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Through a phenomenological qualitative approach, this study examined possible differences of introverted versus extraverted adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse with regard to the coping mechanisms they chose. Preference modalities of introversion and extraversion were measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and data was collected through a semi-structured interview designed by the researcher. The interview contained questions about the 21 subjects' perceptions of their abuse and the ways in which they coped. Specific coping mechanisms included but were not limited to eating disorders, alcohol and/or drug abuse, high risk behavior, depression, anxiety, and somatic complaints. Results indicated that for both groups, the degree to which each of the individual coping mechanisms was used congregated at the level of "a driven pattern of behavior lasting for at least 7 days" or "on-going use resulting in severe problems". Extraverts showed higher percentages of severe use of the six coping mechanisms than did introverts. Depression was the most frequently used coping mechanism of both the introverts and the extraverts. Introverts showed higher percentages of stopping the use of eating disorders, alcohol/drug abuse, high risk behavior, and depression. Extraverts had higher percentages of discontinued use of anxiety and somatic problems. Introverts reported more somatic complaints, while extraverts reported more severe somatic problems. The most often reported somatic complaints of both groups were arthritis, migraines, sleep difficulty, nightmares, and gastrointestinal problems. The majority of each group used most of the coping mechanisms at some time, suggesting a need for therapeutic intervention that considers the possibility of difficulties stemming from combined use of many of these coping mechanisms in addition to focusing on the trauma of the sexual abuse itself.

Even in the context of the multicultural scholarship, there is a lack of psychological research addressing the in-law relationship experiences of East Asian American daughters-in-law (DILs) residing in the U.S., specifically with regard to the emotional impacts and resiliencies that these women may experience in the face of potentially conflictual family dynamics. The primary purpose of this study was to contribute to the multicultural psychology literature by exploring the cultural, relational, affective, and coping experiences of these women, especially with regard to their unique social location and cultural contexts of Confucian and European American influences. The present study utilized a consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology to analyze the narratives of 12 Korean and Chinese American women who identified as 1.5 and 2nd generation and as DILs within their family network in the U.S. The results shed light into the affective and relational duress that they experienced due to their in-laws’ differing cultural values and traditional expectations. In particular, the participants reported that they often used indirect coping strategies to manage these stressors. The study offers multicultural training and practice recommendations for mental health service providers to consider when working with Korean and Chinese American women and their families.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This thesis examined the body images of Black and White women at an urban university. Self perception of body image may be positive or negative, healthy or unhealthy, and may be influenced by various factors. Qualitative interviews were completed with eight Black and eight White non-Hispanic female college students. A common theme emerged regarding images of beautiful and ideal bodies. The women held similar standards of beauty for White and Black women with one exception: White women were expected to be thinner whereas Black women were expected to be heavier. In addition, the women were of a common mind with regard to the influence of men, fashion, and relationships with female family members on their body images. Racial differences emerged when the women discussed male perceptions of female bodies. Women of both races believed that racial and ethnic minority men were more accepting of women with diverse body types than were White men. Familial influences on body image included the mother-daughter relationship and a new finding of the sister-sister relationship. Finally, an emergent and unexpected finding centered on a woman's history of sexual and physical abuse. Each of the six women who experienced sexual or physical abuse reported some level of negative body imagery. These findings are discussed in the context of the existing body image literature and recommendations are made regarding directions for future research.

University of the Witwatersrand Department of Humanities Wits School of the Arts Drama for Life: (MADT) Master of Arts in Drama Therapy / The body has always fascinated me! As a classically trained dancer with a Physical Theatre background, I learnt to use my body as a means of expressing myself. I saw the body as a means to performance, but I believed there was more to the body than just being put on show. In University I learnt about and came to understand the mind-body connection (Plamer, 2009). This interested me and I began to search deeper, with the question that if the body and mind are connected, where are our human memories stored? I have always wondered what moves me and what moves the people around me… This research was a platform for me to look into the notion of the mind, body connection and memory. Through the use of story and movement, I began to consider bullying as a memory which the body and mind both experience. Through the research I focused on where the body had stored this experience and what were the effects of this stored memory (the aftermath). The rest of this paper unpacks my research and my findings working with a client centred approach. In this paper I speak back to the approach I took during the research process, using Laban’s 8 Effort actions, Lahad’s 6 Part Story Method and Whitehouse’s Authentic Movement as part of the integration process speaking back to bullying.

This study is concerned with the nature of suffering as experienced by women struggling with problems related to the body. Since the body is viewed to be integral in the formation of a woman's identity and self-concept, any illness, ailment or deficiency associated with it may lead the woman to experience pain and suffering. To explore meanings of personal suffering related to the body three contexts have been chosen. These are familial breast cancer, eating disorders and infertility. Common themes of suffering that were co-constructed in the interviews between six women participants and myself form the basis of this study. These themes emerged through the process of social constructionism and dialogue. Through the process of language, personal realities and meanings were discussed and shared to elicit a greater understanding of the nature of suffering. A qualitative approach, using the case study method, was also adopted to provide rich descriptions of the different experiences with suffering. The case study presentations illustrate the linguistic domain between the participants and myself. It is hoped that the information presented in this study will contribute to a therapeutic understanding of personal suffering as experienced by women. / Psychology / D. Litt et Phil.

