This thesis deals with the space for action available to women of the regional elite. The interaction of such categories as gender and class are discussed. The overall purpose is to describe and analyze the role of the county governor’s wife during the period 1900- 1940. The study takes its point of departure in the lives of Ellen Widén and Hanna Rydh, both wives of county governors, and especially treats the area of cultural heritage as the potential public arena for women. Special attention is focused on the cultural heritage as a possible public sphere of activity for women at that time. Cultural heritage has been defined as the cultural and material expressions that were regarded as possessing symbolic value and that have therefore been the focus for various kinds of preservation. Cultural heritage is associated here with a growing field for professional interest and work. Women in general were given specific tasks within the nation. One of these was to safeguard aesthetic and cultural characteristics within the nation, the province and the home region. By working within the sphere of cultural heritage, with arts and crafts and with the preservation of the home region, women were regarded as links between the older and younger generations. The specific characteristics of the home region could be expressed through various textiles. The work of creating specific parish costumes can be seen as one of many examples of a female cultural heritage. The study has shown that the wives of county governors could have a direct and immediate influence on activities in the area of cultural heritage. This research has established that these women formed a more independent power factor than earlier research has maintained. The county governor’s wife did not automatically gain a position of power. She had potential power, an opportunity derived from both class and gender. To transform this potential into power and influence demanded success and skill in the field. When Hanna Rydh, the wife of a county governor, declared herself a candidate for the position of county governor in 1938, it was too much of a challenge to the prevailing gender order. Through a form of ”tyranny of difference” women were prevented from establishing themselves within public spheres that were more masculine by tradition. This could be true of specific fields or of the formal power exercised by the parliament, the government and public offices. If the female elite challenged the men of their own class, their opportunities were circumscribed. I have chosen therefore to speak of both power and “non-power.” Within certain contexts there were good opportunities for the regional female elite to obtain their own space for action. Yet, in other situations the limitations were greater than the opportunities; “non-power” also existed.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Ce mémoire porte sur l’expérience de la maternité des Ouagalaises et son évolution. Il s’intéresse au déroulement de la première grossesse, de l’accouchement et de l’entrée en maternité de deux générations de femmes. Privilégiant une approche holistico-inductive en méthodologie qualitative, notre recherche s’est appuyée sur 31 entretiens semi-directifs avec des Ouagalaises, sur 15 d’heures d’observation participante à la maternité ainsi que sur 10 d’entretiens semi-directifs avec des sages-femmes. Les résultats de l’analyse montrent que le savoir de la maternité se transmet toujours de génération en génération, et qu’il demeure encore fortement encadré par les aînées. Toutefois, les transformations en cours dans le système de santé et dans la société burkinabè ne sont pas sans incidence dans la capitale. Les jeunes femmes étant plus renseignées en matière de santé reproductive, elles ont davantage reconnu les signes de la grossesse et le début des douleurs de l’accouchement. Les accompagnantes n’ayant plus accès à la salle d’accouchement et le pouvoir des sages-femmes s’agrandissant, l’expérience de l’accouchement se modifie. Bien que les vieilles femmes n’aient plus le même contrôle sur les parturientes durant l’accouchement, leur influence est toutefois toujours très importante pendant la période post-partum. Les femmes de la jeune génération n’étant généralement pas encore mariées ou installées dans leur propre maison au moment de la grossesse, la promiscuité avec leur belle-mère à l’issue de l’accouchement augmente et le pouvoir de cette dernière est plus important qu’il ne l’était à l’époque de la génération précédente. / This thesis explores the maternity experience of women from Ouagadougou and its evolution through time. It focuses on the unfolding of the first pregnancy, the delivery process and the entrance in maternity for two generations of women. Using a analytic induction approach in qualitative methodology, our research is based on 31 semi-directed discussions with woman, 15 hours of participative observation on maternity, and, on 10 semi-directed interviews with mid wives. The results of the analysis demonstrate that the accumulated knowledge surrounding maternity, has always been transmitted from generation to generation [among woman,] and that it’s still largely influenced by the elderly. However, the transformations happening in the burkinabé society and most importantly in their health care system, is having an impact on this ‘sharing of knowledge.’ Young woman are now receiving more information on their reproductive health, and are more inclined to recognize both, the signs of pregnancy, and the on-set of labour. Because the old women doesn’t have access to the delivery room, and because of the mid wives’ growing power, the birth process of the women is changing. Even though the elderly women don’t have the same influence over their parturients during the delivery process, their impact is still present during the post-partum period. Countless of these young urban women are now residing with their mother-in-law, translating into increased power of the mother-in-law in many facets of the pregnancy. This exertion of power is now more noticeable than ever before compared to any prior generation.

This qualitative exploratory research study examined the experiences of older women (over age 55) whose husbands had been admitted to a personal care home (PCH) in Winnipeg, Manitoba within the previous twelve (12) months. In-depth, semi-structured, one-on-one interviews were conducted with six (6) women. Socialist feminist and feminist caregiving theoretical frameworks along with narrative analysis were used gain insight into the participants’ needs surrounding their experiences of the admission. Findings include the fact that changes in women’s formal and informal supports began occurring years before their husbands’ admissions. The all-encompassing role as caregiver for their families continued to be central in their lives even after the admission. While women met their material and emotional needs through a range of formal and informal services, the participants were more likely to see needs met through informal means. Themes emerging from the research included those of guilt, entitlement, obligation, and reciprocity.

