Virgin, Mother, Whore

This series discusses how Christianity often categorizes women as either the Virgin, the Mother, or the Whore, with sexuality being the deciding factor in how they’re viewed. It looks at the contrast between “pious” women and those labeled as “disobedient,” tying it all back to the idea that God controls man, and man controls woman. Through collages that showcase these restrictive categories, I hope to show how these rigid tropes limit women and start a conversation about why sexuality plays such a big role in defining their worth.

Faith and Fling: Muslims in U of R’s Hookup Culture

I’m examining the complexity of hookup culture for Muslims at the University of Rochester, focusing on how cultural and religious values shape individuals’ approaches to casual relationships and sexual expectations. Hookup culture, often assumed to be a default part of college life, is challenging for some students who feel pressured by this assumption, even if […]

Healing The Virgin and The Whore – Presentation by Adelyne Jareo

I wanted to include both my art walkthrough and my presentation as published works, and here is my slideshow in downloadable format! A chaotic exploration of how to heal from the boxes we have been born into and how they shape us. I hope you enjoy!

Healing The Virgin and The Whore by Adelyne Jareo

“Mother, Daughter, Holy Slut.” For my first collage, I wanted to illustrate the Virgin vs. Whore Complex itself. The complex represents a categorization of women into two binary categories: Virgins and Whores. Virgins are sweet, reserved, and nurturing; while whores represent almost anyone outside of that description. It is important to note that “Virgins” don’t […]

Being a Good Religious Wife

There are 32 countries that allow marital rape. Of the 150+ countries that do, some explicitly criminalize it, some it is simply considered the same as non-marital sexual assault etc. Some of those countries may in theory not exclude marital rape from being a crime, but those laws have never been tested, in effect meaning […]

circumcision/superincision prevalence map

The Hows and Whys of Egypt’s FGM and its Increased Medicalization

By Julia Schiavoni Throughout the course of history, cultural practices have ebbed and flowed alongside regional societal norms. In more recent decades, the promotion of women’s rights has increasingly become a global issue, however, not all countries have prioritized it to the same extent, specifically in regard to FGM.  FGM, which stands for Female Genital […]

Purity Culture v.s. Hook-Up Culture and its Effects on Women in the United States

Attached below is my presentation on the complexities of purity culture, specifically in the Evangelical church, and how this culture influences hook-up culture in the United States (specifically in relation to women). Both of these cultures are incredibly harmful to women. While they perpetuate very different standards for women in the U.S. they are both […]