Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Refuge And A Bridge: Native American Women's Tribal College Experiences, Morgan Duffy

Theses and Dissertations

This study, which focuses on the experiences of Native women attending a tribal college of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, responds to the call by Baird-Olson and Ward (2000) and Almeida (1997) for research that allows Native women, or the "hidden half," to tell their stories. Scant research has examined the value of tribal schools for Native American women and the experiences they have had in relation to their reservation and college lives. Providing narratives of women's experiences can illuminate how higher education in tribal college settings holds multiple values for Native women students as it acts as a refuge and …

Period Poverty In The United States, Katie Krumperman

Ballard Brief

Period poverty is the lack of access to menstrual products and inadequate education surrounding menstruation. Period poverty affects menstruators worldwide, including those in the United States. In a 2019 study, 64% of menstruators noted that they struggled to afford menstrual products within the last year. Stemming from the cost of products, stigmas, education, and the world pandemic, those who menstruate struggle to afford menstruation products and have adequate education on the subject. The effects of period poverty include effects on menstruators' physical and mental health as well as their productivity at work. Lawmakers are fighting to end period poverty with …

Women's Response To Spousal Pornography Use: A Grounded Theory, Misha Duncan Crawford

Theses and Dissertations

Empirical research suggests that married women may more commonly experience spousal pornography use as a relational attachment threat and are more likely to experience negatively associated relational outcomes such as distress and loss of trust. The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory of women’s response to concealed spousal pornography use. This study included the experiences of 30 women who reported spousal pornography use as a threat to relational attachment and demonstrated evidence of individual and relational healing thereafter. The research question, “How do women describe the experience of learning of their spouse’s pornography use and the …

Inadequate Maternal Health Care For Women In The United States, Rebecca Stull Zundel

Ballard Brief

Although insufficient maternal health care has seen improvements in most developed countries, it is still a rising issue in the United States. This insufficiency may partly be due to the accessibility barriers that both rural and urban women face in reaching adequate care. Additionally, the expenses of maternal care or gender discrimination within medical establishments may dissuade women from seeking the care that they need. Women who receive inadequate care are at a higher risk for maternal mortality, the death of their unborn or newly born infant, and having a low-birth weight child, which comes with many issues of its …

Postpartum Depression Among Adolescent Mothers In The United States, Susan May

Ballard Brief

Adolescent mothers are twice as likely to suffer from postpartum depression than adult mothers. In addition. teen moms are more likely to experience social stigma associated with teenage pregnancy and motherhood. Adolescent mothers also abuse substances at a higher rate than adult mothers, and teen dads are less likely to be involved in parenting responsibilities than adult fathers. These factors associated with teenage mothers cause an increased likelihood of teen moms developing postpartum depression. When mothers suffer from postpartum depression, their children are more at risk for child development problems. fathers are more likely to suffer from depression, and parents …

Violence Against Refugee Women In The Mena Region, Genevieve Cole, Harriet Huang

Ballard Brief

Refugee women of the Middle East North Africa (MENA) Region are exposed to violence in a variety of ways along their refugee journey. Once within refugee camps, refugee women face high risk spaces for violence, inhibited privacy, as well as unequal gender based power relations between themselves and predominantly male staff. Outside of refugee camps, lack of and improper implementation of cross-border policies allow trafficking networks, authority figures, and other perpetrators of GBV to harm refugee women without fear of repercussions. Victims of GBV can experience a variety of short and long term physical and mental health concerns that can …

Lack Of Access To Maternal Healthcare In Sub-Saharan Africa, Sierra Flake

Ballard Brief

Maternal healthcare provides essential care to keep women and newborns healthy during pre-birth visits, delivery, and after birth. In Sub-Saharan Africa, factors inhibiting women from receiving quality maternal care include distance, poverty, quality of maternal healthcare, family dynamics, and cultural beliefs. Lack of access to maternal healthcare has led to severe maternal and neonatal mortality, morbidity, and lack of family planning in Sub-Saharan Africa. Though lack of maternal healthcare is still an issue, significant improvement has been made since 2000 due to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Midwifery and mobile outreach services for family planning are prime examples of practices …

