This study aims to define men’s perspective on women’s agency and entrepreneurship, and the gender changing roles within the household in Babati district, Tanzania. Women’s empowerment is a notion recently put into practice in several African states today. The notion has transpired from women’s collective ability to organize, act and demand in patriarchal societies in recent decades, resulting in their increased influential and politicized roles. This has further led to constitutional law amendments in Tanzania as well as the establishment of local microfinance institutions, promoting women’s social mobilization. The study is based on semi-structured interviews and secondary sources. The interviews include local men from Babati district, whose wives are active in organizations and/or own a business, as well as a Social Welfare Officer from Babati Development Town Council. The theoretical framework is mainly composed of literature focusing on African pre-colonial gender roles and stereotypical ideas of gender that have affected how gender roles are perceived today. The results emerged as generally positive attitudes towards women’s empowerment. Most men stated that women have ascertained a position of increased influence both within and outside the household in the past decade. However, the positive results have been interpreted through different aspects. Unemployment is discussed as a large societal issue in Babati district, and most men interviewed were unemployed, which could have affected the results and perceptions of women’s social roles. Additionally, this disempowers the traditional role of men as head of the household, also interpreted as a consequence due to women’s empowerment.

The aim of the thesis is to identify and analyze the reasons that play a role in choosing a life partner among members of the Armenian community in the Czech Republic. The basis of the thesis will be a qualitative research conducted through unstructured interviews with Armenians living in the Czech Republic focused on informers of different gender and different generation of immigration. Research will concentrate mainly on the criteria by which informers choose partners, whether and why they prefer Armenians or other nationalities and on their perception of ethnic gender and family stereotypes.

Feminist Science Fiction: Cherie Priest's The Clockwork Century Diploma Thesis Petra Nováková Abstract Marleen S. Barr, one of the pioneers of feminist science fiction criticism, is an outspoken commentator on gender inequality in this genre. In Feminist Fabulation: Space/Postmodern Fiction and Future Females: A Critical Anthology, Barr defines feminist science fiction as metafiction about patriarchal fiction. She speaks out against both authors and critics who recycle narratives restricted by a patriarchal view of the world in which women are silenced and/or relegated to the position of an accessory of the male hero, made to behave in a stereotypically feminine manner. While Barr does not include steampunk fiction but focuses on science fiction oriented towards the future and space exploration, her analysis of the female character's plight is nonetheless applicable to the steampunk genre. In this respect, feminist steampunk fiction can be read as a meditation on established gender norms. Cherie Priest's work is a prime example of such an innovative re-examination of gender stereotypes that Barr calls for in her critical work. As both a woman and a writer of science fiction, the author has adopted a feminist approach in her steampunk series The Clockwork Century. Among other things, Priest examines the role...

In Britain, fathers are allowed just two weeks of paid paternity leave while mothers may take out 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. (DirectGov.uk, 2012). It could seem, then, that the mothers are expected to do most of the child rearing. This essay investigates if this is true by examining discourse in three British books for fathers-to-be; Rob Kemp’s (2010) The expectant dad’s survival guide, Andrew Watson’s (2011) Down to Earth with a bump – The diary of a first-time dad, and Tim Atkinson’s (2011) Fatherhood – The essential guide. These books have all been amassed into a corpus and they are analysed using methods developed by Paul Baker (2006).This essay aims to find out what discourse is used, and what the expectations are on fathers-to-be in the UK by examining three popular books on fatherhood. Jane Sunderland’s (2002) study of fatherhood discourses in general parenting books will serve as a background to this study: In her study, Sunderland (2002) presented a thesis of the father as someone who assists with the child-rearing rather than doing any actual child-rearing himself. This thesis will be tested in this study, as will a claim by Andrew Watson (2011) that “we all face fatherhood reluctantly and need a desperate gag in every paragraph to stop us losing interest and turning on the telly?” (Watson, 2011: viii).As will be shown, the situation is more complex and fathers are actually expected to be involved in the child-rearing as much as they are able. This study shows that some fathers actually lament the fact that, for various reasons, they cannot be more involved. The books actually do have a more progressive view on fatherhood than they first appear to, and hopefully they can inspire fathers to be ‘doers’ rather than ‘helpers’.

