Abortion is a very controversial topic and over the years, many different attitudes have been formed around it. Previous studies have looked at people’s attitudes towards abortion in relation to gender, age, race, socio-economic background, religion, education and even marital status. The current study aimed to investigate the change of attitudes that students would have towards abortion given a range of circumstances (from serious to less serious). The role of gender in these attitudes was also looked at. This study conducted two separate semi-structured focus groups for each gender (6 males and 5 females). In the two focus groups, each vignette with a particular circumstance was read out to the students followed by questions. These follow up questions were discussed amongst the students present in the focus group. The responses from the students were recorded using a Dictaphone. From the Dictaphone, the information received from these interviews was transcribed. Thereafter, content analysis was used to analyse the findings which aimed to identify different themes. Following this, discursive constructs around abortion as well as conclusions were formed and discussed.

Thesis advisor: Audrey Friedman / Evidence suggests that college preparation programs successfully support students through college preparation and application process. However, most research into college preparation programs does not attend to students' collegiate experiences once they leave college preparation programs. This dissertation explored the long-term influence of Small College's College Preparation Program (CPP) on students' collegiate academic, cultural, and social experiences, following college preparation program graduation. This research is a multiple-case study that used phenomenologically oriented interviews. The source of participants was students who completed CPP in 2006 and 2007 and who were enrolled in a university. Using purposeful sampling to achieve maximum variation among CPP graduates, I conducted three tape-recorded interviews of seven participants. Interactive interviews followed Seidman's (1998) recommendations for interview content. Positioning theory was used, in conjunction with social and cultural capital, to analyze data throughout data collection. Positioning theory served as a useful lens for examining the first year college experiences of CPP graduates because it allowed the researcher to explore participant experiences with their agency in mind. Much of the literature on university outreach college preparation programs places students at the center of the research. Often, though, within the research, students are positioned as passive recipients of college preparation services. Viewing the college admissions process as a discourse, participants reflexively self-positioned, but they were also engaged in interactive positioning. In either role, participants assumed an active role, rather than the passive role that most research positions assigns to students. This dissertation finds that participants actively self-positioned as they applied both dominant and non-dominant social and cultural capital during their college preparation and after matriculation. The ability to navigate complex and exclusionary contexts speaks to participants' strengths, perseverance, and motivation. Supportive relationships mitigated the impact of stereotype threat, interpersonal and institutional microaggressions. Moreover, participants self-positioned in ways that built on participants' wealth of insights, experiences, relationships, and capital, leading to academic success. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

This study explores the narratives of individuals who have overcome an addiction without formal treatment through a process of self-managed change. The research was conducted from a qualitative perspective that was grounded in social constructionist methodology. Six individuals were interviewed and the transcripts formed the texts for analysis. The analysis is divided into two sections. The first section looks at narrative as genre and content. It explores the type of narrative genres utilized by participants and looks at the spheres of meaning within the content of their narratives. The second section of the analysis looks at narrative as social construction and action. It explores participants’ constructions of addiction, formal treatment and recovery and it examines the way language is used to distance construction of self in the past from constructions of self in the present. Furthermore, the analysis observes the narratives as social actions embedded in social worlds, raising awareness of the stream of power that flows within the storytelling. The narratives collected in this study illustrate that overcoming addiction without formal treatment through a process of self-managed change is possible. They demonstrate the power that individuals can have over the substances to which they become addicted. They challenge the presuppositions that formal treatment is necessary. This study thus seeks to mobilize resistance against the dominant narratives of addiction in society. By contesting these narratives within the social world, this research aims to open up a space for previously marginalized voices to be heard. Investigation indicates that this is most likely the first study on overcoming addiction without formal treatment conducted in South Africa. It is significant therefore in that it serves to break a silence.

