Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 139-148). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 139-148). Also available on the Internet.

This dissertation applies the life course framework to understanding gender differences in the connection between academic performance and mental health. The premise for this study is based on the paradox that girls perform better in school but get less of a boost to their sense of well being from their achievement relative to boys. The life course perspective focuses both on how different pathways, such as academics and mental health, intertwine and the need to study important transitions, such as the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. This research addresses this transition by considering the consequences of the gender paradox on college enrollment and persistence. The quantitative analyses utilize Waves I, II, and III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Results indicate that academic performance and depression were positively correlated for girls and negatively correlated for boys. Adolescent gender differences in depression are driven by the high achieving segment of the student population because girls tend to get less of a mental health boost from earning good grades across the board. This is especially pronounced in high school. The end result is a slight chipping away at the well-documented advantages girls have in postsecondary education. / text

published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing in Advanced Practice

 At present, adolescent girls in Hong Kong face increasing pressure from society as most adults believe these girls are rebellious, promiscuous, apathetic, and dependent. In order to examine these claims, this study explores the following: 1) ‘Post-90s’ girls’ perceptions about themselves and the labels ‘Post-80s’ and ‘Post-90s’; 2) how they participate in social movements to redefine their identities as daughters, students, young women, and Hong Kong citizens; 3) their family relationship and their strategies to manage family expectations; and 4) their experiences in the social movements they join, and the effects of their participation on their social and personal lives. I adopt the post-structuralist feminist perspective to explore six girl activists’ agency, life choices, and strategies in managing their relationships within their families, schools, and communities. I follow the interpretivist constructivist approach in examining the process by which these girls give meanings to their practices and personal relationships. I employ methods such as focus group, participant observation, and in-depth interviews to explore their desires, need for social recognition, and life constraints. The results reveal that girl activists want autonomy from their parents. They need their teachers and schoolmates to appreciate their non-academic achievements. They crave society’s acknowledgment of their non-economic contributions in mobilising social change and the cultural values of local cultural heritages and natural landscapes. In the social movements, they want to make new friends who share their visions about social development. They also wish to learn new skills and knowledge from the movements and be able to use them in their daily lives. There are four main interpersonal strategies that the girls employ to manage their personal relationships: 1) they negotiate, 2) deploy alternative identities, 3) make media exposure, and 4) become pioneers to educate their parents, teachers, and schoolmates. They also employ other strategies to mobilise social movements (including the use of cosplay, arts, and alternative media exposure) and draw people’s attention to the causes that concern them. Thus, I argue that the post-90s girl activists distinguish themselves from the ‘Kong Nui’. They believe that Kong Nuis are indifferent to social issues, are uninterested in politics and activism, and would rather focus on consuming branded products. To distinguish themselves from the Kong Nuis, the post-90s girl activists adopt alternative lifestyles (e.g., becoming farmers) and unconventional attitudes towards social development. They are aware that mainstream people regard them as awkward, and they do feel frustrated about being belittled. Nevertheless, they are happy if they can enlighten other people about socio-political injustices in Hong Kong and finding alternative lifestyles. This research has three major contributions. It identifies various ways for young women to make themselves young women icons. It also discusses the new social problems that concern the girl activists, including government-business collusion and ‘property hegemony’. It also demonstrates that, apart from sexual, affective and material desires, teenage girls also need social recognition. Girl activists struggle to be recognised as full members in their families, schools, communities and Hong Kong society by actively participating in social movements. / published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Master / Master of Philosophy

Not available

Thesis (MTech. degree in Nursing)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2010. / Teenage pregnancy is a major public health problem for this age group in many countries. The consequences of early childbearing are a reduced likelihood of school completion and a decreased opportunity of a high earning career. The motivation of this study was twofold, the increase in the terminations of pregnancies in Soshanguve and the lack of guidelines for health professionals to prevent teenage pregnancy. The research question for the study was using the Johnson Behavioural System Model as basis.

High adolescent childbearing in South Africa has been sustained over several decades (Kaufman, De Wet and Stadler, 2001:149). Findings from the South African Demographic Health Survey (1998) show that 35 percent of 19-year-old girls had given birth at least once (DoH, 1999). Early childbearing can affect the economic, social and physical well-being of the mother and child. In addition young women who are sexually active are also at high risk of HIV infection and other STIs (Rutenberg, Kaufman, McIntyre, Brown and Karim, 2003). Apart from the health risks, there are also social consequences of early childbearing. Studies that have examined the factors influencing early childbearing show that there is a variation in the prevalence of early childbearing that is by place of residence (rural vs. urban), educational attainment, socio-economic status and population group (Palmuleni, Kalule-Sabiti.and Makiwane, 2007; Dickson, 2003). However, there have been few studies that explore the influence of family structure on early childbearing and sexual intercourse. In an attempt to tease out family influences on teenage sexual behaviour, recent literature explores the correlation of timing of sexual activity and childbearing among sibling pairs. Findings confirm that a sister’s sexual initiation and timing of childbearing and other forms of family formation have an independent strong effect on the timing of family formation for a younger sibling (East, 1996). Exploring a sister’s influence in the context of high early childbearing, such as one observed in South Africa, could contribute in understanding escalating teenage pregnancies and childbearing. The 1998 South African Demographic Health Survey will be used to analyse the sexual behaviour patterns of young women between 15 and 24 years of age, focusing specifically on their age at sexual debut, and age and the covariates associated with teenage pregnancy. These results show that having an older sister who has given birth to a child during adolescence could influence the age at which a younger sister has a child and her age at sexual debut. From the results sisters could be a strategic population to target for pregnancy prevention, which would help reduce early childbearing and also the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

The challenges of adolescence include negotiating risk behaviours such as alcohol use. The high prevalence and frequency of alcohol use among adolescents has been noted with concern, as has the rapidly decreasing age of initiation. Adolescent alcohol use has been found to be associated with numerous factors at intra-personal, inter-personal and contextual levels. This study aimed to explore qualitatively the perceived underlying factors related to alcohol use and binge drinking among adolescent boys, as identified and explained by the boys themselves. Exploration of these factors was guided by Brofenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the Prototype/Willingness Model and Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. The study population was comprised of male learners who were at that time in Grade 11 at the school and ranged in age from 16 to 18 years. Three focus group discussions were conducted, each comprising between 8-11 male learners, which were transcribed and analysed thematically in order to identify commonalties and variances among the responses of participants. The Nvivo software program was used to aid analysis. The findings of this study indicate that there are a variety of factors which influence adolescent alcohol use, and which operate individually as well as cumulatively. While adolescent boys are aware of the consequences of alcohol use and binge drinking, they often do not perceive themselves to be vulnerable to these risks. Protective factors include the school identity, team activities such as sports, and a sense of future. In conclusion, adolescent alcohol use is extremely complicated as it is impacted by multiple factors, and thus an awareness and greater understanding of the nature in which these factors interact are important for future interventions. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

In this thesis, I explore and critique the content of the fashion teen magazine CosmoGirl. Through a bricolage of methods, I examine the magazine's representation of teen femininity and compare it to the editor's "pro-feminist" initial goal and intended social role for the publication. / Drawing upon previous studies, and linking my findings to established theories, I analyze the possible relationship between the publication's content and the influence this media genre has on the social development of young women. / My research findings show that CosmoGirl's portrayal of femininity is stereotypical, patriarchal and unrealistic and that such representation perpetuates negative and destructive feelings in young women. / In my discussion, I explore possible reasons for the lack of representation of the editor's goal for the magazine within the magazine's overall discourse. I also discuss the importance of media literacy in education as a means to alter today's media, so its representation of women becomes truthful.