Intimate Partner Violence Against Women In Uganda, Mary Claire Eyre

Ballard Brief

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major issue in sub-Saharan Africa. particularly in the country of Uganda. Three major types of IPV have been identified in Uganda: intimate partner physical violence. intimate partner emotional violence. and intimate partner sexual violence. Sixty-five percent of women in Uganda report experiencing at least one of these types of IPV. The major contributing factors to IPV in Uganda include cultural attitudes about violence among both women and men and patriarchal behaviors among men. Bride price, or the exchange of goods for a bride. and male alcohol abuse also raise rates of IPV among women. …

Diary Of An Afghan Woman Collection - September 2021

TSOS Interview Gallery

Four women share with us their daily lives in Afghanistan. Join them as they express their love for the country, the people, and each other; and as they share with you their deepest fears and most intimate moments.

They refuse to be silenced as they journey through this new, uncharted chapter in Afghanistan's history.

We at TSOS are honored to provide a platform for their voices to be heard. We will post entries as we receive them. For safety purposes, names have been changed and only avatars (designed with input from each woman) will be used.

ZOYA

Zoya is a …

Maternal Mortality Among Black Women In The United States, Joli Hunt

Ballard Brief

The chance of a Black woman dying in the US due to complications relating to pregnancy or childbirth is 2 to 3 times more than a White woman in the US-a disparity large enough to cause the national maternal mortality rate to increase at a steady rate. Challenges influencing this problem include implicit racial bias within the healthcare system that causes negligence, a lack of standardized healthcare to provide quality care in all parts of the US, and the stress caused by systemic racism and its effect on Black female bodies. Maternal death has detrimental effects on Black families and …

Lack Of Female Representation In Peace Processes In The Mena Region, Mckenna Swindle

Ballard Brief

Peace negotiations are used throughout the world to resolve interstate conflict and have been heralded as the most effective way to address armed conflict between countries. However, in the MENA region, women have sparsely been included in most peace processes. The cultural attitudes toward women in the region and their minor representation in both the political and workplace spheres hinder their involvement in these processes. Without women's inclusion. it is likely that the process of negotiation will be stalled, the agreements will be less effectively implemented, and the provisions will be less inclusive of women and other minority groups. Local …

Lack Of Menstrual Hygiene Management Among Women And Girls In East Africa, Lizzie Kearon

Ballard Brief

Women and girls in East Africa, as well as many other parts of the world, live in a culture where menstruation and reproductive health are not discussed. This is because menstruation and anything related to it is considered taboo. Both women and girls often do not understand the reproductive cycle of their bodies or know how to manage their menstruation. Girls commonly miss or drop out of school because they do not understand what is happening to them or are unaware of how to hygienically manage their natural cycle. The issue is perpetuated by menstrual hygiene products being expensive and …

Sexual Violence Against Female College Students In The United States, Lauren Wolters, Macy Smith

Ballard Brief

Sexual violence against female college students is a prevelant and deep-rooted issue across universities in the us. Despite an increase in attention from the federal government. it is predicted that 1 in 4 women will experience sexual violence as undergeradute students. A pattern of university negligence surrounding cases of sexual violence suggests that universities prioritize securing funding and protecting perpetrators over aiding victims and preventing sexual assault. Several other factors contribute to the occurence of sexual violence including dangerous fraternity traditions. extensive alcohol and drug use among college students, and vast normalization of sexual violence-but the only true cause of …

Gender-Based Violence Against Women In South Africa, Lacey George

Ballard Brief

Dubbed the "rape capital of the world" by Human Rights Watch, South Africa has some of the highest rates of gender-based violence worldwide, including rape, female homicide. and domestic abuse. The women in South Africa are faced with pronounced challenges. stemming from a historical background of apartheid-era oppression, when it comes to equality. Some of the most significant challenges that contribute to South Africa's gender-based violence problem include a lack of government action in legal implementation, pervasive patriarchal cultural attitudes. and widespread poverty. Gender-based violence affects everyone in society-the women themselves, their children, and the men who perpetrate the crimes. …

