The psychometric properties of a revised body image self-consciousness measure were examined using 11 correlate measures, including a measure of general body image, with a sample of male and female participants. A factor analysis of the BISC-R measure revealed one distinct factor, suggesting there are not male-oriented and female-oriented subscales, as hypothesized. Furthermore, results revealed no significant differences in correlations between body image self-consciousness and body image avoidance and the correlate measures, suggesting body image self-consciousness is essentially a construct similar to body image avoidance. Results provide support for future use of a body image avoidance measure as opposed to a body image self-consciousness measure in research as well as clinical settings. / Department of Psychological Science

This study presents cross-cultural research into women's sexuality, and orgasm in particular. Qualitative interviews of women who have undergone excision of the clitoris and women who have not form the core of my data. My analysis indicates that female orgasm in diverse societies is problematized and controlled, causing me to postulate numerous similarities between women despite cultural and physical differences. One of the most significant findings is that similar attitudes toward the clitoris might be invoked to explain both its removal, in excising societies, and clitoral-vaginal theoretical bifurcations in non-excising ones. / The originality of my theoretical approach is to examine various types of social constructionism. I demonstrate its pertinence to an understanding of the literal construction of the body through social practices or social imperatives which determine physical reality. My use of the term constructionism as anti-essentialism also enables me to identify common components of drive theory in diverse cultures, and to demonstrate their lack of correlation with sexual behavior. Finally, constructionism is a crucial element to my analysis of subjective beliefs concerning female orgasm. Interpretation of physiological response supports a belief in clitoral-vaginal opposition in defiance of the interdependence of these two organs, thereby reflecting the constructionist insistence upon reality as socially defined. / The originality of this research lies in its comparative perspective and resulting emphasis on similarities in culturally diverse groups. Female sexuality and orgasm are filtered through social existence. A physiological response can thus be denied or substantiated by social means.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Dr. Roy F. Baumeister, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Psychology. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 21, 2005). Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 49 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Women are subject to a number of societal recommendations about what it means to be an 'ideal' woman. These recommendations take the form of social scripts, constructing an idea of ideal femininity, which women must perform in order to be socially accepted and successful. 'Emphasized femininity', a white, Western, script of femininity is dominant and has been critiqued by feminists, social theorists, and individual women for the limits that it places on women's behaviour. As a result a number of alternative scripts of femininity have arisen. These scripts can provide alternatives to restrictive understandings of female sexuality and beauty - they can serve to challenge 'appropriate' feminine behaviour and hence allow women to live more freely. Raunch femininity is a contemporary alternative that uses sexually explicit public performance, and encourages specific body and dress norms, in an attempt to challenge the norms of emphasized femininity. This thesis looks at raunch femininity, specifically its norms of sexuality and beauty, in the hopes of understanding what the effects of such a script are on women's behaviour. Theoretical understandings and explanations of women's lives are often contradicted by reports that women provide of their lived experiences. For this reason, this thesis investigates the lived experiences of women who self-identify as subscribers to this script in order to assess to what extent superficial expressions of freedom have deeper effects on women's freedom. The tension between theory and empirical reports is evident. However, in many cases, the reports of research participants reveal that the script of raunch femininity, like other scripts of feminine behaviour, has its own limits that women must abide with in order to be accepted. This thesis argues that these limits outweigh the benefits of this script. / KMBT_363 / Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in

