Influence Of Gender Roles Research Articles

The Influence of Gender Roles And Human Migrations on the Distribution of Crop Biodiversity in Tharaka, Kenya

Abstract Informal seed saving and farmer-to-farmer seed exchange are dictated by local rules and practices, which in turn can influence the distribution and management of crop biodiversity. Such systems are essential components of the livelihoods of small-holder farmers in Kenya and for in situ conservation of intraspecific and interspecific diversity. Using a mixed methods approach combining interviews, focus groups, and a household survey, we identify that the distribution of crop varieties in Tharaka, Kenya, has been shaped by both human migrations that have transported seeds and gender roles that have restricted travel and utilization of local indigenous varieties during early migrations. Our results suggest that the migrations of the first Tharaka people from Mbwa 300 years ago have influenced the concentration of local indigenous varieties in the areas of first settlement today. Subsequent smaller migrations dictated by men within Tharaka through the 1960s, particularly to the northern areas, origin...

The influence of gender roles and traditional healing on cervical screening adherence amongst women in a Cape Town peri-urban settlement

Background: Cervical cancer is the third most common gynaecologic malignancy worldwide and is the second most common cancer among South African women. Although entirely preventable, cervical cancer is responsible for the death of approximately 3 027, 53% of those diagnosed, South Africa women annually. A variety of factors influence women’s cervical screening adherence.Methods: A focus group discussion was conducted with female residents in Khayelitsha. Data from the focus group discussion was analysed using thematic analysis whereby emergent themes and subthemes were identified and reported.Results: The study confirmed previous findings around screening barriers amongst women residing in other Cape Town peri-urban settlements. New information regarding the influence of gender inequalities and traditional healers on screening adherence also emerged.Conclusion: The incorporation of men into cervical screening intervention programmes and the integration of traditional healers meaningfully into the health ca...

Influence of Sex and Gender-Role on Personal Control

This study examined the influence of sex and gender-role on safe-sex behaviours. A total of 202 (male= 68, females= 134) participants whose ages range between 15 and 56 years were randomly selected from a federal university in Nigeria. The objective of this study was to determine if sex and gender-role would independently and jointly influence personal control of men and women. Findings of this study revealed an independent influence of gender-role on personal control. No other influence was significant. The implication of this finding was discussed with reference to relevant literature. Recommendations were made based on the result of this study.

The Influence of Gender Role and Women's Empowerment on Couples' Fertility Experiences in Urban Society of Mashhad, Iran

Background and Aim: Iran has experienced a great variation in women's status in recent years. There is a little knowledge on how and why advancing gender equality and equity and the empowerment of women play a role in recent fertility reduction in the country. This study was conducted to gain insight into the role of gender beliefs and women's empowerment in the couples 'experiences of fertility in Mashhad, Iran in 2011-2012. Methods: In this exploratory qualitative study in-depth interviews were conducted with 54 purposefully selected eligible male and female participants and some key informants who lived in urban society of Mashhad. Data was collected until saturation was happened and analyzed adopting conventional content analysis approach through giving analytical codes and identification of categories using MAXqda software. Study rigor verified via prolonged engagement, thick description and validation of anlysis through member check. Results:Findings from data analysis demonstrated three major categories about the influence of women’s empowerment and gender role on fertility experiences including: 1) The couple’s understanding of gender roles 2) Women’s empowerment and changing gender roles 3) Couple’s interactions in complementary or parallel roles and 4) Fulfillment of fertility goals based on role division. Some aspects of couples' interaction including equal roles in fertility decisions, choosing and using best fit family planning method and participative child care influenced couples' fertility behavior. Women’s empowerment together with balanced gender role in the family resulted in success in attaining couple’s fertility desire. Conclusion: Managing fertility behaviors needs to understand the roles of spouses in their mutual interaction in fertility decision making and related behaviors. Imbalanced gender role in family acts as an obstacle to reach the fertility goals and leads to lower than desired fertility. Reproductive health policy makers and family planning counselors could apply the findings of this study in order to publicize proper fertility behaviors through making the couples aware of the risks of gender role imbalance.

