Filtering the international gender paradigm: Perspectives of gender in Barbados

My work presents a place-specific analysis of how gender paradigms interact across and within spatial scales: the global, the regional, the national and the personal. It briefly outlines the concepts and measures defining the international gender paradigm, and explores the filtration of this paradigm into assessments and understandings of gender and gender dynamics by and within Barbados. It does this by analyzing the contents of reports of the Barbados government to international bodies assessing the country’s performance in the area of gender equality, and by analyzing gender-comparative content of local print news media over the decade of the 1990s, and the first decade of the 2000s. It contextualizes the discussion within the realm of social and economic development. The work shows how the almost singular focus on “women” in the international gender paradigm may depreciate valid gender concerns of men and thus hinder the overall goal of achieving gender equality, that is, achieving just, inclusive societies.

A gender study investigating physics self-efficacy

The underrepresentation of women in physics has been well documented and a source of concern for both policy makers and educators. My dissertation focuses on understanding the role self-efficacy plays in retaining students, particularly women, in introductory physics. I use an explanatory mixed methods approach to first investigate quantitatively the influence of self-efficacy in predicting success and then to qualitatively explore the development of self-efficacy. In the initial quantitative studies, I explore the utility of self-efficacy in predicting the success of introductory physics students, both women and men. Results indicate that self-efficacy is a significant predictor of success for all students. I then disaggregate the data to examine how self-efficacy develops differently for women and men in the introductory physics course. Results show women rely on different sources of self-efficacy than do men, and that a particular instructional environment, Modeling Instruction, has a positive impact on these sources of self-efficacy. In the qualitative phase of the project, this dissertation focuses on the development of self-efficacy. Using the qualitative tool of microanalysis, I introduce a methodology for understanding how self-efficacy develops moment-by-moment using the lens of self-efficacy opportunities. I then use the characterizations of self-efficacy opportunities to focus on a particular course environment and to identify and describe a mechanism by which Modeling Instruction impacts student self-efficacy. Results indicate that the emphasizing the development and deployment of models affords opportunities to impact self-efficacy. The findings of this dissertation indicate that introducing key elements into the classroom, such as cooperative group work, model development and deployment, and interaction with the instructor, create a mechanism by which instructors can impact the self-efficacy of their students. Results from this study indicate that creating a model to impact the retention rates of women in physics should include attending to self-efficacy and designing activities in the classroom that create self-efficacy opportunities.

Gender differences in the influence of protective factors, risk factors, and health risk behaviors on HIV risk behaviors among youth in South Florida

Adolescents engage in a range of risk behaviors during their transition from childhood to adulthood. Identifying and understanding interpersonal and socio-environmental factors that may influence risk-taking is imperative in order to meet the Healthy People 2020 goals of reducing the incidence of unintended pregnancies, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections among youth. The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in the predictors of HIV risk behaviors among South Florida youth. More specifically, this study examined how protective factors, risk factors, and health risk behaviors, derived from a guiding framework using the Theory of Problem Behavior and Theory of Gender and Power, were associated with HIV risk behavior. A secondary analysis of 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data sets from Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach school districts tested hypotheses for factors associated with HIV risk behaviors. The sample consisted of 5,869 high school students (mean age 16.1 years), with 69% identifying as Black or Hispanic. Logistic regression analyses revealed gender differences in the predictors of HIV risk behavior. An increase in the health risk behaviors was related to an increase in the odds that a student would engage in HIV risk behavior. An increase in risk factors was also found to significantly predict an increase in the odds of HIV risk behavior, but only in females. Also, the probability of participation in HIV risk behavior increased with grade level. Post-hoc analyses identified recent sexual activity (past 3 months) as the strongest predictor of condom nonuse and having four or more sexual partners for both genders. The strongest predictors of having sex under the influence of drugs/alcohol were alcohol use in both genders, marijuana use in females, and physical fighting in males. Gender differences in the predictors of unprotected sex, multiple sexual partners, and having sex under the influence were also found. Additional studies are warranted to understand the gender differences in predictors of HIV risk behavior among youth in order to better inform prevention programming and policy, as well as meet the national Healthy People 2020 goals.

