Religious Father Research Articles

Dynamics of everyday practices of urban parents

In order to further improve family policy, the article aims to analyze the dynamics of everyday practices of parents. The empirical basis is the databases on individuals of the Comprehensive monitoring of living conditions (GKS-KOUZH — 2011,2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 years), which is conducted by the Federal State Statistics Service. Subsamples of urban fathers and mothers living with children under the age of 15 have been formed. The daily practices of parents are analyzed based on the indicators of work, leisure, sports, health, smoking and alcohol consumption contained in the database, depending on gender, educational level and number of children. The article presents an analysis of studies on the transmission of constructive and destructive parenting practices to children. It is shown that during the analyzed period, the proportion of parents who work in their specialty, attend various leisure facilities, participate in the activities of political and public organizations, engage in sports and drink alcohol is stable. The proportion of mothers attending religious institutions and meetings of believers has decreased. There are positive trends in a significant increase in the proportion of both fathers and mothers who are satisfied with their profession and salary, who make tourist trips, who positively assess their health and a decrease in the proportion of fathers who smoke. According to the analysis of the KOUZH-2022, more parents with higher education work in their specialty, are satisfied with wages, have the opportunity to work distantly via the Internet, practice buying food and goods over the Internet, make tourist trips, visit the theater, museums, exhibitions, restaurants, participate in social activities, do not smoke, play sports or active recreation compared to parents without higher education. Parents with many children are similar in terms of types of professional activities and level of education to one- and two-child parents. The absolute advantage of parents with many children is a significant proportion of religious fathers and the lowest level of alcohol consumption by fathers and mothers. Positive trends in the daily activities of parents inspire optimism about the prospects for fertility and the quality of parenthood.

Social Factors Affecting Religious Institutions in the Maintenance of Peace and Harmony in East Hararghe Zone: The Case of Selected Religious Institutions

The study investigated social factors affecting the maintenance of peace and harmony by religious institutions in East Hararghe zone of Oromia region. In doing so, the study employed a qualitative research approach as the issue deals with people’s perspectives and lived experiences. Explanatory cross-sectional and case study research designs were employed to uncover the reasons for the inability to maintain peace and harmony and go deep into the selected cases, respectively. The study used key informant interview, in-depth interview, focus group discussion, and published and unpublished documents to gather relevant data. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select informants who have sufficient knowledge in the area. The study employed thematic analysis to sort-out important themes. The findings of the study demonstrated that lack of entertaining ethnolinguistic differences among followers of the religious institutions, lack of good relationship and mutual support between religious institutions, internal divisions within the institutions, lack of knowledge of theology and modern education, capacity, and spiritual integrity by religious fathers, power struggle and lack of trust among religious fathers, and unequal treatment of religious institutions by government as social factors affecting religious institutions in maintaining peace and harmony. The study recommends that religious institutions should entertain ethnolinguistic differences of their followers to the level expected of them. Additionally, the government should treat religious institutions found in the study area equally and entertain their cases officially to maintain peace and harmony successfully.

Predictors of underage pregnancy among women aged 15–19 in highly prevalent regions of Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis based on EDHS, 2016

Under age (teenage) pregnancy is a pregnancy that occurs under the age of 20 years old. Its magnitude is increasing globally. It is much higher in low-income countries compared to high-income countries. Teenage pregnancy exposed teenagers to various obstetric and perinatal complications. However, its predictors are not well investigated in highly prevalent regions of Ethiopia. Therefore, this study assessed individual and community-level predictors of teenage pregnancy using a multi-level logistic regression model. An in-depth secondary data analysis was performed using the fourth Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) 2016 data set. A weighted sample of 2397 teenagers was included in the final analysis. Multi co linearity and chi-square tests were checked and variables which did not fulfill the assumptions were excluded from the analysis. Four models were fitted. Variables with p value ≤ 0.2 in the bi-variable multilevel logistic regression were included in the multivariable multilevel logistic regression. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was computed. Variables with a p value of less than 0.05 in the multi-variable multilevel logistic regression were declared as statistically significant predictors. A total of 2397 weighted participants aged from 15 to 19 were involved. About 15% of teenagers were pregnant. Age [17 (AOR = 9.41: 95% CI 4.62, 19.13), 18 (AOR = 11.7: 95% CI 5.96, 23.16), 19 (AOR = 24.75: 95% CI 11.82, 51.82)], primary education (AOR = 2.09: 95% CI 1.16, 3.76), being illiterate (AOR = 1.80: 95% CI 1.19, 2.73), religion [being Muslims (AOR: 2.98:95% CI 1.80, 4.94), being Protestants (AOR = 2.02: 95% CI 1.20, 3.41)], contraceptive non use (AOR = 0.18: 95% CI 0.11, 0.31), a high proportion of family planning demand (AOR = 3.52: 95% CI 1.91, 6.49), and a high proportion of marriage (AOR = 4.30: 95% CI 2.25, 8.21) were predictors of teenage pregnancy. Age, educational status, religion, contraceptive non-use, literacy proportion of marriage and proportion of demand for family planning were the most significant predictors of teenage pregnancy. The ministry of education shall focus on universal access to education to improve female education. The government should work in collaboration with religious fathers to address reproductive and sexual issues to decrease early marriage and sexual initiation. Especial attention should be given to teenagers living in a community with a high proportion of marriage.

