Friday, September 18th, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.

Displaced Housewives & Re-Entry Women:  Going Back to College as an Adult

Historically, American colleges were never set up for women or adult learners; however, today women undergraduates over 25 outnumber adult male students by about two to one.  By 2012, women will “outstrip men in educational achievement” in earning associates, bachelors, and graduate degrees.  Through the years, such students have been referred to as “displaced homemakers” and “re-entry women.”  They are coming into higher education with various levels of preparation, but often need specific kinds of support to succeed in school.  This presentation looks at the place of the adult woman student in today’s university:  why she’s here and what colleges and universities can do to help her achieve her academic goals.

Presenter:  E. Dana Roof, College Student Personnel & Women’s Studies

Friday, November 6^th, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Medicine Ways Traditional Women Bring to the Non-Native World

It is very difficult for Native women in today's world who are trying to be both professional and traditional. The role of culture and "medicine" is not just herbal, but is important in regard to relationships and life ways.  Two Native American women will present: Helen Coleman on native spirituality from the Lakota teachings and Georgia Adams on the challenges of bringing back the Mingo language without a traditional social structure and incorporating Native spirituality into modern life.

Presenters:  Georgia Adams, Fostoria Public Schools, and
Helen Coleman/Waasaakawneakwe’, “Brings the Light Woman”

In recognition of Native American Heritage Month

Friday, December 4^th, 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.

Gender, Television & Military Culture

The fictional narratives of film and television provide a way to understand shared human moments, and their stories prompt viewers to consider events in a particular way.  Therefore, the assumptions used to ground narratives are passed on to viewers.  In light of the radical increase in military operations over the last six years, it is important to examine how television and film encourage the nd both war and military culture.  Specifically, it is crucial to understand how the event of war and the subsequent military climate are used to shape and support beliefs about gender and race.  This research examines how the portrayal of femininity on the Lifetime Television Network series Army Wives uses the military culture to perpetuate hegemonic notions regarding gender and race.

Presenter:  Manda Hicks, American Culture Studies

The Women’s Research Network
Scholarship ~ Dialogue ~ Advocacy
Sponsored by The Women’s Studies Program &
The Women’s Center
All WRN seminars are at The Women’s Center, 107 Hanna Hall