Women's Studies International Research Articles

Exploring feminist political economy and feminist critical discourse analysis as methodologies in critical nursing research.

This paper explores two critical feminist methodologies for nursing research: feminist political economy and feminist critical discourse analysis. The aim was to appreciate varied methodological approaches available for nurses to understand complexities in healthcare environments, above and beyond socially normative ways of knowing. Discursive paper. Published articles from nursing databases (CINAHL and ProQuest; no date restrictions) and interdisciplinary databases (Women's Studies International, Sociological Abstracts and Ovid MEDLINE; publication dates between 2017 and 2022). A discursive paper exploring and critically synthesizing the literature on feminist political economy and feminist critical discourse analysis to demonstrate how each methodological approach can be used in nursing. The findings of this discursive paper suggest there is an opportunity to draw on interdisciplinary studies for creative insights into how these methodologies may be helpful for nurses' scholarship and programmes of research. Although few nursing studies explicitly name a feminist political economy or feminist critical discourse analysis approach, several studies apply principles of these methodological approaches. There is an opportunity for these methodologies to be applied within the same project when there is a fit between the research questions and aims of both methodologies (studies where notions of gender and power are considered central and there are potential insights from exploring social progress, structures and the material, along with the social relations of discourses). Feminist political economy and feminist critical discourse analysis offer novel options for methodological analyses. Application of these methodologies may benefit critical nursing scholars looking for diverse critical methodological avenues to explore and to broaden nursing's methodological toolbox towards meeting social justice aims. No patient or public contribution.

Representing Online Hostility against Women

Representing Online Hostility against Women

The influences of sociocultural norms on women's decision to disclose intimate partner violence: Integrative review.

Sociocultural norms against women can contribute to promoting intimate partner violence(IPV) and shape women's decision to disclose IPV.A cross-cultural analysis of the existing literature is needed to present an overview of the influences of sociocultural norms on women's decisions regarding the disclosure of IPV across different cultural contexts. The purpose of the review was to synthesize published quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods (MMs) studies to identify known sociocultural norms across different cultures that may influence women's decision to disclose IPV. The Whittemore and Knafl framework, Rayyan software, and PRISMA flow diagram were used. Databases included APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, PubMed, SocINDEX, and Women's Studies International. The quality of studies was assessed by the MMs appraisal tool. A total of 15 research articles written in English and published in peer-reviewed journals were included. Main categories emerged: (1) stigma surrounding IPV disclosure, victimization, and divorce; (2) gender roles; (3) preserving family honor; and (4) Children's well-being and future. A one-size-fits-all approach is not adequate for women who are considering disclosing IPV. Findings underscore that regardless of residing in individualistic countries, those sociocultural norms related to traditional gender roles and gender inequality are still important barriers to the disclosure of IPV among women with collectivist roots.

Fit for Motherhood: The Glocalization of Maternal Physical Activity in Mother and Baby Magazine

Fit for Motherhood: The Glocalization of Maternal Physical Activity in <i>Mother and Baby</i> Magazine

Self-esteem in the context of intimate partner violence: A concept analysis.

To explore the meaning of self-esteem in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV is a preventable public health issue. The dynamic of IPV diminishes women's self-esteem. Defining self-esteem will guide the development of IPV interventions in healthcare settings. Walker and Avant's eight-step approach was used. The search was conducted from Oxford Dictionary of English online, CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, PubMed, Women's Studies International, and Google Scholar. No limits on the year of publication were applied. Defining attributes of self-esteem are self-concept, self-affirmation, and self-respect. Antecedents of self-esteem are exposure to IPV and victim-blaming attitudes by healthcare professionals. Consequences include depression, substance abuse, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Empirical referents include self-worth, self-competence, self-blame, self-evaluation, self-confidence, and self-determination. Current literature is limited in its definition of self-esteem in the context of IPV. Women experiencing IPV with low self-esteem might not seek help for IPV from nurses. Nurses could develop culturally appropriate IPV screening tools that assess the changes in self-esteem among women from different sociodemographic and cultural backgrounds. The defining attributes could contribute to developing comprehensive IPV screening tools in healthcare settings.