Initiation of breast-feeding practice and associated factors among mothers who have infants less than 12 months of age in Debre Tabor Town, North West Ethiopia, 2021: A multicenter community-based cross-sectional study

Introductioninitiation of breastfeeding is crucial in preventing newborn deaths and influences childhood nutrition. There was limited updated evidence regarding early initiation of breast-feeding practice and associated factors among the target population in the study area. ObjectiveTo assess initiation of breastfeeding practice and its associated factors among mothers who have infants less than six months of age in, North West Ethiopia, 2020. MethodsThe Community based quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 405 respondents in the stud area, then data would be entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 20 statistical packages. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression model analysis would be done. Odds ratio with 95% confidence was computed to determine the level of significance-value less than 0.05 considered as significant. ResultThis study showed that 94.7% of mothers in Debre Tabor Town practiced initiation of breastfeeding for their infants within the Less Than 12 Months of age. In multivariable analysis I n f a n t S e x, Female [AOR (95% CI) = 0.068 (0.002, 1.659), and Age of Mother 20–24 years [AOR (95% CI) = 2.33 (0.030, 17.12)], 25–29 years ((AOR = 8.20 [(95% CI: 12.212, 22.189]), and 30–34 years (AOR = 4.48 [95% CI: 0.463, 15.478], Assists (Attend) during delivery, Doctor (AOR = 0.644 [95% CI: 0.041, 10.138]) and Encourage BF by religious father (AOR = 6.669 [(95% CI: 4.27, 8.895]) were remained significantly associated with the outcome variable with at 95% CI and P- value of <0.05. Conclusionand Recommendation: The prevalence of EIBF among mother-infant pairs of less than 12 months in debre tabor town, Northwest, Ethiopia, was found to be high as compared to national and global infant and young child feeding guidelines. However; it shows improvement as compared with some previous studies in Ethiopia. I n f a n t s e x, age of mother, assists during delivery, and encourage BF by religious father were factors associated with outcome in the stud area.

The burden of traditional neonatal uvulectomy among admissions to neonatal intensive care units, North Central Ethiopia, 2019: A triangulated crossectional study.

Traditional neonatal uvulectomy is unsupervised, unscientific and potentially dangerous cultural malpractice. It is often accompanied with life threatening neonatal morbidities such as infection, septicemia, anemia, aspiration and oropharyngeal injury. However, there is no current regional and even national data of its public health importance in the health care system. Therefore, this study was aimed at assessing the burden, associated factors and reasons of traditional uvulectomy among neonatal admissions at Debre Tabor General Hospital, North Central Ethiopia, from September 2018 to August 2019. A quantitative cross sectional study supplemented with phenomenological study was employed on 422 mother-neonate pairs. Eight mothers who were not included in the quantitative part were involved as key informants of the qualitative study. Systematic and purposive sampling techniques were used to select study participants for the quantitative and qualitative parts of the study respectively. Multivariable logistic regressions were fitted to investigate significant predictors of traditional neonatal uvulectomy at p-value ≤ 0.05 and 95% CI. Moreover, the qualitative data were carefully transcribed, coded, screened, thematized, synthesized and then triangulated with the quantitative results. The burden of postuvulectomy admission was 67 (15.88%). Most of these admissions had post uvulectomy sepsis [59 (88.1%)] followed by anemia (55.23%). From multivariable analysis, factors that had significant odds of association with traditional neonatal uvulectomy include: having male neonate [AOR = 4.87; 95% CI: 1.10, 21.59], antenatal couple counseling about traditional neonatal uvulectomy [AOR = 0.053; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.35], home delivery [AOR = 6.02; 95% CI: 1.15, 31.61], postnatal couple counseling about traditional neonatal uvulectomy [AOR = 0.101; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.65], prior history of traditional neonatal uvulectomy [AOR = 7.15; 95% CI: 1.18, 43.21] and knowing at least one adverse effect of traditional neonatal uvulectomy [AOR = 0.068; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.44]. Furthermore, maternal perception of "there is no modern medicine to treat elongated and swollen neonatal uvula' was the most explained reason to practice traditional neonatal uvulectomy. The burden of traditional neonatal uvulectomy was high. Fortunately, its predictors are modifiable. Therefore, several advocacy teams of neonatal health consisting of mainly women health development armies, elders, religious fathers, health professionals and criminal prosecutors should be actively mobilized against traditional neonatal uvulectomy. Besides, parental couple counseling about the adverse effects of traditional neonatal uvulectomy should be properly implemented in the routine antenatal and postnatal continuum of care in South Gondar Zone, North Central Ethiopia.

