Early nineteenth-century America witnessed social change which significantly altered the structure of human relationships. Out of this transformation came new configurations of gender and sexuality which colored relations between the sexes well into the twentieth century. But these gender prescriptions did not merely serve to pattern male/female interactions, they informed the Victorian America male self-concept as well. As this study will demonstrate, men born and raised in the middle of the nineteenth century were bombarded with a masculine ethos which would permeate their personal and professional lives. This study focuses particularly upon men who entered the medical profession. More specifically, this is an investigation of those practitioners who took up psychotherapy in the course of conducting their medical practice. Overall, the thesis will show that gender roles did indeed influence medical professionals in the investigation and treatment of hysteria in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The first chapter is an overview of the issues to be addressed in the thesis. The formal study begins in the second chapter with an examination of the construction of gender roles in nineteenth-century America. The third chapter summarizes the development of the professions and the subsequent ascent of medicine. The process of professionalization created a reciprocal relationship between medical science and the broader culture by which the medical practitioners of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century achieved an unprecedented status. As the mediators between medical knowledge and society, practitioners based their scientific opinions directly upon their congenial view of the world. The fourth chapter explores the therapeutic encounter centered upon hysteria. The hysteria malady, closely linked with femininity over the sweep of its long history, provided physicians with a diagnosis that allowed them to discourse on social concerns about gender difference in general, and about the troublesome nature of women in particular. Finally, the fifth chapter traces the introduction of psychoanalysis into the American psychotherapeutic scene. As a form of psychotherapy taken up by a small group of practitioners interested in psychological theories of illness and healing, psychoanalysis was gradually adopted and then modified to suit the needs of American professionals who continued to be guided by ideas of masculinity forged in Victorian America. / Graduation date: 1996

Though counselor education has always acknowledged the importance of work in the lives of individuals, there is a dearth of information concerning the worklives of counselor education faculty. The purpose of this study was to explore work and life variables that impact the work experiences of faculty members in counselor education. This study examined demographic or life variables including gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, relationship status, and parenting status; and work-related variables including rank, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, salary equity, mentoring, teaching activities, service activities, publication for collaboration, and decision-making representation. Three hundred and twenty-eight counselor education faculty members across the United States participated in the study. Participants completed a mailed questionnaire including demographic information, quantitative survey questions, and related qualitative items designed to investigate work and life factors impacting the subjective work experiences of counselor educators. Chi-square analyses and analysis of qualitative responses related to four research hypotheses indicated that experience of the work environment for counselor educators is impacted by gender, tenure rank, age, and relationship status. Post-hoc analysis indicated that work experiences are also impacted by ethnicity, sexual orientation, and parenting status. Results also indicated a need for continuing attention to the effects of rank, salary equity, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and decision-making representation in counselor education programs. Results of this study suggested implications for future research in counselor education and counseling.

This study used focus groups to explore the nature and effects of gender-related microinequities on women in the upper levels of government. Microinequities were defined as subtle forms of differential treatment toward any person who is different than the others in a group. Subjects were selected from eight federal agencies and included 114 women and 30 men at the SES and GS/GM 13-15 grade levels. Each focus group was asked questions pertaining to the nature of microinequities, and the effects of microinequities on self concept, productivity, and career development. Female subjects reported experiencing a wide range of microinequities, primarily related to interpersonal relationships between men and women, attitudes about women, social support, family roles, and physical characteristics. Despite the large number of women who reported experiencing microinequities, a substantial number of women reported that men and women were treated equally in the workplace. The research question regarding the effect of microinequities on self concept yielded a small number of responses and diverse views. Some women reported experiencing self doubt when confronted with microinequities; other women reported that microinequities had no affect on self concept. Views about the effect of microinequities on energy or productivity were also diverse. Some women reported that microinequities had no effect on their energy. Other women reported that microinequities affected their energy; comments were related to stress, long hours, aggression, strategy, anger, superwoman tendencies, and coping strategies. With regard to career development, female participants generally reported that microinequities did not affect their career success. When effects were reported, they were described as short-term. Recommendations for managers based upon reported experiences were described, and implications for managers were explored. / Ph. D.

This thesis contributes to the study of occupational sex segregation, a major source of societal inequality. A dramatic shift toward desegregation of the coaching profession in women's basketball has occurred since the early 1970s. The major research question is whether or not the structural shift from female domination to male domination is associated with the adoption of a coaching philosophy that follows a "corporate" model, representative of traditional men's basketball, rather than a "relational" model, indicative of traditional women's basketball. Content analyses were undertaken of media articles which discussed male and female coaches of women's basketball teams. Four key dimensions of coaching philosophy were operationalized: technical values, hierarchical relations, democratic relations, and personal-social development ethos. Comparisons were made between the coaching philosophies of female and male coaches, as well as differences between NCAA Division I, II and III coaches. / Master of Science

Estimates indicate that Asian nurses have become the majority of international registered nurses (RNs) working in U.S. Studies have shown that differences in values exist between members of collectivistic cultures, such as those in Asian countries, and members of individualistic cultures, such as those in most Western countries. The purpose of this study was to understand factors related to turnover among Asian RNs working in the U.S.: level of collectivist orientation; perception of practice environment; degree of organizational commitment, and intention to leave current job. The research design was cross-sectional, correlational, and descriptive. A temporally ordered model was developed using the research literature and well-established instruments measured Asian RNs' level of collectivist orientation (Collectivist Orientation Scale), perception of practice environment (Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index), organizational commitment (Organizational Commitment Questionnaire), and intention to leave current job (Anticipated Turnover Scale). A snowball of 120 RNs was obtained. Descriptive, Pearson correlation, hierarchical regression, and the Sobel test were used to analyze data. Results showed that Asian nurses were highly collectivist-oriented. Generally, they had high levels of satisfaction with their practice environment and organizational commitment, but had low intention to leave their current jobs. Collectivist orientation, perception of practice environment, and organizational commitment were significantly and positively correlated to each other, but were significantly and negatively associated with intention to leave. The strongest predictor of intention to leave was organizational commitment. Organizational commitment mediated the relationship between perception of practice environment and intention to leave. It is important for administrators to understand characteristics of members of collectivist cultures and their organizational commitment. This may be crucial for administrators to lower the rate of turnover among Asian RNs. Future research should focus on longitudinal and controlled interventional studies to understand Asian nurses' satisfaction with their practice environment and their organizational commitment.