Old women face a unique set of obstacles in their
quest for empowerment. In this study the concept of
empowerment is explored by politicizing issues of personal
safety. The most significant factors that impede an old
woman's sense of safety and control include oppression,
primarily ageism and sexism, along with violence and fear.
For this study, thirty-nine women over sixty were
self-selected for semi-structured interviews as a result of
their participation in a personal safety workshop.
Interviewees ranged in age from sixty to eight-three, were
of diverse cultural backgrounds, and most resided in a
metropolitan area. An emancipatory methodology was used as
a means to empower participants throughout the research
process. The study is both exploratory and interpretive,
with the subjective voice of the researcher present
throughout the project.
Acts of resistance and survival were reflected in the
daily lived experiences of the interviewees, validating the
premise that old women face obstacles in their quest for
empowerment. / Graduation date: 1997
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/33925 |
| Date | 17 February 1997 |
| Creators | Mau, Sindy Kay |
| Contributors | Lee, Janet |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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