This week, we’re highlighting the American Studies Department’s fabulous undergraduates — both those currently enrolled and recently graduated. Our third feature is of Libby Sears (2021), whose senior honors thesis was entitled Shades of Shame: Contrasting the Methods of Gendered Control on Unwed Mothers in the Atomic Era.

Q: How did you come to your project,"Shades of Shame: Contrasting the Methods of Gendered Control on Unwed Mothers in the Atomic Era"? Were there classes, professors, other school projects, or anything else that helped you cultivate an interest in the topic?

A: The root of my topic has been a particular interest of mine for quite a while. My upbringing in the East Texas Bible Belt was marked by a grave lack of awareness and education around sex, pregnancy, and the gender dynamics within those phenomena. As I’ve grown older, the consequences of legally-, institutionally-, and religiously-based control over women’s bodies—particularly those of teenage girls—has become impossible to ignore. Thus, exploring the origins of these present issues of sexism and repression became an exercise in catharsis. Fixing my study at the intersection between sexuality, gender, race, and class was both an intimidating and a rewarding undertaking, and one that I would love to pursue further. Dr. Gutterman was an immense inspiration for pursuing this type of course. Her insight into the domestic lives of mid-century women was essential to my analysis and overall understanding of the social and gender dynamics of the era.

Q: What was your experience of doing research during a pandemic? Did it create any limitations and/or do you think it opened up new ways of doing research you might not have otherwise considered?

A: Researching during the pandemic was an interesting experience, and I think there were definitely some advantages mixed in with some significant shortcomings. Having open access to so much online content, such as certain books and films, that otherwise would not have been available otherwise. Though many academic institutions and archives made their resources available online, I do mourn the fact that I was not able to physically see or hold any records, photos, or documents during my period of research. Additionally, not being able to meet with Dr. Gutterman and my AMS Honors peers in person certainly put a damper on the spirit of academic camaraderie that makes these types of projects so fun in the first place.

Q: Now that you’ve submitted your senior thesis, what does the future hold for you?

A: Since the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in my plans to pursue graduate school immediately after graduation, I am currently seeking employment in Austin. Within the next few years, however, I would love to continue the work I’ve done on this thesis in grad school, particularly expanding upon my study of teenagerhood and midcentury adolescent identity. In the interim, I plan to continue in the spirit of inquiry and discovery that this project has inspired within me through the pursuit of personal academic research on this topic, as well as others that might cross my mind. More generally, I plan to read more, explore Austin, and spend quality time with my pup, Milo.