Women In Conflict Research Articles

Governing Identities: Narrative and Discourse as Identity Work at Four Levels of Analysis

Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings includes abstracts of all papers and symposia presented at the annual conference, plus 6-page abridged versions of the “Best Papers” accepted for inclusion in the program (approximately 10%). Papers published in the Proceedings are abridged because presenting papers at their full length could preclude subsequent journal publication. Please contact the author(s) directly for the full papers. Governing Identities: Narrative and Discourse as Identity Work at Four Levels of AnalysisSuzanne M. Gagnon and Pushkala PrasadSuzanne M. GagnonMcGill U. and Pushkala PrasadSkidmore CollegePublished Online:30 Nov 2017https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2015.14805symposiumAboutSections ToolsDownload CitationsAdd to favoritesTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail AbstractThis symposium seeks to deepen our understanding of identity formations in and by organizations by sharing insights from four empirical studies of "identity work" at different levels of analysis. Departing from the more customary emphasis in organizations studies on managerial, employee and organizational identities, the workshop focuses entirely on collective and embodied identities relating to gender, class, life-stage, religion, nationality and ethnicity. A second focus of the panel is on the process whereby identities are worked, reworked or governed through conversation, narrative and discourse over time and in situated historical contexts. These orientations provide an important lens into the power dynamics which invariably must ground considerations or evaluations of open governance following the conference theme for this year, in particular as these relate to equality, difference, and diversity. The symposium will thus serve as a forum for in- depth discussions connecting language, power and identity in organizations. Our four presenters will be looking at identity work at the individual level through narratives of identity conflict in women’s careers over time, at the organizational level through age dynamics in a fast food chain, at the institutional level through marketing processes in the U.S. tobacco industry, and at the societal level through public discourses of ethnicity, feminism and difference in the province of Quebec. Thus our presenters will be employing very different levels of analysis including interpersonal, organizational, industry-wide and socio-political vantage points to understand identity work. We anticipate that this symposium will stimulate considerable discussion on (a) the active production and reproduction of diverse identities by individuals, groups, organizations, industries and societies within complex matrices of power and (b) possibilities for studying and analyzing this phenomenon at different levels of analysis. The symposium includes four interactive presentations and is structured to involve significant audience participation and engagement.Cooling Down the Heat: Identity Work and the Pursuit of Social Fitness by the US Tobacco IndustryPresenter: Pushkala Prasad; Skidmore CollegePresenter: Anshuman Prasad; U. of New Haven"Masters in our own House: Identities, Memory, and the Politics of Difference in Contemporary Quebec"Presenter: Suzanne M. Gagnon; McGill U.When Identities Conflict: Ongoing Narrative Identity Work of Professional Working MothersPresenter: Ioana Lupu; Cass Business School, City U. LondonPresenter: Judith A. Clair; Boston CollegeWorking Like Adults: Negotiated Order and Adulthood in a Fast Food ChainPresenter: Jina Mao; Skidmore CollegeFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 2015, No. 1 Permissions Metrics in the past 12 months History Published online 30 November 2017 Published in print 1 January 2015 InformationCopyright of Academy of Management Journal is the property of Academy of Management and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder’s express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.Keywordsdiscourseembodied identitiesidentity work

Sex differences in factors contributing to family-to-work and work-to-family conflict in Japanese civil servants.

As the number of dual-earner couples in Japan has increased, work-life balance has become important. This study aimed to examine the factors that contribute to work-family conflict. The participants included 3,594 (2,332 men and 1,262 women) civil servants aged 20-59 working for local government on the west coast of Japan. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate whether work, family, or lifestyle characteristics were associated with work-family conflict. For men, family-to-work conflict was associated with being elderly, having low-grade employment, working long hours, raising children, and sleeping shorter hours. For women, being married and raising children were strong determinants of family-to-work conflict, and being middle-aged, working long hours, and sleeping shorter hours were also associated with this type of conflict. Regarding work-to-family conflict, working long hours was the strongest determinant of conflict in both sexes. In men, being elderly, living with family, eating dinner late, and sleeping shorter hours were also associated with work-to-family conflict. In women, having high-grade employment, being married, raising children, and eating dinner late were associated with work-to-family conflict. This study showed that working long hours was the primary determinant of work-to-family conflict in both sexes and that being married and raising children were strong factors of family-to-work conflict in women only. Sex differences may reflect divergence of the social and domestic roles of men and women in Japanese society. To improve the work-life balance, general and sex-specific health policies may be required.

Edith Wharton's threshold phobia and two worlds.

