Thesis (MA(Prakt. Teol.)--University of Pretoria, 2005? / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-72)

The purpose of this study was to better understand how older widows recover from bereavement after their husbands death. The second aim was to find out about common recovery methods and also if there were any particular personal qualities which helped the widows to regain strength after their loss. The study is based on qualitative interviews with seven widows at the minimum age of 75 years. The essay has a phenomenological approach and include three theories; psychodynamic theory, crisis theory and sense of coherence. The results are analyzed on the basis of five themes which were consistently in all of the interviews. The conclusion of the study is that one of the most important thing when older widow try to recover from bereavement is their possibility to talk about their grief. Other helpful things in recovery work for widows were their faith in God and the support they received from their church. Another important factor, is how widows who mourn can find solace in the relationship with their pet.

"Human rights instruments have come a long way in the protection of women generally. This is evident in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and more specifically, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). At the regional level, the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (the African Charter) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women (The Women's Protocol to the African Charter), have made commendable strides in protecting the rights of women in Africa. In all of these instruments, however, not much attention is devoted to certain specific categories of women. This generalization of the law has created a situation in which certain groups of women, such as widows, are not adequately protected from abuse. This unfortunate observation is further buttressed by the fact that issues concerning widows are rarely on the agenda of most international conferences. Interestingly, domestic legislation in many African countries, such as Uganda, have drawn inspiration from international human rigths instruments in protecting the rights of women. In many instances even widows seem adequately protected by national legislation. Ironically, the situation on the ground in most African countries will reveal that notwithstanding all these developments, the rights of widows are actually being violated with impunity. This is attributable to the fact that most African countries have multiple legal systems where there is an interplay of national statutory law, common law and customary law. The customary law recognizes traditional and cultural practices, which discriminate against women, and which in the final analysis negates all attempts by international, regional and national legislation that are geared towards the protection of the rights of women. This is evident from such practices as the customary inheritance practices and rites which widows are subjected to across the entire continent. This situation is further aggravated by the fact that most widows who bear the brunt of these discriminatory practices are those found in rural societies, where illiteracy is high and ignorance of law (particularly written law) is rife. Uganda, like most African states, has an impressive number of legislation that seeks to protect widows. However, empirical evidence as to what actually happens in reality proves that these laws are but mere words on paper that have no practical effect. The problem that this paper seeks to address is whether international, regional and indeed Ugandan domestic law have proven adequate in protecting widows in Uganda against derogatory, dehumanizing and discriminatory customary widowhood practices or rites." -- Introduction. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2003. / Prepared under the supervision of Dr. Henry Onoria, Faculty of Law, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

The Thesis "Widow in the mystery of the Church" deals with the theme of widowhood. First part of the Thesis introduces its sources, starting with a brief summary of information from the Bible, the Old Testament and the New Testament, continuing with topic-related works of church fathers and closing with an examination of church documents. Two life dispositions, which are recommended to widows, themselves present based on the above mentioned sources. Firstly a new marriage, which is recommended to young women, and secondly this is devoted way of life. Second part of Thesis deals with the fundamental choice a widow has to make and explores widowhood as a life disposition. It looks closely at various stages of said choice and explores various factors, which influence its formation. The Thesis shows, that within the fundamental choice a free decision is always included. Important factors in the decision-making process include interacted helping grace, love and rewards. Among significant aspects of a widow's inner life are asceticism, sacrifice, chastity and prayer. The Thesis closes with marriage and devotion.

No description available.

