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Kareithi, Monicah Wanjiru. "A historical-legal analysis of woman-to-woman marriage in Kenya." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/65665.
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This thesis sets out, against a historical background, to establish the legal status of woman-towoman marriages in contemporary Kenya. The phenomenon of woman-to-woman marriage is a form of African customary marriage between two women. Woman-to-woman marriages are distinctly African and clearly distinguishable from the modern-day phenomenon of same-sex marriages, as understood and practiced especially in the global West. They are customary marriages that are conducted by Kenyan communities, such as the Kamba, Kisii, Nandi, Kikuyu and Kuria, for a variety of reasons. The thesis sets out the rationales for woman-towoman marriage and expounds on the nature of the African family and marriage customs in pre-colonial Kenya. Due to the erroneous conflation of the phenomenon of African woman-towoman marriages and same-sex marriages of the West, the provisions in the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and the Marriage Act of 2014 stipulated that adults have the right to marry only persons of the opposite sex. This led to uncertainty about the legal status of woman-to-woman marriage under Kenyan law. This thesis argues that a purposive reading of the Constitution, taking into consideration the Constitution’s recognition of culture as an important value of the Kenyan society and the historical context within which the provisions proscribing same-sex marriages were included in the Constitution and the Marriage Act, leads to the conclusion that these provisions were not intended to proscribe the cultural practice of woman-to-woman marriage in Kenya.Thesis (LLD)--University of Pretoria, 2018.
Centre for Human Rights
LLD
Unrestricted
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Hudak, Jacqueline Lawless John. "Are we not family? The transition from heterosexual marriage to partnering with a woman /." Philadelphia, Pa. : Drexel University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1860/2980.
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Nilsson, Zandra. ""Power Woman" in rural Zambia. Communicating to address and engage problems about charcoal use and child marriage." Thesis, Malmö universitet, Fakulteten för kultur och samhälle (KS), 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-23461.
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A lot has been done in the past years to improve gender equality globally – operationssuch as UN Woman, the Sustainable Development Goals in Agenda 2030 and the workof many international non-governmental organizations. Nonetheless the world is stillfar from being gender equal. As of today, more women than men live in poverty, whichalso makes them more vulnerable to climate change. This degree project exploreswhat and how women in rural Zambia communicate to their community members tochange their behaviors concerning the use of charcoal and to prevent child marriages.Through the lens of communication for development and social change, thetheoretical framework was constructed with gender communication concepts and theDiffusion of Innovations theory. The material was collected during a minor field studyof three weeks in Zambia during March 2020. A qualitative study was conducted withsemi-structured interviews and field observations.The results from this study indicate that all the women communicated throughinterpersonal communication with different emphasis when speaking about childmarriage or charcoal use. When communicating about preventing child marriages, thefocus was mainly on the problems child marriages resulted in, while communicatingabout the options to charcoal the focus was rather on the positive outcomes. Inaddition, the women targeted the whole community when talking about childmarriage, while targeting primarily other women when communicating aboutsubstituting the use of charcoal with lamps and pellet stoves.
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Bertali, Nunzia Di Cristo. "Liverpool, 'the world in the city' : subjective and objective perception evaluations of the integration of woman immigrants in Liverpool, 2001 to 2009." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2011. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/6012/.
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The study focuses on foreign women who have been living in Liverpool from the year 2001. The investigation mainly analyzes the subjective perception of integration and the objective outcome. Literature has neglected, in general, the role of women in migration and in particular the importance of the integration of women, in the host society, for the well being of the whole family. It is often assumed that if the local Authorities adopt policies that respect diversity the immigrants will automatically feel integrated and become a vital part of the wider society. The responses obtained from 100 English women were compared to the ones received from 100 foreigners and 23 respondents who were born in the United Kingdom. The women from the UK: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, were considered as foreigners because people who are born in any of the countries that form part of a Nation State feel strongly about their ethnicity. This research tries to discover whether the perception of the women contacted reflects the objective outcome of the survey that has been conducted with the help of a questionnaire and evaluated by using a purposely created tool. The tool enabled the construction of a table to show the discovered differences. They show that there is a marked difference between the subjective perception and the objective outcome of integration. It is therefore acceptable to speculate that foreign women in Liverpool are integrated in their "diaspora space" but not within the wider society of the city. If the mothers are not integrated is unlikely that their children will be. This condition can, as a first consequence, cause confusion in the children and perhaps lead to their rejection of the local culture and, secondly, prevent any sort of integration that in turn should avert the formation of a cohesive society. Integration in the wider society can only be achieved if the subjects speak the local language. However the learning of English in the country of origin will not encourage the absorption of the culture of the country where the language has originated. Therefore fluency in the host language could be another aspect encouraging the creation of self-segregated communities.
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Hunt, Sheila C. "Listening to women : an ethnography of childbearing women living in poverty." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2001. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/36408/.
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This thesis examines the ways in which childbearing women living in poverty made sense of their lives and experiences. Based in the West Midlands, in an area of urban decay and major inequalities in health, the research focused on the lives of 25 women during their childbirth experience. The theoretical framework is feminist poststructuralism and throughout the study, I recognise that there is no single, unified woman's voice, and no universal solution to the problem of pregnancy and poverty. The thesis examines the different ways in which individual women experience pregnancy and poverty. The research draws on a range of ethnographic methods including interviews and participant observation. The fieldwork was undertaken over a two year period mainly through meetings with women in their own homes but also at the GP surgery and other more public places. The data discussed in the thesis illustrate the private stresses and strains of poverty related to how women cope with pregnancy and the demands of small children. I was especially interested in how childbearing women living in poverty were alike and how they were different. The women who contributed to this study shared a well developed sense of responsibility, doing what was right and putting their children first. They worked hard to be seen as respectable, and balanced the needs of their children with the demands of a life dominated by poverty. I considered the networks of support and the importance of grandmothers in some women's lives. I have considered the changing and varied relationships that women had with the men in their lives and the different ways in which they resolved conflict in their relationships. Some women were determined to go it alone and to rid themselves of the men in their lives. For over half the women in the sample, domestic violence was an everyday reality of their lives and I examined the similarities and differences in their experiences. I have also found evidence of the adverse effect of some midwives' attitudes towards these women. Beliefs based on stereotypes and prejudice meant that women living in poverty sometimes experienced less than adequate care. The thesis concludes by making recommendations for further research and for improving midwifery practice for the benefit of women.
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Lee, Tracey. "Female to male transsexuality : a study of (re)embodiment and identity transformation." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2001. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/3087/.
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This thesis is a qualitative study based in in-depth semi-structured interviews with fourteen female to male transsexuals, concerned with the social and discursive processes through which female to male transsexuals construct their new 'male' gendered social identities and the ways in which their bodies may be seen to impact upon these processes across a variety of personal and social relationships. Chapter One provides an overview and critique of key and competing perspectives concerning the relationships between transsexual subjectivity and embodiment, and the hegemonic discourses/discursive practices of heterosexuality, sex and gender, and medicine. Chapter Two establishes the epistemological and innovative methodological framework of the thesis, moving from the analysis of representations of transsexuality to a sociologically informed analysis. Dealing with issues of experience, voice, power, agency and representation through contemporary work in feminism and the sociology of health and illness, the Chapter adapts the multidisciplinary methodologies and methods of 'narrative analysis' to the study of female to male transsexual identity in social interaction. Chapter Three engages with existing perspectives on written transsexual autobiography within feminist, literary, cultural and transgender theory and, through rigorous and detailed narrative analysis addresses the significance and specificity of 'oral autobiography' where constraints and opportunities for the construction of an 'authentic' transsexual selfhood are produced in a dynamic, interactional context. In Chapter Four personal narratives are examined to extend the issue of transsexual 'authenticity' into the broader area of relationships with parents, siblings, partners, children, friends and work colleagues. It deals with the ways in which past and present knowledge of the interviewees as particularly embodied and gendered individuals by these 'knowing' others impacted upon their recognition and acceptance of them as men. The thesis concludes that taking this analytic approach which moves 'beyond the text' into social and interactional contexts reveals complex negotiations of 'traditional' stories, the significance of others' past knowledge and investments in sexed/gendered embodiment and the interviewees' own active management of their embodied gendered selves which earlier work has overlooked or not fully addressed. Finally it identifies fruitful areas for further research suggested through this study.
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Hatcher, Richard. "Children's lives : a study of children's peer cultures, with special reference to 'race'." Thesis, University of Warwick, 1994. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/104940/.
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This thesis is a study of the cultures of children. Its principal perspective is sociological, though it draws heavily on the substantial body of work on children within the field of psychology. It also engages with work within the field of cultural studies, and in particular studies of youth cultures. The Gramscian perspective which informs much of the work in this area provides a theoretical framework for conceptualising children's cultures as partly autonomous from, but powerfully shaped by, ideologies and structures in the wider society. The study makes special reference to issues of 'race' within children's cultures. A theoretical framework derived mainly from studies of 'race' and youth within the 'cultural studies' tradition provides the context for a critical engagement with work on social identity within the field of social and cognitive psychology. The research on which the study is based was conducted with children in mainly- white primary schools. Most of them were aged 10 and 11. A smaller-scale follow-up study was carried out two years later when the children were at secondary school. The study adopts a qualitative methodology in order to explore the peer relationships and social interaction of children, and the extent and ways in which it may become racialised. Its findings confirm and extend previous research on friendship and conflict in children's cultures. They contribute to an understanding of 'race' in children's lives by identifying the principal forms it takes and situating them within the cognitive and social processes of children's cultures. The distinction between the expressive and instrumental functions of name-calling and other forms of racist behaviour provides the basis for a theorisation of the 'thematic' ideologies of 'race' which embody children's beliefs and the 'interactional ideologies' which govern peer interaction, and the complex relationships between them.
