<p>In 1939 a law was passed in Sweden which forbade employers to dismiss female employees because of marriage or pregnancy. In Germany a law had been introduced already in 1932, which gave employers the right to dismiss a woman when she married. It also gave women right to end their employment for the same reason. The political decisions behind these legal changes were in both cases the result of an extended debate on the right of employment of married women. This debate occurred in most industrialised European countries in the interwar period.</p><p>The increasing participation of women on the labour market was by some groups interpreted as a cause of mass unemployment. Economic crisis contributed to a crisis of masculinity, which then led to attacks on the rights of married women to paid employment. In Sweden there was a state commission set up in 1936 with the task of investigating women’s employment. This commission, <i>kvinnoarbetskommittén, </i>managed to demonstrate that dismissing women would not lead to a lowering of the unemployment figures for men, a task they accomplished through detailed studies of several labour market areas. The report of the commission guided the decision of parliament, a decision taken when the economic depression had already turned to a boom period. The composition of the commission as well as its work was a consequence of the strong influence of the Swedish women’s movement.</p><p>In Germany the rights of women to paid employment was limited already in 1923 as the result of the financial crisis of the state. During the depression the attacks on married women’s right to employment became a political tool, which could be used both in foreign and domestic policy. Dismissing married women employed as civil servants was aimed to quash the demands of unemployed men. A prime target in the foreign policy was to convince the victors of World War I that reparations exceeded the ability of the German nation, a nation which had been badly stricken by economic crisis and unemployment. With this argument a solution of the unemployment issue was given second priority.</p>

In 1939 a law was passed in Sweden which forbade employers to dismiss female employees because of marriage or pregnancy. In Germany a law had been introduced already in 1932, which gave employers the right to dismiss a woman when she married. It also gave women right to end their employment for the same reason. The political decisions behind these legal changes were in both cases the result of an extended debate on the right of employment of married women. This debate occurred in most industrialised European countries in the interwar period. The increasing participation of women on the labour market was by some groups interpreted as a cause of mass unemployment. Economic crisis contributed to a crisis of masculinity, which then led to attacks on the rights of married women to paid employment. In Sweden there was a state commission set up in 1936 with the task of investigating women’s employment. This commission, kvinnoarbetskommittén, managed to demonstrate that dismissing women would not lead to a lowering of the unemployment figures for men, a task they accomplished through detailed studies of several labour market areas. The report of the commission guided the decision of parliament, a decision taken when the economic depression had already turned to a boom period. The composition of the commission as well as its work was a consequence of the strong influence of the Swedish women’s movement. In Germany the rights of women to paid employment was limited already in 1923 as the result of the financial crisis of the state. During the depression the attacks on married women’s right to employment became a political tool, which could be used both in foreign and domestic policy. Dismissing married women employed as civil servants was aimed to quash the demands of unemployed men. A prime target in the foreign policy was to convince the victors of World War I that reparations exceeded the ability of the German nation, a nation which had been badly stricken by economic crisis and unemployment. With this argument a solution of the unemployment issue was given second priority.

According to the salutogenic theory put forth by Antonovsky, an individual’s sense of coherence (SOC) is central for maintaining health. The present study used data from middle-aged women being part of a longitudinal research program to investigate how SOC relates to health status (in terms of self-rated health and medicine consumption) and a set of lifestyle factors (physical exercise, alcohol consumption, nicotine consumption and dietary habits). Women with a strong SOC were hypothesized to exhibit better health profiles, consume less medication, and lead a healthier lifestyle than women with a weak SOC. The findings partly confirmed the hypotheses in showing that women with a strong SOC had better self-rated overall health, better psychological well-being, fewer self-reported diseases and lower medicine consumption. Contrary to the hypothesis, women with stronger SOC had more self-reported psychological and physical symptoms. Of the lifestyle factors, only dietary habits were significantly associated with SOC. The study shows that SOC is related to differences in health and medicine consumption in a homogeneous group of middle-aged women, while the association between SOC and lifestyle was found to be less prominent.

