBAKA\u27s contributions to the ongoing revolutionary history of the Philippines and how their strategies of militant resistance to multiple points of oppression have lasting impact and influence on other legal traditional organizations. Studying the societal influence MAKIBAKA has on the Philippines reframes Filipino women through a de-colonial and de-imperial frame, deconstructing harmful frameworks and portrayals of Filipinas as submissive, exotic, sexualized, and commodified labor and instead amplifying the voices and strength of militant Filipino women in their ongoing quest for the total liberation of all Filipino people

2023 Analysis of Harmful Algae in Bed Sediments of the Puget Sound in the Salish Sea

Alexandrium catenella is a toxic dinoflagellate that has two life stages, a dormant cyst form within bed sediment, and a vegetative form that swims freely in the water column. Both produce a saxitoxin that can bioaccumulate within shellfish and when ingested by mammals, could potentially lead to paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). This project looked at the distribution of cysts of A. catenella in the Salish Sea to inform shellfish harvesters of the potential for harmful algal blooms in their region. In order to analyze for cysts, sediment was collected at 50 stations throughout the Salish Sea. These samples were processed and stained with Primulin, then viewed under a fluorescence microscope to identify and quantify the cysts present. The average cyst counts for all stations was 8 cysts/cc(wet) and 3 cysts/cc(dry). The highest cyst counts came from Central Basin-North, and Hood Canal-Central. Both locations shared 40 cysts/cc(wet) and 12 cysts/cc(dry). The low was 0, which was shared across 20 stations. Compared to 2022, there was an increase in cysts in areas around the south Puget Sound, more specifically Hood Canal, Dyes Inlet, and the Central Basin. For 2023, there was a decrease in cysts in Bellingham Bay, which is known to be a hotspot/seedbed for A. catenella. This data was shared with stakeholders to be used to determine if increased monitoring would be needed in locations where cysts were found

Pink & Femininity

This presentation discusses the origins of gender association with the color pink. It attempts to provide history on its masculine origin and its transition into a feminine indicator of gender. Through examples in popular culture, medicine, and the economy it describes the role that pink has played for women and men and how the meanings assigned to it have shifted over time.https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/gender_studies/1105/thumbnail.jp

2023 Analysis of Microplastics in Bed Sediments of the Puget Sound in the Salish Sea

Pollution of bays and estuaries by microplastics is an increasingly pressing concern, especially in bodies of water surrounded by densely populated areas. Microplastics have been found in waters virtually everywhere. Microplastics are known to be vectors for harmful chemicals and can impact digestion and other physiological processes in organisms. Quantifying the number of microplastics in the Puget Sound can give a clearer picture of the local scope of this issue. With this work, we monitored the levels of microplastics in sediments at 50 sites in the Puget Sound and related them to 2021. Sediments were disaggregated and density separated to isolate plastics, then samples were examined under light microscope. Plastics were characterized by type, color, and length. All samples contained microplastics. A total of 736 microplastics were counted with an average of 15 plastics per sample. 95.5% of plastics were fibers and 4.5% were films. 66.3% of plastics were clear. The dominance of clear fibers was consistent with past findings. The average microplastic length was 1.72 mm. Microplastics from 5 samples were confirmed by FT-IR spectroscopy. The most abundant type of plastic found was polypropylene followed by polyethylene. Other plastics found were styrene, vinyl chloride, nylon, BBP, and poly ethyl methacrylate. Future work will involve additional sampling of the 50 sites for monitoring of pollution levels. Acquiring data on microplastic levels can aid policy makers regarding decisions that reduce pollution

Living in Barbie\u27s World

This project talks about how Barbie tells society how women and girls should be as well as the impact of her figure. It also talks about how her original message, that girls can be anything, got lost as a result.https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/gender_studies/1102/thumbnail.jp

Sexism in Spiritual Divination: Tarot Cards

An exploration of gender depiction and heteronormativity in the art of Tarot Cards. This art originated in France and Italy during the 14th century, yet did not have connections to spirituality until 4 centuries later. This presentation provides a condensed breakdown of the cards, and argues that Tarot is inherently linked to femininity, due to significant contributions from women particularly amidst the Second Wave Feminist Movement. Includes examples from the Rider-Waite Smith deck to compare the difference between portrayal of the sexes and their underlying misogynistic meanings. Deck authors advocate for more inclusivity in tarot, and to show up for a rich spectrum of genders, races, and identities. Bringing representation to the art in tarot aids in destigmatizing the topic of mental health and self-help in minority communities.https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/gender_studies/1106/thumbnail.jp