An Introduction to Reading the Past Critically

An Introduction to Reading the Past Critically

PROTOCOL: Opioid‐specific medication‐assisted therapy and its impact on criminal justice and overdose outcomes

The overlap between criminal justice system involvement and drug use is well-documented, and criminal justice agencies have been particularly overwhelmed by the recent opioid epidemic. Treating opioid (and other substance) addiction as a means to reduce risk for future criminality and improve public safety is inherently a responsibility for the criminal justice system. In turn, the criminal justice system has a responsibility to manage and treat addiction among the individuals under its purview. Policy recommendations place emphasis on the use of medication-assisted treatments (MAT) as a front-line defense among correctional populations, because its efficacy and effectiveness has been well-established in other contexts. Despite this, criminal justice agencies have been reluctant or slow to do so. The current review will provide criminal justice and substance use treatment decision-makers with information regarding the efficacy and effectiveness of opioid-specific MAT on offending and overdose outcomes. Specifically, the authors will address the following research questions: Do opioid-specific MATs reduce the frequency or likelihood of criminal justice outcomes, as defined by official or self-reported indices of criminal reconviction or rearrest, revocation of community supervision, mandated treatment failure, and specialized court docket failure? Do opioid-specific MATs reduce the frequency of opioid overdose among individuals with current or prior self-reported or official record of criminal justice system involvement? Studies were required to use strong quasi-experimental or randomized experimental designs. All studies used individual level unit of analysis and examined adults and adolescents who are male, female, or nonbinary and racially/ethnically diverse, with current opioid use and who have current or prior criminal justice involvement. Studies had to prospectively test the effects of heroin and methadone maintenance, buprenorphine, or naltrexone on criminal conviction, arrest, revocation of community supervision, technical probation or parole violation, mandated treatment failure, and specialized court docket failure. Overdose outcomes were also examined for samples in criminal justice settings such as jails, prisons, probation, and parole. This review builds upon a prior review conducted by Egli et al. (2009) and examined studies meeting the inclusion criteria above published between 1960 and October 31, 2020. The following platforms and databases (in parentheticals) were used: EBSCOhost (Criminal Justice Abstracts, SocINDEX with Full Text, Legal Collection, Wilson Omnifile, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts, and Women's Studies International [includes grey literature]); ProQuest (Criminal Justice Database, PAIS [includes grey literature], Dissertations and Theses Global [includes grey literature]); Gale (Expanded Academic ASAP, Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center); FirstSearch (GPO Monthly Catalog, PapersFirst [includes grey literature]); ISI Web of Knowledge (Web of Science Core Collection); Office of Justice Programs (National Criminal Justice Reference Service); Summon; and Nexis Uni. The following open access platforms and databases will also be consulted: Elsevier (Scopus [includes grey literature]); Science.gov; ClinicalTrials.gov; WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) portal; and Google Scholar. Search terms were harvested according to their demonstrated success in drawing out relevant and complete results for studies regarding the effectiveness of opioid-specific medication-assisted therapies (MATs). From this process 5 core search strings were created, each one with the same general base terms, but unique outcome measure(s). For binary offending outcomes (e.g., arrest, conviction, incarceration, specialty court failure, mandated treatment failure, or community supervision failure) and overdose outcomes, odds ratios were computed, and for continuous or quasi-continuous outcomes (e.g., total number of arrests), a standardized mean difference type effect size was computed and then transformed into an odds ratio. We used the χ 2 test that goes with the forest plot and computed the I 2 statistic to assess heterogeneity. Risk of bias was assessed with (1) the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials; and (2) the risk of bias in non-randomized studies of interventions assessment tool.

Determinants of accessibility to primary sexual reproductive health care among vulnerable women in Canada: a scoping review protocol.

The objective of the review is to describe, synthesize and document the determinants that impact a vulnerable woman's access to primary sexual reproductive health care in Canada. Canada is committed to advancing sexual reproductive health care initiatives. Although both men and women require sexual reproductive health care, the implications for women are far more significant. While Canadian women do generally experience "good health," issues with sexual reproductive health do exist, particularly for vulnerable women for whom questions about accessibility arise. Therefore, there is a need to understand the true extent of a woman's access to sexual reproductive health in Canada. Findings will be used to inform future implementation research and provide recommendations to key stakeholders. Studies on primary access to sexual reproductive health care for vulnerable women (those living in poverty, with risky sexual behaviors, and/or are Indigenous, immigrants or refugees) aged nine to 49 who reside in Canada will be considered. Studies published in French or English from 2008 will be included. Women with a physical and/or mental disability and/or who are part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community will be excluded if they do not have one or more of the defining characteristics listed above. Databases to be searched include PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts and Women's Studies International. Gray literature searches will also be conducted. Following screening, all identified citations will be collated. Titles and abstracts will be screened by independent reviewers. Potentially relevant studies will be retrieved in full and assessed. Data will be extracted by independent reviewers and presented in diagrammatic or tabular form and accompanied by a narrative summary.

Experiences of Palliative and End-of-Life Care among Older LGBTQ Women: A Review of Current Literature.

