Expatriation from Japanese companies has been considered mainly for men. This research focuses on gradually increasing Japanese expatriate women’s experiences in the United States. Using structuration theory (Giddens, 1984) and doing gender (West & Zimmerman, 1987), gender practices and (re)production of gendered structure at Japanese organizations in the United States are illustrated. It is exploratory research without prior research focusing on the subjects. Literature review, therefore, covers three relevant areas: women in workplace in Japan, Japanese expatriates in the United States, and women in international assignments from western countries. This research employs qualitative research method to understand the social world of Japanese expatriate women in the United States. Twenty participants are gathered through convenience and snowballing sample techniques. Findings are in two areas: private and organizational spheres. Gender plays a significant role in both areas. Organizations are officially gender free, but it is time to face that women are disadvantaged because of their gender. Particularly, most of participants reproduce gendered practice that expatriation is for men or women who can work like men. Therefore, an expatriate woman with a child and another with trailing husband in the United States face challenges. Japanese companies should acknowledge that organizational system do not reflect women’s perspectives at expatriatism. Japanese expatriate women should also take an active role in networking and mentoring for greater participation of women in international assignments in the future.

BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding and lactation are cited as sensitive periods in the life course that contribute to the accumulation of risks or opportunities ultimately shaping vulnerability or resilience later in life. As such, breastfeeding and lactation are critical components of health equity. Despite this, Black women in the U.S. initiate and continue to breastfeed at lower rates than White women and other groups. Underlying reasons for racial inequities in breastfeeding rates are poorly understood. Exposure to racism, one manifestation of historical oppression in the U.S. has been cited as a determinant of poor health outcomes for decades but has not been extensively described in the context of breastfeeding. AIMS: To investigate the association between experiences of racism and 1.) breastfeeding initiation 2.) breastfeeding duration 3.) and the association between selected life-course factors and breastfeeding initiation and duration among participants of the Black Women’s Health Study. METHODS: This study was a prospective secondary analysis of the Black Women’s Health Study. The sample included all participants who enrolled in 1995, responded to the racism assessment in 1997 and reported the birth of a first child following the racism assessment resulting in an N=2, 995 for the initiation outcome and N= 2,392 for the duration outcome. In addition to the racism assessment, we also included life-course factors (nativity, neighborhood segregation and social mobility). For each aim, we calculated odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals using binomial and multinomial logistic regression using two models. The first adjusted for age, the second adjusted for age, BMI, education, marital status, geographic region, neighborhood SES and occupation. RESULTS: Associations between daily and institutional summary racism variables and breastfeeding initiation and duration were small and not statistically significant. Experiences of racism in the job setting was associated with lower odds of breastfeeding duration at 3-5 months compared with 3 months 95% CI [0.60, 0.98]. Experiences of racism with the police was associated with higher odds of breastfeeding initiation and duration at 3-5 months [1.01, 1.77] and at 6 months [1.10, 1.82] compared with women who did not report this experience. The participant’s nativity and the nativity of her parents were life-course factors that predicted lower odds of breastfeeding initiation and duration. Neighborhood segregation did not reach statistical significance after adjusting for covariates but results trended toward lower odds of breastfeeding initiation and duration for women who reported living in a predominately Black neighborhood (compared with White) up to age 18 and for women who reported living in a predominately Black neighborhood in 1999. CONCLUSION: Experiences of institutional racism in the job setting was associated with lower odds of breastfeeding duration. In addition to explicit experiences of racism, this study provides preliminary evidence surrounding life-course factors and breastfeeding. Individual level interventions may mitigate harmful effects of racism but structural level interventions are critical to close the gap of racial inequity in breastfeeding rates in the U.S.