Cette thèse examine la façon dont on interprète la santé et le bien-être des travailleuses célibataires et sans enfant au sein de deux types de récits : ceux provenant d’études publiées dans des périodiques (récits scientifiques) et ceux provenant d’entrevues qualitatives avec des membres de ce groupe (récits profanes). Sur le plan démographique, leur nombre est significatif; elles représentent 28% des employées canadiennes. Par contre, leur santé/bien-être est peu visible dans les écrits de recherche. Dans les sciences sociales, plusieurs études portent sur l’expérience parfois éprouvante d’être un adulte célibataire vivant dans une culture orientée sur le couple et la famille. Elles mettent l’accent sur le stigma associé à ce statut. Certains suggèrent même que les pratiques de recherche peuvent contribuer à la perpétuation de représentations négatives à l’égard des célibataires. En ayant un profil qui pourrait être symbolique d’une déviation vis-à-vis des attentes normatives entourant la vie de couple ou de famille, les travailleuses célibataires et sans enfant semblent un point de repère utile pour évaluer cette dernière possibilité. S’attarder autant aux récits scientifiques que profanes permettrait d’explorer les tensions et convergences entre eux. Suivant cet objectif, un échantillon de 32 articles scientifiques et de 22 retranscriptions d’entrevues ont été analysés selon une approche d’analyse de discours guidée par les concepts de répertoire interprétatif (une façon cohérente d’aborder un sujet donné) et de position du sujet (une identité mise en évidence par une façon de parler ou d’écrire). Trois articles ont émergé de cette recherche. Suite à une analyse des thèmes communs utilisés dans l’interprétation de la santé/du bien-être du groupe en question, un répertoire interprétatif surnommé la famille comme référence a été identifié. Ce répertoire expliquerait notamment la tendance observée d’expliquer leur santé/bien-être en référant aux états et aux charactéristiques d’être parent ou partenaire. Cette pratique peut avoir l’effet de voiler leur vie privée ou de la construire comme étant relativement appauvrie. L’article 2 examine comment les membres de ce groupe construisent leur propre bien-être. Il identifie la notion d’équilibre entre plusieurs sphères de vie et une identité de femme dynamique comme éléments centraux aux récits sur leur bien-être. Ces derniers vont à l’encontre de la perception des célibataires ou des personnes sans enfant comme ayant des vies moins épanouies ou enrichies et qui ne sont pas touchées par des questions de conciliation travail-vie personnelle. Le troisième article rassemble les deux types de récits autour des sujets de l’emploi et du statut de célibataire en lien avec le bien-être. Il met en évidence de nombreuses similarités et divergences, et théorise la fonction de ces diverses constructions. En conclusion, j’avance qu’une perspective plus critique face au statut de couple ou familial et de ses aspects normatifs pourrait offrir à la recherche en santé publique un point de réflexivité à développer davantage. / This thesis examines interpretations of the health and wellbeing of single working women without children (SWWWC) in two types of discourse: that of published research in periodicals (scientific) and that of qualitative interviews with members of this group (lay). Demographically, this group’s numbers are significant (28% of employed Canadian women), however, its health and wellbeing is little visible in research. Within the social sciences, research is burgeoning on the challenging experience of being a single adult in couples-oriented cultures, emphasizing the stigma of this status and also how it may be unwittingly perpetuated through research practices. By defying normative expectations pertaining to coupled and family life, SWWWC appear a useful group from which to assess this claim. Drawing on both scientific and lay accounts allows an exploration of the tensions and convergences between them. Samples of 32 scientific articles and 22 interview transcripts were drawn on in the discourse analysis, guided by the concepts of interpretative repertoire (coherent ways of writing about a topic) and subject positions (identities). This research gave rise to three articles. The first analyzes common themes in the explanation of the health/wellbeing of this group in scientific research and identifies an interpretative repertoire termed the family as reference. This repertoire accounts for the frequent explanation of their health by referring to the states and characteristics of holding parental or partner roles. This could obscure their lives or cast them as relatively impoverished, reinforcing single woman stereotypes. Article 2 examines how members of this population construct their own wellbeing. It identifies notions of balance between various life spheres and a positioning as dynamic as central. These challenge understandings of singles/the childless as having lives lacking in breadth or fulfillment, or as untouched by issues of work-life balance. Article 3 brings the scientific and lay materials together over the topics of singleness and paid work in relation to health and wellbeing, highlighting their many similarities and differences. The possible functions of the various interpretations are theorized. I conclude that a more critical perspective on coupled/family status can offer public health research a point of added reflexivity.

