scholarly journals ‘Making of a Strong Woman’: a constructivist grounded theory of the experiences of young women around menarche in Papua New Guinea

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Maulingin-Gumbaketi ◽  
Sarah Larkins ◽  
Ronny Gunnarsson ◽  
Gun Rembeck ◽  
Maxine Whittaker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Papua New Guinea ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Constructivist Grounded Theory ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Strong Woman

Abstract Background Menarche, the first menstruation, is a significant developmental milestone for females. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), menarche is an important socio-cultural event marking transition from girlhood to womanhood. PNG is a culturally and linguistically diverse nation, with wide-ranging socio-cultural beliefs and practices around menarche. This study explored post-menarcheal women’s understanding about body changes and menarche, preparation for menarche, and related cultural beliefs and practices at menarche. Methods A constructivist grounded theory study was conducted with 98 female participants who originated from four PNG provinces: Eastern Highlands Province; East Sepik Province; Milne Bay Province; and National Capital District. The participants were purposively and theoretically sampled, with 10 focus group discussions and six individual interviews conducted using a semi-structured interview guide for data collection. Focus group discussions and interviews were voice recorded and transcribed. Data were inductively analyzed using initial, intermediate and advanced coding, memos and constant comparative methods to develop a theoretical model that explains women’s experiences at menarche. Interview participants also identified actions required to improve future experiences of girls at menarche in PNG. Results A grounded theory comprising the core category of ‘Making of a Strong Woman’ and four interconnecting categories (‘Having Baby Sense’; ‘Beginning of Learning’; ‘Intensifying Learning’; and ‘Achieving Womanhood’) was constructed. ‘Urban’ and ‘Rural’ represented both geographical and socio-cultural intervening conditions that influence the experiences of girls at menarche. Experiences of young women at menarche were rooted in socio-cultural beliefs and practices. Women reported being physically and emotionally distressed and unprepared at onset of menarche. Mothers were considered important support, however, their ability to adequately prepare their daughters is limited by shame and secrecy. Despite these limitations, cultural practices at menarche provided an opportunity for intensive preparation of girls for womanhood. Conclusion Limited pre-menarcheal awareness of the meaning of body changes and menarche of girls was linked to culture of shame and secrecy about open discussion on sexuality. However, traditional cultural practices provide an opportunity for collective support and focused learning for girls. Findings from this study have implications for broader sexual and reproductive health education programs in addressing menstrual health and hygiene in PNG, and the Pacific.

scholarly journals Socio-cultural beliefs influence feeding practices of mothers and their children in Grand Popo, Benin

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yrence Urielle Amoussou Lokossou ◽  
Ayuk Betrand Tambe ◽  
Colette Azandjèmè ◽  
Xikombiso Mbhenyane
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Feeding Practices ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions

Abstract Background Malnutrition is a major public health problem. It contributes to the high death rate among children in developing countries despite the various advocacies of institutions such as WHO and FAO and many other organisations. More research needs to be done in order to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The aim of this study was to explore socio-cultural practices and their influence on feeding practices of mothers and their children in Grand Popo, Benin. Methods A qualitative research methodology was used with an inductive approach. A pretested discussion guide was used to conduct focus group discussions with participants in their local language. Four focus group discussions were held in 4 villages located in both the rural and the semi-urban areas with each focus group comprising seven to eight participants. The study protocol was approved by the Health Research Ethics Committee of Stellenbosch University. Focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed and translated to English. The data was analysed following the Creswell data analysis steps. Results All the children were breastfed, and 56.1% of children under 6 months received breast milk exclusively. Children were introduced to family foods at 5 months with very low consumption of animal protein and fruits. Mothers and children had monotonous diets with high consumption of vegetables and maize-based meals. Food taboos, particularly during pregnancy, were revealed. Those cultural beliefs were still followed by some mothers, and food rich in nutrients were pushed aside. Conclusions There is a need for educational interventions to raise awareness of the negative impacts of some socio-cultural practices on the health of the mother and child.

Child rearing practices of the San communities in Botswana: potential lessons for educators

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-137
Author(s):  
Annah Anikie Molosiwa ◽  
Dipotso Galeforolwe
Keyword(s):  
School Culture ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Educational System ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Child Behaviour ◽  
Child Rearing ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Failure To Progress

Several studies conducted among the San communities in Botswana have attributed failure to progress in school by the San children to inappropriate languages of instruction, insensitivity of the school culture and curriculum to their culture and learning styles. These studies have not really looked at all the contextual issues that influence child behaviour and development to the extent that they achieve their learning status. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate San’s child-rearing practices and how they transmit their cultural practices to their children. Data were gathered qualitatively through narratives, focus group discussions and interviews. The results revealed that the San are yearning for an educational system that is inclusive of their cultural practices and language, as well as having San teachers in their schools.

