<p> Our earth has begun its sixth extinction and our culture thrives in ideological third nature and the era of technology. Hardcore pornography demonstrates a fear-based split in the relationship between the Great Mother and Terrible Mother archetypes, and the consumption of violent sexual material is indicative of existential death-avoidance, or despair. The archetypes present in the Moms/Hot Mom/Mother/MILF, Youth/Teen, and 18 and Abused categories of porn evoke the fear of the feminine as related to Mother Earth, and elucidate the collective&rsquo;s split feminine archetypes. This research uses heuristic and alchemical hermeneutic research methods to discern how these archetypes within hardcore pornography explicate our cultural complex regarding Mother Nature. What results is a call to consciousness and a clinical aim toward shadow integration, the assimilation of masculine and feminine parts of self, and a cohesive relationship toward imagery and imagination, lest they be altogether replaced by pornography.</p>

<p> Participatory Action Research (PAR) was utilized as the primary research methodology in conducting a program evaluation and development of a mythopoetic men&rsquo;s retreat. Over the course of a two-year exploratory process, a variety of qualitative and quantitative measures were used to plan, conduct, and respond to research studying Victories of the Heart&rsquo;s Breakthrough Weekend retreats. This research sought to understand the weekend&rsquo;s effect on the levels of gender role conflict, perceived social support and psychological wellbeing in men who attended the retreat. Changes in these variables were measured using the Gender Role Conflict Scale &ndash; Short Form, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Flourishing Scale through use of an independent measures pretest posttest design. Qualitative interviews were conducted in order to better understand the research and programmatic needs of Victories of the Heart as an organization, the lived experiences of the men who attended these retreats as well as future directions for research and program development. Although no statistically significant changes were found in the quantitative data, the Breakthrough Weekend participants described their retreat experiences as &ldquo;life changing&rdquo; during qualitative interviews.</p>

At present there are approximately 13,000 registered speech and language therapists, the majority of these are female. The current ratio of male to female professionals in the United Kingdom stands at 3:100. A decade ago, the figure stood at 1.9% (Sheridan 1999), indicating that in recent years, the number of male professionals has been gradually rising, however, this figure remains low in comparison to other professions within the health and education sectors. Previous research has offered explanations for the lack of diversity in the profession (Greenwood et al 2006, McAllister and Neve 2005), citing poor remuneration, employment opportunities and knowledge base of the profession; this has resulted in few men choosing to enter the profession. In addition, it means that male students are likely to find themselves as the sole male in a cohort of students. The minority status that such a position entails is thought to lead to negative consequences, reduced motivation and feelings of isolation (Boyd and Hewlett 2001). This research examined the everyday lived experiences of being a male student speech and language therapist in order to develop an understanding of how they constructed their professional identity and to ascertain whether their gender identity influences this journey. Twelve male speech and language therapy students and early career professionals were interviewed with a semi-structured format through a variety of mediums. The participants shared their stories and experiences of being a speech and language therapy student in both the university and clinical settings. The participants shared their experiences of isolation and of dealing with the assumptions that other professionals made about their position within the speech and language therapy profession and these experiences were reported to have had an effect on both their training and their positioning within the wider profession.

<p> Prevention is key to keeping men who have sex with men (MSM) protected from Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Despite new and innovative HIV prevention resources such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), factors such as education level, employment status, number of sexual partners, and access to health resources may inhibit certain populations from using PrEP. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between education level, employment status, number of sexual partners, and access to health resources and the use of PrEP among MSM. The fundamental cause theory was used to examine how socioeconomic barriers are associated with the use of PrEP among MSM in the United States. Secondary data from 217 surveys were collected from the Public Library of Science. Findings from multiple regression analyses indicated that employment status, access to health resources, and number of sexual partners were not associated with use of PrEP among MSM. Those who had at least some high school or a high school diploma were 3.98 times more likely to be likely to extremely likely to use PrEP, compared to those who had less than a high school education (<i>OR</i> = 3.98, <i> p</i> = .048). Those who had some college were 6.91 more likely to be likely to extremely likely to use PrEP, compared to those who had less than a high school education (<i>OR</i> = 6.91, <i>p</i> = .028). Findings may be used to assist public health professionals in identifying factors that prevent the use of PrEP. By addressing these health threats, and social barriers, specialists could have the ability to increase HIV prevention activity in populations that are more susceptible to being infected with HIV and may decrease HIV infections not only within the MSM population but also in other populations.</p><p>

