Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Assuming a postmodern perspective, this literature study attempts to address unprivileged dichotomies in an endeavour to make audible the silence surrounding women, emotion and anger. In alignment with the postmodern assumptions of relativity, the tracing of anger involves acknowledging the physiological, social, intrapersonal, interpersonal, behavioural, cognitive and phenomenological propensities thereof. In a postmodern attempt to contextualise the discussion and to trace the relation of women and the female gender stereotype to anger, a selection of etiological perspectives and theories on anger are viewed within the cultural contexts thereof. Juxtaposed in a Western culture privileging reason to emotion, individuality and autonomy to relationship centeredness, a hypothetical understanding of the association between women and emotion is construed. The gender stereotypical erasure of anger from the female repertoire is also addressed. Integrating these assumptions with the possible positive and negative outcomes of anger, a preliminary understanding of the mechanism of and the silence surrounding women and anger is offered. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met 'n postmodernistiese aanslag poog die literatuurstudie om ongepriviligeerde dichotome aan te spreek en die stilte in die literatuur rondom vroue en woede hoorbaar te maak. In pas met die postmodernistiese aannames van relatiwiteit, vereis die beligting van woede erkenning aan die fisiologiese, sosiale, intrapsigiese, interpersoonlike, kognitiewe en fenomenologiese manifestasies daarvan. In 'n postmodernistiese poging om die bespreking te kontekstualiseer en om die verhouding tussen vroue en woede na te speur, is 'n seleksie van etiologiese perspektiewe en teoriëe oor woede binne die relevante sosio-kulturele konteks bespreek. Geposioneer in 'n Westerse kultuur, wat rede bo emosie en individualiteit en outonomie bo verhoudingsgerigtheid stel, is 'n hipotetiese verstaan van die verhouding tussen vroue en emosie gekonstrueer. Die beperkings wat geslagsrolstereotipes op vroue se uitdrukking van woede plaas, is ook aangeraak. Deur die gegewe te integreer met die moontlike positiewe en negatiewe impak van woede, is 'n voorlopige verstaan daarvan, asook van die stilte rondom vroue en woede gebied.

A theoretical analysis of the relationship between social structure and cognitive structure is presented. Based upon this analysis, a study was done in which the cognitive activity of high and low self-esteem (SE) women was assessed under some particular social conditions. The factors manipulated were: focus of attention on either orientation toward a career or on orientation toward family; activation (via priming) of either the cognitive structure encoding masculine tendencies or that containing information on feminine tendencies; and perceptions of how well family and career functions fit together for most women. The primary dependent measures used were tests of hand-eye coordination, of creativity, of memory and of level of negative emotion. The results partially supported the hypotheses. They indicated four-way interactions for the recall measure and for one measure of use of defense mechanisms. Two three-way interactions were observed in the analysis of the measure of creativity. The measure of emotion showed only a main-effect of the focus-of-attention manipulation, such that women in the family-focus condition exhibited significantly more emotion. There were no significant effects on the measure of hand-eye coordination. High self-esteem subjects were much more likely to use defense mechanisms, including repression of threatening information. Conflict increased creativity only when focus of attention was congruent with chronic or situationally-induced (masculine or feminine) tendencies. The applicability to this data of both cognitive-psychological and psychodynamic concepts and mechanisms is assessed. It is concluded that neither theory can completely account for the data. Some practical implications of the findings are discussed.

There is increasing recognition of the importance of older adults in providing support to and maintaining relationships with their nonkin peers. Social trends, such as smaller family size, may reduce the role of family members and increase the importance of nonkin peers in providing help to the elderly. Relationships with peers have a greater influence on the well-being of the elderly than do interactions with family members. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of perceived reciprocity of aid exchange and relationship quality among elderly female nonkin peers from a social exchange perspective. A review of the literature led to the hypotheses that perceived reciprocity of instrumental, social, and total aid exchange would have a curvilinear association with relationship quality. The volunteer sample of 62 women over 60 years of age participated in interviews tapping help given and received, demographic data, and relationship quality. Respondents were more likely to be widowed and to have lower incomes than the general population; the average respondent's health was fair to good. A series of three polynomial regression analyses were used to determine if perceptions of reciprocity in aid exchange had a linear or curvilinear association with relationship quality. Data suggest that respondents perceived a greater exchange of socioemotional than instrumental help and reported giving more help than they received. The perceived amount of help exchanged was low compared to other studies while perceived relationship quality was relatively high. Regardless of the operationalization of reciprocity as a linear or a curvilinear term, perceived reciprocity among older female nonkin peers was not helpful in explaining variance in relationship quality. This lack of association held for perceived reciprocity in instrumental, socioemotional, and total help exchanged. Limitations in the study and possible reasons for the nonsignificant outcomes are addressed. / Graduation date: 1993

Not available / text

published_or_final_version / Comparative Asian Studies / Master / Master of Arts

This thesis examines the social accommodations made by prisoners' wives as their husbands pass through various stages in the criminalization process. A combination of methods--in-depth interviews with wives, structured interviews with married prisoners, systematic examinations of prison records, summaries of women's "rap sessions," and a variety of other sources of data--were used to construct an ethnographic account of the social worlds of thirty women married to men incarcerated in two prisons in Vermont. / Wives' accounts are quite consistent with other data sources. Prisoners' wives display considerable ingenuity in devising explanations and interpretations of their husbands' criminal behavior which allow their marriages to continue. The effect of these definitions is to "normalize" this behavior and to buffer the wives from external definitions of the situations in which they find themselves. While wives vary these interpretations--and the attendant normalization strategies they employ--depending on circumstances, five major techniques emerge: (1) nurturing, (2) "pain-in-the-ass" behavior, (3) passive distance, (4) co-deviance, and (5) reluctant co-deviance.

Sex differences have been established in a number of behaviours, including aspects of cognition, aggression, and sexuality. Although there has been a considerable amount of research concerning the influence of estrogen on sexually dimorphic behaviours, there has been a dearth of investigations on the role of testosterone (T) in these behaviours in women. The studies presented here were undertaken to elucidate the role of T in sexually-dimorphic aspects of psychological functioning in women. In Study 1, users and non-users of oral contraceptives were tested with a battery of neuropsychological tests and questionnaires at two different phases of the menstrual cycle. Results showed that women with chronic low levels of free T induced by oral contraceptives demonstrated better verbal fluency and visuospatial memory performance and reported lower levels of verbal aggression than naturally-cycling women whose free T levels were within the normal female range. Furthermore, although self-ratings of hostility fluctuated across test sessions concomitant with changes in free T levels, performance on cognitive tests did not appear to be influenced by the fluctuations in T levels across the menstrual cycle. In Study 2, women with elevated free T levels due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) demonstrated worse verbal fluency, verbal memory, manual dexterity, and visuospatial working memory performance, but reported higher levels of anger than healthy, matched control women. Women with PCOS also reported lower levels of sexual cognition and arousal than healthy controls. In Study 3, women with PCOS were randomly assigned to receive 3 months of treatment with an anti-androgen or placebo. Anti-androgen treatment resulted in significant reductions in free T levels and in improvements in verbal fluency performance. Taken together, the results of these three studies suggest that T has a detrimental effect on aspects of cognitive functioning in women, particu

Thesis (honors)--Georgia State University, 2006. / Title from title screen. Lisa Lilenfeld, advisor. Electronic text (45 p. : col. ill.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed June 6, 2007 . Includes bibliographical references (p. 31-35).

The number of single individuals in Western societies has increased and continues to rise. Research suggests that single women do not find it easy to be single. This thesis explores the lived experience of being single in female counselling psychology trainees. Seven single women engaged in semi-structured interview, which were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. From the analysis, four main themes emerged. The first was an existential search for relatedness, encompassing the realisation that human relationships are fundamentally necessary; participants experienced being single as a choice that provoked anxiety. The second theme, the paradox of singleness, highlighted ambivalent emotions regarding freedom, but also the absence of a partner. The third theme viewed the training as an all-demanding partner, leaving no space for a romantic relationship, and whose presence at times felt like the loss of one’s soul. The final theme of longing for a romantic relationship addressed participants’ relational longing, feelings of isolation, loneliness, sense of struggle and being different to individuals with a partner. The relational nature of the training brought participants’ singleness into their awareness and this was experienced as difficult. In line with the research examined in the literature review, this study confirms the overall experience of being single as an ambivalent one, which causes individuals to struggle with their singleness. Moreover, this study furthers the previous literature by examining the experience in a rarely studied group. The insights gained from this research have deepened our understanding of the experience of single female counselling psychology trainees and contribute to knowledge within the profession. Specifically, this study suggests that counselling psychology trainees would benefit from training that addresses relational issues and the experience of being single. This would lead to improved clinical practice with single clients and an enhanced awareness of their own process.

The number of single people is increasing in the Western world. Despite this and a trend towards individualisation, women are still stigmatised for being single. Quantitative studies have shown that physical appearance and romantic relationships are two interconnected areas by demonstrating that single women who seek a partner are more sensitive to their appearance. This can have adverse psychological implications, such as body image concerns or low self-esteem. How physical appearance is experienced in the context of partner seeking remains however understudied. To address this gap, this study explores qualitatively how women feel about themselves and their appearance when seeking a partner. Eight women, who had been single for at least one year, were interviewed. Data gathered from the semistructured interviews were transcribed and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), chosen due to its in-depth exploration of the participants’ experiences. Four master themes were identified: I) The intrusive Other: Experiencing a sense of restriction when seeking a partner; II) Self-rejection when seeking a partner; III) Appearance as a means of control when seeking a partner; and IV) Feeling overwhelmed: The emotional intensity of seeking a partner. The results revealed that women who seek a partner experience several tensions regarding their appearance, their singleness and their social interactions. They are left excessively outer-focused, which is self-silencing and disconnecting. The implication for clinical practice is that counselling psychologists should acknowledge public and private aspects of distress when working with women who seek a partner. It is advised to stay with different tensions and to explore their underlying anxiety phenomenologically instead of either glamourising or pathologising women’s experiences of partner seeking. Limitations are discussed, including that this study does not consider the experiences of women who wish to remain single, which can be addressed in future research.