Current Search: empowerment (x)
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- Title
- EMPOWERMENT UNIT PLAN FOR HAITIAN RESTAVEK CHILDREN.
- Creator
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Craig, Ashley, Trimble-Spalding, Lee-Anne, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Restavek, French for "one who stays with", is a word used to describe child slaves in Haiti. These children are given away by their parents at a young age because of financial hardships or for hopes of life in the urban areas to be better than life in the rural areas. The Restaveks, far from their family and anyone they know, end up as slaves without access to education, healthcare, and sometimes food. As a result, many of these children suffer from malnutrition, abuse, and illnesses. The...
Show moreRestavek, French for "one who stays with", is a word used to describe child slaves in Haiti. These children are given away by their parents at a young age because of financial hardships or for hopes of life in the urban areas to be better than life in the rural areas. The Restaveks, far from their family and anyone they know, end up as slaves without access to education, healthcare, and sometimes food. As a result, many of these children suffer from malnutrition, abuse, and illnesses. The majority of Restaveks are young girls. In the communities, they are shunned and seen as the outcasts or burdens on society. This paper presents Restaveks, an empowerment education curriculum, and the Haitian education system as a whole in order to create a week-long unit plan to empower and encourage these children. The goal of this curriculum is to empower 8-12 year old Restavek girls to assist them in creating a positive self-image and to allow them to work toward a better life. By providing education and empowerment to these girls, the system of slavery could be ended, and all people would be seen as equals.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFH0004893, ucf:45425
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004893
- Title
- ELIMINATING THE GLASS CEILING: HOW MICRO-FINANCING EMPOWERS WOMEN AND ALLEVIATES THE EFFECTS OF POVERTY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
- Creator
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Graziani, Meldin, Morales, Waltraud, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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ABSTRACT It is widely accepted as fact that the creation of a stable financial system is the catalyst which facilitates economic development and prosperity. However, developing countries which embark on a path of change often forget the cardinal rule: addressing the needs of those who suffer from poverty, inequality, and political strife. In other words, change starts from the ground up; not the other way around. First among the challenges facing these countries, is the need to change the...
Show moreABSTRACT It is widely accepted as fact that the creation of a stable financial system is the catalyst which facilitates economic development and prosperity. However, developing countries which embark on a path of change often forget the cardinal rule: addressing the needs of those who suffer from poverty, inequality, and political strife. In other words, change starts from the ground up; not the other way around. First among the challenges facing these countries, is the need to change the lending rules followed by traditional financial institutions- banks and other private lenders- who are unwilling to provide their services to individuals with little income and few if any assets that can be used as collateral. Second, global organizations like the United Nations, World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund have failed to provide aid in a way that forces the creation of positive and sustainable change for fragile and destabilized societies. For this reason, many developing countries which receive financial aid are no better off than they were before the interventions occurred, and in some cases worse. Finally, other aid programs and even well-intentioned government efforts to reduce poverty fail simply because they are misguided. Too much attention and financial resources are devoted to grand schemes of long-term duration and not enough is given to impacting human lives in the present. In 1973, visionary economist Muhammud Yunus witnessed his beloved country of Bangladesh sinking into the deepest realms of poverty; much of its population in despair and left without hope of extricating itself from a bleak existence. The problem was compounded by the fact that its government was preoccupied with matters of State iii rather than those of its people; its financial institutions were oblivious to the pain and hunger which surrounded them, and international donors were simply giving away money without any form of control or direct involvement. Out of this scenario, Yunus started with an idea that would alter not only his life, but the lives of people in Bangladesh and the world over: micro-finance. To this day, nearly every text written on the subject calls micro-finance a weapon in the fight against global poverty, but only a mere few recognize just how much of the gains made in this "fight" are attributable to the direct involvement of women in micro-financing. This thesis posits that while Muhammud Yunus created an idea for the benefit of "the global poor", it actually became a medium for the empowerment of women around the world. In fact, much of the praise awarded to micro-finance as success omit recognition of what should be obvious: the driving force behind the success of micro-lending is (poor) women. This statement does not seek to diminish the merits of an idea which has put a significant mark on the global economy, or to ignore the accomplishments of millions of men who through hard work have overcome poverty. However, what began as a genderless effort to help the poor of Bangladesh soon changed to one that overwhelmingly favored women. To this day, lending primarily to women has become the modus operandi of the microfinance industry for one reason above all: because women have proven they are a good business risk. The first part of this thesis will analyze the birth and development of the micro-financing system with special emphasis on its creator, Muhammed Yunus and the financial institution he founded for the purpose of implementing his idea, Grameen Bank. The second part will review the growth of micro-financing across the world with iv focus on Kiva, a web-based organization which represents the melding of micro-finance with 21st century technology. Finally, the thesis will look at Pro Mujer, a micro-financing organization which has successfully operated in Latin America for the last 20 years and developed a niche that expands the horizons of empowerment.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003735, ucf:48780
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003735
- Title
- Leadership and Subordinate Engagement: A Meta-Analytic Examination of its Mechanisms using Self-Determination Theory.