Enbridge has proposed the Line 3 “Replacement” Project, a new pipeline project taking a new route strait through Anishinaabe treaty territory in what is known as northern Minnesota. In the middle of the regulation process, the future remains unclear of how the State of Minnesota will move forward with the permitting process, but Anishinaabe communities, a range of non-profit organizations, and local landowners remain firmly against the line. Rooted in varied frameworks of Native sovereignty, the land, and Indigenous feminism, Anishinaabe communities lead the resistance against a product of ongoing settler colonialism, racial capitalism, and environmental racism. This thesis contextualizes the multi-tactical repertoires of those defending the land in the existing work of Indigenous scholars who write on the necessity for land-based resistance towards the unsettling process of decolonization. Ultimately, the resistance against Line 3 is representative of a long-term battle for Native sovereignty and self-determination in defense of the land and future generations.

BRAGA, Phelipe Bezerra. Tensões na percepção dos docentes no Curso de Educação em Direitos Humanos do Instituto UFC-Virtual. 2014. 92f. – Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação Brasileira, Fortaleza (CE), 2014. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-11-28T13:11:33Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_dis_pbbraga.pdf: 754225 bytes, checksum: bce11016422b76c2d39e7bc20116d898 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo(marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-11-28T15:08:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_dis_pbbraga.pdf: 754225 bytes, checksum: bce11016422b76c2d39e7bc20116d898 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-11-28T15:08:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2014_dis_pbbraga.pdf: 754225 bytes, checksum: bce11016422b76c2d39e7bc20116d898 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / This research aims to analyze the process of teacher training in Human Rights Education as having the object EDH Improvement Course, Federal University of Ceará, developed in the year 2013 and has reference to the strangeness of the students the opposite perspective of education on Human rights. What are the places of conflict in the encounter between students? How did do they react to the prospect of EDH proposed by that course? What are the implications of this learning process? From this perspective, I try to bring to the academic space, the debate on continuing education for teachers as with regard to fighting discrimination and prejudice and the appreciation of diversity in school. Thus, these discussions take on a dimension of social relevance as the Brazilian society, despite advances in the field of Human Rights in the legislative sphere, has demonstrated the resurgence of social rights, intolerance and resistance in the recognition of diversity. This research also aims to bring contributions to the education and or Human Rights, by analyzing educational practices that aims to valuing diversity and tackling discrimination and prejudice. We can conclude that the space where higher stresses in perspective brought about by discussions of human rights education occurs is related to gender, sexual diversity, and race and ethnicity. / Esta pesquisa pretende analisar o processo de formação docente em Educação em Direitos Humanos tendo como objeto o Curso de Aperfeiçoamento EDH, da Universidade Federal do Ceará, desenvolvido no ano de 2013. E tem como referência o estranhamento dos alunos/as frente à perspectiva de educação em Direitos Humanos. Quais os lugares de conflito no encontro entre os alunos/as e a EDH? Como eles/elas reagem à perspectiva de EDH proposta pelo referido curso? Quais seriam as implicações desse processo pedagógico? Nessa perspectiva, procuro trazer, para o espaço acadêmico, o debate sobre formação continuada de professores/as no que se refere ao enfrentamento da discriminação e do preconceito e à valorização da diversidade na escola. Dessa maneira, as referidas discussões assumem uma dimensão de relevância social à medida que a sociedade brasileira, apesar dos avanços no campo dos Direitos Humanos na esfera legislativa, tem demonstrado o recrudescimento dos direitos sociais, a intolerância e resistência no reconhecimento da diversidade. Esta pesquisa também pretende trazer contribuições para a educação em e/ou para Direitos Humanos, por meio da análise de práticas educativas que tem como objetivo a valorização da diversidade e o enfrentamento da discriminação e do preconceito. Podemos concluir que o espaço onde ocorre maiores tensões na perspectiva das discussões trazidas pela educação em direitos humanos está relacionada às questões de gênero, diversidade sexual e raça e etnia.

