Project Mentor
Dr. Zehra Arat
Department: Political Science
Research Project Overview:
This summer apprenticeship will involve assisting a political science professor, who is also engaged in interdisciplinary fields of human rights and gender studies, in conducting research and drafting a conference paper on intersectionality, a feminist analytical approach.
Intersectionality, a term first used by Kimberlé Crenshaw in a 1989 article to stress Black woman’s marginalization in the US due to both her sex and race, became a buzz word. As its popularity increased, so did the meanings attributed to the term. While some use it interchangeably with “diversity” and treat it as a goal to be achieved, others employ it to draw attention to the impact of compounded discrimination experienced by women who hold multiple subjugated identities. This project intends to review the diverse understandings of the term in feminist literature produced since the 1990s and highlight a particular analytical approach of intersectionality. Going beyond recognizing the diversity of women and acknowledging that gender intersects with other identities, this intersectionality approach also stresses that: (1) intersecting identities result in unique experiences of gender oppression; (2) women may occupy positions of oppression and privilege simultaneously; and (3) due to their privileged status in some areas, women may contribute to or benefit from the subjugation of other women. It then traces the earlier history of this approach not only to European and American Black feminisms of the 1960s and 1970s but also to the nineteenth century, to Marxist feminism that pointed to the different experiences and conflict of interest between the proletariat and bourgeois women. Thus, the project delves into intellectual history and various feminist theories.
The student assistant would have a chance to observe and participate in the research process, from the formulation and justification of a research question to the preparation of a polished conference paper.
Role of a SHARE Summer Apprentice:
The student will assist the faculty in research efforts mostly by gathering literature and conducting reviews of the literature. The range of research activities will include:
- Conduct library research to identify the relevant literature
- Read and summarize related literature
- Work on organizing the literature and arguments according to an outline
- Help draft papers
- Proofread and edit draft papers
- Prepare and edit bibliographies
- Attend training sessions
- Perform miscellaneous duties as directed
The student assistant is expected to learn about the diversity in feminist analyses and theories, acquire considerable knowledge of some major feminist theories, and understand intersectionality as an analytical tool that is embedded in many feminist theories. The student will also gain research experience and skills in following areas: Formulating a research question; identifying relevant literature; writing an informative and well-organized literature review; gathering and organizing qualitative data; being able to separate literature review from original analyses; organizing a research paper; and following citation rules properly.
The mentoring will start by introducing major feminist theories; the first few weeks would focus on this preparatory theory training. For specific research tasks (e.g., conducting library research), the student will be trained via-Zoom meetings. Some of the instructions, guidelines and feedback on completed tasks will be provided through e-mail communications. The tasks will be broken down into weekly assignments, and the feedback will be provided accordingly.
Summer Schedule/Time Commitment:
I would like the student to start in mid-May and continue until mid-August by investing about 10hrs/wk. However, the hours will be flexible. We may skip some weeks due to other obligations and breaks.
Preferred Qualifications:
I do not expect the student to have any course work or background on the research topic, as I will train them. However, students must
- have broad interest in women’s rights and feminist theory; and some background on these would be preferable
- have some experience in conducting library research (finding relevant sources)
- have well-developed reading comprehension skills
- be enthusiastic, punctual, reliable, tenacious, and attentive to details.
To Apply:
Applications are closed for this apprenticeship.
Click here to view an outline of the application questions. In addition to the question on the outline, applicants for this position will be asked the following question:
- Please discuss how you meet the preferred qualifications, specifically your exposure to literature on women’s rights and feminist theories, and your experience conducting library research and literature review (500 word maximum).