Background: Understanding end-of-life (EOL) and palliative care continues to grow. However, little attention has been paid to the experiences, preferences, and needs of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) women. While some universal expectations or preferences at EOL exist, this population may not receive adequate or appropriate attention or reporting of unique EOL issues and experiences. Objective: Systematically search for and narratively review existing evidence concerning the expectations, preferences, and needs for palliative and EOL care of LGBTQ older women. Design: A comprehensive literature review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles reporting needs, experiences, and perspectives of palliative care and EOL care among LGBTQ older women were evaluated. Measurements: Articles published between 1996 and 2019 were retrieved from PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Academic Search Complete, AgeLine, CINHAL, PubMed, LGBT Life, SocINDEX, Women's Studies International, Joanna Briggs Institute, and Open Grey. Results: A total of 16 articles were included. Articles described several concerns for the overall LGBTQ population; however, additional issues and experiences specific to older LGBTQ women were also identified, including vulnerability associated with isolation and poverty, women's social needs and support networks, and preferences for complementary care. Conclusion: There remains a need for further research with older LGBTQ women concerning palliative and EOL care, particularly around preparation for EOL and preferences for support. Inclusion of diverse populations in terms of sexual and gender identification are needed to fully understand how to provide appropriate and preferred support.

Abortion at the edges: Politics, practices, performances

This article provides a brief overview of the state of discourse, politics and provision of abortion in the Anglophone West, including developments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It then surveys three promising directions for feminist abortion scholarship. The first is work inspired by the Reproductive Justice Movement, that points to the intersectional axes of inequality that shape abortion discourse and position us in relation to reproductive choice and access issues. The second is work that examines the particularity of the constitution of the aborting body, reflecting the particularity of the pregnant body. This is a specific body, with a specific history; abortion discourse draws from and makes a significant contribution to the meaning and lived experience of this body. The third area of scholarship we highlight is that which seeks to amplify the meaning of abortion as a social good. Much abortion scholarship is attuned to a critique of negative aspects of abortion—from its representation in popular culture to restrictive law and access issues. This is critical work but/and the performative nature of abortion scholarship, like all discourse, means that it can amplify the association of negativity with abortion. The article concludes by introducing the articles contained in the special section of Women's Studies International Forum, ‘Abortion at the edges: Politics, practices, performances’.

Maternal exposure to violence and offspring neurodevelopment: A systematic review.

Stress during pregnancy is known to affect fetal neurodevelopment. It seems likely therefore that intimate partner violence (IPV) and domestic violence (DV) as extreme stressors will have a similarly adverse effect. A systematic review was conducted to assess the association between prenatal exposure to violence for mothers and developmental difficulties in their children. PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL, ERIC, Science Direct, SCOPUS, PsyARTICLES, Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, Women's Studies International and Gender Studies Database were all searched using the agreed search terms. We include studies of women who have experienced any violence, fear of violence or aggression while pregnant, including emotional, psychological, physical or sexual violence in the context of IPV or DV. Studies were excluded if the neurodevelopmental outcomes of the offspring were not assessed. Studies from all countries were included, in English or translated to English, and search dates were not restricted. We included all years from inception of the database until the search date. Study design and biases, assessment tools, management of confounding, results and overall quality were assessed. We identified 11 papers reporting on observational studies. Almost three quarters of the studies found a relationship between prenatal exposure to violence and developmental difficulties in the offspring. Differing assessment tools were used with a range of data collected and not all adjusted their findings for the same confounders. Current evidence on the relationship between prenatal violence exposure, as IPV or DV, and consequent child developmental disorders remains limited. Future research using comprehensive study designs, larger samples and longitudinal follow-up of the offspring could clarify this association. While maternal trauma resulting from exposure to violence may play an important role in childhood development disorders, additional intervening factors on the pathway need further explored.

Drinking water accessibility and quantity in low and middle-income countries: A systematic review.

Increasing the quantity of water available for consumption and hygiene is recognized to be among the most efficient interventions to reduce the risk of water-related infectious diseases in low and middle-income countries. Such impacts are often associated with water supply accessibility (e.g. distance or collection time) and used to justify investment in improving access. To assess the relationship between the water source location and the quantity of water available in households from low and middle-income countries by identifying the effects of interventions aiming to improve access, and to compare the indicators and measures used to collect information. We systematically searched seven databases (i.e. Cairn, Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, Women's Studies International) along with grey literature for articles reporting indicators and measures of accessibility and quantity. We found 6492 records, of which 20 studies were retained that met the review's inclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted in rural settings and provided suggestive findings to describe an inverse relationship between accessibility and quantity. Overall, a wide range of indicators and measures were used to assess water accessibility and quantity in the selected studies along with their association. The lack of consistency raised concerns regarding comparability and reliability of these methods. The review findings support the hypothesis that the quantity of water available in households is a function of the source location, but the inconsistency in study outcomes highlights the need to further investigate the strength and effects of the relationship.

