Feminism & Psychology

In this article we explore, through the voices of young women, how two forms of male violence-sexual harassment and heterosexual courtship violence-affect the lives of adolescent girls. We demonstrate the connections between the two forms of male abuse as a way of illustrating how young men's use of violence and harassment is played out in the private and in the public sphere of young women's lives-through a three-part system of male control that includes acts of diminishment, intimidation and force. We discuss the impact of this behaviour on young women's psychological development

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of power for 36 disadvantaged women. Interview responses were coded for moral orientation (care, justice), self-definition (connected, separate) and relational context, as well as examined for themes of power. Analyses did not support the expectation that the majority of disadvantaged women would experience power as a care orientation. Moreover, being employed or a mother did not moderate a woman's view of power as justice or care. As expected, women were more likely to describe relational rather than non-relational power experiences. Identified power themes were consistent with those found by other researchers but several new themes were also identified. Dominant themes were: power is legitimized by a woman's role and power is destructive when used in a negative way.

This research explored the experiences of 27 women who had been hospitalized in psychiatric units in southern New Brunswick Canada. The women's accounts of their experiences of hospital admission, treatment and discharge are described. Hospitalization provided the women with a respite from burdensome family responsibilities and unsatisfactory relationships in a safe, protected environment. However, this asylum aspect of hospitalization was contrasted with the powerlessness experienced by the women because of their lack of control over decisions made about their admission, treatment and discharge. In conclusion, it is argued that strategies for the improvement of mental health care for women should be grounded in an understanding of women's experiences.