http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/gender Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:42:07 -0400 Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:42:07 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1963/the-role-and-weaponization-of-scientific-objectivity-in-gender-discourse-and-the-debate-over-transgender-rights By Esme I. Smithson Swain - The label of ‘science’ or ‘biology’ can become somewhat of a trump-card in excluding trans people from civil rights, because many scientific (and pseudo-scientific) opinions are weaponized during transgender rights debates. This paper will therefore explore three dominant fields of thought in the gender/sex divide: biology, cognitive neuroscience, and queer theory. All three fields contribute immensely to our understanding of gender and sex, but the belief that any one discipline can objectively and unequivocally explain ‘gender’ can be dangerous. The theories... Tue, 04 Oct 2022 09:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1963/the-role-and-weaponization-of-scientific-objectivity-in-gender-discourse-and-the-debate-over-transgender-rights http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1962/#itsnotmyperiod-hashtag-activisms-challenge-to-narratives-of-menstrual-stigma By Jessie J. Liu - Perceptions of menstruation as a taboo subject have historically characterized Western and non-Western societies alike and persist today, both perpetuating harmful cultural understandings of women’s abilities and normalizing institutional practices that exacerbate gender disparities. With the advent of viral social media movements or “hashtag activism,” however, challenges to these oppressive, misogynistic mainstream narratives have become increasingly powerful. Centered on menstrual activism and dismantling menstrual stigma, #ItsNotMyPeriod is one such movement. This paper argues... Thu, 22 Sep 2022 11:02 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1962/#itsnotmyperiod-hashtag-activisms-challenge-to-narratives-of-menstrual-stigma http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1950/the-impact-of-gender-discrimination-on-statelessness-a-case-study-of-the-impact-of-nationality-laws-on-statelessness By Fernando A. Lopez Oggier - With over 10 million stateless people globally, statelessness has increasingly become a pressing issue in international law. The production of statelessness occurs across multiple lines including technical loopholes, state succession, and discriminatory legislation. This study assesses how gender-based discrimination in nationality laws impacts the incidence of statelessness. There are seven countries whose citizenship laws forbid women to confer their nationality to their children with little to no exceptions. This study examines five of these seven countries where sufficient, reliable information... Fri, 15 Apr 2022 12:40 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1950/the-impact-of-gender-discrimination-on-statelessness-a-case-study-of-the-impact-of-nationality-laws-on-statelessness http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1943/lesbianing-together-images-of-incarcerated-women-in-orange-is-the-new-black By Anna Curtis - Using content analysis, this article focuses on the portrayal of female prisoners in the first two seasons of the Netflix show Orange is the New Black (OITNB). There are two main findings. First, the word "lesbian" frequently signals homophobia rather than a self-claimed sexual identity. That is, the word "lesbian" primarily appears in scenes that highlight various characters' homophobia. Throughout the first and second seasons of the show, the scriptwriters show no mercy to homophobic characters, a characteristic of the show that differentiates it from earlier women-in-prison novels and... Fri, 11 Mar 2022 02:07 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1943/lesbianing-together-images-of-incarcerated-women-in-orange-is-the-new-black http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1936/explaining-the-gender-gap-in-the-criminal-justice-system-how-family-based-gender-roles-shape-perceptions-of-defendants-in-criminal-court By Katharina Geppert - Numerous studies have investigated why women are vastly underrepresented in prisons across the United States. In explaining this “gender gap,” scholars have found that women are treated more leniently than men at various stages of the judicial process. Explanations for women’s lenient treatment are often oversimplified as “sex differences” in criminal behavior and could benefit from further investigation. Through qualitative interviews with federal judges and attorneys, as well as observations of criminal court proceedings, this study examines how the family, as a... Wed, 09 Feb 2022 01:17 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1936/explaining-the-gender-gap-in-the-criminal-justice-system-how-family-based-gender-roles-shape-perceptions-of-defendants-in-criminal-court http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1897/gender-theory-vs-pragmatism-a-point-of-diversion-between-judith-butlers-gender-performativity-and-the-psychosocial-limitations-of-gender-construction By Melissa Padron - The question of what it means to be a gendered individual has been left unanswered in light of its variants. The feminist movement proceeding the Industrial Revolution propelled philosophical and literary works, such as Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, challenging the traditional perception of man and woman and concomitantly advancing the foundation for gender theory. Judith Butler’s Gender Performativity theory proved to be one of the most salient works of the rather unexplored