The Women’s Studies Research Center
Student - Scholar Partnership Journal
(SSP) Spring 2012
Experience the Energy, Focus, and Determination
of our elite Mentoring Internship . . .
Letter from the Program Coordinator
Greetings!
The Student-Scholar Partnership has had another exciting and learning-rich experience in the 2011-2012 academic year! With projects in such diverse fields as art, chemistry, the grieving process, differences between the sexes, and Investigative Journalism there were plenty of opportunities for students with varying backgrounds and interests to find a project to sink their teeth into! We had partnerships who explored what it meant to worship the Goddess, who watched films to discover how older women are portrayed, researched the welfare of women in the country of Ireland, and worked with children in local elementary schools. Others explored the creative process in conceptual terms, evaluated the old ”Fear of Success” adage for today’s world, and worked on a book to improve relations between new in-laws and the people their children married.
Scholars and Students pair up to study their topics of research, but the SSP contains so much more then that - the relationships that develop between students and their scholars are more mentoring in nature – and it is not uncommon for these relationships to last for years after the SSP is done! Just today, I was talking to a Scholar about her current student and she kept checking the door. Turns out she was simultaneously receiving a plant from her past student to care for while that student was abroad, and she was waiting for a student from a few years back to come in so they could go out to lunch and catch up! The professional closeness and understanding from working together intently is a wonderful real-life experience not many students who graduate will have been able to obtain.
The Projects the program chooses to include are carefully selected and the entire program offering is crafted to appeal to as many audiences as possible. The projects all are very real and have constraints, focus, and goals which students and scholars work together to meet. Scholars have the ultimate responsibility of creating a project, training a student to look at it with the same lens the Scholar is using, and then working together toward an ultimate goal/deadline in only fifty hours. This responsibility could be daunting to some, but not to our dedicated Mentors! They receive a college student’s input into their area of research, and they get the obvious help with research or project-related tasks. In return, mentors offer guidance, years of experience from the field, honest input and critique, and in many cases – friendship!
I, and other WSRC members, are very proud of our Scholars and Students in the SSP. If you happen to run into one, ask them about their experience – I am certain it will be a story worth hearing!
Sincerely,
Kristen Mullin,
SSP Program Coordinator
Student-Scholar Partnership Program Journal
volume five spring 2012
table of contents
page
2Letter from the Program Coordinator
6About the Student - Scholar Partnership Program
7Notable Quotes from Our Last Semester SSP Relationships
8Full List of Spring 2012 Partnerships
Select SSP Project Essays
10Scholar: Rosalind Barnett
Student: Anushka Aqil
Project: Sex Differences Research and Annual Gender Roundtable
11Scholar: Phyllis Silverman
Student: Clare Churchill-Sedar
Project: Understanding the Needs of Grieving Children and if Gender Plays a Role
13Scholar: Janet Freedman
Student: Susannah Feinstein
Project: Feminism in Cyberspace
14Scholar: Florence Graves
Student: Elly Kalfus
Project: Schuster Institute of Investigative Journalism
15Scholar: Margaret Gullette
Student: Lauren Katz
Project: Age Studies – Commentary, Critique, Blogs and Public Image
pageSSP Project
17Scholar: Susan Eisenberg
Student: Olivia Leiter
Project: “On Equal Terms: Women in Construction” Art Installation
18Scholar: Rosie Rosenzweig
Student: Vanessa Lubiner
Project: The Creative Process: Artists and Buddhist Psychology
20Scholar: Hilda Kahne
Student: Jennifer Mandelbaum
Project: Women, Work, and Retirement: Some Issues to Consider
22Scholar: Elizabeth Markson
Student: Nora Puricelli
Project: Depiction of Older Women in Film, 1930 - 2008
23Scholar: Brenda McSweeney
Student: Jade Sank
Project: Women in Ireland: An International Gender Case Study
25Scholar: Ruth Nemzoff
Student: Marielle Temkin
Project: Married Into: Making New In-Law Bonds Work
pageSSP Project
26Scholar: Nance Golddstein
Student: Julie Yiu
Project: Leadership Expectations, Needs and Investment for Hospital Nurses and Clinical Leaders – Changing Challenges From Healthcare Turbulence
27Scholar: Phoebe Schnitzer
Student: Justine Zayhowski
Project: Gender Issues in Achievement Concerns: Is “Fear of Success” Still With Us?
