Thematic Decomposition Research Articles

Gender, sexuality, and food access: An exploration of food security with LGBTQIA2S+ university students

Although research has been limited to date, food insecurity in the United States has been shown to be more pervasive among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, agender, asexual, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) commu­nity, affecting millions annually. College and uni­versity students also experience statistically signifi­cantly higher rates of food insecurity than nonstudents. This research examines food insecu­rity at the intersection of the LGBTQIA2S+ com­munity and the university and college student pop­ulation, as told by the community itself. A qualitative, participatory approach and methods of Photovoice and semi-structured interviews with eight self-identified LGBTQIA2S+ university stu­dents studying at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) were used to explore the factors influencing participants’ food access. Data were analyzed using thematic decomposition analy­sis guided by intersectionality and queer theories. LGBTQIA2S+ identities were found to signifi­cantly impact food access, which was further influ­enced by physical, socio-cultural, and political envi­ronments. Barriers to food access include experiences with discrimination on and off cam­pus, poor support systems, a lack of full-selection grocery stores on or near campus, religious influ­ences, the stigma associated with needing food assistance, mental and physical health conditions, financial constraints, time limitations, and lacking transportation options. Understanding the intersec­tionality of LGBTQIA2S+ students’ experiences and providing relevant and effective support is needed to improve equitable access to nutritious and affordable foods. The findings of this research provide novel insights into food insecurity, an issue that is increasingly influencing the health and well-being of LGBTQIA2S+ university students.

Role of Traditional Circumcision in Formation of Masculine Gender Identity in Selected Communities in Africa

Traditional circumcision is considered an important rite of passage that marks the transition from boyhood to manhood. It is often seen as a way to initiate young males into adult society and convey societal expectations of masculinity. Based on the Ubuntu philosophy, the study employed a qualitative exploratory design and semi-structured interviews that were analyzed using thematic decomposition analysis. The study purposively sampled 30 respondents from Bukusu (Kenya), Aembu (Kenya) and Lemba (Zimbabwe). Data was collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically. Findings revealed that traditional circumcision of men served as a mechanism for imparting societal values, beliefs, and responsibilities to young boys, reinforcing cultural norms and expectations of masculinity. Through this process, boys were educated about their roles and responsibilities within their specific community, which may include aspects such as being a provider for their families, protecting their communities, and upholding cultural traditions. This study recommends engagement in respectful dialogue and collaboration between western perspectives and African communities for a better understanding of the cultural significance of circumcision while addressing health and safety concerns.

Life design facing the fertility gap: promoting gender equity to give women and men the freedom of a mindful life planning.

Nowadays, society is characterized by enormous and rapid changes, erratic careers, gender discrimination, injustices, and inequities. Discrimination includes professional and educational segregation, the gender pay gap, stereotypical gender roles, and social expectations. In this context, phenomena called low fertility and fertility gap are increasing. Indeed, the birth rate necessary to ensure the replacement of the population is not reached, with severe repercussions at a social, environmental, and economic level. This study aimed to investigate 835 women's perceptions of the desire for motherhood and the associated difficulties. Hierarchical multiple regression and thematic decomposition analyses first highlight a significant difference between the number of children women realistically plan and the ideal number of children they would like. Secondly, the results showed how the parenthood choice is connected to the perception of social and gender inequity. Finally, in a Life Design perspective, preventive actions will be described to support women to get back to the center of life choices, building dignified fair paths and family projects.

Werewolves and Two-Headed Monsters: An Exploration of Coping, Sharing, and Processing of Premenstrual Distress Among Individuals With PMDD on an Anonymous Internet Message Board

One form of support-seeking behavior can be found in online communities, spaces for users to read and share in their own words. We sought to understand how members of “r/PMDD,” an online community focused on premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), interface with others by posting information, sharing personal narratives, and asking for advice. Top posts were analyzed using thematic decomposition, and four major themes emerged: (1) construction of PMDD as an “other” self-state, (2) diagnosis as complicated, (3) online camaraderie, and (4) agency gained through knowledge. Findings highlight both the ways in which premenstrual distress remains stigmatized and misunderstood within social and medical realms, as well as the important role that online communities can play to fill in the gaps of social support and information-sharing.