The American novelist Edith Wharton suffered an unusual childhood neurotic symptom, a fear of crossing thresholds, a condition that might be called a "threshold phobia." This symptom is identified and examined in autobiographical material, letters, diaries, and selected literary fiction and nonfiction left by Wharton to arrive at a formulation not previously drawn together. A fascinating theme-living or being trapped between "two worlds"-runs through much of the writer's life and work. The phobia is related to this theme, and both can be linked more broadly to certain sexual conflicts in women. This understanding of Wharton's phobia, it is argued, throws new light on the developmental issues and conflicts related to the female "oedipal" or triadic phase, characterized by the need to negotiate the two worlds of mother and of father.

Enlightened Daughter, Benighted Mother: Yi Injik's Tears of Blood and Early Twentieth-Century Korean Domestic Fiction

Yi Injik's Tears of Blood (1906) is the pioneering piece of “new fiction” (sin sosŏl). As many works of this male-authored genre revolve around women's conflicts regarding marriage, family, and home life, literary critics often condescendingly disregard them as domestic fiction, an ahistorical rendition of premodern tales and therefore undeserving of critical scrutiny, as opposed to a handful of politically sensitive and worthy examples of social fiction. In this line of thinking, Tears of Blood has been classified as social fiction that openly depicts urgent political issues. This essay claims, however, that Tears of Blood sets the dominant paradigm of the genre as early twentieth-century domestic fiction. The women-centered narratives of new fiction show the uneasy ways in which male Korean intellectuals coped with the question of how to imagine women as “citizens” of the nation in place of the unabashed gender hierarchy of Chosŏn Korea; how to perceive women as belonging not to a class-divided family but to a nation where each one is supposedly given an equal standing to one another. In “Tears of Blood,” the homogenizing project conflictingly intersects with the ideology of “civilization and enlightenment” and the colonialist gaze of the author, a well-known pro-Japanese collaborator. The contradictory interplay between nationalism, colonialism, and the idea of “civilization and enlightenment” splits Tears of Blood into two women's stories: one focusing on a young Korean girl's growth into the emblem of the civilized future of the nation, the other about her old-fashioned mother whose symbolic position vacillates between the nation's venerable past and the “uncivilized” who are predisposed to invasion by foreign powers. The split not only places the female characters in a position to conflict with each other but also shows the recurring themes of domestic women's conflicts in new fiction.

Conflicts and negotiations about framings of gender equality and diversity by political actors within the European public sphere

This article addresses conflicts and negotiations about gender equality and diversity within the European public sphere (EPS). It aims to explore the specific constraints and possibilities for realizing gender equality and justice from the transnational European context. Research illustrates that the European Union (EU) approach to gender equality has strengthened the transnational space of mobilization and given actors new possibilities to negotiate about multiple inequalities and direct their claims at different levels. This has at the same time led to a diversification of women's claims and conflicts about the meanings and framings of gender equality and diversity within the EPS. This is illustrated by case studies of the framing of gender equality and ethno-national diversity by political actors in the European Women's Lobby and the European Parliament. The article proposes that the multilevel EU polity can be interpreted as a unique case for reframing justice in a globalized world.

Striking a Balance: Work-Health-Personal Life Conflict in Women and Men with Arthritis and its Association with Work Outcomes

Purpose To examine men and women’s perceptions of inter-role balance/imbalance in work, arthritis, and personal roles and its association with demographic, health and employment factors, including job stress, career satisfaction, job disruptions, absenteeism and perceived productivity losses. Methods Participants were employed, aged ≥40 years and diagnosed with osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis. They were recruited through community advertising and rheumatology clinics in two Canadian provinces. Respondents completed a 35–45 min telephone interview and a 20-min self-administered questionnaire assessing role perceptions [(arthritis negatively impacts work (A → W); work/personal life negatively impact arthritis (W/P → A); work as a positive role (W +))], demographic, health and work context information. Analyses included exploratory factor analysis and multivariate regressions. Results Findings revealed similarities between men (n = 104) and women (n = 248) in health, work and role perceptions, although women reported more benefits of working with arthritis (W+) than men. Some gender differences were found in factors associated with inter-role perceptions highlighting the importance of children, fatigue, unpredictable work hours, job control, and workplace activity limitations. Role perceptions were associated with work outcomes but only one perception, W/P → A, interacted with gender. Among men, greater perceptions that work and personal demands interfered with managing arthritis were associated with more job disruptions. Conclusions This study revealed negative and positive inter-role perceptions related to working with a chronic illness and associations with work outcomes. It highlights potentially modifiable factors that could assess risk and inform interventions to improve role balance and working experiences.