Diploma thesis explores the diversity of demographic behavior depending on marital status and is aimed at summarizing the effect of marital status on demographic behavior as a whole. The first phase deals with the concepts of impact of marital status on demographic behavior, explains the theory of selection and causality and outlines the historical development of nuptiality and divorce by using basic indicators. The practical part is based on the results of Population and Housing Censuses during the period 1961-2011 and compares the changes in the structure of the Czech population by sex, age and marital status between censuses. Emphasis is placed on the period after 1990. Furthermore, in separate chapters is mapped out how marital status affects demographic processes of fertility, abortion, nuptiality and mortality. In the case of fertility exploration is emphasized increasing extramarital fertility, as more and more children are born outside marriage, especially to single mothers. By using age-specific and standardized rates are analyzed changes in the development of individual demographic processes between censuses for all categories of marital status. Standardization of mortality for the years 1961, 1970 and 1980 is made on the basis of the formation of shortened life tables and the subsequent modeling of mortality at higher ages. In connection of changing structure of the population by marital status, as the proportion of unmarried and divorced people is growing and the share of people living in a marriage is decreasing, is judged attitude of the Czech public toward marriage and family according to surveys results available.

The purpose of this research was to obtain empirical evidence regarding the knowledge and attitudes among graduate social work students. It examines the relationship between age, previous sex education, marital status and the amount of human sexuality knowledge.

MA (Sociology) / Department of Sociology / Death and bereavement are sensitive issues experienced by all mortal species across the world. When death occurs, some individual are left bereaved. However, all societies have established cultural ways of mourning the dead as a way of healing the bereaved; although it seems the bereavement rituals are decided and performed without the bereaves consent. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of death and bereavement amongst the young Vhavenda widows. The primary objectives of the study were to identify the challenges experienced by young Vhavenda widows in Vhembe District during the time of death and bereavement; establish whether these women are treated with respect, dignity, and compassion during the process of death and bereavement; understand the coping strategies they employed in dealing with death and bereavement and understand their expectations regarding the role to be played by the family and the community. Finally, the study sought to ascertain the overall impact of the process of death and bereavement on widow’s future lives. A qualitative research method was used to collect indepth data through unstructured interviews. The interviews were conducted using a purposeful sampling method among 13 young widows at Tshikombani village in Nzhelele in Vhembe District. Mbigi’s five finger theory of Ubuntu was employed as the main theory aligning with the study. The research findings indicated that most young widows are coerced into performing bereavement rituals while elders made decisions for some. Only one young widow did not have bereavement rituals performed on her. The Findings also indicate that the participants are not fully aware of their rights as women, wives and citizens of South Africa. These raises need for government institutions to address issues concerning human, women and marital rights to the widows specifically in the rural areas of South Africa. / NRF

The purpose of this study is to examine the investment behaviour of women during the current recession and how demographic factors impact psychological biases related to investment behaviour. This research aims to examine the impact of age, marital status, education, income, cultural background and financial literacy on various biases such as overconfidence, confirmation bias, herding behaviour, representativeness bias, anchoring bias, risk- and loss aversion.  A questionnaire was conducted to collect data, resulting in a dataset of 558 observations. Using a deductive approach, based on theories of thirty-six hypotheses was tested using ordered logistic regression analysis. The primary findings revealed multiple connections between the demographic profiles of female investors and their investment behaviours, concerning psychological biases. Furthermore, this paper contributes to the ongoing debate about the relationship between investment behaviour and economic recession and provides stakeholders with valuable insights to tailor their communications and strategies to engage female investors. By analysing existing behavioural finance theories and empirical data, the study aims to improve understanding of women's investment preferences and attitudes across different demographic groups. Finally, the study aims to increase women's interest in managing their wealth and improving their financial decisions.