realm of philosophy. This paper confronts Butler’s theory of gender as an individual act and analyzes... Fri, 16 Apr 2021 10:50 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1897/gender-theory-vs-pragmatism-a-point-of-diversion-between-judith-butlers-gender-performativity-and-the-psychosocial-limitations-of-gender-construction http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1888/sisters-in-solidarity-the-fight-for-feminism-in-modern-day-china By Ashley Tan - Feminism has grown to be a complex, multifaceted topic of conversation in China. It has witnessed a series of peaks and troughs that have both advanced and regressed the women’s movement since Mao’s era. This paper aims to evaluate the extent to which feminism in modern day China has been curtailed by the state, and the reasons underpinning this phenomenon. It concludes that the state’s adoption of certain state laws, initiatives and fostering of a culture that normalises working women rather than portraying them as misfits or anomalies have created a more equalised environment... Fri, 12 Mar 2021 09:12 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1888/sisters-in-solidarity-the-fight-for-feminism-in-modern-day-china http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1842/the-illusion-of-empowerment-a-feminist-analysis-of-disneys-hercules By Kasandra J. DiSessa - Disney’s Hercules, which features both a strong male lead and a strong female lead, has the potential to appeal to, and therefore influence, a larger group of child viewers than the more gendered movies, such as the traditional Princess movies. Meg, the female lead, is often touted as a feminist character and praised for her independence from men. However, Meg still lacks agency and acts within the confines of traditional gender roles, thus reinforcing stereotypes about gender while seemingly subverting them. This essay includes a feminist media analysis of Hercules, focusing specifically... Tue, 24 Nov 2020 08:08 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1842/the-illusion-of-empowerment-a-feminist-analysis-of-disneys-hercules http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1837/goddess-in-the-sheets-prostitute-in-the-streets-examining-public-and-private-divisions-of-gender-in-mesopotamian-cities By Georgia H. Vance - This paper explores the spatial expression of the female gender in early Mesopotamian cities from c. 2334-1595 B.C.E. Gender in Mesopotamia has been widely studied socially but not spatially, and here I aim to provide a consideration of gender through the framework of a public/private divide. Predominantly, a sensory archaeological methodology is applied to the urban environment as reconstructed by both textual and archaeological sources. This method employs Shepperson’s ‘archaeosensorium’ from Sunlight and Shade in the First Cities (2017) to study identifiable gendered spaces... Tue, 17 Nov 2020 08:08 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1837/goddess-in-the-sheets-prostitute-in-the-streets-examining-public-and-private-divisions-of-gender-in-mesopotamian-cities http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1833/deconstructing-and-renouncing-the-conditioned-identities-of-gender-and-nationality-in-modern-society By Anna . Militsi - This paper investigates the convoluted societal processes to which the individual is exposed from an early age in order to form and acquire their sense of identity, and aims at dismantling these very processes by exhibiting their flimsy and unsubstantiated underpinning rationale. The compelling role of gender has often been excluded from deliberations and studies regarding the issue of national identity and nationalism as culturally constructed forms of identity and "imaginary" figments of historical unity (Rodó-Zárate, n.d.). In this light, the scope of this paper is threefold;... Mon, 09 Nov 2020 09:04 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1833/deconstructing-and-renouncing-the-conditioned-identities-of-gender-and-nationality-in-modern-society http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1826/resurrecting-the-bog-queen-exploring-the-gender-politics-of-irelands-bogs-in-postcolonial-and-nationalist-literature By Rosie Ryan - Bogs are one of Ireland’s most notable and mysterious landscapes. As explored in the work of Seamus Heaney, the bog’s capacity to preserve memory across generations makes it a melancholic terrain that is uniquely suited to explorations of Ireland’s national identity, particularly as Ireland emerged out of the grip of British colonialism. This paper draws upon postcolonial, feminist, and literary theory to explore why the bog has become such a provocative terrain for the exploration of Irish identity and Irish femininity. Beginning with the writings of colonial administrators,... Mon, 26 Oct 2020 10:41 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1826/resurrecting-the-bog-queen-exploring-the-gender-politics-of-irelands-bogs-in-postcolonial-and-nationalist-literature http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1811/the-gender-gap-in-american-politics-how-money-in-politics-affects-female-representation By Lauren E. Rothschild - In the 116th United States Congress, women hold 23.2% of House seats and 25% of Senate seats. Down the ballot, across state and local elected offices, women are underrepresented in their communities. This continual disparity presents a fundamental contradiction with America’s founding principle of representative democracy. This paper examines the roots of economic inequality in America, with a focus on the gender wage gap and gender wealth gap as they relate to the political donating tendencies of women. Next, this