This study compared the relationships among respite care, uplifts, stress, and marital quality across two different groups of caregivers' 102 heterosexual married couples with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 111 heterosexual married couples with children with Down syndrome (DS). This study also investigated if the effect of respite care on stress and marital quality varied as a function of the amount of uplifts these caregivers experienced. Participants completed self-report surveys. Three two-group Actor Partner Interdependence Models were estimated to calculate the direct, indirect, and partner-effects among these variables. Respite care was not related to stress for either groups of parents, but it was positively associated with husband and wife marital quality for parents of children with ASD. Uplifts were negatively associated with stress and positively associated with marital quality for both husbands and wives with children with ASD, but only for wives with children with DS. Furthermore, when husbands and wives with children with ASD reported more weekly respite hours and daily uplifts, wives tended to report more daily stress. However, as husbands and wives reported less weekly respite care and more daily uplifts, wives tended to report less daily stress. Implications for these findings are discussed.

This paper explores the extent to which the female characters in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales exercise any degree of narrative agency. Using both literary and historical approaches, this paper specifically discusses the cases of three of Chaucer’s women: Virginia, Griselda, and the Wife of Bath.

Domestic abuse is the number one cause of injury to women in the United States. Women and their children flee everyday to shelters to escape the abuse. Once inside the shelters, material resources are rendered so that the women can continue to lead lives outside the shelter and different therapies are employed so that the women can better understand the abuse and their options once leaving. A type of therapy used in other therapeutic forums, such as patients sexually abused as children, is dream analysis. This type of therapy has allowed formerly traumatized victims a safe space to uncover hidden traumas, acknowledge them and begin to write new scripts for their lives. The theoretical view behind this paper is that dream analysis could be a feminist tool of empowerment for women participating in domestic abuse therapy. As a researcher, I performed research at The Spring, Tampa Florida's only domestic abuse shelter for women and their children. During the research, I observed multiple domestic violence group therapy sessions, interviewed the facilitator of this group, and held personal interviews with five different women over a three month period. During these interviews, the women discussed in detail their lives, the abuse they sustained and their dreams surrounding the abuse. The women were asked to give interpretations of the meanings of their dreams, which are incorporated in the paper. Throughout the interviews, it was of vital importance that the battered women's standpoints were privileged and that they remained the experts of their own experiences. During this process, two points became clear: forgotten traumas resurfaced during dreamtime and the women understood they were "too good" for the abuse and should leave. It became clear that dream analysis could be a feminist tool of empowerment for this highly marginalized community.

My research is centered around the questions: How can such a modernized country, considered by many to be the cleanest, friendliest, most welcoming place to visit (certainly surpassing the United States on such standards), not be more welcoming of women in employment? Further, what are the main problems hindering women in employment today, and from where do these problems originate? That is, how did the present situation for women’s employment in Japan come to light? I endeavor to answer these questions, beginning by uncovering the major issues in women’s employment and then tracing their origins back in history to discover when and why they developed into what they are today.

När en person drabbas av en kronisksjukdom förändras hela livssituationen för den drabbade och deras familj. Syftetmed denna studie var att beskriva makars upplevelser i samband med beslut ompartners flytt till särskilt boende för personer med demenssjukdom. Studienbaseras på tretton intervjuer som analyserades med manifest kvalitativinnehållsanalys. Resultatet strukturerades i sju underkategorier och fyrakategorier. Dessa beskriver hur anhöriga, oberoende av kön, upplevde att tabeslutet om att flytta sin make/maka till särskilt boende för personer meddemenssjukdom som känslomässigt påfrestande. Studien visade även på behovet avstöd vid beslutstagandet. Slutsatsen blir att sjuksköterskan och andraprofessioner behöver kunskap och utbildning för att kunna stödja makar vidbeslutstagandet. / When a person is suffering from achronic disease, often the whole life situation is changing for both the personand the family. The purpose of this study was to describe spouses experienceswhen their partner with dementia was placed in sheltered housing for peoplewith dementia. The study is based on thirteen interviews that were analyzed with amethod for manifest qualitative content analysis. The result was structured inseven subcategories and four categories. The results from the interviews showthat relatives of either sex experienced that to make the decision to move his/ her spouse for special housing for people with dementia were emotionally stressful.The study also showed the need for aid inthe decision-taking. The conclusion is that nurses andother professionals need knowledge and training to support the spouses in thedecision-taking

