Gender and Sexuality Commons^™

More Than In And Out Of The Classroom Closet: A Study Of Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Teachers’ Identity Management Strategies, Teresa S. Lance

Dissertations

Two advancements in the study of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals’ workplace sexual identity management, the Workplace Sexual Identity Management Measure (WSIMM) and the Workplace Sexual Identity Management (WSIM) social cognitive model of identity management are incorporated in the current study of LGB K-12 teachers’ workplace sexual identity management strategies. The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties o f a revised version the WSIMM, investigate the workplace sexual identity management strategies of LGB teachers, and gain further understanding of the complex process LGB individuals navigate related to managing their sexual identity at work by exploring …

Sexist Humor And Willingness To Discrimination Against Women, Christie M. Fitzgerald

Masters Theses

Research has shown that exposure to sexist humor increases tolerance of sexist events, particularly for people high in hostile sexism-antagonism toward women (Glick & Fiske, 1996). The present experiment extends those findings by examining the effects of exposure to sexist humor on anticipated behavior. Two studies were designed to examine the behavioral consequences of exposure to sexist humor. In Study 1, participants were exposed to either sexist jokes, sexist statements, or neutral jokes, and then asked to donate money to either a women's organization or a men's organization. In Study 2, participants were exposed to either sexist jokes or …

Review Of Legalizing Gay Marriage. Michael Mello. Reviewed By Ronald J. Mancoske., Ronald J. Mancoske

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review for Michael Mello, Legalizing Gay Marriage. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2004. $68.50 hardcover, $22.95 papercover

Career Experiences And Career Development Among Chinese American Professional Women: A Qualitative Study, Yi-Ling Linda Kuo-Rice

Dissertations

Only a few research studies have addressed the cultural transitions and career-related issues experienced by Chinese American women. These individuals represent a silent group whose career values, career choices, and vocational needs remain largely unexplored (Yang, 1991).

This qualitative study, using grounded theory methods, explored the career experiences, career development, and career decision-making of nine foreign-bornChinese American professional women from various career fields. The findings from the study are divided into two parts. The first part presents summaries of each study participant's career development, providing a context-rich description of each case. The second part of the findings offers the results …

Gender Poverty Disparity In Us Cities: Evidence Exonerating Female-Headed Families, Sara Lichtenwalter

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Utilizing data from the 2000 Census, this study examines the impact of family composition, education, and labor force factors on the difference between female and male poverty rates in the 70 largest U.S. cities. A stepwise regression analysis indicates that 41 % of the difference between female and male poverty rates can be explained by the percent of women in the three US Bureau of Labor Statistic's lowest wage occupations. There was no evidence of a unique impact from the percentage of female headed families in each city, or the study's other independent variables, on the gender poverty gap, with …

Engendering Citizenship? A Critical Feminist Analysis Of Canadian Welfare-To-Work Policies And The Employment Experiences Of Lone Mothers, Rhonda S. Breitkreuz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Like other liberal-welfare states, Canada, in a climate of balanced budgets and deficit reduction, has been active in developing policies intended to move welfare recipients into employment in order to achieve selfsufficiency. The purpose of this paper is to employ a critical feminist analysis to examine the extent to which these policies, developed under the ideological umbrella of neo-liberalism, are gender sensitive. Literature on the economic and non-economic impacts of welfare-to-work policies is reviewed to evaluate whether these initiatives, while mandating lone-mothers into employment, recognize the gendered nature of work, employment and poverty. Gaps in current research are identified and …

The Contemporary Older Man: Summary And Discussion, Roberta Greene, Michael Wright

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This edition of the Journal has included a series of articles on the contemporary man in his elder years and the challenges and opportunities he may face. For example, an article by Bullock brings attentions to the increasing number of grandfathers who are becoming responsible for their grandchildren in the absence of fathers. Her study of 26 men age 65 and above who are responsible for the care of at least one grandchild revealed perceptions of powerlessness as grandfathers made this family role transition. Bullock argues that such feelings of powerlessness can be stemmed by programs that provide opportunities for …