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Dearlove, Josephine Patricia. "Lone or alone? : a qualitative study of lone mothers on low income with reference to support in their everyday lives." Thesis, University of Warwick, 1999. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/36376/.
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The thesis invites women to voice their perceptions and experiences on being lone mothers, in receipt of Income Support and what 'support' means to them in their daily lives as carers of pre-school children. This qualitative study is set against firstly, the backdrop of the increasing numbers of lone mothers and their reliance on income support. Also prevalent was a negative discourse around lone motherhood. Secondly, lone mothers were encountering the consequences of a restructuring of social and welfare policy and practice, with the changing boundaries between public and private responsibilities impacting on their daily lives. Thirdly, within this changing socio-economic and political landscape, both neo-liberal and 'third way' governments identify kinship as the appropriate resource for families in need. The study draws data and analysis from the perceptions and experiences of, initially, thirty-three women in five focus groups and more particularly, from thirtyseven lone mothers on Income Support. The findings of the thesis highlight the qualitative difference between alone and not alone, lone mothers. This key, but previously underresearched distinction, is shown to turn on the quality and consistency of support. It is the degrees of availability or lack of social and material support which is found to be crucial in mediating, moderating or amplifying the aloneness of the lone mother. The research illustrates how this qualitative difference in women's lives cannot be captured within categories of quantitative data. Emphasised is how different forms of support serve as gateways through which other forms of support are accessed. What is argued is that those lacking support may face being multiply disadvantaged and experience cumulative levels of support deprivation which formal support may do little to alleviate. Lastly, while all forms of support are identified as being mutually reinforcing, child-care appears to be particularly pivotal. As a central gateway to accessing other support, it directly enhances well being and the capability to care.
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Yang, Sonam. "Family patterns, attitudes and behaviour in relation to the upbringing of children in South Korea : the social construction of child abuse." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2005. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11976/.
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This study explores the ways in which the Western concept of child abuse is understood by parents and professionals in Korea and how it is applied to Korean society. In order to address this, attention will be focused on parents' and relevant professionals' attitudes and perceptions in relation to child rearing, along with their responses to the problem of child abuse. Qualitative methodologies were used; semi-structured in-depth interviews with 50 participants. The findings suggest that Korean society may be operating on assumptions about child rearing and family life which differ markedly from those in the West. In particular many Korean parents and some of the relevant professionals did not define or understand `child abuse' as their equivalents in the West. Power relationships and familial collectivism seemed to be interwined in creating situations which Western commentators would see as abusive to children. There was recognition that maltreatment existed and needed to be policed but this had not been internalised by all strata of society. Therefore, there was a deep uncertainty and ambivalence towards the concept of child abuse and good child rearing and its implication for child development. Notably, there was a sense of ambivalence about the appropriateness of using physical chastisement. In spite of the majority saying that it was not right, it was still viewed as a permissible or even necessary form of discipline. This suggests that both parents and professionals face considerable confusion and doubt as to whether certain parenting behaviour is abusive. This study concludes that there is a need for a meaningful national consensus as to the best ways of translating legislation into reality. The acceptance of a degree of intervention in family life by the state, programmes of education about child development and what children need to develop healthily, raising awareness of how children are harmed, and the legitimacy of corporal punishment should be addressed through national debate. The main aim has to be to promote the safety and welfare of children. The first essential is to put consideration of the needs and rights of children at the centre of policy and the development of policy and practice should be shaped by this.
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Sweeney, Nicole. "Public attitudes to inheritance in Scotland." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2018. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/30620/.
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This thesis seeks to provide a deeper understanding of public attitudes to inheritance in contemporary Scottish society, with particular regard to perceptions of parental obligation in an era of increased family diversity. The cornerstone of the thesis is an empirical study conducted in 2014 against the backdrop of the Scottish Law Commission’s (SLC) 2009 succession law reform proposals that would seriously curtail children’s inheritance rights. The thesis begins by contextualising the empirical study. It explains the current law of succession as it relates to provision for adult partners and children and examines the SLC’s proposed reforms. It argues that the SLC’s proposals to further bolster the spouse’s position at the expense of the deceased’s children are not supported by public opinion. Through analysis of a range of other empirical studies it demonstrates that public opinion supports continued recognition of children in succession law, particularly in reconstituted families. The second part of the thesis explains how the empirical study was planned and executed before detailing the methodological approach used to analyse the data. Having established the methodological framework, the thesis then discusses the key research findings, focusing primarily on the parent-child relationship. Firstly, it explores the obligations parents are considered to owe their children, addressing how these obligations can be reconciled with conceptions of testamentary freedom. Secondly, it examines whether parental duty is viewed differently when the deceased’s surviving spouse is not his children’s other parent and, thirdly, it asks what duty, if any, the deceased owes his stepchildren. While the parent-child relationship is the main focus of this thesis, the SLC also proposed reforms to the inheritance entitlements of half-siblings and these proposals are examined in the context of broader discussion on reconstituted families. The thesis concludes by arguing that, while the SLC rightly identifies social change as a ground for law reform, its proposed reforms fail to adequately reflect social norms in the context of the parent-child relationship. This is because the proposed reforms do not correspond to the societal changes identified: whereas the SLC acknowledges the rise in the number of reconstituted families, the reforms do not adequately consider how these families can be better served by succession law. Instead, confronted with increased family diversity, the SLC opts for simplicity, privileging the spouse ahead of all others regardless of the effect this will have on children in reconstituted families.
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Maphalle, Kagiso Annette. "Succession in woman-to-women marriages under customary law: a study of the Lobedu Kingdom." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26908.
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This study looks into the ways in which official customary law addresses succession complexities and legitimacy in woman-to-woman marriages. The social, political, cultural and legal background against which these marriages are concluded show the history of succession in woman-to-woman marriages and the position of women and children. The thesis highlights provisions of customary succession laws legislators sought to redress through the Reform of Customary Law of Succession and Related Matters Act 11 of 2009 and the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act 120 of 1998, which affect widowed spouses and certain children in customary marriages. The study uses literature review, case analysis and interviews to investigate the operation and legitimacy of woman-to-woman marriages, the benefits or harmful effects thereof, the background, context and history of the customary law of succession and acceptance of children in Bolobedu, and the application of living customary law. The study finds that woman-to-woman marriages are legitimate customary marriages under Lobedu customary law. It also finds that customary succession laws in such marriages have traces of patriarchy, although the community is under a matriarchal system of governance. It finds that the rule of male primogeniture is still applicable, and that women do not have a right to inherit from their deceased parents except at the discretion of the male heir. It finds that the acceptance of children in woman-to-woman marriages includes the performance of ceremonies symbolising the female husband's acceptance, and the child's use of her surname. It further finds that the application of official customary laws in Bolobedu is negligible, with the living customary law being the applicable law for all succession disputes. A further finding is the general lack of knowledge and understanding of succession rights under official customary laws by the community and their traditional leaders, who are aware only of provisions of the Lobedu living customary law which they readily provide. The study concludes that the legislators, judiciary and policy makers' lack of knowledge and understanding of woman-to-woman marriages and its accompanying succession laws inhibits and limits the adequacy of official customary law to regulate succession complexities. Rural communities' perceptions of their rights and knowledge of customary laws of succession, the practicality of provisions of official customary laws of succession, and their relatability to lived realities of rural communities further add to the inadequacy of official customary law.
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O'Sullivan, Sheila M. "An exploration of how childlessness and the decision whether to parent is understood by psychoanalytic practitioners." Thesis, University of Essex, 2016. http://repository.essex.ac.uk/18874/.
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Voluntary childlessness (VC) is a growing phenomenon in the 21st Century in western societies with the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in 2013 showing that one-fifth of women are childless at the age of 45. Sociological literature highlights how VC is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon and is often difficult to define. However, since its inception, psychoanalysis has made an inextricable link between femininity and motherhood thus psychoanalytic theory views motherhood as normative and it is often seen as a developmental stage. This thesis explores how psychoanalytic practitioners understand, conceptualise and respond to VC in the clinical setting. Four psychoanalytical practitioners were interviewed and three main themes arose as a result of the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of the data collected. The first finding highlighted the biopsychosocial pressures that the participants felt their patients experienced. Some participants spoke of the professional pressure they experienced from within the psychoanalytic field as a result of the theory that links motherhood and femininity. The second finding highlighted the ethical dilemmas faced by some patients with regards to whether to become a mother, such as a VC choice might be the result of difficult childhoods, immaturity, or because their mental health issues precluded them from motherhood or they feared motherhood might induce mental illness. The final finding highlighted that working with childless patients was both complex and conflictual. The practitioners discussed both their personal professional responses to childlessness in general. This research is important for highlighting how psychoanalytical practitioners are influenced by the competing discourses in society surrounding motherhood. Finally, the thesis critically evaluates the research, makes suggestions for future enquiries and reflects on the clinical implications of the findings.
