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This study is an attempt to discover how women participating in the mid-nineteenth century migration to Oregon viewed the westward journey and themselves in relationship to it. It is not a survey of the responses of all women in the westward movement, but, rather, an exploration of the perspective of those women who left a written record of their perceptions or recollections. The thesis focuses on the diaries and reminiscences of women travelling, primarily but not exclusively, in the years 1851-1853. The introductory material consists of a review of the existing historical literature on women and the West, and a discussion of the methods and assumptions used in the thesis. Following this is a short sketch of the history of the migration to Oregon. The major part of the thesis is organized around five themes which emerge from women’s diaries and reminiscences.

Thesis (MA) -- Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study will review the literature on resilience in adult female childhood sexual abuse survivors with specific focus on incestuous abuse. Adults with histories of sexual abuse are categorised as either resilient or non-resilient on the basis of current functioning. Characteristics of the family of origin and its perceived contribution to the child sexual abuse are discussed. The developmental psychopathology literature addressing issues of resilience and vulnerability to stresses is addressed. The theoretical concepts of resilience, as they relate to protective mechanisms are discussed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingstuk bied 'n oorsig oor die literatuur met betrekking tot die herstelvermoe van volwasse vroulike persone wat as kinders seksueel mishandel is, met besondere klem op bloedskandelike mishandeling. Volwassenes met 'n geskiedenis van seksuele mishandeling word op grond van hulle huidige funksionering beskryf as Of in staat om te herstel of nie daartoe in staat nie. Kenmerke van die gesin van oorsprong en die waargenome bydrae van die gesin tot die seksuele mishandeling van kinders word bespreek. Die literatuur met betrekking tot ontwikkelingsgerigte psigopatologie gee aandag aan vraagstukke met betrekking tot herstelvermoe en kwesbaarheid teen die agtergrond van stres. Die teoretiese konsepte van herstelvermoe, en die verband daarvan met beskermende meganismes, word ook bespreek.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of this paper was to review the available literature concerning how low-income women experience their heterosexual relationships. Particular attention was paid to the constructs of social support and intimacy which have both been cited as important variables for coping with stress. It was found that, despite there being more stressors associated with poverty, very little research has been conducted on lowincome women. However, when comparing the available literature, there seem to be important differences between low-income and middle-class women's expectations regarding heterosexual relationships. The literature suggests that for low-income women, heterosexual relationships can often be experienced as an additional source of stress, particularly as traditional gender roles playa greater role in expectations regarding the provision of social support. It therefore seems as though some low-income women, in a bid not to submit to traditional role expectations, choose to stay single and strive for financial independence in order to retain power within heterosexual relationships. The need for intimacy was not clearly articulated by low-income women but a desire for a sexually faithful partner was expressed. Although it seemed as though low-income women did not expect social support or intimacy from their male partners, they did articulate other specific expectations. The literature suggested that low-income women could reliably expect sex and the conception of children. from their heterosexual relationships but that their other expectations were often disappointed. However, heterosexual relationships are considered an important means for low-income women to gain status within the community. Finally, the current review of the literature highlighted the considerable overlap between the constructs of social support and intimacy. In conclusion, further research needs to be conducted (particularly in South Africa) in order to determine how low-income women experience their heterosexual relationships. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was om 'n oorsig te kry van die beskikbare literatuur oor laeinkomstevroue se ervaring van hulle heteroseksuele verhoudings. Aandag is in die besonder gegee aan die konstrukte van sosiale ondersteuning en intimiteit, wat albei as belangrike veranderlikes tydens die hantering van stres aangedui is. Daar is bevind dat, ondanks die feit dat daar meer stressore is wat met armoede in verband gebring word, baie min navorsing nog oor lae-inkomstevrouegedoen is. Wanneer die beskikbare literatuur egter vergelyk word, lyk dit asof daar belangrike verskille is tussen die verwagtinge wat onderskeidelik laeinkomstevroue en vroue uit die middelklas het ten opsigte van heteroseksuele verhoudinge. Die literatuur voer aan dat lae-inkomstevroue heteroseksuele verhoudings dikwels as 'n addisionele bron van stres beleef, veral aangesien tradisionele geslagsrolle 'n groter rol speel in verwagtinge rondom die verskaffing van sosiale ondersteuning. Dit lyk dus asof sommige lae-inkomstevrouein 'n poging om hulle nie aan tradisionele rolverwagtinge te onderwerp nie, verkies om nie te trou nie, maar om eerder na finansiële onafhanklikheid te streef in 'n poging om die mag in heteroseksueleverhoudings te behou. Die behoefte aan intimiteit is nie duidelik deur lae-inkomstevroue aangedui nie, maar wel 'n behoefte aan 'n enkelvoudige heteroseksuele verhouding. Alhoewel dlt gelyk het asof lae-lokomstevroue nie sosiale ondersteuning of intimiteit van hulle mansvriende verwag het nie, het hulle ander spesifieke verwagtinge genoem. Uit die literatuur wil dit lyk of lae-inkomstevroue met redelike sekerheid seks en die verwekking van kinders van hulle heteroseksuele verhoudings kon verwag, maar dat hulle ander verwagtinge dikwels teleurgestel word. Nogtans word heteroseksuele verhoudings as 'n belangrike manier gesien waarop lae-inkomstevroue status in die gemeenskap kan verkry. Die huidige literatuurstudie belig ook die aansienlike oorvleueling tussen die konstrukte van sosiale ondersteuning en intimiteit. Ten slotte is dit duidelik dat verdere navorsing gedoen moet word (veral in Suid-Afrika) om te bepaal hoe laeinkomstevrouehulle heteroseksueleverhoudings beleef.