The Power to “Not Want” in a Global Women’s Film Context

Desire for her, her desire, that is what is forbidden by the law of the father, of all fathers: fathers of families, fathers of nations, religious fathers, professor-fathers, lover-fathers, etc.… P...

Abre a porta do bar e deixe as “Mina Gerenciar”

Esse caso verossímil sobre jovens empreendedores em pequenas, médias e grandes cidades no Brasil apresenta inicialmente o conflito de gerações e modos de ver o mundo de uma filha feminista empreendedora e um pai machista, religioso e conservador em uma cidade do interior de Minas Gerais. Amanda decide colocar em prática seu amor por cozinhar e resolve abrir um restaurante. Após esclarecer suas ideias ao seu pai e provedor financeiro, Amanda tem que lidar com a tentativa de seu pai impedir a abertura do seu bar. A jovem empreendedora precisa definir seu negócio, considerando, por exemplo: (a) o tipo de restaurante e a tendência na gastronomia a seguir; (ii) a visibilidade de sua prima transgênera no bar; (iii) o público-alvo, a localização e o segmento ou nicho de mercado; (iv) a Análise SWOT; (v) a Matriz BCG; (vi) o cardápio; (vii) o ponto de equilíbrio a partir do cardápio apresentado; e (viii) a possível troca donome pensado pela empreendedora.

The Role of Indigenous Conflict Resolution Mechanisms in the Pastoral Community: An Implication for Social Solidarity in Somali Region, Shineli Woreda

The main objective of this study was to examine the role of Indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms in the pastoral community for social solidarity in Shineli Woreda, which is found in Somali regional State. A qualitative research design was employed under which, Focus group discussion, semi-structured interview and observations were conducted and the data was analyzed qualitatively. A total of 60 informants were selected by using purposive sampling technique. The finding of this study revealed that, conflict in the pastoral community was largely caused by competition over scarce resources (water and pasture land related problems), livestock raids, and revenge traditions. Besides, informants indicated that historical and political factors, drought, land alienation for investment, and idleness amongst the youth were the other causes of conflict in the pastoral community. Moreover, almost all informants of the study were used and preferred indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms which are deep rooted in the pastoral community. Community elders, religious father, clan leaders are key players of indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms. Finally, study participants stated that the decision made by elders and social sanctions in the community plays a crucial role in managing conflict through ingenious mechanisms.

Parent–child transmission of religious and secular values in Israel

ABSTRACT This research uses Schwartz’s theory of values to examine intergenerational (parent-child) value transmission among Orthodox-religious and secular Jewish families in Israel. The study investigates the transmission of religious and secular values among 211 Jewish families with heterogeneous religious-secular (R-S) parental dyads in comparison to family groups that are homogeneously religious (R-R) or homogenously secular (S-S). Results illustrate significant differences between the groups with respect to religious values transmitted by parents and accepted by adult children. Parent–child agreement on religious values is high in (RF-SM) family groups and in homogeneous religious (R-R) family groups. In contrast, the religious mother-secular father (RM-SF) family groups and homogeneous secular (S-S) family groups have a low transmission of religious values. The study sheds light on parent–child agreement on religious values in various types of family groups.

