Why rural African-American women who use cocaine mistrust women

Little is known about the social networks of rural African-American women who use drugs, although the social networks of their urban counterparts have been characterized as small, mixed gendered, and distrustful of other women. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the characteristics of the social networks of rural African-American women, both users and non-users of drugs. Thirty rural women who used cocaine participated in in-depth qualitative interviews. Rural women who used drugs gave several reasons for their mistrust of other women and tended to have small social networks, which included family members and men to the exclusion of non-familial women. The findings of this study have implications for both research and practice.     

Attitudes of women who have had abortions

In 1970-1971, 205 women in Minnesota who had undergone abortion answered questionnaires to determine their attitudes toward the abortions. The average age of the respondents was 23, ranging from 14 to 43 years. 39% reported use of some psychic trauma related to the abortion. 6% had had previous abortions. Women with more education tended to be more liberal in their attitudes toward abortion, while those who were more religious tended to be more conservative.     

(Re)visualizing women who use drugs

This article explores a collaborative, community-based project that fuses both arts-based feminist and visual sociological perspectives through a collaboration with five women in leadership roles in a drug user union, Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU). VANDU is situated in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada’s poorest urban neighbourhood. Through writing, photography and collage-making, participants in this study resisted dominant representations of women who use criminalised drugs by focusing on activism, family, friends and the spaces they live and work in. This paper contributes to a growing body of critical and feminist scholarship interested in using creative and visual methodologies and collaborative community artworks as tools for developing alternate perspectives about the lives of marginalised women.     

Social isolation and sexual abuse among women who smoke crack

The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of social isolation and its relationship to sexual trauma in a sample of Black women who smoke crack cocaine. Using a convenience sample of 115 Black women with a history of smoking crack cocaine, participants were interviewed for 2 to 4 hours and asked a variety of questions about their health, relationships, sexuality, and drug use. Bivariate and multivariate logistical regressions were used to predict whether the women reported being socially isolated. While social isolation was not necessarily a common experience among the sample, it was found that women who had been sexually abused were three times more likely to report being socially isolated than women who had not been sexually abused. In addition, social isolation was more common among women who had been abused by a family member, who had been abused when they were young, and who had been abused for a long period of time. However, multivariate analyses revealed that the age at which the sexual trauma occurred was the most salient predictor of social isolation in adulthood. Implications for drug treatment are discussed.     

Groupwork with women who have a child with a developmental disability

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to show how groupwork with a feminist approach can be an effective and empowering form of intervention for women who are mothers of a child with a developmental disability. Women are usually the primary carers and are often isolated with no-one to share their thoughts, feelings and concerns. A group provides an opportunity to bring some of these women together to share their experiences and offer each other emotional support, feedback and practical help. The content of the group looks at issues related to women in general as well as specific issues related to disability.     

Beyond identity politics: the making of an oral history of Hong Kong women who love women

Oral history has long been an important resource for lesbian and other underprivileged groups in advancing identity politics. While there is an increased awareness of social construction of identity and the impact of race and class on the experiences of sexual identities, oral historians have yet to rethink their task in view of poststructuralists' and queer theorists' critique of identity. This paper examines the "Oral History Project of Hong Kong Women Who Love Women" as an attempt to construct histories that respect difference and minimize normalization. It discusses the project's significance in terms of its subversion of the heterosexual/homosexual binary and its queering of the notions of identity, community and coming out. The critique unfolded is one of anti-assimilation and anti-minoritization. doi:10.1300/J155v10n03_03.     

Young people and caregivers' perceptions of an intervention program for children who deliberately light fires

A significant number of children and adolescents engage in deliberate fire setting, beyond the scope of curiosity and experimentation. Interventions developed to respond to the needs of such fire setters generally involve educational and/or psychosocial approaches. Research evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions is dominated by outcome studies which rely on recidivism rates determined by either official records or parent reports. There has however, been no process evaluation studies published. This study presents a process analysis which aimed to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a Fire Awareness and Intervention Program in New Zealand, from the perspectives of program consumers. Qualitative research methods were employed, with data being derived from in-depth interviews with young people and their parents/caregivers. The analysis indicated that (a) the FAIP was generally regarded as a positive experience, (b) practitioners' qualities of empathy and understanding are important for developing rapport with the young people and their parents, (c) education-based intervention tailored to the young person's age and developmental level is important, (d) educational resources need to be updated and used flexibly to respond appropriately to the age and developmental level of the young person, and (e) inter-agency and intra-agency relationships need to be developed and maintained, with formal arrangements for reciprocal referral systems developed in order to respond to the needs of the clients. The resulting implications for service providers, along with future research are discussed.     

The mental health of African-American and Caucasian-American women who are homeless.

