MGS / Instittute of Gender and Youth Studies / In spite of the golden age of women which was ushered in by the Berlin Conference of 1995, women continue to be disadvantaged when it comes to public participation, both in the public and private sectors of the society. On a global scale even when they are well-qualified and in spite of the mainstreaming of more women into public life, women remain discriminated against in terms of accessing leadership positions. Despite their positive contribution, women continue to be significantly underrepresented in leadership positions. The aim of this study was to explore on the experiences and challenges of junior female managers at Tshilidzini Hospital in Vhembe District in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Qualitative method was used because it enabled the researcher to gain in-depth information about the challenges and experiences of junior female managers at Tshilidzini Hospital. This study is exploratory in nature. The population of this study consisted of junior female managers. Non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to select the research participants for this study. Ethical principles were considered, to ensure maximum protection of the research participants in this study. Face to face interviews were used to solicit information on the experiences and challenges of junior female managers at Tshilidzini Hospital. Thematic data analysis method was used in this study. The study found that gender discrimination is still widespread in South Africa, despite of the availability of many gender equality policies. The study recommends that policy makers, various government departments and law enforcement agencies makers should strengthen the gender machinery, to ensure that women are not denied an opportunity to take up leadership positions. / NRF

A lo largo de las últimas décadas se ha escrito mucho acerca de los estilos de liderazgo que tienen tanto hombres como mujeres y el cómo estos van adquiriendo distintos matices con el pasar de los años y las nuevas generaciones. En este documento se realizará una breve descripción de los conceptos relacionados a los roles de género y liderazgo, así como los estereotipos vinculados a ellos. Además se abordará acerca de la brecha de género que se presenta en el liderazgo organizacional y las iniciativas o medidas que se están adoptando en los últimos años para contrarrestar aquellas desigualdades. Asimismo, en el presente trabajo se conocerán de manera sintetizada las posiciones que sostienen que el estilo de liderazgo está influenciado por el género, como aquellas que afirman que son variables independientes. No hay acuerdo respecto a que exista un estilo definido de liderazgo según el género de procedencia. Incluso, de acuerdo a investigaciones de los últimos años ha surgido una manera de liderar que adopta rasgos estereotipados de ambos géneros: el liderazgo andrógino. Sin embargo, la influencia del género en el estilo de liderazgo podría estar dada por los estereotipos de género, que aún persisten, los cuales regularían la conducta y el estilo de gestión de los líderes. / Over the last few decades much has been written about the leadership styles of both men and women and how they acquire different nuances over the years and with the passing of new generations. This document will briefly describe the concepts related to gender and leadership roles, as well as the stereotypes associated with them. It will also address the gender gap in organizational leadership and the initiatives or measures that have been taken in recent years to counter those inequalities. Likewise, in this paper we will synthesize the positions that maintain that leadership style is influenced by gender, as well as those that affirm that they are independent variables. There is no agreement that there is a defined style of leadership according to the gender of origin. In fact, according to research in recent years, a way of leading has emerged that adopts stereotypical features of both genders: androgynous leadership. However, the influence of gender on leadership style could be given by gender stereotypes, which still persist, which would regulate the behaviour and management style of leaders. / Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesional

This thesis describes relatively new method of assisted reproduction. Uterus transplantation is viewed from feminist perspective, and its potential benefits and risks in wider ethical and social contexts on theoretical level are being considered. It reveals how womanhood and motherhood are constructed in different discourses in context of uterine transplantation through critical reading and thinking. By using of critical discourse analysis I focus on texts produced on this subject in the popular and professional discourse and reveal what kind of gender stereotypes and constructs they are using to support their arguments. These areas of our everyday lives have great power in society and influence the way we perceive and construct reality and thus participate in its creation. Key words: Uterus transplantation, infertility, motherhood, reproductive technology, gender roles

The diploma thesis deals with the gender-differentiated attitude to which children are exposed from birth. The aim of ethnographic research, which was carried out in the kindergarten environment, was to find out how parents and teachers socialize pre-school children. Another aim was to find out whether gender stereotypes were reproduced in a kindergarten. For this purpose, I conducted an observation in the kindergarten class, which I then supplemented with interviews the parents of the children and also with the teachers of the kindergarten. An experiment was also part of the research. The thesis consists of two parts - theoretical and empirical. The theoretical part introduces the basic concepts and arguments related to the research question. The empirical part of the work is devoted to methodological procedures, further it consists of analysis of interviews with parents, teachers, but also analyzes of the observation in kindergarten and experiment with children of preschool age.

