Competence Of Women Research Articles

The effects of advertisements that sexually objectify women on state body dissatisfaction and judgments of women: The moderating roles of gender and internalization

Experimental studies have demonstrated that exposure to idealized images of women increases state body image disturbance. However, little work has experimentally examined the effects of exposure to images that sexually objectify women, especially as it relates to women and men's state body dissatisfaction and judgments of women. In the current study, 437 women and men were randomly assigned to view advertisements that sexually objectify women and portray appearance ideals, or to view non-appearance-related advertisements. Results indicated that state body dissatisfaction increased for women and men exposed to advertisements that sexually objectified women, although this effect was larger for women. Trait internalization of appearance ideals moderated this effect, indicating that women and men with higher internalization exhibited greater state body dissatisfaction after viewing women sexually objectified in advertisements. Exposure to women sexually objectified in advertisements did not affect women's or men's attractiveness or competence ratings of women in university advertisements.

Ethical Challenges in Designing, Conducting, and Reporting Research to Improve the Mental Health of Pregnant Women: The Voices of Investigators and IRB Members

Background: Legitimate concern for fetal safety often precludes women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant from participating in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), preventing the development of an empirically-derived evidence base for the safety and efficacy of treatments. Perinatal science can only move forward when the research community understands and addresses the practical and ethical roadblocks impeding this research. Methods: To understand these challenges better, our study team interviewed 15 perinatal mental health investigators from 12 leading academic institutions in the United States and 6 members of the respective institutional review boards (IRBs). Results: Respondents confirmed seven broad ethical challenges. Through analyzing interview transcripts, we identified four themes: research design/methodology, safety, participant selection/recruitment, and autonomy. Fifteen subthemes further delineate the complexities of the issues revealed in narratives describing specific experiences related to these themes. Conclusions: The lack of reasonable solutions to these ethical challenges is a barrier to rigorous clinical research in this population, preventing the collection of empirical evidence for psychiatric care in the perinatal setting. Our study population confirms that the current federal human subjects protections guidelines (i.e., 45 CFR 46 Subpart B) do not fully address the themes of concern that emerged in the interviews. There is a need for greater flexibility in accepting women's competence to balance the risks and benefits of research participation for themselves and their fetuses.

The effect of an MBA on the development of women's management competencies

Purpose – This article aims to report the findings of a study of the effect of a women's Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme in Finland called the femaleMBA on the development of women's management competencies. The gendered nature of the competency development was also analyzed. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative interview study was conducted with 20 women who completed the programme. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings – In addition to improving the women's business competencies and their mastery of management language, the programme contributed to the creation of a clearer managerial identity, greater assertiveness, and increased credibility in a managerial role. The development of management competencies was shown to be gendered in varying ways. An all-women learning environment was experienced as a safe and supportive social context for development. Research limitations/implications – Only a specifically women's MBA was studied. The topic should also be studied in a mixed MBA group. Practical implications – MBAs should pay systematic attention to the informal and social learning context. A combination of “masculinity” and “femininity” might be worth taking into consideration when all-women management development programmes are planned and conducted. This study suggests that an all-women group in an MBA has the potential to challenge and even transform participants' ideas and assumptions about the dominance of masculinity in management and to increase their understanding of the importance of femininity in management. Originality/value – A gender angle on research into management development and particularly MBAs is very rare. This study shed light on the topic by showing that competency development in MBAs is not, as is often assumed, gender neutral but gendered.

Why do primigravidae request caesarean section in a normal pregnancy? A qualitative study in Iran

Objectiveto gain a deeper understanding of why Iranian primigravidae request caesarean section without any medical indication. Designqualitative study. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis was undertaken. Settingfour health care centres at Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran. Participants14 primigravidae who requested caesarean section without any medical indication. Findingsreasons for requesting caesarean section were related to fear of childbirth (labour pain, injury to mother or infant), complications after vaginal delivery (vaginal prolapse, urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction), trust in obstetricians, and lack of trust in maternity ward staff. Key conclusions and implications for practicethe main reasons given for requesting caesarean section show that there is urgent need for effective antenatal assessment to enable pregnant women to ask questions and express their concerns. In order to promote vaginal birth, there is a need to develop antenatal education and strategies to enhance women's knowledge, confidence and competence about vaginal birth. Health care providers should be re-educated about the observance of medical ethics and professional rules in their practices, and change their attitudes and behaviours to vaginal birth. Evaluation, improvement and change in maternity care policies are recommended to promote natural childbirth.