Causes of Default on Micro - Credit among Women Micro - Entrepreneurs in Kenya. A Case Study of Women Enterprise Development Fund (Wedf) Msambweni Constituency

The government of Kenya has developed many credit schemes aimed at providing cheap credit to women and the disadvantaged groups in the society however many of these programs have sustained heavy losses due to poor loan repayment. The main objective of this research was to establish the causes of default in micro-credit advanced to small scale women entrepreneurs by WEDF within Msambweni Constituency in Kenya. The specific objectives to be investigated were how business failure influences loan repayment, the influence of gender roles on loan repayment, the influence of borrower’s entrepreneurial skills on loan repayment and how diversion of loan funds by borrowers affected the repayment of such loans. The study targeted a total of 74 women groups operating in the constituency which had benefited from the facility. Out of the 74groups, 19 groups were sampled each with membership of 10members, out which 4 members were picked from each of 19 groups using a simple random sampling for each stratum, so that every member of the sample population could have an equal and independent chance of being selected as a respondent. Data was collected by use of structured and semi-structured questionnaire and analysed by using quantitative technique and tabulated frequency tables, pie charts and bar graphs. The study found out that the amount of money given by WEDF was inadequate for investment that would generate returns to repay the loan and sustain the business and the entrepreneur, multiple and competing gender roles robbed off majority of the women entrepreneurs their time to attend to businesses; many did not find the applicability of the training attended in the running of their business and diversion of loans was true and it lead to repayment problems as the funds were used for other critical purposes but un intended. The recommendations are, the amount of loan advanced to women entrepreneurs be increased so that they can have adequate capital, loan beneficiaries be trained and advised to have other income generating activities so as to avert diversion of loan funds for other purpose. Causes of Default on Micro Credit among Women Micro Entrepreneurs in Kenya. A Case Study of www.iosrjournals.org 34 | Page Abbreviations and Acronyms MFIs Micro Finance Institutions, MDGsMillennium Development Goals, SMEs Small and Medium Enterprises, WEDF -Women Enterprise Development Fund. Definition of Key Terms The following will be the operational definitions of key terms used in this study. Defaulting: Failure to pay money that one owes at the right time, Capital: Money or property especially when used to start a business or produce more wealth, Collateral: Property or other goods that one promises to give someone if he/she unable to pay back the money lent, Creditworthy: People considered being able to pay debts, Entrepreneurs: Someone who starts a business or arranges business deals in order to make money often in a way that involves financial risks, Financial services: Provision of loans and savings by financial institutions such as banks, Loan: An amount of money borrowed from a bank or financial institution, Micro-credit: Small loans given to the poor and underprivileged population for income generating activity that will improve their standard of living, Microfinance: Is the provision of financial services to the poor and low income clients who traditionally lack access to banking and related activities.

Be successful – be male and masculine? On the influence of gender roles on objective career success

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to analyse the influence of individual gender role specifications on objective career success (measured by gross yearly income) in the context of different gender job contexts whilst controlling for human capital and working time variables. Typical economic, sociological and psychological variables are combined to improve explanations of the gender wage gap. Design/methodology/approach – Starting from Eagly and Karau's role incongruity theory, the paper derives hypotheses on the influence of gender role specification, gender job context and biological sex on gross yearly income. These hypotheses are analysed by logistic regressions with a data set from Germany. The paper presents results of a quantitative empirical survey of employees on wages, gender role-related self-descriptions and human capital variables. Findings – The paper results show that even in this highly qualified sample, male biological sex, masculine gender roles and non-female job context have a positive effect on individual income. The results hold true when the paper controls for human capital, working time, professional experience and jobs in the public sector. Research limitations/implications – Because of the limited size of the data set and some problems with selectivity, the research results lack generalizability. Researchers are thus encouraged to test the propositions with other data sets. Practical implications – The paper includes implications for wage design and for reaching wage equality in firms. An important implication for policy and practice is that under a gender and equal opportunity perspective, ensuring non-discriminating behaviour with regard to women may be only one (albeit an important) element of equal opportunity activities. Equal wage policies should further consider the gender characteristics of the job context, which may influence job-related roles and thus role incongruities. Additionally, individual interpretations of gender roles might have effects on wages. Human resource (HR) managers could support such policies by shaping job descriptions carefully with regard to gender role aspects, by influencing the gender composition of job contexts and by paying attention to the individual development of gender role interpretations in HR development programmes. Originality/value – The paper fulfils an identified research need to study simultaneously the influence of human capital variables and gender roles on wages. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study, which studies the influence of gender roles as defined by Born (1992) on income in a German context of highly qualified individuals while controlling for human capital, working time and professional experience. The existing lack in the literature with regard to empirical analyses on the combined influence of economic, sociological and psychological variables is mitigated.