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Greenwood, Sharon Margaret. ""I try hard not to blame my dad" : a sociological interpretation of the 'problem' with parental problem substance use." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2018. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/30923/.
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Research conducted over the past twenty years has demonstrated the impact of parental ‘problem’ substance use on the lives of young adults (Velleman & Orford, 1999; Bancroft et al, 2004; Järvinen, 2013). Despite this increased awareness, public policies continue to exclude this group. This research sought to explore the ‘problem’ with parental substance use from the perspective of affected young adults (aged 16 – 30). Additionally, this research sought to contribute a contemporary, sociological interpretation of the problem to a field dominated by psychological literature. This research was undertaken from a feminist perspective, and involved a wide range of research methods: minimally structured interviews, participant observation, visual methods, and qualitative secondary data analysis. The accounts derived from these sources are complemented through the inclusion of autoethnographic, reflexive vignettes, where I situate myself – as someone with lived experience – in relation to the literature, the process of conducting research, and the data. The data chapters presented respond to three key research questions. The first considers how young adults use different approaches and engage with dominant theoretical approaches to engage in processes of ‘making sense’ of parental substance use. Following this, Ketokivi’s (2010) perspective of ‘disruptive events’ – as based on Bury’s (1982) influential theory of ‘biographical disruption’ – is utilised as a route to considering the disruptive force of parental substance use in the lives of affected young adults. Finally, the last data chapter employs Emerson’s (2015) ‘personal troubles’ framework, in conjunction with the concept of ‘candidacy’ (Dixon-Woods et al, 2006; Mackenzie et al, 2015) to consider how young people respond and react to the ‘problem’. In conclusion, this thesis argues for adopting a relational interpretation of the ‘problem’ of parental substance use. Furthermore, this research presents a strong case for considering the ways in which disciplinary and methodological boundaries are blurred. This research contributes to contemporary debates in wider bodies of work within the sociologies of substance use, youth, families, relationships, and intimacy. It concludes by making recommendations for the development of policy and practice, and highlighting potential avenues for further research.
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Evans, Amber. "Parents' responses to their child's diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2010. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/172757/.
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Although a significant amount of research has reported the level of parental satisfaction with the disclosure of a diagnosis, little has documented their emotional responses after the diagnosis, their perceptions of the future, and the potential impact this has on the uptake of evidence based early interventions. The aim of this study was therefore to explore parents’ responses to their child’s diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in order to contribute to a greater understanding of parental experiences, to inform future practice and to help shape effective support services and intervention packages. Using a semi-structured format, 15 parents were interviewed about receiving a diagnosis of ASD for their child in order to obtain detailed first person accounts of their experiences. The data were analysed using a thematic analysis. Five main themes were identified. These were; (1) Positive response to a diagnosis; (2) Negative response to a diagnosis; (3) Perceptions of the future; (4) Factors possibly facilitating engagement with professional services; and (5) Factors possibly preventing engagement with professional services. The implications of these findings for professionals involved in the diagnostic process and support services are discussed. Suggestions for future research based on the findings and limitations of this study are also identified.
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Clay, Sarah R. "Childhood resilience in relation to the physical and mental health of the family." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2011. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/49286/.
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The thesis comprises three papers; a literature review, an empirical paper, and a reflective paper. The first is a critical review of studies of interventions aimed at preventing depression among children of parents with depression. Much research evidences the potential negative impact on this young population, and therefore researchers have begun to use family, cognitivebehavioural, and parenting interventions, to try to prevent the onset of depression in these children, instead bolstering resilience. The review finds that although the research is relatively new, there are promising signs that all of these types of interventions may help in some way towards preventing the transmission of depression from parent to child, but further research is needed to determine the validity and duration of these effects. The empirical paper presents a study of resilience in children who have a sibling with diabetes, as compared to a control group. It was found that when controlling for covariates of self-esteem and family functioning, resilience levels were the same for both groups. Previous research has focussed on the potential negative impact on siblings of children with health or learning difficulties, but this research suggests that this population may also be as resilient as their peers whose siblings do not have such difficulties. The final chapter discusses reflections on the research process, and areas of personal and professional learning and development that have arisen as a result.
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Farquhar, Sarah. "Self-compassion and mindfulness and their relationship to mental health in older people." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2012. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/51633/.
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The western world has a rapidly aging population. Depression and anxiety in combination with physical health problems are common and approaches are required to help people successfully negotiate the challenges of aging. This volume explores the contribution made by the concepts of self-compassion and mindfulness, considering the role they may play in helping us understand vulnerability to later life mental health problems and in psychological interventions for older people. Chapter I provides a critique of the research on mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) with older people, considering their acceptability, accessibility and usefulness. The reviewed literature comprises a small evidence-base, with many methodological weaknesses. However, it suggests MBI’s show promise in terms of effectiveness and accessibility as psychological approaches for older people. Directions for future research are discussed. Chapter II describes an empirical investigation into the relationships between self-compassion, and depression and anxiety in older people, comparing clinical and community samples. Levels of self-compassion were found to be lower in the clinical sample and associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety. The component aspects of self-compassion were also considered separately and the research is discussed in the context of the growing evidence-base. Implications for mental health service provision and future research are considered. Chapter III presents the author’s reflections on her own and participants’ reactions to the concept of self-compassion. This includes consideration of the influence of cultural and cohort factors.
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McFarlane, Hazel. "Disabled women and socio-spatial 'barriers' to motherhood." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2004. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/1289/.
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Disabled women’s social history of institutionalisation and spatial segregation has, over time and space, set them apart from mainstream society and rendered them invisible in the spaces and places of everyday life. In more contemporary times, when disabled women ‘invade’ reproductive spaces, their presence as prospective parents, ‘becoming mothers’ or mothers, is often regarded as ‘out of place’. This study hence incorporates a historical review that traces the spatial realities of disabled women’s and girl’s lives between 1796-1910 in Glasgow and Edinburgh. This reveals the development of social stereotypes and misunderstandings of disabled women’s lives and bodies, particularly their assumed asexuality and inappropriateness for undertaking reproductive or mothering roles. Disabled women’s ‘voices’ are to the fore in the contemporary chapters of the thesis, reflecting the reproductive and non-reproductive experiences of 27 disabled women resident in the Glasgow and Edinburgh areas. These narratives offer an insight into the embodied experiences of ‘disability’ in private and public space. Being placed sexually ‘off limits’, and rendered ‘out of place’ in and by reproductive or mothering environments, constitute some of the social and spatial barriers to motherhood encountered by disabled women. It is hoped that this study contributes to the process of recovering the forgotten histories and neglected experiences of disabled women, particularly in terms of their social exclusion, infantilisation and desexualisation that have reduced disabled women’s participation in child-rearing and motherhood across time and space. The chronological framework of this study reveals slow but positive changes in social attitudes towards disabled women expressing reproductive choices, raising children and creating a ‘place’ for themselves as mothers in contemporary society.
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Walker, Moira M. S. "Critical times : a critical realist approach to understanding services for looked after children and young people." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2004. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/1549/.
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The PhD submission centres primarily on the book Testing the Limits of Foster Care, which reports on a piece of applied social work research, and the paper Critical Times: a critical realist approach to understanding services for looked after children which examines key theoretical issues relevant to the study. Two other book chapters ‘Changing Perceptions of Children and Childhood’ and ‘Risk and Opportunity in Leaving Care’ are included as supplementary examples of the applicant’s work. In common with Testing the Limits of Foster Care, these seek to understand aspects of child welfare practice in light of wider changes in society and social policy and so are consistent with a critical realist perspective. The study reported in the book Testing the Limits of Foster Care was an evaluation of a foster care project set up to provide an alternative to secure accommodation (Community Alternative Placement Scheme). The research was concerned with how the scheme developed, the nature of the service and its capacity to help young people have good experiences and outcomes. Its purpose was to assess the potential and limitations of this form of care provision. The book outlines the development of the service, and the needs, experiences and outcomes for the first twenty young people placed within the scheme. These are compared with similar young people placed in secure accommodation during the same period. In most respects outcomes were similar for both samples. However outcomes were not viewed as directly resulting from one particular placement, but rather influenced by a host of considerations relating to the young person’s own circumstances and nature of services offered. Foster care and secure accommodation offered young people a very different kind of experience, whilst access to other services such as education and support to independent living were equally important in determining how they fared.
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Donelly, Bowrin Eva. "'I want to be somebody' : identities of primary school leavers on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2012. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/50046/.
