Research Conference Presents Feminist Findings

By Connect Mason Multimedia Director Grace Kendall

Student researchers gathered at the first annual Gender Research Conference to present feminist findings on modern issues in dating, gender roles in on-campus organizations and the difficulties of international students at Mason, among other topics. The conference was held in Mason Hall Thursday, May 1.

All of the panelists’ findings were on different specific topics, but they came together to paint an interesting picture of the split between women as relationship-focused or career-focused.

Graduate students Laura Harrison, Jeffrey Johnson and Jade Perez examined modern college relationships, noting that upperclassmen are more likely to take relationships seriously than freshmen. They found that men initially resist serious relationships, but as they reach the end of their college career begin seeking a “nice girl” to settle down with; they view her as an object.

They also found that women mirrored these sentiments in their words if not in their actions, feeling that having a boyfriend would get in the way of meeting their goals. Harrison, Johnson and Perez found that there is a clear tension between traditional views of relationships and modern views for females; it is often a case of speaking one way and feeling another.

There was also much discussion on sacrifices. Taylor Hutchins spoke about many women preparing for their post-college life who were conflicted on how to balance career and family. She found that women weren’t comfortable choosing one over the other, but that they were aware of the gender-based dilemma.

“They’re taking the future into their own hands,” Hutchins said. She explained that they were claiming ownership of their decisions as educated females and, while they knew they would be making some sacrifices, held themselves to a set of personal standards.

Susan Miller built on this idea later in the day. Her research was focused on the expectations held for modern dance students at Mason. Dancers are typically held to rigid ideals of perfection, and those who don’t match the high standards have to explore other options. Miller found that students made the best of the situation.

“It seems their restrictions have become their preferences,” she said of former ballet dancers who now appreciate the freedom of expression offered through modern dance.

The researchers acknowledged that other factors played a role in these thoughts and decisions, but believed that gender definitely played a large role.

The research projects were all done as part of a two sequence course (WMST 410 & 411) combining sociology and women’s studies. The classes teach feminist approaches to social research and then give students an opportunity to use those techniques to conduct research of gender research on campus.

“It’s a real payoff for undergraduates who don’t have many chances for doing original research,” said Dr. Amy Best, Associate Professor of Sociology. “They get professional development… and they’re performing an invaluable service for the university.”

Best and Nancy Hanrahan, a Women's Studies associate professor who worked to create the project, both plan to continue the project at least for the next four years. Students interested in becoming involved can sign up for WMST 410 in the fall semester.