The purpose of this study is to explore the processes of individuation and connection in mother-daughter relationships, and describe how these relationships may or may not be facilitated by the intervention of reflections and joint narratives. This study used social constructionism as the epistemological framework and involved in-depth interviews with three mother-daughter pairs. Hermeneutics was used to analyse the data. The participants' experiences were recounted through the researcher's lens in the form of themes that characterised their relationships as well as interactional patterns. Participant's experiences of the research process, and what the researcher believed were helpful and unhelpful behaviours in her interaction with each mother-daughter pair, were discussed. A comparative analysis was also undertaken between the common themes identified in the stories of the mother-daughter pairs and the literature. The information gained could assist women as well as professionals in understanding and respecting mother-daughter relationships in their specific contexts. / Psychology / M. A. (Psychology)

South Africa is a country of diversity, culture and various identities; and beneath this diversity, lays the complexity of defining and owning a space for oneself. This study was motivated with the intention to understand Black women’s representations in South Africa as well as the social interactions evident in the relationship between a Black woman and her hair. Literature elucidates on the historical richness of representation for Black people as well as the contemporary relevance of representation for Black women in particular. Furthermore, beauty discourse extends beyond the merely corporeal and finds meaning in historical, political, and circumstantial frames of thought. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with Black women. These interviews generated three discursive themes – hair and politics, hair and media and finally, circumstantial self-representation. Exploring these themes revealed that hair, as a projection of the self, is constantly redefining itself and its meaning in a progressive social culture. Furthermore, women assume agency and a degree of importance and identity from the hairstyles they choose to wear on a daily basis. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology-Research Consultation)

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A combined quantitative and qualitative methodology was employed in order to explore the intimate heterosexual context of coloured* pregnant adolescents as a determinant of their sexual risk-taking behaviour. Structured questionnaires were completed by forty young women attending prenatal clinics in the Stellenbosch area, and unstructured open-ended interviews subsequently conducted with ten selected respondents. It was found that the heterosexual relationships in which these girls were involved, tended to be intense emotional attachments based upon a foundation of friendship and trust, and reinforced by cultural notions of romantic love. In the wake of working class socioeconomic circumstances these relationships became a primary source of meaning-giving in respondents' lives, pervading all aspects of their everyday existence and guiding their future prospects. And it is in this context that sex prevailed as a means of deepening the emotional experience and pursuing relationship maintenance. Reproductive health interventions for coloured female adolescents would have to acknowledge these complexities and act upon them in ingenuous ways. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Gekombineerde kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe metodologie is geïmplementeer ten einde te bepaal op welke wyse die intieme heteroseksuele konteks van kleurling* swanger adolessente hulle seksueel riskante gedrag beïnvloed. Gestruktureerde vraelyste is voltooi deur veertig jong vroue wat prenatale klinieke in die Stellenbosch area bygewoon het, waarop ongestruktureerde nie-leidende onderhoude met tien geselekteerde respondente gevoer is. Dit is bevind dat hierdie meisies se heteroseksuele verhoudings meestal intense emosionele verbintenisse was, wat gebaseer is op 'n grondslag van vriendskap en vertroue, en wat versterk is deur kulturele opvattings van romantiese liefde. In die lig van werkersklas sosio-ekonomiese omstandighede, het hierdie verhoudings 'n primêre bron van betekenis in respondente se lewens geword. Dit het alle aspekte van hulle daaglikse bestaan beïnvloed en hulle toekomsvooruitsigte gerig. En dit is binne sodanige konteks wat seks beoefen is. Dit was instrumenteel ten einde verdieping van die emosionele ervaring en voortsetting van die verhouding te probeer bewerkstellig. Reproduktiewe gesondheidsintervensies vir kleurling vroulike adolessente sal erkenning moet gee aan hierdie kompleksiteite en vindingryke oplossings daarvoor moet genereer.

The present study examines the relationship between acculturation, parental control, and psychological adjustment among adult first and second-generation Asian Indian women who have immigrated, or whose parents have immigrated to the United States, from the Indian state of Kerala. Data from 73 participants indicate second-generation immigrants report poorer psychological adjustment than do their counterparts. Additionally, regression analyses reveal discomfort towards Kerala culture significantly predicts depressive symptoms, while high maternal control predicts self-esteem. Qualitative data were collected to provide richer understanding of immigrants' adaptation to the U.S. Implications of this research may impact mental health practitioners' ability to improve quality of life with Asian Indian women from Kerala.