Contemporary Issues in Feminist Research – Fall 2021

EWU Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies presents for fall 2021 Contemporary Issues in Feminist Research, featuring faculty and staff presenting research in their disciplines from a feminist perspective.

Contemporary Issues in Feminist Research

All events will be held virtually via Zoom.

“Where life is precious…” Intersectional Feminism in the Time of COVID-19

Thursday, November 4th

In a pandemic webinar, Ruth Wilson Gilmore offered this simple declaration: “where life is precious, life is precious.” In the liminal time-space of COVID-19, breath and life have come into high relief. We are challenged with how to scale macro and micro questions about how we live with ourselves, our communities, our institutions, other living beings, and the environment. What sort of life truly matters? Whose lives matter? In this short paper, I use the breath and life to weave some thinking from Black and Indigenous feminist scholar-activists on the pandemic, the collapsing capitalist economy, the uprising for racial justice, and how all of this is coalescing in an historic moment.

Facts and Farce: The Art and Activism of the Guerrilla Girls

Tuesday, November 23rd

For nearly 40 years, the Guerrilla Girls have used their unique blend of wry humor, startling facts, and a bold graphic style to take on the inequities of the art world. From the early days when their work was anonymously pasted on the streets of Manhattan, to the present when their oeuvre commands retrospectives within prestigious institutions, the Guerrilla Girls have been tireless advocates for the equitable inclusion of women and artists of color in the art world. By embracing a populist approach to art and a wide array of approaches they continue to address sexism, racism and oppression. This talk will outline the history, prominent works, strategies, and impact of this groundbreaking group of activist artists.

Creating More Inclusive Classrooms by Targeting Student Employees

Tuesday, November 30th

Low degree completion and persistence rates plague our university, and students of color persist at a much lower rate than their white peers. Research has shown that a sense of belonging in college can increases persistence to graduation. The College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CSTEM) is working to create a sense of belonging in classrooms by targeting student employees, these include teaching assistants, tutors, and graders in Biology, Mathematics, and Chemistry. The techniques and preliminary results will be discussed.

For access accommodations, please contact Lisa Logan at llogan83@ewu.edu five business days in advance.