This research considered the perspective of the auditor regarding going-concern reports in light of previous research questions and prior study categorizations. A deeper goal of the study was to find out if a qualitative method would produce a deeper understanding than the quantitative studies of previous research. Interviews were conducted on six Swedish auditors as respondents to learn about their perspectives on going-concern reports. To relate the auditors’ perspectives to previous research, the previous research inspired questions which the respondents answered in their interviews. The previous research inspired questions were then compared and contrasted with the current study’s responses from interviews. This demonstrated differences in obtained information from quantitative researches and a qualitative one. The previous research also offered categorization of the influential factors on auditors. Auditor responses were analyzed according to these categories to demonstrate differences between expected outcomes and the actual outcomes. Agent Theory was utilized in consideration of the auditor as an agent and used the situations and responses of respondent to its fullest without overstepping privacy boundaries.   The research query about auditor perspectives is answered in Results wherein their main concerns are given as raw as possible with rewording only as necessary. Commonalities amongst most respondents included perspectives related to the following: liquidity, cash, financial distress indicators, communications and trust of those communications, experience, changes to key staff or customer figures, auditing standards, regulations, litigations, and mitigating information. The auditors showed behaviors akin to an agent of Agency Theory by utilizing trust risk reduction such as behavioral analysis, corporate culture analysis, and redundancy to check accuracy of data.  The aim to study a qualitative method versus a quantitative method displayed a need for both of the same population to achieve a complete understanding of the perspectives an auditor has for a going-concern report.

Thesis advisor: Ellen K. Mahoney / Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to investigate the experiences of post stroke survivors (PSSs) during transition from hospital discharge home during the first four weeks. Background: PSSs describe the transition from hospital to home as an important time in recovery and stress various physical and cognitive concerns early within the recovery period. Research to date fails to adequately reflect PSSs' experiences early after discharge home. This gap in research limits the ability to create interventions for PSSs during this critical time period. Methods/analysis: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 31 participants, recruited from a large metropolitan hospital in the northeastern United States. The use of in-vivo codes lead to the development of themes that described PSSs' experiences during the four week transitional period. Credibility and transferability of findings were strengthened through memoing, field notes, reflexivity of analysis, member checking, and peer review throughout the analysis process by qualitative experts. Results: The five major themes were: (a) the shock of a stroke interrupting a normal day, (b) transition to an unfamiliar home, (c) experiencing a life riddled with uncertainty, (d) a journey to a new sense of self, and (e) adjusting to a new sense of self. Throughout their journey all PSSs had to cope with uncertainty and adjust to a new sense of self. PSSs that experienced less uncertainty were able to return to their prior daily routine, knew how to prevent another stroke, had a helpful support system, and had frequent follow-up and communication with health care professionals. Conclusion: All PSSs are at risk for complications regardless of stroke severity. To address PSSs complex needs, nurses can provide care beyond symptom management by fostering a dynamic intentional relationship to support recovery. The framework resulting from this study can provide the platform for advanced neuroscience nurses to engage with PSSs to improve their recovery and adjustment to a new sense of self as they transition from hospital to home. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy.

Thesis advisor: Danny G. Willis / Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative research was to describe the phenomenon of privacy as experienced and conceptualized by patients who participated in the CenteringPregnancy model of group healthcare. Background: In healthcare, privacy is an ethical and legal right. Healthcare providers have an obligation to protect patient privacy and confidentiality. Group healthcare is an innovative approach that brings together a group of patients with a team of providers, offering the opportunity for holistic, integrated, and coordinated healthcare. Group healthcare challenges how healthcare providers manage privacy and confidentiality. Knowledge about patients’ experiences of privacy during group healthcare such as CenteringPregnancy is fundamental to developing an understanding of the risks and benefits incurred during group healthcare visits. Research focused on uncovering the patient experience of privacy within the context of group healthcare can provide useful direction for improving the patient care experience and health outcomes. Research Questions: 1) What is the privacy experience of women who participated in CenteringPregnancy? 2) How does the patient experience of privacy in a group healthcare setting differ from the experience of privacy during individual care? Methods: This qualitative research used phenomenography to examine the experiences of privacy for 15 women who participated in CenteringPregnancy at a large multisite, multispecialty healthcare practice. Results: Four main concepts related to privacy were identified. My Privacy: Agency of the Self emerged as the primary conception of privacy for both group and individual care settings. My Provider: Protecting My Privacy focused on the critical role of the group facilitator in protecting confidentiality and establishing group privacy. The Dynamics of Group Privacy encompassed the relational processes of trusting, respecting, and sharing. Benefits of Participating in Group Healthcare included friendship, comradery, learning, and relief of feelings of isolation, fear, and anxiety. Conclusions: Women’s experiences of privacy within the context of CenteringPregnancy were positive. Findings can guide recruitment efforts and the facilitation and management of the group environment. Healthcare providers can offer a full description of privacy within group healthcare settings as part of recruitment and informed consent and emphasize the shared responsibility for group privacy among all members in the group. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.