- Creator
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Young, Henry, Wang, Wei, Joseph, Dana, Fritzsche, Barbara, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Although past research has suggested ineffective leadership to be the most common reason for low levels of employee engagement, little is known about the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship. To address this gap in research, I tested a theoretical model based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci (&) Ryan, 2000) in which two focal mechanisms, leader-member exchange (LMX) and empowerment, functioned in sequential order to predict the relationship between Full Range Leadership...
Show moreAlthough past research has suggested ineffective leadership to be the most common reason for low levels of employee engagement, little is known about the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship. To address this gap in research, I tested a theoretical model based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci (&) Ryan, 2000) in which two focal mechanisms, leader-member exchange (LMX) and empowerment, functioned in sequential order to predict the relationship between Full Range Leadership and subordinate engagement. Results showed that transactional leadership had positive and negative indirect effects on engagement, suggesting that transactional leadership comprises a (")double-edged sword(") as a predictor of subordinate engagement. In contrast, the indirect effects between transformational leadership and engagement were consistently positive. As such, current mediation models used in leadership can benefit by drawing from SDT to investigate the unfolding process of leadership through sequential mediation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFE0006675, ucf:51250
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006675
- Title
- MINIMIZING INCIVILITY IN THE WORKPLACE TO INCREASE RETENTION OF NEW GRADUATE NURSES.
- Creator
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D'Ambra, Amanda, Andrews, Diane, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Efforts to maintain a sufficient nurse workforce are hampered by dissatisfaction with the work environment. Incivility in the work environment is a major source of dissatisfaction. A healthy work environment is associated with higher levels of job satisfaction and improved retention. New graduate transition programs have been recommended as a deterrent to high levels of turnover associated within the first two years of employment, some of which is related to incivility. The purpose of this...
Show moreEfforts to maintain a sufficient nurse workforce are hampered by dissatisfaction with the work environment. Incivility in the work environment is a major source of dissatisfaction. A healthy work environment is associated with higher levels of job satisfaction and improved retention. New graduate transition programs have been recommended as a deterrent to high levels of turnover associated within the first two years of employment, some of which is related to incivility. The purpose of this thesis was to examine the influence of incivility in the nursing workplace on new graduate job satisfaction and determine if there is an association between participation in new graduate nurse transition programs and satisfaction with the work environment. A systematic review of the literature was performed using MEDLINE- EBSCOhost, PsycInfo, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases. Sixteen studies, which met search criteria, were reviewed. Themes that emerged included workplace incivility, nurse residency programs, mentoring through preceptors, and empowerment. Findings indicated that incivility in the workplace was a significant predictor of low job satisfaction in new graduate nurses. While graduate nurse transition programs are associated with improved satisfaction and retention rates for these nurses, nothing in the literature indicated that graduate nurse transition programs had a direct impact on empowerment and job satisfaction related to the incivility these nurses experience.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFH0004244, ucf:44945
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004244
- Title
- WOMEN AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN.
