This thesis examines the emergence and subsequent development of feminist activist service groups in Aotearoa/New Zealand feminist movements from the 1970s to the 1990s. It specifically considers, the Women's Centres, Women's Health Collectives, Women's Refuges and Rape Crisis groups. Feminism in the groups was closely linked to the internal processes of organising as a collective based on 'women's ways of working'. The groups merged a radical feminist political orientation with a service orientation as they developed services 'for women by women'. The study was based on a qualitative analysis of published and unpublished documents of activist service groups, and open-ended interviews with 65 women discussing their experiences of working in activist service groups. Two distinct phases of change to the internal organisation of the groups between 1970 and 1999 have been identified and examined. In the first phase, (1970s - 1980s), radical feminist collective ways of working acquired the status of a taken for granted institutional norm among the groups. These groups organised as women-only collectives, utilised consensus decision-making, embodied ideals of non-hierarchy, and had aspirations of sisterhood between women. The second phase (from the late 1980s) was marked by modification of the radical feminist collective, as groups experienced internal and external pressures to adopt bureaucratic practices. Major pressures included the shift by the state to contract funding of the groups, the changing participation of paid and unpaid workers in the daily work of the groups, and the increasing formal differentiation between employers and employees. These changes were a major source of conflict and tension, as the groups modified their organisations to include differentiation of roles, specialisation of positions and formal hierarchy. At the same time groups sustained aspects of radical feminist collective organising. Dealing with differences was a major site of tension and conflict in the activist service groups. Groups implemented various strategies to address differences between women in relation to race/ethnicity, sexuality and class. A major focus of the groups was the development of bicultural relations between Māori and non-Māori. Models of biculturalrelations in the predominantly Pākehā groups ranged from increasing Māori representation in the groups, to the formation of alliances between independent groups or alliances between ethnic-specific groups in the same organisation. These strategies were mostly framed in terms of a binary opposition between oppressed and oppressor, and along a single axis of oppression. Nevertheless, the groups' attempts to 'deal with differences' between women were important in challenging assumptions of genderbased commonality between all women. In spite of these conflicts and associated changes, participants in the activist service groups attempted to maintain inclusive, non-hierarchical, empowering organisations 'for women by women'. In the 1990s, many of the feminist activist service groups continued to pursue democratic collective ways of working and to engage in a politics of difference in their organisations.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-140).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-05, Section: A, page: 1799. Advisers: Antoinette Burton; Robert Markley. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-220) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

<p> In 1916, Ellen Quinlan Donnelly aka Nelly Don started a fashion empire from her humble Kansas City home. She became one of the wealthiest and most celebrated American women in business with a career that spanned well into the 1960s. The Nelly Don Empire reportedly sold more dresses in the 20th century than any other single person in the United States, and she started as a Lindenwood College student. </p><p> This study investigated Nell Quinlan Donnelly the &ldquo;Grand Lady&rdquo; of the garment industry beyond her millionaire status and revolutionary business leadership at Donnelly Garment Company. The reexamination of Nell Quinlan Donnelly&rsquo;s 60 year relationship with Lindenwood College began in 1907 as the first married student to attend. Donnelly graduated in 1909 with a Seminary Diploma and later became a phenomenal business, civic, and educational leader. </p><p> The significance of Nell Quinlan Donnelly&rsquo;s relationship with Lindenwood College has been identified by her recognition of the changing role of young women post World War II. Donnelly, a visionary leader, and a member of the Lindenwood Board of Directors and several other administrative boards, encouraged developing programs that focused on mathematics and computer science. Donnelly challenged Lindenwood education leaders with the idea of &ldquo;reaching beyond traditional confines of Liberal Arts programs and to expand student experiences that would offer &lsquo;unlimited opportunities&rsquo; for young women&rdquo; (Lindenwood Board of Director notes 1944 &amp; 1962; Ebling &amp; Kavanaugh, 1980). The foresight of &ldquo;unlimited opportunities&rdquo; afforded to young women as envisioned by Nell Quinlan Donnelly would prove her to be a woman ahead of her time and one of Lindenwood&rsquo;s most loyal and dedicated educational leaders.</p><p>

Boston University. University Professors Program Senior theses. / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-02

<p> This dissertation considers the characteristics of a sacred feminine perspective toward death and dying in today&rsquo;s United States. A sacred feminine perspective as brought to the deathbed by women healers respects the sanctity of life; intuitively adopts a holistic perspective; and <i> witnesses</i>, not observes, the dying through active engagement on physical, psychological, and spiritual levels. A sacred feminine perspective affirms the dying person&rsquo;s journey as one of self-acceptance and release. To explore this perspective&rsquo;s healing power, I pose the following question: <i> How can end-of-life caregiving and religious perspectives on dying be integrated toward a spiritual feminist perspective to create a new paradigm of care for the dying person?</i> </p><p> To answer this inquiry, I explored from a phenomenological perspective the stories from end-of-life caregivers, primarily in the United States, as well as literature from other healing modalities to develop a framework that may be used by those assisting the dying. The methodologies I utilized for this study are women&rsquo;s spiritual ways of knowing, including spiritual feminist hermeneutics. In my research, I applied narrative analysis&mdash;integrating organic and intuitive inquiry methods&mdash;to relevant literature, including stories from end-of-life caregivers about the types of care used in their work, as well as their interpretations of the dying persons&rsquo; experiences. This methodological integration allowed me to achieve a more nuanced understanding of the human experience of dying, and to develop and enhance skillful means for the sacred work of midwifing death. </p><p> In this theoretical study, I propose a model called the Body-Soul-Spirit Positionality Paradigm, which holds that each person lives as well as dies primarily through one of three dimensions of self: the body, the soul (defined here as feelings and thoughts), or the spirit. A major objective of this dissertation is the development and illustration of the Body-Soul-Spirit Positionality Paradigm as a practical/theoretical framework for addressing the specific physical, emotional/mental, and spiritual needs of the dying person to help them truly rest in peace. </p><p> By understanding the dying person&rsquo;s positionality, the end-of-life doula will be able to provide personalized access to effective healing modalities such as the implementation of positionality blessing cards.</p><p>