Inching Toward Inclusiveness: Diversity Climate, Interpersonal Conflict and Well-Being in Women Nurses

Interpersonal conflict is a type of mistreatment acknowledged to be a serious problem in the United States workplace, particularly for women. This interpersonal conflict is related to negative outcomes in women, as well as the exclusion of women in the workplace, which highlights the importance of investigating ways to reduce this conflict. There is reason to believe that features of the social work environment may impact the prevalence of interpersonal conflict targeted at women. In particular, the extent to which a workplace includes social norms prohibiting mistreatment based on differences—a diversity climate—should be associated with lower levels of interpersonal conflict for women. As such, the goal of the current study was to examine the impact of diversity climate on the experience of interpersonal conflict in women. Additionally, well-being outcomes—burnout and engagement—were assessed as part of a model of diversity climate, interpersonal conflict, and outcomes. In a sample of 172 White women nurses from the northwestern U.S., three sources of conflict (physicians, manager and coworker) were found to relate negatively with diversity climate perceptions. Diversity climate perceptions were also associated with higher work engagement, and indirectly related to both engagement and burnout through conflict. The findings indicate that cultivating a diversity climate might be an important strategy to reduce interpersonal conflict experienced by women in the workplace.

Women and the Criminalization of Poverty: Perspectives from Sierra Leone

The year 2012 marked ten years since the end of Sierra Leone’s brutal eleven-year civil war, which had and continues to have a significant impact on girls and women. Sierra Leone reflects the global trend, with women representing a minority of the prison population. With so many competing needs, Sierra Leone often places penal reform low on the priority list of postwar reconstruction efforts. Women in conflict with the law are often seen as perpetrators and thus as less deserving of the limited assistance efforts available than “victims,” such as women who have suffered gender-based violence. The nature of imprisonment, lack of empowerment, and social stigma make female prisoners and former prisoners nearly invisible, resulting in neglect of their experiences and voices. Building on six years of work with girls and women in conflict with the law, this article seeks to examine the factors behind the growing rates of incarceration of women in Sierra Leone. It explores how marginalization, low socioeconomic status, gender disparities in many areas of social and political life, and weak state institutions result in the law having a particular negative effect on women. The difficult experiences of women in detention and the continuing challenges of reintegration can cause further victimization and have detrimental effects on children. International and domestic gender reform efforts need to incorporate and support this neglected population as part of wider gender justice efforts.

Intermittent Explosive Disorder amongst Women in Conflict Affected Timor-Leste: Associations with Human Rights Trauma, Ongoing Violence, Poverty, and Injustice

IntroductionWomen in conflict-affected countries are at risk of mental disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder and depression. No studies have investigated the association between experiences of abuse and injustice and explosive anger amongst women in these settings, and the impact of anger on women's health, family relationships and ability to participate in development.MethodsA mixed methods study including an epidemiological survey (n = 1513, 92.6% response) and qualitative interviews (n = 77) was conducted in Timor-Leste. The indices measured included Intermittent Explosive Disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder; severe distress; days out of role (the number of days that the person was unable to undertake normal activities); gender-specific trauma; conflict/violence; poverty; and preoccupations with injustice.ResultsWomen with Intermittent Explosive Disorder (n = 184, 12.2%) were more disabled than those without the disorder (for >5 days out of role, 40.8% versus 31.5%, X2 (2) = 12.93 p = 0.0016). Multivariable associations with Intermittent Explosive Disorder, controlling for the presence of PTSD, psychological distress and other predictors in the model, included the sense of being sick (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.08–2.77); victimization as a result of helping the resistance movement (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.48–3.68); war-related trauma specific to being a woman (OR 1.95, 95%, CI 1.09–3.50); ongoing family violence and community conflict (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.27–2.77); extreme poverty (OR 1.23, 95%, CI 1.08–1.39); and distressing preoccupations with injustice (relating to 2/3 historical periods, OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.35–3.28). In the qualitative study, women elaborated on the determinants of anger and its impact on their health, family and community functioning, child-rearing, and capacity to engage in development. Women reflected on the strategies that might help them overcome their anger.ConclusionsIntermittent Explosive Disorder is prevalent and disabling amongst women in conflict-affected Timor-Leste, impacting on their health, child-rearing and ability to participate fully in socio-economic development.

The Influence of Family Therapy on Marital Conflicts

The aim of present research was considering influence family therapy on marital conflicts. In this project, clinical intervie w and ENRICH marital satisfaction scale were used. Also via pre test – post test with control group (18 couple) and experimental group (21 couple), marital conflicts were evaluated. Results of T-test, F-Test were showed family therapy has significant influence on solving of marital problems especial communication problems between couple also family therapy decreased individual conflicts in women.

