The main question posed in this study is: How do black mineworkers in the goldmining industry conceptualise and experience fatherhood in present-day South Africa? The following four subsidiary research questions were formulated to address this: * How do the respondents characterise fatherhood? * What are the respondents' own recollections of being fathered? * How do migrant and resident respondents' experiences of fatherhood differ? * What influence do biological mothers or female partners have on father-child relationships as described by the respondents? The scripting perspective chosen underscores this study because it is a multilevel approach that takes the fathers' social milieu into account without ignoring their agency. This perspective focuses on three levels - cultural scenarios, interpersonal and intrapsychic scripting. During 2002 a qualitative study was undertaken by way of in-depth interviews conducted with 30 respondents, with ten being re-interviewed in 2003. These interviews were augmented with general observations and fact-finding interviews conducted with key informants. In terms of the first research question regarding the way in which the respondents characterise fatherhood, it was found that the breadwinner role is salient. However, traces of patriarchy and the so-called "new fatherhood" are often intertwined with the economic aspect of fatherhood. The respondents' own recollections of being fathered were found to include a stern disciplinarian pattern ("father is like a lion"), a "bad fatherhood" pattern and a "good fatherhood" pattern. Resident respondents related more involvement with their children compared with migrant respondents, although varying degrees of distant and involved fatherhood could be detected amongst the migrant respondents. Resident respondents conveyed active involvement in father-child activities such as giving guidance to children and playing with them. Some respondents have little contact with those children they fathered with a woman other than their current partner. Female partners tend to hinder any type of relationship with children born as a result of adulterous relationships but children born from previous relationships may be taken care of. However, respondents who openly stated double standards regarding sexual practices for men and women tend to take care of all their biological children and show little concern for their wives' views. / Sociology / D. Litt et Phil (Sociology)

Margaret Atwood’s novel Surfacing has received considerable critical attention on the issue of “a positive female identity” in a patriarchal society. However, given Atwood’s own stress on the fact that the novel is about the ways both genders work in relation to each other, this criticism has lacked in scrutiny of the novel’s male characters. With a relational approach to the female and male characters, this thesis argues that while creating a positive identity for its female protagonist, the novel effectively creates a rather negative one for its male characters. In order to examine certain sets of relations and the qualities which represent the most honored way of being a man in the novel, I apply the concept of “hegemonic masculinity,” which can be understood as the pattern of practices that explain male domination over women. It is indeed this hegemonic masculinity that the Surfacer rejects in her quest for emancipation. By looking at the hegemonic masculinity in Surfacing, I argue that the novel depicts very typically patriarchal characters in Joe and David and that the society is typically patriarchal. The thesis is divided into three main sections, each examining the most important sets of relations concerning Atwood’s female emancipation. First, I analyze hegemonic structures in the world of the protagonist, including the issues of power, emancipation, and complicity. Then I look into the sexual division of labor to show that the characters assume their default roles without much reflection. Finally, I scrutinize the characters’ relation to the Symbolic and how it affects their sense of identity. In each section, the analyses show that the male characters are reduced to tropes who only serve one function: to be stereotypically oppressive, patriarchal figures in order to facilitate the protagonist’s positive change and empowerment. I argue that Atwood’s failure to imagine male emancipation somewhat taints the development of female identity because the female emancipation becomes arrested.

This study investigates how perceptions vary in athletic trainers regarding issues pertaining to women in the profession. Subjects included 1500 male and 1500 female certified athletic trainers who responded to 44 demographic and perceptions survey items used to determine whether perceptions were different based on the respondent's gender. Results were compared to a previously disseminated survey in 1996 to also determine if perceptions had changed from 10 years earlier. Results regarding the presentation of awards and the attainment of leadership positions in the organization were also compared to actual data collected. The data suggested that males perceptions had not changed, but females' perceptions had changed, in that females perceived that opportunities had improved. Data regarding the number of females who had ascended to leadership positions or had received awards did not support these perceptions, however, and female athletic trainers continue to struggle to obtain equality in both of these areas. Additionally, homosocial reproduction continues to influence the decreased number of women who are hired into various jobs, or advance into leadership positions, maintaining patriarchy in the athletics arena and in the athletic training organizations. Results suggested that because athletic training has been dominated by men since its inception, patriarchy continues to influence the lack of ascension of women into leadership positions and awards recognition. Many women are choosing to leave the profession due to the gender role pressure that they can not sustain a career in athletic training and raise a family. Men's professional sports continue to reject the concept of hiring women to serve as athletic trainers with their athletes, which also continues to preserve a patriarchal environment.

