Embodied Standpoints in Gender Difference Graphs and Tables: When, Where and Why are Men Still Prioritized?

Gender difference graphs and tables typically present data representing males first, ahead of data representing females. The APA Publication Manual in 2010 advised authors against this ‘bias’ when reporting gender differences. An experiment examined how this preference is related to embodied cognition, and two content analytic studies examined its persistence despite APA’s advice against it. In Study 1, 256 students drew bar graphs of gender differences and power differences. Participants spontaneously arrayed men first and higher power groups first most often, even when graph axes were placed to cue the opposite order. These results suggest that male-first order preferences follow from embodied biases to position agentic groups left and higher up in graphs and tables. Two content analyses systematically sampled psychology articles in four journals over a decade (Study 2) or 70 journals in a recent year (Study 3) to examine the impact of the APA manual’s advice on authors. The male-first preference remains prevalent in psychology publications, has reversed in Psychology of Women Quarterly (Study 2) and become polarized by author gender in social psychology (Study 3). These findings suggest that embodied cognition affects the visual representation of gender differences in psychology and is variably moderated by recent injunctions

A sociological study of feminist approaches to biology.

This research aims to evaluate the attempts of Anglo-Saxon feminists to elaborate a new practice for the natural sciences. It focuses on biology, a discipline which extends beyond the realm of social science, and on which basis feminist critics have undertaken to reform the norms of scientific practice and to recast scientific epistemology. The central question of this research is: Is a feminist science of biology possible, both epistemologically and as a social practice. If so, what would it be like; and under what kind of practical conditions. The arguments of this thesis are developed in three steps. The first part consists of an analytical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the feminist critiques and suggestions to reform the scientific norms of biological research, including what many of them see as 'context-bound scientific canons' such as 'objectivity'. These criticisms thus range from theory choice to the very epistemological foundations of biology which are all conceived of as contributing to the development of spurious explanations of women's biology and behaviours. The second part investigates the contribution of sociologists of knowledge and philosophers, focusing more specifically on Habermas, Hesse, and Gellner. It aims at shedding light on the particularities of both the ontologies and social norms and values that distinguish the epistemologies of the social and natural sciences. It is believed that these aspects need to be discussed more fully in order to elicit the models of explanations used in biology and the criteria of validation that feminists could not dispense with in their projects of implementing the practice and knowledge produced by feminist biologists. The third part of the thesis analyses interviews of mainstream biologists and two case studies of practising feminist biologists. First, it shows the points of convergence and rupture between the norms of practice in conventional biology and in feminist biology. Secondly, it highlights the originality of the actual contribution that feminists have made in the domain of biology both sociologically and scientifically (i.e. epistemologically, methodologically, conceptually). Thirdly, it discerns the gaps and continuity between feminist theory and feminist practice of science. It also suggests, however, that the resistance of mainstream biologists to the feminist critiques and concrete projects of biology in the past decade remain partly political (i.e. hostility to feminism) and normative (i.e. according to institutionally acceptable scientific rules). For, while the idea of a feminist biology derives fruitfully some original conceptual tools and designs of enquiry from the social sciences (especially in the areas human biology and clinically-oriented research), one can as yet recognize that the epistemological conditions and methodological norms of production biological knowledge nevertheless constitute the shared framework of both feminist and mainstream researchers in most areas of biology. Hence, the shift of recent feminist critics of science (such as Harding and Longino), from an epistemologically-oriented critique of scientific knowledge to a critique in terms of theory building and ideological assumptions, may appear as more fruitful in the institutional legitimation and advent of concrete projects of feminist biology. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Linguistic variation from cognitive variability: the case of English \u27have\u27

In this dissertation, I seek to construct a model of meaning variation built upon variability in linguistic structure, conceptual structure, and cognitive makeup, and in doing so, exemplify an approach to studying meaning that is both linguistically principled and neuropsychologically grounded. As my test case, I make use of the English lexical item \u27have\u27 by proposing a novel analysis of its meaning based on its well-described variability in English and its embedding into crosslinguistically consistent patterns of variation and change. I support this analysis by investigating its real-time comprehension patterns through behavioral, electropsychophysiological, and hemodynamic brain data, thereby incorporating dimensions of domain-general cognitive variability as crucial determinants of linguistic variability. Per my account, \u27have\u27 retrieves a generalized relational meaning which can give rise to a conceptually constrained range of readings, depending on the degree of causality perceived from either linguistic or contextual cues. Results show that comprehenders can make use of both for \u27have\u27-sentences, though they vary in the degree to which they rely on each. At the very broadest level, the findings support a model in which the semantic distribution of \u27have\u27 is inherently principled due to a unified conceptual structure. This underlying conceptual structure and relevant context cooperate in guiding comprehension by modulating the salience of potential readings, as comprehension unfolds; though, this ability to use relevant context--context-sensitivity--is variable but systematic across comprehenders. These linguistic and cognitive factors together form the core of normal language processing and, with a gradient conceptual framework, the minimal infrastructure for meaning variation and change

