Occupational Stigma and Coping Strategies of Women Engaged in the Commercial Sex Industry: A Study on the Perception of “Kyaba-Cula Hostesses” in Japan

This study focuses on “kyaba-cula hostesses” as women who engage in Japan’s commercial sex industry. Their commoditized service is primarily not physical but consists of communication with male customers while offering food and drinks. This study analyzes the different types of kyaba-cula hostesses, their varying professional circumstances, and the effectiveness of their respective cognitive coping strategies for maintaining self-esteem and personal adjustment. The original research took the form of a questionnaire survey interviewing women working as kyaba-cula hostesses in Tokyo, Japan (N?=?92), about their work. About 80 % of the participants were in their 20s, and about 40 % had been working there for less than 1 year. Twenty-two percent were students, and about 30 % were married or had children. The questionnaire results revealed the following: (1) kyaba-cula hostesses demonstrated a higher perceived occupational stigma than workers in general Japanese society; (2) their most effective coping strategies were Social Comparison and Social Value Added for maintaining self-esteem and Family Value Added for reducing their sense of maladjustment; (3) ultimately, in this study, the Disengagement strategy was revealed to be unsuccessful, as it decreased occupational self-esteem and increased their sense of maladjustment; and (4) kyaba-cula hostesses can be grouped into four types (Long-term Low Income, Child-Rearing, High Income, and Part-time) according to the job and demographic characteristics, and the perceived occupational stigma or coping strategies differed among these types.     

Coping with threatened identities: Unemployed people’s self-categorizations

This article presents a theoretical argument to explain the way in which unemployed people react to and cope with threats to their identities that derive from perceptions ofstigma and low self-worth. It is argued here that strategies used by unemployed people to cope with such threats are influenced by whether the individuals categorize themselves as “unemployed” or adopt some other categorization (e.g., housewife, retired coal-miner). It is also proposed that the concept of self-categorization can be framed within Folkman and Lazarus’s (1980, 1985) coping model of distress in order to provide a more general framework for understanding these issues. The study reviews literature about stigma and coping with threatened identities with reference to these integrated frameworks, and concludes with a general model for predicting the way in which unemployed people self-categorize and cope with stigma and low self-esteem. This takes into account the role played by situational and individual factors, and suggests that individuals recategorize themselves in order to cope better during different phases of their unemployment.     

Work, Leisure, and Support Groups: An Examination of the Ways Women with Infertility Respond to Pronatalist Ideology

Pronatalism embodies the belief that a woman's social value is linked to her production of biological children (C. Morell, 2000). Conceiving and bearing children is literally impossible, however, for some of the 5 million women in the United States who struggle with infertility. Women negotiate their experiences with infertility within a pronatalist society, yet their experiences therein have been given little attention. Thus, the purpose of this research was to explore women's lived experiences with infertility in a pronatalist ideology. Active interviews with 32 participants who had experienced infertility revealed that the women were aware of a pronatalist ideology, which was manifested through insensitive comments or questions and unsolicited advice. The women responded by immersing themselves in their work, leisure activities/experiences, or support groups. The findings illustrate how pronatalist ideology is manifest in social interactions, but they also suggest how it may be resisted.     

The Role of Dyadic Coping on the Marital and Emotional Adjustment of Couples With Infertility

Infertility is a challenging experience, affecting individual and couples’ adjustment. However, the way the members of the couple support each other may affect the experience of infertility and their adjustment. This study aimed to investigate the role of dyadic coping by oneself and by the partner in the association between the impact of infertility and dyadic and emotional adjustment (anxiety and depression) to infertility. In this cross‐sectional study, a total of 134 participants (67 couples with infertility) completed self‐report questionnaires assessing infertility‐related stress, dyadic coping, dyadic adjustment, and depression and anxiety symptoms. A path analysis examined the direct and indirect effects between the impact of infertility in one's life and dyadic and emotional adjustment. There is an indirect effect of the impact of infertility in one's life on dyadic adjustment through men's perceived dyadic coping efforts employed by the self (dyadic coping by oneself) and women's perceived dyadic coping efforts of the partner (dyadic coping by the partner). Regarding the emotional adjustment of infertile couples, infertility stress impact had an indirect effect only on depressive symptoms through men's dyadic coping by oneself. The results highlight the importance of men's dyadic coping strategies for the marital adjustment of couples as well as for men's emotional adjustment. Findings emphasize the importance of involving men in the fertility treatment process, reinforcing the dyadic nature of infertility processes.     