In 2014, a series of shocking and seemingly random acid attacks against women took place in the Iranian city of Esfahan. The attacks by unknown assailants sparked widespread reactions from the public, outside commentators, and especially social and political activists focused on women‘s issues. Subsequently, the tragic event also prompted thousands of people to take to the streets to protest the violence and demand the authorities to secure women‘s safety in the public spaces. Drawing on historical and media research along with semi-structured in-depth interviews, this thesis investigates how the wave of acid attacks managed to inspire subsequent mass political mobilizations. Situating the Esfahan acid attacks within the historical and political history of Iran, this thesis suggests that heterogeneous forms of women‘s rights activism cannot be viewed as simply pro-Western or Islamic. Drawing on the detailed analysis of the post-revolutionary history, this thesis shows how women‘s rights and bodily presence in public space in Iran have often played a central role in contemporary political mobilizations. In that sense, protests generated by the Esfahan incident represent a continuation of the long history of politicization of women‘s bodies, which continues to take new forms to this day.

<p> The New Journalism Movement chronicled a decade of social turbulence in America by breaking the rules of traditional journalism and embracing narrative elements in the writing and publication of literary nonfiction. The magazine publishing industry was controlled by men, and the history of this transitional time in journalism has been chronicled by men, neglecting to recognize the significant contributions of women working in their midst. This study shines a light on the historical narrative that defines our understanding of the significance and key contributors to the New Journalism Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. </p><p> To better understand the way social change was defined by the writing of New Journalists, a more inclusive history of those who contributed is essential. This study provides a narrative analysis of representative magazine writing by Joan Didion, Gail Sheehy, and Gloria Steinem to recognize their contributions and to illustrate how gender influenced the style, content and perspective of the New Journalism Movement.</p><p>

This thesis describes the way 50 women in London experienced motherhood. It is based on in-depth interviews with 25 working-class and 25 middle-class women, living with their husbands, with 2, 3 or 4 children, at least one of whom was under 5. First, the views on motherhood of biological perspectives (psychoanalysis and ethology) and social perspectives (sociology and social anthropology) are critically reviewed and the framework and methods for the empirical study are spelled out. Central to this framework is the distinction between two dimensions of experience: immmediate response (enjoyment or irritation) to caring for children, and, sense of meaning and purpose which may or may not be experienced in such care. The main body of the thesis is a description of the women's experience in terms of these two dimensions. Successive chapters outline the irritation which the women expressed with the demanding nature of preschool children; with the organization and setting of child care; and with the sense of loss of individuality felt in motherhood. A following chapter describes the sense of meaning and purpose which the women conveyed as arising from feeling needed and wanted by their children and from investing hopes, dreams and ambitions in them. From these accounts, a four-fold typology of experiences of motherhood is developed. The influence of a husband's practical help and emotional support on a woman's experience is also examined. Throughout, social class differences are a particular focus of attention. A third dimension of experience, satisfaction with maternity, is then distinguished and the limitations of conventional measures of satisfaction are drawn out by a comparison of the interviewer and self-reported assessments. Finally, an attempt is made to place the women's experience in a cross-cultural perspective which highlights the difficult and demanding circumstances in which they cared for their children.

<p>Crossing the Invisible Fence: The Quality of Mentoring Relationships in the Careers of Successful Women Patricia A. Velazquez ABSTRACT Despite a substantial disparity between the levels of professional success achieved by women as compared to men, many women achieve professional success in their fields. This study utilizes thematic analysis of in-depth interviews to explore the life experiences of a sample of eight professional women. The questions that guided this research were (1) How are early relationships related to women?s capacity to envision a professional future and to utilize mentoring relationships? and (2) What are the factors that contribute to women?s success? The interviews were conducted and analyzed using a narrative approach. Eight consistent themes were identified in the lives of these women that contributed to their career success. These themes are the experience of attunement, esteem-building messages, sources of inspiration, challenges that were overcome and that promoted increased-self-esteem, notable personal qualities, a clear career path, and success defined in terms of contribution to others. Furthermore, mentoring and early relationships played an important role in these women?s success, and the quality of early relationships was found to have shaped the kind of mentoring experienced as helpful. In particular, attunement and empathy in a mentor were essential. Interestingly, good mentors were not found to be gender specific. KEYWORDS: MENTORING, ATTUNEMENT, INTERSUBJECTIVITY, INVISIBLE FENCE, NARRATIVE APPROACH, CAREER SUCCESS