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The research reported in this thesis is an investigation of identities of primary school leavers (10-13 years old) residing on the Caribbean territory, St. Kitts. Through two main phases and a pilot of an ethnography conducted intermittently between 2008 and 2011, I explored volunteer-participants' individual and collective identities. In particular, I explored their aspirations for the future and everyday living, the influences they perceive, and conceptualizations of and aspirations for the Caribbean. The aim was to gain insights into their understanding of Caribbean, thus, illuminating Caribbean-identity; two terms fuelling debates in the Social Science literature alleging a Caribbean-identity crisis. One of the main innovations of the design was my partnership with a group of primary school leavers who were trained to help as co-researchers to collaboratively generate and partially analyse data. The findings suggest participants have very positive perceptions of themselves as individuals; however, their identities seem more localized. They generally aspire to migrate, especially to America, to achieve success, and their conceptions of Caribbean vary greatly and seem uncertain while their overarching-aspiration for their island and region is for them to become "better" places socially, economically, politically, culturally, and environmentally. In part, this main finding conflicts with the idea of an identity-crisis on an individual-level, but supports ideas of a lack of a resolute sense of self on a regional-collective level for participants. Equally important, participants report many positive impacts resulting from their involvement. For some, the process contributed clarity about self and aspirations, and for others, it helped with not only a clearer-perspective, but also the development of life-skills.
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Shimada, Akiko S. "Representations of girls in Japanese Magical Girl TV animation programmes from 1966 to 2003 and Japanese female audiences' understanding of them." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2011. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/51536/.
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As a Japanese cultural genre, animated works for girls serve as sociocultural texts which articulate hegemonic social norms and ideologies regarding gender in Japanese society. This thesis aims to critically examine representations of 'magical girl' protagonists in Jpanese Magical Girl TV animation programmes (anime) for girls from 1966 to 2003, and to analyse female audiences' viewing experiences and understanding of those programmes in relation to the context of sociocultural and feminist movements in Japan. By using a combined methodology of close textual analysis of six Magical Girl TV anime and of qualitative research, in which individual interviews with female audiences and a focus group discussion among girl audiences were conducted, this thesis explores how representations of Western-oriented witches and witchcraft in the Magical Girl TV anime facilitated constructions of female gender identity and idealised 'self' and how actual female audiences in three different age cohorts understood, took pleasure in, consumed, negotiated, resonated with and/or reconciled with those representations. Although Japanese witch animation texts articulated Japanese normative moral values and hegemonic femininity as well as ideal gender equality, they served as sites in which female audiences took pleasure in constructing an ideal 'self' and self-assertion through negotiating, resonating and reconciling with Western-oriented fashionable female protagonists and their lifestyle, and attaining self-expression through 'textual poaching' or exercising imagined magical transformations in an all-female or solitary environment. This thesis attempts to contribute to uncovering little-explored but important Japanese cultural texts of Magical Girl TV anime and explicate the way in which actual Japanese audiences responded to this gender-segregated genre of Japanese TV anime.
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Martens, Lydia. "A comparative study of the gender composition of work forces in Britain and the Netherlands, 1940-1990 : with special reference to banking." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 1994. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/2511/.
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The question which formed the starting point of this research, and which has provided the central thread in this work is 'how can the later integration of Dutch women into the formal economy, compared to British women, in the period between 1940 and 1990, be explained?' This study looks at this question from (1) a macro perspective and (2) from the perspective of a middle-range case-study in the banking sector. In the macro perspective, theoretical discussions on how the post-war increase in women's participation in the labour market may be explained, and how comparative differences between industrialised countries in this respect may be explained, are brought forward. This provides the basis for a comparative historical investigation in which three historical periods are highlighted; the Second World War years, the post-war years (1945-1970) and the contemporary period (1970-1990). Particular reference is made to such issues as the marriage bar in employment and changes in ideological notions around women's paid employment. Changes in the gender composition of bank staff, and comparative differences in these changes, are investigated in their own right. This is done within the context of the same historical periods, though different theoretical considerations are taken into account. This case-study is in turn used to contrast what is occurring on the aggregate level with the banking sector. This highlights (1) the culturally specific histories of each society in relation to the themes investigated and (2) the particularity of the banking sectors in each society and their employment organisation.
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Busby, Nicole Ellen. "Access to employment and career progression for women in the European labour market." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2006. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/3749/.
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The growing complexity in working arrangements has made it difficult to target employment legislation effectively. Utilisation of the existing provisions of Community law requires a reorientation of the traditional conceptualisation of gender relations. This is possible through the application of broad principles, as provided for by the Treaty and the general scheme of Community law, to specific circumstances. The Court of Justice occupies a unique institutional position in this respect as the only authority capable of undertaking such a task coherently and consistently. This thesis considers the Court’s reasoning in a group of cases concerning the right to equal treatment of women workers classified as ‘atypical’ on account of their working arrangements. The purpose of the thesis is to uncover the extent to which the Court’s adjudications on cases referred under the Article 234 procedure can be characterised as having a common output amounting to an identifiable jurisprudence on gender relations. In order to accomplish this task, a systematic analysis of a range of cases conforming to certain specified criteria is undertaken through which the Court’s application of certain key principles is examined. The findings reveal inconsistencies in terms of the Court’s theoretical dogma and its conceptualisation of the basic tenets of equality which are not discernible from an assessment of its judgements alone. It is concluded that a reassessment of the relative positions and roles of women and men within contemporary society is required in order to enable a more effective application of the law in this respect, starting with the standardisation of ‘atypical’ working arrangements.
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Perryer, Elizabeth. "What can be learnt about power relations in family therapy to reduce power differences in the therapeutic relationship?, and, Curious about curiosity in family therapy." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2011. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/3210/.
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Volume I contains a literature review paper and an empirical paper. The literature review examines the family therapy literature that explores power in the therapeutic relationship. It is argued that therapists have elevated influence and status compared with clients. The conceptual understanding of power is elicited from the literature, alongside the clinical implications for clinical practice for reducing power differences in the therapeutic relationship. Creative ideas from the literature are proposed to promote a more egalitarian relationship in therapy, but empirical research is required to support claims and develop concepts. The empirical paper is a qualitative study that implemented Foucauldian Discourse Analysis and Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR). Therapists were interviewed about curiosity, a key principle in family therapy, to learn about how they constructed it, to contribute to the limited evidence base. Findings highlighted how curiosity was understood in context of patterns of discourse related to a commitment to the systemic model. Further discourses constructed curiosity in relation to skill and as a natural personal quality. Clinical implications are discussed. The IPR process appeared to provide insight into the clinical practice of participating therapists, suggesting that it could be used as an effective supervision tool. Volume II is the clinical component of the thesis, consisting of five clinical practice reports (CPRs). They summarise and evaluate my clinical work that took place during placements through the three year course.
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Anderton, Marja Arendina Louise. "The power to destroy false images : eight British women writers and society 1945-1968." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 1994. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4409/.
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This dissertation aims to oppose the assumption underlying many studies that the immediate post-war period was a `silent' time in which there were no signs that women were not generally content to follow the ideal of femininity, and that the feminist movement started suddenly in 1968. This thesis focuses on the dissenting voices which could be heard both in society and literature before 1968. Part I deals with the position of women in society between 1945 and 1968. It concentrates particularly on women at work and in the family. The fact that more married women than ever before entered the labour market after World War II contradicts the idea that British women in the '50s were mostly housewives. Furthermore, in spite of the apparent coming into existence of the so-called `affluent society', women had many reasons to feel dissatisfied. Women were mainly found in low-status and low-paid jobs, and in the family women had very little power, especially sexually and financially. This part of the thesis also deals with women in society who were expressing the discontent they felt. First of all, there were middle-class journalists (e.g. Stott) and sociologists (e.g. Gavron, Klein) who were registering women's dissatisfaction in their publications. Secondly, an outlet for grievances for women was formed by The Guardian's women's page (especially the letters section) which discussed many controversial issues. Part II deals with another group of middle-class women who turned to the problematic position of women in society in their publications, eight British women novelists who started writing in this period. This part discusses the lives of Doris Lessing, Iris Murdoch, Muriel Spark, Penelope Mortimer, A.S. Byatt, Margaret Drabble, Edna O'Brien and Beryl Bainbridge, with particular reference to their emergence as writers. The biographical section refers to interviews as well as to letters to the author. The final part of the dissertation discusses several novels by each writer. There are three main themes which recur again and again in these novels, the search for an identity (a female form of the Bildungsroman is very popular), the restrictive influence of the family on the heroines, and the importance of work for the self-esteem of many of the female characters.
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Lord, Natasha Dawn. "The continued impact of young onset dementia on dependent children as they make the transition into adulthood : a follow up study to Allen, Oyebode and Allen (2009)." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2010. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/3558/.
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Volume I comprises the research component and includes the Empirical Paper, Literature Review and Public Domain Paper. The literature review considers what is already known about how individuals respond to loss over the dementia journey including death. The quality of the papers is assessed and remarked upon. The Empirical Paper is a continuation study of young people’s experiences of having a father with young onset dementia. A Grounded Theory model of their experiences over the illness journey is presented. The Public Domain Paper gives a brief overview of the empirical paper and the literature review. Volume II comprises the clinical component. Five Clinical Practice Reports are included. The first paper presents a Systemic and Cognitive Behavioural formulation of a female with learning disabilities who was experiencing low self-esteem. The second report is a service evaluation which explored carer’s perceptions of the quality of a local residential unit which they accessed. Quality was compared with national standards for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Recommendations for change and improvement were given. The third paper is a case study detailing the assessment, formulation, intervention and evaluation of a young male who was experiencing low self-esteem. A single case study is the fourth paper and outlines an innovative attachment based approach to addressing separation distress in an older adult housed on a continuing needs ward for dementia. The final report is an abstract for a presentation of a four year old girl who was referred for hair pulling behaviour.
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Kahn, Kristian Thomas. "The boy figure and male same-sex desire in Britain from Walter Pater to E.M. Forster." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2009. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/3744/.
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Devine, Lauren. "Policing parents : a deconstructive examination of schematic state interference into private life with special reference to assessment of families deriving from the state's duty to 'safeguard' children under the provisions of the Children Acts 1989 and 2004." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2012. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/3915/.
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The relationship between the state and citizens can give rise to legal and moral tension when the state interferes into private life in order to fulfil its statutory duties. An important statutory area where the state has such powers occurs in the Children Acts 1989 and 2004. These Acts inter alia confer powers on local authorities to undertake surveillance and assessment of private family life in order to identify and assess children who may be ‘in need’ of services, ‘at risk’, or suffering significant harm. The thesis argues that these powers enable the state to police private family life in order to ensure parents' compliance with prevailing child welfare ideology. Child welfare discourse dominates and mediated debate over the measures used by local authorities to police parents, claiming these state powers are necessary to protect children from harm. The thesis challenges these claims. The justification for 'child protection' and 'safeguarding' is critically examined from post-modem theoretical, statistical and doctrinal law perspectives. Areas of imbalance in current law and practice are identified and these are linked in the conclusion to focus upon the fundamental flaws in the current position. This offers the possibility of more integrated debate that challenges the orthodoxy and suggests fundamental revision of the current policy.
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Bayer, Penny. "Women's alchemical literature 1560-1616 in Italy, France, the Swiss Cantons and England, and its diffusion to 1660." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2003. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/71980/.
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This thesis seeks to show that there were alchemical writings associated with women from Italy, France, the Swiss Cantons and England which originated in the period 1560 to 1616, and that these writings were read, translated, circulated, and referred to, at least up to 1660. The main evidence is provided by case studies: a printed book of secrets by Isabella Cortese (Venice, 1561); a sequence of late sixteenth and early seventeenth century manuscripts associated with Madame de la Martinville and Quercitan’s daughter (Jeanne du Port); and material, including an alchemical receipt book, associated with Lady Margaret Clifford (1560-1616). Supporting evidence suggests these women represent a wider participation of women in philosophical and practical alchemy, and adds to the evidence for evaluating women's participation in early modern philosophy and science. Women apparently read and wrote about alchemy, and assisted its diffusion through their work as editors, compilers, translators and patrons. The thesis compares writings from different genres and languages, and addresses issues such as the problem of defining alchemy, complexities of textual interpretation, and the difficulty of ascertaining women’s authorship or symbolic representation. Through a comparative process, the thesis discusses possible reasons for representations of women's alchemical practice based in key cultural themes: Paracelsian ideas, ambiguous readings of texts, women’s education, spiritual practice and household work, and their liaison with male experts and European networks. The underlying association of the alchemical metaphor of knowledge, that the material world could be returned to a perfected heavenly state, is interpreted with varying sophistication. The thesis considers how these women accommodated gender to alchemical philosophy. It suggests that there was scope for ambiguous interpretation, both of alchemical texts and of shared injunctions for early modern women and medieval alchemist monks to be silent, chaste, and obedient. Women may have used alchemy as an area in which to resist passivity and demonstrate their agency.
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Crites, Rebecca. "Husbands' violence against wives in England and Wales, 1914-1939 : a review of contemporary understandings of, and responses to, men's marital violence." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2016. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/91219/.
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The period 1914-1939 ushered in a variety of social, cultural, economic and political changes, and it is possible to see the influences of these within the intimate relationships of the family. To date the historiography of the family in interwar Britain has largely neglected the issue of violence against wives, and so this thesis aims to contribute to this discourse. It will consider the cultures and social structures that both enabled and challenged husbands’ intimate violence in the shadow of the First World War. This thesis will survey the everyday experiences of people within abusive relationships, and explore the understandings of and responses to this issue among the judiciary and magistracy, news media, medical professions, and those groups who sought to reform marriage. Exploring the liminality of violence within the home, this study will show how contemporary evaluations of marital violence were influenced by the common prioritization of marriage and patriarchal authority above the safety of wives and the criminalization of husbands. It will go on to argue that, even as increasing numbers of couples separated and divorced, the legacy of war exacerbated many of the issues that enabled husbands’ violence against wives. It bolstered the link between social stability and traditional gender roles, encouraged the conditions within relationships that contributed to the expression of domestic abuse, and fostered a disinclination to question the morality of violent veteran husbands. It will conclude that without the discursive capacity nor widespread inclination to challenge the social and cultural circumstances that enabled violence against wives, wife battery remained an insufficiently problematized issue throughout the period examined.
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Curcic, Nevena. "Exploring a ‘soft’ mode of governance : how advertising relates women to ‘modest’ power." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2009. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/392/.
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This thesis explores advertising as a ‘soft’ mode of governance understood in terms of a form of power which avoids instruments of coercion, involving instead certain practices of freedom and forms of pleasure. The main concern of the thesis is to analyse the mechanisms through which techniques of such ‘modest’ power interact with techniques of representation in order to define forms of femininity and shape self-fashioning practices of female consumers. The study is based on a comprehensive survey of a sample of television advertisements broadcast in Britain on three television channels with national coverage in May 2001 as well as on the analysis of a selected body of advertising trade literature. It draws on theoretical and methodological approaches from social anthropology and various strands of cultural studies. The thesis reveals that the way advertising attempts to influence consumers is in line with some aspects of neo-liberal style of governance. It argues that such a mode of governance seeks to regulate women’s ethical sensibilities by outlining the space of desire, power and pleasure, by stimulating the will for self-improvement and by providing advice about how women should think of and shape themselves.
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Easter, Linda M. "Examining the semantic content of language used by premarital couples to communicate marital expectations." Instructions for remote access. Click here to access this electronic resource. Access available to Kutztown University faculty, staff, and students only, 1998. http://www.kutztown.edu/library/services/remote_access.asp.
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Ola, Bolanle. "Interfacing anthropology with epidemiology to extend understanding of caring for sick children in rural North Central Nigeria." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2010. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/35743/.
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This thesis addresses how mothers and caregivers take care of sick children in rural north central Nigeria combining secondary analysis of the Nigerian Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) and ethnographic fieldwork in a village in a rural area. Theoretically, the thesis draws on concepts from epidemiology and anthropology in order to analyze and extend understanding of plural health seeking behaviour in a socially disadvantaged setting Methods: Rapid ethnographic assessment of mothers and caregivers in rural village in north central Nigeria was carried out using focus group discussions, household interviews and non participant observation over eight months. Findings: The NDHS analysis showed a social gradient generated by different level exposure to socially patterned risk and protective factors overtime in relation to illness, nutrition and living conditions. These mothers and caregivers were constrained by materialistic and neo materialistic factors shaping their circumstances within their daily lives and within Nigerian society – an example of structural violence. They express human agency in their decisions concerning caring for their children in a way that is shaped by cultural behavioural understandings of social and medical diagnostics of health and illness which is manifested in plural health seeking behaviour.
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Fritz, Horzella Heidi. "Everyday feminist subjectivities : schoolteachers' micro resistance and (counter) narratives to patriarchy." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2017. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/109193/.
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This thesis traces how feminist subjectivities are shaped, formed and lived through a focus on English schoolteachers from postwar (1945-1979) and neoliberal (1980-2015) generations. The data is located in British society at a time of resurgence in feminist activism which is also simultaneously a period of ‘postfeminist sensibilities’ combined with the pervasiveness of neoliberal rationalities. In this contradictory scenario, and using a feminist approach and qualitative methods, this research is based on fifteen life story interviews that include five further in depth thematic interviews which have been thematically analysed. The core arguments of this thesis are located in a feminist poststructuralist framework. This approach highlights the fluidity of selfhood shaped by experiences, relationality and language. Subjectivity within poststructuralism is understood as neither completely free nor absolutely determined and power relations are not only limiting but also become productive in forming the subjectivities. Accordingly, this thesis explores how feminist subjectivities are constructed and shaped in multiple ways. In particular, the feminist schoolteachers in this thesis narrated the emergence of early forms of ‘protofeminism’ located in an unarticulated sense of injustice. They spoke of the influence of ‘significant women’ and the bonds of ‘imagined sisterhood’ as enabling a more fully developed awareness of gender injustice. They also talked of their practices to support gender justice, mostly non oppositional in form or as micro resistances to patriarchal practices. All these, I argue, are experiential resources for these women to draw upon in order to enable them to form alternative and counter narratives to patriarchal discourses, and thus construct feminist subjectivities and live feminist lives to resist patriarchal regimes in neoliberal times.
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Iberni, Elisabetta. "Psychosocial dimensions of change : an application of attachment theory and analytical psychology to family life in post-war Kosovo." Thesis, University of Essex, 2017. http://repository.essex.ac.uk/20026/.