“Going the Extra Mile”: Disclosure,Accommodation, and Stigma Management among Working Women with Disabilities

ABSTRACT

Although research has quantitatively evaluated the impacts of stigma upon working women with disabilities (WWD), nuanced, qualitative accounts voiced by these women are rare. To address this literature gap, we conducted seven focus groups with 42 WWD. We asked: “What are women’s experiences of disability disclosure and accommodation in the workplace?” Findings reveal that WWD face intentional and unintentional structural discrimination and must weigh the pros and cons of disclosure and navigate devaluation threats in pursuing workplace accommodations. “Going the extra mile” emerged as a stigma management technique which was prevalent among women of higher social capital.     

The Relationships of Primary Appraisals of Infertility and Other Gynecological Stressors to Coping

Women experiencing infertility, pregnancy, medical gynecological problems, or annual checkups were assessed for primary appraisal of their stressor and types of coping strategies used. Diagnostic category approximated the subjective appraisal of stressor for pregnant (challenge) and checkup (no stress) groups. Most participants in the medical gynecological problems group appraised their stress as a threat, but a few participants chose other appraisal categories. Infertility was associated with two categories of appraisal—loss and challenge. Participants appraising their stressor as a loss made greater use of the coping strategies of Action, Wishful Thinking, and Fatalism than did women appraising their stressor as a challenge, a threat, or not stressful. Women appraising infertility as challenge were less distressed than women in any other group. The bimodal perception of infertility has implications for treating women who seek psychological help.     

Margaret Cavendish on Gender,Nature, and Freedom

Some scholars have argued that Margaret Cavendish was ambivalent about women's roles and capabilities, for she seems sometimes to hold that women are naturally inferior to men, but sometimes that this inferiority is due to inferior education. I argue that attention to Cavendish's natural philosophy can illuminate her views on gender. In section II I consider the implications of Cavendish's natural philosophy for her views on male and female nature, arguing that Cavendish thought that such natures were not fixed. However, I argue that although Cavendish thought women needed to be better educated, and could change if they had such an education, she also thought their education should reinforce the feminine virtues. Section III examines Cavendish's notorious “Preface to the Reader” (from The Worlds Olio), where Cavendish claims that women are naturally inferior in strength and intelligence to men. Section IV addresses another notorious Cavendish text, “Female Orations,” arguing that its message is similar to that of the “Preface to the Reader.” Nonetheless, although Cavendish held conventional views about male and female nature and appropriate gender roles, she also recognized how social institutions could limit women's freedom; section V explores the complexities of Cavendish's critique of one such institution, patriarchal marriage.     

Abortion and Mental Health

Abstract

Unwanted pregnancy and abortion are common life events, and therapists are likely to work with clients who experience them. Legal abortion currently entails little physical or mental health risk; most women currently cope effectively with these life events without need of clinical intervention. But current abortion politics include efforts to make abortion a more threatening, stressful, and stigmatized experience and to create a “postabortion syndrome.” Using a stress and coping framework, we examine how antiabortion activists spread myths and misinformation aimed at women's appraisal processes, and discuss approaches therapists can use to enhance women's strategies for coping with abortion. We also discuss specific issues and useful techniques for counseling about abortion concerns, including cultural sensitivity and strategies for promoting positive sexual health.     

Soteriological dimensions in the work of Heinz Kohut

A framework of theological inquiry is utilized to illuminate soteriological dimensions implicit in Heinz Kohut's psychology of the self as expressed in his most recent work,The Restoration of the Self. Kohut's new formulations involve the unfolding of a saving approach that through its broad application seeks to overcome “the psychological danger that puts the psychological survival of modern Western man into the greatest jeopardy.” The theological inquiry employed asks: What is the essential nature of man? How has man fallen away from his essential self? By what means is he to be saved from his broken condition? Kohut's implicit and explicit “answers” are summarized by dealing with four cardinal issues in his book: definitions of the self: the relationship of a psychology of the self to other psychologies; theory concerning the selfs structure, development, and restoration; and the centrality of the empathic response.     

Posttraumatic growth following pregnancy termination for fetal abnormality: the predictive role of coping strategies and perinatal grief

Background: Research about termination for fetal abnormality (TFA) suggests that it is a traumatic event with potential negative psychological consequences. However, evidence also indicates that following traumatic events individuals may experience growth. Although TFA’s negative psychological outcomes are well documented, little is known of the potential for growth following this event. Therefore, the study’s objectives were to measure posttraumatic growth (PTG) post-TFA, examine the relationship between PTG, perinatal grief and coping, and determine the predictors of PTG.