Linguistic Variation from Cognitive Variability: The Case of English \u27Have\u27

In this dissertation, I seek to construct a model of meaning variation built upon variability in linguistic structure, conceptual structure, and cognitive makeup, and in doing so, exemplify an approach to studying meaning that is both linguistically principled and neuropsychologically grounded. As my test case, I make use of the English lexical item ‘have\u27 by proposing a novel analysis of its meaning based on its well-described variability in English and its embed- ding into crosslinguistically consistent patterns of variation and change.I support this analysis by investigating its real-time comprehension patterns through behavioral, electropsychophysiological, and hemodynamic brain data, thereby incorporating dimensions of domain-general cognitive variability as crucial determinants of linguistic variability. Per my account, ‘have\u27 retrieves a generalized relational meaning which can give rise to a conceptually constrained range of readings, depending on the degree of causality perceived from either linguistic or contextual cues. Results show that comprehenders can make use of both for ‘have\u27-sentences, though they vary in the degree to which they rely on each.At the very broadest level, the findings support a model in which the semantic distribution of ‘have\u27 is inherently principled due to a unified conceptual structure. This underlying conceptual structure and relevant context cooperate in guiding comprehension by modulating the salience of potential readings, as comprehension unfolds; though, this ability to use relevant context–context-sensitivity–is variable but systematic across comprehenders. These linguistic and cognitive factors together form the core of normal language processing and, with a gradient conceptual framework, the minimal infrastructure for meaning variation and change

The politics of lesbian nature : A feminist critique of scientific knowledge and practice

This dissertation is a feminist analysis of scientific articles published from 1990--2000 reporting findings from research on biological origins of lesbian and bisexual orientations in women. Informed by feminist standpoint epistemologies and the theories and empirical research of the interdisciplinary field of feminist science studies, I assert that scientific efforts to locate biological origins of lesbian and bisexual orientations in women are likely to be infused with culturally-based assumptions and beliefs regarding sex, gender, sexual orientation, and race. To the extent that these assumptions and beliefs go unacknowledged in the science, they place limitations on the knowledge claims that can be made from the scientific research; Based on prior, related analyses conducted by scholars in feminist science studies and in gay and lesbian studies, I utilize two distinct yet overlapping research methods to analyze the scientific research: methodological critique and discourse analysis. The methodological critique analyzes scientific flaws and limitations in the explanatory framework, the sampling procedures, and the interpretations and conclusions drawn from the data. The discourse analysis analyzes the contextual meanings associated with the language used in discussing sex, gender, sexual orientation, and race. Both analyses provide evidence for the influence of culturally-based assumptions and beliefs on the scientific research; By integrating the results of the two methods I show how they work together to place constraints on the scientific knowledge claims made in the body of research analyzed. I argue for the necessity for researchers to situate their research within the social, political, historical, and cultural contexts in which it arises, as well as within the context of the background assumptions that shape it. Only in this way can we evaluate the validity of scientific claims about the nature of lesbian orientation

Educational Learning Theories: 2nd Edition

This open textbook was the result of a remix of pre-existing open materials collected and reviewed by Molly Zhou and David Brown. Learning theories covered include the theories of Piaget, Bandura, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, Dewey, Bronfenbrenner, Eriksen, Gardner, Bloom, and Maslow. The textbook was revised in 2018 through a Round Ten Revisions and Ancillary Materials Mini-Grant. Topics covered include: Behaviorism Cognitive Development Social Cognitive Theory Experiential Learning Theory Human Motivation Theory Information Processing Theoryhttps://oer.galileo.usg.edu/education-textbooks/1000/thumbnail.jp

Flourishing at the margins: an exploration of deaf and hard-of-hearing women’s stories of their intimate lives in Ireland

This research is an exploratory, qualitative study that advances knowledge on the intimate lives of deaf women in Ireland. It asks, how do deaf women experience and understand their intimate lives? Additionally, how are deaf women’s intimate lives contoured, what are the effects of this and how can we problematise this? I ask how we can reimagine new worlds where all deaf women flourish in their intimate lives and intimate citizenship - what are the ‘radical possibilities’? Through a critical analysis I argue that deaf women are positioned through an audist/ableist lens as ‘vulnerable’ at discursive and policy level. I contend this is grounded in hegemonic notions of deaf women’s bodies as deviating from the ‘norm’. I explore the opportunities for troubling these understandings in discourse and policy through deaf women’s own embodied knowledge and subjective experiences. As a deaf woman and researcher, I valued starting with the stories of other deaf women which were collected through twenty-nine one-to-one, in-depth interviews. I applied narrative thematic analysis to the data to centre deaf women’s insights. The findings from my research provide new knowledge and thinking on how deaf women learn and do sexuality, negotiate their intimate lives, as well as deaf intercorporeal encounters, and through this considers the role of ‘deaf social capital’ and ‘DEAF-GAIN’ (Bauman and Murray, 2014) in these spaces of resistance. This serves to highlight the collective and solidaristic aspects of flourishing. My research identifies new pathways towards flourishing for deaf women and how we might understand this in relation to intimate citizenship. Taken together the narratives tell a story of flourishing because of, not despite, being deaf. In this way my research reimagines ‘ways of knowing’ and promoting deaf women’s intimate lives to inform theory, policy and practice responses through deaf women’s own knowledge and experience

