Browsing by Subject "Gender."
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Item Adherence to gender roles as a predictor of compassion and self-compassion in women and men.(2012-11-29) Tatum, Kelsie J.; Benedict, Helen Elizabeth, 1946-; Psychology and Neuroscience.; Baylor University. Dept. of Psychology and Neuroscience.Previous research has demonstrated consistent differences between men and women in self-reported compassion, but has yielded inconsistent results regarding sex differences in reported capacities for self-compassion. The current project sought to address these equivocal results by examining the relationships among compassion, self-compassion, and identification with traditional gender roles. Participants (N = 444) were recruited from a university subject pool and an online survey administration program and were administered the Compassionate Love scale (Sprecher & Fehr, 2005), the Compassion Scale (Pommier, 2010), the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003a), and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (Spence, Helmreich, & Stapp, 1974). Overall, results indicated that gender, as opposed to sex differences, accounted for a greater proportion of variance in participants’ reported levels of self-compassion. However, inconsistent with initial hypotheses, data suggested that women’s and men’s adherence to traditional gender roles was associated with higher, rather than lower, self-compassion scores. The implications of these results and directions of future study are discussed.Item Bane of Adam's rib : religious priming effects on sexism.(2013-05-15) Haggard, Megan C.; Rowatt, Wade C.; Psychology and Neuroscience.; Baylor University. Dept. of Psychology and Neuroscience.Previous research has indicated that sexism can be separated into factors of ambivalence – hostile and benevolent – to address the many issues that arise with discrimination against women. Whereas hostile sexism is openly negative toward women, benevolent sexism positively camouflages unfair differentiation between the sexes. Many cultural organizations and traditions subtly approve of sexism, including Judeo-Christian religious beliefs. The present study examined the effect of different types of subliminal religious priming – agent, institution, or spiritual – on attitudes toward women, hostile sexism, and benevolent sexism. Participants exposed to religious primes were more likely to endorse benevolent sexist statements than those in a control group. This effect remained after controlling for participant gender and self-reported religiosity. The main difference was between the agent religious prime condition and the control group. The implications of religious approval of benevolent sexist attitudes and behaviors are examined, as well as connections with personality and cognitive styles.Item Closeness in the same-sex friendships of men in long-distance and geographically close platonic relationships.(2011-05-12T15:51:45Z) Tornes, Michael.; Morman, Mark T.; Communication Studies.; Baylor University. Dept. of Communication Studies.The present study sought to find how men negotiate closeness in their same-sex long-distance friendships. Findings from Fehr (2004) were used to guide the hypotheses. Men were believed to prefer the use of shared activity to build closeness even though they regard self-disclosure as the primary pathway to closeness in their same-sex friendships. Self-disclosure, closeness, satisfaction, and commitment were each measured in regards to men's best geographically close or long-distance friendship. The relationship of gender orientation and homophobia to these variables was also tested. The results showed that men were more satisfied with their geographically close friendships than men in their long-distance friendships. Feminine gender orientation was found to be positively related to self-disclosure, closeness, and commitment. Homophobia was found to be negatively correlated with self-disclosure.Item Compliments and politeness among Mexican and Puerto Rican couples.(2011-05-12T15:22:07Z) Carruth, Melissa D.; Hardin, Karol J.; Modern Foreign Languages.; Baylor University. Dept. of Modern Foreign Languages.This paper explores the speech act of complimenting among Mexican and Puerto Rican couples. The study applies Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory (1987) in analyzing spontaneous, face-to-face compliment giving between each romantic couple of the same nationality, that is, Mexican or Puerto Rican. Following Holmes (1986), it examines compliments according to their form, function, and topic. Results are compared with previous studies in the field. The results show that dialect, education level and gender of the speaker influence the style and delivery of compliments. In addition, the results show that both Mexican and Puerto Rican females in this data set initiated compliments and gave more compliments than the male Mexican and Puerto Rican participants. Mexican males spoke the least and gave fewer compliments. Puerto Rican males spoke more than any other group and gave the most compliments. Underlying values and explanations for these results are discussed.Item Does gender matter? Transfer students' perceptions of their transition experiences.