Orientador: Raul Aragão Martins / Banca: Ana Cláudia Bortolozzi Maia / Banca: Tânia Suely Antonelli Marcelino Brabo / Banca: Angela Mara de Barros Lara / Banca: Leonardo Lemos de Souza / Resumo: A autonomia sobre as próprias decisões e especialmente em relação à sexualidade e à iniciação sexual são temas que preocupam educadores, familiares e a sociedade em geral, especificamente quando é abordado o agrupamento "jovens mulheres". Procurando compreender a dinâmica intergeracional, existente entre mães e filhas, nesse contexto, este estudo fez parte de uma pesquisa que investigou a educação intergeracional sobre a autonomia e a iniciação sexual de universitárias e suas mães de uma escola privada do interior de São Paulo. Foi realizado um levantamento inicial com o objetivo de identificar o padrão comportamental das estudantes, e o instrumento utilizado foi um questionário fechado quantitativo, que pesquisou, além do comportamento sexual, também nível sócio-econômico, estado civil, religião e uso do preservativo. Foi aplicado em 218 alunas, de seis cursos nas áreas de humanas e saúde. Com relação às categorizações para a situação afetiva das alunas, 43,5% delas estavam na categoria relacionamento estável - namoro, 29,9% na categoria só ou ficando e 26,6% eram alunas casadas. A maioria das estudantes intituladas jovens, condizentes com a categorização do estatuto da juventude (idade entre 15 e 29 anos), compunha 75,0% das participantes na pesquisa. Do total de alunas que apresentaram vida sexual, 187 participantes, a idade média da iniciação sexual destas universitárias foi 17 anos, e em relação ao uso de preservativo na primeira relação sexual, 66,7% destas mulheres jovens declararam ter usado e na última relação esta porcentagem caiu para 35,3% de uso. Em relação à religião 47,2% se declararam católicas, 13,7% espíritas e 33,5% evangélicas. Os resultados mostraram um grande número de universitárias com vida sexual, independente do nível sócio-econômico e da área de ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The autonomy over their own decisions and especially in relation to sexuality and sexual initiation are issues of concern to educators, families and society in general, specifically when dealing with young women. Trying to understand the intergenerational dynamics, that exist between mothers and daughters, in this context, this study was part of a larger study that investigated the intergenerational education on autonomy and sexual initiation among university students from a private institution in the interior of São Paulo. We conducted a baseline survey in order to identify the behavioral patterns of students and the instrument used was a quantitative closed questionnaire that surveyed the sexual behavior, socioeconomic status, marital status, religion and condom use. The questionnaire was applied to 218 students from six courses in the humanities and health. Regarding the affective situation of the students, 43.5% were in stable relationships - dating, 29.9% were single or with someone and 26.6% were married students. Most students were classified as young according to the categorization of Statute of Youth (aged 15 to 29 years), comprised 75.0% of the research participants. Of the students who reported sexual life, 187 participants, the average age of sexual initiation of these university students was 17, and in relation to condom use at first sexual intercourse, 66.7% of young women reported using and about last relationship this percentage dropped to 35.3%. With regard to religion 47.2% declared themselves catholic, 13.7% spiritualists and 33.5% evangelical. The results showed a large number of students with active sexual life, regardless of socioeconomic level and area of expertise. A greater mother-daughter interaction was observed in the intergenerational dynamics in more autonomous participants, but ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