Review: From the Grounds Up: Thomas Jefferson's Architecture and Design

From the Grounds Up: Thomas Jefferson's Architecture and Design Fralin Museum of Art, University of Virginia, Charlottesville 26 January–29 April 2018 Recalling the many accomplishments of his long public life, the polymath Thomas Jefferson instructed that his gravestone be inscribed with what he considered the three most important: “Author of the Declaration of American Independence of the Statute of Virginia Religious Freedom and Father of the University of Virginia.” To mark the bicentennial of the last of those achievements—the founding of the university on the edge of the courthouse town that stood in the shadow of Monticello—Jefferson scholar Richard Guy Wilson organized From the Grounds Up , an exhibition of drawings, books, letters, paintings, prints, models, tools, and architectural fragments that exemplified Jefferson's passion for architectural design and building. Just how absorbing those passions could be was revealed to a visitor to Monticello who stumbled around scaffolding in unplastered rooms. Rather than apologizing for the unfinished appearance of the house so many years after it was built, Jefferson stated that he fervently hoped that it would “remain so during my life, as architecture is my delight, and putting up, and pulling down, one of my favorite amusements.”1 Although staged to commemorate the laying of the foundations for the first pavilion on the grounds of Jefferson's “academical village,” the exhibition did not focus solely on the design and construction of the university; rather, it served as an informed introduction to those sources that inspired his abiding interest in architecture (Figure 1). Jefferson was just as fascinated with the practical aspects of building as he was with the theoretical nature of design. Wilson emphasized this point by displaying utilitarian objects such as nails made by slaves in the nailery on Monticello's Mulberry Row, period tools, a brick fragment from Poplar Forest, and a door from the same place fabricated by the enslaved carpenter John Hemings. Like many of his contemporaries in the …

Religious Variability in the Relationship Between Masculinity and Father Involvement

AbstractWhile traditional masculinity and fathering behaviors are seemingly associated, few studies have considered the conditions under which masculine norms may influence fathers’ behavior. Religiosity is an important factor to consider, given its association with both the endorsement of traditional gender attitudes and father involvement. This paper addresses the independent effects of traditional masculine norms and religiosity on fathering behaviors and considers whether religiosity moderates the relationship between masculinity and men's parenting behaviors. Using a national sample of fathers with children aged 2–17 in the United States, the results suggest that masculinity is negatively associated with father involvement, while religiosity is positively associated with father involvement. Yet, both highly masculine and highly religious fathers are more likely to engage in harsh discipline. Moreover, results suggest that religiosity attenuates the negative relationship between masculinity and active father involvement, while exacerbating the positive relationship between masculinity and harsh punishment.

Religious Heterogamy, Marital Quality, and Paternal Engagement

Using data from a nationally representative sample of married fathers of school-aged children, we examined the association between religious heterogamy of parents and fathers’ involvement in children’s lives. We further examined whether that association is mediated by marital quality and father–child religious discord. Results showed that greater religious heterogamy is associated with less interaction and more relational distance between fathers and children. Results also suggested that fathers’ reports of marital happiness play an important role in mediating the association between religious heterogamy and paternal engagement. We concluded that religious fathers are more involved in their children’s lives insofar as their wives are equally religious and they are in happy marriages.

Timely initiation of breastfeeding among first time mothers in Bahir Dar city, North West, Ethiopia, 2016.

Timely initiation of breastfeeding is one important intervention to prevent childhood morbidities and mortalities. Globally, not more than 35 and 39% in developing countries, 52% in Ethiopia and 38% in Amhara region were initiated with breastfeeding early. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from 20 March to April, 2016. A total of 423 mothers who have infants less than 6 month old were included in this study. The data were collected using interviewer administered questionnaire. Binary logistic regression analysis were used to identify factors associated with timely initiation of breastfeeding. Prevalence of timely initiation of breastfeeding was 65%. Being male [AOR 2.148 (1.232, 3.745)], breastfeeding counseling [AOR 2.163 (1.187, 3.942)], place of delivery [AOR 8.639 (2.089, 5.720)], normal labor [AOR 4.094 (1.414, 8.728], and religious father support [AOR 1.962 (1.113, 3.458)] were determinants for timely initiation of breastfeeding. Timely initiation of breastfeeding in the study area was 65%. Sex of infant, breastfeeding counseling, birth place, mode of delivery, and religious father support were predictors of timely initiation of breastfeeding. Strengthening timely initiation of breastfeeding through provision of antenatal care services, educating mothers and strengthening health professionals knowledge, and skills on breastfeeding counseling were recommended.