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the relationship between ambivalent sexism, gender related system justification and religious orientation with attitudes toward physical wife abuse (APWA). APWA are investigated in three facets, namely justifiability (JPWA), perceived functionality (PFPWA) and consequences (ACPWA). As measurement tools, Attitudes toward Physical Wife Abuse Scale, Content Domains for Justification of Physical Wife Abuse Scale, Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI), Ambivalence toward Men Inventory (AMI), Revised Muslim Religious Orientation Scale (MROS-R), Gender Related System Justification Scale (GSJ) and demographic information form were used. Although a total of 385 student and non-student participants responded the questionnaire, only 303 (119 males, 184 females) participants who stated their religion to be Islam were included in the study for accurate assessment of Muslim religious orientation. The age range of the participants was between 17 and 72 (M=27.30 / SD= 8.68). Since women and men significantly differed with respect to their APWA, separate hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted in order to further observe the differences between them. Although there were slight differences in unique contributions of the variables for the three subscales of APWAS and for men and women, a general pattern was drawn in which results revealed that intrinsic religious orientation and quest religious orientation were not related to any of the three dimensions of APWA whereas fundamentalist religious orientation was found to be a significant predictor of APWA. Among the dimensions of ASI and AMI, Hostile Sexism (HS) and Benevolence toward Men (BM) predicted more favorable attitudes toward the three dimensions of physical wife abuse, whereas hostility toward men (HM) and benevolent sexism (BS) predicted less favorable attitudes. GSJ was not found to have a unique contribution in predicting any of the three dimensions of APWA. The major contributions of the present study are / 1) Investigation of religious orientation as an individual difference affecting APWA first in a Muslim culture, 2) Investigating GSJ first in Turkey and first with relation to APWA and 3) Providing a detailed measurement tool for specific assessment of attitudes toward physical wife abuse in three dimensions and 4) Providing a re-constructed Muslim Religious Orientation Scale which was extended and improved in content, reliability and validity after revision.

Originally presented as the author's Thesis (doctoral)--Freie Universität, Berlin, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [247]-270).

Recent research into marital satisfaction has highlighted distan.ce regulation as a central source of controversy in couples' relationships ((Byng-Hall, 1991b, 1995; Marvin & Stewart, 1990; Pistole, 1994; Stevenson-Hinde, 1990). Shifts in the spatial arrangements or structural elements of the marital couple may escalate or de-escalate attachment behaviour and partners continually regulate this distance in order not to experience separation anxiety. Albeit differently, structural family, theory (Minuchin, 1974) also emphasizes the spatial arrangements of the couple and how these differentially affect the Viability of the system. In view of the fact that both attachment theory and structural family theory are concerned with the spatial arrangements of the couple, this research proposes to examine the interface between these theories and how they may jointly, rather than separately, inform research into marital satisfaction. Opportunistic sampling of 6 groups was undertaken and self-report questionnaires assessing sociodemographics,.attachment styles, attachment history, marriage structure and marital satisfaction distributed to married couples only. Self-report questionnaires comprised the following assessment instrume,nts: the Close Relationships Questionnaire (Hazan & Shaver, 1987) measuring attachment style (viz. secure, anxious/ambivalent, avoidant); an Adjective Checklist measuring attachment-history variables (Hazan & Shaver, 1987); the Adult Attachment Scale (Collins & Read, 1990) measuring attachment dimensions (viz. Close, Depend, Anxiety); the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES III) (Olson, Portner & Lavee, 1985) measuring-.Qoth marriage structure (viz. the variables cohesion and adaptability) and marital satisfaction; and a 5-item Marital Satisfaction Scale compiled by the researcher. The final sample constituted 82 participants of which 34 were couples and 14 were individuals. The 14 individual respondents comprised 10. wives and 4 husbands. Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation coefficients, a Canonical Discriminant Functions Analysis, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA's), chi-square /tests of independence and t-tests. Hypotheses examined the relationship between family/couple structure, attachment classifications and marital satisfaction. Relationships between individual attachment classifications and marriage structure (viz. cohesion and adaptability) (FACES III - Olson , et al., 1985) were, for the most part, not supported. The hypothesis investigating the relationship between individual attachment classifications and satisfaction with the marriage was, for the most part, not supported, however, the second part of the hypothesis investigating the relationship between couple attachment classifications and couples' satisfaction with the marriage showed a significant relationship between couple attachment style groupings (viz. secure husband, anxious wife, etc.) and one of the scales measuring couple satisfaction. Some significant relationships were found between individuals' attachment classifications and their recollection of childhood relationships with parents and parents' relationships with one another. In view of the fact that research into this area has only recently been embarked upon, it is concluded that future research using multiple methods of assessment be undertaken in order to more comprehensively establish the merits or otherwise of combining attachment theory and structural family theory in research into marital satisfaction. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