Girls' Access To Education In Ghana, Harper Forsgren, Asia Haslam, Shelby Hunt, Nathan Heim, Andrew Wirkus

Ballard Brief

Lack of access to education negatively impacts a person's development in a number of ways and leads to fewer opportunities and increased risks for the individual. Females are disproportionately affected by the lack of gender equality in Ghana's educational system. This inequality comes as a result of practices such as child marriage, child labor, inadequate training of teachers. the inability to accommodate for girls' menstruation cycles at school, and hidden costs of sending children to school. All of these factors are confounded by social norms that tend to see female education as less valuable and thus more disposable than male …

Let Us Reason Together: Female Voices In Religious Deliberation, Rachel Finlayson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines deliberation within ward councils of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My findings suggest ward councils can fall short of the democratic ideals articulated by church leaders. This ideal is captured in Jane Mansbridge’s conception of unitary democracy, which emphasizes friendship, equality, and consensus in decision-making regarding common goals. Ward council members report feeling friendship and unity, but reserve authoritative executive power for the bishop alone. This hybrid dynamic creates potential challenges and tensions with the unitary ideal as participants seek to both express their unique perspectives and defer to one authority.

My interviews show …

"Camouflaging" In Women With Autistic Traits: Measures, Mechanisms, And Mental Health Implications, Jonathan S. Beck

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic traits are associated with frequent psychological distress and everyday functional challenges. Some individuals with autistic traits “camouflage” these traits during social interactions by effortfully engaging in “typical” social behaviors. Camouflaging seems to be especially common in autistic girls and women. Emerging evidence proposes a role for camouflaging behaviors in poorer mental health and daily functioning. Furthermore, camouflaging efforts may delay receipt of a proper diagnosis and access to appropriate mental health care. Despite their clinical significance, camouflaging efforts remain difficult to quantify, and the mechanisms and impacts of camouflaging are poorly understood. This study aimed to compare multiple methods …

Sexual And Gender-Based Violence Against Arab Women Refugees: Yazidi Minority In Northern Iraq, Amanda Solomon

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In addition to being at risk of violence from war and conflict, Arab refugee women also have an increased vulnerability to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Aspects inherent to the refugee experience such as a breakdown of the legal system, camp environments, and economic challenges exacerbate the already-pervasive phenomenon of SGBV. This human rights violation is physically, mentally, socially, and economically harmful to women. This thesis utilizes a case study specifically looking at the Yazidi ethnoreligious minority population in northern Iraq, which has been targeted for genocide by Islamic State forces since August 2014. To address the continuing trauma and …

Modina, Modina, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Modina fled Myanmar after experiencing and witnessing extreme violence, including the destruction of her village and the violent murder of her uncle by soldiers. She arrived in Bangladesh by boat after paying smugglers a large sum.

Rohima, Rohima, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Rohima was brutally raped and tortured by soldiers during an attack. After witnessing other women receive the same treatment, she fled Myanmar for Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Once there, she got married while pregnant as a result of the rape.

Shobika, Shobika, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Shobika escaped Myanmar amid widespread chaos. After being separated from her husband and experiencing the kidnap of her two children, she was raped by soldiers and became pregnant. Her husband now rejects this child.

Look Again—Traditional Women As Nontraditional Students: A New Face In Higher Education, Candi Jones Newell

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the experiences of 13 culturally traditional women who returned to higher education as nontraditional students. An individual unstructured interview, with guiding questions, was held with each woman. This provided the opportunity for these women to articulate their experience. The interviews were transcribed and interpreted using a synthesis of qualitative methods based upon Kvale's method. Seven themes emerged: (a) participants would tell a woman considering a return to school to "do it!" (b) participants saw spousal support as significant in their ability to return to school, (c) participants saw their families as generally supportive of their return to …

The Impact Of Gap Years On Academic Outcomes For Women: A Case Study From The Missionary Age Change, Margaret Marchant