Striving against the ‘Nafs’

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-120
Author(s):  
Mulki Mohamed Al-Sharmani
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Ethical Principles ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Islamic Tradition

I analyze how Somalis in Helsinki re-interpret religious norms on marriage in light of: 1) the challenges of socioeconomic hardships and marginalization in Finland; and 2) ethical principles in Islamic tradition that underlie religious rulings such as striving against the selfishness of the ‘nafs’ (self) and seeking spiritual advancement. I examine how norms on spousal roles and rights are contested and reinterpreted. I highlight how young women, in particular, foreground the ‘ethical' in their religious understandings of marriage norms. I explore if Veit Bader’s1 concept of ‘internal religious governance’ can analytically explain these processes. I draw on data from individual interviews and focus group discussions with women and men; and interviews with mosque imams and a clan elder.

Young Women's and Men's Different Worlds of Alcohol, Fear, and Violence in Focus Group Discussions with 18-Year-Olds in Stockholm

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Abrahamson
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Young Men ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Other ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Street Violence

The purpose of the paper is to investigate how young women and men in focus group discussions reason about alcohol, street violence, fear of assault by a stranger, and to compare the different kinds of threats that young women and men present of what might happen when they are out at night and on their way home. The interviews are analysed from the point of view of the accounts the young people give for their feelings and behaviors. The young women's accounts are dominated by their answers to an implicit question of blame for how they ensure their security and which measures they have taken. What the young women are afraid of is rarely formulated explicitly. It is implicit and goes without much saying. On the other hand the accounts the young men are giving for their actions consist of answers to the implicit question of blame for violence they have been involved in and also of blame for fear of violence. The young men's picture of threat is concrete and consists of other young men of the same age. By their accounts they show that fear of violence is something that has to be given an explanation. The young men use intoxication both as an excuse for the violence they are using and as an explanation to why violence occurs.

Disciplining women in Hong Kong: The discourse of ‘Kong girl’ in the media and daily life

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy K. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Young Females ◽  
The Media ◽  
Status Of Women

In the recent decades, ‘Kong girls’ has become a vogue term in the media as well as in daily conversations among youths in Hong Kong. The term, which is more of a negative slang form than a neutral short term of ‘Hong Kong girls’, egregiously refers to young women who supposedly embody Hong Kong values that are dominated by materialism. Thus, it would be interesting from a gendered perspective to tease out the ideological implications of the term: why does it refer universally to young females (all girls in Hong Kong) rather than those with/under specific conditions (such as those with princess syndrome or materialist mindsets)? This article examines the features of ‘Kong girls’ in a mass-media context and compares them with the findings of focus group discussions with local young informants. Although the media helped shape the images of Kong girls and form the stereotypes of the terminology in the society, the content analysis results show inconsistency and tensions with focus group findings. The Kong girl discourse in the media and daily life manifests anxieties and perplexity of young men in Hong Kong, who are facing the crisis of masculinity catalysed by the emerging status of women.

scholarly journals Cultural Beliefs and Practices of Ethnic Filipinos: An Ethnographic Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn J. Grey
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Traditional Beliefs ◽  
Beliefs And Practices

<div><p><em>The study was to determine the cultural beliefs and practices of the ethnic Filipinos. This is a qualitative study and the focus is the Aetas living in Central Philippines. The informants were the 9 prominent Aetas, 6 of them were Aeta women who have experienced pregnancy or pregnant during the time this study was conducted. The findings revealed that during pregnancy their most  beliefs and practices are observed by the Aetas.  Some of the traditional beliefs and practices of Aetas  have been influenced by many factors. They have also retained some of their traditional beliefs and practices on pregnancy, childbirth, marriage, death and burial despite the effects of the factors mentioned. All throughout the life stages of the Aetas in the rural communities, their old beliefs and practices had been influenced by modernization.  It simply shows that the Aetas , are also susceptible to accept changes that may affect their way of life. Their traditional cultural practices that deeply rooted in their beliefs were difficult to neglect since it has already been part of their tradition for years.</em></p></div>

scholarly journals Assessment of cultural beliefs and practices during the postnatal period in an urban field practice area of SRMC, Nandyal, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 3378 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Venkateswarlu ◽  
M. A. Mushtaq Pasha ◽  
Afsar Fatima
Keyword(s):  
Postpartum Period ◽  
Andhra Pradesh ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Postnatal Period ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Field Practice ◽  
Diet Intake

