<p> Women have been experiencing challenges to upward mobility in executives&rsquo; positions because of negative stereotypes and social perceptions about their ability to be lead nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Despite their advancements in education, women are still not occupying leadership positions at the rate of their male counterparts. As a result, this study examined through a phenomenological lens the lived experiences of female CEOs on their perceptions about gender and their attitudes towards change as being open or their approach to change as being different to their male counterparts. The findings of this study revealed that it is the belief of female CEOs that gender matters. The results also pointed to female CEOs&rsquo; attitudes towards change as being more open and a different approach to change than their male counterparts. The qualitative methodology used was a phenomenological study drawing on multiple theoretical approaches. The main framework for this study, however, drew on the theoretical framework of the upper echelon theory to assist in the understanding of the complex operations of nonprofit organizations. Through theory tranquilizations, this study also examined other theoretical frameworks such as the glass ceiling theory, social role theory, expectations states theory as well as transactional leadership and transformational leadership, as they are all relevant to organizational leadership, attitudes towards change, and organizational stability and success.</p>

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, 1999.

The purpose of this study was to design, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a Coping Skills Training Programme in raising divorced women's self esteem and coping behaviour. This study incorporated feminist self esteem training and coping skills training which made use of social learning theory and. cognitive behavioural techniques, including rational emotive therapy. The Coping Skills Programme had an educational and personal growth focus and was presented in a written manual form consisting of educational notes, group exercises and homework assignments and was designed to be conducted on a small group basis for twelve sessions of two hours each. Evaluation of the programme included a qualitative, descriptive and quantitative research method which incorporated a 'between group' design (i .e. allocation of participants to an experimental and a control group at random and withheld treatment from the control group) and a 'single case' design which involved participants completing self report measurement data. In addition a 'replication phase' was added in which the control group served as the experimental group. Measurement tool s included the Index of Self Esteem (Hudson, 1982 : 9) and the Generalized Contentment Scale (Hudson, 1982 : 8) and various self measurement scales. Collection of the measurement data took place before, during and after the intervention.Results are statistically and graphically presented and on the basis of previous research, it was accurately predicted that the Coping Skills Training Programme would significantly raise the self esteem of divorced women. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal,Durban, 1991.

<p> One need not strain to find examples of male sentimentality in contemporary US popular culture: From frequent news stories on "Weeper of the House" John Boehner, to the success of Judd Apatow's poignant "bromance" movies, to last year's film adaptation of Stephen Chbosky's celebrated adolescent novel, <i> The Perks of Being a Wallflower</i> (1999), the man of feeling seems more present and popular than ever. With an unsettling display of excessive emotion emanating from the male body, each iteration provokes in viewers, listeners, and cultural critics any one of several disparate responses: Whether committed to the transgressive potential of a male who <i>feels</i> different because he offers vulnerability where others offer hardened restraint, or whether insistent in the claim that these texts simply add to what Gail Bederman would call the "remaking" of a continually complex normative subject, we find in the man of feeling an ambivalent subject for the public sphere. The initial question for readers, listeners, or viewers is often a simple one: is male sentimentality transformative and progressive, or is it pathetic and self-serving? But the presumption that we must answer one way or another belies the historical and cultural complexity of the man of feeling, and merely reinforces a kind of political approach to reading that simply replicates our own attitudes and relation to normativity and its privileges. This dissertation&mdash;under the impulse of recent work in queer theory and affect to reach closer to, rather than further from, normativity&mdash;takes up the counterintuitive position that we might draw this unlikely subject of the wallflower out from the sidelines and use him to interrogate normativity not from outside, but rather <i>beside,</i> its unsteady borders. It asks a central question&mdash;What does it mean for a critique of normativity to come from the normative subject?&mdash;and argues that the "peripheral" reading of normativity he helps enable might serve to render the logics of normativity in different ways than we can with more traditionally oppositional forms of critique.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to write a grant to fund spirituality-focused support groups for Latino adults who are HIV positive and their family members or significant others. The groups will provide a safe place for participants to receive additional education and support to enhance their coping skills and promote healthy ways to manage stress. An extensive literature review was conducted regarding traditional Latino cultures, including their emphasis on spirituality and communal support. </p><p> The Elton John AIDS Foundation was chosen as an appropriate funder. The groups will be provided in both English and Spanish through The LGBT Center OC. The Center is located in Orange County, California, where there are large numbers of HIV positive Latinos and few resources specifically designed to meet their needs. The actual submission of the grant application was not a requirement of the thesis project.</p>