The economic and population growth have led to the increased volumes of municipal solid waste in South Africa, hence more pressure to the waste management facilities. Municipal solid waste management is a by-product of everyday living, this is the reason why there is an environmental burden caused by waste to the environment. This study was conducted in Pretoria within the three sampled areas, namely: Garsfontein, Marabastad and Pretoria Central Business District (CBD). The rationale of the study was to establish the influence and effects of biographic factors (age, marital status, educational background, gender) and religious conviction on littering. This project constitutes both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. About 150 of the questionnaires were administered to each of the three sampled areas. Therefore, the overall proportion of the respondents was 450. Visual inspection was done in all the three sampled areas to observe the littering status quo and waste management situation in these particular areas. The visual inspection uncovered very interesting findings. It was established that Marabastad was cleaner in the morning than in the late hours while Garsfontein was clean throughout the day. Another problem that was discovered, amongst others was that of the condition of the bins in Marabastad and Pretoria Central Business District (CBD) which was bad compared to Garsfontein. From the questionnaire, it was found that the 72% of elderly respondents (< 36 yrs) are more environmental conscious than the young people (18-35 yrs) who 83% of them claim to litter when there is no bin. Further, among young people, 78% said litter cigarette butts and 93% of these said better street cleanliness would help reduce littering. 72% of adults said religious convictions would help reduce littering. The chi-square and correlation coefficient statistical data analysis methods were used to establish the relationship between different biographic and religious variables. Gender, marital status, monthly income, age and religious conviction were all found to have significant effects on issues regarding littering in the city. / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Science)

臺灣地區近五十年來的人口結構，在婚姻組成上有著相當大的變化。婚姻組成的改變，除了一方面作為瞭解過去社會變遷的重要指標外，對於未來的生育率、勞動力及人口結構等重要事件，都會產生根本性的影響，是瞭解社會變遷的重要指標之一。此外，婚姻組成的改變，背後蘊含的，是臺灣社會對於婚姻的想像及態度的變遷。由於婚姻生活對於個人生命歷程，有著絕對關鍵性的影響，故而，對於婚姻的態度，也直接改變了人們對於自身生命歷程的想像。也正因為如此，對於婚姻組成狀態以及婚姻生命歷程的分析與理解，是作為瞭解臺灣社會變遷的重要參考指標，也正是構成本論文研究的核心議題。 前輩學者在討論類似議題時，採用的方法，乃是透過估算各婚姻狀態(未婚、離婚、有偶、喪偶、死亡)間的轉移率，建構多重狀態遞增遞減婚姻生命表，以理解婚姻的生命歷程變化。 然而，此一方法雖然可以提供我們相當多關於婚姻生命歷程變遷的訊息，卻由於資料的難以取得，使得在估算的結果上，各學者間莫衷一是、無有定論。有鑑於此，在探討此一問題時，本研究不採取上述的路徑，而是採用目前在學界公認較為穩定的估算方法--「蘇立文法」。此法雖然透露的訊息，不如多重狀態遞增遞減婚姻生命表來得豐富，卻可以提供我們對於各婚姻狀態別預期壽命相對穩定且可靠的訊息。 在上述討論的脈絡下，本研究以「蘇立文法」，透過1956、1966 、1980、1990、2000年五次的普查資料，配合相對應年度的「國民生命表」，建構這五個年度的「年齡別婚姻生命表」，企圖勾勒臺灣地區近五十年來婚姻生命歷程的變遷。 本論文研究的結果發現，隨著預期壽命的不斷延長，臺灣地區人口處於未婚的預期時間不斷增加，未婚佔其一生壽命的比例也持續上升。同時，離婚的預期時間增加，喪偶的預期時間減少，顯示人們一生中處於鰥寡狀態的比例下降。而可能造成婚姻解組的主要風險，從過去的「喪偶」轉變為「離婚」。另外值得注意的是，雖然未婚、離婚的預期時間增加，生命中總共處於有偶狀態的比例，卻幾乎沒有下降。顯見未婚時間的延長，代表的不是人們不進入婚姻，而是「延後進入婚姻」；離婚時間延長，不是人們從此處於單身，而是很可能透過再婚，再次進入婚姻狀態。 承上所述，本研究發現，由於晚婚、離婚、不婚、再婚等等現象的盛行，過去集中且單一的適婚年齡，開始變得分散、延後。人們可能進入婚姻的時間，不僅僅限於過去的「三十大關」，而是整個的延後。同時，婚姻的歷程，不再如過去單一且穩定的「未婚-有偶-(喪偶)-死亡」，而是像「未婚-(有偶)-(離婚)—(再婚)-(喪偶)-(有偶)-(喪偶)-死亡」一般，呈現相對多元、複雜的婚姻生命歷程。