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This empirical study attempted to develop an original theoretical framework aiming at understanding the psychosocial changes that occurred in the long - term among families living in a post conflict setting. During the last fifteen years, Kosovo has been transitioning from warfare and organized violence to stabilization and state building under the supervision and with the support of the international community. Drawing on different contributions from analytical psychology, attachment theory and the systemic family theory , the theoretical framework focused primarily on family relationships and observed them through both a psychological and a psychosocial perspective. The empirical study attempted to observe the complex relational matrix interconnecting individuals and families with their broader context encompassing societal, economic, cultural and political facets. A total of thirty-five families belonging to different ethnic and socio-economic groups participated in the study, originating from different areas of the region . They were exposed to war events with different intensity and to gross violations of human rights that occurred between the years 1998-1999. The research explored the process of psychological and psychosocial transformation that occurred in family life by focusing on the quality of family attachment behaviours between children and caregivers and on care - giving/parenting styles. Moreover, the impact of the process of 'internationalization' was taken into account, which has been defined as the whole of the interactions involving the local population and international community, taking place both in Kosovo as well as in third countries. The role of technology and social media in providing opportunities for regular contacts with relatives and friends living abroad and strengthening further family relationships was also considered. The results showed that when families were exposed to harsh daily stressors, marginalization and discrimination even before war-related events they were more likely to display limited family psychosocial functioning, inadequate parenting and caregiving and mothers to report more frequently psychopathological symptoms of depression and anxiety. Secondly, attachment security within family and responsive parenting styles appeared to have a mediational role towards potentially traumatic experiences and adverse environmental conditions by enhancing the capacity of positively coping with adversities at both a personal and family level. Thirdly , the long-term effects of war experiences seemed to be also linked to changes in the society, in particular to the transformations caused by the process of 'internationalization', such as the promotion of a human rights based culture, law enforcement and infrastructural interventions aiming at developing communication systems and information technology. The study discusses the potential factors supporting lasting resilience and the Adversity Activated Development responses in individuals and families.
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Minks, Adrian Robert. "What approaches do fathers use to promote emotion socialisation in their children?" Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2017. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7823/.
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Despite the growing evidence of the significant role of fathers in the emotion socialisation (ES) process, their ‘voice’ is scarce within the literature, leading to a dominant discourse surrounding maternal ES practices. ES occurs directly and indirectly with significant ‘scaffolding’ provided by parents, therefore emotion management is heavily socialised. Two ES practices aid or restrict children’s emotional self-regulation. Emotion coaching (EC) parents tend to use expression of emotion as opportunities for learning and development. Emotion dismissing (ED) parents are uncomfortable with negative emotions, so may dismiss, or use punitive responses. Fathers are thought to be shaped by socio-cultural norms and gender biases, therefore emotions may be socialised differentially, according to child gender and the type of emotion being displayed. An exploratory study of five fathers from a local authority in the East of England involved them responding to resource measures employing a combination of spoken and film scenarios reflecting negative emotions of sadness or anger in children. Transcribed data indicated that a number of positive ES approaches were being used. Future large-scale research with fathers from a broad demographic would strengthen the knowledge-base, perhaps also including partner and child opinions. There is a view that research regarding children’s emotional development should be considered incomplete, if data from fathers is not included.
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Persadie, Natalie Renée Beulah. "A critical analysis of the efficacy of law as a tool to achieve gender equality and to address the problem of domestic violence : The case of Trinidad and Tobago." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2008. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/167/.
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Law is often perceived as an instrument that can effect social change. National law in Trinidad and Tobago, prima facie providing for gender equality, does not fully contemplate issues of particular concern to women, such as domestic violence. Gender equality and domestic violence are unwitting partners as women cannot achieve the former without first addressing the latter. Additionally, problems such as male dominance in politico-legal structures and lack of political will create practical obstacles to the realisation of gender equality and/or the full potential of the law. A case study of Trinidad and Tobago shows that the achievement of legal advances for women is particularly difficult where practical measures are not implemented domestically. Honouring international commitments subsequently becomes problematic as they do not guarantee change nationally and they, too, are sidelined. Gender equality and domestic violence are not given priority domestically and laws aimed towards protecting women and women’s rights are ineffective, scant and/or not enforced. The only way to achieve gender equality is through a multilevel approach from above (the UN) and, perhaps, more importantly, from below, as women have the potential to effect real national and international legal and institutional change to ensure gender equality at both levels.
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Harrison, Victoria Louise. "Face to face with the enemy : the reactions of young girls and young women to the Nazi occupation of France." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2012. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/3808/.
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This study focuses on the experiences of young girls, who were aged between four and twenty-one when the Occupation began, growing up in Occupied France during World War II. Although youth and gender have been researched independently, this has been in terms of the policies that were implemented by the Vichy regime. Similarly studies on public opinion focus on the population as a whole rather than on a specific category of people. Using archival documents and published testimonies, my research explores the complexities surrounding the formation of opinions towards the Germans in young girls’ minds and how these opinions reflect their age and gender. An important factor in this interplay is that the Germans were often not much older than these young girls so in peacetime the two would have belonged to similar peer groups. In contrast to adults who could make conscious decisions about how to behave towards the enemy, young girls tended to react more naturally and instinctively. The thesis therefore argues that their accounts provide a deeper and more nuanced insight into public opinion at this time.
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Malici, Luca. "Watching queer television : a case study of the representation, circulation and reception of sexual dissidence on Italian mainstream TV from 1990 to 2012." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2015. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/5725/.
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This thesis explores the increasing representation of sexual dissidence on contemporary Italian mainstream television from 1990 to 2012. It argues that TV programming and regulations have been historically influenced by notions of an ideal family audience assumed to be traditionally nuclear, patriarchal, heterosexual and normative. The visual representation of sexuality in the media has been the subject of considerable international debate which has problematised the historical invisibilisation and misrepresentation of sexual dissidents, particularly in film and with an almost exclusive methodological emphasis on Anglophone texts. Less attention has been given to more integrated and empirical approaches to the representation, circulation and reception of dissident sexualities on TV. This study combines historical examinations of sexual portrayals on Italian television with two online ethnographies targeting non-heterosexual and heterosexually-identified respondents, discursively analysing whether and how these samples of viewers have engaged with this increasing TV visibility. The majority of participants seem interested in these portrayals and disagree with restrictive decision-making by networks. Nonetheless, a considerable portion of respondents appears to be problematically influenced not so much by the content of programmes as by perceptions of the views of others. The thesis demonstrates that audience research is an under-explored, yet very productive, field of enquiry in Sexuality Studies. Further research in this direction could have implications for network recommendations, transnational policy-making and new theoretical approaches.
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Qadri, Ghazala Hassan. "A Muslim woman's right to a khulʿ in Pakistan : marital relief or marital pain?" Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2017. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7214/.
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This study examines the female-initiated divorce right of khulʿ in Ḥanafī jurisprudence and its practical implementation in Pakistan. Previous research presents Ḥanafī jurisprudence as only allowing a khulʿ with the consent of the husband coupled with a financial liability placed upon the wife. This thesis argues that there has been a fundamental misunderstanding of the khulʿ under Ḥanafī fiqh, which is capable of providing divorce rights to women without the husband’s consent and financial recompense. This research also illustrates the judicial activism exhibited by the Pakistani courts, which has created a no-fault khulʿ surpassing existing statutory provisions. To date, there have been no studies on the efficacy of these developments, so this research assesses the extent to which these new liberal divorce laws have filtered down into Pakistani society. Through qualitative interviews and observations, this study examines married Muslim women’s perceptions of the khulʿ and the obstacles that female litigants face whilst trying to utilise the khulʿ in the Lahore courts. The findings reveal that whilst the khulʿ has empowered some women within the marital domain, religious and cultural norms coupled with practical problems within the courts have curtailed the potential of the khulʿ as a liberating tool in marriage.
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Grantham, Brianna Jene. "The collection : integrating attachment theory and theories of intergenerational development to write a woman's life." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2017. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7423/.
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The Collection tells the story of Barbara, a fifty-something, Christian, teacher, wife, and mother, as she is forced to return home after her estranged father's death. Named executrix of his estate, Barbara navigates family secrets, repressed childhood trauma, and her mentally ill father's legacy. Using Attachment Theory and Intergenerational Theories of Personal Development, this research discusses the development and relationships of the characters in The Collection to demonstrate the connections between their child and adult selves—specifically, the role of Barbara's parents and childhood in her suppressed anger. Framed within the context of Carolyn G. Heilbrun's feminist critique of women writers and women characters, this paper connects socio-psychological theories to investigate how the patriarchal gender norms Barbara's mother instilled in her daughter result in Barbara's suppressed anger, strained interpersonal relationships and adult religiosity. The relationship between adult Barbara and her aging mother is discussed in context of these theories and compared against women characters in Siri Hustvedt's The Blazing World and Elizabeth Strout's Olive Kitteridge. Finally, the paper calls for further research into and understanding of the causes and effects of women's anger, as well as an essential shift in how both men and women are permitted to express emotions.
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Karugahe, Wilbur. "Domestic violence in a post-conflict African setting : a study of gender and role on personality, coping styles, attitudes to coercion and self-reported victimization in a Ugandan urban sample." Thesis, University of Huddersfield, 2016. http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/28351/.