Aging And Older Men: Thoughts, Reflections And Issues: Introduction, Robert Blundo, Deborah E. Bowen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Efforts across many fields engaged in addressing the population of aging in this country have tended to create a nearly homogenous cohort that often does not recognize the heterogeneity of aging across gender, race, ethnicity, geography, socioeconomic status, cultural and sexual orientation. The diversity within aging members of our society brings about many variations and unique issues that need to be recognized and explored by policy makers and practitioners. Among these is aging related to gender, which has tended to pay much less attention to men than women. Content analysis of journals and texts on aging has revealed a significant …

Social Security And The African American Male (A Cash Transfer System), Eddie Davis

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

All employed workers are required to contribute to the Social Security System; however,a disproportionatep ercentage of African American males never live long enough to collect any benefits from their contributions. On the other hand, the life-expectancy of white males is significantly longer than the life expectancy of African American males, and their collection of Social Security benefits tends to exceed their contributions to the system. The federal government keeps the Social Security system from becoming completely solvent by raiding it of any surplus funds it collects; thereby, preventing the Social Security Fund from developing interest income, and accumulating funds for …

Review Of The Changing Of The Guard: Lesbian And Gay Elders, Identity And Social Change. Dana Rosenfeld. Reviewed By John F. Longres., John F. Longres

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Dena Rosenfeld. The Changing of the Guard: Lesbian and Gay Elders, Identity and Social Change. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. 2003. $59.50 hardcover, $18.95 papercover.

Meeting The Needs Of Older Men: Challenges For Those In Helping Professions, Jordan I. Kosberg

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The uniqueness of men's lives has not been revealed in the social service literature. Therefore policy makers and practitioners are without the necessary knowledge base and research to create programs and services that will engage men and, in particulara, ging men. This articlep resents an overview of the state of knowledge in general and the specific areas significant to policy and practice development.

Review Of Gender And The Social Gospel. Wendy J. Deichman Edwards And Carolyn De Swarte Giffors (Eds.). Reviewed By John Herrick., John M. Herrick

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Wendy J. Deichman Edwards and Carolyn De Swarte Giffors (Eds.), Gender and the Social Gospel. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2003. $49.95 hardcover, $21.95 papercover.

Legislating The Family: Heterosexist Bias In Social Welfare Policy Frameworks, Amy Lind

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article addresses the effects of heterosexist bias in social welfare policy frameworks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and families in the United States. It discusses the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), federal definitions of family and household, and stereotypes about LGBT individuals. It argues that poor LGBT individuals and families lack full citizen rights and access to needed social services as a result of these explicit and implicit biases.

Review Of Western Welfare In Decline: Globalization And Women's Poverty. Catherine Kingfisher. Reviewed By Silvia Borzutsky., Silvia Borzutzky

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Catherine Kingfisher, Western Welfare in Decline: Globalization and Women's Poverty. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003. $49.95 hardcover, $21.95 papercover.

What Mothers Want: Welfare Reform And Maternal Desire, Patricia K. Jennings

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this study I use participant observations,face-to-face interviews, and focus group interviews to examine how women on welfare read and negotiate culture-of-poverty discourse and the imagery that this discourse spawns. I spoke with two groups of young single mothers receiving welfare. The first group included young mothers between the ages of 18 and 23 who were attending high school in a community-based program that served women on welfare. The second group included mothers in their early to mid 20's who were attending either a local two-year college or research university. Education was a path of resistance for the women in …

Review Of Men Who Believe In Feminism. Amanda Goldrick Jones. Reviewed By Cheryl A. Hyde., Cheryl A. Hyde

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Amanda Goldrick Jones, Men Who Believe in Feminism. Westport, CT: Praegar, 2003. $64.95 hardcover.

The Lesbian Connection: The Negotiation Of Individualism In A Unique Community, Emily E. Lenning

Masters Theses

This research explores the issue of how individualism is situated within and expressed through a progressive, alternative, and constitutive community. The Lesbian Connection, a lesbian owned and operated publication, will be considered as it relates to the individual-focused dialogue that recent radical theorists claim to be of great importance to the formation of "ideal" communities. Content analysis will be used to investigate how lesbians choose to shape their own community identity while maintaining a sense of personal individualism. Additional attention will be afforded to how lesbians use interaction through text to shape community norms and identify common goals.

