This thesis, which includes a dual case study, explores the clinical use of art therapy with women with eating issues from a feminist perspective. It provides a critique of the existing art therapy literature, and suggests alternative approaches which may be incorporated into an art therapy intervention, to increase its relevance to this client group. It demonstrates the need for flexibility and creativity on the part of the art therapist, particularly with regard to the provision of structure and containment. It offers an example of qualitative research methods which were easily incorporated into clinical practice, as a means to introducing clients’ voices into art therapy narratives as well as evaluating practice. These research methods are suggested for future art therapy research projects. This study found that a short term feminist informed art therapy intervention was able to meet its goals of increasing clients’ self awareness and insight into their eating issues. The use of art therapy was found to be one of the strategies which contributed to the success of this intervention. Other important aspects included: the adoption of a feminist model; the use of journalling; a flexible approach; a concern with what lay beneath the eating issue; and a focus on self-care and nurture. / Master of Arts (Hons) (Art Therapy)

D.Litt. et Phil. / The negative psychological effect of rape on survivors has been extensively researched, with most studies emphasising rape-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Interventions described in the current literature mainly aim at measuring and reducing symptoms, and restoring functioning in rape survivors. Group art therapy has been used with adult and adolescent survivors of incest with encouraging results, but little research has been published regarding its use with rape survivors. My intention in the current study is to examine the utility of a group art therapy intervention with adult female rape survivors in a South African context. I selected a postmodern feminist theoretical basis for the study, and examined the societal discourses that promote women’s disadvantaged status and high levels of rape in South Africa. I used qualitative methods to analyse the art works, journals and transcripts produced by three participants during seven weekly group art therapy sessions. I used postmodern feminist research methods, such as participant observation, reflexivity, and concepts such as situatedness, bodiliness, relatedness and plurality of explanations to assess the women’s lived experience of rape, their recovery from it, and the intervention itself. The current study proposes that analysing the data reveals metaphors, symbols and meanings that represent the lived experience of the women participants in the group art therapy intervention. I used a grounded theory approach to data analysis, as well as methods from content analysis, visual anthropology, iconography, social semiotics and visual cultural studies in order to assist with triangulation of the visual and verbal data. The data was voluminous and rich, and fourteen strands of meaning emerged from the data, consisting of vivid metaphors, visual and verbal symbolic language, and insights into the challenges and victories of each of the participants. I gathered these strands under two overarching themes: one of themes related to the rape, and the other related to the group art therapy experience. I conclude that group art therapy was useful to the participants, and that the data analysis gave considerable insight into the individual nature of recovery from rape, such as coping mechanisms, influence of personality on recovery, the dialectical nature of recovery and the difficulty of recovering from a trauma that affects every area of functioning. The current study provides a structured format for clinicians interested in group art therapy, and I have provided suggestions for those who wish to replicate the intervention. My findings propose that the intervention was a powerful therapeutic tool for the participants, and that it provides a structured short-term group outline for use with the vast numbers of rape survivors in South Africa.

A critical analysis of the power issues for women in Protestant fundamentalism, using a feminist Foucauldian framework and Schoenherr's (1987) model of religious power. Protestant fundamentalism is a patriarchal, hierarchical system which can be oppressive, controlling women and their sexuality through the following strategies: (1) specific God-concepts and religious ideology; (2) tight, rigid group boundaries; (3) rules of the dominant discourse, and (4) technologies of discipline; all of which are also internalized by women, resulting in a highly effective means of control. Implications for social work practice include ethical issues and suggestions for intervention approaches, such as support groups, social networks, crisis counselling, use of the Internet and prevention, as well as possibilities for transforming a client's oppressive religious experience to one that is emancipatory. Suggestions for social work education and research are included.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Duquesne University, 2004. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Mar. 31, 2005). Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 223-239) and abstract.

This thesis describes a study designed to explore the emerging field of feminist therapy. The goal was not to test the validity of feminist therapy, to probe the assumptions on which it is based, or to compare it to other forms of therapy but to characterize the theory and practice of feminist therapy as it now exists. Feminist therapy was seen as growing out of the cultural and historical context of the feminist movement, which includes a critique of society with emphasis on the particular psychological consequences for women, and a critique of psychotherapy, particularly Freudian psychotherapy, as oppressive to women and adhering to a double standard of mental health. The field of mental health responded to these criticisms, and feminism simultaneously began a search for alternatives to therapy, Out of both developed feminist therapy. The literature, both in the field and in the alternative press, was reviewed to present a picture of the development of feminist therapy and to highlight issues to pursue in the research itself. Following this review, a study was undertaken of feminist therapists in three metropolitan areas on the West Coast--Portland, Seattle, and the Bay Area--utilizing a qualitative methodology to gather descriptive data and potential patterns for analysis. A natural network approach was utilized to generate the population, following much the same process a woman would go through in locating a feminist therapist. Potential feminist therapists were surveyed via a questionnaire. Self-identification as a feminist therapist was the primary criteria for inclusion in the sample frame. A random sample of 20 percent of the sample frame (20 feminist therapists) was interviewed, and the results transcribed and thematically analyzed to answer five questions: 1) Who are the feminist therapists? 2) How do feminist therapists define feminism? 3) What is feminist therapy? 4) How does feminist therapy perceive and incorporate therapeutic issues? 5) How does feminist therapy perceive and incorporate feminist issues?