1. Nurses can use research findings to educate other health professionals about homeless subcultures with attention to specific cultural and socioeconomic needs, as well as to develop interventions for homeless women. 2. Minority women are more susceptible to homelessness as they experience increased poverty levels and are often single mothers. Of all minority women, African-American women are the most vulnerable to physical and psychological illness. 3. In this study, 75% of the subjects had scores on a psychological assessment test that indicated they needed additional psychological testing.     

Worker role identity development of women with disabilities who experience domestic violence

This two-year longitudinal qualitative study explored worker role identity development of seven women with disabilities who experienced domestic violence. Yearly semi-structured interviews and monthly follow up calls elucidated the meaning of work in women's lives and the development of role identity during transitions from shelters to the community. Participants aged 26-47, were from two domestic violence shelters and an independent living center in the Midwestern United States. Data analyses, using constant comparative methods, a peer team and member checking, revealed that women's work roles remained in a state of identity diffusion. Identity diffusion in the worker role was delineated into three themes: role ambivalence, impact of disability, and relationship of the worker role to other roles. Study findings suggest a conflict between staff urgency to support women's return to work and economic self-sufficiency, and women's readiness to assume stronger work identities.     

Ambivalent sexism and attitudes toward women who engage in premarital sex in Turkey

This study examined the relationship of ambivalent sexism, political conservatism, demographic variables (age, education, and gender), and prior sexual experience to Turkish men's and women's attitudes toward women who engage in premarital sex. Participants included 124 Turkish undergraduate students and 60 nonstudent Turkish adults. Benevolent but not hostile sexism uniquely predicted more negative views of women who engage in premarital sex once other variables were controlled. Regression analyses demonstrated that for both men and women, older, more politically conservative and less sexually experienced respondents and more educated men (but not women) respondents were more likely to disapprove of women who engage in premarital sex. Similarly, regression analysis revealed that men who were older, politically conservative, and less sexually experienced expressed stronger preferences for marrying a virgin. Both hostile and benevolent sexism predicted men's preference for marrying a virgin after all other variables were controlled.     

Using scrapbooks & portfolios in group work with women who are chemically dependent

This article provides a rationale and strategies for using scrapbooks and portfolios within the context of group work with minority women recovering from chemical dependence. An expanded model of recovery-based group work places the use of scrapbooks and portfolios within the context of a practice model that seeks to increase general and social self-efficacy in these women. Memory scrapbooks, lifecourse scrapbooks, and recovery portfolios are defined; their differential use in group work is described; and ways group members can use the tools to strengthen their sources of self-efficacy are explored.     

Ambivalent sexism and attitudes toward women who engage in premarital sex in Turkey

This study examined the relationship of ambivalent sexism, political conservatism, demographic variables (age, education, and gender), and prior sexual experience to Turkish men s and women s attitudes toward women who engage in premarital sex. Participants included 124 Turkish undergraduate students and 60 nonstudent Turkish adults. Benevolent but not hostile sexism uniquely predicted more negative views of women who engage in premarital sex once other variables were controlled. Regression analyses demonstrated that for both men and women, older, more politically conservative and less sexually experienced respondents and more educated men (but not women) respondents were more likely to disapprove of women who engage in premarital sex. Similarly, regression analysis revealed that men who were older, politically conservative, and less sexually experienced expressed stronger preferences for marrying a virgin. Both hostile and benevolent sexism predicted men s preference for marrying a virgin after all other variables were controlled.     

Young women farm heads in Greek agriculture: entering farming through policy incentives

This work examines the entry of young Greek women into farming as heads of farmholdings under the relevant EU and national framework of incentives. The work is based on the analysis of available secondary information and mail-survey data secured from a sample of 128 young women established in farming during the period 1991–2000 in the region of Thessaly, Central Greece. Their responses to the system of incentives are examined initially as a whole group and then separately by focusing on two typological polar opposites, that is those women that are entering farming as a lifestyle and those entering for reasons of necessity. There is documentation of young women farmers’ use of the incentives and benefits derived there from and their assumption of a certain share in the decision-making power vis-a-vis their farmholding, the last-mentioned especially when the two typological groups are considered.     

An exploration of social & emotional factors impacting well-being in women who have sex with women (WSW)

Abstract

“Women who have sex with women” or WSW have unique perspectives within the LBGTQ spectrum. The purpose of this study included documenting perceptions, feelings, and experiences among WSW. Thirty-seven women participated in six focus groups, ages ranged from 20–64 years. Responses were transcribed and thematically coded. Four themes emerged as influencing factors: shame and fear, community, gender roles, and normalcy. Each major theme produced minor themes providing a context within major themes. Results offer valuable insights that can assist community members, health professionals, and scientists to better appraise the disparities and stigma impacting social and emotional well-being among WSW.