Contexte : Les différences de fonctionnement physique entre les hommes et les femmes ne sont pas bien comprises. Les chercheurs ont porté attention aux différences biologiques entre les hommes et les femmes mais ne se sont pas concentrés sur les différences de fonctionnement physique et de mobilité qui pourraient être reliées au sexe et au genre. En particulier, les effets de la masculinité et de la féminité sur le fonctionnement physique des personnes âgées n’ont pas été examinés. Objectifs : L’objectif principal de cette recherche est d’évaluer l’association entre fonctionnement physique et rôles de genre. Pour atteindre cet objectif, nous avons examiné : 1) la validité de la version courte (12 items) de l’Inventaire des rôles sexués de Bem (IRSB) ; 2) les associations transversales et longitudinales entre l’IRSB et des indicateurs de mobilité et de performance physique, et finalement 3) les variables jouant un rôle de médiation entre l’IRSB et la performance physique. Méthodes : Les données de l’étude internationale sur la mobilité au cours du vieillissement (IMIAS) recueillies en 2012 et 2014 ont été utilisées dans cette recherche. Cette étude s’est déroulée dans 5 villes : Saint-Hyacinthe (Québec) and Kingston (Ontario) au Canada, Tirana (Albanie), Manizales (Colombie) et Natal (Brésil), avec un échantillon approximatif à chaque site de 200 hommes et 200 femmes âgés de 65 à 74 ans vivant dans la communauté (N=2004). Deux aspects du fonctionnement physique ont été examinés dans cette thèse : la mobilité et la performance physique. La mobilité a été mesurée par deux questions sur la difficulté à marcher un Km et à monter un étage d’escaliers. La performance physique a été objectivée par le Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Cette batterie inclut des mesures de la marche, de l’équilibre et de la force musculaire et elle mesure le temps requis pour exécuter trois tests : marcher quatre mètres, se tenir début en position de tandem et se lever d’une chaise cinq fois. Pour la validation psychométrique de l’instrument IRSB, des analyses factorielles exploratoires et confirmatoires ont été réalisées. Pour les études d’associations transversales, des analyses de régression de Poisson ont permis l’estimation des ratios de prévalence pour les incapacités de mobilité et la mauvaise performance physique, comparant les rôles masculins, féminins et indifférenciés. Pour l’étude de l’incidence de la mauvaise performance physique, les estimations de risque relatif ont été obtenues à l’aide de la régression de Poisson. L’étude des variables de médiation entre les rôles de genre et la performance physique a inclus le tabagisme, l’inactivité physique, la consommation d’alcool, l’index de masse corporelle élevé, le nombre de maladies chroniques et la dépression. Finalement, une méta-analyse a été effectuée pour examiner l’homogénéité des associations entre les rôles de genre et la performance physique dans les cinq sites de recherche. Résultats : Les résultats des analyses factorielles pour l’instrument de mesure IRSB ont révélé qu’une solution à deux facteurs (instrumentalité-expression) donne une validité conceptuelle satisfaisante, ainsi qu’un ajustement aux données supérieur par rapport à une solution à trois facteurs. La solution à deux facteurs permet d’assigner un score de masculinité et un score de féminité à chaque participant et de classifier les personnes âgées dans quatre catégories selon leur typologie de rôle de genre : masculin, féminin, androgyne et indifférencié. En ce qui concerne les associations avec les indicateurs de mobilité et de fonctionnement physique, les rôles féminins et indifférenciés sont des facteurs indépendants associés à la prévalence des incapacités dans la mobilité et à la mauvaise performance après ajustement avec des variables de confusion potentielle. Les rôles féminins et indifférenciés sont des facteurs de risque associés à une détérioration plus rapide du fonctionnement des extrémités inferieures. Nous avons rapporté une incidence de mauvaise performance physique plus élevée pour ceux qui adoptent un rôle féminin (IRR ajusté=2.36, intervalle de confiance de 95% 1.55-3.60) ou le rôle indifférencié (IRR ajusté=2.19, 95% Intervalle de confiance de 95% 1.45-3.30) comparé au rôle androgyne. Le score de masculinité est associé à la performance physique, alors que le score de féminité ne l’est pas. Une augmentation d’une unité sur le score de masculinité est associée à une incidence de mauvais fonctionnement physique plus faible (IRR ajusté=0.76, 95% intervalle de confiance de 95% 0.67-0.87). Les rôles de genre agissent sur les comportements de santé (tabagisme et inactivité physique), sur l’index de masse corporelle et sur les maladies chroniques et la dépression, tous des facteurs de risque pour la performance physique. Les effets des rôles de genre ne sont que partiellement expliqués par ces facteurs de médiation et un effet direct des rôles de genre sur le fonctionnement physique reste toujours significatif. Conclusion : Les rôles de genre sont présents dans tous les cinq sites de recherche. La mobilité et la performance physique des personnes âgées sont associées au type de rôle de genre avec un possible effet protecteur pour les personnes androgynes, indépendamment du fait qu’ils soient un homme ou une femme. Les rôles de genre semblent influencer les comportements de santé et les risques de développer une maladie chronique et de souffrir de dépression, ce qui peut avoir des effets sur la fonction physique au cours du vieillissement. Cette étude est la première sur le sujet et nos résultats devraient être confirmés par des études futures avant d’être traduits en interventions concrètes de santé publique. / Background: Gender differences in mobility disability among older adults are not well understood. Studies have focused on the biological differences between men and women, but not on the mobility differences due to interrelationships of sex and gender. The associations between masculinity, and femininity on physical function in old age have never been examined. Objective: The main objective of this dissertation is to study the relationships between physical function and gender roles in old age. To accomplish this objective, I have: 1) assessed the psychometric properties and construct validity of the 12-items short form Bem Sex Roles Inventory (BSRI), 2) examined the cross-sectional associations between BSRI and mobility and physical performance, and 3) examined mediating pathways between BSRI and physical performance. Methods: A total of 2004 community-dwelling older adults from the International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS) aged 65 to 74 years were recruited in Natal (Brazil), Manizales (Colombia), Tirana (Albania), Kingston (Ontario, Canada), and Saint-Hyacinthe (Quebec, Canada). Two aspects of mobility loss will be assessed in this dissertation: first, Mobility disability is a self-reported measure of the difficulty to walk half a mile or climb one flight of stairs without assistance. Second, poor physical function or performance of the lower extremities which is assessed by an objective tool and defined as inability to perform physical action in the manner considered normal in the short physical performance battery (SPPB). This battery includes three timed tests of lower extremity function: a hierarchical test of standing balance, a four-meter walk, and five repetitive chair stands. To assess the validity of BSRI in old age as a measure of gender roles. The psychometric properties of the 12- items short form BSRI were assessed by means of exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). To assess the cross-sectional associations between gender roles and both measures of mobility loss, I used Poisson regression analysis to estimate prevalence rate ratios of gender role types using the androgynous type as reference category. To calculate the incidence of poor physical performance after two years of follow up, Poisson regression was conducted for the estimation of relative risks. Body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, chronic diseases, and depression were tested as potential mediators in the pathway between gender roles and physical performance in old age. Finally, taking account the possible differences in associations between countries, I have conducted a meta-analysis to estimate overall effects of masculinity and femininity scores on physical performance based on five distinct studies representing each research site of IMIAS. Results: The results of Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed a three-factor model. This model was further confirmed by CFA and compared with the original two-factor structure model. CFA results revealed that a two-factor solution (instrumentality-expressiveness) has satisfactory construct validity and superior fit to data compared to the three-factor solution. These factor analysis findings allowed to calculate scores of masculinity and femininity and classify participants into four categories according to gender roles: Masculine, feminine, androgynous and undifferentiated. Feminine and undifferentiated gender roles are independent risk factors associated with the prevalence of mobility disability and low physical performance in older adults. Consistent with cross sectional analysis, higher incidence of poor physical performance was observed among participants endorsing the feminine role or the undifferentiated role compared to the androgynous role. Higher masculinity but not femininity scores predicted good physical performance two years later. Gender roles predicted poor physical performance through statistically significant direct and indirect pathways. Cumulative smoking, BMI, physical activity, multimorbidity, and depression were serial mediators explaining the indirect effect of gender roles on physical performance. These intermediate behavioral and pathological pathways only partially mediated the observed associations. None of the potential serial mediators in the present study could completely account for the association between gender roles and physical performance. Conclusions: Traditional gender roles are existent in the five research sites of IMIAS. Gender roles influence physical function in old age with a possible protective effect of androgyny in old age independent of biological sex. Gender roles influence health behaviors which in turn contribute to chronic conditions and faster decline of lower extremities physical function. This study adds to the scant literature on this topic and the findings obtained from this dissertation need to be confirmed by future longitudinal studies for the appropriate translation into public health actions.

