Orientador: Lenice do Rosário de Souza / Banca: Naila Janilde Seabra Santos / Banca: Ana Teresa de Abreu Ramos Cerqueira / Banca: Elucir Gir / Banca: Marli Teresinha Gimeniz Galvão / Resumo: Os dados da Organização Mundial da Saúde, bem como os nacionais, mostram o avanço da epidemia de aids entre as mulheres, com maior concentração de casos na faixa reprodutiva. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar aspectos da saúde sexual e reprodutiva de mulheres infectadas pelo HIV/Aids atendidas no Serviço de Ambulatórios Especializados e Hospital Dia "Domingos Alves Meira". Trata-se de estudo transversal, descritivo e analítico que contemplou, também, abordagem qualitativa, visando atender ao objetivo de descrever a vivência da sexualidade das mulheres investigadas. Incluiu-se o conjunto das mulheres vivendo com HIV/aids em seguimento no referido serviço, que aceitaram participar da pesquisa (n=184). Os dados foram obtidos pela própria pesquisadora, por meio de entrevista que contemplou questões abertas e fechadas e exame ginecológico. Realizou-se coleta de amostras do conteúdo vaginal para realização do exame microscópico direto corado pelo método de Gram, que permitiu o diagnóstico de vaginose bacteriana e candidose vaginal e cultura para Trichomonas vaginalis; coleta de secreção cervical para cultura para Neisseria gonorrhoeae e pesquisa de Chlamydia trachomatis e de papiloma vírus humano (HPV) por reação em cadeia da polimerase e citologia cérvico-vaginal convencional. Para análise dos dados empregou estatística descritiva e as associações foram verificadas pelo teste qui-quadrado ou exato de Fisher. Foram ajustados modelos de regressão logística para conhecer as variáveis que mais influenciaram no aparecimento das afecções do trato genital inferior. Predominaram as mulheres brancas, com idade entre 30 e 59 anos, com união estável e baixo nível de escolaridade, que procediam de 45 municípios do interior paulista. A via de infecção do HIV predominante foi sexual (94,0%) e entre estas, 84,2% foram contaminadas por seus parceiros ou ex-parceiros fixos. A mediana do tempo de diagnóstico da ... / Abstract: Data from the World Health Organization and those from national reports show the progression of the AIDS epidemic among women, with a larger concentration of cases at their reproductive age. This study aimed at analyzing aspects related to the sexual and reproductive health of women infected with HIV/AIDS attended to by the Specialized Outpatient Service and Day Hospital "Domingos Alves Meira". It is a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study with a qualitative approach aiming at describing how sexuality is experienced by the women investigated. The group of women living with HIV/AIDS attended to at the abovementioned service and who accepted to participate in the study (n=184) was included. Data were obtained by the researcher by means of interviews with open and closed questions and by gynecological examination. Samples of vaginal content were collected for direct microscopic examination stained by the Gram method, which allowed for diagnosing bacterial vaginosis, vaginal candidiasis and culture of Trichomonas vaginalis; cervical secretion was also collected for culture of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and research of Chlamydia trachomatis and the human papillomavirus (HPV) by polymerase chain reaction and conventional cervicovaginal cytology. For data analysis, descriptive statistics was used, and associations were evaluated by the chi-square test or Fisher's exact text. Logistic regression models were fitted in order to recognize the most influential variables in the onset of diseases in the lower genital tract. White women, aged 30 to 59 years, in a common-law relationship and with poor education predominated. They came from 45 cities in São Paulo state. The route of HIV infection was predominantly sexual (94.0%) and, among these, 84.2% were contaminated by their steady or former partners. The median for HIV infection diagnosis time was of eight years and that for T CD4+ cell count was ... / Doutor