That Line in the Day: The Perceived Effect of Required Work From Home on Male Managers' Sense of Self and Wellbeing

Experiences of required work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the sense of self and wellbeing of men, especially managers, potentially shaped by positions that men take up within discourses of masculinity. Thematic decomposition applied to verbatim transcripts of semi-structured interviews with seven white collar managers living in Australia who identified as men revealed a challenge to the participants’ productivity and subscription to the traditional masculine subject position of the “ideal worker”; and dissolution of boundaries between home and work that prevented some participants from privileging their “breadwinner” subject position. The liminal space of the Home-Office needs to be negotiated to alleviate impacts on self, anxiety, and stress resulting from conflicting work and domestic roles.

\u201cIt's Not Just in My Head, and It's Not Just Irrelevant\u201d: Autistic Negotiations of Menopausal Transitions

Physical and psychological changes during menopause can be especially tumultuous for autistic people: difficulties with sensory sensitivity and daily functioning may be exacerbated. Through individual interviews, we examined the language used by seven peri- or post-menopausal autistic people to construct their experiences, and to consider the implications for their wellbeing and identities. Our analysis, which utilised thematic decomposition, yielded three discursive themes. The theme “Uncertainty about Changes” addressed how limited awareness and understanding of menopause combined with difficulties recognising internal states. However, with “Growing Self-Awareness and Self-Care”, some participants made conscious efforts to resist negative societal constructions of both autism and menopause. The theme “Navigating Support Options” addressed the interpersonal and systemic barriers participants faced when seeking support. There is a need for accessible information for autistic people experiencing menopause, and greater professional awareness.

Cinema, education and Africanness: the memory in the documentary Caixa d’água: qui-lombo é esse?

This paper aims to analyze the documentary Caixa d’água: qui-lombo é esse?, by Everlane Moraes (2013), in order to investigateBlacknessbased onthe themesof history and memory. Thus, the construction of the documentary was analyzed as a place of memory that records the history that seeks to physically, functionally and materially demarcate a people’strajectory, their belongings and identities. The text starts withthe hypothesis that cinema –as an educational tool –collaborates to reflect upon the history and memory of African peoples and their descendantsin the formation of the Brazilian population,established in Law 10.639/2003 as a compulsory subject in regular education. Based on a film content analysis with thematic decomposition, description and recomposition, we understand that the documentary questions historical content disseminated in Brazilian education as a representation of truths about black people.Thus, it isnot only a simple way of making and/or thinking cinema, but a commitment to the resignification of black existence.

Applying Qualitative Methods to Investigate Social Actions for Justice Using Social Media: Illustrations From Facebook

Social media is becoming a valuable resource for hosting activism as illustrated in the rise of the hashtag movements, such as #MeToo and #Endrapeculture, used to speak out against rape culture. In this article, we discuss the use of social media as the source and object of research, using the case of the 2016 South African #nakedprotest. We used naturalistic observation on Facebook comment threads and followed these up with online Facebook focus groups. Qualitative content analysis and thematic decomposition analysis were used, respectively, to explore online discourses of rape culture. We found that the use of social media as a medium for data collection is valuable for exploring trending social issues such as the rape culture #nakedprotest. We uncovered that social media offers researchers the opportunity to collect, analyze, and triangulate rich qualitative data for the exploration of social phenomena. This study illustrates the usefulness of social media as a pedagogical instrument.

Adult women and ADHD: On the temporal dimensions of ADHD identities

AbstractThis paper uses conceptual resources drawn from psychosocial process thinking (Brown & Reavey, 2015; Brown & Stenner, 2009; Stenner, 2017) and from G.H. Mead in particular, to contribute to an emerging body of work on the experiences of adult women with ADHD (Horton‐Salway & Davies, 2018; Quinn & Madhoo, 2014; Singh, 2002; Waite & Ivey, 2009). It has a particular focus on how ADHD features in the construction of women's identities and life‐stories and it draws upon findings from a qualitative investigation of adult women diagnosed or self‐diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A theoretically informed ‘thematic decomposition’ of 16 depth interviews reveals how complex processes of identity transformation are mediated by the social category of ADHD. Through this process, troubled pasts are reconstructed from the perspective of an ‘emergent’ identity that offers participants the potential for a more enabling and positive future.