The practice and guidance and counseling in Amhara region Ethiopia.

The Practice of guidance and counseling service in Amhara region public university’s Ethiopia.&#x0D; Alebachew Mohammed1 and Antehun Atanaw2 &#x0D; 1Department of psychology, Debere Tabor university E-mail, alebemohaa@gmail.com &#x0D; 2Department of English language and literature, Debere Tabor university E-mail, antehuns@gmail.com&#x0D; Abstract&#x0D; Supporting students through their academic and social development are central mission of any university. This study aimed to assess the practice of guidance and counseling service in Amhara region public universities. The study was conducted on Bahir Dar university, Wollo university and Debre Tabor university. Through using sample size determination formula 576 regular students by stratified random sampling and 4 counselors using comprehensive sampling techniques were selected. The data was gathered through observation, interview and questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed qualitatively through narration of words and descriptive statistics of frequency and percentage. The finding indicates all counselors except Debre Tabor university don’t have female counselors as well all are first degree. Furthermore, the average the ratio of one counselor is 5-10,000 students. Regarding the awareness, majority of student 69%-77.1% of student don’t know the office location of the counselor. Approximately 1% of Bahir Dar university, 3% of Debere Tabor university, 4% of Wollo university students were reported using the service. Among this 28(50.9%) of student evaluated the service as not helpful. Regarding the referral of student by academic staffs (Instructors, departments and Faculty’s) to counselor found poor. Furthermore, counselors are not formally delegated to attend issues that concern students like Forum, discipline and HIV etc. which might be helpful for the intervention. All university use Regular government working time and no night, weekend, telephone counseling service. Student consult their problems mainly to their friends, mothers and religious father. Teachers and counselors are among the least possible source of advisee. In conclusion, the general service provision of guidance and counseling were found poor and given less attention by universities. Thus, ministry of education and the university officials should give due attention by restructuring the office and allocation of resource and experts. &#x0D; Key word; guidance and counseling, student, counselor, personal and social problems&#x0D; &#x0D;

An Investigating the SWOT Analysis of Cultural Tourism Heritage for Sustainable Tourism Development: The Case of LALIBELA Rock Hewn Churches, World Heritage Site, Ethiopia

Yearly, many nations try to inscribe their heritages under the list of world heritage site for the ensuring the sustainable tourism development. However there is a big problem of examining the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats on the heritages for sustainable tourism development. The main objectives of his study are to inculcate the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats of cultural tourism heritage for sustainable tourism development in the case of world heritage site, Lalibela. To undertake this study, descriptive research was employed. The target populations were, the tour guides, the local communities, the hotel and tourism experts, religious fathers and tourists. Twenty one respondents were chosen through purposive sampling. The data instruments used were filed observation, in-depth- interview through telephoning and face to face and document review. The findings proved that strengths like the Lalibela cross, unique festivals, quality accommodation establishments, indigenous culture, 11 rock hewn churches, spectacular topography. Weaknesses are coordination problem, lack of professionals, sufficient budget problem, and lack of concern form UNESCO. Opportunities are government attention, to be pride, foreign exchange, developing awareness. Threats are carrying capacity problem, globalization, dependency on tourism, political instability. Thus, the stakeholders at the Lalibela destinations should try to identify minimize and solve the weakness threats and use the strengths and opportunities to ensure the sustainable tourism development at the destination.

Predicting the use of corporal punishment: Child aggression, parent religiosity, and the BDNF gene.

Corporal punishment (CP) has been associated with deleterious child outcomes, highlighting the importance of understanding its underpinnings. Although several factors have been linked with parents' CP use, genetic influences on CP have rarely been studied, and an integrative view examining the interplay between different predictors of CP is missing. We focused on the separate and joint effects of religiosity, child aggression, parent's gender, and a valine (Val) to methionine (Met) substitution in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene. Data came from a twin sample (51% male, aged 6.5 years). We used mothers' and fathers' self-reports of CP and religiosity, and the other parent's report on child aggression. Complete data were available for 244 mothers and their 466 children, and for 217 fathers and their 409 children. The random split method was employed to examine replicability. For mothers, only the effect of religiosity appeared to replicate. For fathers, several effects predicting CP use replicated in both samples: child aggression, child sex, religiosity, and a three-way (GxExE) interaction implicating fathers' BDNF genotype, child aggression and religiosity. Religious fathers who carried the Met allele and had an aggressive child used CP more frequently; in contrast, secular fathers' CP use was not affected by their BDNF genotype or child aggression. Results were also repeated longitudinally in a subsample with age 8-9 data. Findings highlight the utility of a bio-ecological approach for studying CP use by shedding light on pertinent gene-environment interaction processes. Possible implications for intervention and public policy are discussed.