The purpose of this study was to advance knowledge and understanding related to the cognitive response evoked by symptoms in women with rheumatoid arthritis. The mechanisms to achieve this purpose were through: (1) psychometric evaluation of a newly developed instrument: Chronic Fatigue Index (CFI), (2) examining the relationship among the symptoms of RA and components of quality of life for women with RA, and (3) exploring the mechanism by which learned resourcefulness affects the relationship between symptoms and quality of life. The Chronic Fatigue Index (CFI) was evaluated and met minimal levels of reliability and validity. Cronbach alpha reliability estimate for the CFI was.87. Convergent validity was tested through factor analysis. The CFI was found to be a multi-dimensional scale with two distinct factors: chronicity and interference. The factor analytical strategies revealed 46% of the variance in chronic fatigue was supported by these two components. Moderate to strong relationships were found among the symptoms of chronic pain, chronic fatigue, disturbed sleep, and disease flare. To evaluate quality of life in this population a common factor was created through factor analysis. The results of factor analysis revealed three indicators explaining 69% of the variance in quality of life for this population. Chronic pain explained fourteen percent of the variance in learned resourcefulness. The other symptoms and multiplicative terms did not meet the entry criteria. Learned resourcefulness was a weak mediator between the disturbance of chronic pain and quality of life, but successfully moderated the adverse effect of disturbed sleep. Fifty eight percent of the variance in quality of life was explained by the direct path of chronic pain and disturbed sleep on quality of life and the interaction of disturbed sleep and learned resourcefulness. Model respecification suggested that the inclusion of additional variables in the model would increase the explanatory power of the model. The self-regulation framework for symptom appraisal was supported by the findings of this study. Nursing interventions should focus on assisting clients with enhancing their level of learned resourcefulness as it will buffer the adverse effects of the disease process.

Battered women's perceptions of gender roles within the family were studied. Twenty white, working-class women who were victims of domestic violence were interviewed. It was determined that battered women have very traditional views of gender roles in the family and these views affected the choices that they made within their relationships and their ability to escape these abusive relationships.

Research has documented an association between sustained overt psychological abuse and women's self-concept and psychological distress. However, the focus on overt domination and control limits our understanding of its impact and is a weakness addressed in this study. Women in distressed relationships who had sustained severe psychological abuse from a partner and either no, moderate, or serious violence met inclusion criteria.

Older adults are more vulnerable to the ill effects of life stress due to physiological changes associated with aging that result in decreased immunocompetence. Stressors interacting with an aging immune system may produce further declines in health. Variables shown to modulate the effect of stressors on neuroendocrine and immune function and health include social support, personality, coping style, and health locus of control. A comprehensive model is proposed that includes: life stressors, social resources, psychological resources, interaction between stressors and social resources, neuroendocrine and immune function, and symptomatology. This model was evaluated using structured equation modeling. Participants were 97 active, community dwelling, older women, ranging in age from 60 to 93 years.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can result in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as events related to illness act as traumatic stressors. This study tested some basic hypotheses of Sewell and Cromwell's personal construct model of PTSD in HIV+ women both with and without diagnoses of PTSD. Trauma-related constructs of HIV+ women with PTSD with HIV+ non-PTSD controls at varying stages of illness were compared. The elaboration, rankings, and valence of trauma-related constructs were examined using the Life Events Repertory Grid (LERG) procedure. Findings provided evidence that a clinical diagnosis of PTSD in women was not associated with the degree of construct elaboration. These findings may imply a qualitative difference in cognitive processing of social stressors and violent stressors.

Much research conducted on stepmothers has not been racially representative. This includes Janice Nadler's (1976) research on three psychological stresses (anxiety, depression, and anger) of stepmotherhood. To investigate the stress of black stepmotherhood, this study replicated a portion of Nadler's investigation on a black sample. It was hypothesized that 1) black stepmothers would report more stress than black natural mothers; and that 2) black stepmothers would report more stress than the white stepmothers in Nadler's study. The data indicated no significant difference in the levels of stress experienced by black stepmothers and black natural mothers. Overall, white stepmothers reported more stress than black stepmothers. The former may be attributable to black stepmothers and natural mothers having the same support system, the black extended family.