Why, despite evidence to the contrary, does the narrative of the negative consequences of teenage pregnancy, abortion and childbearing persist? This book outlines a critical view of "teenage pregnancy" and abortion, arguing that the negativity surrounding early reproduction is underpinned by a particular understanding of adolescence. The book traces the invention of "adolescence" and the imaginary wall that the notion of "adolescence" constructs between young people and adults. It examines the entrenched status of "adolescence" within a colonialist discourse that equates development of the individual with the development of civilisation, and the consequent threat of degeneration that is implied in the very notion of "adolescence". Many important issues are explored, such as the ideologies and contradictions contained within the notion of "adolescence"; the invention of teenage pregnancy as a social problem; the construction of abortion as the new social problem; issues of race, culture and tradition in relation to teenage pregnancy; and health service provider practices, specifically in relation to managing risk. In the final chapter, an argument is made for a shift from the signifier "teenage pregnancy" to "unwanted pregnancy". Using data gathered from studies from four continents, this book highlights central issues in the global debate concerning teenage pregnancy. It is suitable for academics, postgraduate and undergraduate students of health psychology, women’s studies, nursing and sociology, as well as practitioners in the fields of youth and social work, medicine and counselling.

La identidad de orientación sexual hace referencia a las formas tanto privadas como públicas de la auto-identificación a nivel de orientación sexual y es considerada como elemento multidimensional y central en la identidad de las personas. En este sentido, influye directamente en la toma de decisiones tanto en el ámbito personal como interpersonal. Sin embargo en el Perú no existe ninguna escala que evalué este constructo en personas lesbianas, gays y bisexuales (LGB). Por lo tanto la presente investigación tuvo como objetivo adaptar y estimar las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Identidad de Orientación Sexual (LGBIS) propuesta por Mohr y Kendra (2011) en una muestra de 378 personas LGB peruanas. En primer lugar se llevó a cabo la adaptación lingüística de la escala. Posteriormente, por medio del criterio de 6 jueces se hallaron evidencias de validez vinculadas al contenido. Además en relación a las evidencias de validez vinculadas a la estructura interna, se encontró un modelo multidimensional de dos factores o dimensiones diferentes a la propuesta de los autores. Las dos dimensiones encontradas fueron: Incertidumbre y preocupación por la aceptación (a ordinal = .88, EEM= 3.29) e integración de la identidad (a ordinal = .91, EEM= 1.86).En función a la nueva estructura hallada, se propuso La escala de Dimensiones de Identidad de Orientación Sexual (EDOS-LGB). Finalmente, a partir de estos resultados se puede concluir que las interpretaciones de las puntuaciones obtenidas mediante la adaptación de la EDOS-LGB presentan evidencias de validez y confiabilidad en personas lesbianas, gays y bisexuales del Perú. / Sexual orientation identity involves private and public ways of self-identification therefore it is considered as a key multidimensional element in the identity of people. Moreover, it has direct influence in making decisions in the personal and interpersonal sphere. Nevertheless, in Peru there is no scale that evaluates this construct in lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people. Therefore, this research aimed to adapt and assess the psychometric properties of the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Identity Scale (LGBIS) proposed by Mohr and Kendra (2011) on a sample of 378 LGB Peruvian people. First of all, a linguistic adaptation of the scale was done. Later, appropriate validity evidence based on test content was assessed by 6 experts in the topic. Validity evidence based on internal structure was estimated by an exploratory factor analysis which showed a multidimensional solution of two factors. Consequently, this structure differed from the original version. The two dimensions were identified as: uncertainty and acceptance concerns (ordinal a = .88, EEM = 3.29) and identity integration (ordinal a = .91 EEM = 1.86), According to these results, a new scale was proposed: “The Lesbian, gay and bisexual dimensions of Sexual Orientation Identity Scale” (EDOS-LGB). In conclusion, results showed that interpretations based on the scores obtained by adapting the EDOSLGB presents validity and reliability evidence in lesbian, gay and bisexual people from Perú. / Tesis