A la question freudienne « que veut une femme ? », Lacan postule l’inexistence de « Ła femme », conduite par l’idéed’une jouissance féminine dédoublée. Formulation pour le moins énigmatique qui invite à considérer le marquage inconscient d’où éclot ce que de la femme on « diffâme ». Réel d’un « pastout » que la structure langagière de l’inconscient porte en héritage à travers ses stigmates inconscients, et que l’étude des signifiants de l’habillement dégage. C’est ainsi qu’à lire l’habillement dans le champ du symbolique s’entende la supposée frivolité épinglée à l’intérêt vestimentaire. Ce qui conduit une lecture de la fonction du vêtement décalée de ses préjugés imaginaires, mais bien plutôt inscrite dans son fondement structural. De là s’interroge le nouage des femmes aux robes, et les modalités de jouissance qui les accompagnent. A se tisser comme « phallus », une robe peut s’ancrer dans la subjectivité féminine, d’où la logique sous-jacente à la multiplicité des robes dans l’existence de certaines femmes. Objet de désir, une robe engage autant une femme qui la porte qu’un homme qui la regarde, car dans sa fonction captatrice de regards, elle s’articule à la pulsion scopique et à « l’objet a » qu’est le regard. Se questionne alors sa fonction narcissique et ce qu’une femme peut trouver dans son image : serait-ce qu’à l’appui d’une robe, l’hystérique pourrait être « Autre » pour elle-même, quand pour un homme l’obstination à maintenir les femmes du côté de l’image, viendrait comme bouchage face à l’énigme de la féminité. Cela indiquerait que pour « l’Un » et « l’Autre », être belle comme une image participerait de l’accoutrement de l’amour. / To the Freudian question « What does a woman want? » Lacan postulates the non-existence of « Ⱦhe woman », driven bythe idea of a split feminine enjoyment. This less enigmatic formulation invites one to consider the unconscious hatch mark as that of the woman « defamed ». The reality of a « pastout »that the language structure of the unconscious bears inheritance through its unconscious stigmata, and which the study of the signifiers of clothing reveals. Thus, to read clothing in the field of the symbolic shows the supposed frivolity pinned to the interest of dress. This leads to a reading of the function of the garment shifted from its imaginary prejudices, but rather inscribed in its structural foundation. Thence this questions the knotting of women to dresses, and the modes of enjoyment that accompany them. To be woven as « phallus », a dress can be anchored in feminine subjectivity, hence the logic underlying the multiplicity of dresses in the existence of certain women. Object of desire, a dress engages a woman who wears it as much as a man who looks at it, because in its function of capturing glances it articulates to the scopic impulse and to the « object a » that is the glance. Then questions her narcissistic function and what a woman can find in her image: would it be that in support of a dress, the hysteric could be « Other » for herself, when for a man the obstinacy to keep women on the side of the image, would come as a blockage faced with the enigma of femininity. This would indicate that for the « One » and the « Other », to be as pretty as a picture would participate in the accoutrements of love.

This thesis is concerned with the position of women at work and in trade unions. The study focusses on a large electrical engineering company employing mainly women workers and examines how they fared in relation to the union at workplace and branch level. Developing an understanding of the problems the women workers faced through detailed study of the employer's production strategies, it becomes clear that these issues do not appear in the collective bargaining framework. Despite the women's numerical superiority, the grievance procedure at higher levels was dominated by the male workers' problems and formal agreements consistently reflected their interests over and above those of the women. Most of the key positions in the local organisation were held by men and male workers were over-represented in the shop steward system. Arguments are advanced to explain this which go beyond the usual explanations of women's distinctive (and historically sustained) patterns of union representation and involvement. Reconsidering the industrial relations orthodoxy, it is proposed that inequalities in bargaining strength and resources of men and women workers may be reinforced by the process and distributive effects of collective bargaining. This is shown through detailed empirical study of members' problems and responses and shop stewards' grievance handling on the shop floor. Disputes involving men and women workers are examined and the way negotiations were developed and concluded on issues such as pay, discipline, and movement of labour are analysed. The conclusion is reached that collective bargaining has implications which are significant not only for the position of women workers in the workplace and union, but the shape and responsiveness of the institution's representational and bargaining structures as a whole.