- Creator
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Nabut, Hanady, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The idea of women's economic empowerment in the developing world has been growing in momentum throughout the past decades. Today, it is a force that is dramatically redefining the concept of economic development and transforming the economic and political landscape of the Middle East. Women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are finding innovative ways to participate in the labor market. As a result, they are becoming agents of change in their political, economic, and social...
Show moreThe idea of women's economic empowerment in the developing world has been growing in momentum throughout the past decades. Today, it is a force that is dramatically redefining the concept of economic development and transforming the economic and political landscape of the Middle East. Women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are finding innovative ways to participate in the labor market. As a result, they are becoming agents of change in their political, economic, and social environments. However, despite the tremendous amount of growth that has realized throughout the years, women in MENA face significant hurdles to realize their potential. This study will highlight the social, political, and economic developments that have taken place within the last decade, and describe how they have improved, or worsened economic conditions for women in the region. It will also describe the issues associated with previous developments, and their missing dimensions. The analysis will provide case studies to compare levels of women's empowerment in Jordan and Palestine. The concept of women's economic empowerment will be analyzed through a multidisciplinary lens in which factors such as religion, ideology, culture, politics, and economics are merged to understand the foundation of the problems facing women in MENA. The study will emphasize the importance of a sociocultural base in the analysis of women's labor force participation rates. These factors will also be analyzed from various levels of analysis: individual, state, and global.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004683, ucf:45242
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004683
- Title
- THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
- Creator
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Rice, Ailbhe M, Sadri, Houman, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis assesses the current rights of women in Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Within each case study, four main factors are measured based on their individual influence in each state. The first factor, historical context, examines various historical influences and their effect on the empowerment of women in their country. The second factor, the socio-cultural context, describes social and ethnical effects on society such as the influence of tribal lineage. The third...
Show moreThis thesis assesses the current rights of women in Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Within each case study, four main factors are measured based on their individual influence in each state. The first factor, historical context, examines various historical influences and their effect on the empowerment of women in their country. The second factor, the socio-cultural context, describes social and ethnical effects on society such as the influence of tribal lineage. The third factor researched is the political structure of the state and the impact that each different political system has upon gender equality in that region. The fourth and final factor is the economic system and the various economic determinants that influence the presence of women in the economy. Subsequently, the conclusion cross analyzes these factors and their distinctive and comparative impact across each region. This thesis attempts to offer an introductory glimpse into the various factors that may hinder empowerment of women in these regions. This information is imperative in order to understand how these states can develop policies that will empower women economically, politically, and socially.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2017
- Identifier
- CFH2000218, ucf:45930
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000218
- Title
- THE REALM OF SELF-REGULATED LEARNING (SRL): AN EXAMINATION OF SRL IN AN ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM SETTING AND ITS RELEVANCY TO TRENDS IN OUR CURRENT CURRICULA.
- Creator
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Lutfi , Duaa, Olan, Elsie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Teaching and instructing students is a necessity, but creating ways to challenge them is a priority. This thesis focuses on Barry Zimmerman and Timothy Clearly's Self-Regulation Empowerment Program (SREP). This model uses a problem-solving approach in establishing Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) strategies in students' learning. Stemming from interdisciplinary questions such as, "what will help students be successful in and outside the classroom?" and "how do teachers challenge students without...
Show moreTeaching and instructing students is a necessity, but creating ways to challenge them is a priority. This thesis focuses on Barry Zimmerman and Timothy Clearly's Self-Regulation Empowerment Program (SREP). This model uses a problem-solving approach in establishing Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) strategies in students' learning. Stemming from interdisciplinary questions such as, "what will help students be successful in and outside the classroom?" and "how do teachers challenge students without stifling their creativity?" this purpose of this study aims to explore the realm of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL). The present study further examines if SRL strategies and practices foster learning and are prevalent in current trends and curricula such as, Marzano and Common Core. After thorough analysis of student observations and coding of data, the findings concluded that SRL strategies fostered student learning. Students studied were more readily motivated to regulate their learning and attempt challenging tasks. Moreover these findings indicated an increase in student success and metacognitive knowledge, as the students were provided with more opportunities to engage in self-talk, self-reflection, strategic planning, and goal setting. Results suggested the flexibility of the SREP model and its application to current instructional practices. Implications and recommendations for further research into the SRL model across other disciplines are also presented and discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFH0004534, ucf:45151
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004534
- Title
- Countering the Narrative: Exploring the Relationships among Wellness, Resilience, and Empowerment within Black Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With HIV (BMSM+).