The aim of this thesis is to analyse the position of women in Nigerian family and to estimate the extent of their emancipation and/or dependence on men in Nigerian society, traditionally considered to be patriarchal. The analysis is based on the interpretation of the novels Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun and the short story collection The Thing around Your Neck, written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a prominent contemporary Nigerian author. The theoretical part focuses on political, social and economic representations of women in pre- colonial Nigeria and in colonial and modern, post-colonial Nigeria. An antidote to the stereotypical depiction of women in African literature, Adichie's work typically presents female characters who are educated, independent and emancipated. This stands to challenge the image of Nigerian women who are dominated and controlled by men.

Neil Gaiman’s use of a hyper-masculine American culture in American Gods sheds light upon the multiple issues surrounding a misogynistic society in which women are treated as sexual objects and punished for their independence as sexual beings. Gaiman’s efforts at highlighting these issues are discreet and hidden under layers of patriarchal expectations, but through the use of his protagonist, Shadow, Gaiman is able to provide an alternative to the society he represents. While he successfully illustrates this more “ideal” society, his endeavors fall short and are almost imperceptible throughout his novel. Gaiman’s work in American Gods, while lacking in its overall presence, brings attention to the issues within a hyper-masculine society and it is through this unique, feminist approach that Gaiman is able to present his strong argument for change.

Metoo-rörelsen startade 2017 när kvinnor inom flera olika branscher offentligt berättat att de utsatts för sexuella övergrepp (SÖ) och sexuella trakasserier (ST). Metoo möttes med både hyllningar och kritik, och vi önskar därför undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar allmänhetens inställning till metoo. Vi har undersökt detta via en explorativ enkätstudie med ett bekvämlighetsurval med 288 kvinnor och 119 män, där medelåldern är 25 år. Vi har fyra hypoteser; kvinnor kommer vara mer positiva till metoo än män, de som i hög grad tror på könsmaktsordningen kommer vara mer positiva till metoo, de som tycker att SÖ är mycket allvarligt kommer vara mer positiva till metoo, samt att de som har egna erfarenheter av SÖ kommer vara mer positiva till metoo.  En stegvis regressionsanalys, med stöd till metoo som beroendevariabel, visade att samtliga variabler har ett signifikant förklaringsvärde, där tro på könsmaktsordningen är viktigast. Detta innebär bland annat att ideologi är en starkare prediktor än kön. Det betyder att män som tror mer på könsmaktsordningen är mer positiva till metoo än kvinnor som tror mindre på könsmaktsordningen, trots att metoo främst är en rörelse för kvinnor. Det fanns ingen signifikant skillnad mellan kvinnor och män gällande hur allvarligt de tycker att SÖ är. Sammanfattningsvis ser vi att inställning till metoo har starka samband med ställningstaganden relaterade till ideologi och feminism, och resultaten kan användas för att bättre förstå människors reaktioner i dessa sammanhang. / The metoo movement started in 2017 when women in different fields of work spoke out about being victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment. Metoo was received with both tributes and criticism, and therefore we wish to examine which factors affect the public's attitudes to metoo. We investigated this through an explorative survey study with a convenience sample of 288 women and 199 men, with an average age of 25 years. We have four hypotheses; women will be more positive to metoo compared to men, those who strongly believe it exists a gender order will be more positive to metoo, those who think sexual assault is very severe will be more positive to metoo and those who have experienced sexual assault will be more positive to metoo. A stepwise regression analysis, with support to the metoo movement as the dependent variable, showed that all variables had a significant impact, where belief in the gender order was most important. Ideology is thus a stronger predictor than sex. That means that men who believe in the gender system are more positive to metoo than are women that do so to a lesser extent, in spite the fact that metoo is mainly a movement for women. There was no significant difference between women and men regarding how severely they viewed sexual assaults. In summary, we found that attitudes to metoo are strongly connected with standpoints related to ideology and feminism, and the results can be used to better understand people's reactions in these contexts.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-27T13:46:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JEOVA RODRIGUES DOS SANTOS.pdf: 2137150 bytes, checksum: 836adac6cdc0210fc7c01a3b57a0d0d0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-09-29 / This thesis addressed the phenomenon of violence against women in the Brazilian context and sought to identify the historical and religious roots that are used as a basis for a structuring and legitimizing element of such a practice. The assessment began with a reading of the current Brazilian reality and sought from some historical clippings related to the process of colonization of Brazil, describing the process of consolidation and restructuring of this cultural phenomenon and changes from the late nineteenth century and in the course of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries as they relate to gender relations and their social roles of men and women in the society. Once mapped the situation of contemporary Brazilian society, the aim was to demonstrate the important role that religion played in ancient cultures Pre-Classical and Classical for the maintenance of a patriarchal and androcentric vision, which resulted in the marginalization and invisibility of women in social context of these civilizations in these historical periods. This perspective effectively influenced the formation of Western Christian worldview. Paradoxically, Christianity in its origins formed as basis for a major vehicle for the promotion of equality between men and women, that during the consolidation of its historical process took an antagonistic stance that not only reaffirmed the inequality between men and women but also strengthen hatred against women. These historical and religious roots were identified as arrays which are the basis for the formation of Brazilian cultural identity. / Na presente Tese abordou-se o fenômeno da violência contra a mulher no contexto brasileiro e buscou-se identificar as raízes histórico-religiosas que serviram como elemento estruturante e legitimador de tal prática. A avaliação partiu de uma leitura da realidade brasileira atual e procurou, a partir de alguns recortes históricos relacionados com o processo de colonização do Brasil, descrever o processo de consolidação e reestruturação deste fenômeno cultural e as mudanças ocorridas a partir de fins do século XIX e no transcurso dos séculos XX e XXI no que diz respeito às relações de gênero e aos respectivos papéis sociais de homens e mulheres na sociedade. Uma vez mapeada a situação da sociedade brasileira contemporânea, buscou-se demonstrar o importante papel que a religião desempenhou nas culturas da Antiguidade Pré-Clássica e Clássica para a manutenção de uma visão patriarcal e androcêntrica, o que resultou na marginalização e invisibilização da mulher no contexto social de civilizações destes períodos históricos. Tal perspectiva influenciou efetivamente a formação da cosmovisão ocidental cristã. Paradoxalmente, o Cristianismo que em suas origens serviu como um dos principais veículos de promoção da igualdade entre homens e mulheres, no decorrer da consolidação de seu processo histórico assumiu uma postura antagônica que não apenas reafirmou a desigualdade entre homens e mulheres como também insuflou o ódio contra o sexo feminino. Essas raízes histórico-religiosas foram identificadas como matrizes que serviram de base para a formação da identidade cultural brasileira.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:16:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luciana Rosa Campos.pdf: 724582 bytes, checksum: 7a24e21aadc75b67c4d4c95a15349ad4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-05 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Do Brazilian social policies adopt or neglect gender perspective? On this inquiry, focusing on basic services from the scope of social security - health, social security and welfare - in the city of São Paulo, the object of this dissertation was to investigate the extent to which governmental social programs and services can contribute or not to fight gender inequality. The investigative path covered three phases: the initial exploratory and construction of the theoretical-conceptual reference one; empirical research with the interviews; and the analysis and interpretation of the testimonies collected. The theoretical-conceptual reference included the categories of State, social security, patriarchy, gender, feminism and intrafamily power. For empirical research we selected three CRAS - Reference Centers for Social Assistance, three UBS - Basic Health Units, three APS - Welfare Agencies and, additionally, three CCM units - Centers of Women's Citizenship, from whom the respective managers' testimonies were collected, based on semi-structured interview. Due to administrative conditionalities, it was not possible to perform one of the interviews scheduled for UBS. Along with the research it was collected a set of empirical evidence that, despite the advances and achievements as to the recognition of gender inequality, measures and strategies adopted ended, explicitly or subtly, by reiterating woman's social condition as mother and caregiver within the family, to the detriment of her individuality as a citizen, with wide possibilities for integration and leadership in social life, not restricted to maternity. The research identified a dual trend on the qustion studied. On one side, the recognition of women's subordination - represented largely by their overload of family and domestic care - which indicates a possibility of change in relation to gender relations, as it is recognized that these differences become inequality. On the other hand, the clear observation that the criteria socially forged still prevails about what is considered proper and inherent to women and what departs from expectations historically constructed as to their familiar and social role, reserving them a condition of inferiority and imposing on them a physical and emotional burden on the performance of that role / As políticas sociais brasileiras adotam ou negligenciam a perspectiva de gênero? Sob esta indagação, tendo como foco os serviços básicos do âmbito da Seguridade Social Saúde, Previdência e Assistência Social − na cidade de São Paulo, o objeto da presente dissertação consistiu em investigar em que medida os programas e serviços sociais governamentais podem contribuir ou não para enfrentar a desigualdade de gênero. O percurso investigativo abrangeu três fases: a inicial exploratória e de construção do referencial teórico-conceitual; a pesquisa empírica, com a realização das entrevistas; e a análise e interpretação dos depoimentos coligidos. O referencial teórico-conceitual contemplou as categorias de Estado, Seguridade Social, patriarcado, gênero, feminismo e poder intrafamiliar. Para a pesquisa empírica, foram selecionados três CRAS Centros de Referência de Assistência Social, três UBS Unidades Básicas de Saúde, três APS Agências da Previdência Social e, adicionalmente, três unidades dos CCM Centros de Cidadania da Mulher, junto aos quais foram colhidos os depoimentos dos respectivos gestores, com base em roteiro de entrevista semiestruturada. Devido a condicionalidades administrativas, não foi possível realizar uma das entrevistas previstas para as UBS. Com a pesquisa, foram colhidas evidências empíricas de que, a despeito dos avanços e conquistas quanto ao reconhecimento da desigualdade de gênero, as medidas e estratégias adotadas terminam, de modo explícito ou sutil, por reiterar a condição social da mulher enquanto mãe e cuidadora no interior da família, em detrimento de sua individualidade enquanto cidadã, com amplas possibilidades de inserção e protagonismo na vida social, não se restringindo à maternidade. A pesquisa identificou uma dupla tendência quanto à questão estudada. De um lado, o reconhecimento da subordinação das mulheres representada em grande parte por sua sobrecarga de cuidados familiares e domésticos o que indica uma possibilidade de mudança no que tange às relações de gênero, na medida em que se reconhece que essas diferenças se convertem em desigualdade. Por outro lado, a clara constatação de que ainda prevalecem os critérios socialmente forjados acerca do que seria considerado próprio e inerente às mulheres e do que se afasta de expectativas historicamente construídas quanto ao seu papel familiar e social, reservando-lhe uma condição de subalternidade e impondo-lhe uma sobrecarga física e emocional no desempenho do referido papel

