Document Type

Thesis

First Faculty Advisor

Tom Roach

Second Faculty Advisor

Steve Jablow

Keywords

gender; identity; culture; religion; sexuality

Publisher

Bryant University

Rights Management

CC-BY-NC-ND; CC-BY; CC-BY-ND; CC-BY-NC-SA; CC-BY-NC

Abstract

In this thesis, I trace and analyze the historical, social, and political uses of three identity labels: woman, queer, and Jewish. These three identity categories are personally important to me because I identify as a queer, Jewish woman. The questions motivating this analysis are as follows: How have these words been defined and who gets to define them? What has it meant historically to move through the world with one of these labels, and what does it look like today? What qualifies someone to identify with one of these labels, and what experiences or qualities do we share? What challenges do we face with these words, and what changes should we hope to see? This thesis is a sociopolitical inquiry into the labels that make up my own identity and shape my experiences within the world. In a time where antisemitism is on the rise and there are nationwide efforts to regulate women's bodies and restrict queer existence, this exploration into these identity labels is both relevant and imperative.

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