A meta-analysis of the impacts of internal migration on child health outcomes in China.

BackgroundAccording to China’s 2010 population census, 38.81 million children migrated from rural to urban areas in Mainland China, a phenomenon that has attracted much scholarly attention. Due to the lack of quantitative synthesis of migrant children’s developmental outcomes, we undertook a meta-analysis to compare their developmental outcomes with those of their urban counterparts.MethodsWe searched Applied Social Sciences Index and s (ASSIA), Australian Education Index, British Education Index, ERIC, ProQuest Education Journals, PsycINFO, Social Services s, Family & Society Studies Worldwide, Medline, Women’s Studies International databases and the Chinese CNKI database to identify relevant studies. Studies reporting physical and mental health outcomes of migrant children as well as potential protective and risk factors of child developmental outcomes were included. We assessed study quality using a quality assessment checklist.ResultsWe selected 25 studies from a total of 1592. Our results reveal that migrant children in public schools present significantly greater mental health problems and lower well-being than their urban counterparts, while migrant children in migrant schools do not present significantly different outcomes. In addition, migrant children were found to be more likely to be exposed to physical health risks due to limited utilization of health services. The disadvantageous health outcomes of migrant children were found to be related to a series of individual and social factors, including academic performance, social relationships, and discrimination.ConclusionsMigrant children are disadvantaged by the sociocultural circumstances in urban areas. Government should target them and provide appropriate support in order to improve their developmental status, which will have a positive impact on the stability and development of society.

The Influence of Women's Empowerment on Child Immunization Coverage in Low, Lower-Middle, and Upper-Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

An estimated 1.5 million children under five die annually from vaccine preventable diseases, and 17% of these deaths can be averted with vaccination. Predictors of immunization coverage, such as maternal schooling, are well documented; yet, preventable under-five mortality persists. To understand these patterns, researchers are exploring the mother-child relationship through an empowerment framework. This systematic review assesses evidence of the relationship between women's agency as a component of empowerment and vaccine completion among children <5 years in lower-income countries. We searched in Socindex, Pubmed, Web of Science and Women's Studies International for peer-reviewed articles focused on two measures of women's agency-decision-making and freedom of movement-and child vaccination. Our initial search identified 406 articles and abstracts for screening; 12 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A majority (83%) of studies revealed at least one positive association of measures for women's agency with immunization coverage. These relationships varied by geographic location, and most studies focused on women's decision making rather than freedom of movement. No included study came from Latin America or the Middle East. Overall, women's agency, typically measured by decision-making, was positively associated with the odds of complete childhood immunizations. Yet, the concept of agency was inconsistently defined and operationalized. Future research should address these inconsistencies and focus on under-represented geographic regions including Latin America and the Middle East.

‘Getting Personal’: Contemplating Changes in Intersubjectivity, Methodology and Ethnography

‘Getting Personal’: Contemplating Changes in Intersubjectivity, Methodology and Ethnography

The effectiveness of early psychosis programming for young women: a systematic review protocol

The effectiveness of early psychosis programming for young women: a systematic review protocol

Shaping the online fat acceptance movement: talking about body image and beauty standards

Over the past decade, in Canada and the United States, blogs have become a popular and important space for fat women and their allies to create and further develop discursive strategies to contest the gendered anti-fat discourses perpetuated by the media, governments and the field of medicine and institutions of public health (e.g., Elliot, C. (2007). Journal of Canadian Studies, 41, 134–149. Gimlin, D. (2002). Body work: Beauty and self-image in American culture. Berkeley: University of California Press; Herdon, A. M. (2006). Social Semiotics, 15, 127–141. Rice, C. (2007). Women's Studies International Forum, 30, 158–174. Currently, popular discourses pertaining to fat people, particularly women, tend to range from larger bodies implicating a ‘moral deficit’ to a ‘risky behaviour’ to ‘political discrimination’ where elements from each discourse shape how fat women's bodies are read within the broader culture (Fikkan, J. L., & Rothblum, E. D. (2011). Sex Roles, 66, 575–592. Kwan, S. (2009). Sociological Inquiry, 79, 25–50. These messages in positioning the thin body as the ideal body are embedded in neoliberal discourses around citizenship that, in emphasizing personal responsibility, encourage (sometimes) punishing regimens of strict diets and exercise, and perpetuate an image of responsible citizenship as an extension of modern interpretations (Herdon, 2006). Using content and thematic analysis, we systematically analyze how four female self-identified fat acceptance (FA) bloggers discuss beauty standards and body image as a means to challenge these discourses. Findings suggest bloggers import elements from LBGTQ movements to extend dominant discursive strategies, model alternative forms of fat embodiment, and address the economic marginalization of fat women in industry. Moreover, through discussions on beauty and body image, bloggers use online spaces to contest anti-fat discourses and to develop discursive strategies that move beyond the binary of fat as a lifestyle choice, and body size as biologically or genetically determined that dominate the fat acceptance movement.

