A study of Imāmī Islamic law, gender and soteriology; marriage and divorce as technologies of the self. / This dissertation explores marriage in Muslim Imāmī juristic law as an embodiment of a set of practices that are aimed at cultivating the pious and virtuous self. As a ritual practice for mainstream Imāmī jurists, marriage (and its corollary activities, e.g. sex) was a mode of pietistic self-fashioning and hence a technology of the self. When faced with the strong possibility or inevitability of marital breakdown, and the sexual sins that may have come about as a result of this breakdown, Imāmī jurists opted for creating a space for women’s prerogative to divorce in which the marriage could end whilst still upholding Islam as a program for the circumvention of sin and the production of īmān. Divorce, in this sense, can be thought of as a safety mechanism and extension of marriage’s program for the nurturing of a pietistic psychology in men and women. The textual and gendered discourse of juristic law was therefore aimed at creating a legal program for individuals so as to maintain the normative Muslim’s ontological bond with God through a series of regulations, disciplines, bodily practices and juristically permitted gendered power inversions that promoted soteriological success. This study argues that the primary concern of Imāmī jurists was not to maintain a gendered hierarchy as the current dominant scholarship holds, but to prevent sin, especially zinā, the corruption of the qalb (metaphysical heart) and ultimately avoid damnation in the Hereafter. For Imāmī jurists, marriage was not just a procedural practice of rights and duties, but a mode of self-development and a platform through which an eschatological battle against sexual sin and the Devil took place in. When patriarchy, or more specifically, asymmetrical power relations between (actual/potential) wives and husbands (or guardians) conflicted with the soteriological aims of juristic discourse, the former was inverted. The study concludes that maintaining gender hierarchy was not integral to the cosmology of juristic practice (even in its premodern discourse); it was maintaining the normative believer’s ontological bond with God and saving him/her, as well as the believing community, from damnation. Theological concerns for salvation - and the cultivation of the pious self that made salvation possible – is what animated Imāmī juristic discourse and not patriarchy whether it was obtained from the source-texts (Qur’an, ḥadīth) or social custom (ʿurf). This study undertakes this task by observing six key areas in the Imāmī tradition where notions of salvation and spiritual ontology in marriage/divorce figure the most prominently: juristic preliminaries on marriage and zinā, interfaith marriage, prepubescent marriage, temporary marriage with zānīyahs, nushūz and khulʿ divorce. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

No description available.

<p>This work explores the process of social change through an examination of the interaction between the Canadian state and the women's movement at the macro, mezzo and micro level concerning the issue of woman abuse. Using an expanding case study, an analysis of a small family service agency, a medium size Canadian city and the parliamentary and public hearing process are combined to examine how feminist challenges at various levels have interacted to transform the response of the state to woman abuse.</p> <p>In addition, this work examines the effectiveness of various feminist approaches to creating change. I challenge the dichotomy between mainstreaming and disengagement (Adamson et al ,1988) arguing that when it comes to effective action it is not a question of 'either/or' but rather 'which one, when'. The conclusion of the work is that challenge is required from many locations, in many different forms if change is to occur.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 1993 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Seeing that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and that it has such a high incidence that every woman should be aware of it, time has come for the theology, and especially for pastoral care, to provide some answers on the possible problems that accompany the illness. Treatment of breast cancer almost always include a degree of surgical intervention through which part of or a whole breast, and in extreme cases even the underlying tissue, is being removed. This procedure, to some extent, influences a woman's experience of her physique which in turn has an effect on the intimate space of her marriage. The mastectomy patient may experience that the operation, with all the psychological affects it has, disturbs her inner life rythm and that results in her relationships also being pressurised. The crisis of a mastectomy should be handled as a relationship crisis within a marriage, in which the husband can play an important therapeutic role. The husbands contribution will be greatly effected by: a) His commitment to the relationship and b) The correlation between his male identity, his sexuality and his perceptions of the female physique. Within the crisis of mastectomy, the woman's body-image should not be separated from her faith identity and the quality of her marriage - there exists a dynamic interaction between these three, which means that the handling of the crisis of a mastectomy is directly dependent on the quality if her loving relationship and on the way in which she experiences her faith. The faith factor plays an important role in the handling of the crisis, by creating a distance between the trauma of the loss and the way in which she experiences her identity. Pastoral care can play a vital role in the handling of the crisis of a mastectomy by means of guidance and support, as it proclaims the active presence of God through the marrid body of Jesus Christ. The husband of the mastectomy patient can, in his therapeutic role, be guided to be much more sensitive for the emotional needs of his wife, in regard to aspect of sexuality. This would give her the support she needs and work constructively towards the goal of healing. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Aangesien borskanker die algemeenste kanker onder vroue is en dit sulke geweldige afmetings aangeneem het dat elke vrou daarmee moet rekening hou, het dit tyd geword dat die teologie, en met name die pastoraat, ditself ook ten opsigte van die moontlike problematiek wat daarmee saamgaan, moet verantwoord. Die behandeling van borskanker behels in die meerderheid van gevalle 'n mate van chirurgiese ingrepe waardeur 'n deel van of die hele bors, en in ekstreme gevalle ook die onderliggende weefsel, verwyder word. Hierdie prosedure oefen, in 'n mindere of meerdere mate, 'n invloed op die vrou se belewing van haar liggaamlikheid uit wat weer na die intieme band van die huwelik kan deurwerk. Die mastektomiepasiënt kan ervaar dat die operasie, met al die sielkundige effekte wat dit inhou, haar innerlike lewensritme versteur sodat die verhoudinge waarin sy leef ook onder druk geplaas word. Binne die huwelik sou 'n mens dan die krisis van 'n mastektomie as 'n verhoudingskrisis moet hanteer, waarin die eggenoot 'n belangrike terapeutiese funksie kan vervul. Die man se bydrae word egter deurslaggewend bepaal deur: a) Sy verbintenis aan die verhouding en b) Die korrelasie tussen sy manlike identiteit, seksualiteit en die persepsies met betrekking tot die liggaamlikheid van die vrou. Binne die krisis van 'n mastektomie kan die vrou se liggaamsbeeld nie van haar geloofsidentiteit en die kwaliteit van haar huwelik losgemaak word nie - hierdie drie staan in 'n interdinamiese verband en beteken dat die verwerking van die krisis van 'n mastektomie direk van die kwaliteit van die liefdesverhouding en die ervaring van geloof, afhang. In die verwerking van die krisis vervul die geloofsfaktor 'n deurslaggewende rol om afstand tussen die emosionele trauma van die verlies en die ervaring van identiteit te skep. Die pastoraat kan 'n belangrike funksie vervul ten opsigte van begeleiding en ondersteuning in die verwerking van die krisis van 'n mastektomie deurdat dit God se aktiewe betrokkenheid by die situasie, aan die hand van die liggaamlikheid van Jesus Christus, verkondig. As terapeut kan die eggenoot begelei word om, op die gebied van die seksuele, baie sterker op die emosionele behoeftes van die mastektomiepasiënt ingestel te wees, om haar sodoende te ondersteun en in die proses van heling mee te werk.