(2014-06-11) Yuhas, Elise M.; Alleman, Nathan F., 1975-; Educational Administration.; Baylor University. Dept. of Educational Administration.This study focuses on the role of gender in the meaning-making processes of transfer students and their selection and use of institutional and non-institutional resources during their transitions to a new university. Contrary to previous research that shows transfer students want to participate in similar types of transition resources that are provided to first-year students, these participants discussed that they wanted their previous collegiate experiences to be recognized and validated by their transfer institution. Findings indicate that expectations and experiences of the individual play a more significant role in the selection of resources than gender. Implications for future research point to studying the inclusion of transfer students in Greek Life activities.Item Exposure effects of hegemonic masculinity in men's magazines.(2012-11-29) Beard, Angela J.; Rowatt, Wade C.; Psychology and Neuroscience.; Baylor University. Dept. of Psychology and Neuroscience.While the effects of viewing narrowly-defined female roles in the media on women’s reported moods and attitudes have been studied for decades, similar studies on men have a shorter history. Hegemonic masculinity prevails in media depictions of men, but the relatively few studies on men and media exposure have yielded as yet inconclusive results. The present study was designed to contribute to the emergent research on men’s responses to brief media exposure. Four hundred sixty-three adult men were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk, a crowdsourcing website, to participate in an experiment on exposure effects of viewing men’s magazine content. Participants were randomly assigned to one of six conditions containing themed magazine content (magazine covers, objectified women, technology and gadgetry, fashionable men, muscular men) or control images of household items. Before and after short-term media exposure, men were tested with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the EDITS Profile of Mood States (EPOMS), the Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS), and the Manifest Alienation Measure (MAM). Change scores were calculated for each participant on each measure, and one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted to test for differences among mean change scores in each condition. Significant differences were found in change scores for the EPOMS, while no significant differences were found in the RSES, PANAS, GRCS, and MAM. Participants’ EPOMS change scores were further analyzed using ANOVAs across six EPOMS subscales; in post hoc testing, eight pairwise comparisons across four subscales were found to have significant differences. Among the results, participants reported feeling more anger and fatigue, and less vigor, after viewing household items than viewing magazine covers with women on them. Also, men in the study reported more anger and fatigue after viewing male fashion models than viewing magazine covers. Finally, participants reported more vigor after viewing objectified women than viewing household objects. Results and future directions for research were discussed.Item Health disparities in India : the role of gender, family, and culture.(2013-09-16) Stroope, Samuel M.; Froese, Paul.; Sociology.; Baylor University. Dept. of Sociology.This dissertation examines how cultural contexts play a role in gender differences in health in India. After an introductory chapter, chapter two asks whether the extent of dowry practice perception in local communities is linked to wider gender gaps in illness. Hierarchical regression models indicate that increases in community dowry practice are associated with increases in three morbidity outcomes for women and also greater gender gaps in health. Unexpectedly, two morbidity outcomes also increase for men in dowry communities. Chapter three focuses on the multidimensionality of gender and examines how different dimensions of gender at the community level are related to women’s self-rated health. Results show that marriage and gender segregation dimensions of gender are associated with poor health. The most variance is explained by a measure of gender segregation, male-first eating order. This finding suggests that cultural practices deeply embedded in the intimate relationships within families and day-to-day life are the ones which most accurately reveal the degree to which culture is ingrained. It also implies that such deep cultural practices of gender segregation are more important than other forms of gender segregation for women’s health. The fourth chapter analyzes gender differences in hypertension using individual-level and household-level variables and also focusing on the multidimensionality of gender (economic, segregation, and empowerment dimensions). The moderating roles of different dimensions of gender and differences in men’s and women’s hypertension are tested. Support is found in the case of gender segregation and empowerment. Specifically, gender differences in hypertension are exacerbated in households that seclude women and restrict women’s household decision making. These measures are associated with greater hypertension for women, but in the case of women’s seclusion, reduced hypertension for men. Chapter five, considers the utility of the theoretical approach taken in the dissertation, especially its utility in related areas of population health research. This chapter explores implications of the empirical chapters for research that extends beyond the Indian context and sets out potentially fruitful directions for future research.Item Religion, sexuality, and gender : an individual and organizational analysis.