Breast cancer social movements have, in many ways, succeeded in increasing the visibility of the disease in North America, yet researchers understand little about the effects of this visibility; there is little information about how women with breast cancer navigate breast cancer discourse. Feminist relational autonomy helps us to understand that women's degree of autonomy in making treatment decisions regarding their breast cancer is affected by their understanding of the disease and available options. I draw on the results of multiple qualitative interviews and online discussion group posts from 12 women with breast cancer in Nova Scotia, Canada, to examine the interconnections between breast cancer discourse and approaches to decision-making. Many representations of the best ways to “do” breast cancer cross the boundaries of allopathic and homeopathic medicine, popular self-help literature, and support services approaches to care, making them extremely pervasive in women’s lives. An idealised subject position that portrays women with breast cancer as strong, positive survivors/thrivers connects to a context in which certain identities are more likely to be accepted than others. Constraining the identities worthy of social recognition, breast cancer discourse is taken up in ways that limit the actions participants could imagine and justify, and encourage self-governance and discipline of others.

This qualitative study shared the voices of parents, students, and teachers and their perspectives on and experiences at community-based Chinese heritage schools (CHSs) in Southeast Texas. Their voices can be seen as critical inquiries that truly represent the phenomenon of after-school Chinese language education in the United States. With in-depth interviews and content analysis, this dissertation sought to provide greater understanding in: (a) creating a dialogue among the unique perspectives and voices of parents, students, and teachers; (b) documenting how teachers, first-generation parents, and second-generation students negotiate their own unique roles within the CHS system; (c) providing recommendations to school leaders, administrators, and teachers regarding particular methods of working with parents, to make students' heritage language (HL) learning more meaningful; and, (d) underscoring the contention that HL learning is a critical component of a functioning in pluralistic society.

For many young adults, career decision-making is a challenge that may lead to feelings of disequilibrium, stress, and anxiety. This disequilibrium may be especially problematic for young Christian women. On one hand, their belief system may provide a stabilizing anchor, and embue them with a sense of purpose (Fowler, 1981). On the other hand, distinct Christian values may further perpetuate traditional male-female roles and thus limit their labour force participation (Scott, 2002). To better understand this dichotomy and add to the limited research on this topic, my study explored the relationship between Christian faith and career development with a sample of four women (ages 33 to 51) already established in their careers. Research data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Each interview was preceded by the construction of a lifeline, or timeline of major events in the participant’s life (Campbell & Ungar, 2004). Themes emerging from case and cross analyses were (a) life story, (b) centrality of motherhood, and (c) spiritual grounding. These three themes were first reported for each participant as an individual case, and then in an overview of findings across cases. Implications for post-secondary career counsellors, based on this study’s results, as well as on relevant literature, focus on incorporating the notion of calling into three traditional career development activities: (a) self-discovery; (b) exploration and research; and (c) formulating a plan. Implications for career development researchers include: (a) creating a comprehensive theory reflecting spiritual and non-spiritual factors in women’s career development; (b) studying this topic with different methodologies; and (c) undertaking a best practices study of career programs integrating calling at secular or non-secular universities. These practical and theoretical implications may provide post-secondary career counsellors guidance on how to direct young women of diverse faith backgrounds to explore and pursue their fields of choice. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2008-05-27 13:40:29.543

Philosophers have considered and debated the topic of wisdom for centuries. Now, as we face an ageing world population, a need for the scientific exploration of the topic has arisen. Over the past 30 years, the challenge to understand and define wisdom has been taken up and studied mainly by the fields of psychology and sociology. A body of wisdom literature has emerged and this thesis addresses an identified gap in that literature concerning the development of wisdom. This thesis examines the process of acquiring wisdom across the human lifespan. Specifically, this qualitative exploratory case study examines the process employed by wise nominees when transforming a personal life experience into a life lesson. The opinions, experiences, and relationship descriptions of their nominators are uniquely included in the study’s findings. Each of the four cases in the study is comprised of a dyad, a nominator and their wise nominee. Data were collected from the study participants through questionnaires and in-depth interviews. A framework, comprised of three components, that begins to describe the wisdom acquisition process emerged from the study’s findings. The first element of the emerging wisdom acquisition framework is a new succinct definition of wisdom. The second element is a model that describes the iterative process of learning from life experiences. This model was hypothesized at the outset of the study and obtained some corroboration from the study’s data. The third element of the emerging framework is the life management practices that wise individuals employ to deal with life experiences. These practices emerged as four central themes from the data. Three of those four life practices revolve around self-reliance whereas the fourth theme addresses the spiritual balance in the participants’ lives. This study is a first attempt to unravel the complex phenomenon of the acquisition of wisdom. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2010-09-20 15:34:05.91

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There is limited research examining the experiences of nurse leaders in the sustainability of change. The current literature found that nurse leaders have focused on the role of creating/leading a change in practice, and the strategies and solutions necessary for the creation of the given change (Buonocore, 2004; Morjikian, Kimball, & Joynt, 2007). Scattered amongst the literature are insights and empirical research that looks into why there is not sustainability in a change/innovation. The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to develop an understanding of nurse leaders’ roles, experiences, successes, and failures in the sustainability of change. Roger’s (2003) Diffusion of Innovation Theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. The experiences of eight nurse leaders, from a variety of roles representing positions of formal and informal power, were explored. The findings of this study revealed nurse leaders’ perceptions of strategies required to maintain changes in nursing practice; and provides valuable insight into the roles, experiences, and perspectives of nurse leaders in the sustainability of change.

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Introduction: Interpersonal relationships are beneficial for people with a learning disability (PWLD), acting as a protective barrier against transition difficulties, social stigma and negative outcomes such as physical and mental health problems. The social networks of PWLD are, however, often more restricted than those of the general population. There has been very little research which has explored the views and experiences of PWLD about their social and sexual relationships. A systematic review of the qualitative research surrounding the sexual relationships of PWLD was conducted. Eleven studies were reviewed, which revealed five themes: ‘A lack of knowledge regarding sexual relationships’, ‘Sexual relationships as restricted and regulated’, ‘Sexual relationships perceived as wrong’, ‘Sexual relationships being desired’, and ‘Sex as a negative experience’. Positive developments in the attitudes of others and supports were described, but the impact and influence of stigma, assumption, ignorance and a lack of autonomy regarding sexual relationships were dominantly reported. However, the findings of the reviewed studies must be considered with caution due to methodological limitations. The current study aimed to build on the existing qualitative research by exploring the experiences and perceptions of both sexual and close relationships for PWLD. Method: Data were gathered from ten PWLD using one to one semi-structured interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Results: Five super-ordinate themes were identified; ‘Relationships feeling safe and being useful’, ‘Who’s in charge?’, ‘Struggling for an ordinary life’, ‘Touching people in relationships’ and ‘Hidden feelings’. The findings were shared with participants who confirmed their relevance in the lives of PWLD. ‘Touching people in relationships’ is presented separately within a journal article format. Discussion: The findings suggest that fundamental components of close relationships were feeling safe and receiving some form of positive gain. The lack of agency participants experienced limited the development of these aspects, whilst also preventing the ability to live an ‘ordinary existence’, which included physically intimate relationships for many individuals. Finally, participant’s feelings were generally unclear, which could be related to being interviewed by a relative stranger or emotional expression difficulties. Based upon these findings it is considered that those who support PWLD should focus their assistance on addressing negative attitudes and redressing the power imbalance to facilitate an ‘ordinary existence’ for these individuals, which may indirectly enable them to naturally develop safe and useful relationships. It is also possible that reducing the barriers and stigma surrounding close relationships would open up communication regarding this area, which could indirectly promote PWLD ability to express their emotions regarding relationships. Conclusions: The research provides a greater insight into the lived experience of close relationships for PWLD. Participants valued close relationships that were safe and useful, but their ability to develop and maintain these was described as being restricted by other people and service rules. It is proposed that those supporting PWLD need to balance protective action against the freedom and choice required to develop and maintain close relationships, as restricting the already limited social networks of this population will negatively impact upon their quality of life.

Interpretive social science is well established institutionally at universities and research centres. It benefits from this institutional context in terms of prestige, credibility and grants. In comparison with non-interpretive disciplines however, its scientific status is questionable. What elements of it are really scientific and what elements are threats to this scientific character? This problem has been discussed in the past but unfortunately the discussion has gradually dried up without a successful resolution. In my thesis I am revitalising it. I take a systematic rather than historical approach: instead of picking up the discussion where it has been abandoned, I begin with a working definition of science, and analyse to what extent interpretive inquiry meets the requirements of this definition. The structure of my thesis follows this definition in that what is discussed is the three substantial elements of it - theory, research method, and professional quality control. In relation to theory, I pose questions on a range of topics, such as whether interpretive social science is explanatory, and whether it generates new knowledge. In relation to method, I explore, amongst other things, whether qualitative method permits the production of valid and reliable findings. The discussion of professional quality control considers issues around the reporting of findings and the assessment of these findings by others. I complement my analysis by considering three interpretive case studies, exploring both whether they produce theoretical knowledge and reflecting on their methodological strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, I explore the border between interpretive inquiry and non-fiction arts, such as literary reportage and documentary filmmaking, arguing that this border is more blurred than it may first appear.