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Domestic violence has been gradually increasing globally with developing countries across Sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected (WHO, 2013). Uganda, in particular, ranks highest in relation to the incidence of domestic violence (UNICEF, 2000). This situation led to the enactment of the first domestic violence legislation in the country, the Domestic Violence Act, 2010; this makes domestic violence a crime and is particularly focused on reducing violence to women (Uganda GBV Guidelines, 2013). Women make up the majority of victims of domestic violence in Uganda and are subject to gender inequality within a patriarchal society that particularly disadvantages them. However, the argument of this thesis is firstly, although there are strong cultural factors implicated in violence against women, notably practices of wife inheritance, forced marriage and societal sanctioning of wife beating, there has been an over-reliance on cultural explanations for the problem (Bowman, 2006, Speizer, 2010) at the expense of exploring psychological factors. It is argued that understanding psychological issues related to domestic violence is particularly important in post-conflict settings since the literature shows that wars and violence at the societal level often get played out in the domestic sphere and can contribute significantly to the generation of psychological harm and personality issues (Saunders et al., 1999). Victims often use different coping behaviours-strategies to protect themselves from negative feelings and thoughts (Fritsch & Warrier, 2004) but what remains unclear is how both genders engage coping styles. Secondly, in an attempt to address the needs of women as victims, policy and practice in Uganda has failed to recognise the way that women can contribute to the victimisation of other women (particularly relevant in a context in which polygamous households and co-wives are normative) and also to men, who in such a patriarchal society may experience difficulties acknowledging victimhood and seeking help. Using non-coercive questionnaires administered to 60 victims and 60 perpetrators of both genders in an urban area in Uganda, this study aimed to explore the relationship, impact of gender and role in domestic violence based sub-scales on: attitudes to coercion (private matter, men’s right to control, women exaggerate, women’s behaviour used to justify, no big deal), self-reported victimisation (physical, psychological and sexual, personality traits (neuroticism, extroversion and psychoticism) and coping styles (problem solving, social support and avoidance)). Participants faking good (Lie) was controlled as a covariate according to Francis et al, 1999. This quantitative study employed 2x2 factorial design [gender vs role]. MANCOVA analysis was used to test hypotheses on differences and interactions and a Pearson product moment correlation analysis was conducted to test hypotheses on group relationships. Since results can be significant by chance, as recommended by Pallant 2013 p.217 this study applied Bonferroni correction-adjustment to the alpha levels which are used to judge statistical significance on 14 dependent variables. The findings revealed statistically significant role (victim and perpetrator) differences but no major gender differences. Results also revealed no interaction and no effect between gender and role on all aforementioned dependent variables. However, there were statistically significant correlational findings based on role as (victims and perpetrators) and gender for (males and females) on most sub-scales on attitude to coercion, self-reported victimisation and coping styles except personality traits. The only significant correlations for personality traits were between perpetrators neuroticism trait scores and psychological violence. Overall, exploring the psychological behaviour patterns, the study provides insights into the psychological characteristics of victims and perpetrators of both genders in the Ugandan sample. These results were then compared with western published studies and both commonalities and differences were identified. Studying the responses of both male and female victims and perpetrators represents the first such research in a post-conflict African context and makes a significant contribution to knowledge. Though specific to Uganda, the study findings point to the need for a greater awareness of the significance of psychological factors in exploring domestic violence in Africa, especially in countries where the population has been exposed to violence at a societal level, such as war. Furthermore, a major contribution is made by this study in its conclusion that there is need for a gender sensitive approach to domestic violence in African context, one that takes account of the differential needs of men and women as both victims and perpetrators. Finally, in opening up psychological explanations for domestic violence in addition to cultural factors and gender inequality, the way is paved for a synergistic approach for addressing domestic violence –one which addresses these as interlinking elements of the problem requiring simultaneous attention.
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Langton, Karen. "The physicality of the pregnant female body : applying Benjamin Harshav's theory of integrational semantics to Psalm 139, Job and Isaiah 42:14." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2018. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/8390/.
Full textAbstract:
In this thesis, I explore the physicality of the pregnant body in the womb imagery in Psalm 139 and Job 3 and in the simile “like a woman in labor,” specifically, the simile of YHWH as a woman in labor in Isa 42:14. I show that the metaphorical pregnant body is not an idea of a body; rather, it is a detailed physical body with images of gestation in the womb, physical descriptions of a body writhing in labor (e.g. face, breath, hands, heart, legs), and descriptions of a baby delivered from the womb. Using Benjamin Harshav’s theory of Integrational Semantics, I mine the text for details of and allusions to the physicality of the pregnant body. I look at the text through the lens of the pregnant female body and ask how the physicality of this body contributes to meaning. I show that the full impact of the text is lost when the physical properties of the pregnant body are not integrated within an interpretation.
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Buergener, Elisabeth. "'Becoming a true Muslim' : Syrian women's journey to devoutness." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2013. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/4710/.
Full textAbstract:
This study examines why some Muslim women in Syria are turning towards an Islamist faith practice and devoutness in the context of the Syrian da‘wa movement. Based on interviews and participant observation from 2006 – 2011 it demonstrates that the quest for the power to live authentic religious lives as devout Muslims lies at the heart of the phenomenon. It argues that the individual development as illustrated by the in-depth profiles of five women, is facilitated by the new access to religious education for women in mosques and private lessons through female preachers that was advocated by the male religious elite. In previous research the compliance of women with restrictive Islamist practices such as veiling has often been explained as empowering women through aiming at mobility and the participation in public space. This thesis argues that the extent to which the participants went in adapting their lives to the Islamist ideal cannot be sufficiently explained by this hypothesis. Rather, it points at their religious motivations to gain a meaningful, emotionally satisfying and correct religious practice in the hope of divine reward. In addition, this thesis analyses the ambiguity of the question of female empowerment as experienced by women in the social and political sense and as religious leaders on one hand and on the other the participants' own concept of empowerment as divine enablement to submission. Thus it contributes to a fuller understanding of devout Islamist women according to their values and self-perception, and offers insights into the unique Syrian context.
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Duffy, Clare Louise. "Applying queer theory about time and place to playwriting." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2012. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/3817/.
Full textAbstract:
This practice as research contributes a ‘queer-place dramaturgy’ to knowledge about playwriting by creating an intersection of writing queer site specific performance and conventional dramatic theatre practice. It follows the recent shift of focus from queer theorizing of sexuality as a constructed identity, to thinking about what queer use of time and space might be. This shift proposes queerness that is detached, but not completely separated from, sexual identity. This shift also produces a range of kinds of queerness that can be described as odd, imaginative, strange, eccentric, dangerous, threatening wonder-full and abject. I use key works by Sara Ahmed, Jon Binnie, Judith Butler, Michael Foucault and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick to theoretically contextualise these kinds of queer times and places. I materially investigate the theory that there is such a thing as queer time and place through an exercise of writing on a public bench for a prolonged period of time, called the ‘civic couch’ exercise. I found that this small resistance to the apparently politically neutral temporal use of a place could (re) author ‘me’ as queer beyond sexual identity. It also began to (re) author ‘identity’ itself, so that ‘I’ became more and more identified by where I was. This led to a queer practice of co-writing self and place with each time and place. When that text was dramatized the audience were invited to co-author each local place through the play and outside after the performance. This series investigates, through a spiraling structure of research the relationship between direct resistance to homophobia and heterosexism through representation of queer lives, bodies, times and places and an indirect formal resistance to a (hetero) normative construction of ‘reality’. Asking finally the question: How queer can queer writing for conventional theatre practice be in the UK today? This project aimed to bring queer theory into practical contact with playwriting to see what it could change in the form of dramatic theatre. I found that I could (re) shape and guide dramaturgical principles but not fundamentally change or break them. I define what ‘dramaturgical principles’ are in relation to the critical work of Sue-Ellen Case, Elin Diamond, Peggy Phelan and José Esteban Muñoz and argue that ancient concepts of ‘dramaturgical principles’ continue to circulate in postmodern, queer and feminist theorizing about form in theatre and performance. I propose that the lineage of queer writing for theatre maps a negotiation between challenging form and content, which changes significantly from the early twentieth century (and the work of Gertrude Stein and Lillian Hellman) to the emergence of the gay liberation movement in the late 1960s, (and the work of Gay Sweatshop, 1974 -1997), to Performance Art, Live Art and mainstream theatre in the 1990s (and work by Mark Ravenhill, Sarah Kane and Split Britches). I also contextualize this research as practice with contemporary site-specific performance interventions into (hetero) normative uses of public, outdoor places, particularly through the public bench.
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Bridger, Anne. "A century of women's employment in clerical occupations, 1850-1950 : with particular reference to the role of the Society for Promoting the Employment of Women." Thesis, University of Gloucestershire, 2003. http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/3098/.