- Creator
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Heard, Nevin, Shillingford-Butler, Ann, Joe, Richelle, Boote, David, Dollarhide, Collette, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The HIV epidemic continues to disproportionately impact marginalized populations, where one in two Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. The lack of research regarding the wellness of Black men who have sex with men living with HIV (BMSM+) inhibits understanding, which could hinder professions missioned with bettering the wellness of BMSM+. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to investigate if resilience and empowerment predict BMSM+'s...
Show moreThe HIV epidemic continues to disproportionately impact marginalized populations, where one in two Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. The lack of research regarding the wellness of Black men who have sex with men living with HIV (BMSM+) inhibits understanding, which could hinder professions missioned with bettering the wellness of BMSM+. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to investigate if resilience and empowerment predict BMSM+'s wellness. However, a lack of internal consistency among the empowerment measurement required the researcher to remove the scale and adjust the scope of the study. A simple linear regression determined that resilience predicted wellness with statistical significance F(1, 247) = 726.012,(&)nbsp;R2 = .745, p =.000, f2 = 2.92. Descriptive statistics revealed that there were no significant differences in overall wellness when comparing BMSM+ ((N = 249) to norming samples representative of the U.S. population, t(248) = 1.575, p = .12 and African-Americans, t(248) = -1.444, p = .150; though BMSM+ had higher overall wellness when compared to men, t(248) = 9.926, p = .000. Most of the BMSM+ in this study had a resilience score that was somewhat low to very low (M = 123. 39), which was significantly lower than norming samples of the U.S. population, t(248) = -8.345, p = .000 and men, p = .000; males: t(248) = -7.938, p = .000. Additionally, the researcher ran two post hoc analyses that used multi-factor ANOVAs that revealed significant differences in resilience and wellness between groups when examining participants' HIV viral load detectability, CD4 count, mode of HIV contraction, level of religiosity/spirituality, education, and relationship status. Overall, the findings of the current study challenge the assumption that BMSM+ are unwell and has implications for counseling practitioners, counselor educators, researchers, and community-based organizations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007191, ucf:52258
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007191
- Title
- The Impact of Technology on Management Control: Degradation, Empowerment, or Technology Dominance?.
- Creator
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Canada, Joseph, Arnold, Vicky, Roberts, Robin, Sutton, Steven, Benford, Tanya, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The evolution of technology brings with it the evolution of business processes. Without a doubt, technology changes how work is performed. At first glance, workplace technology appears to be a great boon to society. However, research presents opposing views on how workplace technologies impact the individual. One perspective argues that organizations utilize technology to redesign work processes, such that the worker requires less skill, autonomy, and compensation. The opposing perspective...