(2012-08-08) Whitehead, Andrew L.; Dougherty, Kevin D.; Sociology.; Baylor University. Dept. of Sociology.Homosexuality has been the object of much debate, research, and political struggle over the last 40 years. Since the Stonewall riots of 1969 the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender movement (LGBT) continues to grow and occupy a much larger portion of the social consciousness in the United States. Religion is commonly viewed as a “brake” slowing down the liberalization of attitudes. The influence of gender and especially traditional gender attitudes are also significant. While the effect of religion or gender on attitudes toward homosexuality and the inequality gays and lesbians experience is documented, little research investigates the intersection of religion, sexuality, and gender. Drawing on multiple data sets at the individual and organizational levels, the four analyses in this project demonstrate the influence of religion and gender on attitudes toward homosexuality and the full inclusion of gays and lesbians into American life. Specifically, this study considers 1) the relationship between gender ideology and attitudes toward homosexuality, 2) attribution theory and attitudes toward same-sex unions, 3) the determinants of congregational responses to gays and lesbians, and 4) the relationship between gender inequality and the inequality experienced by gays and lesbians within American congregations. The findings for each study are discussed, and implications and suggestions for future research are also considered.Item Romantic partner selection in a religious marriage market.(2014-09-05) Palmer, Ashley E.; Froese, Paul.; Sociology.; Baylor University. Dept. of Sociology.Partnering is an inherently social process. Not only do social status characteristics provide markers of compatibility in the partner search, but the broader romantic proclivities, opportunities, and capacities that constitute partnering are also socially determined. This study examines romantic partner selection under that aegis—as a situated social phenomenon whose patterns, challenges, and responses reflect the sociocultural environment in which they occur. Using the lens of cultural analysis, I conduct an in-depth study of a relationship market, Victory Fellowship Church, whose community characteristics influence partnering in several ways. VFC is a nondenominational, high-tension religious group located in central Texas whose membership is a majority female and predominantly single. The demographic characteristics, norms of involvement, and religious ethos of the community create a relationship market for its single members. At the same time, this combination of characteristics results in a partnering situation in which many relationship seekers face a basic set of quantitative and qualitative partnering dilemmas. To understand the interpretation and negotiation of these dilemmas, I detail the cultural repertoire and market context of the VFC community in relation to partner supply, preferences, and responses to the partner search. While members' partnering goals are routinely blocked, they remain committed to the community and continue to nurture the hope for a spouse found in it. Ultimately, the practical, psychic, and emotional rewards of membership subsidize the partner search or compensate for the absence romantic opportunities.Item Variations in the sociology of Islam and gender : a multi-level analysis of Islam and gender in majority Muslim contexts.(2011-05-12T15:30:26Z) González, Alessandra L.; Froese, Paul.; Sociology.; Baylor University. Dept. of Sociology.This dissertation answers two main questions: First, what is the relationship between Islam and gender? In other words, where can we find the intersection of religion and gender in the beliefs and actions of Muslims in a majority Muslim context? Second, is Islam as a social force repressive or empowering to women’s rights? By using multiple methods and multiple levels of analysis, our understanding of Islam and its relationship to gender can be systematically furthered. The findings indicate that at the macro-level (using cross-national data from the World Values Survey) gender attitudes are embedded in Islamic culture in historically path-driven ways. At the mezzo-level, or congregational level (using original survey data of Kuwaiti college students), variation in gender attitudes can be explained by gender and variation in types of Islamic religiosity. And at the micro-level (using data from original interviews of elites), women activists seeking progressive rights routinely and successfully utilize their Islamic faith in their efforts. These various levels of analysis reveal that Islam is both repressive and empowering for women. The historical and cultural context of majority Muslim societies tends to diminish the power of women, while the doctrine and structure of Islam can often provide groups and individuals real sources of female empowerment.Item "Verie needfull for this time" : representations of women in sixteenth-century English prayer manuals.(2014-06-11) Mazzola, Taylor A.; Barr, Beth Allison.; History.; Baylor University. Dept. of History.Using three texts written by different authors, this thesis argues that sixteenth-century English prayer manuals set rigid boundaries for women by representing them in limited ways. Analyzing and comparing Thomas Becon's The Flour of Godly Praiers (1550), Thomas Bentley's The Monument of Matrones (1582), and Anne Wheathill’s A Handfull of Holesome (1584) highlights the various ways scripted prayer could confine women readers. In the intimate arena of prayer, women using these manuals would have encountered narrow categories to occupy. Becon, Bentley, and Wheathill employed gender exclusive language, presented restrictive categories, and tailored biblical examples to be proper models for Englishwomen in a changing world. These manuals have been overlooked in the study of women and religion, and this thesis aims to emphasize the importance of prayer scripts as valuable sources that show how English writers perceived and portrayed women in the sixteenth century.