It is presently a general conception that marriages are fast going out of fashion. This tendency is blamed on the high divorce rate all over the world. It is also believed that marriages are not the only accepted ways of having relationships. In order to counsel couples effectively in marriage therapy, the basic building blocks of a marriage have to be kept in mind. The current pre-marital counselling programs are lacking in their ability to create stronger marriages. The following encompassing research question arose: How can emotional oneness concerning newlyweds be improved through the following Scriptural guidelines for leaving of parents (Gen 2:24), cleaving (Gen 2:24) and becoming one (Gen 2:24)? The methodology used was as follows: In Chapter 2, basic-theoretical perspectives were formulated on how the Word of God explains the importance of leaving, cleaving and becoming one in the process of becoming emotionally one. The basic-theoretical perspectives were constructed based upon detailed exegesis of Genesis 2:24, as well as cursory exegesis of other relevant passages. In Chapter 3, meta-theoretical perspectives were formulated by making use of a literature study of the associated disciplines of Physiology, Psychology, Sociology and Law, with specific reference to emotions and marriage itself. An empirical study indicated that there is a real necessity for a good descriptive definition of emotional oneness. In Chapter 4, practical-theoretical guidelines were given as a result of the hermeneutical interaction between the basic-theoretical principles and the metatheoretical perspectives. Five practical guidelines were formulated to characterize an emotional oneness marriage. In Chapter 5, the researcher finally concludes that the process of leaving, cleaving and becoming one is a continuous process. It is only possible through the help of the Holy Spirit and where both newlyweds are willing to work on their marriage. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

This thesis focuses on Aboriginal women as survivors of intimate violence, and as participants in debates about justice and rights in the academic, political and legal spheres. While several federal and provincial reports have documented the adverse impact of the dominant criminal justice system on Aboriginal peoples, most of the reports fail to consider the impact of the dominant system, and of reform initiatives on Aboriginal women, who engage with such systems primarily as survivors of violence. Although feminist legal scholars and activists have focused on survivors of violence in critiquing the dominant justice system, such discourses have also tended to ignore the needs and concerns of Aboriginal women in recommending reforms to the dominant system, as well as in theorizing the causes and sites of intimate violence. Using feminist methods, I explore how the writings of Aboriginal women have begun to fill these gaps. In focusing on gender and racial oppression, Aboriginal women have complicated theories on and reforms around intimate violence, and have demanded that they be included in the shaping of public institutions in both the Canadian legal system, and in the context of Aboriginal self-government. While Aboriginal women largely support the creation of Aboriginal justice systems, some have expressed concerns about the willingness of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal leaders to include women in the process of creating, implementing and operating such systems. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as Aboriginal rights under the Constitution Act, 1982 have been advocated as means of achieving Aboriginal women's participation in this context. This gives rise to a number of fundamental questions which I examine in my thesis. What is the historical basis for the participation of Aboriginal women in the political process, and for survivors of violence in both the dominant and Aboriginal justice systems? What is the significance of the absence of Aboriginal women from dominant discourses on justice and intimate violence? Might a broader level of participation for survivors of violence, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, ameliorate the problematic aspects of the dominant justice system? Does the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provide a vehicle for survivors of violence who seek a greater level of protection and participation in the dominant justice system? Can the Charter, or Aboriginal rights under the Canadian constitution, assist Aboriginal women in establishing a right of participation in the processes leading to the creation of Aboriginal justice systems, and their participation in such systems once they have been created? What are the limitations of rights discourse in this context? My analysis suggests that the Supreme Court of Canada's conservative approach to rights, as well as more fundamental limitations in rights discourse, make constitutional litigation within the dominant system a sometimes necessary, but not ideal strategy for Aboriginal women in defining their involvement in the political and justice arenas. On the other hand, there is potential for rights discourse to bear more fruit once Aboriginal decision making fora are in place, in keeping with holistic approaches to interpretation, and the traditional roles of Aboriginal women and survivors of violence in justice and in the community.