Through inquiry, experience, and discovery, this practicum reveals the landscape of Old Wives Lake, Saskatchewan and the prairie pothole region that surrounds it. It is my intention for this work to become a device for the revealing of unseen forces, for the creation of a different attention, an altering of perception, and an openness to a unique landscape of ever changing and shifting phenomena. It is accepted that complex systems, cannot be fully understood without time, patience, and commitment; however, through learning, understanding and revealing, the potential to not simply ‘see’ a landscape, but ‘read’ a landscape is harvested to enlighten and share in its discovery. The result is an exhibition of the unexpected Saskatchewan landscape.

This qualitative exploratory research study examined the experiences of older women (over age 55) whose husbands had been admitted to a personal care home (PCH) in Winnipeg, Manitoba within the previous twelve (12) months. In-depth, semi-structured, one-on-one interviews were conducted with six (6) women. Socialist feminist and feminist caregiving theoretical frameworks along with narrative analysis were used gain insight into the participants’ needs surrounding their experiences of the admission. Findings include the fact that changes in women’s formal and informal supports began occurring years before their husbands’ admissions. The all-encompassing role as caregiver for their families continued to be central in their lives even after the admission. While women met their material and emotional needs through a range of formal and informal services, the participants were more likely to see needs met through informal means. Themes emerging from the research included those of guilt, entitlement, obligation, and reciprocity.

Through inquiry, experience, and discovery, this practicum reveals the landscape of Old Wives Lake, Saskatchewan and the prairie pothole region that surrounds it. It is my intention for this work to become a device for the revealing of unseen forces, for the creation of a different attention, an altering of perception, and an openness to a unique landscape of ever changing and shifting phenomena. It is accepted that complex systems, cannot be fully understood without time, patience, and commitment; however, through learning, understanding and revealing, the potential to not simply ‘see’ a landscape, but ‘read’ a landscape is harvested to enlighten and share in its discovery. The result is an exhibition of the unexpected Saskatchewan landscape.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the predictive power of some demographic variables and ways of coping, social support and perceived stress level in predicting burnout and posttraumatic growth levels of parents who have a child with autism. Data was collected by administering a socio-demographic form and four self-report questionnaires. These were the Questionnaire on Resources and Stress Short Form (QRS), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Ways of Coping Inventory (WCI), and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). 136 adults representing 58 parent couples and 13 mothers and 7 fathers, with 71 mothers and 65 fathers who had a child with autism participated in this study. Data was collected in &Ouml / zel ilgi Special Education School, BariS Special Education School, Ankara University Center of Research for Children with Autism (O&Ccedil / EM), Bagcilar School for Children with Autism and Hacettepe University Child Psychiatry Clinic. The factor analysis of the MBI yielded two of the three factors of the original factor structure. The depersonalization factor was not found in this sample. It was found that, mothers were experiencing significantly higher emotional exhaustion than the fathers. The regression analysis results revealed that social support and problem solving/optimistic coping were significant predictors of posttraumatic growth among mothers. Social support, problem solving/optimistic coping, religiosity, age, years of marriage were the significant predictors of posttraumatic growth among fathers. Stress level was the only significant predictor of burnout and emotional exhaustion among mothers. Stress level was a significant predictor of both burnout and emotional exhaustion among fathers, but helplessness/self blaming approach was also a significant predictor of paternal burnout. Social support, problem solving/optimistic approach, and stress level were significant predictors of lack of personal accomplishment among mothers. Presence of a caregiver and helplessness/self blaming approach were the significant predictors of lack of personal accomplishment among fathers. The importance of the results for clinical interventions with parents and their shortcomings were discussed within the relevant literature.

The main purpose of the present study was to explore the relationships between vertical and horizontal individualism-collectivism, religiosity and parenting styles from perspective of parents and their children. It was also aimed to examine SES related differences and the differences between mothers, fathers, and their children in terms of the study variables. In addition, the differences between authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and neglectful families in terms of vertical individualism (VI), horizontal individualism (HI), vertical collectivism (VC), horizontal collectivism (HC), and religiosity were investigated. For these purposes data were collected from 230 families including mother, father, and their young adult child &ndash / in the age range of 17-25-. Three participants from each family responded to similar measurement of the study variables, namely Vertical and Horizontal Individualism-Collectivism Scale, the Measurement of the Child Rearing Styles Scale, Religiosity Scale, and Demographic Information Form. According to the results, age, family income, VI, and VC for mothers and age, VI, and religiosity for fathers were significant predictors of parental control whereas education level, HI, HC, and VC for mothers and only VC for fathers were significant predictors of parental acceptance. The regression analyses for the child sample of the study indicated that the predictors of VI are education level and perceived parental control / the predictor of HC is perceived parental acceptance / the predictors of VC are perceived parental control and acceptance / the predictor of HI is gender / and the predictors of religiosity are family income and perceived parental control. Results also showed that there were significant differences as well as similarities between all considered groups. The findings of the study were discussed in the light of the related literature.

Mémoire (M.E.R.)--Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1986. / Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU