Thesis (Ph. D.)--York University, 2000. Graduate Programme in Sociology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 393-406). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pNQ59130.

Health research and services are dominated by a biomedical model which understands health as the absence of disease in the physical body. The dominance of this approach has resulted in the absence, silence and refutation of lay perspectives on health, particularly those of visible minority groups. Using qualitative interview methods, this study provides an avenue to hear the voices and stories of church-going, low-income Black women who live in Toronto, Canada. Analysis of the data shows that for this group of women, the meanings of health and the way it is experienced can be seen as an amalgamation of spiritual principles which holistically touches the various domains of their lives. The women in this study experience health as emotional, social, communal, personal, physical, material and above all in spiritual dimensions. These findings would be useful in guiding the development of meaningful and effective health care services that are sensitive to the diverse experiences of health. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2007-11-12 20:58:32.724

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: A, page: 2433. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 295-313).

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This research study is part of a larger study that examines the experiences of Black women in physics graduate programs to identify priorities for departmental change initiatives to remove structures that keep out and/or push out Black women. This research also reinforces the ongoing necessity to raise awareness about the impact of stereotypes on how Black women are perceived and how stereotypes affect the matriculation of Black women in physics graduate programs. Black women represent the lowest percentage of students in physics graduate programs and often contend with stressors like microaggressions, bias, and stereotype threats that impede their success and well-being. Employing the Photovoice research method, we collected photos representing their journey in their physics PhD program from 13 participants who were either currently in or recently attended graduate physics programs at U.S. institutions. Additionally, we conducted individual semi-structured interviews with each participant and focus group interview sessions to allow for the elaboration and consolidation of common themes. Our goal is to offer the participants the opportunity to provide the strategies and recommendations they deem most effective in supporting Black women in physics programs from their firsthand experiences and voices. We found that negative stereotypes severely impact Black women in physics graduate programs. They carry the persistent burden of navigating through their programs while tending to their speech, behavior, and other personal characteristics to avoid the threat of being stereotyped. Conversely, to survive in environments that restrict them from the privilege of showing up as their authentic selves, they sometimes inadvertently impose stereotypes on themselves. These findings along with discussions about the differences between HBCU institutions and their PWI graduate programs reveal how Black women struggle to find a sense of belonging and adequate academic and personal support in physics PhD programs.

This thesis study takes a mixed methods and black feminist approach to find out how black women are represented within the beauty advertisements of women's fashion magazines.

<p>Black women’s underrepresentation in STEM disciplines remains an urgent problem of major concern in higher education institutions across the United States. The purpose of this investigation was to explore Black women’s experiences in an active learning STEM Human Centered Design course at a Predominantly White Institution. It also examined how these experiences influenced Black women’s intent to persist in STEM educational pathways. Black Feminist Thought Theoretical Framework was used to conceptualize and interpret the experiences of five Black female first year undergraduate students at a Predominantly White Institution in the Midwestern region of the United States. This qualitative case study research utilized semi structured interviews, direct observations, and documents to gather and triangulate data for this study. The findings from this study revealed that: (a) <i>Imposter Syndrome: An Enduring Internalized Question of Competency, </i>(b) <i>Undermining of Academic Abilities</i>: <i>Cross Examination of Intellect,</i> (c) <i>Lack of Diversity: A Colorless Norm,</i> (d) <i>Isolation: Intrinsic Sensitivity of Separation from Others</i> were the salient experiences facing these five undergraduate Black women. This investigation contributes to the dearth of scholarship on Black women in STEM by highlighting their undergraduate experiences in a STEM course, and describing ways to ensure their persistence towards STEM educational pathways.</p>