Design: An online, retrospective survey was conducted with 161 women.

Methods: Eligible participants were women over 18 who had undergone TFA. Participants were recruited from a support organisation. They completed the Brief COPE, Short Perinatal Grief Scale and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Data were analysed using regression analyses.

Results: Moderate levels of PTG were observed for “relating to others,” “personal strengths” and “appreciation of life.” “Positive reframing” was a significant predictor of PTG. Despite using mainly “adaptive” coping strategies, women’s grief levels were high.

Conclusions: “Adaptive” coping strategies such as, “positive reframing” are relevant to TFA. They may act as protective factors against distress and as foundations for growth, implicating that interventions such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which aim to reframe women’s experience, may be beneficial.     

Can Multimodal and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy be Reconciled?

The purpose of this article is to determine whether two distinct modes of cognitive-behaviour therapy—Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) and Multimodal Therapy (MMT)—can be reconciled. This quest in the spirit of integrationism is pursued along three lines of inquiry: Do we talk about schools, approaches, or techniques? A reconciliation between MMT and REBT as systems seems not to be feasible, just because of the simple fact that MMT is not a new school with an idiosyncratic theory, whereas REBT is. However, REBT is also a congenial approach consisting of various eclectic techniques, as is MMT. It is explained how the A-B-C format and firing orders of the BASICI.D. modalities stem from an S-O-R model. Furthermore, the circular character of the various modalities (thinking, feeling, and behaving) is recognised both in MMT and in REBT. The techniques used in REBT and MMT overlap for 65–80%, according to a comparative perusal of Ellis's and Lazarus's presentations of preferred techniques. This means that MMT and REBT, as an approach with distinct techniques, “must” be very similar in practice. The conclusion is that philosophically Ellis and Lazarus see eye-to-eye and that MMT and REBT overlap a great deal. But a fusion is not yet at hand. At best the two can be described as two sides of one coin. “When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what's the first thing you say to yourself?” “What's for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?” “I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?” said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. “It's the same thing,” he said. “What's that?” the Unbeliever asked. “Wisdom from a Western Taoist,” I said. “It sounds like something from Winnie-the Pooh,” he said. “It is,” I said. From The Tao of Pooh Benjamin Hoff (1982)     

Coping strategies used by middle-aged males with noise-induced hearing loss,with and without tinnitus

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between general coping strategies and specific communication strategies, adopted by males with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in order to deal with stressful events and demanding auditory situations. The sample included 72 males with NIHL; 22 without tinnitus, 26 with mild tinnitus, and 24 with severe tinnitus. The following variables were measured: “active coping” “escape coping” and “passive acceptance” (general coping strategies), and “maladaptive behaviours”, “verbal strategies” and “nonverbal strategies” (specific communication strategies). The results showed that males without tinnitus or with mild tinnitus combined “active coping” and “passive acceptance”, whereas males with severe tinnitus supplemented these strategies with “escape coping”. The relationship between general coping and specific communication strategies was weak, although giving a significant correlation between “escape coping” and “maladaptive behaviours”. The results indicate that the hypothesis that a person's general pattern of coping has influence on his/her ability to cope effectively with a hearing impairment can not be supported. Further research should concentrate on the contribution of personality factors as well as environmental factors to the variance in coping with NIHL and tinnitus.     

Responsibility Ethics,Shared Understandings,and Moral Communities

Margaret Walker's Moral Understandings offers an “expressive‐collaborative,” culturally situated, practice—based picture of morality, critical of a “theoretical‐juridical” picture in most prefeminist moral philosophy since Henry Sidgwick. This essay compares her approach to ethics with that of John Rawls, another exemplar of the “theoretical‐juridical” model, and asks how Walker's approach would apply to several ethical issues, including interaction with (other) animals, social reform and revolution, and basic human rights.     

Independent Female Escort’s Strategies for Coping with Sex Work Related Stigma

Despite the reframing of ??prostitution?? as ??sex work?? in research and advocacy literature, the stigma associated with this activity persists. This study examines how independent female sex workers advertising online as ??escorts?? perceive and manage the stigma associated with their work, and how these coping strategies impact their personal relationships. Thirty escorts participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews; Goffman??s (1963) theory of stigma and information management strategies was used as a theoretical framework to guide the analysis of women??s experiences. Women who engaged in selective disclosure regarding sex work reported greater access to social support, while women who concealed their work from most people often reported feeling lonely and socially isolated. Escorts?? stigma coping strategies may have significant impact on their social relationships and access to social support.     