M.A . / The nude is generally approached as a historical and cultural product of specific societies, while a generic conception of the nude as a genre of gendered art (Gill Saunders, 1989), rather than as form (Kenneth Clark, 1956) is more vaguely perceived in underlying assumptions in texts on the nude, and the works themselves. The tradition of the nude is extremely varied, and complex. My purpose is not to unify or simplify this tradition. Any nude is never one thing alone, but is subject to interpretation. The nude, largely through recent feminist interpretations, has come to fulfil the role of trustee for alterity (Lynda Nead, 1992). By considering the main typologies in which the nude has been studied and interpreted, I hope to show the importance and significance of gender in art, aesthetics, and finally, philosophy. The significance of this thesis is to confront the antagonism between traditional and contemporary feminist issues and that of the standard patriarchal tradition. In this regard the nude is an interesting and rewarding genre of the expression of gender, as it deals with the delicate concerns of this category. The central problematic of the research is the question of gender. On an epistemological level, feminism 'introduces' the category of gender, which subverts and challenges all previous conceptions of the human subject. While I wish to bear in mind the history of oppression through the neglect and negation of the category of gender, I also recognise the vital importance of moving beyond this structure by proposing the celebration of plurality through more life-affirming readings of nudity in art. Although femeneutics may sound idiosyncratic, I propose to use the term as shorthand for feminist studies combined with a hermeneutic approach.

A discussion on visibility of lesbian women creates an opportunity to understand what it means to Zimbabwean lesbian identifying women to be 'lesbian' and how that identity is visibilised or invisibilised depending on resulting benefit or possible detriment. The study investigates the experiences of lesbian women in Zimbabwe which have been subsumed in a 'homosexual' visibility discourse. Placing the focus of lesbian identity on the visibility locus helps foreground the possibilities and paradoxes of how visibility of an identity impacts personal experience. The intention of this study is to make lesbian identity more visible, bringing it out of the shadows where it has been concealed by a homosexuality discourse that revolves largely around gay men. The study also seeks to understand when visibility matters, for what purpose and when it may be problematic. My approach does not assume that there are ahistorical, transcultural truths about lesbian identity. Instead my question tracks the production of a lesbian identity in Zimbabwe, how it operates and how best its prevailing operation can be described. How is lesbian identity in/visibilised? What is the social and political consequence of in/visibility on the experiences of lesbian identifying women in Zimbabwe? Does a human rights framework positively impact visibility? / tm2017 / Centre for Human Rights / MPhil / Unrestricted

Class is one of the most frequently invoked analytic categories used in the study of British history. Yet, as recognized by scholar Eileen Boris, "class as a category of analysis is pervasive, but taken for granted instead of problematized in the field as a whole." This is perhaps especially true in the way that class intersects with questions of gender. Works such as Leonore Davidoff and Catherine Hall's, Family Fortunes: Men and Women of the English Middle Class 1780-1850 and Anna Clark's The Struggle for the Breeches: Gender and the Making of the British Working Class have illustrated how English women experienced class differently from their male counterparts in both the Middle and Working classes within this period. However, there is no equivalent body of study which seeks to explore the disparity in privilege and agency amongst upper-class women. While elite men were ensured certain standards of agency and privilege, defended by legal systems and patriarchal societal expectations; women within the upper-classes enjoyed no such guarantees or protections. The 'Learned Lady' paradigm is a strategy designed to better recognize the way one kind of upper-class woman subverted gendered norms of behavior to exercise agency and privilege, without sacrificing her social respectability. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. / Spring Semester 2018. / April 18, 2018. / Agency, Class, Economic Independence, England, Gender, History / Includes bibliographical references. / Charles Upchurch, Professor Directing Thesis; George Williamson, Committee Member; Suzanne Sinke, Committee Member.