28Scholar: Pnina G. Abir-Am
Student: Grace Zhang
Project: The Centennial of Marie Curie’s Nobel Prize and he Designation of 2011 as the Year of Chemistry: A Trans-National Commemmoration of Women’s Greatness
29Scholar: Georgia Sassen
Student: Micah Broadnax
Project: “Drums and Poems” Supporting Girls Assertiveness and Boys and Girls’ Literacy and Relational Skills
About the Student-Scholar Partnership Program
“T
he SSP Program is an excellent opportunity for our talented undergraduates to develop serious, productive, and engaging relationships with scholars and university faculty. These partnerships span so many diverse areas of intellectual inquiry and professional development - it’s stunning to me to see how many different projects are available to our students. This program is truly a credit to the students, scholars, and faculty who participate.”
- Provost Marty Krauss, June 2006
Overview
The Student-Scholar Partnership (SSP) was launched in the spring of 1997 as a project of the Women’s Studies Program at Brandeis University. Today, the program continues as a component of the Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC). The goal of the Student-Scholar Partnership is to match undergraduate students with WSRC Scholars and Women’s and Gender Studies faculty to work collaboratively on research or artistic projects. The emphasis of the program is to enable students and scholars/faculty to work collectively on projects that focus on women’s issues in many different fields. Each partnership meets on an ongoing basis throughout the semester and students have the option of continuing to work on their project more then one year. Students provide research assistance including library and online research, archival work, data analysis, interviewing, preparation for art exhibitions, assistance with book publishing and production, and webpage development. Two unique aspects of the program include an emphasis on mentoring and students contributions to the projects. The program supports the important work that the scholars/faculty are conducting on women’s lives and provides Brandeis undergraduates with an exceptional opportunity to work closely with established professionals in their fields of interest.
Notable Quotes from Our Last Semester SSP Relationships:
Spring 2012
“M
y experience working for the SSP has helped me think critically about the intersections among gender, social norms, and public policy….The freedom and independence with which (my scholar) allows me to work has helped me to broaden my viewpoint and consider varied solutions to complex issues.”
- StudentJennifer Mandelbaum working with Scholar Hilda Kahne on “Women’s Post-Retirement Work Activities”
“W
orking with Ruth has been one of the more enlightening and definitely one of the most informative experiences of my life.”
- StudentMarielle Temkin working with Scholar Ruth Nemzoff on “Married Into: Making New In-Law Family Bonds Work”
“O
verall, working with Dr. Barnett, I have been able to apply the theory learned in classroom to practical examples and could not have found a more productive space than this where I would have been able to accrue knowledge of both the theoretical and practical realms.”
- StudentAnushka Aqil working with Scholar Roz Barnett on “Roundtable and Sex
Differences Research”
“O
ur work together unites the objectives of Brandeis University and experiential learning: education and justice, and I hope to continue working with Janet for the remainder of my tenure here.”
- StudentSusannah Feinstein working with Scholar Janet Freedman on “Feminism in Cyberspace”
“W
hat I really liked about this job was that it complimented the other classes that I was taking (Civil Liberties in America, Liberal Political Thought and Contemporary Art). Not only did this experience help me understand the different elements that go into promoting one’s work, but the content of the work stimulated me intellectually and emotionally. “
- StudentOlivia Leiter working with Scholar Susan Eisenberg on “’On Equal Terms’ Art Installation”
“T
his experience has been great. Not only have I been able to form a close relationship with my scholar, Phoebe, but I have also learned a lot about gender issues and current theories on achievement differences. It has made me think critically about the ways societal perceptions and psychological ideas have far reaching effects. “
- StudentJustine Zayhowski working with Scholar Phoebe Schnitzer on “Gender Issues in Achievement Concerns: Is “Fear of Success” Still With Us?”
