Cultural traditions in indigenous peoples about maternity, childbirth and puerperium are fundamental bases to their history and knowledge for the well-being of the community. However, government and private health services in general only offer Western birthing practices, making pregnant indigenous women fall between two systems: one based on their traditions and beliefs but weakened by poor resourcing and inefficiencies, and the other by policies of acculturation. With the objective of studying the perspective and voice of indigenous women on maternal healthcare in Veracruz, Mexico, this research was carried out between December 2022 and February 2023 in a health organization which is implementing an intercultural maternal care system. The study subjects were made up of pregnant indigenous women and health providers who shared their perspective and experience on the topic through a process of individual interviews and surveys. As a result, this research opens space for Non-Western standpoints: indigenous voices, focused on the well-being and dialogue to draw on the strengths of different cultures.

Background and Research Purpose: Women working in male-dominated environments face experiences that are unique. In Sweden the number of women working in the IT field grows, and so should the representation of female managers and female seniors. But does it? The extensive underrepresentation of females in IT continues to add to the inequality between genders and the marginalization of female managers and seniors in Swedish society. For many individuals, being successful and developing in their careers is a common goal (Fagenson, 1989) and one method in particular is through mentorship (Kram, 1983).  Studies of protégés' experiences for career advancement especially in the field of mentoring in IT in Swedish organizations are limited, especially observing it from the female perspective. Women face gender-related interpersonal and organizational barriers which prevent them from attaining mentors as well as opportunities for learning. The aim of this study was to investigate women's careers, mentoring, and the barriers to their career progression from the mentee's perspective. Research Question: How are females working in the IT industry using mentorship as a tool for their career advancement? We used two supplementary research questions to assist in identifying additional information, thereby we wanted to further explore the interdependence between female and male mentors, and junior and senior mentors.   Method: The following study is of exploratory nature, thus, we used the qualitative research design to  collect data through semi-structured interviews. 15  participants helped us explore the experiences of female employees in the IT environment and contributed to a better understanding of a mentor's involvement, their proactive responses, and strategies that aided their mentee's careers. These interviews were performed with employees from 10 different Swedish IT companies.   Conclusion: We developed a model called the mentor relationship matrix, as we found mentoring traits that can be linked to male and female mentors as well as to seniority and juniority. We additionally discovered that mentorship can have a dark side. Our analysis shows that mentors can enable career advancement, though strategies which differ depending on the mentoring liaison and the mentor's personality. In conclusion, we discovered that despite gender, the personality of the mentor is most important for a successful mentoring relationship. Practical Implications: Emerging from our findings, women pursuing careers in IT can utilize our matrix to categorize their mentors and adapt to their surroundings. We want to encourage mentees to become lifelong learners, master speaking up and making their voices heard as well as cultivate a support system in the workplace.

This research utilizes an Afrocentric, mixed method content analysis to examine the depiction of gender ideology and Black relationships in 21st century Black female lead television dramas. In doing so, this research will determine the prevalence of what this author theorizes as feminist propaganda. All institutions, including media, reflect the cultural orientation of the dominant culture, which in the United States is European. This important factor, coupled with various propaganda techniques, defines how the popularity of feminism has increased exponentially on television, specifically in televised dramas starring Black women. Feminism, at its root, is ideologically antithetical to African culture due to its Euro-western cultural underpinnings, anti-Blackness, and imperialistic behavior. With this understanding, the utilization of the discipline of Africology will emphasize and highlight the significance of culture in defining the nature of gender ideology on television. The author will provide an Afrocentric analysis of these cultural distinctions, questioning whether it is in the best interests of Black women, and humanity in general, to maintain white supremacist beliefs and values under the auspices of feminist propaganda. Utilizing Marquita Gammage’s Africana Womanist methodology, as constructed from Clenora Hudson-Weems’s theory of Africana Womanism, and functionalizing Valethia Watkins’ theory of compulsory feminism, this research interrogates the Eurocentric ideology perpetuated in Black female-lead television shows from an africological perspective. Research questions that will be explored in this study are: a) what is feminist propaganda and is it observable in Black female lead television shows? b) Are the relationships between Black women and men in Black female lead television shows overwhelmingly negative based on Afrocentric values and beliefs? and c) Are the platonic relationships of Black female leads in Black female lead television shows primarily non-African? While recent day Hollywood initiatives have claimed to push diverse representation in media, the increased portrayal of feminism on television still reflects the monopoly feminism has over preferred Western gender ideology. This research opens a dialogue for more culturally centered representations of gender ideology and interrogations of the portrayal of Black relationships in media. / African American Studies

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Magister Commercii - MCom / Poverty remains one of the main socio-economic issues in South Africa and is more prevalent amongst black African females, children aged below 18 years, and rural residents with low levels of education. Many local studies focused on money-metric measures in determining poverty levels but few studies examined factors other than income that are also important to multidimensional non-income welfare. Therefore, this study re-examined the extent of multidimensional poverty in South Africa with the derivation of a Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) by considering certain dimensions and indicators that have been ignored in previous studies, such as isolation, vulnerability, voicelessness and powerlessness.