Recent literature on comparative institutional analysis has found that the set of institutions consistent with the concept of economic freedom correlates with higher levels of per capita income (Gwartney, Holcombe, and Lawson 2004), more rapid economic growth (Dawson 2003, 2006; Gwartney, Holcombe, and Lawson 2004, 2006; de Haan, Lundström, and Sturm 2006), more entrepreneurial activity and investment (Gwartney, Holcombe, and Lawson 2006; Dawson 2006; Bjørnskov and Foss 2008), less unemployment (Feldmann 2007, and 2010), a healthier populace (Becker, Philipson, and Soares 2005) and happier individuals (Bjørnskov, Dreher, and Fischer 2010; Gropper, Lawson, and Thorne 2011). Some researchers have examined the impact of economic freedom on income inequality (Berggren 1999; Scully 2002) as well as quality of life adjusted inequality (Becker, Philipson, and Soares 2005). However, there has been little research investigating the impact of economic freedom on women's lives and status. This dissertation is a broad examination of the impact economic freedom has on the lives of women across the world. Chapter one reviews the existing literature on inequality, institutions, gender and economic development. It also discusses the major data sources used throughout this study. Chapter two focuses on the measurement of gender disparity in formal and informal economic institutions and incorporates these new measures into the existing indexes of economic freedom. In chapter three, a model explaining the determinants of gender discrimination is developed, which is related to Becker's (1957/1971) economic model of discrimination. The measure of gender-disparity in informal institutions developed in chapter two is used to empirically test this model. Chapter four empirically tests the impact of economic freedom on a key set of development outcomes for women: educational outcomes. The final chapter summarizes the major findings of this study, and discusses their implications for public policy and future lines of economic research / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Economics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2015. / July 14, 2015. / Economic Development, Economic Freedom, Education, Institutions, Social norms, Women / Includes bibliographical references. / Randall G. Holcombe, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; James D. Gwartney, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Richard C. Feiock, University Representative; Bruce L. Benson, Committee Member; Anastasia Semykina, Committee Member.

Vulvodynia is a chronic pain condition in which women experience extreme discomfort and pain during sexual intercourse. Although widely misdiagnosed and under-diagnosed, many women suffer from vulvodynia, with prevalence rates estimated as high as 16% within the United States (U.S.) However, very little is known as to what causes this chronic pain condition, resulting in inconsistent and varied treatment protocols. In turn, women with vulvodynia often report experiencing multidimensional levels of distress, particularly psychological, sexual, and relational in nature. It is also evident that vulvodynia can negatively impact women’s gender identity, especially the working definition of womanhood. The purpose of this qualitative study was to utilize Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to develop greater understanding and insight as to the ways in which the lived experience of vulvodynia impacted four heterosexual women’s gender identity. Results of this study revealed the following four superordinate themes and seven subordinate themes: 1) critical time periods (i) initial adjustment to vulvodynia after first sexual intercourse was the most difficult time period, (ii) diagnosis was a turning point, and (iii) acceptance of vulvodynia and development of healthy coping strategies; 2) alienation and isolation (iv) feeling inherently different from other women and (v) feeling misunderstood, dismissed, and not believed by others, especially by medical professionals; 3) positive impacts upon life (vi) finding my voice and (vii) reclaiming and renewed appreciation for my body and my physical self; and 4) personalized definitions of womanhood based on individuals’ lived experiences and social contexts. In conclusion, implications for healthcare providers and future directions of research are offered.

