scholarly journals ‘In Exile, the Woman Became Everything’

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-15
Author(s):  
Dina Sidhva ◽  
Ann-Christin Zuntz ◽  
Ruba al Akash ◽  
Ayat Nashwan ◽  
Areej Al-Majali
Keyword(s):  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Social Responsibilities ◽  
Humanitarian Action ◽  
Unpaid Labour ◽  
And Gender ◽  
War Experience

This article explores the intersections of generational and gender dynamics with humanitarian governance in Jordan that cause shifts in the division of labour within displaced families. Drawing on life history interviews and focus group discussions with seventeen Syrian women in Jordan in spring 2019, we explore the monetary and non-monetary contributions of middle-aged females to the livelihoods of refugee households. Older women’s paid and unpaid labour holds together dispersed families whose fathers have been killed or incapacitated, or remain in Syria or in the Gulf. In doing so, many women draw on their pre-war experience of living with – or rather apart from – migrant husbands. Increased economic and social responsibilities coincide with a phase in our interviewees’ lifecycle in which they traditionally acquire greater authority as elders, especially as mothers-in-law. While power inequalities between older and younger Syrian women are not new, they have been exacerbated by the loss of resources in displacement. Our insights offer a counterpoint to humanitarian attempts at increasing refugees’ ‘self-reliance’ through small-scale entrepreneurship. For now, culturally appropriate and practically feasible jobs for middle-aged women are found in their living rooms. Supportive humanitarian action should allow them to upscale their businesses and address power dynamics within families.

scholarly journals Marx and Feminism

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 468-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Federici
Keyword(s):  
Working Class ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Class A ◽  
Unpaid Labour ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Unemployed ◽  
Labour Migrant

This contribution focuses on aspects of feminism and gender in Marx’s theory. Marx’s methodology has given us the tools and the categories enabling us to think together gender and class, feminism and anti-capitalism. However, his contribution is an indirect one because Marx never developed a theory of gender. It is important to include the role of reproductive labour, slave labour, migrant labour, labour in the Global South and the unemployed in the critical analysis of capitalism and its division of labour. Reproductive labour is the largest activity on this planet and a major ground of divisions within the working class. A different Marx was discovered in the 1970s by feminists who turned to his work searching for a theory capable of explaining the roots of women’s oppression from a class viewpoint. The result has been a theoretical revolution that has changed both Marxism and Feminism. What was redefined by the realisation of the centrality of women’s unpaid labour in the home to the production of the work-force was not domestic work alone but the nature of capitalism itself and the struggle against it. This meant to turn Marx upside down to make his work important for feminism.

scholarly journals From ‘women’s business’ to ‘men’s business’: Exploring connections between vasectomy acceptance and equitable gender relations in South Tarawa, Kiribati

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Alex Hill
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Household Decision ◽  
Engaging Men ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Equitable Outcomes

<p>Engaging men in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) has implications for gender equality and sustainable development. Promoting vasectomy can foster more equitable gender relations between partners, but research on this topic is extremely limited. My research shows that, in Kiribati, vasectomy uptake is both a cause and a consequence of gender equitable relationships, but connections are complex. Vasectomy uptake can also result from, and lead to, inequitable behaviours.  Links between vasectomy uptake and gender relations among couples in South Tarawa, Kiribati were explored using a qualitative case study informed by feminist theory and principles from indigenous methodologies. Semi-structured informal interviews were held with five vasectomised I-Kiribati men and their wives, interviewed as a couple and individually. Comparative analysis was undertaken with two same-sex focus group discussions, one with non-vasectomised men and the other with their wives; and with six key informant interviews. Information generated was analysed thematically and further triangulated with international and Kiribati studies.  Among the participant-couples, vasectomy decision-making seemed equitable, consistent with other household decision-making. Notably, the wives were actively involved in their husbands’ decision to be vasectomised. Husbands were often prompted by egalitarian concerns. However, vasectomised men are in the minority and challenge gender normative behaviour. Family planning was widely viewed as women’s responsibility.  Most participants felt vasectomy created new opportunities that empowered women. Yet, some participants knew of men who used their vasectomies to control their wives’ sexual and reproductive agency, and to enable extramarital relationships. Although vasectomy freed women from contraceptive responsibility, significant shifts in the gender division of labour did not follow, but exceptions existed.  This research shows that gender equity is likely to be a pre-condition of vasectomy, and that vasectomy can lead to equitable outcomes. Moreover, gender relations within and among couples were multifaceted and contradictions existed. My research makes a strong case for why heterosexual men should be central to gender and development.</p>