Show moreThe evolution of technology brings with it the evolution of business processes. Without a doubt, technology changes how work is performed. At first glance, workplace technology appears to be a great boon to society. However, research presents opposing views on how workplace technologies impact the individual. One perspective argues that organizations utilize technology to redesign work processes, such that the worker requires less skill, autonomy, and compensation. The opposing perspective argues that organizations utilize technology to empower employees to improve efficiency and profits. This dissertation consists of three interrelated studies examining workplace technology's impact on decision makers. The first study examines the capability of an enterprise system to increase the application of scientific management techniques to middle management and, consequently, to degrade middle management's work by limiting their autonomy. The second study investigates the capability of an enterprise system to facilitate the empowerment of managers via mutual monitoring and social identification. The third study builds upon the first study by examining how limiting autonomy through technology impacts the intrinsic motivation of decision makers and, as a result, affects the decision making process. Study one applies labor process theory to explain how enterprise systems can degrade the work of middle management via scientific management techniques. The purpose of this study is to test if the expectations of labor process theory can be applied to enterprise systems. In order to test this assertion, a field survey utilizing 189 middle managers is employed and the data is analyzed using component based structural equation modeling. The results indicate that enterprise system integration increases two scientific management techniques, formalization and performance measurement, but do not reveal a significant relationship between enterprise system integration and routinization. Interestingly, the results also indicate that routinization is the only scientific management technique, of the three studied, that directly limits the autonomy of the middle managers. Although performance measurement does not reduce autonomy directly, performance measurement interacts with routinization to reduce autonomy. This study contributes to the enterprise system literature by demonstrating enterprise systems' ability to increase the degree of scientific management applied to middle management. It also contributes to labor process theory by revealing that routinization may be the scientific management technique that determines whether other control techniques are utilized in a manner consistent with labor process theory. The ability of an enterprise system to facilitate the application of Mary Parker Follett's managerial control concepts are investigated in the second study. Specifically, Follett theorizes that information sharing facilitates the internalization of group goals and empowers individuals to have more influence and be more effective. This study employs a survey of 206 managers to test the theoretical relationships. The results indicate that enterprise system integration increases information sharing in the form of mutual monitoring, consequently, leading to social identification among peer managers. Additionally, social identification among peer managers empowers managers to have more influence over the organization. The study contributes to empowerment research by acknowledging and verifying the role that social identification plays in translating an empowering work climate into empowered managers. The study's conclusion that enterprise system integration facilitates the application of Follett's managerial control concepts extends both enterprise system and managerial control literature. The third study builds upon study one by examining the affect that autonomy has upon the decision maker. This study marries self-determination theory and technology dominance theory to understand the role that self-determination, intrinsic motivation, and engagement have upon technology dominance. Self-determination theory asserts that higher degrees of self-determination increase intrinsic motivation. Furthermore, self-determination research finds that intrinsic motivation increases engagement, while technology dominance research indicates that lack of engagement is an antecedent of technology dominance. Thus, applying self-determination theory as a predictor of technology dominance suggests that autonomy and relatedness associated with a task increase the intrinsic motivation to complete that task and consequently increase engagement in the task. Task engagement, in turn, reduces the likelihood of technology dominance. The proposed theoretical model is tested experimentally with 83 junior level business students. The results do not support the theoretical model, however the findings reveal that intrinsic motivation does reduce the likelihood of technology dominance. This indicates that intrinsic motivation as a predictor of technology dominance should be further investigated. Additionally, the study contributes to technology dominance literature by exhibiting a more appropriate operationalization of the inappropriate reliance aspect of technology dominance. This dissertation reveals that various theories concerning workplace technology and management control techniques have both validity and limitations. Labor process theorists cannot assume that all technologies and management control techniques are utilized to undermine the employee's value to the organization, as Study 2 reveals that enterprise systems and mutual monitoring lead to empowered managers. Likewise, proponents of enterprise systems cannot assume that the integrated nature of enterprise systems is always utilized in an empowering manner, as Study 1 reveals the increased performance measurement through enterprise systems can be utilized to limit managers in a routinized job environment. While the third study was unable to determine that the control features in technology affect the intrinsic motivation to complete a task, the findings do reveal that intrinsic motivation is directly related to technology dominance. The findings and theoretical refinements demonstrate that workplace technology and management control have a complicated relationship with the employee and that the various theories concerning them cannot be applied universally.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004980, ucf:49569
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004980
- Title
- Rewriting Patriarchal Norms in Academia: Invitational Rhetoric in a Crowdsourced Survey.