Purpose Study explored the relationships of ethnic identity, culture, and social cohesion to mammography, cancer screening, and preventive medical visits among African-American and Afro-Caribbean women in Broward County, FL. Purpose was to understand non-compliance to screening recommendations for breast cancer among disadvantaged Black women in an area of high prevalence. Methods A bounded convenience sample of 117 women (49% African-American and 51% Afro-Caribbean) completed a cross-sectional survey and a subset (n=87) participated in semi-structured discussion groups. Both measured perceptions related to breast cancer, defined ethnic identity or culture, and suggested social and cultural factors influence of ethnic identity, culture, and social cohesion on participation with mammograms and preventive medical care visits. Survey included the Multi-Group Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) and Other-Group Orientation Scale (OGO) for ethnic identity and the Risk Behavior Diagnosis Scale for cancer perceptions. Methods were bivariate, Mann-Whitney U, linear, and logistic regression. Results Half of participants (51%) self-identified as Caribbean. OGO was positively associated with overall attitudes (p< 0.01), perceived urgency (p = 0.05), and perceived benefit related to breast cancer. Linear regression indicated that Afro-Caribbean women (referent) would perceive less urgency to screen (p = 0.05) and lower risk for breast cancer (p = 0.03) than African-American women. Participants explained that personal and neighborhood cultural norms along with health perceptions along with structural factors connected to access and use of medical services influence Black women’s participation in preventive medical services and cancer screening. Conclusions Ethnic identity was associated with women’s perceptions of risk, urgency, and benefit for breast cancer screenings. These perceptions may have had a greater influence on the decisions of Afro-Caribbean women not to comply with screening recommendations or participate in preventive medical care actives than for African-American women. Compliance was also mediated by cultural perceptions of fear, relevance, motivation, and sense of support along with other structural factors. All had contributed to the varying degrees that Black women had sought medical care in this community. Thus, tailoring health interventions to account for variations in within-group characteristics is warranted. [This research was supported in part by NIH/NIGMS R25 GM061347.]

A transnational network of more than 50 million people, the Chinese diaspora stretches its reach across the globe. As part of their immigrant journeys, many Chinese immigrants have achieved political leadership in their adopted home countries despite monumental barriers. This thesis examines the political attainment of Chinese immigrants by uncovering how institutional factors such as political power sharing between ethnic groups, citizenship acquisition law, and discrimination law affect their pursuit of public office. I first establish a database of 265 politicians I define as Chinese immigrants, whose various levels of political attainment I then use as the dependent variable. Through empirical analysis, this thesis finds that politicians of Chinese descent attain lower levels of political office when institutional discrimination has targeted Chinese immigrants. In contrast, this thesis reveals that politicians of Chinese descent attain higher levels of political office when political power is shared amongst ethnic groups and when citizenship acquisition laws are exclusionary. While the last result is seemingly counterintuitive, the negative relationship between the inclusiveness of citizenship and political attainment can be explained by the intrinsic role exclusionary citizenship acquisition laws play in naturalizing citizens who are deemed to be integrated and electable.

The purpose of this dissertation is to utilize an intersectional approach to determine what external factors (social, political, and economic) contribute to the health challenges of black heterosexual women and black queer women in the American South. The dissertation made a comparison between black heterosexual women and black queer women to explore whether their health challenges result from their social, political, and economic experiences. The research further examined how the daily experiences of these black women impact their health. This dissertation found that the daily lives of black heterosexual and black queer women associated with their social, economic, and political experiences create vulnerability in the health challenges of these populations. The dissertation also found that black queer women appear to become a sub-population whose health is poorer than their black heterosexual female counterparts because they suffer additional challenges, in the form of isolation and stigmatization, resulting from their sexual orientation in the American South.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) disproportionately impact non-Hispanic blacks in the United States. Racial differences in sexual networks can contribute to these disparities. Racial residential segregation, the separation of racial groups in a residential context, is a community factor known to influence sexual networks and has been associated with negative health outcomes. Our objective was to examine the association between racial residential segregation (henceforth, referred to as segregation), risky sexual behavior, concurrent partnerships, and STI diagnoses among non-Hispanic blacks. Demographic, sexual behavior, and STI diagnosis data for non-Hispanic blacks 15–44 years of age were obtained from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth. Segregation and community poverty data were obtained from the U.S. Census. Five distinct dimensions measured segregation, each with a representative index. Multilevel logistic regressions were conducted to test how each of the five indices were associated with risky sexual behavior, concurrent partnerships, and STI diagnoses. Risky sexual behavior results showed 16.1% (n=588) of participants engaged in risky sexual behavior. The association was stronger for the absolute centralization (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.05 – 2.08) and relative concentration indices (aOR 2.05; 95% CI 2.03 – 2.07). This suggests risky sexual behavior is most strongly associated with segregation in neighborhoods with a high density of non-Hispanic blacks and accumulation of non-Hispanic blacks in an urban core. STI diagnosis results showed 7.4% (n=305) of participants reported a STI diagnosis, and segregation was associated with STI diagnosis. The association was strongest measured with the dissimilarity index (aOR 2.41; 95% CI 2.38 – 2.43) and stronger for males. Concurrent partnerships results showed 15.6% (n=645) of participants reported concurrent partnerships. Multilevel analyses showed segregation to be associated with concurrent partnerships with the association strongest measured with the dissimilarity index. Segregation acted as a risk and a protective factor with risky sexual behavior, concurrent partnerships, and STI diagnosis, depending on the segregation measure. Additional work is needed to understand the mechanisms of how specific segregation dimensions influence risky sexual behaviors and sexually transmitted infections.

