Little (White) Women: Locating Whiteness in (De)constructions of the American Female from Alcott to Split Britches

In 1988, the feminist/lesbian performance group Split Britches performed a deconstruction of Louisa May Alcott’s canonical Little Women. Their play, Little Women, the Tragedy (LWTT) highlighted the division within the feminist movement at the time over pornography, and called into question the norms of morality and feminine virtue reflected in and by Alcott’s classic ‘American girls’ novel.’ The play, however, illustrates a problematic construction of feminist/lesbian identity as outside of racial discourse. This paper argues that feminist performances which aim to deconstruct gender and sexuality should also be examined in terms of racialization; the common omission of whiteness as a category of identification can undermine the political goals of feminists of colour and white feminists alike. I briefly describe how Little Women constructs the American female as moral, heterosexual and of ‘white’ European descent. The paper then illustrates how LWTT seems to ignore the actors’/characters’ positions as belonging to the racial majority. This piece’s ability to expose oppressive systems of identity construction relies on the whiteness of the actors’ bodies and characterizations. This reliance indicates a critical gap between how feminists of colour and white feminists approached the performance of sexuality and morality during the 1980s, revealing historical and social inequities between groups of women

“A Little History Here, a Little Hollywood There”: (Counter-) Identifying with the Spanish Fantasy in Carlos Morton’s Rancho Hollywood and Theresa Chavez’s L.A. Real

Often considered the final conquest and ultimate summation of Manifest Destiny, California holds a unique place in the American imaginary. While the popular mythology of the Spanish fantasy has served to obscure the use of violence and racialized oppression throughout the colonization of the American Southwest, traces of such struggle remain in memories of the colonized as they continue to occupy this contested space. This paper examines Carlos Morton’s ensemble-based political satire, Rancho Hollywood, and Theresa Chavez’s one-woman show, L.A. Real, to navigate the dynamic experience of contemporary Southern Californian racialized identity. These two pieces diverge stylistically but share an inclusive, nuanced approach to making sense of history, exploring the material and epistemological impact of historical representation on Chicana/o identity over time. Rancho Hollywood and L.A. Real counter-identify with the Spanish-fantasy heritage by rejecting stereotyping, questioning sanitized versions of Californian history, and voicing personal narratives that resist dominant regional myths and their associated racial ascriptions. Each play stages alternative versions of history that include personal experience and cultural memory; this transformative, productive approach to identity formation articulates agency over the memory of California

Adolescents with Disabilities: the Development of Life Skills through Occupational Therapy

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to create a workshop for occupational therapists (OTs) who work with adolescents as they transition from high school to adulthood focusing on life skill development. Methodology: An Internet search was completed to determine the current role of OT in the transition process and the needs of adolescents as they transition to adulthood. Information was obtained from the following databases: PubMed, PsychInfo, SCOPUS, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Resources included professional journals, scholarly text books, and government websites. The literature review also included information on the Ecology of Human Performance Model and Knowles Adult Learning theory to guide the development of this scholarly project. Results: Adolescents with disabilities have more difficulty developing adult life skills in the areas of social skills, community involvement, employment, postsecondary education, affordable housing, and parental dependence. As an IEP team member, OTs have unique knowledge and skills to facilitate the transition process, increase adolescent independence and participation in meaningful occupations. This scholarly project includes a workshop and resource manual based on a theoretical foundation and evidence-based research to support the role expansion of occupational therapy in transitional programs. Conclusions: In conclusion, it is recommended that occupational therapists expand their existing role in the transition process to include life skills development of adolescents. It is likely that this workshop will facilitate this role expansion by providing an opportunity for discussion, problem solving, idea sharing, learning about related legislation and research. It is expected that this workshop will be implemented in public school settings by the year 2012. Continued research is needed in the area of life skill development for adolescents with a disability who are in the process of transitioning to adulthood to continue to expand this workshop