여성의 리더십역량이 직무 및 조직생활 만족, 경력경로 개발의지에 미치는 영향

본 연구에서는 취업여성의 리더십역량과 조직생활만족, 경력경로개발의 관계를 살펴보고자 하였다. 선행 연구를 토대로 가설 및 연구모형을 설정하고 이를 검증하기 위하여 취업중인 여성 250명을 표본으로 추출하여 그들의 리더십역량이 직무 및 조직생활만족과 경력경로 개발의지 및 그 활동에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지에 대한 실증조사를 수행하였다. 더불어 빈도분석, 기술통계 분석, 구조방정식모형구축 및 검증 등의 통계적 처리를 위하여 Spss15.0과 Amos7.0을 이용하였다. 연구의 주요 결과로서 여성의 리더십역량은 직무 및 조직생활만족과 경력경로 개발에 모두 긍정적인 영향을 주고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 특히, 여성의 경력경로개발의지를 촉진하는 데에는 직무 및 조직생활만족이 매개효과를 발휘하는 것으로 나타났다. This study on the (employment) women's leadership competencies was tested with career paths development and job and organizational life satisfaction. The hypotheses and research model were set based on previous studies. To the total 250 samples(;employed and married women) were on survey about leadership competencies, career paths development, and job and organizational life satisfaction. And then, Frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, and structural equation modeling were carried out of the validity verification. Amos7.0 and Spss15.0 were used for statistical processing of results on surveys. One of the major results in this study, the (employment) women's leadership competencies in both job and organizational life satisfaction and career paths development had positive influence. In particular, it was found that job and organizational life satisfaction was operated as a parameter into career paths development.

‘Important… but of low status’: male education leaders’ views on gender in medicine

The implementation of and communication about matters associated with gender in medical education have been predominantly perceived as women's issues. This study aimed to explore attitudes towards and experiences of gender-related issues among key male members of faculties of medicine. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 male education leaders from the six medical schools in Sweden. The interviews were analysed qualitatively using a modified grounded theory approach. The core category--'important… but of low status'--reflects ambivalent attitudes towards gender-related issues in medicine among male education leaders. All informants were able to articulate why gender matters. As doctors, they saw gender as a determinant of health and, as bystanders, they had witnessed inequalities and the wasting of women's competence. However, they had doubts about gender-related issues and found them to be overemphasised. Gender education was seen as a threat to medical school curricula as a consequence of the time and space it requires. Gender-related issues were considered to be unscientifically presented, to mostly concern women's issues and to tend to involve 'male bashing' (i.e. gender issues were often labelled as ideological and political). Interviewees asked for facts and knowledge, but questioned specific lessons and gender theory. Experiences of structural constraints, such as prejudice, hierarchies and homosociality, were presented, making gender education difficult and downgrading it. The results indicate that male faculty leaders embrace the importance of gender-related issues, but do not necessarily recognise or defend their impact on an area of significant knowledge and competence in medicine. To change this and to engage more men in gender education, faculty measures are needed to counteract prejudice and to upgrade the time allocation, merits and status of gender implementation work. Based on our findings, we present and discuss possible ways to interest more men and to improve gender education in medicine.

Why do women request caesarean section in a normal, healthy first pregnancy?

Background and context a growing number of childbearing women are reported to prefer a caesarean section in the absence of a medical reason. Qualitative research describing factors influencing this preference in pregnant women is lacking. Objective to describe Australian women's request for caesarean section in the absence of medical indicators in their first pregnancy. Design advertisements were placed in local newspapers inviting women to participate in a telephone interview exploring women's experience of caesarean section. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Setting two states of Australia: Queensland and Western Australia. Participants a community sample of women ( n=210) responded to the advertisements. This paper presents the findings elicited from interviews conducted with 14 women who requested a caesarean section during their first pregnancy in the absence of a known medical indication. Findings childbirth fear, issues of control and safety, and a devaluing of the female body and birth process were the main themes underpinning women's requests for a non-medically-indicated caesarean section. Women perceived that medical discourses supported and reinforced their decision as a ‘safe’ and ‘responsible’ choice. Key conclusions and recommendations for practice these findings assist women and health professionals to better understand how childbirth can be constructed as a fearful event. In light of the evidence about the risks associated with surgical birth, health-care professionals need to explore these perceptions with women and develop strategies to promote women's confidence and competence in their ability to give birth naturally.

