<p> Since the women&rsquo;s liberation movement in the 1970s, the number of women in the American workforce has increased dramatically; however, the percentage of women in the C-Suite&mdash;those who reach the status of chief officer&mdash;remains below 10 percent nationally (Soares et al., 2013). This disparity, sometimes called the &ldquo;glass ceiling,&rdquo; remains, even though many companies have adopted important initiatives to promote women&rsquo;s advancement. Although research has identified a complex set of factors involved in women&rsquo;s achievement of the highest levels of success in contemporary corporate settings, including measurable achievements, such as education, experience, and technical proficiency and intangibles, such as emotional intelligence, leadership styles, and communication skill, a significance difference in women&rsquo;s ability to break through the glass ceiling has still not been made. </p><p> Aimed at bridging that gap, this qualitative study gathers, through personal interviews, the experiences and perspectives of seventeen individuals, both men and women, of different races, cultures, and backgrounds, all of whom have reached the level of chief officer. Respondents were queried about their perception of the factors necessary to reach the C-Suite, as well as any factors required especially for women to arrive at that destination. The data gathered in the interviews included the subjects&rsquo; experiences from the process of their own advancement to the C-Suite and their observations of others&rsquo; experiences. The data were coded and analyzed according to recurring themes and patterns in the interviewees&rsquo; answers. The results point to a complex, nuanced, dynamic set of factors in the life of an otherwise qualified individual. Namely, four (4) such factors play a primary role in propelling aspiring women into the C-Suite: 1) executive traits; 2) preparation; 3) networking; and 4) engaging organizational culture. The findings offer an empowering promise that women can not only identify and gain the tools they need to accomplish their C-Suite goals, but also actively pursue and cultivate these assets in a way that offers success in both life and career. </p>

<p> This study investigated relationships between gender, mentoring, and leader self-efficacy in a sample of n = 188 managers working in the United States. Differences in self-reports of leader efficacy were examined based on manager gender, the presence of a mentor, mentor gender, mentor organizational level, type of mentoring (formal vs. informal), mentoring function (career support, psychosocial support, role modeling), the quality of the mentoring relationship, and the gender composition of the mentoring dyad. Counter to earlier research, women in the sample reported higher levels of leader self-efficacy when compared to men, though all but one of these mean differences were non-significant. Among managers with mentors at the top levels of the organization, women reported significantly higher levels of leader self-efficacy than men did. Mentored managers reported slightly higher, but non-significant, differences in mean leader self-efficacy compared to non-mentored managers. Among mentored managers significant differences in mean leader self-efficacy were found based on the organizational level of the mentor, primary mentoring function, and the quality of the mentoring relationship. A hierarchical multiple regression to predict leader self-efficacy from mentoring function was significant and predicted 34% of the variance in scores on leader self-efficacy. A hierarchical multiple regression to predict leader self-efficacy from mentoring function, mentor organizational level, type of mentoring, and the gender composition of the mentoring dyad, was significant and predicted 45% of the variance in scores of leader self-efficacy. Career support mentoring and mentor organizational level were the most significant predictors in the model.</p>

<p> This study interprets the public perceptions of feminism and gender equality in Nigeria as reflected in the media. In recent times, the issue of gender equality has been subject to numerous debates in Nigeria. My interest in this issue stems from the increased awareness of feminism and a growing feminist movement in the country. This thesis details the popular opinions on feminism found on Nigerian blogs, online newspaper columns, social media and the likes. The purpose of this research was to (1) analyze feminism as a discourse in the Nigerian society (2) identify the existing gender issues (3) contribute to the growing body of transnational feminism. The findings reveal the dynamic interplay of gender and culture. The main discourses are centered on the relevance/irrelevance of feminism and the advocacy for the girl child rights. These findings have implications for the larger discourse regarding the correlation between culture and gender equality. Furthermore, findings indicate that issues concerning gender inequality is mostly linked with the cultural expectations of the particular society.</p>

<p> Stay-at-home fathers, male primary caretakers of their children, represent an emergent form of fatherhood challenging gendered stereotypes related to breadwinning, caretaking, and parenting. This study explores, from a social constructionist and feminist perspective informed by critical men&rsquo;s studies, social psychology, and psychoanalysis, how stay-at- home fathering is socially constructed across gendered everyday social spaces and places. More specifically, the focus is on how the social dynamics within the everyday spaces and places of these men are shaped by cultural stereotypes and gendered interactions. Nine White, middle-class, college-educated, heterosexual stay-at-home fathers taking care of at least one child under the age of 12 and married to a breadwinning wife were interviewed. The transcribed interviews were coded using an inductive thematic analysis applying a narrative methodology. A typology of five social spaces and places is proposed and theorized. Each gendered space and place identified is associated with distinct affective experiences by the stay-at-home fathers and gendered social dynamics that oppress, affirm, or validate the men&rsquo;s identity as male caretakers. The gendered stereotypes of &ldquo;The Hero,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Pervert of the Playground,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Unwelcome Intruder,&rdquo; &ldquo;The Man Among Men,&rdquo; and &ldquo;The Communal Father&rdquo; are proposed. Conceptually, gender dualism, the repertoire of possible male caretaker identities, and the challenges of embodied masculine caretaking are discussed. Stay-at-home fathers struggle with documented loneliness and social isolation; the findings presented have important clinical implications for counselors and therapists working with stay-at-home fathers. </p><p> <i>Key words:</i> stay-at-home father, identity, loneliness, isolation, stereotype, social interaction, gendered space, social geography, public spaces, private spaces, social dynamics, social constructionism, doing gender, masculine care, emergent masculinity, playground, playgroup, volunteering. </p>