Religious Practice and Health-Related Quality of Life in Iranian Adolescent Girls.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between religious practice and health-related quality of life in adolescent girls in Tabriz, Iran, 2014-2015. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 520 female students who were selected using the random sampling method. Religious practice and health-related quality of life questionnaires were used for data collection. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed a significant relationship between health-related quality of life and received religious support, religiosity, father's and mother's education, father's occupation, family economic status, and the number of children. It is necessary to find ways to further promote religious practices in adolescents and ultimately their quality of life.

Prevalence and Factors Influences Utilization of Modern Contraceptive Methods among Married Women of Reproductive Age Group (15-49 Years) in Holeta Town, Oromia, Ethiopia 2016

Background: Family planning refers to the use of various methods of fertility control that will help individual men and women or couples to have the number of children they want and when they want them in order to assure the wellbeing of the children and the parents. Rapid population growth is of the prominent challenge of our planet. This major challenge is not equally shouldered by each nation. Developing countries are still suffering from the wave of unchecked population growth. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and factors influencing utilization of modern contraceptive method among married women of reproductive age group in Holeta town, 2016. A Crosssectional community based study design was conducted to assess the prevalence and factors influencing utilization of modern contraceptive methods among married women of reproductive age group (15-49 year) in Holeta town from May 10 to 28, 2016. The participants were selected by systematic random sampling technique and data was collected from 295 married women of reproductive age group by interviewer administered questionnaires were employed. Binary logistic regression models were used to assess associations between factors and Modern Contraceptive method use. Results: Modern contraceptive prevalence rate among married women was 218 (73.9%). Inject able contraceptives were the most frequently used methods143 (65.6%), followed by implant 45 (20.6%), pills 16 (7.3%), IUD (5.0%) and condom 2 (0.9%). Multinomial logistic regression model revealed that age (AOR 2.389, 95%CI 1.113-1.733 p-0.004), occupation (AOR1.555, 95% CI 1.234-1.96 p-0.000), culture (AOR 2.441, 95% CI 1.064-5.602 p-0.o35), religious father (AOR 0.013, 95% CI 1.048-3.865 p-0.036), and stillbirth (AOR 0.363, 95% CI 0.133-0.993 p-0.049) were significantly associated with the use of modern contraceptives methods. Conclusion: The overall utilization of modern contraceptives in this study was 218 (73.9%). The most common modern contraceptive method used was injectable 143 (48.5%). The finding of this study highlighted that women’s occupation, age, culture, religious fathers and number of desired male children were important factors that influenced the use of modern contraceptive methods. Among these the most significant factors influencing utilization of modern contraceptive was women’s occupation. Recommendation: Policy makers and implementers should work on those factors to increase the utilization of modern contraceptive methods. Since static family planning services are not accessible to change the community’s culture, other strategies like outreach methods should be considered. Further study is required to explain perceptions and barriers towards modern contraceptive use among the religious father.