Confronting Expectations: Women in the Legal Acdemy

A seemingly insurmountable barrier to women's success in legal academia is the way they are perceived. Numerous studies have shown that women are perceived as less competent than men and that the same work is evaluated more critically when it is thought to have been done by a woman than by a man. This problem exists in all aspects of life, but it is especially acute for women in professional roles, such as academics. Legal academia, however, seems to be particularly resistant to viewing women as equally competent. The article presents original empirical research that shows that student evaluations of women faculty tend to be more hostile than those of male faculty. Comments on their appearance, pieces of "advice," and vicious personal attacks are not uncommon. When women law professors do receive positive comments, they are much different in nature from the comments received by male professors. Whereas men are most often praised for their "mastery of the subject matter," women are usually praised for being enthusiastic and approachable. Furthermore, the same negative attributes in men and women may be interpreted differently by students. For example, what may pass as theoretical musings from men often is interpreted as confusion from women. Because women lack the presumption of competence, they are continuously being challenged, resulting in a hostile "prove it" atmosphere. Why can't women law faculty overcome the lingering skepticism about women's competence? Is the problem merely that women cannot seem to shake stereotypes that are produced elsewhere? Attempts to simply deny these stereotypes, expecting that they will disappear as more women enter the academy, will be unsuccessful because they fail to recognize the crux of the problem. The presumption that women lack authority is not simply replicated in legal academia, but is actively produced there as well. That is, legal academia constructs a social reality rather than mirroring one constructed elsewhere. The question then is, how does legal education reinforce this patriarchal organization?

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Counseling Women Competencies Scale (CWCS)

This article describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Counseling Women Competencies Scale (CWCS). The CWCS is designed to assess clinicians' self-perceived competencies with regard to therapeutic practice with diverse female clients. Through an extensive review of the literature on counseling women and expert review by 32 members of the Section for the Advancement of Women (Division 17, APA), content validity was supported. Exploratory factor analysis, conducted on a sample of 321 male and female counseling and psychology graduate students and professionals, supported a two-factor model consisting of knowledge/skills and self-awareness factors. Findings also provided support for the internal consistency reliability and construct (convergent, divergent, and incremental) validity of the scale.

Primary Care Program Directors' Perceptions of Women's Health Education: A Gap in Graduate Medical Education Persists

Previous studies found that internal medicine residents are not adequately prepared to provide comprehensive primary care to women. The impact of subsequent national guidelines emphasizing women's health education during residency is unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of primary care internal medicine residency program directors (PDs) in the United States. We asked the directors to provide information about themselves and their programs, to rate how strongly they agreed that residents should master each of 13 women's health competencies, to estimate the proportion of their residents who actually master each competency by the end of their residency, and to indicate means by which each competency was taught (articles, lectures, patient care, specialty clinic, other). Of 69 directors contacted, 42 (61%) responded. Most respondents agreed that residents should master all 13 competencies. However, there were significant discrepancies (p < 0.001) between the proportion of respondents who believed their residents should master competencies concerning 10 of 13 women's health topics and the proportion who believed their residents actually did master them. More than one third of PDs estimated that the majority of their residents would not gain the knowledge to diagnose, treat, or counsel women with incontinence, vaginitis, domestic violence, preconception planning, or birth control needs by the end of residency training. Of 18 potential predictors of quality education, only 2 proved significant: number of years the respondent served as program director (p = 0.02) and number of competencies taught by lecture (p = 0.007). Despite national guidelines endorsing women's health education, a large discrepancy persists between what PDs believe their residents should master and what they estimate their residents actually master. This study suggests a need for substantial improvements in internal medicine residency training to adequately prepare residents to care for women.

