Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Beyond Confronting The Myth Of Racial Democracy: The Role Of Afro-Brazilian Women Scholars And Activists, Nathalie Lebon

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Publications

This paper offers a synopsis of the current scholarship mapping the social and economic exclusion of women of African descent in Brazil. It highlights the work of and role played by Afro-Brazilian women scholars and activists in redressing the paucity, until recently, of basic data and research on the life conditions of women of African descent. Finally, it provides some initial thoughts on the national and transnational dynamics of knowledge production underlying this state of affairs.

Containing The Cost Of Infant Formula To The Wic Program, David Davis

Economics Commentator

No abstract provided.

New Hope For Women Newsletter (Fall 2007), New Hope For Women Staff

Maine Women's Publications - All

No abstract provided.

Gender In Politics, Sheri L. Kunovich, Pamela Paxton, Melanie M. Hughes

Sociology Research

Women’s political participation and representation vary dramatically within and between countries. We selectively review the literature on gender in politics, focusing on women’s formal political participation.

We discuss both traditional explanations for women’s political participation and representation, such as the supply of women and the demand for women, and newer explanations such as the role of international actors and gender quotas. We also ask whether women are distinctive—does having more women in office make a difference to public policy? Throughout the review we demonstrate that a full understanding of women’s political representation requires both deep knowledge of individual cases such …

Can Developing Women Create Primitive Art? And Other Questions Of Value, Meaning And Identity In The Circulation Of Janakpur Art, Coralynn V. Davis

Faculty Journal Articles

In this article, I examine the values and meanings that adhere to objects made by Maithil women at a development project in Janakpur, Nepal – objects collectors have called ‘Janakpur Art’. I seek to explain how and why changes in pictorial content in Janakpur Art – shifts that took place over a period of five or six years in the 1990s – occurred, and what such a change might indicate about the link between Maithil women’s lives, development, and tourism. As I will demonstrate, part of the appeal for consumers of Janakpur Art has been that it is produced at …

The Maine Women's Advocate (2007 - Fall), Maine Women's Lobby Staff

Maine Women's Publications - All

No abstract provided.

The Maine Women's Advocate (2007 - Winter), Maine Women's Lobby Staff

Maine Women's Publications - All

No abstract provided.

The Maine Women's Advocate (2007 - Summer), Maine Women's Lobby Staff

Maine Women's Publications - All

No abstract provided.

The Domestic Violence Experiences Of Women In Community Corrections, Rachel Bridges Whaley, Angela M. Moe, Mark Eddy, Jean Daugherty

Sociology Faculty Publications

A variety of studies indicate high rates of domestic violence in the backgrounds of women offenders. We examine and extend this work through a qualitative study of women on probation or parole in a western U.S. county. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 women who participated in a larger study in which only questionnaire data were collected. Participants completed a brief telephone interview about prior experiences of partner violence and then a face-to-face extensive in-person interview. In the analyses, several notable themes emerged regarding the women’s histories of child victimization, partner abuse, substance abuse, coercion into crime, and a lack …

Of Birth-Mother And Daughter, Diane J. Graves

Library Faculty Research

A story from the book Risk, Courage, and Women: Contemporary Voices in Prose and Poetry.

'If Only...': Counterfactual Thinking Heightens Women's Sense Of Responsibility Regarding Mammography Screening, Amy Y. Chan, Sandra C. Jones, Karen T. Rich

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The present study tested the prediction that counterfactual thinking (thoughts of if only&) provides a vivid means for women to imagine whatcould have been done differently in hypothetical breast cancer scenarios for the protagonist to avoid their predicament.This should then encourage themto adopt a more preventative approach to and take greater personal responsibility toward their own breast health.Women aged 50 and older (N=181) read either a standard pamphlet on mammography rescreening or one containing counterfactually framed scenarios.The latter depicted fictitiouswomen whose failure to have routine mammograms contributed to their diagnosis with advance-stage breast cancer.The counterfactual group subsequently indicated greater feelings …

Intergenerational Family Communication About Mammography: Young Women's Perceptions, Intentions And Experiences, Jessica Browne, Amy Y. Chan

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Early detection of breast cancer through regular mammograms is crucial to reducing the mortality rate, yet almost 50% of target women (aged 50-69years) fail to have regular mammograms. Young women aged 18-39 years (N = 60) participated in a two-stage study that explored familycommunication as a vehicle for mammography promotion to target women.Intention to initiate such a conversation was measured and predicted using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework.The TPB variables together produced a model that predicted behavioural performance, withintention being the only independent predictor.Young womens anticipatory perceptions and actual experiences of initiating a conversationabout mammography were also explored …

