BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TO CAMPUS: AN ORAL HISTORY OF WOMEN‘S WEEK AT BALL STATE UNIVERSITY COURTNEY JARRETT IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DOCTOR OF EDUCATION DEGREE IN ADULT, HIGHER, AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION BALL STATE UNIVERSITY DR. MICHELLE GLOWACKI-DUDKA, CHAIR DECEMBER 2012 Running head: BRINGING THE COMMUNITY ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I first and foremost need to thank my husband, Jayson Jarrett, for helping me start and finish my grad school path. He is the love of my life and my soul mate. Thank you, Jayson, for loving me unconditionally and supporting all of my academic endeavors. I also want to thank my parents, Lane and Sara Sturgeon, for teaching me how important education is. They gave me my voice and taught me how to use it. Thanks to my siblings, Chris, Carey, and Chanel. Also, thanks to Beau William Badger who makes me laugh every time we are together. Love you all! Thanks also to Jay, Penny, Amber, Emma and my whole Jarrett family. I love you all very much and appreciate your support. Dr. Michelle Glowacki-Dudka, my committee chair, and my other committee members have supported me throughout my entire graduate career. Your feedback has been tremendously helpful! Thanks, especially, to Dr. Abel Alves, who has been with me on this journey since my very first day at Ball State University. Thanks to all of my friends for believing in me and encouraging me along the way. Thanks to Dr. Jackie Harris for introducing me to Jayson and for being such an excellent role model and teacher. Thanks to Julee Rosser for introducing me to women‘s studies and participating in this project! Thanks to Larry Markle and Sharon Harper for Running head: BRINGING THE COMMUNITY iii putting up with my craziness at work while I tried to balance working, teaching, motherhood, and a dissertation. You are the best coworkers I could ask for. Last, but not least, I want to thank Alexander Nicholas Jarrett. He is the most wonderful child and I am so lucky to be his mother. Running head: BRINGING THE COMMUNITY iv ABSTRACT DISSERTATION: Bringing the Community to Campus: An Oral History of Women‘s Week at Ball State University STUDENT: Courtney J. Jarrett DEGREE: Doctor of Education COLLEGE: Teacher‘s College DATE: August, 2012 PAGES: 143 This dissertation examined the annual Women‘s Week events hosted by Ball State‘s Women‘s and Gender Studies Program. It served to paint a historical picture of how the local Muncie community has been linked with the academic community at Ball State through events about women‘s issues. The program began when a group of people wanting to broaden the educational offerings and evolved into an academic program that brings community education related to women‘s issues to the Ball State campus. This research used qualitative research interview with four key informants to examine the community links and history of Women‘s Week at Ball State University by answering two specific research questions. The participants described their roles in the Women‘s Week events from organizing the program to presenting about their lifelong passions. Running head: BRINGING THE COMMUNITY v Many of the discussions were fond recollections, but challenges were also brought to light. Presenting relevant topics and maintaining student involvement were two subjects mentioned by the informants. Improvising and long term planning were also emphasized. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................... i CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION .......................................................................1 Purpose .................................................................................................................2 Setting ..................................................................................................................4 Theoretical Foundations.......................................................................................7 Critical Feminist Theory ......................................................................................8 Narrative Theory ..................................................................................................9 Importance of the Study .....................................................................................12 Limitations .........................................................................................................13 Scope of the Study .............................................................................................14 Insider/Outsider Perspective ..............................................................................14 Researcher Statement .........................................................................................17 Research Questions ............................................................................................18 Definitions..........................................................................................................18 Summary ............................................................................................................20 CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .........................................21 BRINGING THE COMMUNITY ii Community Education .......................................................................................21 Program Planning...............................................................................................25 Feminist Theory .................................................................................................28 Eras in Feminist History ....................................................................................29 History of Women‘s Studies ..............................................................................34 History of the Ball State Women‘s and Gender Studies Program .....................44 Town and Gown Theory ....................................................................................47 Summary ............................................................................................................49 CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY ...............................................................51 Qualitative Research ..........................................................................................52 Oral History .......................................................................................................52 Interviews ...........................................................................................................56 Research Questions ............................................................................................59 Collecting the Data ............................................................................................59 Research Notes...................................................................................................63 The Condensed Account ................................................................................63 Data Analysis .....................................................................................................64 Selection of Key Informants ..............................................................................66 Establishing Rigor ..............................................................................................70 My Key Informants ............................................................................................73 Summary ............................................................................................................74 CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS ...............................................................................76 Purpose ...............................................................................................................76 BRINGING THE COMMUNITY iii Research Questions ............................................................................................77 Description of the Women‘s Week Program .....................................................77 Context ...............................................................................................................78 Participants .........................................................................................................78 Emerging Themes ..............................................................................................80 Theme #1 Specific Ways in Which Community Members Participated ......80 Theme #2 Challenges to Organizing Women‘s Week ..................................89 Theme #3 Collaboration and support between Ball State University and the community of Muncie, Indiana ......................................................................95 Theme #4 Camaraderie through Women‘s Week .........................................99 Theme #5 Women‘s Week as a broader view of feminism and women‘s studies ......................................................................................................................101 Summary ..........................................................................................................105 CHAPTER FIVE INTERPRETATION, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .....................................................................................106 Interpretation ....................................................................................................106