Gender, Emotion, Work and Travel: Women Transport Workers and Passengers, Past and Present, Greenwich Maritime Institute, University of Greenwich, London, June 22-23 2007

Transport historiography, like train spotting, is not much a place of petticoats or critiques of patriarchy. So this was a most welcome foray into the history of women and the operations of gender on the sea, on trains, planes, buses, and in borderlands such as dockyards and harbours. The two-day event that took women's competence absolutely for granted was held, ironically, in the baroque Old Royal Naval College, Wren's Versailles-on-Thames and hegemonic mainstay of the dominance of the seas by privileged British males. How would antique admirals have coped with this absolute ignoring of sea-skills, wardroom etiquette and the defence of the realm within their portals? The conference, complete with sunshine and outdoor incidental music, was organized by Sarah Palmer, Maggie Walsh (who co-organized the seminal Transporting Gender conference at the National Railway Museum in 2000 and edited the special gender issue of Journal of Transport History, 23: 1, March 2002), and Minghua Zhao. Around forty people gathered, a number of them, such as Sari Mäenpää and Lisa Norling, from overseas.

Learning about baby: what new mothers would like to know.

As part of a larger research project to evaluate a new model of care for first-time mothers in a community health-care setting, this study aimed to identify the preparation and information needs of first-time mothers. All first-time mothers attending a selection of community child health centers in Brisbane, Australia, who presented with no overt risk factors and with a thriving child, were invited to participate in the study. Three months after mothers entered the service, data were collected via telephone survey (N = 151). In addition, focus group interviews were conducted 7-9 months following entry to the service (n = 8). Participants reported seeking information from a variety of sources during pregnancy. Few participants felt well prepared for managing either the physical or emotional experience of early mothering or the essential maternal and child health issues and common problems in the early months. Findings suggest that current approaches to care and education may not meet the needs of first-time mothers. Different approaches are suggested to enhance women's maternal competence during the first few months of becoming a new mother.

Internal Medicine Residents' Preparedness to Care for Reproductive-Age and Pregnant Women

Background: Research that addresses whether residents are prepared to deliver preconception care and manage medical conditions in pregnant and postpartum women has been scarce since the publication of women's health competency guidelines for internists in 1997. Purpose: To investigate current attitudes, training, and perceived preparedness in these areas and to explore relationships between resident characteristics and preparedness. Methods: A 62-item questionnaire was given to 105 internal medicine residents and recent graduates at two affiliated residency programs. Results: Eighty-five surveys were returned. Most respondents reported that they had minimal training and were unprepared in these areas but felt that learning these topics is important. Perceived preparedness correlated strongly with relevant didactic and clinical training but was not associated with gender, residency track, or career plan. Conclusions: In light of published competency guidelines, internal medicine training programs should consider adding or increasing curricular content to improve residents' perceived preparedness to deliver care to reproductive-age and pregnant women.

Gendered Citizenship: Women, Equality, and Abortion Policy

Since the 1970s significant progress has been made in the area of women's rights, yet women lag behind men economically, politically, and socially. One reason for this persistent inequality between the sexes is that traditional gender attitudes regarding women's roles as wives and mothers compete with a definition of equality based on rights. Nowhere is this more evident than in the area of abortion policy. From 1865 to 1965, women's access to abortion (with rare exceptions) was completely prohibited; over the past 35 years, abortion has become far more available, but continues to be restricted. Through an analysis of abortion policy from 1965 to 2000, this article identifies the way in which a politics of motherhood conflicts with women's rights to full citizenship. It shows how attitudes regarding women's competency, first written into abortion law in the 19th century, and gender assumptions about their status as citizens, have affected and informed the debate over abortion policy, and have, in effect, limited their ability to achieve equality of citizenship with men.

Accessing Board Positions: a comparison of female and male board members' views

In Australia, as in many Western industrialised countries, women accessing corporate board positions are still the exception to the rule. This paper reports research exploring men's and women's views on the factors crucial in attaining a board position. While both groups identified the importance of a strong track record, a good understanding of business principles and business contacts in gaining board positions, we found that women also highlighted the importance of high visibility and family contacts to account for their nomination to boards. It seems that women's competence has to be widely acknowledged in the public domain or through family connections before boards, or their nominating committees, will be prepared to “risk” having a woman on the board.