This thesis tests various hypotheses from a variety of research traditions that predict the likelihood for potential sex differences in "talking": a newly-emergent phase of romantic courtship. Data for this study was derived from a purposive sample of 566 students enrolled during the Fall 2011 semester generated using a self-administered survey available on the East Tennessee State University SONA system. Statistical analyses using chi-square, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and binary logistic regression reveal statistically significant differences for males and females on beliefs about sexual exclusivity and sexual activity during the "talking" phase. Significant behavioral differences exist in whether "talking" is viewed instrumentally as a means for information gathering. However, contrary to expectation, males and females did not reveal significant differences in how they defined "talking." It is suggested that future research further expand the types of variables included, and further efforts be made to combine quantitative and qualitative data sources.

This research study examined the prevalence rates and longitudinal course of eating disorder risk among undergraduate females at BYU, and compared the identified prevalence rates at BYU with identified rates at other colleges and universities. Almost 2,000 undergraduate females, in three cohort groups, filled out the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) once a semester for four to eight semesters. Clinical cut-off scores were used to determine what percentage of participants were at high risk for eating disordered behaviors and symptomology. Overall eating disorder risk prevalence rates at BYU ranged from 9-11%. These rates were significantly lower than identified rates at other colleges and universities. The results also showed notable decreases in the percentages of women who fell in the at-risk range as participants progressed through their college years. Freshmen women had the highest risk for disordered eating behaviors.

This research project examined the longitudinal course of body dissatisfaction among undergraduate females at Brigham Young University (BYU) using the Body Satisfaction Questionnaire (BSQ).The research also examined what percentage of undergraduate females have BSQ ratings in the clinically significant range and whether body dissatisfaction ratings varied based on the environment in which the student lived. Results indicate that no significant change in body dissatisfaction occurred over time, nor did living environment appear to play a role in BSQ scores. Results also showed that at any given time over 34% of women on BYU campus have BSQ scores in the clinically significant range.

South Africa has the highest global burden of HIV/AIDS with over 7.9 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Women and girls bear a disproportionate burden of the disease, which is potentially driven by low levels of correct HIV knowledge and high levels of gender-based violence. Our study aimed to determine the factors that influence uptake of HIV testing among reproductive aged women between 15-49 years in South Africa. Data from the 2016 (N=8514) iteration of the Demographic and Health Survey was utilized. Our outcome variable was HIV testing (yes/no) and our predictor variables were age at first sex, highest educational level, marital status, and recent condom use. We conducted descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis and T-test for our categorical and continuous variables (age at first sex), respectively. We further conducted multiple logistic regression to determine predictors of HIV testing. Frequencies, mean age at first sex, p-values, odds ratios, and 95% confidence intervals with alpha set to 0.05 were reported. Of 6489 women included in the final analysis, 5915 (91.15%) of women had ever been tested for HIV, 4964 (76.50%) and 746 (11.50%) had secondary and higher education as their highest educational level The mean age at first sex for women who had ever tested for HIV was 17.55 + 2732.7 years compared to 17.17 + 3119.7 years for women who had never tested for HIV (P<0.0001). The majority of respondents were never married (N=3415,52.63%) and 1746 women (26.91%) were married. Women who used condom during the last sex were 2883 (44.43%) compared to 3606 (55.57%) women who did not. The relationship between marital status and HIV testing (P=0.0009) and condom use and HIV testing (P=0.0471) were all statistically significant. After adjusting for confounders, we found that women with primary education had a 44.4% decrease in the odds of HIV testing and women with no education had a 61% decrease, compared to women to women who had secondary education (OR = 0.556, CI= 0.429-0.719, P<0.0001), (OR = 0.394, CI= 0.251-0.620, p<0.0001)., Women who had higher education had a 46% increase in the odds of HIV testing compared to women who had secondary education (OR = 1.460, CI= 1.049-2.033, P=0.0249). Being married and living with partner were associated with a 59.6% and 90% increase in the odds of having been tested HIV (OR = 1.596, CI= 1.276-1.996, P<0.0001) and (OR = 1.907, CI= 1.441-2.524, P<0.0001) compared to women who had never been married. No longer living together/separated was associated with a 4.5 times higher odds of HIV testing (OR = 4.491, CI= 1.826-11.045, P=0.0011) among women compared to never been married. Age at first sex was not significantly associated with HIV testing in the final model (OR = 1.028, CI= 0.995-1.062, P= 0.1020). Our study suggests the need to increase basic education up to secondary level and beyond among women in South Africa to increase uptake of HIV testing and reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS.