Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 215-257). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of English, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-86).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisors: Darryl Dickson-Carr ; Jerrilyn McGregory, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept of English. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 22, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 219 pages. Includes bibliographical references. Includes filmography.

Contemporary conventional wisdom suggests that a radical change in environment produces a variety of conflicts for an individual’s perception of the world. Certain geographical, social or cultural environments are seen as either supporting or threatening corresponding value systems and life-styles, and alteration of one’s environment, such as moving to the suburbs, integrating schools, etc., is often sought as a reinforcement for a particular way of life. Correspondingly, value changes seen as undesirable are frequently attributed to environmental change, such as moving to the big city, ghettoization, etc. Indeed, environmental change itself, whatever its substance or direction, is usually assumed to produce some impact on the outlook and values of a person undergoing such change. This study seeks to examine such assumptions with reference to a group which underwent dramatic environmental and occupational change: Irish women immigrants employed in factories in the United States, 1870-1914. Did these Irish immigrant women who labored in factories retain their traditional set of personal values once they reached the highly industrial urban scene of the factory? Or did these values disintegrate under the strain of change? Did these women develop a new set of values? Or did their traditional values stretch to encompass the new demands of city and factory, retaining their initial character, but regenerating deep unresolved tensions? Close examination will point up some important aspects of personal adaptation to historical upheaval and perhaps suggest a legacy.

The images in our world that render ideas of prejudice are reciprocally related to racism and sexism and have the ability to make us aware of how we base our evaluations of ourselves and others mainly on visual appearance. In the case of African American women in American society, this is magnified. My art is about my relationship to history and a personal understanding of obsessions with visual appearance. Through portrait painting, performance art and sculptural forms, I am attempting to express a personal interpretation or the collective cultural identity of African American women of my generation in the 21st, century.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and meanings of type II diabetes among Mexican American farmworking women working in California’s Northern San Joaquin Valley. Perceptions of type II diabetes play a major role in how Mexican American farmworking women feel about diabetes and these perceptions influence diabetes treatment strategies and health care decisions. Yet, little is known about the perceptions and meanings that farmworking women attribute to type II diabetes. A qualitative interdisciplinary research methodology (integrating knowledge from social work and nursing) involving open-ended, in-depth interviews with a nonprobabilistic sample of 17 Mexican American farmworking women was used to gain an understanding of how farmworking women make meaning of type II diabetes. Based on Kleinman’s (1980) explanatory model, salient themes in the areas of illness, causation, treatment and perceptions were identified. The study showed that farmworking women have a predominantly cultural perspective of diabetes. A large majority of women applied cultural beliefs and traditional home remedies to the treatment of diabetes; although many were not opposed to incorporating western medicine into cultural treatment strategies. Causation of diabetes was attributed to a transformation of blood and destabilization of the pancreas as a result of Susto (fright), an ethno-specific illness. Home remedy and dosing strategies were categorized and farmworking women revealed subjective definitions of high blood glucose and heredity that are dissimilar to western biomedicine. Understanding how farmworking women conceptualize and make meaning of type II diabetes and including these important culturally influenced beliefs and treatment strategies into interdisciplinary health care practices and service delivery systems can serve as a basis for modifying current medical theoretical orientations about diabetes education, treatment and maintenance strategies and service provision for this particularly vulnerable population. Additionally, the inclusion of cultural beliefs and treatment strategies can engender trust and facilitate meaningful, reciprocal relationships between patients and health care providers, which are considered essential for developing culturally meaningful, effective treatment, and competent and responsible service provision. / text

