<p>Problem: The disparate health outcomes of African American mothers living with HIV functions at the intersection of gender-, race-, and class-inequality; HIV-related stigma; and motherhood, requiring multidimensional approaches to address the complex social and economic conditions of their lives, collectively known as the social determinants of health. African American women suffer significantly higher HIV infection rates and tend to die earlier from their infection than their White counterparts. Poverty is a significant precipitating factor for HIV infection and African American women are disproportionately poorer than other subpopulations in the United States. HIV-related stigma is linked to poorer mental and physical health outcomes across a broad range of demographic profiles. Being a mother adds an extra layer of social complexity to the lives of women living with HIV. This dissertation was designed to develop knowledge on the social determinants of health for African American mothers living with HIV by describing their social location at the intersection of gender-, race- and class – inequality; HIV-related stigma; and motherhood and exploring how their unique social identity influences their health-related experiences.</p><p>Methods: Using data from a literature review on intersectional approaches and other frameworks for examining vulnerable populations, an intersectional model for the study of the social determinants of health for African American mothers living with HIV was constructed. A pilot study exploring the methodological issues and ethical challenges of using photo elicitation with a highly stigmatized social group of women was conducted. The intersectional model and pilot study findings were then used to guide a qualitative descriptive study using storyline graphs, photo elicitation and in-depth qualitative interviewing as methods for exploring the intersection of the social determinants of health for eighteen (18) African American mothers living with HIV. Content, vector and frame analyses were used to describe the intersection of social determinants and identify potential process and structural level interventions. </p><p>Results: Findings from the pilot study include best practices for using visual methods with a highly stigmatized and potentially vulnerable group of women. Findings from the qualitative descriptive study include six additional social determinants of health - social support, religiosity, animal companions, physical environment, transportation and housing - not initially included in the conceptual model, a case for strength-based approaches, intersecting social determinants functioning as systems of oppression and the heterogeneous and fluid social locations as framed from the mother’s perspective. Three frames of social location for African American mothers living with HIV were proposed – emancipatory, situational, and internalized – as well as potential health implications and interventions. Each of the findings add to the literature on the configuration of intersecting social determinants health relevant to African American mothers living with HIV, expand the proposed intersectional model and help to generate hypotheses needed for intervention studies.</p> / Dissertation

This purpose of this interpretive research study was to deepen our understanding of the meaning of culturally relevant physical education and health pedagogy (Ladson Billings, 1994; Halas, McRae & Carpenter, 2012) from the perspective of racialized minority women. Four female students from diverse backgrounds participated in a talking circle where they discussed their experiences in physical education and health (PEH) settings. Wilson’s (2008) idea of relational accountability, as described through Indigenous approaches to research, was used to help interrogate and interrupt systems of privilege, power and marginalization that characterize many PEH settings. The findings reveal the on-going need for culturally relevant pedagogical approaches that encourage, affirm and recognize the cultural landscapes of students. More research is needed to understand how students can be motivated to learn and grow in ways that develop their critical social consciousness regarding the social inequities that impact their PEH experiences. / October 2015

This dissertation investigates the workplace experiences of gay and lesbian teachers. In-depth interviews and field observations were conducted with 51 teachers in Texas and in California, two states with different legal approaches to gay rights and worker rights. This comparative study highlights the importance of social, political, and cultural context in individual decision-making about sexual disclosure and performance, explores the consequences of "normalization" of LGBT experiences in the classroom, and addresses the role of identity politics in social change. By taking an intersectional approach to gay/lesbian identity construction, this dissertation considers how race, class, gender, and sexuality inequalities are expressed and reinforced in the experiences of gay and lesbian teachers. / text

