Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper is part of a comprehensive study of the wedding of the Spanish crown prince as a media event. The authors propose two views of the audience of the event. On the one hand, they explore a quantitative view in which data from television audience measurement are presented. The size and profile of the audience are analyzed, and the issue of ‘solitary’ versus ‘group’ viewing is addressed. On the other hand, the authors offer a qualitative view of the audience obtained through observation in ten homes. In this qualitative view of the audience issues such as the ‘omniscopic impulse’ of the audience, the management of the celebration space at home, and the de-centering of the electronic ceremony are examined.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Neighboring states with high levels of interaction but disparate public policies encounter new challenges with regard to marriage recognition, provision of spousal benefits and proper resolution of child custody and intimate partner abuse issues. Canadian progress toward legalizing same-sex marriage begs the question of whether the U.S. government will stand against same-sex marriage when its nearest neighbor appears close to declaring it an important means of eliminating institutionalized inequality and systemic shortfalls confronting lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender (LBGT) families. The U.S. Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, allowing states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed outside of their jurisdiction. Some see this as a move to ban same-sex marriage as well as a disregard of the equal rights afforded all U.S. citizens by the U.S. Constitution. Their opponents support the law as a marriage preservation effort, protecting a time-honored social institution and so-called traditional American family structure. International media fanfare and public protests have since elevated the issue, and a smattering of U.S. state courts have been called to rule on the validity of same-sex marriages taking place within their territory.
In June 2003, Ontario, Canada became the first North American jurisdiction to fully legalize same-sex marriage. One month later, Canadian Parliament considered legislation to legalize same-sex marriage federally. The proposed law extends marriage rights and subsequent spousal benefits to same-sex couples. The law’s proponents argue that such recognition is in accordance with the rights and protections mandated within the Canadian Charter of Rights which must be allotted every Canadian citizen. The bill was referred to the Canadian Supreme Court for opinion where it has been deliberated for nearly a year. A final decision is expected in fall 2004.
This paper highlights Canada’s progress toward legalizing same-sex marriage and implementing anti-discrimination laws that protect LBGT individuals and their families. I summarize relevant Canadian legislation and systematically examine the characteristics of the Canadian Parliament members that voted on identical same-sex marriage legislation in 1999 and 2003. I analyze their general demographic characteristics and those of their constituencies to determine if same-sex marriage support and opposition can be linked to individual factors other than political party allegiance in different time periods. The long-term goal of this research is to determine if the political will to legalize same-sex marriage can be predicted by factors other than one’s declared political party.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This paper examines the interaction between brides, their family members and friends, and saleswomen in the ritual acquisition of the white wedding dress in order to better understand the relationship between consumption, cultural capital, and gendered social interaction in contemporary wedding practices. The white wedding dress not only signifies the bride’s transition in social group membership from single women to married wives, but is a key marker of social status displayed to guests at the wedding, including family, friends, and co-workers. First, I provide a brief history of the white wedding dress and summarize the current literature on white weddings. Then I present data collected from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with women on their interpretations of white wedding ideology and experiences purchasing white wedding dresses. I conclude by discussing the finding this research adds to the current literature, which is that saleswomen and their sales tactics (including by appointment only policies, creating spectacles of beauty, and emotional manipulation) are influential in structuring the gendered cultural capital of the white wedding.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Palestinians from the West Bank villages began to migrate in sizable numbers and form communities in the United States shortly after the Israeli occupation of their territories in 1967. As the community has grown over the last 40 years there has been a concomitant shift towards increased endogamy (in-group marriage) and a "reclaiming" of Palestinian peasant traditions.
Both of these trends are heading in the opposite direction to those expected of immigrant adaptation. Most immigrant groups move from more to less endogamous marriages and to loosening of homeland traditions. Based on a five-year ethnographic study of Palestinian-Americans in New Jersey and New York, I have found that this community is solidifying its Palestinian identity with the passage of time in the United States.
In part this is based on an ideology of persecution and belief that Palestinians as a people are under threat of extinction. However, this paper will argue that ideology is insufficient to convince second-generation Palestinian-Americans, those born and raised in the United States. Instead, the community relies on a dense set of relationships, debt, exchanges, and mutual risk (in summation Charles Tilly’s concept of “trust networks”) to reinforce the need to preserve its Palestinian-ness.
In particular, this paper proclaims that through weddings, Palestinian-Americans are defining (or in fact inventing) what it means to be Palestinian based on both Western and post-colonial models of nationalism. Essentially, they perceive of themselves as peasants protecting the land, and perform the ideal gendered national roles through dress and dance.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Problem- based learning (PBL) was first used in medicine schools as a pedagogical tool in the mid 1960's and now it has escalated to a vast array of other disciplines, from engineering to psychology, to become a very popular 'active learning' method. Somehow, politics and International Relations have not 'caught on' with this trend. We argue that the use of PBL in IR has many advantages when analysing, for instance, the war in Iraq and the war on terror. Today, these fresh chapters of contemporary history are part of the curricula addressed in most International Relations modules. This has left teachers in International Relations with the difficult task of encouraging students to analyse change and think critically and objectively about events so recent that are still being considered, debated and discussed in academic circles. PBL would allow students to form their own criteria in a structured manner, no matter how controversial or polemic the topic is. To meet these ends, the teacher plays the role of a facilitator of 'learning communities' of students. This essay is a reflection of our own experiences in the implementation of PBL while teaching Contemporary International Affairs particularly while facilitating seminar discussions around a controversial topic such as Iraq's alleged WMD.