Flourishing at the margins: an exploration of deaf and hard-of-hearing women’s stories of their intimate lives in Ireland

This research is an exploratory, qualitative study that advances knowledge on the intimate lives of deaf women in Ireland. It asks, how do deaf women experience and understand their intimate lives? Additionally, how are deaf women’s intimate lives contoured, what are the effects of this and how can we problematise this? I ask how we can reimagine new worlds where all deaf women flourish in their intimate lives and intimate citizenship - what are the ‘radical possibilities’? Through a critical analysis I argue that deaf women are positioned through an audist/ableist lens as ‘vulnerable’ at discursive and policy level. I contend this is grounded in hegemonic notions of deaf women’s bodies as deviating from the ‘norm’. I explore the opportunities for troubling these understandings in discourse and policy through deaf women’s own embodied knowledge and subjective experiences. As a deaf woman and researcher, I valued starting with the stories of other deaf women which were collected through twenty-nine one-to-one, in-depth interviews. I applied narrative thematic analysis to the data to centre deaf women’s insights. The findings from my research provide new knowledge and thinking on how deaf women learn and do sexuality, negotiate their intimate lives, as well as deaf intercorporeal encounters, and through this considers the role of ‘deaf social capital’ and ‘DEAF-GAIN’ (Bauman and Murray, 2014) in these spaces of resistance. This serves to highlight the collective and solidaristic aspects of flourishing. My research identifies new pathways towards flourishing for deaf women and how we might understand this in relation to intimate citizenship. Taken together the narratives tell a story of flourishing because of, not despite, being deaf. In this way my research reimagines ‘ways of knowing’ and promoting deaf women’s intimate lives to inform theory, policy and practice responses through deaf women’s own knowledge and experience

A Journey from Science to Art: Valuing the voices of women in the exploration of traumatic childbirth and perinatal mental health.

Informed by a feminist perspective, this thesis critically explores the multiple conceptual metanarratives of in childbirth. The research focuses on the lived experiences of traumatic childbirth and perinatal mental health problems from the perspective of Health Visitors and mothers to journey from the dominant, broad medical perspective to the unique, personal emotional understanding. This highlights the knowledge to be gained through listening and learning from the voices of women who are experts by experience in traumatic childbirth and perinatal mental health care. The research was structured in three phases, a thematic analysis of focus groups with ten Health Visitors; a narrative analysis of mothers with self-defined traumatic birth stories; and a holistic representation of the stories and research experience. Using focus groups with Health Visitors, a thematic analysis constructed an over-arching theme of ‘Protecting an uncertain professional identity’, encompassing two sub-themes constituted of ‘the knowledge narrative’ exploring differing types of professional wisdom, and ‘Health Visitors role in perinatal mental health care.’ In the thematic analysis Health Visitors demonstrate some technical knowledge of PSTD following childbirth, but are under-confident in this knowledge. They outline a juxtaposition between not wanting to take on a role and responsibility in perinatal mental health care, but doing so in practice, creating anxiety. The importance of experiential and relational knowledge underpinning professional artistry is also highlighted. A narrative analysis of twelve mothers’ traumatic childbirth stories utilizes van Gennep’s (1960) Rites of Passage theoretical framework to propose a period of acute liminality following traumatic childbirth experiences, with specific strategies and rituals enabling mothers to reintegrate and incorporate these experiences into their maternal self-identity. Secondly, narrative analysis explores the dilemmatic qualities of the traumatic childbirth narratives through the use of contextually-bound ‘cervix’ repertoires, discursive resources used to negotiate unique and personal experiences within the medical discourses which contextualise contemporary childbirth. Illuminating and integrating the multiple people and positions invested in this project; the researched, the researcher, and the audience, this thesis concludes with an arts-based, novel representation/presentation of mothers’ traumatic childbirth narratives. This provides an alternative, holistic understanding through an emotional capture of the individual traumatic childbirth narratives, creating ‘empathetic engagement’ and reactive reflections. This demonstrates the unique value of aesthetic, visceral knowledge created through potent, evocative and essentially human connection

Engaged Humanities

What is the role of the humanities at the start of 21st century? In the last few decades, the various disciplines of the humanities (history, linguistics, literary studies, art history, media studies) have encountered a broad range of challenges, related to the future of print culture, to shifts in funding strategies, and to the changing contours of culture and society. Several publications have addressed these challenges as well as potential responses on a theoretical level. This coedited volume opts for a different strategy and presents accessible case studies that demonstrate what humanities scholars contribute to concrete and pressing social debates about topics including adoption, dementia, hacking, and conservation. These “engaged” forms of humanities research reveal the continued importance of thinking and rethinking the nature of art, culture, and public life