Widowhood is an experience that typically brings about many changes in the lives of surviving spouses, and the resources available for coping may be limited, particularly for elderly persons. Specific variables which influence the ability of men and women to cope with the changes brought about by widowhood have not been identified completely. No one has examined the extent to which widowed persons are able to manage resources so they can continue performing personal and household functions. It is reasonable to assume that this type of continuity is a necessary foundation for overall adjustment to widowhood. Empirical data used in this study are from a larger project entitled "Continuity of Household Task Performance During Widowhood", supported by the AARP-Andrus Foundation. The Household Task Performance model was applied to examine gender differences in household task performance before and during widowhood and variables associated with strategy choice for maintenance of continuity of household task performance during widowhood. Respondents to the personal interviews were 173 household heads (38 males and 135 females), aged 60 to 91 years, who had been widowed 5 years or less and lived in Southwest Virginia. Respondents were located using public records and personal referrals. Widowers received more help than widows. Widowers widowed for longer time periods assumed personal responsibility for fewer tasks than their more recently widowed counterparts. Women widowed for shorter periods performed more of their own tasks than women widowed for a longer time. Both widows and widowers were maintaining continuity despite the generally lower skill level in household tasks for males Two strategies for maintaining this continuity were identified: (1) use and/or development of the widowed person's own resources, and (2) substitution of the labor of others for the performance of household tasks. Multiple regression analysis identified 5 predictors of household task performance strategy choice: health status, household task performance resources and resource demands, household task performance skills and knowledge, normative expectations for gender role, and initial adjustment difficulty. / Ph. D.

This study was an investigation of loneliness among widowed elders using a model conceptually based on symbolic interaction theory. Symbolic interaction theorists contend that people are active, self-directing, and creative individuals who adjust to dramatic situational changes such as widowhood by defining the transition according to its symbolic meaning and their current perspective of the event. The loneliness model suggested that certain background characteristics, personality resources (morale and mastery), and perceived levels of social support would influence the sample’s perspective and definition of the social reality of widowhood, and thereby, serve to facilitate or impede the development of feelings of loneliness. In contrast to most studies of loneliness among widowed elders, this study included males (n=38) as well as females (n=135) and both short-term (6-24 months) and long-term (25-60 months) widowed persons. Participants were healthy, educated, unmarried community residents aged 69 to 91 years. In general, the sample was well adjusted with high levels of social support, morale and mastery, and low levels of loneliness. Data analyses included bivariate correlations, tests, and multiple regression. The regression analysis revealed that morale and the social provision of emotional attachment and morale were the strongest predictors of loneliness in the regression model (R²=.39). The results of the study partially supported the proposed model of loneliness. The findings also served to further substantiate Weiss's theory of relational provisions and the importance of various social provisions, especially attachment, in countering feelings of loneliness during widowhood in later life. / Ph. D.

Social support has been shown to lessen the negative effects of life stress on psychological and physical health. The stress buffering model and the main effects model of social support were compared using two samples of women over the age of 50 who were either married or recently widowed. These two groups represent low and high uncontrollable major life stress respectively. Other life stress events were also taken into account. Measures assessed current level of life stress, perceived social support, satisfaction with social support, and psychological symptomatology. Results using overall psychological health as the dependent variable support the main effects model.

林娟芬. / 論文(博士)--香港中文大學, 1999. / 參考文獻 (p. 341-364) / 中英文摘要. / Available also through the Internet via Dissertations & theses @ Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Lin Juanfen. / Lun wen (Bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 1999. / Can kao wen xian (p. 341-364) / Zhong Ying wen zhai yao.

M.A. / Widowhood is a condition of an incomplete family structure resulting from death. Its consequences such as the absence of the father and husband can be aggravated, decreased or neutralised due to the effects of other conditions, relating to the availability of funds, relatives and community services. Widowhood presents problems and difficulties that most widowed people have to face. The elderly widows are faced with learning to live alone; leaving their own homes and adjusting to life with relatives; financial problems; and immediate care and support. The young widows, in addition, are faced with problems relating to decision-making; managing large sums of money; child upbringing; dispute with in-laws, relatives and older children over the death benefits and estate; lack of support and development programmes for young widows. Widows experience multiple problems that are more common in nature and necessitate a more preventative and developmental approach. Widows' problems are often ignored as, in most instances, they are classified as single mothers, like divorced or unmarried mothers, without paying special attention to the specific condition of widows in particular. Special community and organisational programmes to support and empower widows to cope with social, emotional and economic situations are lacking. Delamont (1980:221) argue that, yet not only is the evidence that being widowed catches most women unprepared financially, socially and emotionally, the study of women in this predicament has been neglected. The problems and factors associated with the management of death benefits by widows have also been neglected.