10322 research outputs found
Sort by
The Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Interpersonal Relationships: A Cross-Sectional Study in Trinidad
Get PDFChild sexual abuse (CSA) is a pervasive social problem that can have long-term effects on women’s relationships because it makes them vulnerable to revictimization. Girls are more vulnerable than boys to be victims of CSA, and those abused by someone they trust are at higher risk of experiencing increased trauma and interpersonal problems. This quantitative research study investigated the association between CSA and interpersonal relationships. Participants completed anonymous surveys exploring these two variables. Results showed that among other vulnerabilities, women who reported sexual abuse within the family reported overall greater interpersonal problems compared with non-abused participants. Given the prevalence of intrafamilial and other types of CSA and its impact on interpersonal relationships, providing an environment where girls are safe from abuse is important. Research, education, policy, and educational programs can help prevent CSA and its consequences
Moralistic Science: Socio-Cultural Norms about Sexuality in Indian Biology Education
Get PDFThis paper takes the position that the discourses of science and morality are not distinct within biology education; rather, they inform each other to produce, discipline, and regulate human sexuality. Our analysis of the medical and moral discussion on sexuality in a secondary school science textbook (the 12th standard National Council for Educational Research and Training textbook), along with insights from interviews with teachers, reveals that the texts portray a romanticized notion of sex that is limited to a monogamous heterosexual relationship. In the first part of the paper, we analyze how the biology textbook discusses “safer sex” in the limited context of sexually transmitted diseases and how scientific knowledge produces specific sexual subjectivities and categories. In our view, the portrayal of “normal sex” in the textbook is value-laden and not inconsequential. We also examine the discursive devices employed by the textbook to assert what is considered “culturally appropriate.” The second part of the paper focuses on interviews with three biology teachers from Keralam, India. Discourse analysis is used as a methodology to explore how teachers occasionally use scientific and moral arguments interchangeably. We discuss some examples where teachers use cultural and moral ideals to justify the scientific claims in the textbook. For instance, when the textbook focuses on how “promiscuity” produces disease, teachers emphasize how promiscuity can lead to sexual anarchy, fatherless children, unsatisfied spouses, and broken relations. We argue that the teachers, along with the textbook, intertwine scientific facts with moral sensibilities, articulating a view of science, technology, and medicine that aligns with socio-cultural norms
Trends in Family Planning Methods: An Intergenerational Study of the Lived Experiences of Tribal Women in Attappady, India
Get PDFFamily planning methods have the potential to improve maternal and child health outcomes; thus, ensuring the right to family planning methods is critical in safeguarding the sexual and reproductive health rights of women. Despite the high standards of maternal and child healthcare in Kerala, a southern state in India, tribal pockets within the state such as Attappady have a high prevalence of maternal health issues and infant death rates. The present study conducted in Attappady, which focuses on an intergenerational comparison from an intersectional approach, is intended to explore the trends, practices, and experiences of tribal women regarding their awareness of, access to, and use of family planning methods. Qualitative fieldwork was carried out based on 45 in-depth, dyadic (two-subject) interviews with Attappady women (specifically mothers and grandmothers), and case studies were also used to substantiate the data. The intergenerational comparison revealed the following: a higher acceptance of sterilization among the older women; an increasing awareness and assertiveness in demanding their rights among the younger generation of mothers, who were nevertheless denied their demand for female sterilization by healthcare workers; and fear, stigma, and misconception among women due to lack of reliable information and awareness about temporary modern methods. Thus, the majority of women are opting for natural methods like abstinence to avoid unplanned/unwanted pregnancies. Other major factors determining the family planning experiences of tribal women are lack of men’s engagement, lack of timely and quality family planning services, and patriarchal norms and gendered roles in families. The study proposes the need for men to be engaged in the process along with realigned efforts from the state, both of which are crucial to the fulfilment of the right to family planning among tribal women
Women’s Role in Improving the Welfare of Traditional Indonesian Fishing Families
Get PDFAmong traditional fishing families in coastal village areas in Indonesia, women play a strategic role in improving the business they are engaged in and their families’ welfare. This study aimed to examine the role and involvement of women in the empowerment and improvement of the welfare of poor, traditional fishing families in coastal areas. This study employed a quantitative research method with a descriptive research type. In addition to collecting data from the results of a survey of 500 respondents, this study also collected qualitative data from the results of in-depth interviews with 25 informants. Women in traditional fishing families play a significant role in supporting the family’s financial stability by doing side jobs within or outside the fisheries sector. They have become more empowered, seeking various types of work to support the family’s economy. Unfortunately, they do not have long-term goals for the work in which they are involved. Most women in traditional fishing families face obstacles such as capital acquisition, marketing issues, and a strong patriarchal culture that has hampered their work opportunities and developing businesses