‘Age of despair’, or ‘when life starts’: migrant and refugee women negotiate constructions of menopause

There has been a call for research on migrant and refugee women’s negotiation of diverse discourses and cultural constraints associated with sexual embodiment, including menopause, in order to facilitate sexual and reproductive health and understand gendered subjectivity. This study examined the construction and experience of menopause among migrant and refugee women who had settled in Australia or Canada in the last 10 years. Eighty-four individual interviews and 16 focus groups comprising 85 participants were conducted (total n = 169), with women aged 18 years and over from Afghanistan, India (Punjab), Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri-Lanka (Tamil), Sudan and various South American (Latina) backgrounds. Thematic decomposition identified three discursive themes: Menopause as the Age of Despair; a Discourse of Silence and Secrecy; and Menopause as a Life Stage – or when Life Starts. Negative constructions of menopause, associated with silence and secrecy, were evident across different cultural groups, with implications for women’s positioning and experience of menopausal change and embodiment. However, resistance to negative discourse was also evident. This was primarily associated with having received menopause education and more open communication about menopausal change, suggesting that education and health information can facilitate affirming aspects of menopause.

Threat of biographical disruption: the gendered construction and experience of infertility following cancer for women and men

BackgroundInfertility is a major concern for people with cancer and their partners. There have been calls for further research on the gendered nature of psychosocial, emotional and identity concomitants of fertility post-cancer across women and men.MethodThe gendered construction and experience of infertility following cancer was examined through a survey of 693 women and 185 men, and in-depth one-to-one interviews with a subsample of survey respondents, 61 women and 17 men, purposively selected across cancer types and age groups. Thematic decomposition was used to examine the open ended survey responses and interviews. The chi square test for independence was used to test for group differences between women and men on closed survey items.ResultsIn the thematic decomposition, infertility was identified as providing a ‘Threat of Biographical Disruption’ which impacted on life course and identity, for both women and men. Subthemes identified were: ‘Parenthood as central to adulthood’; ‘Infertility as a threat to gender identity’; ‘ Unknown fertility status and delayed parenthood’; ‘Feelings of loss and grief’; ‘Absence of understanding and support’; ‘Benefit finding and renegotiation of identity’. In the closed survey items, the majority of women and men agreed that they had always ‘wanted to be a parent’ and that ‘parenthood was a more important life goal than a satisfying career’. ‘It is hard to feel like a true adult until you have a child’ and impact upon ‘my feelings about myself as a man or a woman’ was reported by both women and men, with significantly more women reporting ‘I feel empty because of fertility issues’. Many participants agreed they ‘could visualise a happy life without a child’ and there is ‘freedom without children’. Significantly more men than women reported that they had not discussed fertility with a health care professional.ConclusionThe fear of infertility following cancer, or knowledge of compromised fertility, can have negative effects on identity and psychological wellbeing for both women and men, serving to create biographical disruption. Support from family, partners and health care professionals can facilitate renegotiation of identity and coping.

Respectability and reputation: Tracing intersections of race, class and gender in news discourses of violence against women

This paper investigates how gendered inequalities are reproduced in printed news media discourses of men’s violence against women and how they intersect with the racial and classed dimensions of survivor and perpetrator identities in two Cape Town newspapers. A total of 113 reports on violence against women were collected from two newspapers that drew the largest readership in the Western Cape Province between 2011 and 2013. A thematic decomposition analysis revealed the presence of a discourse of respectability, which shed light on how pathologising representations “other” and blame victims who are thought to stray from respectability, particularly poor black women who find themselves on the periphery of this discourse of femininity. In contrast, perpetrators of violence against women were represented through the lens of race and class, and predominantly through reputable performances of masculinity, silencing their accountability. Understanding violence as an intersectional experience – defined by race, class, sexuality and gender in the context of post-apartheid South Africa – is central to the analysis. A critical comparison between the two newspapers’ reporting styles is offered. Furthermore, the news media’s tendency to reproduce racial and gendered stereotypes of victims and perpetrators of violence and to marginalise some voices over others is problematised.

