En Garde! Two Genders, One Sport | Undergraduate Honors Thesis
Spring 2014 | Thesis adviser: John Sweeney | Honors level: With Highest Honors
En Garde! Two Genders, One Sport: A Content Analysis of Gender Bias in Men's and Women's Collegiate Fencing Coverage, 2011-13
by Kacie Albert '14
This study is a content analysis of collegiate fencing coverage from the 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons. Through concepts set forth and conclusions reached by other studies the initial hypothesis was that gender bias would exist against females. The sample of articles was purposive and included coverage from the University of Notre Dame, Princeton University, Temple University, Stanford University, Boston College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The study examined six elements of the coverage, headlines, article text, photos, quotes, athlete mentions and additional media, and concluded that the coverage was in a state of equity, if not bias against males.
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Many Honors Carolina students cap their undergraduate experience with a Senior Honors Thesis, partnering with a faculty mentor to develop original research or creative work. Students who successfully defend their thesis before a faculty review panel graduate with Honors or Highest Honors. Each year, approximately 350 students complete a Senior Honors Thesis. For many of those students, the thesis becomes a first publication or an important part of their application to graduate or professional school. Students who wish to undertake a Senior Honors Thesis project must have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher. Academic departments may set higher thresholds for course work within students’ major field of study.
All Senior Honors Theses can be found in the Carolina Digital Repository (CDR).