Organizational Capacity and Women’s Empowerment: A Case Study of Women Farmers’ Groups in Sustainable Food Garden Programs in Indonesia
Get PDFEfforts for empowering women have been a priority agenda in development because women make crucial contributions to society. One of the significant issues that women are well positioned to address is the stunting or impaired development of children due to poor nutrition. As this issue is a threat for national development in Indonesia, the central government has initiatives to tackle stunting, and one of these is the Sustainable Food Garden, or Pekarangan Pangan Lestari (P2L). The innovative program is designed to prevent stunting by empowering women, which also contributes to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This research is focused on the implementation of the P2L initiative in Jombang Regency in East Java, Indonesia. More specifically, it explores how the program capacity, especially at the organizational level, plays a significant role in the implementation of P2L through women’s involvement in Kelompok Wanita Tani (KWT) or the Women Farmers’ Group. The fieldwork research was performed in four KWTs villages in Kesamben District, one of the focal locations for addressing stunting and food insecurity in Jombang. By using qualitative research methods involving interviews, observation, and analysis of relevant documents, this study finds that within the implementation of the P2L program in Jombang Regency, the program capacity, especially at the organizational level has been fulfilled well. Such program capacity, which includes political capacity, analytical capacity, and operational capacity, has led stakeholders’ commitment to fulfill the program’s goals and objective, and above all to empower women. In this, Women Farmers’ Groups (KWTs) have also contributed to improving nutrition, decreasing the prevalence of stunting in Jombang Regency, and supporting economic growth for women and families, and thus the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Distillers’ and Cattle Feeders’ Trust, Divisions in the United States Whiskey Industry, and the War Fought Over Massive Copper Worms, 1865-1895
Get PDFBridgewater Magazine, Volume 34, Number 1, Spring 2024
Get PDFLighting the Way: the nation\u27s last lighthouse keeper and first woman in that role, Sally Snowman, \u2776. Also in this issue: The multiple sides of climate change; A program that helps students with an autism spectrum disorder or related social profile gain real-world experience; an article on Peter Weyand, G\u2788; Two decades of The Bridge; and eclipsing expectations: on-campus viewing event draws hundreds to BSU, observatory.https://vc.bridgew.edu/br_mag/1086/thumbnail.jp
A Socioecological and Maqāṣidi Analysis of Domestic Gender-Based Violence in Yemen
Get PDFThis study uses an integrated multidimensional lens to investigate the ongoing issue of domestic gender-based violence (DGBV) against women in conflict areas of Yemen, with a specific focus on the city of Taiz. Yemeni society has historically operated within a framework emphasizing traditional gender roles, which can unfortunately lead to situations where women bear the brunt of societal pressures and misattributed blame. Against this backdrop, this study explores the nature and causes of violence faced by Yemeni women during the period 2021-2023, as well as the role of Islam in addressing and curbing violence against women in Muslim societies. Through applying a qualitative approach involving triangulation and utilizing qualitative data analysis software, namely ATLAS, this study integrates primary data derived from interviews with affected women and secondary data sourced from humanitarian organizations, including Bena Charity for Human Development (BCHD), Nahaḍa Youth for Marginalized Development (NYMD) and Civic Center for Advocacy and Support (CCAS) in Yemen. To illuminate the causes and dynamics of this violence, the analysis draws on Auda’s (2008, 2022) concept of maqāṣid al-sharīʿah, the socioecological approach (Heise, 1998), social cognitive theory (SCT) (Bandura, 1986; Bandura, 2001), feminist insights on patriarchy, and the power and control wheel concept (Dobash & Dobash, 1979; Walker, 1980; Pence & Paymar, 1993). The findings unveil an alarming escalation of violence in Taiz. This study reveals the multifaceted factors contributing to the high domestic gender-based violence (DGBV) index during the Yemeni war period. By examining the complex factors involved, this study provides a comprehensive prototype for policymakers and organizations to address and prevent violence in Yemen’s conflict areas, safeguarding women’s rights, advancing gender equality, and fostering social justice within Yemen and potentially in broader Arab contexts
With Great Power: A Content Analysis of Masculinities and Appearance-Related Themes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Get PDFComic book characters and superheroes have served as Hollywood’s biggest cash cow for the last two decades, dominating box office records, over-saturating the release schedules of major movie studios, and influencing the cultural consciousness in a way that is historically unprecedented. The most notable and financially successful example of this trend can be seen in the form of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a franchise that has grossed an estimated $29.8 billion in box office revenue since its inception in 2008. Due to their immense popularity and global reach, superhero characters serve as role models for young boys and adult men alike. However, many cinematic adaptations of comic book related properties seem to prominently feature the objectification and glorification of unrealistic male body types while negatively stigmatizing unconventional or higher weight individuals. As a result, exposure to superhero programming has been positively associated with the internalization of masculinity norms, male appearance ideals, and a drive for muscularity that may result in harmful behaviors, such as eating disorders, anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse, or body/muscle dysmorphia. Using a coded-content analysis approach, the current study has selected a variety of masculinity and appearance related themes from past content analyses to evaluate how masculinities and male body types are portrayed in Disney produced MCU films