This qualitative study examined how 14 young women's sexual desire and agency was influenced by the messages communicated from their parents and the quality of the parent-child relationship. Previous research results were supported, such as: parents do not communicate about sex frequently, or only about limited topics; mothers communicate more frequently than fathers, and peers communicate more sexual information. Utilizing a postmodern, feminist position, themes of parental transmission of patriarchal social controls were found, such as: fear of being viewed as a slut, gender roles that demand female passivity, sex is scary, and young women are not to have sex, or only in the context of committed relationships. Implications for parenting practices and the importance of developing sexual agency are discussed. / Ph. D.

In times of war, women are subjected to sexual abuse that is largely ignored by military organizations, media outlets, and international courts. Existing literature has illustrated how wartime rape was accepted or dismissed in the past, and how today, while this practice continues, international courts are beginning to identify the harm being done to women, making explicit how rape is used as a tool of genocide. In this thesis I argue that wartime rape serves as a means of genocide, a way to eliminate a group of individuals and their culture. A recent example of how rape worked as genocide is seen in the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Rape was used as a systematic policy to destroy a group of people, the Tutsi, through torture and the spreading of AIDS. The purpose of this research is to examine genocidal rape from the perspectives of women who were raped in Rwanda during the genocide. The focus is on gaining insight to wartime rape as a form of genocide and the aftermath of rape on the women and the culture within which it occurred. Qualitative, feminist analysis was used to answer the following research questions: How do women raped in the Rwandan genocide describe and explain their experiences with rape and its aftermath? How did the intersection of gender and ethnicity contribute to violence against women during the genocide? What are the implications of rape for the women who experienced it and for their families, communities, and their cultural group? / Master of Science

No description available.

Caregiving to the elderly in both the paid and unpaid spheres involves a crucial component, emotion management, that is often invisible despite its importance to the delivery of care. As well, little is known about how caregivers’ emotion management in one setting is related to its expression in another. This thesis is an exploration to gain a greater understanding of the ways in which the contexts of caregiving shape the emotion management involved, in hopes of contributing to the knowledge of an important dimension of caregiving and women’s work in the two spheres. Based on the narratives of women who work as caregivers in both the paid and unpaid spheres simultaneously, I use a socialist-feminist perspective to analyze the ideology and structure that shape contexts in which emotion management occurs in caregiving. I explore how these contexts affect the experience of emotion management, and how the contexts might impact one another and the emotion management performed in each. / Master of Science

Although subclinical eating disorders are more common than clinical eating disorders, they have received significantly less empirical attention. Subclinical symptoms of eating disorders often surface during adolescence and young adulthood and are far more common among females than males. Despite knowledge that the larger sociocultural context may contribute to the development of eating disorders, few studies have examined feminist-informed factors that may serve as protective mechanisms for young women who are influenced by Western capitalist culture and exhibit some symptomology, but do not develop clinically disordered eating. Using the feminist-relational model (feminist-relational Model (Jordan, 1997; Maine and Bunnell, 2008; Surrey, 1991) as a guide, this study sought to fill this gap. Informed by feminist grounded theory methodology, this study qualitatively examined socio-relational and socio-political contexts as potential protective factors for young women ages 18-25 whose subclinical eating disorder symptoms had not yet developed into a clinical eating disorder. Using constructivist grounded theory methodology, an emerging model was developed which demonstrates how participants spoke of their eating disorder symptoms in an externalized way. This was termed the "eating disorder voice." Findings highlight how feminist-informed protective factors helped participants resolve the tension between their genuine voice and eating disorder voice, and act in accordance with their preferred values. Participants were then more likely to be open about their symptoms and invest in their relationships. The main protective factors that emerged included, support people who provide emotional and tangible support, support people who challenge the eating disorder, a personal sense of agency, and community activism and involvement. The present study adds to the feminist theory and the feminist-relational model by providing a conceptualization of the symbiotic relationship between feminist-informed protective factors, suggesting through supportive relationships, individuals experience increased empowerment and agency. Clinical findings indicate that protecting symptoms, misperceptions regarding subclinical symptoms, and stigma served as barriers to seeking treatment. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. / Ph. D. / Eating disorder are a diagnosable mental health condition that greatly impacts physical and emotional functioning. While 20 million people live with clinical eating disorders, many more individuals suffer from subclinical eating disorders. Subclinical eating disorders are similar to eating disorders, but behavioral symptoms such as limiting food intake and vomiting to control weight, shape and size occur with less frequency. Subclinical eating disorders are less studied, and as a result, less understood. Additionally, most research focuses on risk factors for clinical and subclinical eating disorders. Therefore, the present study examined the experiences of living with subclinical eating disorder from a protective standpoint. Feminist theory was used to examine how factors such as voice, empowerment and gender may serve as factors that help stop subclinical symptoms from developing into full blown clinical disorders. Fifteen women between the ages of 18 to 25 who were living with subclinical eating disorder symptoms were interviewed. Through the interviews, women spoke of their symptoms as if they were a separate person or voice, which was labeled the “eating disorder voice” in the analysis process. Findings show how risk factors influenced participants to follow their eating disorder voice (ie., isolate, restrict food) while feminist-informed factors helped participants act in ways that were consistent with what was important to them (ie., spending time with others, not using eating disorder symptoms). The main protective factors included, support people who provide emotional and tangible support, support people who challenge the eating disorder, a personal sense of agency, and community involvement. These findings were applied to help clinicians who work with women at risk for eating disorders.

