Through the partnership of standpoint theory and photovoice method, the present study looked at how teenagers, attending a multicultural education camp, define diversity, as well as what the participants considered to be the benefits and limitations of diversity. Standpoint theory gives the theoretical perspective to understand the marginalized voice of teenagers, while photovoice provides the tools to better capture and understand their marginalized voice. This study was situated in a professionally-developed camp, Camp CommUNITY, that emphasizes multicultural awareness amongst teens. Nine participants and 46 pictures were analyzed. Resulting from open coding, 11 categories and 6 themes were identified. Each theme and definitions of diversity are approached with a dialectical perspective, yielding to the model of dialectical dimensions of diversity. To answer Research Question 2, participants identified both benefits and limitations for photovoice method. Additional theoretical, practical, and methodological implications, limitations, and directions for future research are addressed.

Bakgrund: Könsdiskriminering påverkar kvinnors liv, ekonomi och hälsa, över hela världen. Hälso- och sjukvården har en etisk obligation att likvärdigt behandla patienter och framförallt sjuksköterskan via dess koder och professionalitet. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka förekomsten av könsskillnader inom hälso- och sjukvård för kvinnor. Metod: Litteraturöversikt med induktiv ansats som utgår från ett feministiskt Standpoint Theory ramverk. Kvalitativa såsom kvantitativa artiklar används. Resultat: Olika nivåer och instanser av sjukvården präglas av könsskillnader som negativt påverkar kvinnor. Områden såsom smärta, medicinering, psykiatri och akademi har någon form av könsdiskriminering i sig. Konklusion: Orsaken till könsskillnaderna anses vara normativt tankesätt, misogyni och ett androcentriskt system på vården. Sjuksköterskor har en etisk och laglig plikt att förhindra negativa könsskillnader och bias för att bredda sitt helhetsvårdande perspektiv. / Background: Discrimination on the base of gender affects the economy, lives and health of women, all over the world. Health care as an institue possesses a legal and ethical obligation to deliver indiscriminate care and especially registered nurses. Aim: The aim of the study is to examine the presence of gender differences in health care of women. Method: A literature review—with the approach of induction—that works within the feminist Standpoint Theory’s framework. The study utilize both qualitative and quantiative data from other academic literature. Findings: Gender differences that negatively affect women was found to be present in a variety of settings and levels of health care. Examples of these areas were pain, mediciation, psychiatry and academia. Conclusion: The cause behind the results could be ascribed to normative thinking, mysoginy and systemic androcentrism. Registered nurses have an ethical duty to prevent gendered differences and biases that negatively impact women in health care. It would also broaden their holistic caring perspective.

Our ocean is undergoing drastic changes. In the circumpolar north, this reality is highly visible. Social-ecological systems thinking informs that social and ecological systems are intertwined, yet hegemonic governance systems appear unable or unwilling to reorient themselves to promote planetary health amidst the climate crisis. To rethink our relationship with the ocean, I explore the research question, “What can I learn from Inuit perspectives about the ocean and marine governance within Inuit Nunangat, and how does this relate to planetary health?” This study applies critical theory methodologies. In particular, feminist standpoint theory informs the approach of engaging with knowledge and lived experience of marginalized or oppressed populations. Inuit knowledge in the form of a purposefully sampled collection of publicly available Inuit documents that relate to the marine environment is the primary evidence that informs analysis. Inuit produced declarations, websites, and reports are analysed using thematic analysis. This study does not depend on ethics review or community engagement; research using publicly available information is exempt from these ethical requirements. Nevertheless, the positionality I strive to embody is allyship with Inuit. Two main themes are interpreted from analysis. First, the meaning of the marine contains the key ideas: Inuit culture relies upon marine ecosystems; rapidly social-ecological systems have cultural implications; and environmental protection focuses on marine areas of significance. A rights-based approach reflects the assertions: Inuit are rightsholders not stakeholders; political equality is still hindered by systems of racism and oppression; and collaborative governance approaches are the path forward. Governance mechanisms that recognize Indigenous rights have the capacity to promote planetary health. Inuit self-determination is health promotion, supporting marine protection, equitable marine governance, and strengthening Inuit culture. Decision-making systems that are characterized by polycentricity, community collaboration, and a respect for Indigenous knowledge present a path forward. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The purpose of this study was designed to gain an understanding of how young African American women principals experience the principalship. Three research questions were explored in this study: (a.) What are the pathways to the principalship for young African American women? (b.) How do African American women experience the principalship? (c.) What are the barriers that young African American women experience and what are their strategies for success? The researcher examined the day-to-day experiences faced by these women as they related to race, gender, and age challenges within the field of education. Using qualitative research with Black Feminist Standpoint theory as the theoretical framework, the study allowed these young female principals from Virginia to share their personal stories and struggles related to their experiences as principals. They participated in depth one-on-one, semistructured interviews and, as a follow-up, some participated in focus groups that contained open-ended questions. The findings indicated that these women rely on God, faith and family in their day-to-day work. Some of the women discussed the challenges that they face dealing with ageism, sexism and racism in the work place. Probing the reflections and experiences of these women will inform both research and practice, given their professional rise to principalship positions and their experiences once they attained the positions. It was crucial to add the voices of these women to existing literature because they bring a unique perspective to the practice of school leadership. Implications for this research include: college-bound students interested in school administration; university professors and school divisions interested in ways to support and provide professional development to these young leaders; feminist researchers; those interested in studying leadership theory and research, and aspiring and practicing principals interested in how African American principals support school improvement.