Influence of gender roles and rising food prices on poor, pregnant women's eating and food provisioning practices in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

BackgroundMaternal malnutrition in Bangladesh is a persistent health issue and is the product of a number of complex factors, including adherence to food 'taboos’ and a patriarchal gender order that limits women’s mobility and decision-making. The recent global food price crisis is also negatively impacting poor pregnant women’s access to food. It is believed that those who are most acutely affected by rising food prices are the urban poor. While there is an abundance of useful quantitative research centered on maternal nutrition and food insecurity measurements in Bangladesh, missing is an understanding of how food insecurity is experienced by people who are most vulnerable, the urban ultra-poor. In particular, little is known of the lived experience of food insecurity among pregnant women in this context. This research investigated these lived experiences by exploring food provisioning strategies of urban, ultra-poor, pregnant women. This knowledge is important as discussions surrounding the creation of new development goals are currently underway.MethodsUsing a focused-ethnographic approach, household food provisioning experiences were explored. Data from participant observation, a focus group discussion and semi-structured interviews were collected in an urban slum in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Interviews were undertaken with 28 participants including 12 pregnant women and new mothers, two husbands, nine non-pregnant women, and five health care workers.ResultsThe key findings are: 1) women were aware of the importance of good nutrition and demonstrated accurate, biomedically-based knowledge of healthy eating practices during pregnancy; 2) the normative gender rules that have traditionally constrained women’s access to nutritional resources are relaxing in the urban setting; however 3) women are challenged in accessing adequate quality and quantities of food due to the increase in food prices at the market.ConclusionsRising food prices and resultant food insecurity due to insufficient incomes are negating the recent efforts that have increased women’s knowledge of healthy eating during pregnancy and their gendered empowerment. In order to maintain the gains in nutritional knowledge and women’s increased mobility and decision-making capacity; policy must also consider the global political economy of food in the creation of the new development goals.

Developing Culturally Competent Marriage and Family Therapists: Guidelines for Working With Asian Indian American Couples

The growing Asian Indian population has prompted the need for counselors to consider multicultural factors when communicating with their clients. This study provides initial guidelines and recommendations for working with Asian Indian Americans based on a content analysis of the professional literature. The study examined the conceptual and empirical work of treatment experts and identified common themes that impact assessment, treatment, and intervention. The strongest themes included: a) the impact of intergenerational/extended family relationships on the marriage; b) acculturation issues; and c) the influence of gender roles on marital and parental patterns. Suggestions for future research are also provided.

Using technology in higher education: The influence of gender roles on technology self-efficacy

The present study examines the relationship between technology self-efficacy among university students and gender roles. Previous research has based differences in technology self-efficacy on biological sex and found significant differences. University students were asked to complete a survey dealing with gender roles and technology self-efficacy. The current study shows that gender roles, specifically masculinity, is the source of this difference in technology self-efficacy, and not biological sex alone. Further, masculinity predicts technology self-efficacy above and beyond what can be explained by other contributing factors such as previous computer hassles and perceived structural technology support.

The Role of Gender on Positive Psychology Constructs in a Sample of Iranian Adolescents and Young adults

This study was purposed to investigate the roles of gender and age on psychological hardiness, emotional intelligence, self-efficacy and happiness in an Iranian sample. Participants were included 200 adolescents and 200 young adults that randomly selected from Eghlid City; Fars province, Iran. A demographic questionnaire, the Ahwaz Hardiness Inventory (AHI), the General Self Efficacy Scale (GSES), the Trait-Meta-Mood-Scale (TMMS), and the Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI) were used in this study. Resulting data indicated that males had a significantly higher performance in psychological hardiness, emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, and happiness than females. Also, the influence of gender roles and age and its interaction in these positive psychology constructs were rejected in this study. Implications of the results were discussed for execution of positive psychology programs in males and females.