- Creator
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Molko, Rachel, Wheeler, Stephanie, Rounsaville, Angela, Jones, Natasha, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis seeks to understand the how texts are constructed to forward feminist communicative objectives through a case study of Dr. Karen Kelsky's "A Crowdsourced Survey of Sexual Harassment in the Academy.(") In this research, sexual harassment is understood as(&)nbsp;an act of power, sexual in nature, enacted by faculty or staff (employed or contracted in different capacities) in their relations with other faculty or staff, who are often lower ranking.(&)nbsp;By adopting invitational...
Show moreThis thesis seeks to understand the how texts are constructed to forward feminist communicative objectives through a case study of Dr. Karen Kelsky's "A Crowdsourced Survey of Sexual Harassment in the Academy.(") In this research, sexual harassment is understood as(&)nbsp;an act of power, sexual in nature, enacted by faculty or staff (employed or contracted in different capacities) in their relations with other faculty or staff, who are often lower ranking.(&)nbsp;By adopting invitational rhetoric as a theoretical framework, this thesis examines the way(&)nbsp;Dr. Karen Kelsky's crowdsourced survey creates the space to articulate and elevate often(&)nbsp;suppressed(&)nbsp;personal testimony regarding sexual harassment.(&)nbsp;By welcoming, and then displaying, narratives that have been deliberately silenced over the course of history, Kelsky's spreadsheet showcases a collective consciousness surrounding sexual harassment in academia. The current scholarship surrounding feminist communicative praxis highlights the importance of the written personal narrative as meaning-making and as a reflective practice, especially through the medium of journaling. However, this research examines how texts can employ personal testimony to co-create meaning as a mode of resistance. In particular, Kelsky's artifacts create a space that privileges and displays situated knowledge about sexual harassment that has been otherwise obfuscated. By conducting a feminist(&)nbsp;rhetorical analysis, this thesis argues that Kelsky's artifacts perform invitational rhetoric that mediates situated knowledge surrounding sexual harassment in the academic workplace.(&)nbsp;Reflection and dialogue shape the nature of storytelling as evoked by the survey, which are approached by this thesis as feminist communicative praxes that are activated throughout engagement with the artifacts.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007228, ucf:52229
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007228
- Title
- HEALTHY AGING AND SELF-OBJECTIFICATION: THE IMPACT OF EMPOWERMENT AND FEMINIST ATTITUDES ON BODY IMAGE, EATING BEHAVIOR, AND AGING SATISFACTION.
- Creator
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Grippo, Karen, Tantleff Dunn, Stacey, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this study was to contribute to women's healthy aging across the adult lifespan by empirically examining potential protective factors (e.g., empowerment and feminist attitudes) in maintaining positive body image, healthy eating behavior, and aging satisfaction. Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) provided a theoretical framework for understanding the connections between sexual-objectification experiences, media influences, and self-objectification, and the...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to contribute to women's healthy aging across the adult lifespan by empirically examining potential protective factors (e.g., empowerment and feminist attitudes) in maintaining positive body image, healthy eating behavior, and aging satisfaction. Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) provided a theoretical framework for understanding the connections between sexual-objectification experiences, media influences, and self-objectification, and the resulting negative psychological consequences for women in Western society. This study was the first to examine empowerment in relation to Objectification Theory. Additionally, a developmental perspective was gained by using a diverse sample of young, middle-aged, and older women in the investigation of the impact of self-objectification on aging satisfaction. Results indicated that women of all ages were just as likely to report either body image satisfaction or body image dissatisfaction after accounting for BMI. However, younger women were more likely than older women to view their bodies as objects. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed utilizing Objectification Theory as a framework for predicting body image, eating behaviors, and aging satisfaction. Empowerment and feminist attitudes were not protective factors in promoting healthy eating behavior and positive thoughts related to body image and aging. The final structural model did, however, provide support for Objectification Theory and its proposed relationships between sexual-objectification experiences and the development of self-objectification and the negative consequences of self-objectification on a variety of health-related constructs. Long-term implications include incorporating this knowledge into empirically supported prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing body image and eating disturbance and promoting healthy aging across the adult lifespan.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003966, ucf:48692
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003966