Full textAbstract:
The study set out to answer two main questions: (a) what was the role of the Society for Promoting the Employment of Women (SPEW) - an organisation founded in 1859, still in existence today, but now known as the Society for Promoting the Training of Women (SPTW), in the evolution of clerical work as a suitable occupation for women; and (b) what continuities or discontinuities with nineteenth-century office employment could be identified in the experiences of women employed as clerical workers during the first half of the twentieth century? To answer the first question the author examined the archives of SPEW which are lodged at Girton College, Cambridge. The second question was addressed by contacting a small sample of women, the majority born between 1903 and 1925, who were willing to be questioned about their experiences of office work during the inter-war years. The research used a mixture of historiographic (archival analysis) and sociological (empirical) enquiry. It established that SPEW had played a pivotal role in opening up clerical employment to women; and demonstrated that early twentieth-century women had not capitalised on the efforts of those first-wave feminists even though office work was by then a major destination for women. Informants reported unequal pay, segregated workplaces, strictly-regulated social mores, and a patriarchal structure where women were concentrated in lower-level posts. These informants were content to view marriage and motherhood as their main 'career' in life. Chapters 1 and 2 describe the author's background, including how her interest in the research topic developed, the rationale for the research, and the ways in which the study was carried out. Building on previous research, the following two chapters establish the historical framework, the founding of SPEW, its members' links with the Langham Place circle, and the practical activities in which the Society was engaged. Chapter 5 describes the range of women's white-collar employment during the period under review. Chapter 6 presents empirical data relating to the sample of 21 twentieth-century women, and finally Chapter 7 reflects on the ways in which the research evolved, comparing the evidence from the two eras, and suggests further possibilities for research.
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Gardner, Catherine M. "Biography from childhood to adulthood : mirroring as an educative and therapeutic strategy in caring for carers." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2010. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/173415/.
Full textAbstract:
The Assert programme (Gardner 2006) is A Semi-Structured Empowering Reflective Therapy for unpaid carers. It is based on Butler’s (1963; 1974) life review therapy and incorporates Pennebaker’s (1990) narrative writing paradigm. This single-subject study (Sinclair 1962; MacIntyre 1985; Erben 2000) sought to determine whether Assert was safe and effective in an individual setting and whether mirroring (Winnicott 1971) was effective as an educative and therapeutic strategy for a carer on a one-to-one basis. Underpinned by humanistic, person-centred principles (Rogers 1951; 1961), fortnightly life review sessions alternated with opportunities for narrative writing during the sixmonth programme. ‘John’, the participant, aimed to reduce his stress and ‘put the past in the past’. An additional aim of the study was to ascertain whether engaging in the Assert life review process improved John’s childhood autobiographical memory recall. Qualitative data analysis employed verstehen hermeneutics (Dilthey 1976) with grounded theory (Glaser and Strauss 1967; Patton 2002) and biographical research methods (Erben 1998). The most noticeable outcome was a positive shift in John’s biographical reflective focus indicating increased psychological congruence together with some startling improvements in his sense of selfhood. Conversation analysis (Sacks, et al. 1974) also revealed a change in John’s interaction style. John achieved his personal aims but retrieved no ‘new’ memories; however his narrative assumed greater coherence. It was concluded that the Assert programme was safe and effective and that mirroring was effective as an educative and therapeutic strategy on a one-to-one basis with a carer. To compare the programme’s long-term effectiveness with other conventional therapies a randomised control trial is recommended with pre- and post-programme brainscanning of participants to detect any change in neural activity. Potential applications for the Assert programme are more wide-ranging than originally envisaged, including the amelioration of burnout in what is termed in this study as the ‘unpaid carer’s syndrome’.
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Throsby, Karen. ""Calling it a day" : the decision to end IVF treatment." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2002. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/110/.
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This thesis focuses on the experiences of women and couples who have undergone in vitro fertilisation (IVF) unsuccessfully and who have subsequently stopped treatment. The thesis is feminist in that it aims to make visible the gendered power relations within which IVF failure is experienced and accounted for. IVF is viewed here not as a neutral artefact, or the violent imposition of male power, but as a form of disciplinary technology, the experience of which is always contradictory and ambivalent. The thesis takes a discourse analytic approach to the interview data. This approach necessarily conceptualises the participants as active, but constrained, agents in the production of meaning in relation to IVF, and the analysis seeks to identify the discursive strategies which they employ in accounting for their experiences. It is argued that those who have stopped treatment occupy an ambiguous liminal space among the dominant discourses of gender, technology and body, and that this constitutes an unusually productive location from which to think about IVF, both in terms of challenging the apparent inevitability of those discourses and creating openings for the production of new knowledges. The analysis is organised around four key themes which emerged from the interview data: the negotiation of discourses of nature and technology; the location of IVF within consumer culture; the distribution of responsibility when treatment fails; and the seeking of resolution around the end of treatment. This thematic structure forms a platform from which to consider not only the specificities of the experience of IVF failure, but which also generates broader insights at the theoretical and conceptual level, focusing particularly on the limitations of oppositional paradigms of transgression / conformity, material / discursive, agency / constraint and theory / practice in the feminist theorising of IVF.
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Grosvenor, Rachel. "The Second Space ; and, A contribution to the narrative of women's literature : themes from the second space : the assumption of autobiographical writing and the label of women's fiction." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2017. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7216/.
Full textAbstract:
The Second Space is a novel that presents the place of women in a patriarchal society, exploring themes such as sexuality, reclamation of space, and the power of physical objects. It follows the story of a woman who escapes from the prospect of marriage and works to discover her self-identity, forging meaningful relationships with other women. The accompanying critical study contributes to the knowledge of women’s writing and the creative process by acknowledging the existence of a distinct space for women in a patriarchal society. This concept is called ‘The Second Space’. This study refutes the assumption that women’s fiction is autobiographical due to the use of themes such as domesticity and motherhood, demonstrating the value of building a narrative for women. The sources that support this research include creative, critical and feminist texts, as follows: Elena Ferrante’s The Days of Abandonment, Margaret Atwood’s Lady Oracle, and Miranda July’s The First Bad Man, Carla Kaplan’s The Erotic’s of Talk: Women’s Writing and Feminist Paradigms, Sean Burke’s Authorship: From Plato to the Postmodern, Micaela Maftei’s The Fiction of Autobiography, Margaret Atwood’s On Writers and Writing, Shulamith Firestone’s The Dialectic of Sex, and Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch.
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Arab, Arwa. "The role of social-problem solving and social support and their relation to well-being in young Saudi women." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2011. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/192727/.
Full textAbstract:
This study investigates the role of social-problem solving and social support as mediators and moderators of the relationship between stressful life events and adjustment, experienced by young students in Saudi Arabia. The study sample involved 630 college students and 390 high school students. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies were used. Semi-structured interviews (Chapter 4) conducted with twelve university students showed that the chief problems that the students experienced were mainly interpersonal and personal. Students reported that they used a rational problem solving style and avoidance; rather than other styles. Translation and modification of original western cultural measures, testing psychometric properties and finding new factors of the translated scales was undertaken (Chapter 5 and 6). Reliability and validity for all the scales were acceptable. The Life Satisfaction of Young Saudi Women scale was specifically developed for the current study, and proved a reliable and valid means of assessing the populations. The empirical investigation contained two related studies (Chapter 7 and 8), using self-completion questionnaires administered to both populations. They showed that dysfunctional social-problem solving dimensions partially mediated the stress-distress relationship in both samples. Social support was found to partially mediate stress-life satisfaction only in university students. However it was found to partially mediate stress-distress relationships in the school sample. In terms of moderating effects, path analysis results showed that the path representing dysfunctional socialproblem solving dimensions significantly interacted with stress to predict a high level of distress. Results also indicated that social support moderated the relation between stress and distress in both samples. In Chapter Nine, several avenues for implication and future research are suggested in the areas of theory, measurement and applied research
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Testaî, Patrizia. "From metaphor of slavery to metaphor of freedom : Article 18 and the incorporation of migrant prostitutes into Italian society." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2008. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11868/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is concerned with the debate on 'trafficking in persons' as a new form of slavery. It will explore the concept of slavery both historically and in its links with contemporary migration and connected issues of gender, sexuality, and labour exploitation. Within the contemporary debate on 'trafficking', attention has focused in fact predominantly on migrant women and girls involved in sex work and described as 'victims of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation'. This thesis will explore the meaning of slavery in such debate. For this purpose, a research study will be carried out in three Italian cities, focusing on the ways in which such terms as 'slavery', 'trafficking in persons', and 'sexual slavery' are understood and applied within social protection programmes for victims of trafficking which, under Article 18 of the immigration law, grant a special residence permit and opportunities for such victims to work and stay permanently in Italy. The study is based on interviews with key actors working in social protection programmes such as judges, NGO workers, social workers, psychologists, lawyers, and police officers, on interviews with migrant women working in the sex industry and women using protection programmes, and on the analysis of parliamentary speeches and press articles. It will seek to critically assess the validity of 'new slavery' - as 'trafficking' is usually understood - as an expression to understand problems related to contemporary exploitative labour practices within the context of global poverty, dislocation of capital and labour, and restrictive immigration regimes. It will focus on the gender, 'racial', and sexuality aspects of anti-trafficking policies in Italy and how they get linked to citizenship within the socio-legal process enacted by Article 18 of the Italian immigration law. It will finally ask what kind of citizenship is granted to subjects who have been Otherised as 'slaves' on the basis of their gender and sexuality and who, through a postcolonial process of discipline and social control, are incorporated into the Italian society via their 'domestication' within 'proper' sexual, gender, and labour roles (i.e. as domestic workers in Italian families or as wives).