Background: The postpartum period continues to be an important part of the tradition and culture among Indian women. But frequently the health of the postnatal women is neglected. So, the present study aimed to explore the beliefs and practices in the postpartum period regarding diet, rest, hygiene, confinement and assess association between cultural practices and socio demographic characteristics.Methods: A cross‐sectional descriptive study was conducted in the field practice area of urban SRMC Nandyal. The participants were women who had given births in the past three months. The data was collected using a pre‐tested semi‐structured questionnaire.Results: Among the 140 women, over 75% of women had increased their diet intake postpartum. Vegetables such as brinjal and fruits like papaya were avoided by 58.5% and 63.6% women respectively. Among the mothers 18.3% consumed less than 500 ml of water every day and 22% did not drink milk at all. Household work was avoided by 67% of the women while 79.6% avoided going outdoors. Many women didn’t maintain personal hygiene. Many women took home remedies for faster recuperation. These practices were influenced by the socioeconomic status and the woman’s educational status.Conclusions: Traditional postpartum practices are still popular among women in rural and slum areas in Andhra Pradesh. It is critical to identify the harmful practices and reinforce the positive healthy practices to make postpartum period a healthy and joyful period for the mother.

scholarly journals Socio-cultural Factors Associated with Complementary Feeding in Two Rural Districts in Ghana: A qualitative study involving Health Workers

2020 ◽  
pp. 10-24
Author(s):  
Christiana Naa Atsreh Nsiah-Asamoah
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Complementary Feeding ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Feeding Practices ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Rural Districts

Aim: This study sought to explore the cultural factors that are associated with complementary feeding from the reports of Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Volunteers (CHVs) in two rural districts in Ghana. Study Design: This was a cross-sectional qualitative study that assessed cultural beliefs, norms, superstitions and practices that influence complementary feeding practices of young children under two years in two rural farming districts in Ghana Study Area: The study was conducted at Kwahu Afram Plains North and South Districts in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Methodology: The study employed qualitative methods which entailed conducting 9 focus group discussions among CHWs and CHVs working at two rural districts in Ghana. The focus group discussions were conducted with the aid of a validated, interview guide, after obtaining informed consent (written) from the health workers. Ethical clearance for the study was obtained from the Institutional Review Boards of the Dodowa Health Research Centre and the University of Cape Coast. Thematic content analytical procedures were applied to analyze the transcripts, interpret and present findings as a narrative account. Results: The reports of the health workers indicate a common practice of early introduction of solid foods to infants before they attain six(6) months of age. Cultural beliefs, superstitions, beliefs, food taboos and prohibitions influence mothers’ complementary-feeding practices and result in limiting the food scope and dietary diversity of their young children. Conclusions: Interventions designed to promote appropriate complementary feeding practices should incorporate an understanding of social context, family, and cultural factors in developing nutrition promotion messages that are tailored to meet the needs of rural populations. More community interventions that draw on the support of key influential persons in the community and fathers are needed to address cultural barriers to appropriate complementary feeding practices.

scholarly journals Local Communities’ Perceptions of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Resources in the Mtwara Region of Tanzania

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Festo W. Gabriel
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Intangible Cultural Heritage ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Cultural Traditions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Archaeological Ethnography

This paper examines local communities’ understanding of archaeology and cultural heritage resources. This study was conducted among the Makonde communities of the Mtwara Region of south-eastern Tanzania. The paper presents and critically discusses local communities’ views upon the meaning of archaeology and cultural heritage resources in general. The study used community-based methods by use of interviews, archaeological ethnography and focus group discussions. The results of this study reveal that the local communities in the Mtwara Region are not aware of the meaning of archaeology regardless of the number of archaeological researches that have been conducted in the region. Their understanding of the past is very much confined to intangible cultural traditions which are inherited and practised from one generation to another. Some conclusions are provided which undoubtedly indicate that according to the local communities’ perceptions cultural heritage resources are mainly characterized by intangible cultural practices and beliefs. As this study unveils, in this case tangible heritage resources have less importance to the local communities. This is contrary to the professional or academic conceptions which provide a dual focus on conservation and protection of tangible cultural heritage resources. It is only very recently that we see some studies being conducted focusing on intangible cultural heritage resources.

Patterns of traditional religious and cultural practices of the Idoma People of Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel C. Anizoba ◽  
Edache Monday Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Secondary Source ◽  
Traditional Society ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Ancestor Veneration ◽  
The People ◽  
Phenomenological Research Design ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological

The research focuses on the patterns of traditional religious and cultural practices of the Idoma People of Nigeria. The study also seeks to investigate the cultural beliefs and practices of the Idoma traditional society which were affected by the advent of Christianity in the area. Some of the cultural beliefs and practices of the Idoma people before the advent of Christianity will be examined, as well as the people response to the new faith and the propelling factors behind the responses of the people. The study adopted qualitative phenomenological research design and descriptive method of data analysis. Personal interview forms a primary source of data collection while the secondary source includes library sources. The study reveals that the advent of Christianity in the Idoma traditional society had some impact and consequences on their traditional and cultural practices. Some of the Idoma beliefs and practices affected include ancestor veneration, polygamous marriage, burial rites, widowhood practices, naming ceremony among others which are no longer practiced the way it used to be practiced before the advent of Christianity. The study recommends among other things that, there should be a synergy between Idoma traditional beliefs and practices and Christianity for peaceful co-existence, progress and developments in the area.

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