paper examines the experiences of female candidates as they seek campaign... Tue, 06 Oct 2020 07:42 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1811/the-gender-gap-in-american-politics-how-money-in-politics-affects-female-representation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1808/affective-gender-communication-an-interdisciplinary-analysis-of-toddler-behavior By Suzannah R. Gifford - Conversations about the gender expression of young children are often characterized by confusion, as parents, educators, and even child psychologists have a hard time determining where exactly children’s strong gendered beliefs and behaviors come from. Children as young as two have been observed exhibiting behaviors and expressing beliefs that align with the gender binary, yet there are usually no obvious moments when these messages have been translated to them. In an attempt to illuminate these hidden instances of gendering, I take an interdisciplinary approach to this paper that brings... Fri, 02 Oct 2020 03:20 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1808/affective-gender-communication-an-interdisciplinary-analysis-of-toddler-behavior http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1788/toxic-royalty-feminism-and-the-rhetoric-of-beauty-in-disney-princess-films By Stephanie X. Hu - At Disneyland’s Magic Kingdom, light cascades across the night sky before spiraling down through the stars. The castle that towers within the dark shines bright amongst the fireworks’ sparkling ceruleans and violets. Once the night show rises to a crescendo of color and song, the snaps of cameras coalesce with the symphony as spectators strive to capture the moment in time. Such a scene stands as a cherished childhood dream, cemented at the heart of the contemporary American identity. Since the birth of Walt Disney’s animation studio, countless children have become spellbound... Thu, 23 Jul 2020 02:11 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1788/toxic-royalty-feminism-and-the-rhetoric-of-beauty-in-disney-princess-films http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1787/the-process-and-barriers-to-legal-gender-transition-a-case-study-analyzing-the-yogyakarta-principles By Christian Borkey - Trans people experience a wide range of social and legal disadvantages, including an inconsistent, patchwork system - where one exists at all - to attain legal recognition of their gender. In the absence of such legal recognition, transgender people face more difficulty in navigating social or organizational institutions (ie bars, locker rooms, airports, care facilities, prisons, and other places that are sex-segregated or require an ID), less control over their healthcare, and a lower ability to gain and retain employment. Many states require one or more surgeries (including but not limited to... Thu, 23 Jul 2020 01:55 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1787/the-process-and-barriers-to-legal-gender-transition-a-case-study-analyzing-the-yogyakarta-principles http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1782/gender-dynamics-in-the-sheik-as-novel-and-as-film-adaptation By Sophie Hammond - The 1921 Hollywood film The Sheik tells the story of Lady Diana Mayo, a spirited English peeress who, on a trip to the French Sahara, is kidnapped by and eventually falls in love with the Arab sheik Ahmed Ben Hassan. The film made Rudolph Valentino an international heartthrob, showered Paramount Pictures in money, and nearly singlehandedly founded the genre of “oriental romance” Hollywood films. The film’s power over the public imagination relied on American fantasies of the Orient as a place of billowing sands, luxurious silks, and heated, primal romance (Teo 110). But The Sheik... Fri, 28 Feb 2020 08:28 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1782/gender-dynamics-in-the-sheik-as-novel-and-as-film-adaptation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1766/fatherhood-socialization-of-masculinity-through-parental-involvement-in-youth-sport By Joseph M. Serrato - Fathers often use sport to socialize their sons into masculinity. When coaching their own son in a sport, men must juggle their own desire to win with their son’s enjoyment. This paper examines the types of masculinity in coaching, while integrating theories of parental participation and involved fathering. As identified with mixed research methods, inclusive masculine fathers have better father-son relationships than orthodox masculine fathers. Techniques used by inclusive masculine fathers were studied through qualitative interviews; they often delegate their own son to other coaching... Wed, 02 Oct 2019 09:55 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1766/fatherhood-socialization-of-masculinity-through-parental-involvement-in-youth-sport http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1765/the-status-of-women-in-late-antiquity-examining-the-sociopolitical-climate-societal-values-and-gender-roles By Taylor A. Marcusson - The status of women and their role in Late Antiquity has been a topic of inquiry among historians. It is a particularly challenging study to achieve a degree of certainty because of the biases present in historical evidence. This paper shall explore the position of women in Late Antiquity as defined by the 4th to late 6th centuries by examining how the complicated sociopolitical context, values of the Late Roman Empire as seen through written works, and roles in various spheres that women occupied worked together. This study does not seek to evaluate the prominence of women in Late Antiquity;... Wed, 02 Oct 2019 09:20 