No description available.

Despite the rationalism implicit in contemporary thinking, in many parts of the world like South Africa, belief in witchcraft exists and is a core belief, influencing the world-view of many people. In these contexts, witchcraft is believed to be responsible for every social experience including, illnesses, sickness and death. The witch-figure, imbued with jealousy, is believed to derive power to harm others with witchcraft through supernatural capacity and an association with the Devil. Witchcraft, it seems represents a theory of misfortune guiding the interactions between people and provides explanations, steeped in the supernatural, for almost every misfortune. Extending on the commonly held notion of violence against women, this doctoral study reflects witchcraft accusations and its violent consequences as an under-represented facet thereof. This follows the fact that historic and contemporary accounts of witchcraft position women as primary suspects and victims. Accused of witchcraft, many women face torture and ultimately death, even today. In this study it is argued that witchcraft accusations result from within a social context, supporting gendered relations that are powered. To this end, I apply a feminist psychological approach as a theoretical lens, allowing us to see witchcraft accusations as one strategy among those supporting male domination. In the first chapter, I outline the feminist psychological approach as an appropriate lens to view witchcraft-related violence. The understanding of witchcraft accusations gained through the application of feminist psychological theory is then applied in the second chapter, focusing on news reports. A focus on the newspaper representations of witchcraft violence is vital, given the media’s influential role in the lives of many. Attention is then focused on understanding of witchcraft held by community members, usually responsible for the violent attacks on those accused. The final chapter locates the witchcraft experience with women so accused. The purposeful repetition of theoretical points made in each chapter was essential. The repetition enabled me to apply the theoretical lens appropriately for each paper and to elaborate on the fundamental premise the PhD argues towards. The reader’s attention is drawn towards awareness of this purposeful repetition of the theoretical lens. It is imperative as together and separately, the chapters in this PhD, function to accentuate on an expression of gendered violence, steeped in a tradition supporting male domination. / Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil.

Thesis (M.S.W.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-146). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Despite the rationalism implicit in contemporary thinking, in many parts of the world like South Africa, belief in witchcraft exists and is a core belief, influencing the world-view of many people. In these contexts, witchcraft is believed to be responsible for every social experience including, illnesses, sickness and death. The witch-figure, imbued with jealousy, is believed to derive power to harm others with witchcraft through supernatural capacity and an association with the Devil. Witchcraft, it seems represents a theory of misfortune guiding the interactions between people and provides explanations, steeped in the supernatural, for almost every misfortune. Extending on the commonly held notion of violence against women, this doctoral study reflects witchcraft accusations and its violent consequences as an under-represented facet thereof. This follows the fact that historic and contemporary accounts of witchcraft position women as primary suspects and victims. Accused of witchcraft, many women face torture and ultimately death, even today. In this study it is argued that witchcraft accusations result from within a social context, supporting gendered relations that are powered. To this end, I apply a feminist psychological approach as a theoretical lens, allowing us to see witchcraft accusations as one strategy among those supporting male domination. In the first chapter, I outline the feminist psychological approach as an appropriate lens to view witchcraft-related violence. The understanding of witchcraft accusations gained through the application of feminist psychological theory is then applied in the second chapter, focusing on news reports. A focus on the newspaper representations of witchcraft violence is vital, given the media’s influential role in the lives of many. Attention is then focused on understanding of witchcraft held by community members, usually responsible for the violent attacks on those accused. The final chapter locates the witchcraft experience with women so accused. The purposeful repetition of theoretical points made in each chapter was essential. The repetition enabled me to apply the theoretical lens appropriately for each paper and to elaborate on the fundamental premise the PhD argues towards. The reader’s attention is drawn towards awareness of this purposeful repetition of the theoretical lens. It is imperative as together and separately, the chapters in this PhD, function to accentuate on an expression of gendered violence, steeped in a tradition supporting male domination. / Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

This study is concerned with the nature of suffering as experienced by women struggling with problems related to the body. Since the body is viewed to be integral in the formation of a woman's identity and self-concept, any illness, ailment or deficiency associated with it may lead the woman to experience pain and suffering. To explore meanings of personal suffering related to the body three contexts have been chosen. These are familial breast cancer, eating disorders and infertility. Common themes of suffering that were co-constructed in the interviews between six women participants and myself form the basis of this study. These themes emerged through the process of social constructionism and dialogue. Through the process of language, personal realities and meanings were discussed and shared to elicit a greater understanding of the nature of suffering. A qualitative approach, using the case study method, was also adopted to provide rich descriptions of the different experiences with suffering. The case study presentations illustrate the linguistic domain between the participants and myself. It is hoped that the information presented in this study will contribute to a therapeutic understanding of personal suffering as experienced by women. / Psychology / D. Litt et Phil.