Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

This study examines participants' perceptions of the significant messages and meanings communicated to them through the ceremony of the Blessingway (a ritual titled after the Navajo Blessingway), a contemporary women's birth ritual performed by midwives. A narrative approach was used for data gathering based on Fisher's rationale that meaning emerges through narrative. Fifteen women participated in open-ended interviews. Thirteen of the women identified themselves as midwifes. Four major themes emerged from the data: (1) interconnectivity, (2) care, (3) change, and (4) power. The results of the study show the Blessingway's role in communicating a group's care during a time of transformation, usually birth. Adoption, marriage, and entry into midwifery were also mentioned in the study as occasions for a Blessingway ritual. During a Blessingway, many levels of relationship intersect and emphasize the "web of connectedness" the women consider part of their lives. The continuous, multidimensional, and overlapping nature of interconnectivity defines the places of connection highlighted during the Blessingway ceremony. The sense of connectedness generates bonds of care--cohesion, nurturance and safety--and provides a "cocoon-like" environment. Once nurtured and protected, the women feel the support of their community. The women then resolve and transform the contradictions and ambiguities of their liminal state, acknowledge their value of self, recognize their own power, the power of their community, the power of the circle of women and the power of the archetypal woman. / Graduation date: 1997

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pennsylvania State University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-92) and vita.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1988. / Bibliography: leaves 454-469. / Microfilm. / xxxi, 469 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Thesis (Ph. D. in Religion)--Vanderbilt University, May 2008. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

This ethnographic study investigates the frequency of use of the Navajo Blessingway ceremony during pregnancy by Navajo women in the Fort Defiance Service Unit of Indian Health Service. Through interviews with postpartum women and community members it was found that approximately 14% of the Navajo women at this hospital had a Blessingway ceremony during their current pregnancy. The data indicate that contemporary usage of the Blessingway ceremony is much less frequent than with previous generations. Factors contributing to this decline include a: decrease in the use of Navajo language, decreased number of practicing medicine men, increased reliance on Christian religions practices, influence of Western education and health care practices and changing socioeconomic conditions. The most significant factor in encouraging pregnant women to use this beneficial ceremony was the influence of the extended family.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Uppsala University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 289-311).

Experimentation in field settings addressing socially sensitive topics are generally avoided by researchers. This avoidance is based on the restrictive nature of the required controls and the perceived inability to implement the required designs. In this study, the researcher has documented the necessary steps to meet design requirements for the conduct of a quasi-experimental study in two field settings. This quasi-experimental study addresses a case dealing with the attitudes of parents regarding their childbirth experiences. Programs for childbirth education traditionally emphasize the "natural" method of birth. Socially, cesarean births are currently being performed in 20 percent of the cases. Nursing education literature Suggests that prepared childbirth education programs contribute to negative parental attitudes for those experiencing cesarean birth. In the case for this study, attitudes of parents experiencing both vaginal and cesarean births and receiving three different levels of childbirth education were investigated. Documentation of the required research controls for the case was achieved through the maintenance of a log of events. The three levels of childbirth education included two types of Lamaze training and the non-prepared. Two hundred and sixteen (216) parents in each of the settings were included in the study representing 54 vaginal and 54 cesarean births. The measurements included hospital records/and response to a modified Likert scale. Analysis of variance was used to test the research hypothesis. Documentation of all research requirements for the study was successfully completed and case results obtained. Parents experiencing cesarean birth had more negative attitudes than those experiencing vaginal birth. In one of the two field settings, childbirth education was validated as contributing to more negative attitudes for cesarean birth, but was not replicated in the second setting. A significant (P<.05) first order interaction between type of birth and receipt of childbirth education was found in both settings. / Ed. D.

Text in Afrikaans / Die politieke struktuur van antieke Egipte en ons eie politieke geskiedenis het meegebring dat aspekte rakende die vrou, vir baie jare oor die hoof gesien was, veral in die literatuur. Met antieke Egipte, waar mans hoofsaaklik verantwoordelik vir die samestelling van geskrewe materiaal was, en in Suid-Afrika waar daar in navorsing meer op onderwerpe wat mans interesseer gefokus was, het daar soveel vrae rakende die vrou onbeantwoord gebly. Die mans kon nie, het nie of wou nie, verslag doen oor wat gedurende swangerskap en baring gebeur het nie. Met behulp van ‘n uitgebreide literatuurstudie (wat bronne uit die geskiedenis, argeologie, antropologie, medisyne, wetenskap, ikonografie, kunste, argitektuur, taalkunde, astronomie, sielkunde, mitologie, tuinbou ensovoorts ingesluit het) is ontdek dat daar, in antieke Egiptiese geskrifte en uitbeeldings, baie oor swangerskap en baring gekommunikeer is. Die inligting is net nie altyd in die konteks of plekke waar ‘n mens dit sou verwag nie. Manlike skrywers het argeologiese inligting vanuit hulle manlike verwysingsraamwerk geïnterpreteer. Die meerderheid inligting oor swangerskap en baring in antieke Egipte, is dus in die verlede òf oor die hoof gesien, òf dit is vanuit ‘n manlike perspektief geïnterpreteer. Belangrike betekenisse het so verlore geraak. Hierdie studie is onderneem om lig op swangerskap en baring in antieke Egipte te werp. ‘n Grondige kennis van die vroulike fisiologie en -denkpatrone is met ‘n uitgebreide studie van die gebruike, tradisies en gelowe van antieke Egipte gekombineer om die bestaande poel van kennis op te helder. / Due to the political structure of ancient Egypt, as well as in our own political history, female matters have been overlooked for many years, especially in literature. With ancient Egypt, where mainly men were responsible for written material, and in South Africa where research, in the past, focused mainly on topics of interest to men, many questions regarding women remained unanswered. Men could not, did not, or didn’t want to report on what happens during pregnancy and birth. The research of extensive literature sources (including historical, archaeological, anthropological, medical, scientific, iconographical, art, architectural, linguistic, astronomical, physiological, mythological, horticultural and other sources) indicates that the ancient Egyptian writings and depictions contained information about pregnancy and birth. In the past most information about pregnancy and birth in ancient Egypt was either overlooked or interpreted from a male perspective. Thus important meanings and interpretations got lost. The aim of this study is to shed light on pregnancy and birth in ancient Egypt. A current thorough knowledge of female physiology and thought patterns was combined with an extensive study of practices, traditions and beliefs in ancient Egypt to elucidate the existing pool of knowledge. / Biblical Archaeology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Biblical Archaeology)