Equality between men and women has as an ideal won an increasing impact on the contemporary Swedish society and has established as a factor influencing all areas of society from politics to business and private life. The focus of this essay is to explore the impact of equality on hegemonic masculinity and relations of masculinities. The aim of the essay has moreover been to investigate the consequences of an increased focus on men and critique of masculinity due to a growing influence of feminism and women’s movement in Sweden. The study is based on interviews with four members of staff working in a men’s clinic for sexual and reproductive health in Stockholm, Järva Mansmottagning. The clinic is an interesting object of study since it is the only one of its kind in Sweden and furthermore because of its explicit focus on the problems of masculinity and work with equality. The main questions of the study have been: what forms of hegemonic masculinity are constructed in dialogue with discourses on equality; what make up counter images and deviating masculinities and how are these positioned in relation to hegemonic masculinity; and last what kind of complicity with hegemonic masculinity are the men visiting the clinic considered to have? The theoretical framework of the essay has been social constructionist theories on masculinity as presented by Connell among others and theories on intersectionality, i.e. how masculinity interacts with other asymmetries of power such as ethnicity and sexuality. Closely linked to the theoretical stances are the methodological stances of discourse theory developed by Foucault and Laclau and Mouffe and dialogism developed by Bakhtin. These standpoints have guided my analysis of the material. To sum up the most important conclusions of the study hegemonic masculinity in relation to equality is constructed from significants such as modernity, change and responsibility over oneself as well as in relation to partners and children. Non-Swedish and masculinities of an older generation are depicted as the counter images of hegemonic masculinity and are conceived as unsuccessful masculinities. Non-Swedish masculinity is expected more patriarchal and dependent on traditional and stereotype masculine ideals and masculinities of older generations are presumed isolated, irresponsible and unable to change. These contrasting masculinities are depicted as frustrated, fearful and worried due to loss of power and losers in relation to femininity. Equality is enforced as the solution to these masculinities and what constitutes hegemonic masculinity is the appreciation, understanding and conduct of equality by men. Marginalisation of masculinities is thus a consequence of establishment of hegemonic masculinity in relation to equality and heteronormativity is moreover reinforced in hegemonic masculinity. Firstly, as a consequence of the constant focus of men and women in relation in discourses on equality, secondly since heterosexuality is described as men’s complicity in masculinity. Nor is the dominance of masculinity threatened as traditionally feminine traits such as caretaking now are connoted as indisputably masculine. One interesting conclusion is how discourses on masculinity are employing discourses from feminism and women’s movement claiming status as individuals and subjects beyond sexroles. Being a man is no longer a guarantee for being considered an individual. Another interesting conclusion is that in spite of the male body remaining an important fundament in masculinity there is however an extensive critique of traditional conceptions on male sexuality as active, conquering and constant. The interviewed present alternative discourses on masculinity and sexuality with significant potential destabilising hegemonic masculinity.

The purpose of this essay is to investigate and analyze the term diversity in five Swedish municipality’s combined gender equality- and diversity plans. The purpose is also to investigate who or whom of the employers that are included in the term diversity and if gender equality is included in the diversity work. The material is analyzed on the basis of theory of intersectionality and discourse analysis. The outcome of the analysis indicates that the municipalities use the term diversity in many different ways in the combined gender equality- and diversity plans. The municipalities usually use the term diversity for all of the employers and all groups of people are included in the work with diversity. Gender is included in the term diversity but gender quality work is often not included in the diversity work. In this essay the term diversity seem to be a difficult term for the municipalities to use and they often uses the term in different contexts.

This thesis is an examination of the sex and gender differences in measures of relative deprivation for Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the value of these measures to predict health outcomes. Within theoretical frameworks of relative deprivation and intersectionality, principal component analysis was used to test nineteen different versions of a national area-based deprivation index using Census variables, for the total population and for males and females separately. Only one version of the deprivation index provided consistent factor scores, in keeping with the theoretical constructs, for the total, female-only and male-only populations for Winnipeg. Administrative health data were used to calculate area-level rates of select health outcomes and binomial negative regressions were then used to analyze whether the “best” index was predictive of health outcomes for the three populations. In regression models, only the “material” component of the deprivation index was predictive of the health outcomes, but results varied across the three populations. The application of the “best” deprivation index to health planning may depend on the health issue and the population in question. This thesis confirmed that examining the intersections of sex, gender and deprivation in population health research unmasks important differences that would otherwise be missed and could have implications in health planning.

Using intersectionality as the theoretical framework, this study examined the identity development of African American women attending an academically selective university. Much of the extant literature on African American college women was either not identity focused or did not speak to the experiences of those students situated in these highly competitive academic environments. A qualitative research approach and case study analysis was utilized for this study. This included the use of photographs and photo-elicitation interviewing to actively engage the study’s participants in the process of sharing their identity development and to place their voice and how they make meaning of their complex identities as primary. Examining both their pre-college and in-college experiences, this study looked closely at the impact of family, peer groups, society, internal messages, and the academically selective university setting on the participants’ identity development. While the women in the study enter college viewing identity as largely fixed, the collegiate context played an important role in facilitating their identity evolution. This study outlined the growth process as these participants shifted their understanding of identity from fixed to fluid or from invisible to visible. Implications for this research include the need for colleges and universities to better address the holistic needs of African American female students, especially at their identity intersections. Additional areas for research include reconceptualizing college student identity development to incorporate more holistic, intersectional elements as a means to supporting a student’s development more comprehensively.