In this thesis I am working at the intersection of law and film. I approach this work from the perspective of a practicing lawyer, former social worker, and through my own lived experiences to tease out and examine interactions with structural oppression. I am particularly interested in questions of pathologizing poverty, race, sexuality, and gender. I use four of Sean Baker’s films Prince of Broadway (2008), Starlet (2012), Tangerine (2015), and The Florida Project (2017) to look at difficult social issues such as poverty, violence, neoliberal economic structuring, and patriarchy. Complicated pathologies emerge as viewers work through these experiences of structural oppression with each film’s protagonist. To me, exploring how law is experienced by these characters assists in moving away from pathologizing both ourselves and others. To that end, this thesis is very personal at times, as I work out my own history, feelings and beliefs. In doing so, an important theme emerges: the development of interpersonal relationships to open up spaces of hope within oppressive structures. Insofar as law is oppressive, individual relationships press back. / Graduate

The term ‘global peacelessness’ is used to describe the impact of persistently high rates of interpersonal violence throughout the world, and particularly violence against women (Flaherty, 2010). This violence is epidemic and constitutes a global health problem and pervasive human rights violation. Responses are critiqued as narrow in scope, reactive and lacking in coordination. The research presented in this thesis contributes to addressing this gap by exploring measures community citizens from diverse backgrounds defined as important to ending violence. Specifically, the research question asked ‘What do community members of Lunenburg County say about the structural and cultural influences on interpersonal violence?’ It links the field of peace studies with the interpersonal anti-violence field and the field of addiction. The meta-analysis that frames this dissertation asserts that grassroots community peacebuilding will involve defining and connecting measures at the local level that can lead to defining and challenging broad, oppressive cultural and structural factors linked to the persistence of violence at provincial, national, and international levels. Situating interpersonal violence within a peacebuilding framework provides a critical lens that moves from a narrow focus on individual responsibility to include a wider analysis of the origins of violence to include social, cultural, economic, and political factors and ultimately compel a collective community response. This emancipatory function of peacebuilding must include a focus on promotion of environments where boys and men, girls and women, can live safe and satisfying lives that include the development of skills that promote nonviolence and peace.