Margaret Mitchell’s one and only novel, Gone with the Wind, was an instant hit when it waspublished in 1936. The novel is a romantic tragedy that takes place in a very traditional society inthe state of Georgia in the United States before, during, and after the Civil War. Keeping the oldtraditions is one of the priorities for the Southerners, particularly the ones that have to do withgender roles. However, the war brings changes of which most prominent families highlydisapprove. A few seize the opportunities during Reconstruction, while most of them remain inpoverty in order to keep the old traditions. My essay will focus on the four main characters in thenovel, Scarlett O’Hara, Rhett Butler, Ashley Wilkes, and Melanie Hamilton. Rhett represents theNew South and is attracted to Scarlett who is a mixture of the old and the new. She is madly in lovewith Ashley, who represents the Old South. Ashley is attracted to Scarlett but choses to marryMelanie, who is more like him. The purpose of this essay is to look at gender roles and social norms in the novel, notjust in relation to individuals but also how society as a whole treats those who refuse to follow theunwritten rules. How does this affect the lives and relationships of the four main characters? Whatsocial norms define the society these characters live in, and what are their individual attitudes tothese norms? Southern society is secure as long as the established social norms are not challenged,and these include traditional gender roles. The characters in Gone with the Wind are heavilyinfluenced by gender roles and social norms, and some to such an extent that their conduct andreputations can matter more than the actual person. It is possible to rebel against the system only ifone has the self-sufficiency and financial means to do so, as is the case with Scarlett and Rhett.They break away from the traditional gender norms, but their freedom has serious consequences.Ashley Wilkes, on the other hand, has the financial means to succeed but he is so affected by hisrole as a perfect Southern gentleman that he dares not apply new ideas in his life in order to survivefinancially, and this makes him feel unfulfilled. His wife Melanie Hamilton fulfills her role as agreat lady, which means she is socially and financially dependent on her husband. In analyzing theconstraints and consequences of gender roles, I will make use of feminist theory, with particularfocus on Simone de Beauvoir’s concept of the Other and her definition of narcissism, and Hilary M.Lips’ explanation of social-cultural theories and prescriptive gender stereotypes. In Gone with theWind, traditional gender roles, like the old South, are imaginative, unattainable and ultimatelydestructive. The most conventional characters cannot fully attain or embody the gender roles, whilethe most non-conformist characters nevertheless long for them, and everyone suffers for it.

This essay explores how the novel The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell depicts and criticises behaviours derived from deeply rooted patriarchal ideologies, traditional gender roles and sexist oppression. It aims to determine whether the novel encourages feminist values by examining the three main characters, Kitty, Esme and Iris, and how they relate to each other as well as to patriarchal structures and sexist oppression. Using feminist theory, the essay discusses what behaviours depicted in the novel are harmful towards or among women and what behaviours should be, and are, encouraged to strengthen sisterhood. It also discusses how the novel demonstrates how destructive patriarchy has been towards women through history and how acknowledging sexist and patriarchal structures can improve understanding of and solidarity between women. Essential findings include how Kitty assists in the oppression of her own sister in favour of patriarchy, and that the granddaughter Iris represents a liberated woman exhibiting positive solidary acts that reinforce feminist values. The essay concludes that O’Farrell’s The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox is a feminist novel that depicts what is at cause when women harm other women and provides hope to its readers that change is in process.

This dissertation is a study of Palestinian women’s roles following the First Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, which began in 1987. This study considers whether Palestinian women found greater participation in their social life outside of the home during the challenges of the Intifada. In Palestinian society, traditional family roles and the various interpretations of Islamic teachings about to the family have severely restricted the role of women in society, and these limitations have served to increase the desire of these women for greater participation outside of the home. This dissertation will focus on how religious forces, in addition to education and political participation, have influenced the roles available to Palestinian women. In addition, it will focus on whether family roles changed during the First Intifada and whether any of these changes has a lasting impact. An examination of the history and social back ground of Palestinian society, Muslim, and Arabic culture will help demonstrate the impact of religion, education, and political participation, on Palestinian women roles after the First Intifada, during the years 1987-1992. The study was conducted by a team from Brigham Young University (BYU) during 1994-1995. The BYU team included professors Bruce Chadwick, Brain Barber, Tim Heaton, Camille Fronk, and Ray Huntington. The intent of study was to understand the family life of Palestinians. The study focused on marriage, family size, gender roles, education of women, marriage between relatives, and location of residence after marriage. Questionnaires were obtained from approximately 7,000 ninth grade students and from both their parents. The youth and parent questionnaires were developed by the team and then translated into Arabic by Palestinian translators. The Arabic questions were reviewed by several Palestinians who recommended some minor corrections. Before distributing the survey, BYU team pre-tested the questionnaires with a sample of youth and adults living in East Jerusalem. Questionnaires were printed by a Palestinian business in the West Bank. The survey team then distributed the surveys in 64 secondary schools in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, which were operated by the United Nation Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The research team was pleasantly surprised by the number of parents who returned the questionnaires. Completed surveys were returned by 92 to 97 percent of students (n=6, 923), by 85 to 94 percent of the fathers (n= 6, 253), and by 84 to 90 percent of their mothers (n=6,024). A ball-point pen was given to each student and a calculator to each head teacher as gifts for their cooperation in distributing, completing, and collecting the questionnaires. To express appreciation to the schools who participated, the research team presented a report of the data school officials. A structural equation model was used to predict the effects of education, religion, and political participation on family roles. Figure 2 shows the predicted model with B- coefficients. The previous results suggest little change is family roles in Palestine. Thus, given this lack of change in family roles, the model had little to predict and it is not surprising that only 2% of the variance was explained (CFI= .874, χ2 = 80.5, and df=6). Overall, the final model suggests that education, religion, and political participation had a limited impact on women seeking changes in family roles. As expected, higher levels of religiosity defined by stronger commitment to Islam were significantly associated with lower likelihood of women seeking change in family roles (β-coefficient= -.059, p-value= .009). On the other hand, increases in women’s level of education (β-coefficient= .114, p-value <.001) and higher levels of political participation defined by participation and involvement in the Intifada (β-coefficient=.065, p-value < .001) were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of women seeking change in the family roles. It is also unsurprising that education was the strongest predictive factor. Research indicates that as education increases, women seek change in their familial roles. On the other hand, it is surprising to find only a weak relationship between women’s involvement in the Intifada and a desire for change in family roles.