Renewal in the Cuban Evangelical Church: The Perspective of Two Feminist Pastors

Renewal in the Cuban Evangelical Church: The Perspective of Two Feminist Pastors Margarita M. W. Suárez The Protestant churches in Cuba are changing. They are recreating themselves in Cuba which is itself changing often moment by moment. In the early years of the revolution, religious people were often seen as counter‐revolutionary, and with the advent of Latin American Liberation Theology in the 70s and 80s, the Cuban government began to realize that one could be both religious and revolutionary. With the demise of the Soviet Union, in the early 90s, the government also realized that pragmatically an openness to religion would lead to new avenues for trade and economic assistance. In this article, the changing face of the Protestant church in Cuba will be viewed through the lens of the lives and thought of two Cuban women pastors, one Presbyterian and one Baptist. They exemplify a new feminist Christianity now seen in the church in Cuba. I met Dora Arce Valentín on my first research trip to Cuba. We arrived at the Evangelical Theological Seminary (SET) in Matanzas late on the evening of November 15, 1999. Rubén, my six‐year‐old son, was asleep and had to be carried upstairs to bed. Our room was on the second floor in the former dean's house. There was a closet and a double bed that Rubén and I would share, and a door to a rooftop space, where one could sit and overlook the harbor, read, or watch birds flying in the late afternoon catching insects. The next morning after eating breakfast with the students in the refectory, the current dean of the seminary brought us to the school where Rubén would attend first grade for the next three months. Not long after, the many challenges and rewards of my fieldwork began. Specifically, I was a virtual single mother with a chronic illness and an anthropologist of religion with limited ethnographic experience in Cuba. However, I held a deep commitment to developing a reciprocal ethnography going beyond participant observation, and I possessed a deep desire to live in Cuba and learn the deep cultural and religious histories of my people. I also knew that religion in Cuba was living in a historic moment and that working with the new feminist evangelicals would make the entire trip worthwhile. I met Presbítera Dora Arce Valantín the very next Sunday. It would be nearly ten years before I met Reverenda Raquel Suárez Rodes. Once I met Raquel, I realized that these two women's stories had multiple overlapping themes. Both of them were born of famous religious fathers (Sergio Arce Martinez and Raul Suárez Ramos, respectively), and both had grown up with the revolution, though Raquel is seven years younger than Dora. Both had had to overcome discrimination by the Marxist atheist society due to their religiosity, both chose secular careers before they decided to pursue ministry, both were divorced, and both understood their theology to be both ecumenical and feminist. There are many types of the new Christianity in Cuba, but these women are two of the faces of the new Evangelical church in Cuba. This is a form of ecumenical Protestant ministry that began to re‐emerge after forty years of religious discrimination after the Cuban revolution of 1959. It began its development during the original war for Cuba's independence in the mid‐late 1800s, grew through neo‐colonial missionary intervention in the post‐war period, survived the socio‐political transformations and counter‐revolutionary suspicions of the Cuban revolution, and has emerged into a new era of openness for religion within the republic. In its most recent stage of development, many more women are taking up positions of leadership within the churches in order to create a church whose interests in social justice both align with and sometimes critique the interests of the political sphere. Dora and Raquel are emblematic of this particular form of new Christianity that now ordains women, values their leadership, and is beginning to value a contextual Cuban feminist theology. This is the story of two women, both paradoxically daughters of pastors and daughters of the revolution...

Exclusive Breastfeeding and Maternal Employment in Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross- Sectional Study

Back-ground: Promotion of exclusive breastfeeding is the single most cost-effective intervention to reduce infant mortality in developing countries. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months has greater benefit than formula feeding for the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of exclusive breast feeding among infants less than 6 months is 49%, with limited information on associated factors of exclusive breast feeding. Understanding the associated factors that influence exclusive breastfeeding is crucial to promote the practice in Ethiopia. Objective: To compare exclusive breastfeeding and its associated factors among employed and unemployed mothers in Injibara Town, Awi Zone, North west Ethiopia. Method: A community-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from March 24-April 14, 2013. A total of 524 mothers of children age ≤1 year were included in the study. A structured, pretested and self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics were performed to compare exclusive breastfeeding among employed and unemployed mothers. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent predictors of exclusive breastfeeding. Results: The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was 44% and 65% among employed and unemployed mothers respectively. Employed mothers were 32% times less likely to breast feed exclusively than the unemployed mothers (OR= 0.32). Place of birth (OR=4.4), belief of breast milk sufficiency (OR= 3.6), religious fathers support of exclusive breastfeeding (OR=2.7) and maternal age of 18-23(OR=9.4) were independently predictors of exclusive breastfeeding among employed mothers. Whereas, husbands’ support of exclusive breastfeeding (OR=1.9), knowledge on duration of exclusive breastfeeding (OR=2.8), timely initiation of breastfeeding (OR=2.9), Awareness of exclusive breastfeeding (OR=2.2) and delivery attendance (OR=2.2) were independently predictors of exclusive breastfeeding among unemployed mothers. Conclusions: A large proportion of infants are not exclusively breastfed. Exclusive breastfeeding status of unemployed mothers was significantly better than that of employed mothers. Therefore, the government should promote exclusive breastfeeding by creating breastfeeding friendly working environment.