Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2002. / Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 170-178).

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This study explored Black women’s perceptions of the impact of women’s changing socio-economic status on their intimate relationships. The study used the theoretical resources of social constructionism and feminism. Seven Black women (African, ‘Coloured’, and Indian) were recruited from a banking and an academic institution using convenience non-probability sampling technique. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data which was analysed using thematic analysis. The study found that participants viewed the change in women’s socio-economic status and roles as rendering some women more vulnerable to abuse. The participants reported that women’s shift in socio-economic status imposes a threat to masculinity leaving some men feeling intimidated, insecure, and emasculated. Most men were seen as responding to their feelings of intimidation by leaving their partners for a less financially independent woman, or by abusing their current partners. Some men were considered to use domestic violence to exert their power and control over women, express their authority, as well as police and maintain the boundaries of femininity and masculinity. Analysis indicated that for a number of reasons women continue to remain vulnerable to experiencing domestic violence irrespective of their socio-economic status. It was also evident in the study that some working women find themselves in a dilemma of choosing between their careers and family. Some self-reliant wives were seen as having to forfeit senior occupational ranks due to the expectation that their husbands would be disapproving and unsupportive. The respondents stated that other financially stable women are reluctant to marry because they fear being controlled, losing their sense of autonomy, and the ability to make their own decisions without seeking their husbands’ approval. However, it also revealed in this study that women’s changing financial status was seen as entitling them with power and control of their sexuality. As the result, women seem to perceive men as being under pressure to be romantic and satisfy their partners’ sexual needs so as to maintain the relationship. This study highlights an important area for further research as it is likely that the shift in Black women’s socioeconomic status will continue to impact and shape heterosexual relationships in particular ways. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Research shows that the initial honeymoon phase of a marriage dissolves after some time and differences between the couple begin to hamper the harmony in the relationship. One of these differences is that attributed to gender. This study attempts to study these phases of the relationship. It approaches this issue from an inductive standpoint to counterbalance the deductive quality that pervades most literature in this field. A mixed qualitative and quantitative design was selected in a multiple case study format. An open style interview preceded and followed a Q-sorting exercise. Ten individuals (five couples) who have been married between five and ten years were studied. For several reasons, including the need to widen the cultural base of the research field, the study was conducted in Malta, a Mediterranean culture. The information provided by each participant (called coresearcher here to indicate the empowerment accorded to them in the research), was organized by re-casting it into a narrative form. The accuracy of the narrative was additionally validated by the respective co-researcher and an independent reviewer. The purpose was to construct individual and common stories of the marriage f r om the perspective of difference and harmony. Comparisons between individuals and gender revealed common factors, indicating the generic path of these relationships, and individual factors based on previous history, personality, gender and culture Individual life thanes, the dialectic pattern of relating, and phases i n the relationships were identified. Finally, the results were compared to previous research on love, relational development, gender differences, and attachment. The model of the dialectic was found to be a useful tool for understanding relationships and integrating research. Finally, the implications of this study on counselling, and possibilities for further research were discussed.

The purpose of this preliminary and exploratory research project was to identify possible links between insecure male attachment patterns and wife assault. Attachment theory suggests that the quality of early interpersonal relationships has a profound effect on the psychological, emotional and social development of the individual. Insecure attachment has been found to be associated with a number of relationship problems and these interpersonal problems have also been identified with men who assault their wives. Based on this similarity, the insecure attachment paradigm may offer a useful theoretical orientation for understanding the conflict behaviours of men who assault their wives. The sample of fifty adult men who had assaulted their female partners was drawn from two therapy groups. In this preliminary and exploratory study, a number of measures were used to assess each man's mental representation of childhood attachment and his adult intimate attachment patterns, intimate conflict tactics and interpersonal jealousy and anger problems. The associations between insecure preoccupied, dismissing, and fearful attachment pattern ratings and male conflict tactic and relationship problems were then analyzed. The findings indicated that men who assault their wives had a high proportion of insecure adult intimate attachment patterns. These assaultive men were also found to be predominantly insecure in both their mental representations of childhood attachment and adult intimate attachment pattern ratings, with the greatest continuity occurring with the insecure preoccupied and fearful pattern ratings. Three patterns of relationship problems corresponding to the three insecure adult intimate attachment pattern rating were found. Preoccupied attachment pattern ratings were positively correlated with interpersonal jealousy scores and the reported use of the reasoning, verbal/symbolic abuse, physical abuse and severe physical abuse conflict tactics. Dismissing attachment pattern ratings were positively correlated with interpersonal anger scores and negatively correlated with the reasoning, verbal, physical and severe physical abuse conflict tactics. Fearful attachment pattern ratings were similar to the dismissing pattern in the positive correlation with interpersonal anger scores. The importance of considering insecure adult intimate attachment pattern ratings when providing group therapy to men who assault their wives was considered. Men with high insecure dismissing adult intimate attachment pattern ratings seem to require a distinctly different therapeutic approach than those with high insecure preoccupied adult intimate attachment pattern ratings and ideas in this regard are discussed.

This dissertation applies the theoretical perspective of gender relations and develops methods to understand and analyze the movement of women from the center of social systems to its margins when these systems are undergoing rapid socio-economic and political change. This research responded to the pressing need for the application of newer, more appropriate theoretical and methodological perspectives to examine shifting power relations between women and men in areas undergoing transformation. In the case study, I investigate the locus of power in a system of cooperatives in the Departement du Nord, Haiti and discover how and why female members are being relegated to the periphery of this development programme. I find that a system of gender-based social power is causing unequal opportunities and oppressive power relations for female members in the cooperatives. I analyze how and why this system of social power causes conflict when the interests of female and male members differ in the cooperatives and I explore strategies for change. This dissertation also contributes to a greater understanding of the power dynamics which exist when one group holds different preferences and practices to the dominant group whose framework is the one considered acceptable in the society.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2008. / In recent years, more studies are exploring how contextual factors may influence mate preferences. Based on social learning theory, power, attitudes towards egalitarian gender roles, and type of mating were expected to influence women's romantic preferences for physical attractiveness and for resources. An online questionnaire was administered to a community sample and data analyses were employed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA). Results showed that, as women's power increased, women showed increased preferences for physical attractiveness and sexiness in potential short-term mates and increased preference for intelligence in potential long-term mates. Power and attitudes were also found to be significant in predicting women's preferences for physical attractiveness relative to potential earning capacity in both short-term and long-term mating conditions. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-92). / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / 92 leaves, bound 29 cm

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2007 / Typescript. Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Social Work. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-47).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--The University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 164-195).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Union Institute & University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-177).