Achievement and the experiences of women in secondary school mathematics have been well documented in the research literature (e.g., Benbow & Stanley, 1980, 1983; Tartre & Fennema, 1995; Sherman, 1982; Ryckman & Peckham, 1987; Keller & Dauenheimer, 2003). With respect to achievement, the research literature primarily focuses on how women are deficient to men (e.g., Benbow & Stanley, 1980, 1983) and the roles affective attributes (e.g., Sherman, 1982; Fennema, Petersen, Carpenter & Lubinski, 1990) and stereotype threat (e.g., Quinn & Spencer, 2001; Steele & Aronson, 1995) have played in women’s deficiencies. Despite the perspective and nature of this research, there are, however, women who have achieved at extraordinarily high levels in the secondary mathematics classroom. It is important to examine this historical research as it has impacted the views of teachers, researchers, and media with regard to female mathematics students’ opportunities. By reflecting upon the research literature and its far reaching impacts, high-achieving women in mathematics can begin to reverse the perceptions that limit their opportunities. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore, through the experiences and stories relayed by the study’s participants, how young women might negotiate the (historic all male) mathematics domain. Employing a qualitative research designed within a phenomenological framework and analyzed through a combination of postmodern and standpoint feminisms, I examined the stories of four undergraduate female students who were identified as being high-achieving in secondary school mathematics. These young women, by reflecting upon their secondary school experiences, and by reflecting upon their experiences within the context of the existing research literature, not only identified the aspects of their lives they felt had the greatest impact upon their opportunities but also examined their personal definitions of success and the impacts their gender had on their (socially defined) achievements within secondary school mathematics.

The aim of this thesis is to analyze women&rsquo / s shelters in the context of the Feminist Standpoint Theory by focusing on a case in Turkey. The majority of the previous studies has not regarded the women&rsquo / s entire subjective experiences of domestic violence and shelter stay. Rather they present a reductionist picture. In this study, women&rsquo / s experiences of violence and shelter stay are analyzed and discussed in relation to / their specificities, the shelter structure, and the system shelters are connected in Turkey, from the perspective of Feminist Standpoint Theory. The issue of to what extent empowerment is attainable within the existing structures of institutions is questioned through qualitative method. Participatory observation is the main data gathering method in this study / semi-structured in-depth interviews are also used as additional data gathering source. Interviews and interpersonal relationships with 78 women are analyzed. The interviews aim at providing individual narratives of these women concerning the experience of violence and the process afterwards. In addition, interpersonal communications with the shelter staff are also added to the analysis. It was understood that the subjective experiences of the women are not wholly understandable under a fixed womanhood categorization of gender / they are mostly underestimated in the existing system of structure / and that the constraints specific to each woman&rsquo / s case combined with the rigid structural practices in the aftermath of violence entrap many women in situations difficult to escape, and the &lsquo / mediating role&rsquo / of the structures and individuals are disempowering for the women.

The number of studies related to students from rural backgrounds in higher education has waned in recent decades; however, over one-third of children in the United States continue to be educated in rural locales and their college-going and college-completion rates lag behind those of their urban and suburban peers. Because many rural students are white, they are typically considered part of the white majority on campuses, but they often encounter challenges unique to students from rural backgrounds and unlike those of their majority white peers from urban or suburban backgrounds. Therefore, a number of researchers have called for additional, qualitative studies regarding students from rural backgrounds as a unique cultural group and their experiences with higher education. The current study utilizes portraiture, the qualitative methodology developed by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot and Jessica Hoffmann-Davis, and a cultural framework combining social capital and critical standpoint theories to explore factors that affect students' enrollment, persistence, experiences, and perceptions related to higher education. Six students from one rural Texas high school who graduated in the top ten percent of their high school classes participated in the study, which included in-depth interviews, observations, and analyses. Each of the students collaborated in the creation of his or her portrait as well; these portraits portray the students' higher education experiences in considerable detail. Several factors are shown to have an impact on the experiences of rural students in higher education, including social capital, relationships, tacit knowledge, and finances. The study also demonstrates that female students from rural backgrounds face additional barriers related to higher education, such as romantic relationships, limitations on their future plans, and self-confidence. Implications for research, practice, and policy are also offered as opportunities to improve the experiences of rural students in higher education, and ultimately, their college enrollment and persistence rates. / text

