In this thesis I explore the social construction of sexuality and sexual dysfunction. Interviews were undertaken with 20 sex therapists practising in Aotearoa/New Zealand in order to elicit accounts of contemporary sex therapy practice in the local context. Using a feminist poststructuralist lens, I explicate and critically examine the dominant discourses informing the construction of sex therapy, and heterosexual sexual relations, and what these discourses enable and constrain. I draw attention to some of the assumptions embedded in the construction of the sexual dysfunctions in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR, APA, 2000), and in accounts of sex therapy practice, examining the ways in which these are based on taken-for-granted norms of (hetero)sexuality and highlighting the differently enabled gendered sexual subjectivities they (re)produce. Although there are nine sexual dysfunctions identified in the DSM-IV-TR, all of which I briefly outline in Chapter Four, I restrict my focus in the analytical chapters to the conceptualisation and treatment of vaginismus, orgasm difficulties in women, discrepancies in desire and, relatedly, the gendering of desire through powerful sociocultural discourses and representations. I pay particular attention to the implications of these for heterosexual women’s sexuality. I also explore some of the generic concepts that dominate the construction of therapy at a broader level than that of sex therapy alone, arguing that while these offer some useful ways of framing therapy they also constrain therapy practice in important ways. Through a critical review of the sex therapy literature and accounts of practice from those interviewed, I contend that contemporary sex therapy tends to reify dominant cultural and sexological norms rather than challenge them. My analyses show that the dominant discourses informing constructions of sex therapy and heterosexual sexual relations produce particular types of sex as normal whilst marginalizing sexual acts or practices that fall outside of such restrictive parameters. In particular, I argue that the genital-coital-orgasm construct that is hegemonic within sex therapy restricts possibilities for alternative erotic pleasures and possibilities amongst heterosexuals whilst contributing to the invisibilization of sexual identities other than heterosexual. Accounts of sex therapy practice that were able to contest such framings are also highlighted. Because these came from sex therapists drawing on radical feminist or feminist poststructuralist discourses, I suggest that these discourses offer important possibilities for a deconstructive (sex) therapy practice that is able to challenge an often inequitable sexual status quo. Attention is also drawn to the significant constraints which act to restrict clients’ choices and possibilities for sex therapists to practise in more critically questioning ways. I conclude this thesis with an ‘invitation to reflection’ where I briefly discuss some deconstructive approaches that I have found useful for developing ongoing reflexive analysis of my own taken-for-granted assumptions in the area of sexuality, and for aiding my thinking about therapeutic practices that support my political and theoretical commitments and that attend to some of the issues outlined in this thesis. / Whole document restricted, but available by request, use the feedback form to request access.

With the advent of a new constitutional dispensation in South Africa, intimate relationships that were not formally recognised, such as customary marriages, became fully recognised through designated legislation. Domestic partnerships are, however, afforded only limited recognition despite compelling reasons that lead people to domestic partnerships. Domestic partners are also discriminated against based on marital status despite a Constitution that forbids discrimination based on equality, human dignity and marital status. The object of this study is to investigate whether there are sufficient grounds to afford domestic partnerships full recognition similar to that granted to civil marriage. This study includes arguments in favour and against the recognition of domestic partnerships and a discussion of the reasons that lead people into domestic partnerships. There will also be an analysis of the draft Domestic Partnership Bill 36 of 2008 to determine the suitability of the draft Bill to regulate domestic partnerships. This investigation is conducted with reference to relevant draft Bills, legislation, and case law. / Private Law / LL. M.

The Maintenance of Surviving Spouses Act 27 of 1990 came into operation thirty years ago and has remained relatively unchanged since its promulgation. The stated objective of the Act is to provide the surviving spouse with a claim for maintenance against the estate of the deceased spouse in certain circumstances. This objective is sound, as it is evident from an analysis of the history of our law that legislation was needed to address the financial position of a survivor following the death of his or her spouse. The practical application of the Act is, however, not as robust as it does not always achieve the stated objective and often leads to unintended consequences. This research has a dual objective. The first aim is to analyse the practical considerations when an executor applies the Act and to consider the challenges the executor must deal with when considering a maintenance claim under the Act. The second aim is to investigate possible solutions to these challenges and to consider whether there are viable alternative arrangements for the way in which a maintenance claim under the Act is handled. The purpose of the study is to formulate a comprehensive recommendation for legislative reform of the Act so that the practical application of the Act achieves a result that reflects the objective of the Act. / Private Law / LL.D.