The present study investigated female sexuality by examining a range of experiential, historical, attitudinal, and behavioral variables, and conceptualizing sexual orientation along several dimensions on a heterosexual/homosexual continuum. The focus was on determining what, if any, important etiological factors emerged, as well as differences in behavior, attitudes, and preferences among women with various sexual orientations. It was concluded that a nonconventionality factor could be interacting with certain experiential and situational variables to produce a bisexual or homosexual lifestyle. Consequently, the ideosyncratic variable nature of such a paradigm could partially explain inconsistencies in past research. Results of this study were comparable to previous ones indicating that the women were similar (across sexual orientations) in their emphasis on emotional aspects of a relationship, history of heterosexual dating and coitus, few (relative to males) sex partners, and a less (than males) actively assertive sexual pattern of behavior. Future research might include males in the investigation of the role of a nonconventionality factor in sexual orientation. Also, relationship between cognitive/perceptual styles and sexual orientation could be explored.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-17T19:34:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-03-17. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-06-18T12:49:10Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000831981.pdf: 588267 bytes, checksum: db599b505e55269133f16172907f67cf (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A autonomia sobre as próprias decisões e especialmente em relação à sexualidade e à iniciação sexual são temas que preocupam educadores, familiares e a sociedade em geral, especificamente quando é abordado o agrupamento jovens mulheres. Procurando compreender a dinâmica intergeracional, existente entre mães e filhas, nesse contexto, este estudo fez parte de uma pesquisa que investigou a educação intergeracional sobre a autonomia e a iniciação sexual de universitárias e suas mães de uma escola privada do interior de São Paulo. Foi realizado um levantamento inicial com o objetivo de identificar o padrão comportamental das estudantes, e o instrumento utilizado foi um questionário fechado quantitativo, que pesquisou, além do comportamento sexual, também nível sócio-econômico, estado civil, religião e uso do preservativo. Foi aplicado em 218 alunas, de seis cursos nas áreas de humanas e saúde. Com relação às categorizações para a situação afetiva das alunas, 43,5% delas estavam na categoria relacionamento estável - namoro, 29,9% na categoria só ou ficando e 26,6% eram alunas casadas. A maioria das estudantes intituladas jovens, condizentes com a categorização do estatuto da juventude (idade entre 15 e 29 anos), compunha 75,0% das participantes na pesquisa. Do total de alunas que apresentaram vida sexual, 187 participantes, a idade média da iniciação sexual destas universitárias foi 17 anos, e em relação ao uso de preservativo na primeira relação sexual, 66,7% destas mulheres jovens declararam ter usado e na última relação esta porcentagem caiu para 35,3% de uso. Em relação à religião 47,2% se declararam católicas, 13,7% espíritas e 33,5% evangélicas. Os resultados mostraram um grande número de universitárias com vida sexual, independente do nível sócio-econômico e da área de conhecimento. Na dinâmica intergeracional observou-se maior interação mãe-filha nas participantes... / The autonomy over their own decisions and especially in relation to sexuality and sexual initiation are issues of concern to educators, families and society in general, specifically when dealing with young women. Trying to understand the intergenerational dynamics, that exist between mothers and daughters, in this context, this study was part of a larger study that investigated the intergenerational education on autonomy and sexual initiation among university students from a private institution in the interior of São Paulo. We conducted a baseline survey in order to identify the behavioral patterns of students and the instrument used was a quantitative closed questionnaire that surveyed the sexual behavior, socioeconomic status, marital status, religion and condom use. The questionnaire was applied to 218 students from six courses in the humanities and health. Regarding the affective situation of the students, 43.5% were in stable relationships - dating, 29.9% were single or with someone and 26.6% were married students. Most students were classified as young according to the categorization of Statute of Youth (aged 15 to 29 years), comprised 75.0% of the research participants. Of the students who reported sexual life, 187 participants, the average age of sexual initiation of these university students was 17, and in relation to condom use at first sexual intercourse, 66.7% of young women reported using and about last relationship this percentage dropped to 35.3%. With regard to religion 47.2% declared themselves catholic, 13.7% spiritualists and 33.5% evangelical. The results showed a large number of students with active sexual life, regardless of socioeconomic level and area of expertise. A greater mother-daughter interaction was observed in the intergenerational dynamics in more autonomous participants, but this data was not considered unique for autonomy. The assumption that sexual initiation occurred in an autonomous way is...

This thesis encompasses a study of the empty-nest stage of life. For the purposes of this study, the above-mentioned stage was defined as that period in the family when the youngest child matriculates. Thirty-five empty-nest couples were interviewed during 1984, in the city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The mean age of the subjects was 49.5, and the standard deviation was 4.9. The couples were asked about their attitudes towards the empty-nest, using a structured questionnaire, the Family Attitude Survey (FAS). This survey consisted of nine-point attitude statements, which focused on theoretical issues pertinent to this stage, viz. children are on-time or off-time with regard to major life events, impact of children leaving home on the parents, degree of parental involvement with children, parent-child relationships, ageing, sexuality, menopause, work-career, and attitudes towards the past, future and death. The general purpose of the present study was to determine the extent to which the empty-nest stage of life constitutes a negative crisis period, or a positive period of stability and growth for the empty-nest parents. Overall, it was concluded that the empirical evidence depicting the empty- nest stage of life as a positive period of stability and growth rather than a negative crisis period, is persuasive for some of the empty-nest parents in the present study, in view of the empirical findings regarding certain of the above-mentioned theoretical issues examined in the present thesis. Notwithstanding this, it was deemed essential to qualify the above conclusion, given the fact that the same and other respondents experienced difficulty with the following issues, viz. children being off-time with regard to major life events, the departure of children from the home, overinvolvement with children, problematic relationships with them, perceptions of themselves as failures as parents, inability to accept their own ageing, problems with changing sexuality, diminishing enjoyment in their occupations, and lack of prospects for future career advancement, negative preoccupation with the past and future, anxiety about death, and an impoverished marital relationship. It was also demonstrated empirically that wives experience particular psychological problems at this time, viz., firstly, they are more adversely affected by their children's departure from the home than their husbands, secondly, they undergo a rehearsal for widowhood more frequently than them, and thirdly, a minority of them are unable to come to terms with the menopause. Finally, the finding that the majority of wives experienced relief with the onset of the menopause when viewed from the perspectives of general emotional impact, children, and the spousal relationship, conflicts with existing theories in this area. However, it is supported by and large by the majority of empirical studies.

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