The Information Needs Of Women Diagnosed With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - Implications For Treatment And Health Outcomes, Jodie C. Avery, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background This paper reports the findings of an exploratory study about the information women diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) want to know about their condition and the consequences of this information for future treatment and health outcomes. Methods In-depth qualitative interviews regarding their information needs were undertaken with ten South Australian women diagnosed with PCOS. These women were aged 28-38 years and at differing stages of their fertility experience. The time since diagnosis ranged from 1-17 years. The main outcome measures sought were the identification of the information needs of women diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) during different …

Talking About Food And Nutrition: Australian Women's Magazines, Danielle Mcvie, Heather Yeatman, Sandra C. Jones

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the Cultivating Appetites for Knowledge International Food Conference, May 30 - Jun 3 2007, Victoria, Canada

Leave No Woman Behind, Ethiopia: Baseline Report, Annabel Erulkar, Tekle-Ab Mekbib, Helen Amdemikael, Garry Conille

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

“Leave No Woman Behind, Ethiopia” is an experimental project being implemented in rural areas of Ethiopia’s Amhara region. The project uses the mobilization of women into groups and adult literacy as an entry point for reproductive health education and referrals. Measurement of the program’s impact is being undertaken using a quasi-experimental research design including baseline and endline surveys in six Kebele Associations in rural Amhara. This report presents findings from the baseline survey conducted among more than 3,000 girls and women aged 10–45 in rural Amhara region. The results cover a broad range of topics including education, work, livelihoods, social …

The International Protean Career: Four Women’S Narratives, Marian Crowley-Henry, David Weir

Articles

In this paper, we share individual narratives outlining the experiences of four well-educated western women following a permanent international career in the South of France. By virtue of detailed interview transcripts and contextual information regarding the specificity of the location in question, a comprehensive picture of the experiences and choices of individual women in leadership business positions on an international level is painted. Our aim is not to generalise the findings to a wider population, but to gain an insight into the depth and complexity of career issues for women in general, and particularly for women working in a foreign …

Liberated Jokes: Sexual Humor In All-Female Groups, Janet Bing

English Faculty Publications

Females have formerly been under-represented in jokes. Many scholars have claimed that joke making is primarily a male activity, particularly in the domain of sexual jokes. In this paper, I discuss sexual jokes that women share with each other both in all-female groups and by e-mail. After reviewing some widely held assumptions about women and jokes, I explore liberated women's jokes, including their structure, use of stereotypes, and subversive ideas. Finally, I discuss why humor theory is incomplete without the inclusion of a female perspective and suggest that women should tell more jokes.

Riding The Wheel: Selling American Women Mobility And Geographic Knowledge, Christina E. Dando

Geography and Geology Faculty Publications

The bicycle's “prime” was a mere decade, 1890-1900, but in this brief window, it had a profound impact on American women’s lives. This paper will examine the role of the media in transforming women's relationship to their world, altering how, where and why they moved through the landscape, drawing from work on cartographic culture, actor-network theory and consumption and mass culture. Through popular magazine articles, stories, advertisements, and maps, American women (as well as men) were “informed” of the possibilities the bicycle had to offer, modeling geographic mobility, greater spatial awareness, and the practice of both cartography and landscape. Women …

Women In Science And Engineering: Politics Of Gender, Ibironke Lawal

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Women are fewer than men in science and engineering, therefore, the assumption is that women generally prefer arts and humanities. But to some analysts, the reason for the low percentage of women in these careers may be due to innate mental and psychological differences between them and men. Others contend that women have the capacity to excel in any profession and that their fewness in science and engineering can be attributed to other factors. They urge educational institutions and employers to develop programs and specific policies that would allow women to strike a better balance between the demands of work …

Our Stories: Women Speak Out Against Hiv And Aids—An Interactive Communication Package For Rural Low-Literate Women, Vijaya Nidadavolu, Moumita Saha, Vijaya Usha Rani

HIV and AIDS

The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) estimates that there are over 5.1 million people living with HIV and AIDS in India. Among new infections reported in 2006, 88 percent were reported in the reproductive age group (15–49 years). The virus is spreading rapidly among women, including married and monogamous women, and adolescent girls. Existing literature shows that women's vulnerability is compounded due to their gendered disadvantage in information access, literacy, and decision-making. This disadvantage is particularly acute in the case of married women in rural India. NACO has indicated the need to develop audience-appropriate strategies for communicating HIV-related information. To …