scholarly journals From ‘women’s business’ to ‘men’s business’: Exploring connections between vasectomy acceptance and equitable gender relations in South Tarawa, Kiribati

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Alex Hill
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Household Decision ◽  
Engaging Men ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Equitable Outcomes

<p>Engaging men in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) has implications for gender equality and sustainable development. Promoting vasectomy can foster more equitable gender relations between partners, but research on this topic is extremely limited. My research shows that, in Kiribati, vasectomy uptake is both a cause and a consequence of gender equitable relationships, but connections are complex. Vasectomy uptake can also result from, and lead to, inequitable behaviours.  Links between vasectomy uptake and gender relations among couples in South Tarawa, Kiribati were explored using a qualitative case study informed by feminist theory and principles from indigenous methodologies. Semi-structured informal interviews were held with five vasectomised I-Kiribati men and their wives, interviewed as a couple and individually. Comparative analysis was undertaken with two same-sex focus group discussions, one with non-vasectomised men and the other with their wives; and with six key informant interviews. Information generated was analysed thematically and further triangulated with international and Kiribati studies.  Among the participant-couples, vasectomy decision-making seemed equitable, consistent with other household decision-making. Notably, the wives were actively involved in their husbands’ decision to be vasectomised. Husbands were often prompted by egalitarian concerns. However, vasectomised men are in the minority and challenge gender normative behaviour. Family planning was widely viewed as women’s responsibility.  Most participants felt vasectomy created new opportunities that empowered women. Yet, some participants knew of men who used their vasectomies to control their wives’ sexual and reproductive agency, and to enable extramarital relationships. Although vasectomy freed women from contraceptive responsibility, significant shifts in the gender division of labour did not follow, but exceptions existed.  This research shows that gender equity is likely to be a pre-condition of vasectomy, and that vasectomy can lead to equitable outcomes. Moreover, gender relations within and among couples were multifaceted and contradictions existed. My research makes a strong case for why heterosexual men should be central to gender and development.</p>

scholarly journals Living with death in a time of AIDS: A rural South African case study

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (69_suppl) ◽  
pp. 138-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Posel ◽  
Kathleen Kahn ◽  
Liz Walker
Keyword(s):  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Aged People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Cultural Taboos ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Hiv Aids

Aims: To examine how a rural community profoundly affected by escalating rates of largely AIDS-related deaths of young and middle-aged people makes sense of this phenomenon and its impact on their everyday lives. Methods: Data were collected in Agincourt subdistrict, Limpopo Province. Twelve focus groups were constituted according to age and gender and met three times (a total of 36 focus-group discussions [FGDs]). The FGDs explored sequentially people's expectations of their lives in the ``new'' South Africa, their interpretations of the acceleration of death amongst the young and middle-aged, and their understandings of HIV/AIDS. Discussions were recorded, fully transcribed, and thematically analysed. Results: Respondents acknowledged escalating death rates in their community, yet few referred directly to HIV/AIDS as the cause. Rather, respondents focused on the social and cultural causes of death, including the erosion of cultural norms and traditions such as cultural taboos on sex. There are many competing versions of what HIV/AIDS is, what causes it and how it is spread, ranging from scientific explanations to conspiracy theories. Findings highlight the relationship between AIDS and other traditional diseases with some respondents suggesting that AIDS is a new form of other longstanding illnesses. Conclusions: This study points to the centrality of cultural explanations in understanding ``bad death'' (AIDS death) in the Agincourt area. Physical illness is understood to be a symptom of ``cultural damage''. Implications of this for public health practice and research are outlined.