The feminist movement of the last two decades decried the dominance of hierarchical structures in public and private organizations. This thesis scrutinizes the differences and overlappings of three major feminist "schools" in regard to their advocacy of non-hierarchical forms of organization. The three strands examined are 'radical feminism', ‘cultural feminism' and ‘difference feminism'. The theoretical positions of two of them (radical and difference feminism) are evaluated through the example of two feminist, egalitarian organizations. The discussion focuses on the problem of maintaining egalitarian structures and achieving a certain level of efficiency and effectiveness in such groups. / Master of Arts

Today, feminist theory, instead of accompanying a movement or being generated by a movement, is out there on its own. There is no large-scale social movement to complement it and to act on it. The energy and excitement of collective action is what many feminists miss and what is implied through critiques of contemporary feminist theory. The lament is for unity, for what was conceived of as “sisterhood” and what emerges as a myth. Many feminists share a nostalgia for a time that was filled with the potential for and intensity of social revolution. When we look at the theory of early second wave feminism and the theory of more recent years, the differences are negligible. What is different, and glaringly so, is the social climate. Theory is not to blame; we are. Theory is not the culprit. Theory is just as impacting and politically useful as it ever was, but it is missing its partner. This realization should be no cause for alarm, however, because there still exist many opportunities for activism, albeit different sorts of activism, based on different sorts of political issues that complement our present needs and abilities. / Master of Arts

No description available.

The purpose of my work is to understand and examine the reasons why Ethiopia has not developed a larger decline of female genital mutilation, despite their ban on it? A ban that has been operating for ten years should reasonably have reached a greater change than the one Ethiopia has developed today. Based on two different branches of feminist theory, the liberal feminist theory and radical feminist theory, I will try to understand the potential power relationship that can be a immense reason for Ethiopia's continued practice with regard to female genital mutilation.   I will examine the liberal feminist approach when it comes to seeing the state as the source of the balance of power that generate inequality in the world between men and women. I will also apply the radical feminist theory on my case study and understand the problem of patriarchy and its already set roles for men and women that we are following in the society today, resulting in gender inequality.   The result shows that the radical feminist approach with patriarchy as essential explanation, which articulates that because of ancient traditions and the exercise of power, the amendment must be the changing of power relations between men and women in the private sphere rather than the liberal feminist approach which applies that the state repair the problem.

<div> <div> <div> <p>The following study used a liberal feminist lens to address a gap in the literature on contraceptive method use and romantic relationships by examining the association between contraceptive method use and both relationship satisfaction and balance of power. Specifically, it surveyed married women between the ages of 20-49 using either oral contraceptives (OCs) or natural family planning (NFP). Relationship satisfaction was measured using the Couple Satisfaction Index (CSI-4). Balance of power in the relationship was measured using the Relationship Balance Assessment (RBA). It was hypothesized that women using NFP would report higher relationship satisfaction and greater balance of power than women using OCs. Instead, results of the multiple regression analyses indicated that women using NFP experienced significantly lower rates of balance of power in their relationship. There was no significant difference in relationship satisfaction between groups. Additionally, control variables of religious importance and number of children were found to be associated with balance of power. Controls of age and religious importance were found to be associated with relationship satisfaction. Clinical implications, strengths and limitations, and future directions for research were discussed. </p> </div> </div> </div>