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1765/the-status-of-women-in-late-antiquity-examining-the-sociopolitical-climate-societal-values-and-gender-roles http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1757/gender-based-violence-in-refugee-camps-understanding-and-addressing-the-role-of-gender-in-the-experiences-of-refugees By Mie A. Jensen - The discussion of 'women's rights' is often subsumed into the broader consideration of 'human rights,' but when it comes to understanding the experiences of the world's most vulnerable people — refugees — the issue of gender cannot be ignored. The experiences of refugees depend on one’s gender, where women are significantly disadvantaged. Globally, 80% of the refugee and internally displaced people are children and women, which leaves them in a vulnerable position (Qayum, Mohmand and Arooj 2012:63); this includes vulnerability to physical attacks, sexual assaults, and transactional... Tue, 05 Feb 2019 09:10 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1757/gender-based-violence-in-refugee-camps-understanding-and-addressing-the-role-of-gender-in-the-experiences-of-refugees http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1753/the-criminal-justice-systems-mistreatment-of-transgender-individuals-a-call-for-policy-reform-to-assist-a-marginalized-prisoner-community By Stephenie King - While media coverage and politicians constantly acknowledge the inadequacies of the criminal justice system in managing victims and offenders of color and low socioeconomic status, the discussion about the failure of the criminal justice system towards transgender individuals, victims or offenders, is an issue that is rarely discussed. Transgender individuals have experienced a history of mistreatment and prejudice by traditional society, including judicially, but with contemporary acceptance movements and a rise in openly trans figureheads and celebrities, some may think the history of mistreatment... Thu, 31 Jan 2019 09:45 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1753/the-criminal-justice-systems-mistreatment-of-transgender-individuals-a-call-for-policy-reform-to-assist-a-marginalized-prisoner-community http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1749/class-gender-and-the-anxieties-of-meritocracy-in-jacobean-england By Joshua B. Black - The staged plays of the early Jacobean period are valuable textual products for the literary critic, the cultural researcher and the historian alike. These plays are significant containers of knowledge about the mutually reinforcing social and political tensions of the early years of King James I’s reign. There is a body of literature which presently deals with questions about the complex class and gender politics of John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi (1614): Frank Whigham concluded that the ‘play was written, at least in significant part, to dissect the actual workings of the... Tue, 08 Jan 2019 09:46 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1749/class-gender-and-the-anxieties-of-meritocracy-in-jacobean-england http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1736/educational-investment-and-sociopsychological-wellbeing-among-rural-chinese-women By Jason Hung - Universal secondary education is vital if rural China is to achieve long-term socioeconomic sustainability, as education offers the pragmatic skills and knowledge base that would allow those living in rural China to adapt to the knowledge-intensive global economy (Rong and Shi, 2001: 108-9; Bush and Haiyan, 2000: 62; Oxfam Report, 1999: 1; Liu, 2004: 5; Bennell and Furlong, 1998). In rural China, each student ostensibly has access to nine years of mandatory education (Liu, 2004: 6). However, local governments are often incapable of subsidizing compulsory schooling, particularly post-primary schooling... Wed, 09 May 2018 12:52 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1736/educational-investment-and-sociopsychological-wellbeing-among-rural-chinese-women http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1728/one-pronoun-at-a-time-gender-specific-pronouns-improve-reading-comprehension By Morgan S. Burke - The current study focuses on the effect of gender-specific (he, she) and gender-neutral (they) pronouns on male and female recognition ability. Crawford and English (1984) showed male pronouns (he) better aid male recall and gender-neutral pronouns (they, he or she) better aid female recall. The effect of female pronouns (she) on recall ability was not studied (Crawford & English, 1984). The current study recognizes this gap and extends Crawford and English’s (1984) study to include female pronouns. 151 participants (75 male, 75 female, 1 unidentified) were identified via convenience... Fri, 23 Feb 2018 09:52 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1728/one-pronoun-at-a-time-gender-specific-pronouns-improve-reading-comprehension http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1710/come-sir-boy-subverting-masculinity-through-cross-gender-performance By Rachel Chung - I was the wounded soldier in the opening scene of Macbeth, lying spread-eagled on the stage, flaunting my unsightly gashes. I closed my legs self-consciously. Even portraying a hyper-masculine character, I found myself subject to the parameters of feminine performance. Later in the same production, I gave what was, for high school, a raunchy and riotous performance as the Porter. I referenced what would be my male genitalia, indicating what would be a beer belly, leaning heavily into the masculinity of the scene. I found the humor not just in the words themselves, but in the fact that they were... Thu, 30 Nov 2017 10:49 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1710/come-sir-boy-subverting-masculinity-through-cross-gender-performance