Empirically, self-employed persons often operate with the support of their partners or other household members as co-workers in the firm. The formal or informal employment of the marriage partner in particular seems to have a lot of advantages, such as fiscal benefits and low wage costs. But from a theoretical point of view, these advantages are jeopardized by serious cooperation problems: If the spouse of the self-employed decides to work in the jointly-run business, former qualifications are lost. Hence a one-sided dependence on the part of the co-working spouse arises, which increases with the amount of relation-specific investments. Hence the actors are confronted with a cooperation problem, because the decision for co-working requires trust concerning the future action of the self-employed. Within this framework, this paper is focused on the determinants which influence the decisions concerning collaborating in the business of a self employed life’s companion as well as the extent of labor provided in the case of co-working. It can be assumed that the three types of determinants investigated in this paper affect the assignment of a spouse or cohabitation partner in the business of a self-employment person: (1) economic determinants which are individual productivity and human capital of the life’s companion, (2) the situation of the family and the household, and (3) characteristics of the entrepreneur and the firm. Based on a sample of self-employed empirical analysis indicates that trust and specialization play a crucial role in explaining co-working of the life’s companions of self-employed persons. However, economic determinants like productivity and human capital do not show the expected effects on collaboration.

Women in distressed relationships who had sustained severe psychological abuse and either no, moderate, or severe violence from their partner were included (N = 93). Men's and women's alcohol use did not differ with level of violence. Different patterns were found in the moderate violence group regarding women's beliefs about their partner's substance problem, men's psychological abuse, and the relationship of men's and women's quantity of alcohol use and times intoxicated. Uncertainty resulting from moderate violence may strengthen the emotional impact of psychological abuse. Even when psychological abuse is exacerbated by violence, women may use active coping techniques rather than drinking to cope with abusive relationships. The findings suggest that an inordinate focus on alcohol abuse may be ineffective in combating the problem of domestic violence.

The direct effect of spouse presence during graded exercise testing on anxiety and performance has not been previously delineated. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to (a) ascertain if spouse presence during graded exercise testing affects state anxiety or physiological performance variables, and (b) determine differences in psychological status between cardiac patients and healthy adults.

In the Middle Ages, marriage represented a shift in the balance of power for both men and women. Struggling to define what constitutes the ideal marriage in medieval society, the marriage group of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales attempts to reconcile the ongoing battle for sovereignty between husband and wife. Existing hierarchies restricted women; therefore, marriage fittingly presented more obstacles for women. Chaucer creates the dynamic personalities of the Wife of Bath, the Clerk and the Merchant to debate marriage intelligently while citing their experiences within marriage in their prologues. The rhetorical device of ethos plays a significant role for the pilgrims. By first establishing their authority, each pilgrim sets out to provide his or her audience with a tale of marriage that is most correct. Chaucer's work as a social commentary becomes rhetorically complex with varying levels of ethos between Chaucer the author, his tale tellers and their characters.

This dissertation explores the relationship between the ancient Israelite HOH and the members of his family as portrayed in the prescriptive texts of Deuteronomy. In choosing the prescriptive texts, this study distinguishes between the actual (what was) and the ideal (what should have been). Chapter 2 examines those texts, elsewhere referred to under the rubric of "family law," which specifically address the rights and responsibilities of the father in relation to other members of his household. These texts include Deuteronomy 21:10-14; 21:15-17; 21:18-21; 22:13-21; 24:1-4; 24:5 and 25:5-10. Each text is examined with focus on the characters involved, the setting (including relevant Old Testament and ancient Near Eastern background material), and ultimately the main concern or concerns driving each text. Those concerns are analyzed to see what implications the text has for the role and responsibilities of a righteous father in ancient Israel. This study seeks to establish from these texts the underlying principles that were to govern the use of his authority within the household. Chapter 3 consists of a synthesis of the results of the study and suggestions for further research. This work contends that these texts presuppose, rather than establish, a father's rights. Further, the texts view the father's authority in terms of responsibility, namely responsibility for the well-being of the members of his household to be achieved through zealous commitment to righteousness. Finally, it is proposed that abuse of a man's authority resulting in social degradation of a woman is followed by restrictions on that man's authority. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

University of Macau / Faculty of Law