The Social Construction Of Rape Research: Exploring Epistemologies And Evaluating Methods, Edith M. Fisher

Dissertations

The most widely known national study of rape found that one in four college-age women has been the victim of rape or attempted rape. Conservative writers have criticized that study for overestimating the possible prevalence of rape in the U.S. My research uses more sensitive instruments and administration techniques, seeking to estimate the prevalence of rape in the lives of women at a large midwestern public university. I address questions about the validity of previous rape research and compare methods of collecting sexual violence information by questionnaire (322 mailed surveys and 300 interviewer-administered surveys). Additional interviews with 62 of the …

Assessing The Gender Component In Coronary Heart Disease; A Comparative Analysis Of Osteopathic And Allopathic Rural Physicians' Medical Approaches To Diagnosing And Treating Female Coronary Heart Disease, Victoria S. Curtis

Dissertations

Heart disease is the number one killer among women in the United States. This dissertation examines how the knowledge base of rural physicians affects his/her approach to diagnosing female heart disease. It compares the knowledge base of doctors trained in osteopathic medicine with doctors trained in allopathic medicine to determine if knowledge base affects how women are diagnosed in comparison with men. Current data suggests that a male model of recognized heart symptoms is most often used to diagnose heart disease, that women and men experience different cardiac symptoms, and those physicians more often overlook and/or misdiagnose women presenting with …

Battered And On Welfare: The Experiences Of Women With The Family Violence Option, Judy L. Postmus

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Noting the incidence of battered women on welfare, lawmakers passed the Family Violence Option (FVO), which allows states to offer waivers from welfare program requirements. Assumptions were made that many women would seek relief under the FVO. However, reports indicate that less than 5 percent of welfare recipients are receiving waivers. This paper presents the findings from a qualitative study that sought to explore the experiences of 29 battered women with the welfare system and the FVO in New York State. Their experiences suggest that changes in FVO screening process are necessary to fully implement the program in the way …

The Effect Of Female Server's Attractiveness On Restaurant Tipping, Anne M. Wisneski

Honors Theses

This paper presents the results of a field experiment designed to test the hypothesis that restaurant patrons (particularly men) would leave larger tips for an attractive versus unattractive female server. The author manipulated server attractiveness by varying her appearance before shirts as a food server at a popular restaurant. Contrary to the hypothesis, patrons (both men and women) left comparable sized tips in the attractive and unattractive server conditions. Explanations for this null effect are discussed in the contest of research on the effect of server attractiveness on tipping and perceived tipping norms.

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Sex And Race Inequities In Unemployment Insurance Benefits, Melissa Latimer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This research makes a unique contribution to the growing body of literature on the welfare system by examining the relationship between sex, race, and social insurance benefits in a rural state. Using data from the West Virginia Unemployment Compensation Program, this research investigates sex and race differences in (1) monetary disqualifications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and (2) separation issue and nonseparation issue disqualifications of UI benefits. The analyses indicate that unemployed women, people of color, younger, and low income workers are the most likely to fail the monetary qualifications for UI benefits and to lose qualified weeks of UI …

The Effect Of Alcohol On Women’S Detection Of Risk In A Date Rape Analogue, Marci Marroquin Loiselle

Dissertations

Research strongly suggests that alcohol is a risk factor for date rape for both victims and perpetrators (Abbey, 1991, Fritner & Rubinson, 1994; Miller & Marshall, 1987; Muehlenhard & Linton, 1987; Norris & Cubbins, 1992; Marx, Van Wie, & Gross, 1996). Many victims of sexual assault consume alcohol prior to being raped (Marx, et al., 1999), and "early recognition of when a social situation with a male acquaintance or intimate partner has become threatening can aida woman in preventing a serious incident of sexual aggression" (Norris, et al, 1999, p. 230). This study's purpose was to experimentally address the link …

The Mommy Track: The Consequences Of Gender Ideology And Aspirations On Age At First Motherhood, Jennifer Stewart

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

While there is extensive and compelling evidence that growing up in an impoverished background leads to early fertility, few studies explain why early socioeconomic disadvantage leads to early childbearing. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, I test whether gender ideology, as well as educational and occupational aspirations, mediates the connection between poverty and teen fertility patterns. Traditional gender ideology depresses age at first motherhood. Adolescent aspirations appear to act as protective factors in the production of early pregnancy.