Disparate coping strategies for gendered effects of drought

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to facilitate an understanding of influence of gender roles in drought so as to come with relevant recommendation aimed at bettering the lives of men, women and female children.Design/methodology/approachData have been collected via participant observation, interviews and collection of unpublished primary and secondary data generated by case studies conducted by the author. After which, content analysis was employed for its potentiality as a means of systematically identifying, classifying and analyzing information relevant to this study.FindingsIt is argued in this study that the survival of the community, in Central Tanzania, is questionable because effects of drought have reached intolerable levels and strategies adopted aren't that helpful. More specifically, socially assigned gender roles, position women and female children at the most disadvantageous position as the main victims of the disaster. Accordingly, gender roles have to be changed, if the effects of drought have to be mitigated and the community rescued from disappearance.Originality/valueThe research is original as data obtained cannot be easily accessed by short term researchers who have inadequate knowledge of the community and cannot observe season changes. Practitioner, social scientists and natural scientists, engineers and contractors included, can have their confidence in the findings: the findings are ready to be used.

Cancer Patients’ and Partners’ Psychological Distress and Quality of Life: Influence of Gender Role

Three hundred cancer patients and romantic partners of cancer patients were surveyed regarding their psychological distress, quality of life, and gender-role identity. Specifically, we considered whether cancer patients and partners differed in psychological distress, and quality of life as a function of their gender-role identities. Results indicated that individuals who ascribed to either a masculine or an undifferentiated gender-role identity, regardless of whether they were a patient or a partner, were more at risk for developing depressive symptoms as compared to those who ascribed to a feminine or androgynous gender-role identity. Also, partners of cancer patients were more at risk for developing anxiety symptoms as compared to cancer patients, regardless of gender-role identity. There were no significant differences among gender-role identities or role status in regard to quality of life.

The influence of gender roles on health seeking behaviour during pregnancy in Turkey

Objectives To explore the impact of gender roles in relation to health seeking behaviour during pregnancy and childbirth.Methods The study was conducted in neighbourhoods with low antenatal care rates in three provinces of Turkey. The study population consisted of pregnant women who never got or discontinued antenatal care and their peers, families and community leaders. Sixteen focus group discussions and 125 in-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 239 participants.Results Pregnancy and childbirth are interwoven strongly with gender roles. Since the patriarchal system acknowledges women through the means of childbirth, women are expected to have many children. Hence women experience pregnancy as a burden and are not motivated to seek antenatal care. During pregnancy, only ‘serious’ conditions are considered as legitimate reasons for accessing care. However, the decision regarding whether a pregnant woman is seriously sick or not belongs to the responsibilities of elder women, which delays service use.Conclusions Providing information regarding the value of antenatal care also to elder women is essential in increasing the demand to the services. Incorporating gender perspectives into daily health practice and maintaining access to high quality reproductive care services are vital in reducing the gender based barriers to care.

Gender Roles and Norms Factors Influencing Reproductive Behavior among Couples in Ibadan, Nigeria

This study established the influence of gender roles and norms factors on the reproductive behaviour among couples in Ibadan. A total of three hundred men and women randomly selected from five diff...