<p> Surveillance and epidemiological studies over the last number of years show that HIV incidence has remained relatively stable, and even increased in some populations. Ironically, some of the most substantial increases have been seen in the very populations that have been most heavily targeted for HIV prevention interventions. This suggests that current prevention models, which primarily emphasize rational thought process, may be neglecting some important mechanisms that influence or cause high-risk sexual behavior. This study examines how non-rational thought processes may relate to high-risk sexual behavior in the face of social stressors. Grounded in Carver&rsquo;s &amp; Scheier&rsquo;s (1996, 1998) Self-Regulatory Failure Model, which suggests that under certain circumstances, individuals may shift from abstract goals to more immediate sensory oriented goals. I explored a model that includes gay-related discrimination, hate crimes, and social stressors as predictors of high-risk sexual behavior, mediated by negative affect. I also explore whether the putative link between negative affect and high-risk sexual behavior is moderated by sensation seeking and avoidant coping personality styles. Lastly, I conducted exploratory analyses on the role alcohol may play in this model. The study employed a two stage purposive sampling procedure: First, 20 different U.S. media markets were selected at random; and next, individuals were recruited from within those media markets to participate in an online survey about these topics. Because the outcome data were counts of sexual behavior with a large proportion of zero responses, I employed Zero Inflated Poisson regression modeling. This modeling procedure allows one to examine if different variables predict initiation of behavior versus frequency of behavior. The results show partial support for the hypothesized model. Interpersonal stressors and discrimination appear to be consistent predictors of high-risk sexual behavior in this sample; however, the relationship to the outcomes differ for initiation of behavior as opposed to frequency of behavior, and further by type of sexual behavior. Hate crime rates showed little ability to predict high-risk sexual behavior outcomes. There is tentative evidence for distancing forms of coping as moderators of the relationship between negative affect and high-risk sexual behavior. Negative affect did not emerge as a mediator in the primary model examined in this study; although, negative affect was independently related to some sexual behavior outcomes. When alcohol use during sex was added as part of the exploratory analyses, negative affect emerged as a mediator for some high-risk sexual behavior outcomes. Exploratory analyses also revealed relationships between alcohol with sex, discrimination, and social stressors that suggest a strong interplay between all four variables and the sexual behavior outcomes. Hate crimes, however, were still mostly unrelated to high-risk sexual behavior in the exploratory analyses. Overall, these results point to a dynamic, complex, and non-linear set of relationships between interpersonal stressors, affect, sexual behavior, and alcohol use. Larger sample sizes, longitudinal study designs, and more granular measures of affect may help to clarify the causal relationships between these constructs. These results have implications for prevention interventions that emphasize emotional self-regulation at the individual level and address discrimination and stigma at a structural level.</p>

The management and display of emotions has become a pervasive occupational role requirement for many workers in the service industry. Service workers’ interactions with clients or customers exposes them to occupational requirements where they must effectively display certain emotions, while at the same time internally suppressing other felt emotions—a type of work activity referred to by Arlie Hochschild (1983) as emotional labor. Despite a vast literature on the subject, there remain a number of knowledge gaps regarding the consequences of emotional labor. My dissertation addresses this issue by merging occupational-level data with a national survey dataset of American workers to examine a variety of consequences of emotional labor using a multidimensional approach. I reveal that emotional labor poses the greatest threat to well-being in resource deprived work contexts, and that occupations that have little job control are mostly occupied by minority women. I also find that high control beliefs serve as an important psychological resource for men that can buffer the strain that leads to customer/client conflict in emotional labor intensive occupations. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2003. / Bibliography: leaves 124-137. Also available online.

The cumulative risk model is used to explain the coexistence of small gender differences and large health disparities between husbands and wives. Specifically, the current model incorporates conflict (a risk factor), support (a protective factor), and coping (a moderator of the conflict-stress link) to predict cortisol slopes for newlywed husbands and wives. One hundred and seventy-two couples completed both global and daily measures of protective factors (empathy, responsiveness, and perceived support), risk factors (withdrawal, loyalty, self-silencing, and negativity), and coping (self-distraction, substance use, emotional support, and rumination). For the six days that participants provided daily reports of these constructs, participants also provided waking and evening saliva samples for later determination of salivary cortisol levels. I hypothesized that men would incur more protective factors than would women, and that these protective factors would be associated with steeper cortisol slopes (i.e., healthy cortisol slopes.) Further, I hypothesized that women would incur more cumulative risks than would men, and that these risks would be associated flatter cortisol slopes (i.e., unhealthy cortisol slopes). Finally, I hypothesized that the association between cumulative risk and cortisol slopes would be moderated by coping, such that theoretically-effective coping strategies would blunt the impact of cumulative risks whereas ineffective coping strategies would exacerbate the impact of cumulative risks. Support for these hypotheses was mixed. Women did incur fewer cumulative protective factors than did men; however, there were no gender differences in cumulative risks for this highly satisfied newlywed sample. The impact of both cumulative protection and cumulative risk on cortisol slopes differed for men and women. Coping moderated the impact of cumulative risk on daily cortisol slopes, but again these patterns were different for men and women. Future work must continue to isolate gender differences in relationship processes to understand resulting health implications. With further refinement, the proposed model can provide a more holistic explanation of gendered health disparities, and perhaps identify ways that women and men can experience more equivalent health benefits from romantic relationships. / text