Influence of gender and life stressors on longitudinal depression treatment outcomes among older primary care patients

Purpose: Depression in older females is a significant and growing problem. Females who experience life stressors across the life span are at higher risk for developing problems with depression than their male counterparts. The primary aim of this study was (a) to examine gender-specific differences in the correlates of depression in older primary care patients based on baseline and longitudinal analyses; and (b) to examine the longitudinal effect of biopsychosocial risk factors on depression treatment outcomes in different models of behavioral healthcare (i.e., integrated care and enhanced referral). Method: This study used a quantitative secondary data analysis with longitudinal data from the Primary Care Research in Substance Abuse and Mental Health for Elderly (PRISM-E) study. A linear mixed model approach to hierarchical linear modeling was used for analysis using baseline assessment, and follow-up from three-month and six-month. Results: For participants diagnosed with major depressive disorder female gender was associated with increased depression severity at six-month compared to males at six-month. Further, the interaction between gender and life stressors found that females who reported loss of family and friends, family issues, money issues, medical illness was related to higher depression severity compared to males whereas lack of activities was related to lower depression severity among females compared to males. Conclusion: These findings suggest that gender moderated the relationship between specific life stressors and depression severity similar to how a protective factor can impact a person's response to a problem and reduce the negative impact of a risk factor on a problem outcome. Therefore, life stressors may be a reliable predictor of depression for both females and males in either behavioral health treatment model. This study concluded that life stressors influence males basic comfort, stability, and survival whereas life stressors influence females' development, personal growth, and happiness; therefore, life stressors may be a useful component to include in gender-based screening and assessment tools for depression. ^

The Politics of Gender Socialization

This manuscript is comprised of three papers that examine the far-reaching and often invisible political outcomes of gender role socialization in the United States. These papers focus primarily on two areas: political confidence amongst girls and women, and the effects of gender on survey measurement and data quality.

Chapter one focuses on political confidence, and the likelihood that women will run for political office. Women continue to be underrepresented at all levels of political leadership, and their lack of political ambition, relative to men, has been identified as a primary cause. In this paper, I explore the relationship between an individual's masculinity and femininity and her development of political ambition. Using original survey data from the 2012 Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES), I first empirically demonstrate that gender (masculinity/femininity) and sex (male/female) are unique elements of identity and, moreover, are both independently related to political ambition. I then explore the relevance of gender for the study of candidate emergence, testing whether and how masculinity and femininity might be related to political ambition are supported empirically. While the results suggest that masculinity is positively associated with the development of political ambition, the relationship between femininity and candidate emergence seems to be more complicated and not what prevailing stereotypes might lead us to expect. Moreover, while the relationship between masculinity and political ambition is the same for men and women, the relationship between femininity and political ambition is very different for women than it is for men. This study suggests that gender role socialization is highly related with both men's and women's desire to seek positions of political leadership.

Chapter two continues this exploration of gendered differences in the development of political ambition, this time exploring how social attractiveness and gendered perceptions of political leadership impact the desire to hold political office.Women are persistently underrepresented as candidates for public office and remain underrepresented at all levels of government in the United States. Previous literature suggests that the gendered ambition gap, gender socialization, insufficient recruitment, media scrutiny, family responsibilities, modern campaign strategies, and political opportunity structures all contribute to the gender imbalance in pools of officeholders and candidates. To explain women's reticence to run, scholars have offered explanations addressing structural, institutional, and individual-level factors that deter women from becoming candidates, especially for high positions in the U.S. government. This paper examines a previously unexplored factor: how dating and socialized norms of sexual attraction affect political ambition. This study investigates whether young, single, and heterosexual women's desire for male attention and fear of being perceived as unattractive or "too ambitious" present obstacles to running for office. The results of these experiments suggest that social expectations about gender, attraction and sexuality, and political office-holding may contribute to women's reticence to pursue political leadership. Chapter two is a co-authored work and represents the joint efforts of Laura Lazarus Frankel, Shauna Shames, and Nadia Farjood.

Chapter 3 bridges survey methodology and gender socialization, focusing on how interviewer sex affects survey measurement and data quality. Specifically, this paper examines whether and how matching interviewer and respondent sex affects panel attrition--respondents dropping out of the study after participating in the first wave. While the majority of research on interviewer effects suggests that matching interviewer and respondent characteristics (homophily) yields higher quality data, little work has examined whether this pattern holds true in the area of panel attrition. Using paradata from the General Social Survey (GSS), I explore this question. My analysis reveals that, despite its broader positive effects on data quality, matching interviewer and respondent sex increases likelihood to attrit. Interestingly, this phenomenon only emerges amongst male respondents. However, while assigning female interviewers to male respondents decreases their propensity to attrit, it also increases the likelihood of biased responses on gender related items. These conflicting outcomes represent a tradeoff for scholars and survey researchers, requiring careful consideration of mode, content, and study goals when designing surveys and/or analyzing survey data. The implications of these patterns and areas for further research are discussed.

Together, these papers illustrate two ways that gender norms are related to political outcomes: they contribute to patterns of candidate emergence and affect the measurement of political attitudes and behaviors.

Pitit se rìches malere [Children are the wealth of the poor]: The Influence of Gender and Power on Choice and Uptake of Long Acting Contraceptives

Background: Haiti has the highest maternal mortality rate in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Despite the fact that Haiti has received twice as much family planning assistance as any other country in the western hemisphere, the unmet need for contraception remains particularly high. Our hypothesis is that unsuccessful efforts of family planning programs may be related to a misconstrued understanding of the complex role of gender in relationships and community in Haiti. This manuscript is one of four parts of a study that intends to examine some of these issues with a particular focus on the influence of uptake and adherence to long acting contraceptive (LAC) methods.

Methods: We conducted a three-month community-based qualitative assessment through 20 in-depth interviews in Fondwa, Haiti. Participants were divided into 4 groups of five: female users, female non-users, men and key community stakeholders.

Results: Based on the qualitative interviews, we found that main barriers included lack of access to family planning education and services and concerns regarding side effects and health risks, especially related to menstrual disruption and fears of infertility. Women have a constant pressure to remain fertile and bear children, due not only to social but also economic needs. As relationships are conceived as means for economic provision, the likelihood of uptake of irreversible methods (vasectomy and tubal ligation) was restricted by loss of fertility. Consequently, the discourse of family planning, though self-recognized in their favor, assumes women can afford not to bear children. This assumption should be questioned given the complexities of the other social determinants at play, all which affect the reproductive decisions made by Haitians.

Conclusions: Overall, our study indicated awareness surrounding contraception in the Haitian Fondwa community. Combining the substantial impact of birth spacing with the elevated yet unmet need for contraceptives in the area, it is necessary to address the intricacies of gender issues in order to implement successful programing. In Haiti not being able to bear a child poses a threat to economic and social survival, possibly explaining a dimension of the low uptake of LACs in the region, even when made available. For this reason, we believe IUDs (Intrauterine Devices) provide a suitable alternative, allowing the couple to comprehend all of the factors involved in decision making, thus decreasing the imbalances of power and knowledge prior to considering an irreversible alternative.

The Gender of Drunkenness

International audience

A case-only genome-wide association study of gender- and age-specific risk markers for childhood leukemia

Males and age group 1 to 5 years show a much higher risk for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We performed a case-only genome-wide association study (GWAS), using the Illumina Infinium HumanCoreExome Chip, to unmask gender- and age-specific risk variants in 240 non-Hispanic white children with ALL recruited at Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Besides statistically most significant results, we also considered results that yielded the highest effect sizes. Existing experimental data and bioinformatic predictions were used to complement results, and to examine the biological significance of statistical results. ^ Our study identified novel risk variants for childhood ALL. The SNP, rs4813720 (RASSF2), showed the statistically most significant gender-specific associations (P < 2 x 10-6). Likewise, rs10505918 (SOX5) yielded the lowest P value (P < 1 x 10-5 ) for age-specific associations, and also showed the statistically most significant association with age-at-onset (P < 1 x 10-4). Two SNPs, rs12722042 and 12722039, from the HLA-DQA1 region yielded the highest effect sizes (odds ratio (OR) = 15.7; P = 0.002) for gender-specific results, and the SNP, rs17109582 (OR = 12.5; P = 0.006), showed the highest effect size for age-specific results. Sex chromosome variants did not appear to be involved in gender-specific associations. ^ The HLA-DQA1 SNPs belong to DQA1*01:07and confirmed previously reported male-specific association with DQA1*01:07. Twenty one of the SNPs identified as risk markers for gender- or age-specific associations were located in the transcription factor binding sites and 56 SNPs were non-synonymous variants, likely to alter protein function. Although bioinformatic analysis did not implicate a particular mechanism for gender- and age-specific associations, RASSF2 has an estrogen receptor-alpha binding site in its promoter. The unknown mechanisms may be due to lack of interest in gender- and age-specificity in associations. These results provide a foundation for further studies to examine the gender- and age-differential in childhood ALL risk. Following replication and mechanistic studies, risk factors for one gender or age group may have a potential to be used as biomarkers for targeted intervention for prevention and maybe also for treatment.^

Inclusività di genere nel linguaggio: proposta di traduzione gender-neutral della poesia Good Light di Andrea Gibson

Una delle domande che ha da sempre profondamente interessato l’ambito degli studi linguistici è se sia la lingua a riflettere la società dei parlanti o se sia la società dei parlanti a essere plasmata dalla lingua. O, ancora, se esse non siano direttamente coinvolte in una dinamica di reciproca influenza che permette loro di modellarsi a vicenda. Qualunque sia la risposta, certo è che negli ultimi tempi la società ha cambiato radicalmente il proprio modo di pensare e approcciarsi ad alcune tematiche, quali, ad esempio, la questione dell’identità di genere e dei diritti delle comunità LGBTQ+. È dunque inevitabile che il linguaggio che ha a che fare con tale ambito della società rimanga inalterato e non subisca cambiamenti in termini di usi e caratteristiche. L’obiettivo di queste pagine è quello di esplorare le problematiche legate all’uso improprio del linguaggio in relazione alle identità di genere non binarie, facendo riferimento in particolare al testo poetico e alla sua traduzione e fornendo, infine, un esempio pratico di come poche accortezze possano rendere il linguaggio totalmente inclusivo e più accomodante per coloro che attraversano i confini del binarismo di genere.

Desafios da condição feminina : o exemplo do IGFSS, IP

SUMÁRIO: A tomada de consciência da mulher na luta pelos seus direitos teve particular preponderância em finais do séc. XIX princípios do séc. XX, em Portugal, na sequência das movimentações republicanas. Várias personalidades se tornaram símbolos de um feminismo nascente, mas nos dias de hoje ainda se pode considerar uma especificidade feminina causa bastante para situações de exclusão? Apresentamos o caso do Instituto de Gestão Financeira da Segurança Social, IP (IGFSS, IP), caracterizado por 76% de coadjutoras num universo de 450 funcionários. Que razões haverá para esta predominância feminina, pelo menos em números? Reflectirá uma verdadeira mudança da condição feminina na sociedade? Ou constituirá antes a continuação de um preconceito que impele o sexo feminino para panoramas de exploração e subvalorização que se irão reflectir nos apoios sociais do Estado? ABSTRACT: The awareness of woman in the struggle for her rights had particular preponderance at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, in Portugal, in the sequence of the republican bustle. Several personalities became symbols of a growing feminism, but in nowadays can we still consider a feminine specificity cause enough for exclusion? Here we present a case-study of the Instituto de Gestão Financeira da Segurança Social, IP (IGFSS, IP), characterised by 76% of women employees in a total of 450 workers. What could be the reasons for this female predominance, at least in numbers? Does it reflect a real change in female conditions in our society? Or will be instead the maintenance of the prejudice that propels women to scenarios of exploitation and undervaluation that will have reflexes on State social supports?

Fio por fio, o bordado se constrói : as representações de gênero em livros didáticos de língua portuguesa : das 7.ª e 8.ª séries

O estudo das representações de gênero nos livros didáticos de Língua Portuguesa constitui a moldura desta dissertação de Mestrado. Objetivamos, nesse sentido, analisar os livros mais adotados nas escolas públicas do Estado da Bahia, para o ensino de 7ª e 8ª séries no período de 2000 a 2006. Nesta pesquisa, realizamos um estudo das teorias de gênero e dos múltiplos enfoques conceituais desse termo, a partir de uma perspectiva histórica. Mostramos a proposta oficial de trabalho, apresentado pelos PCNs, para o desenvolvimento da Orientação Sexual nas escolas, bem como o percurso histórico das políticas governamentais brasileiras que legitimam a importância do livro didático como instrumento de ensino-aprendizagem. A pesquisa está baseada em uma abordagem qualitativa, sendo interpretados os fragmentos textuais e as ilustrações a partir da análise de conteúdo. Os dados estão separados em sete categorias, definidas de acordo com o número de incidência em que foram representados os homens e as mulheres em situações cotidianas. Os resultados estão estruturados em duas seções: a primeira trata sobre as representações de gênero no espaço público e a segunda,essas representações no ambiente familiar. Percebemos que, tanto na esfera pública como no ambiente familiar, os textos e as ilustrações inseridas nos livros didáticos ainda representam os gêneros em papéis dicotomizados. Os espaços definidos para o homem e a mulher, bem como as obrigações de ambos para com a família, ainda se estão identificando com princípios tradicionais. Desta forma, a visão de relacionamento estabelecida para os gêneros associa-se à concepção patriarcal. Esta constatação demonstra a importância de que os usuários dos livros didáticos precisam questionar e ressignificar as representações de gênero que são veiculadas por esse recurso de ensino-aprendizagem.

Paroles de femmes : positionnement et stratégies de résistance

Nées des travaux des féministes américaines, les gender studies, faut-il le rappeler, se sont constituées aux Etats Unis dans les années quatre-vingts à partir des questionnements sur les rapports hommes / femmes au sein de la société. Depuis les années soixante-dix, la French Theory avait déjà joué un rôle très important dans le débat théorique américain avec les philosophes Gilles Deleuze, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Jean-François Lyotard… Remettant sans cesse en question le pouvoir, l’institution et la manière de penser, ils se sont distingués par la force de leur posture critique et par leur engagement. Aussi faut-il rappeler l’importance des travaux et des réflexions de femmes intellectuelles françaises, comme Hélène Cixous, Julia Kristeva, Luce Irigaray et tant d’autres pour les études du genre.

The evidence of conventional physiotherapeutic interventions after exercise-induced muscle damage: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Introduction: Exhaustive and/or unaccustomed exercise, mainly those involving eccentric muscle actions, induces temporary muscle damage, evidenced by Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Different strategies to recover the signs and symptoms of this myogenic condition have been studied by researchers, as a result a significant number of articles on this issue have been published. Purpose: A systematic review was conducted to assess the evidence of the physiotherapeutic interventions of exercise-induced muscle damage. Methods: The electronic data bases were searched, including MEDLINE (1996-2011), CINHAL (1982- 2011), EMBASE (1988-2011), PEDro (1950-2011), and SPORTDiscus (1985-2011). Systematic review was limited to randomized control trials (RCTs) studies, written in English or Portuguese, which included physiotherapeutic interventions, namely massage, cryotherapy, stretching and low-intensity exercise, on adult human subjects (18-60 years old) of either gender. Studies were excluded when the intervention could not be assessed independently. The methodological quality of RCTs was independently assessed with the PEDro Scale by three reviewers. Results: Thirty-three studies were included in the systematic review; eight analyzed the effects of the massage, ten analyzed the effects of the cryotherapy, eight the effect of stretching and seventeen focused low-intensity exercise intervention. The results suggest that massage is the most effective intervention and that there is inconclusive evidence to support the use of cryotherapy; whereas the other conventional, namely stretching and low-intensity exercise, there is no evidence to prove their efficacy. Conclusion: The results allow the conclusion that massage is the physiotherapeutic intervention that demonstrated to be the most effective in the relief of symptoms and signs of exercise-induced muscle damage, as a result, massage should still be used in the muscular recovery after sports activities.

Ser mulher, aqui: teatro, género e comunidade

Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa para obtenção de grau de mestre em Educação Artística, na especialização de Teatro na Educação

Ser menina é gostar de cor-de-rosa: desocultar questões de género no jardim de infância

Relatório da Prática Profissional Supervisionada apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa para obtenção de grau de mestre em Educação Pré-Escolar