Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This study is a hermeneutic phenomenology of transgenderism as it is valued and appreciated by adults who self-identify along the transgender spectrum. As a population-at-risk due to a social environment reliant on a dualistic notion of gender, transgender people are of particular concern to social workers, who are charged with identifying and building on client strengths. Yet the preponderance of the academic literature has reinforced a negative, problematic, or even pathological view of transgenderism. The literature also has tended to focus narrowly on transsexualism, leaving a gap in our knowledge of other forms of transgenderism. The present study—grounded primarily in the philosophy and methodology of Heideggerian phenomenology, but also drawing on Gadamerian hermeneutics—sought to understand the lived experience of transgenderism as it is appreciated by a range of transgender adults. A purposive sample of fifteen self-identified transgender adults who reported appreciating being transgender was recruited using snowball sampling across three Midwestern states. Each participated in an individual, open-ended interview designed to tap their lived experience with transgenderism as a valued aspect of life. Transcribed interview data were analyzed using Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological processes as suggested by various researchers in nursing, social work, and other disciplines. The results of this study suggest that intimate connections (with one’s self, with others, and with a larger purpose) constitute the essence of the lived experience of appreciating one’s transgenderism. These findings help prepare social workers to recognize the strengths of the transgender population and to engage in culturally competent practice. In addition, this research offers new knowledge for improving social work curricular content on transgenderism and for justifying trans-inclusive social policies. The study also contributes to the overall research literature on transgenderism and qualitative methods.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Previous research has found that the clarity of information provided to raters about women managers’ performance affects ratings of their competence, likeability, and overall evaluation. The current study sought to contribute to this literature by examining whether individual differences of raters can explain the reason for differential performance evaluations of male and female managers, despite them both performing equally. For this purpose, the current research extended the findings of Heilman and colleagues by replicating their methodology while introducing a moderator variable, the rater’s Implicit Person Theory (IPT). The IPT differentiates people into either entity theorists (that is, those who believe that behavior is trait-based and therefore fixed and stable) and incremental theorists (those who believe that behavior is situationally mediated and hence, changeable). Specifically, it was proposed that the effects found in the previous study would be stronger when the rater possessed an entity theory as opposed to an incremental theory. In doing so, this research attempted to provide an understanding of why male and female managers might be given different ratings, all other things being equal. Analyses revealed results that were consistent with, as well as some that were quite inconsistent with, previous findings. Rater IPT was found to have a significant effect on ratings provided by male participants but not those of female participants. Other findings and implications are discussed and limitations and future research directions are stated.

Text in English with abstracts in English and Sesotho / The purpose of this study was to describe the role of Life Orientation (LO) in the development of altruistic behaviour among adolescents aged 14 t0 16 years in one rural school of Limpopo Province. The participants were purposively selected. Most communities struggle to involve adolescents in voluntary activities such as home-based care, cleaning campaigns, conducting study groups, and others, if there are no incentives such as money. The study collected data through semi-structured interviews and the altruism scale questionnaire. The latter is not a psychometric measure but a screening tool that gives a qualitative value that can be analysed. The findings of the study have shown that LO has not yet played a critical role in developing altruism in youth, especially adolescents. Participants having reported lack of perceived seriousness taken by their LO teachers on the topics during LO lessons resulted in their different