<p> Chronic diseases, specifically autoimmune disorders, take an enormous physical, psychological, and financial toll on patients, families, and the healthcare system. Mainstream biomedicine offers limited solutions outside of pharmacological interventions. Mind-Body Medicine (MBM) lifestyle intervention strategies offer low-cost, low-risk options to reducing stress and managing health. A review of relevant biomedical literature regarding effects of cumulative stress on psychological and physiological health was completed. To my knowledge, this is the first study to analyze the effects of relaxation strategies on immune function, mood, and heart rate variability in adult women diagnosed with thyroid diseases. </p><p> This quasi-experimental study measured the effects of diaphragmatic breathing (DB) and guided imagery (GI) in a small convenience sample of 15 participants (DB, <i>n</i> = 7; GI, <i>n</i> = 8). Pre- and post-intervention data were collected on (a) heart rate variability, (b) mood using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and (c) immune response with salivary interleukin-1beta (IL-1&beta;). Saliva samples were tested utilizing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. </p><p> Within-subject data from Wilcoxon signed rank tests showed both interventions significantly decreased negative mood (DB, <i>p</i> = .02; GI, <i> p</i> = .01). In contrast, only the DB group showed significant changes in HRV (SDNN, <i>p</i> = .02; RMSSD, <i>p</i> = .04; pNN50, <i> p</i> = .05; LF(n.u.), <i>p</i> = .04). Interestingly, the IL-1&beta; results for both interventions showed an unexpected increase, with the GI group showing statistical significance (<i>p</i> = .05). Between-group analysis using the Mann-Whitney <i>U</i> test showed statistically significant change scores along with moderate effect sizes for HRV (SDNN, <i>p</i> = .04, <i>r</i> = &ndash;.54; LF(n.u.), <i>p</i> = .04, <i>r</i> = &ndash;.54; HF(n.u.), <i> p</i> = .04, <i>r</i> = &ndash;.54). </p><p> This study provides important clinical implications for the field of Psychoneuroimmunology and lends support for integrative care by using lifestyle interventions to positively impact and optimize health, specifically for those diagnosed with thyroid diseases. Future research assessing the effects of relaxation interventions would elucidate the impact of these self-regulation techniques within this medical population. Specifically, studies with larger sample size and including salivary IL-1&beta; would enhance the literature regarding this cytokine&rsquo;s role in inflammation and the healing process. </p><p>

How does change in economic, social and political institutions occur? How aregender and other social inequalities reproduced through and challenged byprocesses of institutional creation, evolution and innovation? And can institutionsbe transformed for greater equity and inclusion? These are big questions forfeminist political scientists to whom a better understanding of real world puzzles isnot only of theoretical but also of practical relevance. By looking at recent socialpolicy reforms and innovations in Chile this thesis contributes to moving thisresearch agenda forward. Drawing on conceptual and methodological tools fromhistorical institutionalism and feminist political science, it provides a theoreticallyinformed and empirically grounded account of how institutional change happensand why thoroughgoing transformations are so difficult to achieve. As an essentialpart of this endeavor, it highlights the multiple ways in which gender shapes and isshaped by broader processes of policy reform and innovation. Bolstered byabundant empirical evidence from four reform episodes-the 2002-2004 healthreform, the 2008 pension reform, the 2006-2010 expansion of childcare services,and the reform of maternity leave in 2011-the thesis interrogates the scope andthe quality of recent changes, analyzes their implications for women's rights andgender equality, and unveils the complex interplay of institutional, agential andideational factors that have shaped specific policy choices. It holds that none of thepolicy areas has experienced sweeping change or path departure. Instead, policyinnovations have taken place in historically and contextually bounded ways: whilethe scope and purpose of existing welfare institutions has been redefined and newrules have been layered on to previously existing institutional arrangements, coreelements of these arrangements-and of the broader context-have remainedfirmly in place. Against this backdrop, positive gender change did indeed occur:greater access to non-contributory pensions, more accessible childcare services andmore generous maternity leave regulations all benefit women. Yet, selective andpiecemeal reform strategies also entailed important trade-offs that hamper theequity-enhancing effect of otherwise important policy innovations. This generalverdict, however, conceals important variations across policy areas both in terms ofthe (re)articulation of state-market relationships and in terms of the integration ofgender concerns. The thesis locates these variations at the intersection of sectorspecificpolicy legacies and more contingent moments of political opportunity.