Digital Commons Network^™

Adding Women To The Conversation On Safe Consumption Sites: A Qualitative Interview Study With Poor And Marginalized Women Who Use Illicit Substances, Kaitlin Waechter

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Women’s erasure from discourses pertaining to substance use and safe consumption sites (SCSs) means harm reduction efforts are developed through the male lens. This research seeks to discover why women do (or do not) access SCSs so as to determine if and how SCSs address the unique gendered needs of women who use illicit substances. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 women-identified individuals who use illicit substances. Participants were recruited from a non-profit organization that offers harm reduction, but is not itself a SCS in order to capture a full range of perspectives on the SCS in their community. …

Biyyaa Baanus Biyyi Nu Keessaa Hinbaatu: Changing Gender Norms And Traditional Mediation Impacts On Marriage Among Ethiopian Immigrants In Three Southwestern Ontario Cities, Dinku Korsa

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract Immigrant spouses face culture shock in the host countries because they are disconnected from their social fabric and, at the same time, must adhere to the host countries' lifestyles. One of the immigrants' spouses' challenges is the marital conflicts that arise because of changing gender norms in the host countries and the absence of family support to solve their conflicts. The purpose of this study is to examine changing gender norms and traditional meditation's impact on marriage among Ethiopian immigrants living in Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph. The study asks overarching research question: what is the impact of changing gender …

From Tajikistan To Russia And Back: Understanding Changes In Gender Relations Through The Lived Experiences Of Tajik Migrant Workers In Russia, Tahmina Shokirova

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation is the story of Tajik migrant workers who have lived and worked in Russia. It examines how gender relations of power change in the context of labour migration through the lived experiences of the migrants. The study asks the overarching research question: How do gender relations change in the context of Tajik labour migration to Russia? Following the social constructionist epistemology, gender is framed through the lens of post-structural, intersectional, and transnational feminist theories. The study employs a conceptual framework that integrates the following into a coherent whole: feminist theories of gender relations, the general context of international …

Bridging The Gaps In Bringing In The Bystander: An Intersectional Approach To Campus-Based Sexual Violence Prevention, Anne E. Rudzinski

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This paper draws upon pilot-test data from an intersectional approach to a sexual violence prevention program on university campuses. While many programs have been created to address the sexual violence epidemic, many focus heavily on white, heterosexual, and cisgender scenarios. This research utilizes the Bringing in the Bystander® workshop, a community-based prevention initiative focused on preventing sexual violence through inspiring students to intervene in pro-social ways. In this analysis, the program maintained the same pedagogical structure, but contained a wider variety of narratives designed to include stories and scenarios about contexts relevant to the experiences of LGBTQ+ and racialized students. …

Narrative Pleasures And Feminist Politics: Popular Women’S Historical Fiction, 1990-2015, Victoria Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation contributes to a developing body of work on women’s historical fiction and its significance to feminist discourse. Building from Diana Wallace’s 2005 study The Woman’s Historical Novel: British Women Writers, 1900-2000, I offer a modified definition of “the woman’s historical novel” and a transatlantic consideration of several of the most popular titles in the contemporary period, including The Other Boleyn Girl (2001), Outlander (1991), A Great and Terrible Beauty (2003), and Scarlett (1991). Several studies have followed Wallace’s, notably Ann Heilmann and Mark Llewellyn’s Metafiction and Metahistory in Contemporary Women’s Writing (2007) and Katherine Cooper and Emma …

Twerking, Alcohol, And Fame: The Construction Of Disney Celebrities In The Media, Carla R. López

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The mass media expanded intrusion of cameras into the public and private lives of celebrities has contributed to the public's fascination with Hollywood celebrities. Specifically, this cultural obsession has been increasingly centered on female celebrity's increased deviancy and criminal behaviours. Although numerous studies have been completed discussing the cultural fixation of Hollywood celebrity culture and the audience’s attachment to these celebrities, few have provided insight into the media construction of cultural narratives surrounding Disney celebrities. To fill the gap in the literature, I will assess how female celebrity deviance and sexuality is constructed in the media by examining the media …

Pro-Anorexia/Bulimia Interactions Online: Problematizing Complex Cultural Phenomena, Nicole D. Schott