Problembakgrund: På ledande positioner inom företag består majoriteten av män, trots att flera studier påvisat att kvinnor har utmärkande egenskaper för ett ledarskap som passar i moderna företag. På grund av normer som lever kvar i samhället har kvinnor inte heller samma karriärmöjligheter som män. Inom svensk detaljhandel utgör kvinnor dock en större majoritet än män på de så kallade mellanchefspositionerna, jämfört med andra branscher. Därmed är det intressant att undersöka om medarbetares förväntningar på sin ledares beteende kan förklara orsakerna till den ojämna fördelningen mellan manliga och kvinnliga chefer. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att skapa förståelse för vilka förväntningar medarbetare har på ledare inom detaljhandeln samt om förväntningarna skiljer sig beroende på om ledaren är man eller kvinna. Detta för att kunna förstå vad det är som bidrar till att fler män än kvinnor finns på ledande positioner och om förväntningarna har någon koppling till de normer som finns om ledarskap. Metod: Studien baseras på en kvalitativ intervjustudie där data samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med sju medarbetare inom olika butiker i svensk detaljhandel. Det empiriska dataunderlaget är uppdelat i två delar kopplat till forskningsfrågorna. Den första delen handlar om medarbetarnas förväntningar på sina ledare medan den andra delen behandlar förväntningar på män och kvinnor som ledare. Resultat: Analysen visar att medarbetare inom svensk detaljhandel förväntar sig ledare som är kommunikativa, relationsorienterade, delaktiga och uppmuntrar till utveckling, vilket överensstämmer med tidigare studier. Normer för hur män respektive kvinnor förväntas bete sig skiljer sig åt genom manliga och kvinnliga könsroller. Däremot har medarbetarna egna erfarenheter av chefer som motbevisar normerna och talar för att män och kvinnor inte beter sig på olika sett på grund av sitt kön. / Background and problem: At leading positions within companies the majority are men, although several studies have shown that women have distinctive qualities for leadership that suits modern businesses. However, due to norms that remain in society, women do not have the same career opportunities as men. However, in Swedish retail, women represent a larger majority than men in the so-called mid-range positions, compared with other industries. Thus, it is interesting to investigate whether employees expectations on the behaviour of their leaders can explain the causes of the uneven distribution between male and female executives. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to provide an understanding of the expectations of employees in the retail sector and whether the expectations differ depending on whether the manager is male or female. This in order to create a greater understanding about why there are more men having leader positions compared to women and if expectations has any connection to norms about leadership. Method: The study is based on qualitative interviews where data was collected through semi-structured interviews with seven employees in various stores in the Swedish retail sector. The empirical data is divided into two parts linked to the research questions. The first part is about employee expectations of his leader while the other part deals with expectations of men and women. Results: The analysis shows that employees in Swedish retail sector expect leaders who are communicative, relationship-oriented, involved and encourage development, which is consistent with previous studies. Norms for how men and women are expected to behave are different through the male and female gender roles. On the other hand, employees have their own experiences that counteract the norms and prove that men and women do not behave differently because of their gender.