Factors affecting the use of prenatal care by non-western women in industrialized western countries: a systematic review

BackgroundDespite the potential of prenatal care for addressing many pregnancy complications and concurrent health problems, non-western women in industrialized western countries more often make inadequate use of prenatal care than women from the majority population do. This study aimed to give a systematic review of factors affecting non-western women’s use of prenatal care (both medical care and prenatal classes) in industrialized western countries.MethodsEleven databases (PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane, Sociological s, Web of Science, Women’s Studies International, MIDIRS, CINAHL, Scopus and the NIVEL catalogue) were searched for relevant peer-reviewed articles from between 1995 and July 2012. Qualitative as well as quantitative studies were included. Quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Factors identified were classified as impeding or facilitating, and categorized according to a conceptual framework, an elaborated version of Andersen’s healthcare utilization model.ResultsSixteen articles provided relevant factors that were all categorized. A number of factors (migration, culture, position in host country, social network, expertise of the care provider and personal treatment and communication) were found to include both facilitating and impeding factors for non-western women’s utilization of prenatal care. The category demographic, genetic and pregnancy characteristics and the category accessibility of care only included impeding factors.Lack of knowledge of the western healthcare system and poor language proficiency were the most frequently reported impeding factors. Provision of information and care in women’s native languages was the most frequently reported facilitating factor.ConclusionThe factors found in this review provide specific indications for identifying non-western women who are at risk of not using prenatal care adequately and for developing interventions and appropriate policy aimed at improving their prenatal care utilization.

If You're So Smart, Why Are You under Surveillance? Universities, Neoliberalism, and New Public Management

Although universities have undergone changes since the dawn of their existence, the speed of change started to accelerate remarkably in the 1960s. Spectacular growth in the number of students and faculty was immediately followed by administrative reforms aimed at managing this growth and managing the demands of students for democratic reform and societal relevance. Since the 1980s, however, an entirely different wind has been blowing along the academic corridors. The fiscal crisis of the welfare states and the neoliberal course of the Reagan and Thatcher governments made the battle against budget deficits and against government spending into a political priority. Education, together with social security and health care, were targeted directly. As the eighties went on, the neoliberal agenda became more radical—smaller state and bigger market—attacking the public sector itself through efforts to systematically reduce public expenditure by privatizing public services and introducing market incentives. At the

Methodological Issues in Pharmacotherapy Research in Older Adults

The shifting of demographics to an aging society with multiple chronic illnesses and increased heterogeneity has created an undeniable imperative regarding the knowledge about pharmacotherapy in older patients, especially because older adults have a higher rate of medication use compared with the general population. More research on pharmacotherapy in older adults is needed to maximize not only the appropriate use of medications but also the benefits of available treatments in this historically underrepresented group. Investigators face many challenges that may greatly affect the outcomes of research on pharmacotherapy in older adults. This commentary discusses the common challenges of research on pharmacotherapy in older adults and provides strategies to overcome such challenges. The following databases were searched for examples of concepts (dates: 1976-September 14, 2010; key terms: research [in the title], aged, elderly, older adult, and geriatric): PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Database (CINAHL), Family & Societal Studies Worldwide, Women's Studies International, Academic Search Premier, Health Source: Academic/Nursing Edition, ISI Web of Knowledge, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, PsycInfo, and Social Work Abstracts. There are several methodological challenges related to study design, including the measurement of outcomes and the analytical plan; study implementation, such as the recruitment of sites and individuals; the informed-consent process; retention; and other practical considerations. A crucial area to consider is the measurement of medication adherence, both as an independent factor and as a confounder. Many challenges of research in older patients reflect the complexities of the aging process, including psychosocial consequences, and the resultant effects on study participation and outcomes. It is hoped that the recommendations provided will help researchers and clinicians overcome the methodological challenges of conducting research on pharmacotherapy in older adults, thereby fostering more studies that critically evaluate pharmacotherapy and medication-management services and maximizing treatment outcomes in older adults.