The Qualitative Investigation Of The Social Construction Of Female Sexuality Within A Sexualized Work Environment, Christi L. Young

Masters Theses

This qualitative investigation seeks to identify the sociocultural determinants and psychoemotional ramifications of essentialist gender role socialization on female employees in a sexualized work environment (SWE). Sexualized work environments incorporate work and sexuality and exist on a continuum according to the frequency and intensity of the sexual economic exchange that takes place within them. In this study, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten female employees at a comedy club to explore the social construction of female sexuality in such an environment. Subjects commented on the various advantages and disadvantages of working in a SWE as well as on general issues …

Changing Women: An Ethnographic Study Of Homeless Mothers And Popular Education, Lorna Rivera

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article discusses ethnographic research conducted between 1995 and 1998 that studied the impact of popular education on the lives of fifty homeless and formerly homeless mothers. Data collection involved indepth interviews and participant observation in a family shelter located in one of Boston's poorest neighborhoods. The article argues that popular education increased the women's self-esteem, they were inspired to help other low-income women, they learned to advocate for their rights and they became more involved in their children's education. The findings suggest that popular education can best address the academic, personal, and community goals of very poor women.

"For The Family": Asian Immigrant Women's Triple Day, Kamini Maraj Grahame

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article examines how Asian immigrant women manage the demands of family,job training, and paid work in their new society. Using institutional ethnography, a feminist research strategy developed by Dorothy Smith, the study begins with the women's experiences to explore the extended social relations which give shape to them. The study argues that among those extended relations are the organization of the labor market in the contemporary period, immigration legislation, and the ideological practices embedded in developing, managing, and administering public policies such as job training. A critical eye is turned to social science discourses on family which penetrate the …

The Social Construction Of Personal Protection Orders: Gendered Differences?, Kristen E. Devall

Masters Theses

Personal Protection Orders (PPOs) were enacted as one method of responding to the issue of domestic violence that was thought to be escalating in epidemic proportions across the United States. This research was grounded in social constructionist theory and sought to examine the perspectives of judges who authorize/deny PPOs and the implications these perspectives have for the legal process as well as the larger criminal justice system. Through my examination of the petitioning process, I gained insights about the relationships that exist between petitioners and respondents as well as the reasons petitioners cite for why s/he is seeking a PPO. …

Examining The Experiences Of Nontraditional Undergraduate Women: Pedagogy Versus Andragogy, Beverly Ann Hair

Dissertations

Increasing numbers of nontraditional students, of whom many are women, are enrolling in two-year and four-year colleges and universities. The purpose ofthis study is to critically examine the experiences of nontraditional undergraduate women and their preferred learning environment--pedagogy vs. andragogy. Students were asked to respond to a variety of questions in order to reflect upon their preferred learning environment. The researcher looked for differences inthe experiences of 20 (ten Black and ten White) nontraditional female undergraduate college students within their respective institutions based on their race, socioeconomic background, age, and religious background. Also, the researcher focused on why these nontraditional …

"For Their Own Good?": Sex Work, Social Control And Social Workers, A Historical Perspective, Stéphanie Wahab

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article provides an overview of the social responses to prostitution since the mid 1800s and how the responses of social workers have been shaped by shifting social contexts. Understanding the complex interplay of these forces is key to mapping out the divergent social work practice approaches with sex workers and their influence over time. The article presents three main constructs which have influenced social work responses to sex work; 1) the notion that women needed to be protected for their own good, 2) competing class values and, 3) social control.