This study explores women's feelings of empowerment that result from participating in collective action events. The study contributes to the growing body of social work scholarship on empowerment practice by identifying and describing the specific variables that may contribute to or enhance empowerment feelings in women as a result of collective action participation.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Sociology / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Sociology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The effects of attitudes and perceived constraints on behavior and the choices females make about involvement in recreational sports, exercise, and other physical recreation activities are important to consider if females physical, social, and emotional quality of life is to be enhanced. The main aim of this study was to explore the perception held by female undergraduate students at UWC regarding the physical and socio-cultural constraints that influence their participation in recreation sport.

Frances Wright attempted to reform America between 1825 and 1839. Her activities were unlike any other for a woman of her time. In public lectures to audiences of men and women throughout the East and Midwest, she spoke on the evils of orthodox religion and advocated abolition, equal rights, and universal education for all people regardless of gender or class. In both action and thought, she challenged all notions of nineteenth-century womanhood. Wright's public career helps illuminate the history of antebellum American reform because it reflects the ferment and range of such activity.This study will demonstrate that ideology as a category of study is useful when examining nineteenth-century women in several interrelated contexts. Unlike previous studies examining her as a women's rights advocate, however, this is not a feminist interpretation. Wright's significance as a humanitarian is much larger than any emphasis she gave to women in her rhetoric. Part of her motivation, like her sisters in benevolence reform, involved Christianity and orthodox religion. But unlike most women of her time, Wright believed religion prevented the realization of republican values -- in particular, equality -- because the clergy perpetuated elements of theology scientific methods could not prove true. Intellectual development and social improvement could not occur, she boldly asserted, until Americans threw off religion's blanket of ignorance. Most Americans rejected Wright's denunciations of religion and calls for equality, but to some her message rang true. Her rhetoric planted in progressive women concepts about religious constraints on females and the possibilities of egalitarianism. These individuals would become leaders in the women's rights movement during the final decades of the century. / Department of History

Social support has been shown to lessen the negative effects of life stress on psychological and physical health. The stress buffering model and the main effects model of social support were compared using two samples of women over the age of 50 who were either married or recently widowed. These two groups represent low and high uncontrollable major life stress respectively. Other life stress events were also taken into account. Measures assessed current level of life stress, perceived social support, satisfaction with social support, and psychological symptomatology. Results using overall psychological health as the dependent variable support the main effects model.

The problem of this investigation was an analysis of selected variables that affected woman's role-concept. Specifically this research was concerned with how a woman's role-concept was influenced by education. This research concluded that the level of education influenced role-concept. Respondents with more than a high school education were very contemporary. Other variable such as marital status, age, parental views, ethnic group, and major seemed to have little effect on role-concept. All groups surveyed were more contemporary than traditional. Further research to determine if all women are becoming contemporary would be meaningful.

A dissertation in fulfilment for Master of Arts in Media Studies Faculty of Humanities School of Language, Literature and Media Studies (SLLM) University of the Witwatersrand 2016 / This research study essentially sets out to explore the practices of young, ordinary, South African women who take and post selfies on social media platforms, like Instagram. The general commentary surrounding selfies is typically negative, and tends to frame the selfietaker as a narcissistic, self-absorbed individual. Therefore, this study is interested in understanding what this very particular smartphone-enabled photographic technique means to this group of women, and in doing so, aims to determine whether or not there are underlying significances to such practices. This research study adopts a vast framework of literature in order to conceptualize and contextualize selfies in contemporary culture, by drawing on the rich history of self-portraiture and snapshots as well as concepts of mediation and the representation of the self online; in addition to describing the role that mobile technologies and social media platforms have played in contributing to cementing selfies as a cultural hallmark in today’s society. This study is additionally grounded upon three dominant theoretical themes, namely: narcissism, self-exploration, and self-regulation; and Christopher Lasch, Michel Foucault, Angela McRobbie and Rosalind Gill’s theoretical contributions are predominantly referred to in an attempt to explain such principles adequately. Through the responses that were yielded by interviewing 14 young, ordinary, South African women, this research study essentially established that the practices of selfie-taking do in fact play a significant role in the lives of these young women, from empowering them and teaching them to learn to love and accept themselves again, to inspiring personal growth, capturing special moments and memories, and allowing them to feel accepted and as though they belong and have a fixed placed in society. Therefore, this study argues that selfies are not necessarily only about narcissism and self-obsession, but rather more about the notion of self-love and acceptance (for this group of participants at least). / MT2017

Although current employment statistics paint a promising picture for women in general, they fail to address both the multitude of challenges women face in their attempt to secure leadership positions or in their ability to gain and maintain support from their female colleagues. Black women, in particular, tend to be torn between their fabled image to others in the organization and their official duties and responsibilities at work. This paper discusses definitions and conceptual uses of horizontal and vertical violence by Black female educational leaders ; problematizes the phenomenon as outlined by Freire (1970) at the theoretical level ; outlines the proposed qualitative methods, which will be used to investigate the phenomenon further ; and taking Paulo Freire's lead, explores the implications of sabotage or violence coming from members of the same minority group. In this specific case, Black female educational leaders will serve as the primary participants of the study. Once the data is collected and analyzed, the paper will include an analysis of the data and a discussion of the findings followed by recommendations based on the findings of the study. / by Dildra Martin-Ogburn. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2012. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Lui Kin-wai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-171). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter I. --- Abstract --- p.i / Chapter II. --- Acknowledgement --- p.iv / Chapter III. --- Contents --- p.v / Chapter / Chapter I. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- Population Policy in PRC --- p.9 / A Historical Review 9; Overview of the Fertility Rate and Population / Growth under the Population Policy in the Chinese Mainland 19; Impacts / of the Population Policy on Gender Issue 22; Conclusion28 / Chapter III. --- Literature Review --- p.47 / International Experience 47; Studies of Gender Preference in the Chinese / Mainland 53; Conclusion62 / Chapter IV. --- Methodology and data --- p.67 / Theoretical framework: Gender Preference from the Economic Perspective / 67; Econometrics Models 75; Data95 / Chapter V. --- Estimated Results --- p.107 / Proxies for Gender Preference 107; Estimated Results of Model 1109; / Estimated Results of Model 2 116; Conclusion for the Estimated Results / Chapter VI. --- Conclusion --- p.132 / Appendix / Chapter 1. --- Definition of Indicators --- p.138 / Chapter 2. --- Multinomial Logit model --- p.141 / Chapter 3. --- Different Model Specifications --- p.144 / Different Model Specifications for Model 1 144; Different Model / Specifications for Model2 152 / Reference --- p.158