Cette thèse porte sur les arrangements de couples de parents hétérosexuels québécois à revenus modestes en s’attardant aux pratiques et aux significations mises de l’avant dans le récit des personnes rencontrées. Elle vise principalement à cerner les arrangements conjugaux en regard de la division du travail et de la gestion de l’argent et, plus spécifiquement à 1) décrire ces arrangements, 2) cerner l’articulation entre la division du travail et la gestion financière entre conjoints, et 3) cerner les écarts et les convergences entre les pratiques et les significations de ces arrangements dans le récit des personnes participantes. À partir de l’analyse de 30 entretiens semi-directifs réalisés dans une perspective inductive et compréhensive auprès de 17 femmes et 13 hommes, nous mettons au jour l’intrication entre la division sexuelle du travail, la signification sociale de l’argent et la sémantique de la conjugalité contemporaine pour saisir la complexité des arrangements décrits. Nos analyses montrent que les trajectoires professionnelles des femmes sont très marquées par la maternité, contrairement à celles des hommes pour qui des facteurs extérieurs à la famille expliquent les changements. L’utilisation du congé parental de même que les arrangements de garde des enfants montrent les limites qu’imposent à la fois les conditions de travail et de rémunération de même que la ségrégation professionnelle selon le genre. De plus, la division du travail domestique dans les couples rencontrés rend compte du maintien de la division sexuelle du travail. Nos analyses montrent aussi que les arrangements financiers des couples peuvent être décrits à partir des logiques des modes de gestion (mise en commun des revenus ou partage des dépenses), mais que des dimensions de la gestion de l’argent doivent également être abordées (propriété de l’argent, accès à l’argent, contrôle de l’argent et responsabilité du travail de gestion financière). En observant ces quatre dimensions, nous pouvons prendre la pleine mesure de la complexité des arrangements financiers. Étroitement liées entre elles, elles rendent compte de la prégnance des rapports sociaux de sexe au sein des couples. Que ce soit dans la façon de percevoir ses revenus, au-delà de leur source, des liens qui se maintiennent toujours entre la maternité et le dévouement attendu envers ses enfants et le type de dépenses faites, ou de la continuité entre la responsabilité du travail domestique et du travail de gestion financière dans les couples où l’argent est limité, etc., la division sexuelle du travail imprègne fortement les significations de l’argent ainsi que les arrangements financiers observés au sein des couples. Enfin, tant la mise en place des arrangements conjugaux étudiés que la satisfaction que les personnes participantes en ont reflètent les logiques de la division sexuelle du travail, de la signification sociale de l’argent et des règles de la sémantique de la conjugalité contemporaine (fiction de la durée, investissement continu dans la relation, communication, altruisme ou désintérêt, réciprocité différée et confiance). Contrairement à l’idée répandue voulant que les hommes et les femmes en couples hétérosexuels, en tant qu’individus indépendants et égaux, négocient leurs arrangements, nous affirmons, d’une part, qu’ils et elles n’ont pas autant le « choix » qu’il y parait et que, d’autre part, la communication n’est pas le moyen par lequel les arrangements sont mis en place. / This doctoral dissertation is centred on the arrangements of couples of low-income Québec heterosexual parents by focusing on the practices and meanings put forward in the stories of those interviewed. Its main purpose is to identify couples’ arrangements with regard to the division of labour and money management and, more specifically, to 1) describe these arrangements, 2) identify the articulation between the division of labour and financial management between spouses, and 3) identify gaps and convergences between the practices and the meanings of these arrangements in the narrative of the participants. Based on the analysis of 30 semi-structured interviews conducted with an inductive and comprehensive perspective with 17 women and 13 men, we bring to light the entanglement between the sexual division of labor, the social meaning of money and the semantics of contemporary conjugality to grasp the complexity of the arrangements described. Our analysis shows that women's occupational trajectories are very marked by motherhood, unlike those of men for whom factors outside the family explain the changes. The use of parental leave as well as childcare arrangements show the limits imposed by both working and remuneration conditions as well as occupational segregation by gender. In addition, the division of domestic work among the couples met reflects the maintenance of the sexual division of labour. Our analysis also shows that couples' financial arrangements can be described from the logic of management methods (pooling income or sharing expenses), but that money management dimensions also need to be addressed. By observing the property of money, access to money, control of money and moneywork, we can take full measure of the complexity of the financial arrangements. Closely linked, these four dimensions reflect the importance of the social relations of the sexes within couples. Whether it is in the way of perceiving one's income, the links that are still maintained between maternity and the expected dedication towards the children and the types of expenses made, or the continuity between the responsibility of domestic work and moneywork in couples where money is limited, etc., the sexual division of labour strongly imbues the meaning of money as well as the financial arrangements observed within couples. Finally, both the set up of the couples’ arrangements studied and the satisfaction of the participants reflect the logic of the sexual division of labour, the social meaning of money and the rules of the semantics of contemporary conjugality (fiction duration, continuous investment in the relationship, communication, altruism or disinterest, delayed reciprocity and trust). Contrary to popular belief that men and women in heterosexual couples, as independent and equal individuals, negotiate their arrangements, we affirm, on the one hand, that they do not have as much “choice,” and that, on the other hand, communication is not the means by which arrangements are put in place.

No description available.

In Congolese society, heterosexual marriage is a highly regarded institution that is viewed as contributing significantly to the true identities of women. In this study, I use Masenya’s terminologies, “idolization of marriage” and “marriage at all costs”, as springboards to re-read the story of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible in light of the experiences of Congolese women who tend to regard marriage as a norm. I have analysed and critiqued patriarchy as it has shaped the lives of biblical women (cf the Ruth character in the Hebrew Bible) as well as it continues to shape the lives of many Congolese women. Although in some sense, the Ruth character can be emulated in terms of her sense of independence, in terms of her commitment to seeking marriage at all costs though, Ruth, cannot be a helpful model to the lives of many poor Anamongo women who today trapped in poverty, continue to regard heterosexual marriage as the norm in their search for survival, security, and value. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / M. Th. (Old Testament)

In Congolese society, heterosexual marriage is a highly regarded institution that is viewed as contributing significantly to the true identities of women. In this study, I use Masenya’s terminologies, “idolization of marriage” and “marriage at all costs”, as springboards to re-read the story of Ruth in the Hebrew Bible in light of the experiences of Congolese women who tend to regard marriage as a norm. I have analysed and critiqued patriarchy as it has shaped the lives of biblical women (cf the Ruth character in the Hebrew Bible) as well as it continues to shape the lives of many Congolese women. Although in some sense, the Ruth character can be emulated in terms of her sense of independence, in terms of her commitment to seeking marriage at all costs though, Ruth, cannot be a helpful model to the lives of many poor Anamongo women who today trapped in poverty, continue to regard heterosexual marriage as the norm in their search for survival, security, and value. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / M. Th. (Old Testament)