Marital Well‐being and Religiousness as Mediated by Relational Virtue and Equality

This study investigated religiousness and couple well‐being as mediated by relational virtue and equality. Relational spiritual framework theory posits that religiousness is associated with couple well‐being through relational virtues (e.g., forgiveness, commitment, and sacrifice). Theories of relational inequality postulate that religion decreases couple well‐being and indirectly lessens couple well‐being. Data from a 3‐year longitudinal community sample of 354 married couples were used. The authors found that religiousness's relationship to couple well‐being was fully mediated by relational virtue but was not connected to relational inequality. They also found that relational inequality was associated with women's conflict, men's conflict, and marital instability. They did not find that higher religiousness benefits marital outcomes directly. Although these findings do not support the idea that religious activities are directly associated with stronger relationships, the data did show that religiousness can contribute to expressed relational virtue, and relational virtue in turn is associated with marital well‐being.

Role Conflict Faced by Working Women in the IT Sector of Bangalore City

Indian women who are professionals have made their presence felt the world over by their hard work and dedication. India's prestige has been projected and held up high because of the industriousness shown by these women in the international arena and these women are usually from families that give a lot of importance for education and career. Even in India the women from various sections of the society have proved their mettle and women form major part of the work force. When there is difference of agreement among individuals conflicts arise and conflicts induce role conflicts in women who are the victims as they are forced to perform a variety of roles through their lives that leads them to lose their identity. Women working outside their homes face major role conflicts that lead them to various difficulties including health problems.

Sex-specific effects of intranasal oxytocin on autonomic nervous system and emotional responses to couple conflict

Unhappy couple relationships are associated with impaired individual health, an effect thought to be mediated through ongoing couple conflicts. Little is known, however, about the underlying mechanisms regulating psychobiological stress, and particularly autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity, during negative couple interaction. In this study, we tested the effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin on ANS reactivity during couple conflict in a standardized laboratory paradigm. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, 47 heterosexual couples (total n = 94) received oxytocin or placebo intranasally prior to instructed couple conflict. Participants' behavior was videotaped and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), a measure of sympathetic activity, and emotional arousal were repeatedly measured during the experiment. Oxytocin significantly reduced sAA during couple conflict in women, whereas men showed increases in sAA levels (sex × group interaction: B = -49.36, t = -2.68, P = 0.009). In men, these increases were related to augmented emotional arousal (r = 0.286, P = 0.028) and more positive behavior (r = 0.291, P = 0.026), whereas there was no such association in women. Our results imply sex-specific effects of oxytocin on sympathetic activity, to negative couple interaction, with the neuropeptide reducing sAA responses and emotional arousal in women while increasing them in men.

P5-15-05: Impact of Breast Specialized Physician Consultation on Surgical Decision Making for Breast Cancer and Decision Conflict in Women with Hereditary Breast Cancer Risk.

Abstract Background: Women with hereditary breast cancer risk, who develop breast cancer, face complex surgical decisions related to their breast cancer and risk to their contralateral breast. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the factors influencing decision making in these women and degree of decision conflict before and after consultation with breast specialized physicians (BSP). Methods: Women with hereditary breast cancer risk and recently diagnosed with unilateral breast cancer were enrolled in a prospective decision making questionnaire study. Questionnaires were completed prior to their initial breast clinic visit and after consultation with a breast clinic physician, nurse educator and a breast surgeon. Results: 68 women completed both questionnaires. Mean age was 52 (range 27–84). Prior to meeting with BSP, 10 (15%) women reported having made a decision for the cancer side and 18 (26%) reported being close to deciding. Of the 20 who expressed a surgical preference prior to consultation, 5 (25%) changed their decision after meeting with the BSP [1 to mastectomy (MTX), 4 to breast conservation (BC)]. After consultation with BSP, 65 (96%) reported having made a decision (BC in 29 (45%), MTX in 35 (54%), unspecified in one). The most commonly cited reasons influencing surgical choice were doctor's advice (79%), family history of breast cancer (74%) and worrisome findings on biopsy (50%). Prior to meeting with BSP, 9 (13%) women reported having made a decision regarding screening and/or risk-reducing options for the contralateral breast and another 11 (16%) reported being close to a decision. The choices in these 20 women were screening only in 10 (50%), contralateral prophylactic MTX (CPM) in 3 (15%), CPM and oophorectomy in 2 (10%), other combinations of options in 4, and unspecified in 1. After meeting with the BSP, 49 (72%) reported having made a decision regarding the contralateral breast; this decision was for screening only in 21 (43%), CPM only in 9 (18%), screening plus tamoxifen in 7 (14%), CPM and oophorectomy in 2 (4%), other combinations of options in 8, and unspecified in 2. The most commonly cited reasons for choices on the contralateral side were: family history (81%), doctor's advice (78%), and worrisome findings on biopsy (43%); only 25% cited psychological or emotional reasons. For both the cancer and contralateral sides, decisional conflict was significantly lower after meeting with BSP than prior to meeting with BSP. Decision-conflict scale total scores (possible range 0–100; higher scores indicate more decisional conflict) summarized for each side and compared between timepoints Conclusion: The BSP consult and family history have the greatest influence on decision making among women with hereditary risk diagnosed with breast cancer. After consultation most women felt they had made decisions for both the cancer and contralateral sides and reported significantly lower decision conflict compared to prior to the consultation. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-15-05.