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Young adults throughout the United States and other countries participate in “gap years,” or time away from school, often for travel, work, or volunteering. This practice is promoted as a way to mature and refocus. However, some worry that it lowers the likelihood of college completion. Previous literature has investigated the academic, social, and personal benefits of gap years with mixed results; however selection into gap years confounds the true impact with unobservable personal characteristics. To overcome selection issues, I exploit an exogenous policy change that lowered age requirements for missionary service, a unique type of gap year, resulting in …

Female Genital Cutting In Africa, Chloe Jensen, Evie Friedbaum

Ballard Brief

Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is the partial or complete removal of a female's external genitalia. Though it is practiced all over the world. FGC is particularly prevalent on the African continent. This procedure is most commonly done to girls at a young age; FGC creates negative physical health effects for the rest of their lives, and often causes trauma. Because of these negative consequences, the United Nations has officially stated that FGC violates basic human rights. However, many communities continue to practice female genital cutting for social and cultural reasons.

Half The Sky, Or Half A Lie? Unfulfilled Promises To Women In Republican China, Rachel Finlayson

BYU Asian Studies Journal

When the Qing dynasty fell in 1912, Chinese nationalist and communist forces fought to gain power. Both groups looked to build their base of support among the socially repressed, which included women and peasants. Thus, women’s emancipation became a central issue, and it remained primary until 1924, during an era known as the May Fourth Movement (Lan and Fong 1999, p. ix). Nationalist and communist forces both promised women better lives, in terms of education, love in marriage, value in family life, a role in the revolution and social activism, and emancipation. Mao Zedong summarized the enthusiasm of the time …

Layla, Layla, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Layla left Ethiopia 10 years ago to look for work opportunities. She left behind a father and three brothers. She went to Syria on a three-year work contract. She worked in a house and learned Arabic. She then went to Turkey by boat and then went on to Greece for 5 years. She worked and learned the Greek language. When she became pregnant she had to stop working. She travelled to Serbia to Macedonia to Austria all on foot. Then the Red Cross moved Layla and her daughter to Giessen, Germany where a roommate periodically beat her baby. Seeking safety …

Sexual Assault Against Women In India, Chloe Haderlie

Ballard Brief

In India millions of women's lives are negatively impacted by sexual violence. Gender and cast discrimination combine to make marginalized women most likely to be affected by sexual violence. The criminal justice system struggles to both try and convict perpetrators. Practices that are most effective at changing attitudes toward gender norms target both genders, with a particular focus on males. Effective victim support provides ways for victims to reassume valuable, contributing roles in their community.

Look Before You Leap: 4 Questions Every Woman Should Ask While Job Searching, Hannah Y. Olvera

Marriott Student Review

Despite women’s preparation and effort during the job searching process, women are disproportionately dissatisfied with their employers. According to a Crain’s Report conducted in 2016, 42 percent of women left because they “didn’t feel recognized and didn’t see opportunities for advancement,” 43.6 percent believe their compensation is less compared to their male peers, and only 50.4 percent believe their companies have a fair family leave policy. To overcome these challenges, women must ask various questions to lead them to their ideal career from an equal opportunity employer. As women become more assertive in their job searching, they will create a …

Legislating Women: The Relationship Between Women In Parliament And Trafficking Of Women, Caroline Black, Donna Lee Bowen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Pervasive, complex, and often little-­‐understood, trafficking of women is a worldwide epidemic. Although many acknowledge the problem that trafficking of women, hereafter known simply as trafficking, is, the large dark numbers associated with it make trafficking hard to fully track. Many studies have previously focused on trafficking victims and their experiences with the intent of understanding what demographic factors influence the likelihood of someone becoming a trafficking victim. However, there is little to no research on the macro causes of trafficking. This paper will focus on those macro causes, which are the percentage of women in parliament and women’s political …

Faroosh And Elina, Faroosh, Elina, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Faroosh was a cameraman for a private television program in Afghanistan working on a documentary about the Taliban. When he and his crew were discovered, the Taliban attacked them and he and his wife fled to Turkey, walking 12 hours to get there. Upon arrival the police arrested and harassed them. Turkey was not a safe place. After several suicide bombings in the area, they decided to move on to Greece, where they are in a refugee camp without any progress in their situation. They have no money to move forward and no ability to work and the economic situation …