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In the West, and increasingly globally, individuals, particularly women, are fixated on weight loss, driven by the goal of achieving a culturally-desired, and aggressively marketed, "skinny" female physique. There are online forums where individuals refer to themselves or their eating disorders as "pro-ana" and "pro-mia". Individuals who post on these sites both align with, and challenge, what medical and mental health professionals define as serious mental health problems that result in severe, sometimes fatal, medical complications. This thesis specifically focuses on interactions with, and within, the pro-ana/mia culture on the social media websites Tumblr and YouTube. Over sixteen months, and …

Reconstructing Sex: Women Having Sex With Women, Alixandra Holtby

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examines the experience of exclusion from the dominant understandings of sex for women who have sex with women, including queer, pansexual, bisexual, and lesbian women. Using ideas of the constructed nature of sex, particularly the use of sexual scripts (Simon & Gagnon, 1973), as well as the (hetero)sexist context in which these scripts are formed, qualitative interviews with 11 queer, pansexual, bisexual, and lesbian women were analyzed regarding their development of their understandings of what constitutes sex, their expectations and experiences of sex, their negotiation of desire and sexual identity, and their perspectives on sex between women and …

The Warrior Women Of Transnational Cinema: Gender And Race In Hollywood And Hong Kong Action Movies, Lisa Funnell

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In The Warrior Women of Transnational Cinema, I consider the significance of transnational Asian action women in the post-1997 Hong Kong cinema; more specifically, I explore how Pan-Asian (e.g. Michelle Yeoh, Pei Pei Cheng, Ziyi Zhang), Asian American (Lucy Liu, Maggie Q, Marsha Yuen), and Asian Canadian (e.g. Francoise Yip, Charlene Choi, Kristy Yang) warrior women function as a source of transnational female identity for local, Pan-Asian (i.e. East and Southeast Asian), and diasporic Asian audiences. I argue that the post-1997 Hong Kong cinema—and not Hollywood—has offered space for the development of Pan-Asian and Asian North American screen identities …

'No Woman No Cry': An Examination Of The Use Of Feminist Ideology In Shelters For Abused Women When Working With Caribbean-Canadian Women, Tenniel Melisa Hanson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

While abused women shelters using feminist interventions make up the majority of services being provided to all abused women, very little research has focused on the efficacy of using feminist ideology with abused minority women. As an initial step in evaluating the aforementioned area, this study identified the major needs and concerns of abused Caribbean-Canadian women staying in feminist abused women shelters. It also identified the benefits and barriers of using a feminist ideology with these women, as expressed by support staff who have worked with Caribbean-Canadian women. Information was gathered in interviews with 6 female staff who work in …

'The Aids Is Coming And There Is Nowhere To Run...': Culture, Gender, And The Politics Of Kisongo Maasai Women And Girls' Vulnerability To Hiv/Aids (Immune Deficiency, Tanzania), V. Corey Wright

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis outlines the research findings and implications for practice generated from the, “A Gender Issue: Reducing the Vulnerability of Kisongo Maasai Girls to HIV/AIDS” project, which was a participatory action research (PAR) study in collaboration with the Kisongo Maasai in Northern Tanzania. The objectives of the study were to explore the factors that may contribute to girls’ vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, and develop a culturally-specific framework that may contribute to effective design and administration of program and policy-level interventions. The findings of this study illustrate the ‘politics of health’ that determine girls’ vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. It presents a cultural analysis …

Women's Agency In The Development Of Hybrid Social Spaces: The Trials Of Sarah Ballenden And Maria Thomas In Canada's Red River Colony, 1850 And 1863 (Manitoba), Sharron A. Fitzgerald

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In 1850 and 1863, the British Hudson's Bay Company's Red River colony (current day Winnipeg) witnessed two sensationalized lawsuits. These lawsuits focused on two women of mixed First Nations and British extraction, namely Sarah Ballenden and Maria Thomas. Using these legal cases as a backdrop, this study aims to destabilize the notion that British claims to power and authority in the "contact zones" in the Red River colony were "fixed" and that women were the passive victims of history. I argue that British women developed defensive strategies based on their situated knowledges of social and spatial relations in that place. …

How Does A Female Clergy's Personal Experience Of Divorce Affect Her Religious Faith?, Darlene Verna Gidge