From “Secret” to “Sensitive Issue”: Shifting Ideas About HIV Disclosure Among Middle-Aged and Older Rural South Africans in the Era of Antiretroviral Treatment

2021 ◽  
pp. 089826432110202
Author(s):  
Enid Schatz ◽  
Ifeolu David ◽  
Nicole Angotti ◽  
F. Xavier Gómez-Olivé ◽  
Sanyu A. Mojola
Keyword(s):  
Older Persons ◽  
Antiretroviral Treatment ◽  
Hiv Disclosure ◽  
Death Sentence ◽  
Treatment As Prevention ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Rural South ◽  
South Africans

Objective As HIV shifts from “death sentence” to “chronic condition,” disclosure of HIV status to intimate partners and family is a significant component of both prevention and treatment adherence. While disclosure is closely considered in many studies, few examine middle-aged and older persons’ (age 40+) perspectives or practices. We trace older rural South Africans’ views on HIV disclosure to their partners and family members in a high prevalence community over a period of extensive antiretroviral treatment (ART) rollout. Methods Community focus group discussions (FGD) conducted in 2013 and 2018 show shifts in older persons’ thinking about HIV disclosure. Findings Our FGD participants saw fewer negative consequences of disclosure in 2018 than in 2013, and highlighted positive outcomes including building trust (partners) as well as greater support for medication collection and adherence (family). Discussion Particularly as the epidemic ages in South Africa and globally, tracing changes in older persons’ views on disclosure is an important step in developing messaging that could enhance treatment as prevention and ART adherence.

scholarly journals The Association Between Recent Family Death and Self-Perceptions of Aging Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 450-450
Author(s):  
Shu Xu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Child Death ◽  
Parental Death ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Family Loss

Abstract The loss of a family member may have a significant influence on one’s aging experience in life. Self-perceptions of aging, which are an individual’s beliefs or evaluation of their experiences of aging, have been described as an important factor for one’s health and daily life. However, there is little research on the association between family death and self-perceptions of aging. This study examines the relationships between recent family death, self-perceptions of aging, and gender of the bereaved among middle-aged and older adults. Using nationally representative data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we conducted cross-sectional analysis on adults age 50 years and older (n=1,839). Self-perceptions of aging were accessed by 8 items derived from the Attitudes Toward Own Aging subscale of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale and the Berlin Aging Study, and we considered recent family death (i.e., parental death, spousal death, sibling death and child death), as well as gender of the bereaved. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that respondents who experienced recent family death report less positive self-perceptions of aging compared to those who did not experience recent family death (t = 12.40, p &lt; .01). Recent parental death was more negatively related with self-perceptions of aging for bereaved women than for bereaved men (χ2 = 4.28, p &lt; .05). Findings suggest that middle-aged and older adults experiencing recent family loss have less positive self-perceptions of aging, and gender of the bereaved plays an important role in the relationship between parental death and self-perceptions of aging.

scholarly journals Small-scale fishing income and fuel consumption: Fiji’s artisanal sea cucumber fishery

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 1758-1767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven W Purcell ◽  
Watisoni Lalavanua ◽  
Brian R Cullis ◽  
Nicole Cocks
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Sea Cucumber ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Fuel Use ◽  
Sea Cucumbers ◽  
Deep Water Species ◽  
And Gender

