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>

Wage Utilization, Household Decision-making and Role Variations: Implications on Gender Relations among Workers of Teza Tea Company, Burundi

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 278-286
Author(s):  
Evode TUYIKEZE ◽  
Donald WANDERE
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Household Decision ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Infinite Variety

This paper is abstracted from a larger study that was carried out among workers of Teza Tea Company in the Muramvya Province of Burundi. The main objective of the study was to assess the socio-economic push-factors that drove tea workers to seek employment at Teza, how they utilized their wages, and the way wages accrued impacted on intra-household gender relations.  In this regard, the study assumed that income earned by workers was not utilized appropriately thereby impinging negatively on intra-household gender relations – the outcome of the study proving this assumption otherwise. Methods used for data collection included; structured and unstructured interviews in the Survey Method, Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant interviews, Informal Discussions, and Observations. A sample of 150 workers was drawn from the study population by means of disproportional stratified and simple random sampling. Data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The study was guided by among others, the Bargaining Theory of Krishnaraj [1], the Division of Labour Theory of Arora et. al [2], and Agassi’s [3] Marxist orientation. The study found out that prudent use of wages by the workers had positive effects on intra-household gender relations. Specifically, this enhanced inter-spousal bonding and paved way for more or less symmetrical decision-making powers for both men and women within a marriage situation. Finally, the study also found out that as a result of depressed income for the workers, gender roles within families were not rigid and instead, they took an infinite variety form with no specific responsibilities set aside for either gender.

scholarly journals Strategic Gender Egalitarianism in Rural China: The Impacts of Husbands’ Migration on Gender Relations

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (10) ◽  
pp. 1192-1213
Author(s):  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Elizabeth Fussell
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Household Decision ◽  
Gender Egalitarianism ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
The Family ◽  
Economic Necessity ◽  
And Gender

When men migrate for work and couples live separately, gender relations may be altered in response. Our research in rural China about husbands’ and wives’ perceptions of household decision making and gender-related attitudes examines hypotheses derived from Connell’s theory of gender structures using the Gansu Survey of Children and Families. Consistent with previous research, we find that both migrant husbands and their wives perceive that women have more decision-making power over household production and consumption. In contrast, the effects of husbands’ migration on gender attitudes are not uniformly positive. Both migrant husbands and their wives are more likely than nonmigrant spouses to agree that women and men can achieve the same given equal opportunities. Moreover, migrant husbands hold more gender egalitarian views toward their children’s education than nonmigrant husbands. However, migrant husbands and their wives are no more likely to question sons’ obligations or men’s and women’s roles in the family than their nonmigrant counterparts. We interpret our findings as strategic gender egalitarianism, that is, gender egalitarianism born of necessity, particularly economic necessity. Strategic gender egalitarianism does not, however, challenge dominant gender structures that define family relationships and allocate power unequally.

scholarly journals Impact of Sago Crop Commercialization Programs on Gender Roles of Melanau Communities in Sarawak, Malaysia

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Siti Zanariah Ahmad Ishak ◽  
Malia Taibi ◽  
Ahmad Nizar Yaakub
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Household Decision ◽  
Sago Palm ◽  
Traditional Gender Roles ◽  
Rural Livelihood ◽  
The Impact

Melanau men are known for their significant roles in the cultivation of sago palm as smallholder farmers while the women take charge of processing sago-based food products. Melanau sago farmers play important roles in maintaining their rural livelihood as the ethnic minority group in the northwest coastal communities of Sarawak, Malaysia. In an attempt to contribute to the corpus of knowledge on Melanau gender roles and their unique farming practices, this paper adapts gender relations framework in order to assess the impact of sago commercialization programs that were established by the local authority since 1980s. The findings revealed that the changes of traditional gender roles among men and women are influenced by gender relations factors i.e. gender division of labour, access to or control of resources and household decision making. In addition, sago production promises a greater prospect of moving away from low to high commercial level of production only if human capital that makes sago crop difficult to commercialize are tackled in the Melanau community. This suggests that more attention to human factors is needed when authorities formulate policies relating to commercialization program. 

Canadian Rural Youth and Role Tension of the Police: ‘It’s Hard in a Small Town’

Youth Justice ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-214
Author(s):  
Rosemary Ricciardelli ◽  
Michael Adorjan ◽  
Dale Spencer
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rural Youth ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Resource Officers ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Youth Perceptions ◽  
And Gender

This article presents findings from a case study examining youth perceptions of the police in rural areas of Eastern Canada. A total of 20 semistructured focus group discussions were conducted with 60 youth from Canadian rural Atlantic areas, who were purposively recruited, with groups stratified by age and gender. Discussions centered on role tension regarding the police’s role, that is, along a continuum between law enforcement and public protection versus community policing and crime prevention. Our discussions highlight the arguably ironic view that it is harder to maintain trust when there are strong personal relations with the police. Discussions highlight the ‘pros and cons’ of informal familiarity with police officers, especially the presence of school resource officers and policing in the context of monitoring youth on modes of transportation germane to rural Atlantic Canada (i.e. skidoos). Implications from this study suggest that when dealing with youth, identifying and addressing youth perceptions of the police role can help improve police–youth interactions.

Equity for Women and Marginalized Groups in Patriarchal Societies during Forest Landscape Restoration: The Controlling Influence of Tradition and Culture

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (03) ◽  
pp. 241-246
Author(s):  
Jack Baynes ◽  
John Herbohn ◽  
Nestor Gregorio ◽  
William Unsworth ◽  
Émilie Houde Tremblay
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
Forest Landscape Restoration ◽  
Participation Of Women ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Structured Approach

SummaryWe explore the difficulty of achieving equity for women in two forest and livelihood restoration (FLR) pilot projects, one each in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Philippines. We use institutional bricolage as a framework to explain the context and background of stakeholders’ decision-making and the consequent impact on equity and benefit distribution. In the Philippines, material and institutional support was initially successful in assisting participants to establish small-scale tree plantations. A structured approach to institutional development has successfully evolved to meet the needs of women, even though corruption has re-emerged as a destabilizing influence. In PNG, despite success in establishing trees and crops, the participation of women was subjugated to traditional customs and norms that precluded them from engaging in land management decisions. The capacity-building and gender-equity principles of FLR consequently became compromised. We conclude that in some patriarchal societies achieving equity for women will be difficult and progress will be contingent on a detailed understanding of the effects of traditional customs and norms on participation and decision-making.

Political Traditionalism in Nigeria: a Case-Study of Secret Societies and Dance Groups in Local Government

Africa ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvin Magid
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Secret Societies ◽  
The Social ◽  
Opening Paragraph ◽  
Dance Groups

Opening ParagraphThe notion that rural political life is essentially traditional tribal in Africa and therefore scarcely relevant to modern decision-making at higher echelons of government has had a commanding influence in African studies. Associated with this viewpoint has been a tacit division of labour in the social sciences which emphasizes the pre-eminence of anthropology in the tribal domain and the pre-occupation of political science with macropolitics especially in the urban sphere. Happily, a younger generation of political scientists has emerged in recent years to challenge an essentially artificial arrangement.

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