Hlavním cílém této diplomové práce bylo analyzovat současnou situaci žen ve vyšším managementu ve vybraných společnostech s hlavním zaměřením na Českou republiku. Dále prozkoumat baríery, kterým ženy čelí pří jejich cestě na manažerské pozice a poskytnout doporučení budoucím manažerkám. Tato práce se skládá ze dvou částí a to části teoretické a praktické. V první části jsou analyzovány teoretické pojmy spojené s termínem gender, současná situace žen v managementu a ženský styl vedení. Praktická část diplomové práce je rozdělěna na dvě další části. V první části jsou provedeny rozhovory s ženami z vyššího managementu, které pocházejí z různých společností. V druhé části je tato problematika analyzována z pohledu odborníku ze společnosti Hays Česká republika.

This study aims to examinehow and what Disney communicate to their target audience, by analyzing the four animated feature films Peter Pan (1953), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), and Princess and the Frog (2009). The animated movies have been analyzed through a qualitative method to get a better understanding of how Disney portray their male antagonists through queer coding. Through semiotics, and Peter Dahlgren's approach to analyzing media texts, we have gained a deeper understanding of what Disney is communicating. The study shows that there are many obvious cases of queer coding because of the stereotypically feminine way that the male villains are portrayed. The villains show signs of this femininity through everything from facial features to bodily movements. Through this detailed analysis it has come to our attention, that there is no doubt that the villains are being portrayed in a much more feminine way in comparison to the remaining characters in the movies. / Den här studien syftar till att undersökahur och vad Disney kommunicerar genom de fyra animerade filmerna Peter Pan (1953), Lejonkungen (1994), Pocahontas (1995) och Prinsessan och grodan (2009). Målet har varit att få en djupare förståelse för hur Disney porträtterar sina manliga antagonister utifrån queer coding. I den här studien analyserades filmerna genom en kvalitativ och semiotisk textanalys med hjälp av Peter Dahlgrens metod för att analysera medietexter. Studien visar att det förekommer flera antydningar till queer coding, nämligen stereotypiska porträtteringar av genuskonstruktioner, hos de manliga skurkarna. Vi har analyserat att de signalerar stereotypisk femininitet genom allt från ansiktsdrag till rörelsemönster. Att de manliga antagonisterna porträtteras med tydligt feminina drag, särskilt i jämförelse med övriga karaktärer inom filmerna, är uppenbart.

