Year of Graduation
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Major
Gender & Women’s Studies
Directing Professor
Dr. LeeRay Costa
Abstract
My thesis project contributes to feminist epistemologies as I employ the methods of autoethnography and interviewing to frame knowledge production as collaborative and tied to the intimate and interpersonal aspects of our lives. Drawing on Gloria Anzaldúa’s theories of nepantla and conocimiento, I establish the experiences of grief, love, and pleasure as valuable sources of knowledge that shape the transition from girlhood to adulthood. In this autoethnography, I share my experience of losing my grandfather during college (which pushed me into nepantla) and what I learned about myself, the world, love, and pleasure through immersing myself in this transformative space (leading me to conocimiento). Finally, by connecting my experiences and emergent epistemological understanding with Jewish philosophy, feminist theory, and excerpts from the interviews I conducted, I embed my discussion within larger conversations about knowledge, grief, and life transitions happening within Jewish Studies, Girlhood Studies, and Gender and Women’s Studies.
Recommended Citation
Hulse, Alexa B., "Growing Pains: A Jewish Lesbian Feminist Autoethnography" (2024). Undergraduate Honors Theses, Hollins University. 68.
https://digitalcommons.hollins.edu/ughonors/68