International Women's Day Colloquium

March 15 - Noon
Student Center, Warner Conference Room
Dr. Julie Storme and Amira El-Serafy

Identity is multi-faceted and often difficult to quantify. Muslim women, particularly those living in a Western culture, frequently find that others view them as oppressed women regardless of how they view themselves. The oppressed Muslim woman functions as a stereotype that Western societies seldom question or examine. This assigned identity is by definition inauthentic, but the question remains how one can access and understand another individual's authentic identity.  Dr. Julie Storme, Professor of Modern Languages, will share her research on some initial patterns that seem to emerge, and also compare the results of the research interviews conducted  in the United States with those conducted in France. 

Our Fulbright Teaching Assistant in Arabic, Amira El-Serafy, will share her own experience and understanding of being a Muslim woman in Egypt and comment on what similarities or differences she sees between her own perspectives and those of the women Dr. Storme interviewed.

Refreshements provided.