Este estudio tiene como objetivo investigar cómo los roles de género y la sexualidad están representados en la novela Beatriz y los cuerpos celestes escrito por Lucía Etxebarria (1998) y cómo los conceptos se relacionan con lo normativo. El método usado es el análisis crítico de discurso. La base teórica viene de los estudios queer y consta de teoría acerca de la heteronormatividad, los roles de género y la estereotipación. La novela estudiada trata de Beatriz, una persona queer de Madrid y sus pensamientos acerca de ante todo la identidad y la sexualidad. En la novela la protagonista experimenta relaciones lesbianas tal como con un hombre. Aun así, los resultados demuestran que la obra todavía presenta lo binario de los roles de género y la heterosexualidad como la norma, aunque trata de un personaje queer. / The aim of this study is to investigate how gender roles and sexuality are represented in the novel Beatriz y los cuerpo celestes written by Lucía Etxebarria (1998) and how these representations are related to the normative. The method used is the critical discourse analysis. The essay is based on queer theory concerning heteronormativity, gender roles and stereotypes. The novel investigated is about Beatriz, a queer person from Madrid, and her thoughts on identity and sexuality. In the novel the protagonist have relationships with women as well as with a man. Even though the protagonist of the novel is a queer person  the results of the study show that the novel still present binary gender roles and heterosexuality as the norm.

Denna uppsats avser att fokusera på kvinnor i mansdominerade branscher, i synnerhet inom byggbranschen för att göra en avgränsning. Vi vill se vilka upplevelser kvinnor i en mansdominerad bransch har kring ledarskap bland män. Detta på grund av att arbetsdelningen som existerar på arbetsmarknaden många gånger har bidragit till svårigheter för kvinnor att avancera sig till chefspositioner i arbetslivet. Både under proceduren till att nå en chefsposition men även under den tilldelade tjänsten som chef, stöter kvinnliga chefer på svårigheter i sin roll. Vi har av avsikt att belysa eventuella hinder som uppstår för kvinnliga chefer på mansdominerade yrken på grund av deras kön. Detta genom att testa våra utvalda teoretiska perspektiv och begrepp och för att se om det råder ojämlikhet på grund av kön, homosocialitet, glastak samt glashiss. Kvalitativa intervjuer utfördes och utifrån våra fyra intervjupersoners uttalanden fick vi fram ett resultat som gav oss svar på våra frågeställningar kring kvinnliga chefer i ett mansdominerat yrke. Resultatet tyder på att majoriteten av våra intervjupersoner än idag upplever mer särbehandling och hinder än möjligheter på den mansdominerade branschen de befinner sig i, på grund av att de är kvinnor. Dock upplevs känslor av att det är mer jämställt numera, i jämförelse med tidigare decennier. Därmed har vi utifrån våra intervjupersoner kunnat konstatera att problematiken i våra utvalda teoretiska perspektiv förekommer ännu i dagens samhälle och i Sverige som betraktas som ett civiliserat samhälle. Problematik i form av hinder, särbehandling samt orättvisan mellan olika kön där kvinnor är underordnade män.   Nyckelord: Könsroller, genussystem, glastak, glashiss, glasklippa, kvinnlig ledare/chef, mansdominerat yrke, särbehandling, segregerad arbetsmarknad, upplevelse. / This essay refers to have its focus on women in male-dominated industries, especially within the construction industry to make a differentiation. We want to see what kind of experience women in a male-dominated industry have around leadership among men. Therefore, the separation existing in the work environment has brought difficulties for the women to advance to manager rolls in their work-life. Women encounter difficulties in their role as a manager also during the procedure to reach an executive position. We have the motive to clear obstacles that eventually come up for female managers in male-dominated professions due to their gender. By testing through our selected ideal point of view and term, to see if it counsels the inequality that exists between the two genders and homosociality, also when it comes to the glass ceiling. When evaluating numbers of interviews that were set up with four different people, their responses guided answers to questions regarding female managers in a male-dominated industry.  The results indicate that the majority of our numbers still experience more privileges and barriers than opportunities in the male-dominated industry that they occupy themselves in, because of their gender as females. However, feelings are felt that it is more equated nowadays compared to previous decades. We are able to conclude from our interviewers that the issue in our ideal point of view still exists in today's world, even in Sweden's civilized society, Through different obstacles, special treatments, and injustice between different sexes, women end up being subordinate to men. Key Words: Gender roles, gender system, glassceiling, glass elevator, glass cliff, female manager, man dominated, special treatment, segregated labor market, experience.