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The double-edged sword of the “Strong Black Woman” schema

By Tabassum Shama The Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema is the role of invincibility that black women take up both voluntarily and...

Gender matters in LGBQ discrimination experiences

How does someone’s gender expression impact the discrimination that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) people face? Is racial...

Shifting the objectifying gaze: Focusing on women's personality disrupts sexual objectification

By Marisa Ragonese I had a baby three summers ago, and she’s been hanging around me a lot ever since. One of the best parts about this...

What is sexual & reproductive health, rights, and justice?

What is sexual and reproductive health? Reproductive health is a term that has generally referred to an array of concerns and capacities...

What is rape culture?

Illustration by Hanna Barczyk What is rape culture? Rape culture is a term that describes the normalization and pervasiveness of sexual...

What is LGBTQ+ Lives & Issues?

What does it mean to be LGBTQ+? LGBTQ+ is an abbreviation that encompasses a variety of different sexual and gender identities. We use...

What is positive sexuality?

What is positive sexuality? Positive sexuality has several meanings. The first is understanding sexuality as a positive force —be it...

What is toxic masculinity?

What is masculinity? Masculinity is a constellation of human behaviors, qualities, roles and characteristics that have been socially...

Lesbian and bisexual women remember their firsts. Let’s talk about sexual attraction!

By Elise Bragard The passing of Valentine’s Day this year had me thinking about all my past loves and experiences of...

Gender bias for girls and women in STEM

By Allison Cabana *From the SPARK Research! Blog Archive: This blog was originally written for SPARK, a girl-fueled organization...

Women in Academia Burdened with Student's Gendered Expectations: Women are Nurturing, Men are Assert

By Jessica Lin Women are nurturing and men are assertive – at least, that is what society teaches us. Even with more women in leadership...

Non-binary identities in binary times: What does it mean to identify as queer, bisexual or pansexual

By Bridget Woods Illustration by Lydia Ortiz “Are you, like, a real bisexual , though?” I cannot count how many times I have had to hear...

Teasing, self-objectification, and body image for adolescent athletes

By Steph Anderson *From the SPARK Research! Blog Archive: This blog was originally written for SPARK, a girl-fueled organization working...

Listen to your heart: Focusing on your heart beat can protect against self-objectification for women

By Marisa Ragonese *From the SPARK Research! Blog Archive: This blog was originally written for SPARK, a girl-fueled...

Ben Carson Doubles Down on Transphobic 'Logic' behind Policing Gendered Spaces

By Laura Hooberman On September 19th, The Washington Post reported that United States Housing and Urban Development Secretary...

“Boys can be anything,” Or how Barbie limits girls’ career dreams

By Jenn Chmielewski *From the SPARK Research! Blog Archive: This blog was originally written for SPARK, a girl-fueled organization...

Are gender stereotypes evolving with the times?

By Laura Hooberman Illustration by Paul Windle In 2018, when the French men’s soccer team won the World Cup, the players reacted...

6-pack abs & thigh gaps: Objectification, body image, & eating disorders for adolescent girls & boys

#teengirlsy Jenn Chmielewski *From the SPARK Research! Blog Archive: This blog was originally written for SPARK, a girl-fueled...

Having an abortion doesn’t negatively impact mental health. Being denied an abortion does.

By Laura Hooberman In the event that you’ve somehow been mercifully spared from the onslaught of news stories over the past month...

Why do people objectify women’s bodies?

By Marisa Ragonese Illustration by Neil Webb I had a baby three summers ago, and she’s been hanging around me a lot ever since....

Gender stereotypes in children's toys and media

By Julia Leask Illustration by Renee Klahr As we progressed through the lectures in my social psychology and human sexuality...

Sexualized music videos, self-objectification, and wellbeing for girls

By Christin Bowman *From the SPARK Research! Blog Archive: This blog was originally written for SPARK, a girl-fueled organization...

How do gender stereotypes affect girls' interest in pursuing STEM careers?

By Kim Belmonte *From the SPARK Research! Blog Archive: This blog was originally written for SPARK, a girl-fueled organization working...

Too sexualized to be taken seriously? How sexualization affects judgments about girls accomplishment

By Jenn Chmielewski *From the SPARK Research! Blog Archive: This blog was originally written for SPARK, a girl-fueled...

Does exposure to sexual media impact attitudes and beliefs about sex?

By Laura Hooberman At a recent family event, I was talking to a twelve-year old relative, who asked me, unprompted, if I had seen the...

Self-objectification discourages activism: "Objects don't object"