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

How does a female clergy's personal experience of divorce affect her religious faith? The female identity is based in relationship both divine and human. Though there is nothing written about female clergy and divorce, the literature on clergy and divorce is fairly extensive. Professional implications of clergy divorce, the uniqueness of clergy marriage and divorce, differing Protestant theological viewpoints, the need for support systems and personal divorce as resource for ministry. are all examined. To ascertain female clergy’s experience of divorce, an analysis of women and crisis, the differences between women and men including how each experiences the Divine, and …

Two Voices (Sylvia Jamieson Sandy, Mohawk, Ontario), Judith Anne Jamieson Mitton

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Two Voices is the story of Sylvia Jamieson Sandy, a 95 year old Elder and Clan Mother of the Wolf Clan, Mohawk Nation, Six Nations Territory on the Grand River. The thesis employs the methodology of borrowing in which the participants use each other’s gifts and talents; the participants are Sylvia and her urban-raised cousin who has been entrusted by Sylvia to carry her story outside of Six Nations Territory. In her own words, Sylvia tells of her experiences and memories of the Jamieson family, and her life as a teacher, an entrepreneur, a community member and Elder. Sylvia’s story, …

Changing Landscapes: Stories Of Five Women Farming Ecologically, Sherri Joy Van De Hoef

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Community and the natural environment have always played an important role in my life. I have had the opportunity in the past few years to explore these areas in more depth. My introduction to Community Psychology during my undergraduate degree exposed me to agricultural initiatives that emphasized community and respect for the environment. I explore these initiatives further by conducting a study (van de Hoef, 1998) of Ontario couples who live self-reliantly (that is, they grow their own food, build their own homes, live off the electricity grid, and find supports in their local communities). Subsequent to that study I …

Single Mothers, Income, And Health: An Analysis Of Risk And Protective Factors, Melanie Quickfall

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined the relationships between single mothers, income and health, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects that certain risk factors (low income, stress, public housing, financial stress, education, home satisfaction, single parenting) and protective factors (neighbourhood satisfaction, social support, program participation, community integration) had on both the physical and mental health of single mothers. In the quantitative component, statistical analyses (a series of two-way mixed ANOVA’s and linear regressions) were conducted on interview data from 276 mothers who were involved in the Better Beginnings, Better Futures project in Highfield-Etobicoke, …

Narrow Escapes: A Feminist Deconstruction Of Anorexia Nervosa In Women, Yvonne L. Mireau

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis is a feminist deconstruction of anorexia nervosa (AN) in women. It begins with questioning the truth claims about AN established by the psychological and psychiatric fields. After an overview of the medical model literature and the feminist literature on eating problems, a critical analysis is used to deconstruct the sociocultural elements of AN. The purpose of this analysis is to critically examine the assumptions which have shaped how clinicians approach the phenomenon of AN in their practice with clients. What has been accepted as underlying psychopathology is deconstructed to reveal normative culturally constructed factors. A paradigm shift towards …

The Invisible Weavers: Women Volunteers Creating Community Fabric, Lorie Anne Fioze

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this study I examined women's caring in community volunteer work in the context of a neighbourhood community centre. More specifically I studied what women's volunteer experience at the Chandler-Mowat Community Centre (CMCC) revealed about: (1) Motivators what motivated women to participate in community volunteer work, (2) Facilitators what personal, family organizational, community and social factors facilitated women's involvement in volunteer work, (3) Barriers what personal, family, organizational, community and social factors inhibited women's involvement in community volunteer work, (4) Positive and Negative Impacts what the positive and negative impacts of women's volunteer involvement on the women themselves, their families, …

The Life Stories Of A Woman From Rosebud: Names And Naming In 'Lakota Woman' And 'Ohitika Woman' (Mary Brave Woman Olguin, South Dakota), Larissa Petrillo

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Lakota Woman (1991) and Ohitika Woman (1994) are the consecutive life stories of Mary Brave Woman Olguin (also known as Mary Crow Dog and Mary Brave Bird). The books portray Mary's telling of her life and its connection with Lakota history and tradition. Non-Native artist and writer, Richard Erdoes, was involved in the co-authorship of both books and recent criticism often focuses upon Erdoes' involvement in the writing process. I suggest that a reading which emphasizes Erdoes' contribution only isolates the reader from the actual subject of Lakota Woman and Ohitika Woman: Mary Brave Woman Olguin's life and the …

Women's Experiences In The Community After Leaving A Shelter, Susan Elizabeth Gadbois

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

No abstract provided.