'Normal' and 'failing' mothers: Women's constructions of maternal subjectivity while living with multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis causes physical and cognitive impairment that can impact women's experiences of motherhood. This study examined how women construct their maternal subjectivities, or sense of self as a mother, drawing on a framework of biographical disruption. A total of 20 mothers with a multiple sclerosis diagnosis took part in semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were analysed using thematic decomposition to identify subject positions that women adopted in relation to cultural discourses of gender, motherhood and illness. Three main subject positions were identified: 'The Failing Mother', 'Fear of Judgement and Burdening Others' and 'The Normal Mother'. Women's sense of self as the 'Failing Mother' was attributed to the impact of multiple sclerosis, contributing to biographical disruption and reinforced through 'Fear of Judgement and Burdening Others' within social interactions. In accounts of the 'Normal Mother', maternal subjectivity was renegotiated by adopting strategies to manage the limitations of multiple sclerosis on mothering practice. This allowed women to self-position as 'good' mothers. Health professionals can assist women by acknowledging the embodied impact of multiple sclerosis on maternal subjectivities, coping strategies that women employ to address potential biographical disruption, and the cultural context of mothering, which contributes to women's experience of subjectivity and well-being when living with multiple sclerosis.

Regulation and Resistance: Negotiation of Premarital Sexuality in the Context of Migrant and Refugee Women

Constructions of normative sexuality shape the sexual scripts that women are permitted to adopt and the manner in which such sexuality can be expressed. We explored experiences and constructions of premarital sexuality among migrant and refugee women recently resettled in Sydney, Australia, and Vancouver, Canada. A total of 78 semistructured individual interviews and 15 focus groups composed of 82 participants were undertaken with women who had migrated from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Sri Lanka, and South America. We analyzed the data using thematic decomposition. Across all cultural groups, women’s premarital sexuality was regulated through cultural and religious discourse and material practice. Such regulation occurred across three main facets of women’s lives, shaping the themes presented in this article: (1) regulating premarital sex—the virginity imperative; (2) regulation of relationships with men; and (3) regulation of the sexual body. These themes capture women’s reproduction of dominant discourses of premarital sexuality, as well as women’s resistance and negotiation of such discourses, both prior to and following migration. Identifying migrant and refugee women’s experiences and constructions of premarital sexuality is essential for culturally safe sexual health practice, health promotion, and health education.

The ward as emotional ecology: Adolescent experiences of managing mental health and distress in psychiatric inpatient settings

Previous research on young people's satisfaction of inpatient services has often relied on the responses of carers and relevant practitioners. It is difficult to ascertain to what extent such reporting accurately represents the satisfaction levels of young people, with emerging research suggesting wide discrepancies. As part of a wider study evaluating the effectiveness of a Supported Discharge Service (SDS) operating within South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, this paper examines how young people experience inpatient services, on a social and emotional level. Twenty young people, (10 SDS and 10 TAU) participated in a semi-structured visual-interview study to examine their experiences of admission, ward-life and treatment. A thematic decomposition analysis was conducted on the data and specific themes relevant to satisfaction and engagement with inpatient services was examined in-depth. These include a) Behavioural surveillance as care surrogate and b) Managing the delicate emotional ecology of the ward: openness, triggering, sterility and relational engagements. Finally, we explore some of the implications of these inpatient experiences for supported discharge services.

Women who drank while pregnant: The importance of social context in the lives of South African pregnant women

Aims: This study aimed to explore how women who drank alcohol while pregnant understand and make sense of alcohol use. Methods: Using social representation theory and elements of Foucauldian discourse analysis, 14 narrative episodic interviews were conducted in a Western Cape, South African community with women who drank alcohol while pregnant, and two focus group discussions with 13 members of the pregnant women’s community. The interview and focus group data were analysed using thematic decomposition analysis. Findings: Drinking alcohol was represented by participants as a social activity, a way of coping with domestic problems, and also as connected to their experiences of motherhood. Access to social support through their partners and a desire to protect the fetus and care for their children helped some participants to cease drinking during their pregnancies. These representations highlight that alcohol use is not simply an individual decision but is embedded in a particular social context and also framed by particular discourses. Conclusion: Interventions should prioritise the social context of drinking, include a component that works with both pregnant women and their partners, use a supportive and non-judgemental approach that capitalises on pregnancy and motherhood, and focus on empowering pregnant women to manage problems effectively.