Hearing, Deaf, and Hard-of-Hearing Israeli Adolescents' Evaluations of Deaf Men and Deaf Women's Occupational Competence

This study examined 74 deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) and 91 hearing high school students regarding their own occupational aspirations and their evaluations of occupational competence (EOCs) for deaf adults. In the EOC, participants rated the suitability of 25 occupations (varying according to prestige and required level of communication) for deaf men and women. The results showed that occupations requiring intensive communication levels, regardless of their prestige, were evaluated as much less suitable for deaf individuals than were those requiring less communication. D/HH adolescents did not find highly prestigious occupations as suitable for deaf adults even when communication barriers were irrelevant. Both D/HH and hearing participants expressed biased evaluations of deaf women's competence, but no further evidence emerged for stereotypic attitudes. Higher educational aspirations among hearing adolescents, especially hearing males, correlated with a higher EOC of deaf adults. No such associations emerged for D/HH participants. No gender effects emerged. Implications of these outcomes for career development, especially for females, were discussed.

Demonstrating Your Clinical Competence in Women's Health Campbell Pam et al Demonstrating Your Clinical Competence in Women's Health 216pp Radcliffe Publishing 9781857756050 1857756053.

This book links clinical practice and personal development for nurses to create a meaningful portfolio. It discusses the lifelong learning process, how to demonstrate clinical competence, identifying personal needs, the delivery of care and gaps in service delivery. Individual performance reviews are explained fully.

Do antenatal classes benefit the mother and her baby?

Objective: To examine the characteristics of women attending antenatal classes and evaluate the effects of these classes on mothers' and babies' health. Methods: A population-based observational study on care during pregnancy, delivery and in the postnatal period was carried out in 1995-96. A total of 9004 women resident in 13 regions of Italy who delivered in a 4-month period were interviewed. The outcomes studied were attendance at antenatal classes, Cesarean section, bottle feeding, satisfaction with the experience of childbirth, knowledge of contraception, breast feeding and baby care. Results: A total of 2065 (23.0%) women attended antenatal classes. Women without previous children, those with a higher level of education and office workers were more likely to attend classes. Women who attended antenatal classes had a much lower risk of Cesarean section and were about half as likely to bottle feed while in hospital compared with non-attenders. They received better information on contraception, breast feeding and baby care. Women who attended classes and applied the techniques learned were more satisfied with the experience of childbirth. Conclusion: Antenatal classes seem to improve women's knowledge and competence. This may provide a defence against the tendency to overmedicalize pregnancy and childbirth.

Women's health competencies in the undergraduate psychiatry curriculum: Past and future

Objective: To review the current psychiatry model clerkship objectives for their inclusion of women's health competencies and advise changes in light of recommendations of psychiatric educators and those developed at the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) Women's Health Education Retreat 2000. Study Design: The clerkship objectives promulgated by the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry (ADMSEP) were reviewed for their relevance to women's health. ADMSEP members were surveyed at their 1997 annual meeting and again by means of their listserve in 2000 for opinions regarding inclusion of women's health topics in their curricula. Results: The current objectives imply many women's health competencies. Those pertaining to abuse are particularly comprehensive. Survey data suggest that educators perceive that psychiatric aspects of reproductive functioning, violence, and trauma; gender differences in prevalence, presentation, and treatment of psychiatric disorders; and gender aspects of the doctor-patient relationship merit particular emphasis in the clerkship curriculum. Conclusions: Women's health competencies are broadly but implicitly represented in the psychiatry clerkship objectives as currently formulated. Revisions should encompass more explicit appreciation of gender differences and specific additional knowledge, skills, and attitudes. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:S15-8.)

The Proportion of Women Managers: Where Is the Critical Mass?1

This study examined the impact of proportions of women in management on attitudes of coworkers from two theoretical perspectives. According to Kanter (1977), women's competence, contribution to organizational culture, and status would be better appreciated as their proportion increased. According to Blalock (1967), men would react adversely. Data were collected from 453 managers in Canadian federal departments where the proportions varied from 9%, 20%, 35%, to 45%. Findings did not support either theory. Men made significantly more positive evaluations of women's participation in the organization and of their status in conditions above 20% than in the token condition. In the 45% sample, they recognized women's managerial talents significantly better. Women displayed confidence in their talents, irrespective of proportions. Results are discussed in the light of the influence of individual factors taken into account.