This dissertation will attempt to answer question whether, in terms of the right to dignity in s10 and the prohibition of unfair discrimination in s9 of the South African Constitution, the State must recognise in law a third gender for transgender individuals who do not identify as either male or female. It does so, first, by asking whether the failure by the state to provide for the legal recognition of a third gender violates transgender person's right to dignity. Second, the enquiry proceeds to discuss whether s9(3) of the Constitution (which prohibits unfair discrimination on any ground, including on the listed grounds of sex, gender and sexual orientation) requires the state to recognise a third gender. After discussing the lived experiences of transgender persons in South Africa, the thesis reviews the terminology and concepts relevant to this area of study, in order to lay the foundation for the subsequent examination of relevant case law, the Constitutional Court's approach to dignity, and the analysis of the application of s(9)(3). I submit that transgender persons fall within the Constitutional Court's definition of a vulnerable group in that they have suffered past patterns of disadvantage, they constitute a minority in South Africa and are subject to stereotyping and bias. Despite the Constitutional Courts erroneous pronouncement that transsexualism falls under the umbrella of sexual orientation, it is argued, rather, that since the expression of their gender identity by gender nonconforming persons shares many of the characteristics of the specified grounds listed in s9(3), unfair discrimination can be found on a ground analogous to those grounds listed in the Constitution. The failure to allow for recognition of a third gender is thus under-inclusive. It cannot be justified under the limitations analysis. Further, if objections were to be raised by the state that recognition is not feasible or affordable and is, hence, justified, I conclude that because there are ways to accommodate individuals who do not identify as binary which are not unduly taxing on the State, this argument would fail.

This thesis examines the way several evangelical Christian universities (and evangelicalism more broadly) speak about and conceive of sexuality and gender in order to consider implications for their students. It argues that these universities consider nonheterosexual, non-cisgendered identities to be incompatibile with Christian identity and, consequently, grounds for denial of subjectivity. It analyzes the language of student handbooks and the universities’ rhetorical self-positionings and stagings necessary to maintain authority while engaging and exploring the lived experiences of several queeridentifying alumni—each of whom express feelings of “dehumanization” and cognitive dissonance. Finally, it considers how those subjected to messages of incompatible identities reconcile claiming both Christian and queer identities simultaneously. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The Rocky Horror Show is the predecessor of the more widely known The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the former being a musical that debuted in 1973 and the latter being a film that debuted in 1975. Audience participation has become synonymous with the title, and when one attends either, he must expect to hear the audience shouting at the actors, as well as be prepared to dodge squirt guns and toilet paper. Unique and eccentric, Rocky Horror has been drawing small but steady audiences for over thirty years because of the freedom it gives to people who "give themselves over to absolute pleasure" and embrace Frank N. Furter's motto of "don't dream it – be it." This thesis focuses on the production of the musical and how to manage potential audience concerns over the content in the play. I argue that the audience participation activities as well as certain staging techniques work as distracters from the events taking place in the actual play, alleviating potential anxiety caused by the issues of gender and sexuality in the text. The first chapter examines the challenges that a production of The Rocky Horror Show might face, focusing mainly on the issues of gender and sexuality found in the text. The second chapter looks at how transgressive the show can be. Specifically, it examines how the evolution of the cult audience created the audience participation factors that are now synonymous with the film. I also suggest how these extra-textual elements add to contemporary stage productions of the show and analyze how various audiences reacted to the stage show. The third chapter is a case study of Florida State University's 2008 production of The Rocky Horror Show with the specific goal of assessing how the challenges outlined in the first chapter affected FSU audiences. The chapter begins by addressing the production team's strategies and compromises for success. I then examine interviews that I conducted with attendees of various performances of the production, both first-timers and veterans of Rocky Horror, as well as my own audience observations. Overall, it is my hope that this thesis will serve as a resource to aid future production teams desiring to create a successful production of The Rocky Horror Show. / A Thesis submitted to the School of Theatre in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. / Spring Semester, 2011. / March 16, 2011. / Audience Reception, Audience Participation, Cult Audience, Sexuality, Gender, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Rocky Horror Show, Theatre, Theatre Production / Includes bibliographical references. / Mary Karen Dahl, Professor Directing Thesis; Carrier Sandahl, Professor Directing Thesis; Elizabeth Osborne, Committee Member; Tom Ossowski, Committee Member.