A Psychodynamic Perspective on the Negotiation of Prejudice Among Immigrant Women

The negotiation of prejudice among immigrant women has largely been unaddressed in the psychotherapy literature. In an increasingly pluralistic society, such as the United States, it is especially important to address needs of specific subgroups of women who experience racial and ethnic prejudice. Immigrant women are in a unique position to simultaneously encounter prejudice related to multiple aspects of social identity, such as gender, race, and ethnicity, contributing to feelings of marginalization. This article addresses the role of attachment related conflicts in immigrant women's negotiation of racial and ethnic stereotyping and discrimination, from a psychodynamic perspective. Implications of these conflicts for women's identity development are discussed. A clinical case vignette illustrates the complexity of addressing attachment and prejudice within and outside the therapeutic relationship.

Review - Bodies of Knowledge: Sexuality, Reproduction and Women’s Health in the Second Wave

‘Wendy Kline addresses conflicts in women’s health care and their fight for equality during the sixties, seventies and eighties. With her scope narrowed to the period of Second Wave Feminism, she examines why this movement developed as a result of the existing sociopolitical climate, and then analyzes how people of the times, both feminists and non-feminists, impacted progress in these matters.’

Women in conflict and indigenous conflict resolution among the Issa and Gurgura clans of Somali in Eastern Ethiopia

This article tries to show the impacts of conflict on women, the role of women in conflict and indigenous conflict resolution, and the participation of women in social institutions and ceremonies among the Issa and Gurgura clans of the Somali ethnic group. It explores the system of conflict resolution in these clans, and women’s representation in the system. The primary role of women in the formation of social capital through marriage and blood relations between different clans or ethnic groups is assessed. The paper focuses on some of the important elements of the socio-cultural settings of the study community that are in one way or another related to conflict and indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms. It also examines the positive aspects of marriage practices in the formation of social capital which strengthens friendship and unity instead of enmity.

A Reflection on Cultural Conflicts in Women's Leisure

This essay addresses the cultural implications of leisure by using an example of the relationship of mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law in Taiwan. Historically, Chinese people have lived in an extended family arrangement, usually with three or four generations together. The modern nuclear family leads to conflicting ways of negotiating the intergenerational relationships and women's leisure. Contradictions for women are brought about by the influences of new Western and old Confucian cultures, which are described in this essay.

Perceived empathy, accurate empathy and relationship satisfaction in heterosexual couples

One aim of this study was to test a model derived from Cutrona that conflict and depression partially mediate the relation between perceived and accurate empathy and relationship satisfaction. This was investigated in 149 heterosexual couples using dyadic analysis. As accurate empathy was not significantly related to relationship satisfaction when actual and assumed similarities were controlled, this model was only examined with perceived empathy. Apart from conflict in men, the actor effects of the model were supported. Perceived empathy was positively associated with relationship satisfaction and negatively associated with depression and conflict. Depression and conflict were negatively associated with relationship satisfaction. There were two partner effects. Conflict in women was significantly associated with depression and relationship dissatisfaction in men.

The Evolution of Drinking Motivations Among Korean Women With Alcohol Dependence

Our purpose in conducting this study was to explore increases in alcohol problems among women in South Korea. Qualitative data were collected from 10 women in treatment for alcohol dependence using in-depth interviews. The grounded theory analysis revealed three phases of drinking behavior that were driven by certain motivations: (1) positive experiences, (2) coping with negative emotions, and (3) needing alcohol to function. The findings suggest that the increased occurrence of alcohol dependence among Korean women may be associated with shifting expectations about women's alcohol use and conflicts between their traditional and modern gender roles in the rapidly changing society.