Student - Scholar Partnership (SSP)
Internship Program
Partnership List Spring 2012
- Pnina Abir-AM (Resident Scholar) and Grace Zhang (Student) - “The Centennial of Marie Curie's Nobel Prize and the Designation of 2011 as the Year of Chemistry: ‘A Trans-national Commemoration of Women's Greatness”
- Roz Barnett (Resident Scholar) and Anushka Aqil (Student) - “Roundtable and Sex Differences Research”
- Helen Berger (Visiting Scholar) and Zoe Novick (Student) - “Does Worshipping the Goddess Make You a Feminist?”
- Susan Eisenberg (Resident Scholar) / Olivia Leiter (Student) - “’On Equal Terms’ Art Installation”
- Janet Freedman (Visiting Scholar) and Susannah Feinstein (Student) - “Feminism in Cyberspace”
- Nance Goldstein (Resident Scholar) and Julie Yiu (Student) – “Leadership Expectations, Needs and Investment for Hospital Nurses and CLincial Leaders – Changing Challenges from Healthcare Turbulence”
- E.J. Graff (Resident Scholar) and Amelia Ray (Student) - “Schuster Institute of Investigative Journalism”
- Florence Graves (Resident Scholar) and Elly Kalfus (Student) - “Schuster Institute of Investigative Journalism”
- Margaret Gullette (Scholar) and Lauren Katz (Student) – “Age Studies – Commentary, Critique, Blogs and Public Image Discussion”
- Hilde Kahne (Resident Scholar) / Jennifer Mandelbaum (Student) - “Women’s Post-Retirement Work Activities”
- Elizabeth Markson (Resident Scholar) and Nora Puricelli (Student) – “Depictions of Older Women in Feature Film, 1930-2008”
- Brenda McSweeney (Resident Scholar) / Jade Sank (Student) – “Irish Women Today: Perspectives from Glaway to Dublin on Gender Equality”
- Ruth Nemzoff (Resident Scholar) and Marielle Temkin (Student) - “Married Into: Making New In-Law Family Bonds Work”
- Rosie Rosenzweig (Resident Scholar) and Vanessa Lubiner (Student) – “The Creative Process: Women Artists and Buddhist Psychology”
- Georgia Sassen (Visiting Scholar) and Krista Giuntoli and Micha Broadnax (Students at 25 hours each) – “Drums and Poems: Supporting Girls Assertiveness and Boys’ and Girls’ Literacy and Relational Skills”
- Phoebe Schnitzer (Visiting Scholar) and Justine Zayhowski (Student) - “Gender Issues in Achievement Concerns: Is “Fear of Success” Still With Us?”
- Phyllis Silverman (Resident Scholar) and Claire Churchill Sedar (Student) – “Understanding the Needs of Grieving Children and if Gender Plays a Role”
Sex Differences Research and Annual Gender Roundtable
Scholar: Roz Barnett
Student: Anushka Aqil
As a second year SSP participant, I have had the opportunity to delve into a variety of projects and learn a number of new facts, theories, and skills. From learning details about the wage gap that continues to persist to the concept of Glass Cliffs to performing a literature review within an hour, I will be coming out of this partnership a much more learned student.
I was fortunate enough to work with Dr. Barnett, a scholar who is not only well known in her respective field but one who is also known for challenging many widely held beliefs. From working on issues regarding single-sex education to how female CEOs are becoming increasingly used as scapegoats, Dr. Barnett has brought to light many misconceptions about women, gender, and our society.
Most recently, I have been most involved with helping Dr. Barnett research the glass cliff phenomenon for her next book. As a student who was mostly unaware of this topic, I have learned a great deal about politics in the professional world and how subtly discrimination against women continues to persist. In addition, I have become more conscience of the number of levels that exist in our society in which both women and men suffer discrimination due to their gender and the crucial necessity to change society so that each may be perceived as intellectual equals. Overall, working with Dr. Barnett, I have been able to apply the theory learned in classroom to practical examples and could not have found a more productive space than this where I would have been able to accrue knowledge of both the theoretical and practical realms.