http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1708/walking-gendered-lines-the-contradictory-expectations-of-men-who-work-in-early-childhood-education By Isabella Scurfield - This paper aims to look at the expectations set forth for males working in ECE and how they affect the men’s willingness to enter the field, as well as the level of care they are able to provide once there. In order to fully address these issues, the ways in which traditional values and ideas of hegemonic masculinities affect men’s (and larger society’s) view of childcare influence men’s perceptions of this field as a career choice must also be addressed. Acker’s theory of gendered occupations will be used as a starting point through which these issues can be addressed... Mon, 27 Nov 2017 09:48 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1708/walking-gendered-lines-the-contradictory-expectations-of-men-who-work-in-early-childhood-education http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1701/the-feminine-threat-reconsidering-the-damsel-in-distress-in-early-disney-films By Hugo Ljungback - “Disney perpetuated a male myth through his fairy-tale films,” argues Jack Zipes (1995, p. 37). He writes that Walt Disney framed “women’s lives through a male discourse” in his films (p. 36), and that he reinforced “nineteenth-century patriarchal notions” and “benevolent attitudes toward women” (p. 37). This paper looks at Walt Disney Pictures films released in the 30-year period between 1937 and 1967, from the company’s first feature-length film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to The Jungle Book, the last film Walt Disney himself... Mon, 06 Nov 2017 09:52 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1701/the-feminine-threat-reconsidering-the-damsel-in-distress-in-early-disney-films http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1539/gender-equality-in-international-institutions-progress-and-challenges-in-moving-toward-gender-parity By Lyndsay B. Thompson - The International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda, for the first time in international law, recognized sexual violence in conflict as crimes against humanity and grave breaches of international law. Subsequently, the International Criminal Court was created with a gender-mainstreamed focus on international issues, and UN Resolutions required states to make gender parity in representation and gender equality national goals. However, when faced with changes in formal rules, institutions often react to reinforce old traditional gender norms... Sat, 18 Feb 2017 09:01 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1539/gender-equality-in-international-institutions-progress-and-challenges-in-moving-toward-gender-parity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1503/the-lgbt-movement-in-china-public-perception-stigma-and-the-human-rights-debate By Arber Mavraj - Ever since its elimination from the list of mental illnesses in 2001, and decriminalization in 1997, homosexuality in China continues to be at the forefront of China’s growing human rights debate. The estimated 40 million lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered (LGBT) Chinese[1] are victims of violence or discrimination both inside and outside their families and do not have equal access to justice and social services, such a legal aid, counseling, or health-care due the predominantly negative public opinion regarding sexual orientation and gender identity[2]. Likewise, the portrayal of... Mon, 05 Dec 2016 10:56 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1503/the-lgbt-movement-in-china-public-perception-stigma-and-the-human-rights-debate http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1511/the-role-of-female-quotas-and-female-activism-in-passing-gender-based-violence-legislation-in-sub-saharan-africa-south-africa-as-a-case-study By Gina Starfield - In the 1900s, gender-based violence was commonplace throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Surveys conducted in the region revealed that over 40% of Ugandan, Zambian, and Kenyan women, and 60% of Tanzanian women experienced regular physical abuse.2 Over 80% of married Nigerian women reported being verbally or physically abused by their husbands.3 In most countries, however, state assistance and legal protections were non-existent or nascent and very limited. In South Africa, for example, an abused woman could only seek state assistance through a "peace order." She could submit a complaint of abuse to... Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1511/the-role-of-female-quotas-and-female-activism-in-passing-gender-based-violence-legislation-in-sub-saharan-africa-south-africa-as-a-case-study http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1515/child-care-policy-and-female-labor-force-participation-a-comparison-of-germany-and-sweden By Analia Cuevas-Ferreras - Labor markets have traditionally been regarded as the product of a demand and supply of labor.2 In Varieties of Capitalism: The Institutional Foundations of Comparative Advantage, political economists Peter A. Hall and David Soskice put forth two types of economies whose variant organization and structures lead them to experience distinct hiring incentives, which can impact the configuration of a country's labor market leading to gendered hiring practices. On the one hand, there are Liberal Market Economies (LMEs), which are free market economies "characterized by a relatively decentralized system... Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1515/child-care-policy-and-female-labor-force-participation-a-comparison-of-germany-and-sweden