Women's Experience Of Cappe Review Committees: Lions' Den Or Circle Dance, Elizabeth Jean Bower

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In the past few decades women have been educated by the Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education (CAPPE) in increasing numbers. This research looked at women's experience of the CAPPE Review Committee. Nine women who had experienced Review Committees at the Regional and/or National levels of CAPPE were interviewed. Inductive content analysis of the data indicated that women experienced Committees as generally competitive or collegial in their style of functioning. Although women were resourceful in responding to competitive Committees, they thrived both personally and professionally with collegial Committees. The implications for CAPPE are to examine the standards and criteria …

The Process Of Changed Meanings: A Study Of The Canadian Experience Of Somali Women In The Kitchener-Waterloo Area In Regard To Female Circumcision (Ontario), A. La Ferne Clarke

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis tracks the process of changed meanings. My research tells the fictitious story of a Somali woman named mary. She has been in Canada for less than five years, and she moved to the Kitchener-Waterloo area, almost immediately. The narrative tells of her transition and the issues she had to handle. Female circumcision is the central issue in the story. mary's thought process as she moves from a country that supports female circumcision to a country that calls this practice female genital mutilation has to change if she decides not to circumcise her daughter. This Canadian story should guide …

Comparisons Of Employment Barriers Between Visible Minority And Anglo-Saxon Women In Different Occupations, Harjeet Lamba

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Minority groups tend to face disproportionately higher rates of unemployment, underemployment and restricted job mobility than non-minority groups. In recognition of the inequalities borne by these groups in the labour force, Judge Rosalie Abella produced a report iterating the most “efficient, effective, and equitable means of promoting employment equity.” The federal Employment Act in 1986 was produced in response to the report. Four designated groups were identified: women, visible minorities, disabled persons and First Nations people. Due primarily to the weak enforcement mechanisms of the federal legislation, the impact of this Act has been insignificant. Ontario developed its own employment …

Feminist Ritual Healing, Transformation And Empowerment, Eileen R. Ormond

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

A number of contemporary Western feminists are re-defining their spiritual beliefs and creating ritual practices to reinforce feminine values in their lives. Advocates of feminist spirituality believe that the personal and spiritual dimensions of women’s lives are interrelated. The experience of transcendence and unity is often preceded by personal healing and empowerment for many women. The creation of alternative women’s rituals, a dynamic force in contemporary feminism, is well illustrated in the world of Diane Mariechild. One purpose of this work is to interpret Mariechild’s rituals from a feminist and psychological perspective and to suggest that feminist ritual may function …

A Weave Of Women In The Context Of Contemporary Feminism And Traditional Judaism, Patricia J. Bush

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In this thesis I discuss E.M. Broner’s novel A Weave of Women and show how she uses innovative rituals of status elevation and status reversal to focus her reader’s attention on the problems associated with the patriarchal structures of traditional Judaism, e.g., racism and religious chauvinism. In Part One I provide a description of contemporary feminist rituals to set Broner’s novel into context. Part Two is an exposition of the text of her novel comparing its feminist rites to various Jewish prayer books and descriptions of traditional Jewish rituals. In my conclusion I offer a critique of the novel. I …

Invisible Presences: Virginia Woolf And Biography, Stephanie Kirkwood Walker

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The principal concerns of this thesis are the connections that Virginia Woolf made between writing, revelation, women and biography, set in the historical and literary contexts of her life in England from the late nineteenth century to her death in 1941. Her vision of biographical form, language and the biographical self is assessed within the environment established by her father, her Victorian childhood and education, Bloomsbury attitudes and a spirituality shaped by her Anglican heritage and her experiences of gender. My contention is that her novelist’s sense of the relationship between fact and fiction, her critical analysis of the significance …

Behavioral Manifestations Of Women Who Have A Liberated Or Traditionalist View Toward Their Role In Contemporary Society, Shirley A. Clark

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this study was two-fold. Part one was to develop an attitude questionnaire which could be used to discriminate between women with a traditionalist or liberated attitude toward toward their role in society. Part two was to choose Ss on the basis of their responses to the questionnaire and find behavioral manifestations of these attitudes. The assumption was made that the underlying difference between the two attitudes was the acceptance or rejection of male superiority.

Eight groups of female Ss, 4 traditionalist and 4 liberated, participated in a physiological experiment in which their systolic blood pressure responses following …