Text in English, with abstracts and keywords in English, Afrikaans and isiZulu / South Africa has been known to have the highest rate of gender-based violence globally. This qualitative study locates gender-based violence using the interpretive phenomenological paradigm and multicultural feminism as both allowed participants’ to be given a voice. This study thus enabled women who have been abused to discuss their perception of their own experiences. The primary aim of the study is orientated towards an increased understanding of the possible barriers that prevent women from leaving their abusers. The main findings point out how victim manipulation, financial abuse, isolation and responses by social and legal services serve as barriers to the women leaving their abusive partners. The secondary aim contributes to an understanding of the risk factors influencing gender-based violence. Furthermore, the study explores the impact of prolonged abuse on the participants. The criteria used for the selection were women with diverse backgrounds from the Inanda district, who have lived in abusive relationships for two years or longer. Eight participants completed the research process and were selected using the purposive sampling method. Significantly, this study provides an insight into the reality of how women process and give meanings to their experiences of abuse. Hence, the research sought to inform the literature and the greater community on the lived experiences of women in abusive relationships. / Suid-Afrika het wêreldwyd die hoogste persentasie van geslagsgebaseerde geweld. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie plaas geslagsgebaseerde geweld met behulp van die interpretatiewe fenomenologiese paradigma en multikulturele feminisme, aangesien albei die deelnemers 'n stem laat kry. Hierdie studie het dus vroue wat mishandel is, in staat gestel om hul persepsie van hul eie ervarings te bespreek. Die primêre doel van die studie is gerig op 'n groter begrip van die moontlike hindernisse wat vroue verhoed om hul misbruik te verlaat. Die belangrikste bevindings wys daarop hoe manipulasie van slagoffer, finansiële mishandeling, isolasie en reaksies deur maatskaplike en regsdienste dien as hindernisse vir die verlaat van hul vrouens met hul maat. Die sekondêre doel dra by tot die begrip van die risikofaktore wat geslagsgebaseerde geweld beïnvloed. Verder ondersoek die studie die impak van langdurige mishandeling op die deelnemers. Die kriteria wat gebruik is vir die keuring was vroue met verskillende agtergronde uit die distrik Inanda, wat al twee jaar of langer in beledigende verhoudings leef. Agt deelnemers het die navorsingsproses voltooi en is met behulp van die doelgerigte steekproefmetode gekies. Hierdie studie bied 'n insig in die werklikheid van hoe vroue hul ervarings van mishandeling verwerk en betekenisse gee. Daarom het die navorsing probeer om die literatuur en die groter gemeenskap in te lig oor die ervarings van vroue in beledigende verhoudings. / Iningizimu Afrika yaziwa ukuthi inesilinganiso esiphakeme kunazo zonke sodlame olususelwa ebulilini emhlabeni jikelele. Lolu cwaningo lwekhwalithi lubheka udlame olususelwa ebulilini kusetshenziswa ukuhumusha okuyi-phenographical paradigm kanye nobungqingili bezamasiko njengoba bobabili abahlanganyeli bavunyelwe ukuba banikezwe izwi. Lolu cwaningo lwenze ukuthi abesifazane abahlukunyeziwe bakhulume ngokubona kwabo ngokwenzeka kwabo. Inhloso yokuqala yocwaningo isekelwe ekuqondeni okwandayo kwemigoqo engahle ivimbele abesifazane ukuba bashiye abahlukumezi babo. Okutholakele okukhulu kuveza ukuthi ukuxhaphaza izisulu, ukuhlukunyezwa ngokwezimali, ukwahlukaniswa nezimpendulo ngezinsizakalo zezenhlalo nezomthetho kusebenza njengezithiyo kwabesifazane beshiya abalingani babo abahlukumezayo. Inhloso yesibili inomthelela ekuqondeni kwezimpawu zobungozi ezinomthelela udlame olususelwa ebulilini. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lolu cwaningo lubheka umthelela wokuhlukunyezwa isikhathi eside kwabahlanganyeli. Abangu-8 ababambe iqhaza baphothula inqubo yokucwaninga futhi bakhethwa besebenzisa indlela enamasampula enenjongo. Okusemqoka ukuthi lolu cwaningo luhlinzeka ngokuqonda kweqiniso lokuthi abesifazane basebenza kanjani futhi banikeze izincazelo kulokho kwabo okuhlukumezeka. Ngakho-ke, lolu cwaningo lufune ukwazisa izincwadi kanye nomphakathi omkhulu ngokuhlangenwe nakho kokuphila kwabesifazane ebudlelwaneni bokuhlukumeza. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)