perspectives and experiences regarding the subject. In addition, altruism has not been included in LO curriculum. Therefore, further investigation of the cause of belief in superstition amongst adolescents and downgrading of LO is important. / Morero wo mogolo wa dinyakišišo tše e be e le go hlalosa karolo ye bohlokwa yeo e bapalago ke Thuto ya Tshedimošo ya Bophelo (Life Orientantion) gore bana bao ba golago ba thoma go tšwa mahlalegading ba hlalefa, ba mengwaga ye lesome-nne leba lesome-tshela ba godišwe le go rutwa mekgwa ye mebotse mo sekolong se sengwe seleteng sa Limpopo, Afrika Borwa. Batšeikarolo dinyakišišong tše ba kgethilwe ka maikemišetšo gore ba ntšhe maikutlo a bona ka moka mabapi le tabakgolo yeo monyakišiši a bego a e nyakišiša. Batho ba bantšhi mo setšhabeng ba palelwa ke go huetša bana bao ba golago mo mešomong ya go ikgafa moo elego gore a go na moputso wa tšhelete. Mediro ye ya boikgafo e akaretša go nea balwetši ditirelo tša kalafo ya ka gae, masolo a go thlwekiša, dihlopha tša go ithuta mmogo, magareng ga tše dingwe. Dinyakišišo tše di šomišitše mokgwa wa seka-dipoledišano go tšea tshedimošo gammogo le sekala sa dipotšišo tša go šomišwa go dira diteko tša go utulla mediro ye mebotse ya Mosamaria wa kgaugelo mo setšhabeng. Maikemišetšo a sekala se sa dipotšišo ga se go dira diteko tša monagano, eupša ke sefetleki sa go dirišwa go tšea tshedimošo le go seka-seka maikutlo mabapi le gore batšeikarolo ba ikwa bjang ka tiragalo ye itšeng yeo e nyakišišwago (e sego go seka-seka dipalopalo). Dipoelo tša dinyakišišo tše di laetša gore Thuto ya Tshedimošo ya Bophelo ga e sešo ya fihlelela morero wa go aga mekgwa ya botho mo bathong ba baswa. Batšeikarolo ba nyamišitšwe ke ka mokgwa woo barutiši ba thuto ye ba se nago maikemišetšo ka gona mabapi le go ruta thuto ye ka mafolofolo. Se se ile sa ba le khuetšo ye mpe go barutwana moo bailego ba hlokomologa thuto ye ka go se e tšeele hlogong gomme ba e bona ka leihlo le šele. Godimo ga moo, thuto ya go kwela batho bohloko le go ba hlankela ga se ya akaretšwa mo thutong Tshedimošo ya Bophelo. Bjalo go nyakega dinyakišišo mo go tumelo ya dinonwane magareng ga baswa bao ba golago le go nyenyefašwa ga Thuto ye ya Tshedimošo ya Bophelo. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This study examined the roles of commitment and attributions in uninvolved partner responses to imagined sexual infidelity. Undergraduate students (N = 298) in dating relationships participated in a hypothetical sexual infidelity scenario in which they imagined their romantic partner engaged in sexual intercourse with someone else. Measured-variable path analysis was used to evaluate the predictive ability of commitment and attributions on negative emotional responses and predicted relationship continuation. The hypothesized conceptual model demonstrated poor fit to sample data. Through exploratory model building, an alternative model was generated that demonstrated good fit to sample data. A subset of commitment, investment, predicted negative affect. In addition, attributions predicted predictions of relationship continuation. Negative emotional responses were highly endorsed on a validated measure for emotional responses, the PANAS-X (Watson & Clark, 1994). Further, study findings highlight the importance of the use of a compliance check in assessing successful participant completion of imagined infidelity scenario. Unique study contributions include directions for further conceptual model development for this area of research as well as support for the use of compliance checks and careful selection of infidelity scenario.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Madeline Heilman’s (1983) Lack of Fit Model, which postulates why discrimination occurs in the selection of sex-typed jobs, has been applied to the interaction of applicant attractiveness. Yet recent research suggests that other appearance variables, namely sex-typed facial features, may be associated with perceptions of fit. Building upon Heilman’s 1983 model, the current study evaluated how sex-typed facial features relate to applicant selection for sex-typed fields. Undergraduate students were recruited for participation during the spring academic semester (n = 413) and data were analyzed using a 2x2x2 ANOVA. Results indicated that selection is significantly impacted by the three-way interaction of applicant sex, facial feature-type, and sex type of the applying field. Further, masculine-featured females and feminine-featured males were significantly less favored for selection within the feminine sex-typed field. Implications of these findings and the differential evaluation of male and female applicants in a feminine field are discussed.