From the beginning of her career, Virginia Woolf moves beyond the perspective of her inherited class position to challenge a damaging class system. She increasingly recognizes the extent of her own complicity in the creation and maintenance of class structures supporting patriarchy, war, and British imperialism. Highlighting ambiguities inherent in the very category of class, she acknowledges the limiting "boxes" of language itself in attempts to rethink class. For Woolf, class is not monolithic but internally differentiated by gender and race. Examining Woolf's early work in relation to class theory shows that throughout her career Woolf interrogates the imbrication of gender and race in class politics. She finds class difference a fertile source of satire, and subjects her own class position to satirical scrutiny. At the same time, a certain psychology of class operates in Woolf: vulnerable to the dissolution of ego boundaries because of her mental illness, she at times shores up her sense of identity by reaffirming class boundaries that were otherwise repugnant to her. Thus Woolf vacillates between perceiving class as necessary to "civilization" and championing egalitarian views. Theoretical points of reference for this study include cultural materialism, feminist standpoint theory, psychoanalysis, and theories of class advanced by Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu, Max Weber, Gary Day, David Cannadine, Beverly Skeggs, and Rosemary Hennessy.

While research on sexual violence, rape crisis centres and volunteers is extensive, there are very few empirical studies that draw specifically on the experiences of rape crisis volunteers. Instead, most of the literature pertaining to rape crisis work focuses on the efforts of social workers or other paid staff. When rape crisis volunteers are examined, the focus is primarily on the context through which their work is performed, for instance, how a rape crisis centre operates in relation to other community organizations (Campbell, 1998) or whether a specific rape crisis centre upholds feminist philosophies (Maier, 2008). Studies are also usually restricted to the negative effects of rape crisis work (for example, how rape crisis workers experience anxiety, social withdrawal and vicarious trauma) or focus on what sustains rape crisis workers while working in a stressful environment (Baird and Jenkins, 2003; Hellman and House, 2006; Thornton and Novak, 2010; Wasco and Campbell, 2002). Using the life history approach, this study builds on previous research and explores the experiences of volunteers at rape crisis centres across Ontario, Canada. In particular, the following issues were examined: motivations to volunteer, personal challenges and tensions, as well as challenges with respective centres. Findings indicate that all participants in the study have directly and/or indirectly experienced a range of different kinds of violence. Also, participants noted a range of complex and interconnected motivations for their initial and ongoing involvement in rape crisis work, most notably, self-healing. Finally, most participants expressed hesitancy towards identifying as feminists and did not associate feminism and the anti-violence movement as being strictly related to women. Theorizing the experiences of rape crisis volunteers through the lens of standpoint theory offers a new approach to knowledge construction in the area of rape crisis work and points towards the way that services, including training, can be improved for volunteers. Furthermore, the life history approach offers a unique way to understand the experiences of rape crisis volunteers in greater depth and breadth, since attention was placed on the volunteer process as well as other life experiences.

While research on sexual violence, rape crisis centres and volunteers is extensive, there are very few empirical studies that draw specifically on the experiences of rape crisis volunteers. Instead, most of the literature pertaining to rape crisis work focuses on the efforts of social workers or other paid staff. When rape crisis volunteers are examined, the focus is primarily on the context through which their work is performed, for instance, how a rape crisis centre operates in relation to other community organizations (Campbell, 1998) or whether a specific rape crisis centre upholds feminist philosophies (Maier, 2008). Studies are also usually restricted to the negative effects of rape crisis work (for example, how rape crisis workers experience anxiety, social withdrawal and vicarious trauma) or focus on what sustains rape crisis workers while working in a stressful environment (Baird and Jenkins, 2003; Hellman and House, 2006; Thornton and Novak, 2010; Wasco and Campbell, 2002). Using the life history approach, this study builds on previous research and explores the experiences of volunteers at rape crisis centres across Ontario, Canada. In particular, the following issues were examined: motivations to volunteer, personal challenges and tensions, as well as challenges with respective centres. Findings indicate that all participants in the study have directly and/or indirectly experienced a range of different kinds of violence. Also, participants noted a range of complex and interconnected motivations for their initial and ongoing involvement in rape crisis work, most notably, self-healing. Finally, most participants expressed hesitancy towards identifying as feminists and did not associate feminism and the anti-violence movement as being strictly related to women. Theorizing the experiences of rape crisis volunteers through the lens of standpoint theory offers a new approach to knowledge construction in the area of rape crisis work and points towards the way that services, including training, can be improved for volunteers. Furthermore, the life history approach offers a unique way to understand the experiences of rape crisis volunteers in greater depth and breadth, since attention was placed on the volunteer process as well as other life experiences.