[pt] Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo investigar os efeitos da discursividade nas mulheres-mães sobre os modos de gerar, parir e cuidar do filho, considerando as formas de construção social, cultural e linguística implicadas nesse processo, que diferenciam a boa mãe da má. Tendo em vista, por um lado, o aumento das intervenções cirúrgico-obstétricas, e, por outro, a emergência do Movimento pela Humanização do Parto e do Nascimento, fundamentamo-nos nas teorizações desenvolvidas por pós-estruturalistas como Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, a fim de problematizar os discursos instituídos sobre a maternidade. A partir dos depoimentos de 14 mulheres-mães que descreveram suas experiências de parir segundo os preceitos do parto humanizado em três sites especializados no assunto, buscamos ilustrar o modo como as práticas discursivas sobre maternidade e maternagem, difundidas nesse processo, se articulam com as experiências concretas dessas mulheres para produzir novas configurações subjetivas. Destacamos 4 temáticas que configuraram assuntos primordiais: 1) Parto humanizado: uma alternativa à industrialização do parto, 2) Práticas produtoras de desejos, 3) Parto dos sonhos, o parto ideal: a mulher como protagonista, e 4) Cesariana: frustrações e tristeza quando se quer um parto naturalmente natural. Os depoimentos dessas mulheres ilustraram que a adesão às verdades historicamente construídas reafirma mitos e crenças em torno da figura materna. Em linhas gerais, as prerrogativas do Movimento pela Humanização do Parto são também produtoras de desejos e sofrimentos, contribuindo para o sentimento de desamparo das mulheres mães não condizentes com o modelo instituído. / [en] The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the effects of discursive practices upon women-mothers over the ways of conceiving, giving birth and raising a child, considering the forms of social, cultural and linguistic construction implied in this process, which set apart the good mother from the bad. Taking into account, on the one hand, the increase in surgical-obstetric interventions, and on the other hand, the emergence of the Movement for the Humanization of Childbirth, we base ourselves on the theories of post-structuralists such as Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, in order to question the institutionalized discourses about motherhood. From the discourses, made available on specialized sites, of 14 women-mothers on giving birth according to the precepts of humanized childbirth we seek to learn how discursive practices on motherhood and taking care of the baby, diffused in the process, articulate with the concrete experiences of these women in order to produce new subjective configurations. We mention 4 themes which configure primordial subjects: 1) Humanized childbirth, an alternative to the industrialization of childbirth, 2) Practices which produce desires, 3) Ideal childbirth: the woman as protagonist, 4) Ceasarean section: frustration and sadness when a naturally natural childbirth is desired. The narratives of these women show that adhesion to historically constructed thuths reaffirms myths and beliefs around the figure of the mother. In general, the prerrogatives of the Movement for Humanized Childbirth are also productive of desires and suffering, contributing to the feeling of inadequacy of women-mothers not in accordance with the instituted model.

This research investigates the varying ways in which two different groups of women workers have been impacted by the neoliberal reforms undertaken by successive Indian governments from the 1990s onwards. The point of departure, substantiated by extant research, is that globalization has been structurally disadvantageous to women, specifically the 'rolling back' of the state has meant that some of the significant gains achieved by and for women in the post-independence period in India have also been 'rolled back' or are being eroded. However, the ways in which women have been impacted by neoliberal globalization in the Indian context varies according to a range of factors including class, occupation, levels of education and specific skills and location (urban or rural). A central contention of the thesis is that the Indian state has played a crucial role in improving the status of Indian women and must continue to make strategic interventions in social and economic relations to ameliorate gender disadvantage and empower women. To that end it also interrogates the role of the Indian state in the quest of gender equality and gender justice in the period from independence up-to the era of neoliberal reforms. The thesis accepts the point that in the context of globalization, the state can no longer be considered a wholly autonomous actor and yet, it remains the major institution charged with the delivery of welfare and social justice to its citizens. As such, the thesis concludes with recommendations for a strategy for empowerment which is both 'top down' and 'bottom-up'; meaning that the delivery of development and social welfare, justice to women specifically necessarily entails negotiating and mediating between 'global' forces (specifically international economic organizations and development agencies) and the needs and demands of citizens as they are articulated at regional and local levels.

Understanding why persons repeatedly place themselves at risk for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), amidst the wealth of prevention information available is of profound importance. Presently, scientific research of this phenomenon has been dominated by the cognitive models of health behaviour, but these were criticised for ignoring emotional, social and cultural influences on sexual behaviour. This thesis explored and investigated some of these non-cognitive factors within the specific cultural context of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with sole reference to women, to understand why women put themselves at risk and also help inform the country’s efforts to tackle the problem. This research comprised of four studies, each targeting women ages (18-40 yrs) and sexually involved in relationships. Study one was a qualitative study (N= 10), which explored women’s perceptions of the socio-cultural influences which contributes to their decision to engage in risky sex. Study two was a quantitative study in which (N=75), HIV+ women were surveyed, on whether they contracted HIV from within their long term relationships. Study three was a qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study (N=9); in-depth interviews investigated the intricacies of long-term relationships that made them more likely to influence unsafe sexual practices. Study four was a quantitative study (N=60) women; used questionnaires to investigate the validity that tolerance to infidelity and non use of condoms in long term relationships, which contributes to HIV transmission amongst Vincentian women. This research confirmed the existing limitations of the Cognitive models on health when applied to sexual behavior and produced evidence that Vincentian women more at vulnerable to contracting HIV within their long term relationships.

