Thesis (D. Ed. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2005. / Includes abstract and vita. "November 2005" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 187-200, 37-40).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2005. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 220-231).

The purpose of this study was to explore working single mothers’ work-life balance in order to better understand how employers can assist them. Role theory, role conflict theory, and spillover theory were utilized to examine how working single mothers experience work-life balance and how they perceive it. In this study, the researcher sought to discover, analyze, and report work-life balance experiences of working single mothers through extended narrative accounts, which answer the following research questions: 1. In what ways do working single mothers strive to attain work-life balance? 2. What challenges do working single mothers encounter that affect their ability to obtain work-life balance? 3. How do working single mothers believe their employers’ policies, practices, and attitudes impact their ability to balance work and family responsibilities? Narrative inquiry was the best research approach for this study because it allowed the individuals to narrate their own stories. The methods of collecting data for this study consisted of a basic demographic questionnaire and in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The data analysis revealed four main themes and several subthemes highlighting the strategies, challenges, and employers’ contributions to the work-life balance of working single mothers.

A number of practitioner surveys across a range of industries have cited the lack of senior female role models as a barrier to career progression. There is very little academic literature to explain this at a senior organizational level. An initial review of the extant role model literature led to the inclusion of two further related areas – organizational demographics, as a contextual factor affecting the availability of role models, and work identity development as a link between the lack of senior female role models and the lack of career progression. In seeking to answer the question of why and then how female role models are important for senior women, this study fills an identified gap in the comprehension of the concept of role models and their importance in the workplace. It addresses a need to understand both the key elements of the concept and the mechanism by which they come into play. The research uses qualitative methods, specifically in-depth semi-structured interviews. These were conducted with a senior group of 33 female directors from six global investment banks, in order to elicit their experiences of role models in demographically imbalanced work contexts. Analysis of interview data considered all three areas of role models, demographic context and work identity development. As the women forged their identities in the male-dominated context of global investment banks, what became clear was that who they are and have become was informed by the critical relationships they have had. Whilst clearly some of the women had found male role models with whom to develop these critical relationships, there were some identity issues, particular salient to women, which could not be addressed by men. Thus the findings demonstrated the utility of female role models. This thesis has a number of contributions to make on varying levels: On a conceptual level, this study adds to our understanding of the value of role models, particularly detailing the affective or symbolic value. It has added to the conceptualization of role models, detailing what were the core attributes of individuals chosen to be role models, who they were in relation to the women, how the women used them and why they were important. It has combined the three literature areas of role models, organizational demographics and work identity development in a way not previously done, and has shown empirically that they are related and explain each other. Organizational demographics affect the availability of role models. And it is suggested that the relatively new theory of relational identification is the mechanism that explicates how the presence of positive female role models is a key influence on women’s work identity development. It has clarified the value of role models in extreme gender demographic contexts, and how and why they are important to senior women’s professional development, thereby adding to the theory of role modelling. Practically, the study explains why women in surveys may have been citing the lack of female role models as such a prominent issue, and suggests what some of the issues are that organizations should pay heed to in trying to address this.

abstract: This research examines the experiences and perceptions of immigrant and refugee women social entrepreneurs located within a context of economic instability, as well as the strategies that they develop to cope with such crises and volatility. To conduct this research I used a mixed-method, qualitative approach to data collection, including semi-structured, open-ended interviews and a focus group. I used feminist theory and a grounded theory approach to inform the design of my study; as such I acknowledge the participants as knowledge producers and allow for them to add in questions to the interviews and focus group and to comment on drafts of the written portion of the dissertation. The findings have indicated that these women are surviving the economic crisis by combining different income streams, including social entrepreneurship, traditional jobs and state and non-profit-aid. Moreover, the participants have found that besides monetary value, social entrepreneurship also provides alternative benefits such as personal sovereignty in their work environment, work-life balance and well-being. Also, personal history, and family and community embeddedness contribute to women's decisions to pursue social entrepreneurship. This research contributes to the growing body of research on gender and work and fills the gaps in literature currently existing in social entrepreneurship. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Justice Studies 2015

The purpose of this research is to understand definitions of what it means to be a “good” parent as described by parents and child development specialists at a family service organization in the Southeastern United States. Previous research on social reproduction and concerted cultivation have opened up pathways to understanding how social and economic inequality manifest in family life and the social structures of which they are a part. This ethnographic study is an effort to contribute to an anthropology of parenting by unveiling the ways that definitions of “good” parenting in middle-class and wealthy communities reflect time-intensive, attachment-based ideologies that are also encouraged by child development professionals. Through a mixed-methods approach, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and electronic questionnaire, the author describes how parental beliefs about spending time with children and focusing on developmental milestones become central to ideas about “good” parenting. This widespread ideology is situated within a broader social and economic context to suggest that a system of inequality emerges when parents with less time, knowledge, and other resources are not able to access time-intensive parenting practices in the same way as parents more social and economic capital.

The purpose of this research is to understand definitions of what it means to be a “good” parent as described by parents and child development specialists at a family service organization in the Southeastern United States. Previous research on social reproduction and concerted cultivation have opened up pathways to understanding how social and economic inequality manifest in family life and the social structures of which they are a part. This ethnographic study is an effort to contribute to an anthropology of parenting by unveiling the ways that definitions of “good” parenting in middle-class and wealthy communities reflect time-intensive, attachment-based ideologies that are also encouraged by child development professionals. Through a mixed-methods approach, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and electronic questionnaire, the author describes how parental beliefs about spending time with children and focusing on developmental milestones become central to ideas about “good” parenting. This widespread ideology is situated within a broader social and economic context to suggest that a system of inequality emerges when parents with less time, knowledge, and other resources are not able to access time-intensive parenting practices in the same way as parents more social and economic capital.

The Glass ceiling is a metaphor used to explain how women can be limited from reaching the top positions in their careers by being stuck under a transparent glass ceiling. Despite the fact that Sweden is one of the most gender equal countries in the world, the current statistics show that women in Sweden generally earn less than men, take larger responsibility of parenting and only represent a minority in boards and leading positions. Previous research on the Glass ceiling has been supported by factors such as motherhood, women’s views on their own possibilities and women being promoted to more precarious leading positions. The current study focuses on the auditor sector and is limited to Stockholm. The study aims to contribute to an understanding of the inequalities between men’s and women’s careers by measuring the existence of the Glass ceiling. The research emanated from previous research and affiliated theories aiming to confirm or reject the Glass ceiling. The study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with auditors operating in Stockholm, during spring of 2017. The current study showed evidence for Homosocial reproduction in top positions in the auditor business in that men tend to choose other men when promoting to top positions. The Pipeline perspective theory was also corroborated due to the industry gradually becoming more gender equal. Furthermore, evidence was found of the Leaky pipeline theory on women resigning from the auditor business as they become mothers, due to the auditor business’ seasonally intense workload. The Glass ceiling was hence partly confirmed. / Glastaket är en metafor vilken används för att förklara vissa kvinnors begränsningar till att avancera till de högre positionerna inom sitt yrke. Trots att Sverige är ett av världens mest jämställda länder visar statistiken att kvinnor i Sverige generellt har lägre lön än män, tar större ansvar för barnomsorg, tar ut mer föräldraledighet och tar enbart upp en minoritet av styrelse- och ledarpositioner i stora bolag. Tidigare forskning har förklarat Glastaket som en konsekvens av moderskap och kvinnors synsätt på sina egna möjligheter. Studien inriktar sig på revisionsbranschen och avgränsas till Stockholmsområdet. Studiens syfte är att genom tidigare forskning och teorier relaterade till Glastaket bidra till en djupare förståelse genom studiens undersökning. Undersökningen skedde genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med revisorer i Stockholmsområdet under våren 2017. Resultaten visade att studien kunde finna bevis för Homosocial reproduktion i toppositionerna inom revisionsbranschen genom att män tenderar att välja andra män till befordran inom branschen. Även Pipeline perspective-teorin fick belägg i studien då revisionsbranschen tidigare varit mansdominerad, men successivt blir mer jämställd. Vidare fann studien även evidens för Leaky pipeline-teorin där kvinnor oftare säger upp sig från revisorsyrket då de skaffar barn på grund av att yrket ofta innebär mycket arbete vilket kan vara svårt att kombinera med familjeliv. Därmed bekräftar dessa teorier delvis Glastaket.

In the workplace, women can experience stereotyping and marginalization as a result of their gender (Eagly & Carli, 2007; Gipson, Pfaff, Mendelsohn, Catenacci, & Burke, 2017). Having allies, or people who are supportive of or who advocate for an oppressed group can help members of marginalized communities to achieve personal and social success (Drury, 2014; Evans & Washington, 1991). The Men’s Allyhood toward Women in the Workplace (M.A.W.W.) measure seeks to evaluate men’s supportiveness of women in the workplace, enabling researchers and practitioners to understand and improve the climate for women at work. The M.A.W.W. was first developed with the input of five subject matter experts who commented on the clarity and relevance of a list of 84 proposed items. The item pool was pared down from 84 items to 59 which were then subjected to an exploratory factor analysis. The exploratory factor analysis narrowed the item pool from 59 to seventeen items. Although it was hypothesized that the M.A.W.W. would yield six factors, only three factors were supported by the analysis: Knowledge & Awareness, Action, and Skills & Capacity. These three factors showed internal consistency reliabilities that ranged from acceptable to excellent. A confirmatory factor analysis then led to the deletion of two more items, yielding a total of fifteen items for the final, three-factor version of the M.A.W.W. Convergent validity of this final measure was demonstrated by positive correlations with scales assessing affirming attitudes toward women in general. Evidence of divergent validity was shown with negative correlations with scales assessing negative and prejudicial attitudes against women. Furthermore, construct evidence was demonstrated with statistical analysis showing no correlation between the M.A.W.W. and a personality scale.

Abstract Men and women are born in equal according to our constitution. The right of work for people shall be protected, and basic human rights for men and women are equal according to International Labor Code. However, basing on varied factors, currently the work relationship between men and women is not ideal. Subject to the data statistical records from Directorate-General of Budgets, Account & Statistics, Executive Yuan, the rate share for women manager and administrator in private organizations is only 13.6%. Even in the governmental organization, chief director selected by people and recommended women officials is also only 11.89%. The wage for women in Taiwan is always shared 73% of the men¡¦s. In the environment of practical situation, women are often restricted and affected by social structure, traditional culture value, and dull role-playing. On the other hand, they are often restrained and interfered by acting for different family roles. Those factors bring much pressure for women and their careers are greatly influenced. The researcher of this study is to serve in the governmental organization now. In so many years of working experience, she realizes deeply about the difficulties, obstacle, and decision for women unable to self-implement for achievement in the process of development under old social culture value. As viewing that women play important role gradually for national labor application in the future, and following the upgrade educational standard for women, the rate share for officials in governmental organization is increased year by year. Therefore, through pioneer model of female officials in the administrative organization, who are unable to reach for an equal treatment, this study is to research on personal disposition, sex role-playing, and pressure on role-playing, etc. factors. The successful result of personal presentation on how to overcome the obstacles and which kind of career policies adopted in the process of development are studied. In this study adopts individual interview, and the objects under this visiting are to serve in the administrative organization, including 4 higher/intermediate division women qualified by our national high-class examination, and aged from 35 to 50 years old to have more than 4 years of service span. The information collected is written by words, and after text classification and management, we build a title specified with explanation. Under comparison and analysis, the words told by the object will be directly narrated to prove our points of this study. Finally, the results are concluded below: ¤@¡BIn the aspect on sex role-playing ¡]¤@¡^Traditional social value affected to attitude for sex role-playing: in the traditional social value, women must take most of the duties to the household affairs and child raising. Even the modern women who have career feel guilty on care less for family members resulting from over devoted themselves to the work. ¡]¤G¡^Choosing stable work for themselves under assessment: except being affected by school domain, colleague, or models, etc. women look for stable work to let them can take care of family members and work simultaneously. ¡]¤T¡^Dull sex role-playing affected to their career development: for the factors of family role-playing, discrimination on sex for career and promotion, and not suitable for management, etc., women are restricted for career development. ¡]¥|¡^Sex role-playing and personal disposition affected to their career development: Most of the female officials in the administrative organization are trend to have personal disposition on both men and women with flexible space to meet the demand of actual condition. Women who have such kind of disposition are successful on career development. ¤G¡BIn the aspect of role conflicts ¡]¤@¡^Traditional social value affected to their role conflicts and career progress. ¡]¤G¡^Lower the role conflict, positive influence on career development. ¤T¡BIn the aspect of personal disposition ¡]¤@¡^Women with disposition of inner self-control get higher successful on career: As women who have inner self-control dare to receive challenge and take responsibility for better achievement. Therefore, they have high rate for successful on career. ¡]¤G¡^Smaller influenced by traditional culture value, they have higher motive to achieve the successful. Besides, the rate is higher to act as senior officials in the intermediate and higher division. ¥|¡BSuccessful policy factors for women career ¡]¤@¡^Looking for support and assistance from their family members: Looking for effective support system to cope with pressure, their career will be successful without burdens. ¡]¤G¡^Creating opportunity for competition priority: like to use the policies with ¡§organizational level and structure opportunity¡¨ ¡§increasing on training opportunity¡¨, ¡§striving for professional enrichment and in-service study opportunity¡¨, ¡§assessment on situation priority¡¨, and ¡§letting resistance turn into assistance¡¨, etc. to breakthrough for greater progress on career. ¡]¤T¡^Devoted themselves to the work with great efforts: being fully devoted to the work with progressive attitude and good faith, and this is the basic policy to win for a success. ¡]¥|¡^Having the opinion same as senior officers: Good coordination with senior officers, and appropriate application of the policy to avoid creating negative influence. ¡]¤­¡^Self-selling at appropriate time: self recommendation policy. ¡]¤»¡^Seeking for instruction from good instructor: A good instructor can appreciate your talent and will give instruction to you at appropriate time, and a timing recommendation as well as promotion helps greatly to the development of career without obstacles. ¡]¤C¡^Establishing the human network relations: Participating progressively and actively to expand human relations and set-up good information network. By means of the operation on human network, the development of career will be successful more easily. Key words: Sex role-playing, role conflict, personal disposition, career development, career development policy, men and women to work equal