African-American women (AAW) have had the largest increase in diagnosed diabetes in the US. Few studies have focused solely on dietary changes (one of the foundations for diabetes self-care), particularly in the context of family and the role of AAW. The purpose of this descriptive ethnographic study was to explicate cultural influences on food practices of AAW with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in order to inform the health care community as well as future development of culturally-tailored interventions. Specific aims were to describe typical daily food practices and identify cultural influences on food practices of AAW with T2DM. Symbolic Interactionism, a sensitizing framework for viewing AAW with T2DM as a subculture, guided this study. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 20 AAW who: were between 35 and 70 years of age, had been diagnosed with T2DM, shopped and prepared meals for their families, and attended church functions where food was served . Data collection consisted of one-one-one interviews and participant observation of church fellowship dinners, grocery shopping, and food preparation. A social anthropological approach to content analysis was used to describe behavioral regularities in food practices. Trustworthiness was maintained by an audit trail. Findings indicate that for informants in this study, who had diabetes ranging from 2 to 30+ years, there is a constant struggle between cultural food practices and eating healthier because of diabetes, particularly within the home setting where a majority of daily food practices take place. Difficulties in making dietary modifications result from conflicts between the need to change dietary practices to control diabetes and personal food preferences, as well as the preferences of people within the participants' social network. In addition, difficulties derive from AAW's emotional dedication to the symbolism of food and traditional cultural food practices. AAW are the gatekeepers for family food practices and are the keys to healthy dietary practices. This study begins to fill the research gap regarding cultural dietary food practices of this population. With increased knowledge, researchers and health care providers will be better able to improve AAW food practices, and ultimately improve diabetes control in this high-risk population. / text

The central research question of this exploratory study is to determine if college educated, ethnically identified and preferred endogamous Chicanas experience significantly more psychological distress due to a conflict between their educational achievements and beliefs that Chicano males are threatened by high achieving women. The specific perceptions are: that Mexican American males feel threatened by their educational accomplishments, tend to exclude them from political and organizational activities, and that college attainment will cause them to be seen as elitist by the larger Chicano community. This study uses descriptive and correlational analysis to explore the relationship between ethnic identification, preferred endogamy and perceptions that Chicanas high achievements pose a threat to Chicano males as predictive factors for higher psychological distress. The sample consists of 508 randomly selected Chicanas at five colleges, varying in selectivity from a private university to a community college. The majority of respondents are single and under thirty. A sample of 160 Chicano males were also randomly selected from three of the same five college campuses and were used to make comparisons on the threat dimension. The instrument is a mail questionnaire.

No description available.

This is a qualitative study of 13 homeless African American women living in several shelters in the semi-rural South. The study focuses on their powerful stories of their lives and the trauma, abuse, substance abuse and economic problems that led them into homelessness. The study began as an ethnographic study after the model described in Leininger‟s „Stranger to Trusted Friend Enabler‟ and evolved into a creative mixed methodology of Interpretive Description that integrated elements of Ethnography, Phenomenology and Narrative. „Darkness‟ and „Turning to Light‟ is a synthesis of the participants‟ vivid narratives presented in two major themes. Darkness explores the participants‟ spiral downward into depression, drug use, abuse (physical, sexual, psychological) and economic loss to the Darkness of „Rock Bottom‟. Turning to Light follows their struggle back to „the light of life‟; becoming independent, regaining their children and their health, desiring to “help someone” and building their futures. The major theme heard as the women tell their stories is how they rely on their spiritual beliefs and practices, no matter how dark life becomes. They expressed that their spiritual connection to God nourished their soul and gave them a sense of well being and hope. Previous research cited supports the contention that their spirituality improves the prospects of healing and promotes positive health care outcomes. Understanding difficult life experiences through the homeless African American women‟s eyes provides a framework from which environments of care and interventions of change regarding social, political, religious or healthcare programs can be developed. The recognition of spirituality can lead to programs that further strengthen this source of support, hope and resilience. Nurses are in a unique position to influence the lives of these people. They meet them in emergency rooms when they are injured, in clinics when they are ill and in mental health clinics when life is overwhelming. The women identified helpful nursing characteristics: 1) respect for the patient‟s humanness, the impact of her life experiences on her current situation and prospects of healing, 2) respect for the patient‟s spirituality regardless of the nurse‟s personal beliefs, 3) acknowledgement of the humanness of the patient by being fully present during the time of the patient‟s vulnerability, and 4) holistic care.