“Here we're all in the same boat” – a qualitative study of group based rehabilitation for sick‐listed citizens with chronic pain

Musculoskeletal pain impacts upon everyday life. A degree of chronicity may pose an increased risk of sickness absence. One of two rehabilitative interventions, “Tailored Physical Activity” or “Chronic Pain Self‐Management Program”, was offered to sick‐listed citizens who experienced pain. The objectives of this paper were to: (1) Assess what factors are experienced as problematic for sick‐listed citizens in everyday life with chronic pain, and (2) Evaluate the significance of two distinct rehabilitative interventions on the future everyday lives of sick‐listed citizens. Seven semi‐structured interviews with sick‐listed citizens were analyzed using a phenomenological‐hermeneutical approach. Results were discussed by applying the theoretical framework of Antonovsky's salutogenetic model and Yaloms principles for group psychology. The potential for development of citizen's coping is evaluated based on Roessler's notion of progression. The analysis revealed four main themes: (1) Living with pain and unemployment; (2) “Putting my foot down” and “asking for help”; (3) Significance of the group, including instructors, and; (4) Aspects significant to progression. Unemployment is a major life event that promotes stress and can be accompanied by problems related to depressed mood, acceptance of the life situation, feelings of not being useful, feelings of losing control and identity conflicts. Group characteristics that gave a significant basis for progression in the self‐management program are both emotional and instrumental, while the physical training program offers a “here‐and‐now”‐experience and motivation to participate. This study indicates that the self‐management program could potentially improve coping while the physical activity program revealed one example of a means of progression.     

Coping et changement face au cancer du sein : le point de vue des patientes et de leurs accompagnants

This longitudinal study investigated the processes of coping and change for 60 women with breast cancer and their close relations (N = 60). Our study is based on interview's analysis and on the answers to a scale of coping (Ways of Coping Checklist). Results reveal higher rates of seeking social support strategy for patients at the time of the surgical operation (T1) and after the treatments (T2) compared to their close relations (“t Student” tests, p < 0,01). The longitudinal analysis shows an increase of problem solving strategy at T2 only for patients (p < 0,02). The nature of the change perceptions differs according to the status (patient/close relations), and seems to be a constituent of the coping with the serious illness.     

Marital interactions and experiences of women living in polygamy: An exploratory study

The study examines interactions and experiences of Bedouin women living in polygamous households in Israel. A mixed-method approach was applied in a two-part study. The quantitative part examined differences in differentiation of self and marital satisfaction between 50 Bedouin women in polygamous marriages and 50 in monogamous marriages. It found that, in polygamous families, women's levels of marital satisfaction were positively related to their I-position and fusion with others and negatively related to emotional cutoff and number of children at home, whereas among monogamous counterparts, marital satisfaction was only negatively associated with emotional cutoff. Surprisingly, fused relationships with the family of origin predicted higher satisfaction only in women in polygamous marriages. The qualitative part, which yielded deeper understanding of the authentic voices and experiences of 18 senior wives, revealed that they had severe emotional and physiological responses to their husbands' marriage to another woman. For most, particularly those who married young, living in a polygamous family adversely affected their marital satisfaction. Interactions ranged from violent relationships, accompanied by jealousy and anger, to respectful and harmonious relations. Along with the challenges, some women, especially the educated, chose proactive ways of coping. Educated women also preferred cohabitation with the other wife.     

Pushing Up on the Glass Ceiling of Female Muscularity: Women’s Bodybuilding as Edgework

Women bodybuilders exemplify gendered deviance and risk a social stigma on top of the physical risk of partaking in this demanding sport. In the current study, we utilize Stephen Lyng’s (1990, 2005) theoretical concept of “edgework” to understand what motivates women bodybuilders to engage in this high-risk behavior. Our qualitative analysis of 29 women bodybuilders' responses to open-ended survey questions reveals that the three components of edgework (activity, skill, and sensation) are evident in their training and dietary regimens. Overall, this study offers an important theoretical contribution to the study of women’s bodybuilding while also extending Lyng’s edgework model to this understudied phenomenon.