Factors affecting home delivery in rural Tanzania

Studies of factors affecting place of delivery have rarely considered the influence of gender roles and relations within the household. This study combines an understanding of gender issues relating to health and help-seeking behaviour with epidemiological knowledge concerning place of delivery. In-depth interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation were used to explore determinants of home delivery in southern Tanzania. Quantitative data were collected in a cross-sectional survey of 21,600 randomly chosen households. Issues of risk and vulnerability, such as lack of money, lack of transport, sudden onset of labour, short labour, staff attitudes, lack of privacy, tradition and cultures and the pattern of decision-making power within the household were perceived as key determinants of the place of delivery. More than 9000 women were interviewed about their most recent delivery in the quantitative survey. There were substantial variations between ethnic groups with respect to place of delivery (P<0.0001). Women who lived in male-headed households were less likely to deliver in a health facility than women in female-headed households (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.80-0.91). Mothers with primary and higher education were more likely to deliver at a health facility (RR 1.30, 95% CI 1.23-1.38). Younger mothers and the least poor women were also more likely to deliver in a health facility compared with the older and the poorest women, respectively. To address neonatal mortality, special attention should be paid to neonatal health in both maternal and child health programmes. The findings emphasize the need for a systematic approach to overcome health-system constraints, community based programmes and scale-up effective low-cost interventions which are already available.

The influence of gender role on negotiation development and outcome

PurposeThe main aim of this paper is to analyze the effect of gender differences on negotiation behaviour choice and, consequently, on its outcome. The analysis undertaken is first defined by distinguishing between sex and gender role. It gender role and not biological sex the factor that can have a direct impact on behaviour. With a contextual perspective, we have chosen the negotiation processes of strategic alliances as our contextual framework of analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts a qualitative methodology, particularly case study analysis.FindingsA higher degree of complexity increases the perception of ambiguity, which then leads to the influence of gender in the negotiation. Androgynous profiles act favourably in nurturing clearly integrative behaviour, whilst when the profile more closely resembles the masculine stereotype, behaviour tends to be more competitive, though attenuated. Acting in the best interests of the firm, and the fact that negotiators normally belong to the higher echelons of management, favours the adoption of this integrative behaviour. Lastly, it can be observed that competitive behaviour results in less favourable outcomes than an integrative approach in a cooperation agreement.Originality/valueThe proposal bring to the attention of managers the importance of choosing the individuals that are going to negotiate the strategic alliance correctly, in order to achieve better outcomes and to smooth the path towards good performance in the future.

Looking within the household: gender roles and responses to malaria in Ghana

Studies of factors affecting treatment-seeking behaviour for malaria have rarely considered the influence of gender roles and relations within the household. This study supported district-level government workers in the Volta Region of Ghana in conducting a situational analysis of gender inequities in relation to the malaria burden and access to healthcare services for malaria in one community in their district. Qualitative and participatory methods, such as focus group discussions, in-depth individual interviews and ranking exercises, were used. The study found that women who lacked either short- or long-term economic support from male relatives, or disagreed with their husbands or family elders about appropriate treatment-seeking, faced difficulties in accessing health care for children with malaria. This illustrates the significant influence of women's access to resources and decision-making power on treatment-seeking behaviour for children with febrile illnesses, and the importance of approaching malaria management in the community or household from a gender perspective.

The influence of gender roles on evolved partner preferences

Evolutionary psychologists argue that there are reliable sex differences between men and women's partner preferences, such that men attach greater importance than women to physical attractiveness, whereas women are more concerned than men with commitment and status. The present study proposed that gender roles may moderate these sex differences. A total of 143 participants completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and rated the importance of several partner characteristics. Categorical and regression analyses showed that both sex and sex-typing had a significant impact on partner preferences. These findings are discussed in terms of a trade-off threshold model of partner preferences, such that masculine women may engage in some trade-off of commitment characteristics for physical attractiveness and feminine men may trade-off attractiveness for signs of willingness to commit.

Influence of Gender Roles on Perceptions of Teacher/Adolescent Student Sexual Relations

In this study we explored the effects of respondent gender and the specific gender combination (i.e., cross- and same-gender dyads) on perceptions of a sexual encounter between a teacher and an adolescent student. Respondents (120 male and 120 female undergraduates) read a brief scenario and answered questions about their perceptions of the encounter. Significant interactions emerged between teacher gender and student gender. For example, the male teacher/male student dyad was viewed as the least normative, and the female teacher/male student dyad was perceived as the most normative. Significant interactions also were found between teacher gender and respondent gender. Results generally were consistent with gender role stereotypes.

The influence of gender role on career choice in dental students at Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University

The influence of gender role on career choice in dental students at Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University