This thesis is an examination of the sex and gender differences in measures of relative deprivation for Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the value of these measures to predict health outcomes. Within theoretical frameworks of relative deprivation and intersectionality, principal component analysis was used to test nineteen different versions of a national area-based deprivation index using Census variables, for the total population and for males and females separately. Only one version of the deprivation index provided consistent factor scores, in keeping with the theoretical constructs, for the total, female-only and male-only populations for Winnipeg. Administrative health data were used to calculate area-level rates of select health outcomes and binomial negative regressions were then used to analyze whether the “best” index was predictive of health outcomes for the three populations. In regression models, only the “material” component of the deprivation index was predictive of the health outcomes, but results varied across the three populations. The application of the “best” deprivation index to health planning may depend on the health issue and the population in question. This thesis confirmed that examining the intersections of sex, gender and deprivation in population health research unmasks important differences that would otherwise be missed and could have implications in health planning.

This narrative inquiry explores how Black tradeswomen negotiate the intersections of race and gender in their long-term careers in the U.S. building trades. Much of the literature on women and minority groups in the trades has focused on the success, or lack of success, of these groups in apprenticeship programs. To my knowledge, none has collected rich data focused on the long-term retention of Black women in the trades, nor has any discussed the personal, interpersonal, and institutional strategies this non-traditional group uses to continue working in the construction industry. This study draws on theory and empirical studies from the fields of Peace and Conflict Studies, Black Studies, Gender Studies, Labor Studies, and Psychology to provide a nuanced analysis of the systemic nature of Black tradeswomen’s struggles for gender and racial equity within the workforce, and elucidates the personal, interpersonal, and institutional strategies these women have developed to continue in this field. In-depth interviews conducted with fifteen tradeswomen revealed how they described and made sense of (1) their experiences of entering the trades and how their experiences in the trades changed over time; (2) barriers to their continued success as tradespeople; and (3) the skills and knowledge they developed to sustain themselves professionally. Findings include recommendations for interventions at the levels of pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, foremen, and higher to support the retention and promotion of Black tradeswomen in the industry. Tradeswomen highlight the necessity of combining anti-racist and anti-sexist struggles to promote greater inclusion of non-traditional workers. Black tradeswomen illuminate the importance of the cultivation of self-esteem and personal networks on and off the job as mitigating factors in a microaggressive work environment.

Intersectionality theory has been put forth to explain how gender and race dually impact and act upon African American women (e.g., Settles, 2006; Thomas et al., 2008). Although there is a growing body of literature on the negative effect that perceived racism has on Black/African Americans well-being and that sexism has on women’s well-being, there is a paucity of research on the intersection of racism and sexism (i.e., gendered racism) and its influence on African American women’s well-being (e.g., Perry, Pullen, & Oser, 2012; Thomas et al., 2008). To address this gap in the literature, the current study examined gendered racism’s impact on African American women’s well-being (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms, life satisfaction, and the quality of their social relationships). Additionally, the protective (moderating) influence of racial identity, in particular racial centrality, racial public regard, and racial private regard, on the gendered racism and well-being relationship was examined. Self-identified African American, adult women (N = 249) were recruited from a southeastern metropolitan university. Lastly, the gendered racism measure used in the study, the Revised Schedule of Sexist Events (Thomas et al., 2008), appears to be a valid and reliable measure of African American women’s gendered racism experiences. Regression analyses found that more frequent experiences with gendered racism was associated with more depressive and anxiety symptoms. More frequent experiences of gendered racism were also associated with less optimal social relationships and poorer life satisfaction. Furthermore, racial identity dimensions did not moderate the impact of gendered racism on African American women’s well-being. Future studies should consider identities or worldviews that are theoretically aligned with the tenets of intersectionality theory as protective factors against the effect of gendered racism on African American women’s well-being.