The intersection of gender and early-career stage on the mental health of physicians is emerging and evident. This qualitative, interview-based study explores the perspectives of early-career female physicians regarding their mental health in the context of their work, their experiences with taking a leave of absence from work, and promising practices and supports that can support early-career female physicians in the workplace with regards to mental health and leaves of absence. Nine interviews with female physicians in the first ten years of practice in Ontario were conducted and analyzed thematically. A conceptual framework borrowed from the Healthy Professional Worker (HPW) Partnership was employed and revised based on the findings. The findings suggest that increased awareness of the challenges faced by early-career female physicians may contribute to the destigmatization of mental health and leaves of absence and foster supports at work. Policy makers and regulatory bodies should consider developing equitable leave of absence policies for physicians and reframing how seeking mental health care is viewed to contribute to positive culture change.

Title: All angels of love – A study about the representation of love in Swedish film between the period 1932-2011  Subject: Sociology Author: Penny Salomonsson The purpose of this study is to form an understanding regarding what love is in Swedish love movies from 1932 to 2011. Previous studies have shown that love has gone from being a couple thing to be about the individual. Previous studies also showing that love and intimacy are close relatives. This means that a relationship who consist of both love and intimacy is in most cases a relationship that contains reciprocity and is a relationship where both parties consider it to be love relation. Last but not least, film is a strong carrier of values and norms and is therefore a natural arena for staging popular perceptions. To study love in movies is therefore of great relevance because it can show what love has been and what it is and that can say something about our Swedish society.  This study is based on a qualitative research method. The methods are narrative analysis and semiotic analysis. Narrative analysis study how specific events, messages and how things are told effect a history. A semiotic analysis is about studying signs and sign theory. Fifteen Swedish love movies were included in the study, some belong to the genre of drama and others comedy. Those genres where chosen because they are the genres that represent love the most. The theoretical perspective that the collected data is analysed through is Anthony Giddens theories about passionate love, romantic love and the pure relationship and concepts like genus, the male gaze and heteronormativity are also used.  The result of this study shows that during the chosen time romantic love and passionate love are in some sense always present. In summary the portrayal of love over time in Swedish love movies has not changed drastically. All selected movies from different decades contain similar emotions. It includes the experience of finding your other half, your soulmate, a love that challenges your everyday life and a love that consist of equal emotional exchange.

Stereotyping of male and female roles is currently the subject of many discussions in various spheres of society. Stereotypes are widely used in the advertising industry, where they aim to make it easier for potential customers to identify with the product and support the company's image. Choosing the right gender for a particular advertisement depends on the nature of the product as well as on the target group. Some product groups are more gender- differentiated than others. An exemplary group are household cleaning products. Related advertisements traditionally show female characters more often than male characters. However, the time when cleaning products were promoted exclusively by women is over and nowadays, men appear in these kinds of advertisements too. The growing number of characters who are portrayed in non-stereotyped gender roles in television commercials began to be discussed more prominently as early as the end of the 20th century. From a sociological point of view, the gender role is a set of socially defined behavioral norms, reflecting what society usually expects from a man or a woman. For this reason, the portrayal of characters in inverse gender positions that is a step in the right direction in the pursuit of greater gender equality in society. The aim of this work is to find out...