This thesis explores the characteristics, treatment needs and sub-types of Female Sexual Offenders (FSO). Chapter One presents an introduction to the research into FSO. Chapter Two presents a systematic review which assesses the literature that has investigated characteristics and typologies of FSO. Chapter Two identifies that FSO are a heterogeneous group and reports that the literature has emphasised differences between solo and co-offenders. Chapter Three critiques a scale from the Multiphasic Sex Inventory- II that has been used in FSO research. This scale is identified as being inappropriate for use with FSO and it is concluded that further research comparing FSO with Male Sexual Offenders (MSO) is required to understand their similarities and differences. Chapter Four attempts to address gaps in the research of FSO by statistically comparing solo and co-offenders (study 1) and solo, co-offenders and MSO (study 2) on a range of clinical characteristics. Significant differences were found between solo and co-offenders, and solo, co-offenders and MSO on a variety of characteristics. Chapter Four makes recommendations about the treatment needs and management of solo and co-offenders in light of these findings. Finally, Chapter Five presents an overall discussion of the chapters presented.

This study explores children's social workers' experiences of and practices in space. It is based on ethnographic research with social workers in two sites and examines data from observations, interviews with social workers, photographs and other images of the spaces in which social workers practised. The study draws on the work of Henri Lefebvre, concerned with how space is produced through spatial practices, conceptions of space and moments of lived space, which occur beyond these conventions and escape complete articulation. The study uses this analytical frame in order to explore how social workers produce certain kinds of spaces as significant in their practice. It identifies a small number of affect-heavy spaces which hold great importance for children's social work: social work offices, children's and practitioners' bodies, families' homes as they are experienced by practitioners during home visits, the wider neighbourhoods which social workers associate with service users. In particular, it identifies social workers' attention to small things and micro-scales in their practice. This enables social workers to present their work as sensitive to that which is imperceptible to others but also leads to a restricted focus and limited engagement with the social and political contexts of service users' lives.

Women comprise a minority of the offending population and their crimes are less likely to inflict serious harm when compared with male offenders. Although men may be the predominant perpetrators of violence this does not outweigh the need for evidence informed practice in the assessment and management of risk in female offenders. This thesis aims to explore the assessment of risk in female offenders through three pieces of research. Firstly, a systematic review of the validity of risk assessments in predicting recidivism and violence for female offenders is presented. This demonstrates that there was great variability with respect to the accuracy of risk assessment tools in predicting recidivism or violence. It also demonstrated that there is a significant gap in the empirical base with respect to assessing risk in female offenders. A critique of the HCR-20V3 is subsequently presented to assess its reliability and validity. The fourth chapter presents an empirical paper. This evaluated the predictive validity of gender-neutral and gender-responsive risk assessments in predicting inpatient violence in female psychiatric offenders. Results indicated that the gender neutral assessments did not perform significantly better than the traditional gender-specific risk assessments in predicting inpatient violence. The final chapter of the thesis concludes by discussing the overall findings as well as the implications for future research and clinical practice. It is suggested that further the gender-responsive approach to female offenders may be better adopted to the management of female offenders rather than to the assessment of their risk.

This study explores educational psychologists' (EPs') perceptions of practice with children and families who have experienced domestic violence and abuse (DVA). A literature review of DVA outcomes for children revealed negative impacts, alongside potential protective factors. Psychological theory for explaining these outcomes are reviewed, and whilst beneficial, each theory does not fully explain how the child develops. Bronfenbrenner's Process, Person, Context, Time theory (1989) was suggested as a valuable basis for creating supportive resources for EP practice, to be used during assessment, intervention and evaluation. Trialled in a case study of three EPs, semi-structured interviews were used before and after the use of the resource pack, to explore potential practice changes. Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006) was employed to create themes, both deductively according to Bronfenbrenner's ecological categories, and driven by the data inductively. Analysis of ' pre-resource' practice suggested there were key aspects of Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model that were not commonly explored by the EPs. Moreover, barriers to practice were identified in the form of lack of time; limited DVA knowledge; and lack of appropriate resources. 'Post- resource' practice suggested many changes, which were perceived by the participants as providing them with a deeper understanding of the child. Overall it has been suggested that the resource pack has supported many practice developments, yet there are still areas which fail to be addressed. It is acknowledged that not all practice barriers will be overcome by a refined resource pack in isolation, yet participants claimed to find it a valuable addition to their practice 'toolkit'. As this resource pack is in its relative infancy, suggestions regarding its growth and development are made.