Bakgrund: Kvinnor upplever menstruationscykeln olika, men majoriteten verkar påverkas i någon utsträckning. Det kan vara såväl psykiska- som fysiska besvär. Genom cykeln fluktuerar hormoner som verkar kunna påverka fysisk prestation enligt vissa studier. Avsaknaden av studier som undersöker hur kvinnor upplever fysisk prestation under sin menstruationscykel motiverade till genomförandet av denna studie. Syfte: Att undersöka fysiskt aktiva kvinnors upplevelse av träning under menstruationscykeln och dess inverkan på den fysiska prestationen. Metod: En kvalitativ design användes. Semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex stycken fertila, fysiskt aktiva kvinnor med regelbunden menstruation senaste året genomfördes. Materialet bearbetades genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys enligt Graneheims och Lundmans induktiva metod. Resultatsammanfattning: Fyra huvudkategorier identifierades; “variation i sinnesstämning”, “motivation”, “anpassning”och “prestationsvariation”. Kategorierna beskrev faktorer som påverkade den fysiska prestationen under menstruationscykeln. Menstruation beskrevs ofta med symptom som hade en negativ effekt på träning och ägglossning det motsatta, men upplevelserna varierade. Slutsats: Kvinnor som är fysiskt aktiva verkar uppleva en påverkan på fysisk prestation på grund av menstruationscykeln. Det verkar också som att den påverkan som upplevs förändrar sig beroende på cykelns faser. Det är dock ej helt klarlagt om denna påverkan är en faktisk fysisk försämring eller enbart en upplevelse av fysisk försämring. / Background: Women experience the menstrual cycle differently, but a majority seems to be affected to some extent. It can be psychological- as well as physical symptoms. Through the menstrual cycle, hormone levels changes, that seem to have an impact on physical performance according to some studies. The absence of studies investigating how women experience physical performance during their menstrual cycle motivated the implementation of this study. Purpose: To investigate the experience of exercise during menstrual cycle and its effect on physical performance in women who are physically active Method: A qualitative design was used. Semi-structured interviews with six fertil, physically active women, regularly menstruating during the last year. A qualitative content analysis was used according to Graneheim and Lundman´s inductive strategy. Results: Four categories were identified; "mood variation", "motivation", "adjustment" and "performance variation". The categories described factors that influenced the physical performance during the menstrual cycle. Menstruation were often described with symptoms that had a negative effect on exercise and ovulation the opposite, but experiences variated. Conclusion: It seems as women who are physically active experience an impact on physical performance due to the menstrual cycle. It also seems that the impact they experience changes depending on phase in the menstrual cycle. However, it's not entirely clear whether this influence always really is a physical deterioration or just an experience of a physical deterioration.

Sammanfattning Bakgrund I dagens moderna samhälle blir barn och ungdomar allt mer stillasittande och fysiskt inaktiva än tidigare. Enligt studier uppnår så få som 15 % av svenska 15-åringar världshälsoorganisationens (WHO) rekommendationer för fysisk aktivitet. Fysisk inaktivitet ökar risken för flertalet sjukdomstillstånd. Mycket forskning finns angående aktivitetsnivån bland ungdomar men bristfällig data kring hur ungdomar upplever fysisk aktivitet.   Syfte Denna studie syftar till att utforska hur gymnasieelever som inte uppnår WHO:s rekommendationer för fysisk aktivitet upplever att vara fysiskt aktiva samt hur de upplever gällande rekommendationer.   Design och metod En kvalitativ intervjustudie med semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes på sex stycken gymnasieelever, varav tre var kvinnor och tre var män. Den slutgiltiga undersökningsgruppen bestod av fem personer. En kvalitativ innehållsanalys av datamaterialet gjordes.   Resultat och konklusion Av studien framkom att motivation och uppskattad aktivitet upplevdes som förutsättningar för att fysisk aktivitet genomfördes. Den aktivitet som utfördes var ofta i samband med skola eller tillsammans med vänner. Skolrelaterad stress uppgavs som den främsta anledningen till utebliven fysisk aktivitet. Studiens resultat visade att deltagarna upplevde fysisk aktivitet som något positivt samtidigt som de inte rör sig i enlighet med WHO:s rekommendationer. Denna ambivalens upplever författarna som intressant och mer forskning borde göras på ämnet. / Abstract   Background In today’s society, children and adolescents are less physical active than previous generations. Studies show, as few as 15% of Swedish 15-year olds obtain the amount of daily physical activity as recommended by The world health organization (WHO). Physical inactivity is a contributing factor to many different diagnoses. Research has been done about levels of physical activity among adolescents, although hardly any studies on the experience of being physically active.   Aim/method The aim of this study is to investigate the experience of being physical active among 16 - 17 year olds who do not obtain the recommendations of WHO and their view on the recommendations. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted for this qualitative interview study. The data was analyzed using a qualitative content analysis.   Results/conclusion This study shows that motivation and appreciated activity is of great importance for being physically active. Physical activity performed by the selection group were mainly school related. School related stress was the main reason for physical activity not being performed. The results shows that the participants have a positive attitude towards physical activity still they are not achieving the recommendations from WHO. The authors believe this ambivalence should be studied further.