<p> Marital naming choices are inevitably made from within the framework of the historical sociopolitical contexts and carry the potential to index particular social, cultural, and political meanings or to be made on the basis of personal, individual, or relationship-bound rationales. While same-sex couples may draw upon the choices and discursive frames put forth in the rationales provided by opposite-sex couples, there is no precedent of tradition for same-sex marital naming, allowing for flexibility and variety in the choices made and rationales invoked by married same-sex couples. This paper demonstrates that the reflexivity necessitated by being a member of a marginalized group newly entering into a normative practice influences naming decisions. Same-sex couples present highly nuanced rationales for naming choices and draw from but rework the traditional, heteronormative frame of marital naming by incorporating novel naming choices. Same-sex couples often make appeals to what &ldquo;makes sense&rdquo; for a particular couple in their own relationship in the context of traditional practice, whether regarding children and being seen as a family, biological factors in parenting, or resistance to heteronormative practice. </p>

<p> Tale and myth have a long history of reinforcing, commenting on, and often subverting the ideologies at work in the society where the stories are being told. This research explores the ways three American novels, Eudora Welty&rsquo;s The Robber Bridegroom, Shirley Jackson&rsquo;s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and Toni Morrison&rsquo;s The Bluest Eye, all incorporate variants of the fairytale Bluebeard: a fairytale which centers on domestic trauma. All three novels also re-vocalize the myth of Demeter and Persephone, and this re-vocalization serves to empower the female characters and subvert the dominant patriarchal paradigm. The subversion of white masculine ideology in these novels reflects a changing social structure during the thirty year span in which these three novels were published. Looking at the texts holistically while considering the ways the tale and myth interweave in each offers insight into the way these social changes for women were being narrated and explored. The question of interpretation is central to this research, which explores both feminine and masculine lenses in story. Particularly the ways a woman&rsquo;s sexual agency, decision not to marry, or even inability to escape are narrated and interpreted by the community around her. These fictional communities and the issues explored in the realm of tale reflect the larger society and ideological currents surrounding novels themselves. All three novels incorporate the Bluebeard tale, reject the masculine reading of women in that tale, and work to subvert not just patriarchal ideology but the flat literary trope and ways of writing and reading women.</p>

<p> The overall image that emerges from the literature on gender and the French Revolution is that of revolutionary women transgressing traditional gender boundaries by actively participating in the Revolution. This study will show that with few exceptions, most revolutionary women did not attempt to transgress their gender boundaries; instead, they attempted to redefine their sphere of action on the basis of a new ideology born during the Revolution: that of the larger family of the Republic. This study investigates the contradiction between the eighteenth-century idea of the <i>femme id&eacute;ale </i> and the reality of revolutionary women activism and argues that these women justified entering the public space as part of their duties as patriotic mothers. On the other hand, this study also shows how revolutionary men increasingly started to marginalize all revolutionary women as &ldquo;femme-hommes&rdquo; to ultimately exclude them from the public sphere in 1793. While many historians focused on the way women were sexualized and feminized during the Revolution, this paper argues that most revolutionary leaders considered women who attempted to play men&rsquo;s roles to be women who were becoming men and thus losing their maternal and motherly duties.</p>

<p> Decreasing rates of marriage and the delay of motherhood or decision to forsake childbearing altogether are emergent trends in the United States. Historically, shifts in family composition have always been important, yet the increase in the number of unmarried and child-free adults is rarely acknowledged by health researchers. Race and family type will be used to investigate the health of Black and White unmarried, childless women (SWANS), using intersectional theory, the Social Determinants of Health, and the Sojourner Model. The frequencies of poor health outcomes are analyzed to determine if family type influences health outcomes, and if so, does this differ by race. Using secondary data from the 2010-2013 Integrated Health Interview Series (IHIS) and binary logistic regression, results indicate that the main independent variables of race and family types interact to differentiate health outcomes. </p><p> This work uncovers race as a master status for Black women. Black married childfree women have better health outcomes relative to Black SWANS, with the exception of self-rated health. Black married parents are less likely to report adverse health conditions than Black married childfree and SWANS. Among Whites, all family types are in poorer health, when compared to married parents. </p><p> Notably, both Black and White SWANS experience the lowest rates of poor emotional health. These findings persist despite adjusting for demographic and socio-economic characteristics that are known to influence health. The analysis further underscores the importance of focusing on intra-racial variations in marriage and health and give added support to feminist arguments regarding the methodological and conceptual challenges to studying women who exist on the margins of society and Black women in general. Taken altogether, the results move toward an examination of health and family policies to identify areas for potential policy change and SWAN-advocacy.</p>

<p> The research problem addressed in this study was the relationship between racism and self-efficacy. While racism lowers self-efficacy, it is not clear whether the relationship between racial discrimination and self-efficacy is stronger or weaker depending on an individual&rsquo;s race, gender, or levels of resilience. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships between racial discrimination, self-efficacy, and resilience, while also accounting for the demographic variables of gender and race, thus better equipping mental health professionals working with female and/or minority clients. A quantitative, correlational study design was proposed to answer four research questions: (1) Does race significantly mediate the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and self-efficacy? (2) Does gender significantly mediate the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and self-efficacy? (3) Does resilience significantly mediate the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and self-efficacy? (4) Do interactions between race, gender, and resilience significantly moderate the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and self-efficacy? It was found that (1) race mediated the impact of racism on self-efficacy, such that African Americans had substantially lower self-efficacy in the face of high perceived racism; (2, 3, 4) gender, resilience, and a race-resilience interaction variable did not influence the relationship between racism and self-efficacy. These findings suggested the unique nature of racism-associated trauma in African Americans. This finding can be used to strengthen therapeutic approaches used with African Americans; and, better address this population&rsquo;s mental health needs. </p>

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