<p> The U.S. military has struggled with the implementation of diversity efforts throughout history and a key factor supporting this failure is the lack of information collected from its minority groups. An extensive examination of women and gays in the military illustrated a continued disadvantageous environment for both minority groups, which was created by the military's sexual based discrimination. More specifically, the history of sexual orientation discrimination of gays in the military coupled with the lack of research available indicated a need for additional exploration in this field of study. Seminal research efforts provide little insight to the gay service members' perspective within the military. Additionally, current research is excessively narrow, focusing on military readiness, cohesion, and overall military effectiveness. In an effort to close the gap in literature, this qualitative study explored the perspectives of 11 gay men and their experiences as gay service members, before and after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT). The results of this phenomenological research indicated, as per social identity theory, participants struggled with being gay in the U.S. military. Based on the in-depth interviews, participants felt DADT was an unfair policy which silenced them as a minority group. The DADT policy created family issues and a hostile work environment where participants were subject to sexual orientation discrimination, leading to a sense of alienation, a reduction in job participation, and a decrease in overall job satisfaction. After the repeal, participants reported a slow and sometimes forced attempt at cultural change which resulted in continuing discrimination and ongoing family issues. Out of fear of military retaliation, only some of the participants chose to reveal their sexual orientation following the repeal. Some of the participants who chose to come out of the closet reported continued harassment from their peers and leadership. These gay servicemen suffered from minority stress related to their experiences and expressed concerns regarding their future treatment in the U.S. military. </p>

<p> In response to social and environmental concerns, a new type of entrepreneur has recently entered the research literature on sustainable development in business (Hall, Daneke, &amp; Lenox, 2010). Sustainability entrepreneurs are guided by a strong set of values that place environmental and social well-being before materialistic growth (Abrahamsson, 2007; Choi &amp; Gray, 2008; Parrish &amp; Foxon, 2009; Schaltegger &amp; Wagner, 2011; Young &amp; Tilley, 2006). For them, business success is about maintaining financial stability, while enhancing community and improving the health of our planet. This is reflected in their business design, processes, and work culture. Sustainability entrepreneurs are committed to making business decisions that reduce their carbon footprint, promote local or fair trade, support employee wellness, and give back to the community. </p><p> This social phenomenological study explores the lifeworld structures of six women in Calgary who are running small businesses based on sustainability principles. Drawing on the work of Alfred Sch&uuml;tz (1967, 1970a, 1970b; Sch&uuml;tz &amp; Luckmann, 1973), it examines their typifications, stocks of knowledge, and motives, as well as notions of intersubjectivity and spatiality or lived space. From the findings, three Sch&uuml;tzian puppets or personal ideal types are constructed to personify values of community, quality, connection, and environmental preservation. Ms. A.L.L. Green, Ms. Carin Relationships, and Ms. I.N. Tentional characterize aspects of the female sustainability entrepreneur that were identified by participants as central to their motives and actions. Together, they form a new general ideal type called the integrative entrepreneur. The integrative entrepreneur personifies the unique contributions of the women interviewed, and extends our understanding of sustainability entrepreneurship in meaningful ways.</p>

<p> To increase the number of male teachers at the elementary level in public education, the use of recruitment strategies is necessary. The problem is a lack of literature concerning recruitment strategies for male educators in elementary education. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of male teachers and district recruiters to identify common themes of recruitment used in school districts in Texas to procure more males at the elementary public education level. This study was framed through theories of social cognition and self-efficacy. A sample of 23 male teachers from elementary and secondary public education provided responses to 16 openended survey questions. Using Nvivo10, four major themes were identified based on keyword weighted percentage: recruited and applied, viewed as masculine, elementary men are stereotyped as feminine, and recruit using males in current positions of employment. The findings revealed recruitment strategies identified by male teachers that could influence more males to teach at the elementary level as well as factors that influence males to work at this education level. This study authenticates recruitment strategies to employ more males at the elementary level in public education.</p>

<p> Prejudice and discrimination based on gender occurs within the referral and assessment process of students' social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Gender disproportionality has received little attention in special education research (Sullivan &amp; Bal, 2013), yet researchers have found that males are more likely than females to be identified as having learning disability, cognitive disability, emotional disability, other health impairment, speech-language impairment, and low-incident disability (Coutinho &amp; Oswald, 2005). Gender is often discussed as a risk factor for several mental health disorders and gender differences in the experience and prevalence of disorders are emphasized in the Diagnostic and <i>Statistical Manual, 5^th edition</i> (DSM-5) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The purpose of this study was to examine student, parent, and teacher ratings on a behavioral rating scale, the <i>Behavioral Assessment System for Children, 2^nd edition</i> (BASC-2), for similarity based on the gender of students. The normative data from the BASC-2 rating scale were examined for similarities through independent <i>t</i>- tests of equivalence. </p><p> Results indicated that the genders were similarly rated on the majority of the subscales on the BASC-2. Correlations and coefficients of determination were weak and did not demonstrate substantive strength between the BASC rating scales subscales and gender. At the large effect size 100% equivalence was found, at the moderate effect size 86% equivalence was found, and at the small effect size 16% equivalence was found.</p>

<p> In the United States, workplace discrimination against African-Americans and women has been a primary focus of Industrial/Organizational psychology research (Ruggs, Law, Cox, Roehling, Wiener, Hebl, &amp; Barron, 2013). I hope to broaden our understanding of discrimination by examining lesbians and gay men in the workplace. In this 2 (gender) by 2 (sexual orientation) design, lesbians and gay men received the same hiring ratings and salary appointments as heterosexual applicants for a male-oriented job. There were, however, significant differences in agency with lesbians receiving the highest ratings. Results showed that applicants may want to consider the perceptions of agency for a male-oriented job instead of focusing on sexual orientation or gender in the initial hiring process. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.</p>