Understanding the Needs of Grieving Children and if Gender Plays a Role
Scholar: Phyllis Silverman
Student: Clare Churchill-Seder
My experience assisting Dr. Phyllis Silverman this semester has been eye opening both academically and emotionally. I have been aiding her with her ongoing research regarding the benefits of The Children’s Room in Arlington Mass. The Children’s Room is a center for grieving families—providing support and community for both children and parents. Children and adolescents experiencing the loss of a loved one meet in age specific groups on a biweekly basis to share, play, and create while the parents also meet in less formal groups.
By looking at interviews with parents and children rather than qualitative data, we have been investigating experienced aspects of grief and support. We have been able to tease out some main themes of these experiences such as feelings of loneliness and the benefits of shared understandings between peers. It has become clear that the general literature on grief is lacking in terms of its handling of a child’s experience of grief and why it is SO helpful (self-acclaimed helpfulness rather than clinically acclaimed) for kids to meet others like themselves. We hope to continue this project, and to continue to attach theoretical tools to our conception of the experience of loss.
Approaching this project from an anthropological perspective rather than a psychological one has been a very important part of this semester for me. The use of personal narratives is a humanizing and delicate way to deal with an extremely nuanced phenomenon. Where a discussion of grief ‘symptoms’ can demean the lived human experience, giving legitimacy to the narratives of participants at The Children’s Room acknowledges the real experts on grief—those who live it.
It has been a real honor working on this project with Dr. Silverman as I have learned about the somewhat ambiguous nature of research outside of the classroom. While I am reading as much as I can about the nature of grief, there is no ‘right’ answer waiting for me when I hand in my paper. I find the investigatory quality new and exciting. On a more personal level, looking into this subject has helped me to think about my own experiences with grief and to believe in the power of support systems like The Children’s Room. In fact, through this opportunity I have been spurred to co-found a support group for grieving students on campus and have high hopes for its growth next year.
Feminism in Cyberspace
Scholar: Janet Freedman
Student: Susannah Feinstein
Thanks to the Student- Scholars Partnership (SSP) program I have had the great pleasure of collaborating and working with Janet Freedman, a research fellow at the Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC). She is writing a book examining women and small groups, especially consciousness raising groups and groups that have followed these. I am Janet’s research assistant. Together, we crafted the second chapter of the book entitled, “Only Connect: Using Electronic Networks to Advance Common Goals.” We started off with small projects and assignments which mainly consisted of perusing through different feminist blogs, collecting data and information, and reporting back with my findings during our weekly meetings.
We spent many thought-provoking hours discussing how the face-to-face practices of consciousness raising (CR) have moved to the online blogosphere. Every Tuesday we would meet at a local café and share insights over a cup of tea. Through these weekly tea dates Janet became more than a mentor to me, she became my friend. It is rare to find someone so passionate about all that they do and who truly practice what they preach. Working with Janet has been an enormous learning experience for me both on an intellectual level and personal level.
As a double major in Health, Science, Society, and Policy and Women and Gender Studies, much of my coursework was reflected in this project. Ideally, blogging in a feminist context involves the integration of meaningful community engagement with learning and reflection. The purpose of these other blogs is to connect feminists across the globe and to encourage activism. Our work together unites the objectives of Brandeis University and experiential learning: education and justice, and I hope to continue working with Janet for the remainder of my tenure here.
1
Schuster Institute of Investigative Journalism
Scholar: Florence Graves
Student: Elly Kalfus
This semester I have worked at the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism as a Student Scholar Partner to the Institute’s Founding Director, Florence Graves. I have been working on a long-term research project in regards to wrongful conviction cases in which lawyers have been able to prove clients’ innocence, resulting in their release, without utilizing DNA testing. DNA evidence is available in a minority of cases, and even when it is applicable, many states make it difficult for defense attorneys to obtain DNA after their clients have been convicted. My partnership has taught me a great deal about flaws within the criminal justice system, as well as how to conduct online research.