Congratulations to HPSE PhD student G Capone!

G’s proposal, Jesters of Gender: An Archival Exploration of College Humor in the Early 20th Century, was selected as one of the recipients of the Vice President’s Grant for Student Research in Diversity. This is a conceptual paper that examines the impact of gendered societal norms on culture within Ivy League institutions of higher education in the twentieth century. Drawing on theoretical frameworks of white institutional presence, gender performativity, and critical theory to illustrate gendered transgressions, this work contributes to understanding the ideologies embedded in organizational culture. Through an archival exploration of college humor magazines, such as Jester of Columbia, the satirical artifacts of institutions will come to life to depict early assumptions about gender normativity. With this grant, G will be able to utilize the summer as a time to visit the Columbia University Archives in person to view, analyze, and scan their collections of college humor magazines. By building on existing theories, this project can serve as a starting point to contributing and challenging perspectives on gender expression in the context of socialized norms within education.