Aims: Eating disorder recovery is often supported by caregivers and mental health professionals. This research portfolio focuses on the experiences of supporting someone with an eating disorder from the perspective of the caregivers and also mental health professionals. The aims of this research portfolio are: Firstly, to systematically review the published qualitative literature relating to the experiences of caregivers supporting someone during eating disorder treatment; and secondly, to investigate the factors which may contribute to burnout, the factors which may protect against burnout and ways of managing work related stress for healthcare professionals who work in an eating disorder service. Method: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of caregiver experiences with eating disorder treatment was conducted. Searches identified 1927 studies of which 12 met the inclusion criteria for the study. Quality assessment revealed a number of strengths and also some limitations of the studies. For the research study ten healthcare professionals were interviewed on their experiences of supporting people with an eating disorder and ways of managing work related stress/burnout in this role. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: Five major themes were identified from the systematic review: “access to treatment”, “key features of treatment”, “support for the caregiver”, “encounters with health care professionals” and “the future – hopes and fears”. The research study identified seven super-ordinate themes: “Dealing with Client Physical Health Risks”, “Working to Different Goals from the Client”, “Awareness of own Eating Patterns”, “Personal Accomplishment”, “Working Together as a Team”, “Working with Caregivers” and “Ways of Managing Work Related Stress”. Conclusions: The systematic review highlighted a number of clinical implications including the importance to caregivers of early intervention, the provision of practical, tailored information, support for the caregiver, the need for caregivers and professionals to work collaboratively and the importance of instilling hope in caregivers. The research study highlights potential contributors to burnout in eating disorder services as well as positive or protective factors to burnout. It also highlights ways of managing burnout through ensuring a work-life balance, utilising self-care strategies, self-reflection and realising recovery is not 'all or nothing'.

This thesis addresses the question ‘how can breastfeeding support services best meet the needs of women of Bangladeshi origin living in the UK?’ Breastfeeding is important for health, potentially contributing to reducing health inequalities. National surveys show that women of Bangladeshi origin have high initiation rates but low rates of continuation and exclusive breastfeeding. An initial literature review revealed that existing research relating to breastfeeding and the Bangladeshi community was descriptive and essentialist representing ethnic groups as homogenous and failing to recognise the influence of structural factors. Quantitative analysis of 357 Bangladeshi women in the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) provided a more detailed national context for the qualitative research.A cumulative qualitative design underpinned by reflexivity was used comprising focus groups and interviews with grandmothers, fathers, mothers and health practitioners. Sampling was purposive for the family and practitioner phases and theoretically-informed for the mothers’ interviews. Analysis used ethnographic and narrative approaches to make sense of individual experiences within social context.The main finding was that the breastfeeding support needs of women of Bangladeshi origin were generally similar to the majority population. However to improve breastfeeding support practitioners need to understand where cultural context makes a difference. Practitioners misrecognised diversity of the Bangladeshi population in the UK including how ethno-religious identities as a minority group within a hostile majority were constituted and impacted on women’s lives. The family context of breastfeeding, including living arrangements, household responsibilities and family relationships mediated women’s access to time and space for breastfeeding. While practitioners recognised these pressures on women, they were used to affirm stereotypes of women as passive. This combined with lack of confidence and organisational constraints led to practitioners feeling powerless to support breastfeeding. Alongside implementing good practice for breastfeeding and culturally competent care, health services could engage with families, provide bilingual advocacy workers and involve women in designing accessible breastfeeding support services.