Experiencing menopause in the context of cancer: Women’s constructions of gendered subjectivities

Objective: Many women experience premature menopause following cancer treatment, accompanied by psychological distress, and poor health-related quality of life. In this qualitative study, we examined how women construct their gendered subjectivities – their sense of self as a woman – in the context of premature menopause after cancer. Design: We analysed data from open-ended survey items and semi-structured interviews with women who had experienced cancer. Six hundred and ninety-five women completed the online survey and 61 took part in a semi-structured interview. A thematic decomposition was conducted to identify the subject positions associated with menopause taken up by the women. Results: Three overall themes were identified: ‘The Incomplete Woman,’ ‘The Abject, Asexual Woman’ and ‘Out of Time and Social Isolation.’ Menopause was predominantly constructed as a negative experience, similar to older post-menopausal women and dissimilar to peers, contributing to experiences of social isolation. Menopause also signified the presence of a medically diagnosed cancer condition, and uncertainty around cancer prognosis. Conclusion: It is important for cancer support group leaders and other service providers to be sensitive to women’s negotiation of menopause following cancer, in the context of broader cultural constructions, in order to provide appropriate information and support.

The Medical Body: Women's Experiences of Sexual Embodiment Across the Cancer Illness Trajectory

ABSTRACTThis study examined women's experiences of sexual embodiment across the cancer illness trajectory. We conducted a thematic decomposition of transcripts from interviews with 16 women (aged 20–71 years) across cancer diagnoses. “The Medical Body” was identified as a main theme. In a dominant narrative, women positioned their bodies as “object” upon contact with the medical system with ongoing problematic sexual subjectivity. In a counternarrative some women constructed their bodies as “subject” during treatment with more positive implications for sexual subjectivity. Findings suggest women's sexual subjectivity is negotiated around institutional discourse and the lived constraints of women's bodies with cancer.

Women’s constructions of heterosex and sexual embodiment after cancer

The significant impact of cancer on women’s sexual well-being has been acknowledged increasingly within research. However, the role of cultural discourse in shaping women’s construction and embodied experience of sexuality has received less attention. In this study, we examined heterosexual women’s constructions of sexual embodiment in the context of cancer. Sixteen women across a range of ages (20–71 years), cancer types and stages took part in in-depth semi-structured interviews. A thematic decomposition analysis was conducted on the interview transcripts, drawing on feminist poststructuralist theory. A main theme was identified in which the women took up subject positions of “Embodying sexuality” and “Embodying the absence of sexuality”. Accounts of “Embodying sexuality” included “Experiencing bodily ease during sex” and “Managing a dysfunctional body during sex”. The women’s positioning of “Embodying the absence of sexuality” included “Asexuality and the absence of desire” and “Unsuccessful attempts to renegotiate sex”. Women’s intrapsychic negotiation of sexual and gendered discourse, the materiality of embodied change and relationship context influenced their constructions of sexual subjectivity. These findings indicate a need for researchers and clinicians to acknowledge cultural discourses of sex and gender that shape the possibilities and constraints for women’s sexual well-being after cancer.

The role of Xhosa traditional circumcision in constructing masculinity

Ulwaluko is a Xhosa word that refers to an initiation ritual. The purpose is to transform boys into men. Circumcision is one of the rituals performed. The ritual aims to instil good moral and social values. Due to socio-cultural shifts, the practice of Ulwaluko has changed and this has culminated in instances of criminal activity, drug abuse, risky sexual behaviours, and inhumane behaviours among some of the initiates. There has been a recent upsurge in research on Ulwaluko in South Africa. While many studies examined Ulwaluko from a constructionist framework, very few have focused on subject positions and how Ulwaluko contributes to the construction of masculinity in Xhosa men. Using social constructionist theory, the study employed a qualitative exploratory design and semi-structured interviews that were analysed using thematic decomposition analysis and positioning theory. Seven participants, from a university in Cape Town, aged from 19 to 32 were recruited using purposive sampling. The results of the study reflect the fluidity of masculinity as reported in literature. First, in some of the participants, Ulwaluko created an idealised masculine identity that was chiefly characterised by upholding ritual teachings and yet the same men were burdened by a prescriptive set of masculine role expectations. Second, through self-reflection and critical engagement, some men contested Ulwaluko resulting in the creation of rival masculinities and thus the study created spaces to rethink masculine identities.