How does a woman's race influence perceptions of her sexual behavior? This study investigated how race and sexual behavior intersect within an ambivalent sexism framework. Benevolent sexism characterizes women as pure and defenseless, which contrasts with the cultural stereotype of Black women as aggressive and hypersexual. Gender and racial stereotypes may combine to produce different outcomes for women who behave according to negative (promiscuous) or positive (chaste) sexual subtypes. According to shifting standards theory, evaluations and treatment of these women should vary depending on whether the measured behavior is non-zero sum (limitless) or zero sum (finite). To test this hypothesis, participants read about a chaste or promiscuous Black or White woman and reported their hostile and benevolent attitudes about her (non-zero sum) and whether she should be picked to represent an organization that supports women of her sexual subtype (zero sum.) Results suggest, consistent with shifting standards, that more benevolent sexism was expressed to a chaste Black, rather than White, woman. However, the Black woman did not receive more positive trait evaluations or experience an advantage on the zero sum outcome. Minority women who conform to benevolent sexism ideals may be highly praised (non-zero sum reward) but are not given tangible rewards (zero sum reward) for their behavior. This pattern of treatment perpetuates discrimination against Black women within society.

Prostate cancer, the leading cause of cancer in men, has positive survival rates and constitutes a challenge to men with its side effects. Studies have addressed the bivaritate relationships between prostate cancer treatment side effects masculinity, partner relationship, and quality of life (QOL). However, few studies have highlighted the relationships among prostate cancer treatment side effects (i.e., sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence), masculinity, and relationship with the partner together on QOL in men. Most studies were conducted with predominately Caucasian sample of men. Miami is a unique multiethnic setting that hosts Cuban, Columbian, Venezuelan, Haitian, other Latin American and Caribbean communities that were not represented in previous literature. The purpose of this study was to examine relative contributions of age, ethnicity, sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, masculinity, and perception of the relationship with the partner on the quality of life in men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Data were collected using self administered questionnaires measuring demographic variables, sexual and urinary functioning (UCLA PCI), masculinity (CMNI), partner relationship (DAS), and QOL (SF-36). A total of 117 partnered heterosexual men diagnosed with prostate cancer were recruited from four urology clinics in Miami, Florida. Men were 67.47 (SD = 8.42) years old and identified themselves to be of Hispanic origin (54.3 %, n = 63). Findings demonstrated that there was a significant moderate negative relationship between urinary and sexual functioning of men. There was a significant strong negative association between men’s perceived relationship with partner and masculinity. There was a weak negative relationship between the partner relationship and QOL. Hierarchal multiple regression showed that the partner relationship (β = -.25, t (91) = -2.28, p = .03) significantly contributed overall to QOL. These findings highlight the importance of the relationship satisfaction in the QOL of men with prostate cancer. Nursing interventions to enhance QOL for these men should consider strengthening the relationship and involving the female partner as an active participant.