Abstract Understanding the income and costs of fishing is fundamental to managing fisheries and planning interventions to improve efficiency and gender equity. Few studies offer data on fisher incomes and fuel use in small-scale fisheries (SSFs), and fewer have assessed factors influencing variation among fishers and between genders. We interviewed 235 artisanal fishers among 34 island villages in an artisanal sea cucumber fishery in Fiji. Linear mixed models were used to determine the effect of geographic and socioeconomic variables on incomes and fuel use from fishing sea cucumbers. Net income of sea cucumbers to fishers, averaging FJ$8, 171 year−1 (US$4, 494 year−1) (range: FJ$0–52,008 year−1), varied among villages and was 47% lower for women than men. On an average, 60% of fishers’ gross annual income came from fishing and selling sea cucumbers, although this proportion varied greatly even within villages. Fishers who practised gleaning, fished less often, or possessing numerous livelihood income streams, were less economically dependent on sea cucumbers. Men tended to estimate higher incomes for an average day of fishing than women when compared with their recall of last sale. Fuel use varied greatly among regions in Fiji but, overall, averaged 428 L fisher−1 year−1, and represented 28% of gross income. More economical fishing strategies by women resulted in lower fuel use than men per fishing day. Breath-hold divers used less fuel (compared to fishers using scuba) and fishers targeting deep-water species used more fuel than other fishers. A best approximation of 8000 t CO2 year−1 for the carbon footprint of the whole fishery suggests that some SSFs, such as the one studied here, can be significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, even compared to many large-scale fisheries globally. Reforms to the management of SSFs should consider regulations that minimize carbon emissions and reduce economic dependency on vulnerable marine resources.

scholarly journals Characteristic Movement of the Ribs, Thoracic Vertebrae while Elevating the Upper Limbs - Influences of Age and Gender on Movements

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 170-176
Author(s):  
Hisayoshi Tachihara ◽  
Junichiro Hamada
Keyword(s):  
Young Group ◽  
Thoracic Vertebrae ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Aged Group ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Shoulder Disorders ◽  
Arm Elevation ◽  
And Gender

Background: The rib cage, such as the thoracic spine and ribs, influences glenohumeral mobility and the development of shoulder disorders. Objective: To evaluate movements of the ribs, thoracic vertebrae during bilateral arm elevation and to clarify the characteristic influences of age and gender. Methods: Subjects comprised 33 healthy individuals divided into a young group (10 males, 7 females; mean age, 25 years) and a middle-aged group (8 males, 8 females; mean age, 52 years). Chest CT was performed with two arm positions: arms hanging downwards; and arms elevated at 160°. Images were three-dimensionally reconstructed to evaluate rib movement, extension angle of thoracic vertebrae. Results: Maximal movement was observed at the fifth rib, and rib movement decreased with increasing distance from the fifth rib in both the groups. In males, movement of the second to fourth ribs was smaller in the middle-aged group than in the young group (p < 0.05). Movement of the first to ninth ribs was smaller in females than in males (p < 0.05). No significant difference in the extension angle of the thoracic vertebrae was found. Conclusion: Fifth rib movement is the largest among all ribs during bilateral arm elevation. Reduction of upper rib movement initially arises as an age-related degradation in males. Women exhibit less rib movement during bilateral arm elevation.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Exploration in Causes of Water Insecurity Experiences, and Gender and Nutritional Consequences in South-Punjab, Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12534
Author(s):  
Farooq Ahmed ◽  
Muhammad Shahid ◽  
Yang Cao ◽  
Madeeha Gohar Qureshi ◽  
Sidra Zia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Water Insecurity ◽  
Health And Nutrition ◽  
Punjab Province ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Optimal Health ◽  
Victims Of Violence ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Qualitative Exploration

Although water insecurity has been discussed in general, its impacts on mothers’ physical and mental health, and infants’ and young children’s feeding (IYCF), has largely been ignored. This study explores household water insecurity experiences and their association with optimal health and nutrition of women and children in the Rajanpur district of Punjab Province. Using focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informants (KIIs) interviews from an area with high maternal-child malnutrition prevalence, a qualitative study was conducted to describe local experiences of water acquirement and arrangement, and of the consequences of water insecurity. The findings highlight that rural Western marginalized populations of the Rajanpur district rely on brackish, canal, or flood surface water as the water supply is absent, which intensifies mothers’ work burden and stress, and often makes them victims of violence, stigma, and sickness. Water fetching impacts women in unforeseen ways, impacting the psychosocial and physical health of mothers engaged in maternal breastfeeding. Water insecurity, originally rooted in regional disparities, compounds with gender inequities, which leads to maternal stress and child sickness. Justice in water resources is imperative and urgent in the deprived South of Punjab province for improving public health nutrition.

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