Dissertationen zum Thema „For the Higher Education of Women“

Despite the fact that women have reached parity in entering and graduating from medical schools (AAMC, 2014), the percentage of women who advance to leadership positions is small. The purpose of this study was to explore the connection between self-efficacy and leadership development over a multi-year period among women in academic medicine following their participation in a specialized leadership development program. The purpose was addressed by analyzing secondary interview data from alumnae of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) Program for Women, using a content analysis research design based on a constructivist paradigm of inquiry. The research problem addressed in this project was that the existing literature is deficient in studies that focus on the exploration of self-efficacy and how it influences the leadership development over time of women in academic medicine. Using Bandura's (1997) self-efficacy theory, this qualitative study was based on the thesis that Bandura's four sources of self-efficacy (performance accomplishments, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasions, and physiological states) are determinants of success over time for ELAM alumnae who achieve leadership positions in academic medicine.

This study had five major findings. First, this study supports each of Bandura's (1997) four sources of self-efficacy. Second, the most robust evidence of self-efficacy was found in the performance accomplishments self-efficacy source. Third, there was development of self-efficacy over time with the greatest growth within the self-efficacy source of performance accomplishments in the area of skill development relating to negotiation, delegation, budgeting and finance, communication, political savvy, and leadership enhancement, followed by vicarious experiences, and verbal persuasion. Physiological states had the least growth. Fourth, the research and subsequent analysis of findings extend Bandura's (1997) previous research domains to include the demographic of women in academic medicine which could have transferability to highly educated and successful women professionals working in leadership roles in male-dominated fields. Fifth, Bandura's (1997) self-efficacy sources may need to be expanded. This study fills a gap in the research and adds to the body of knowledge related to self-efficacy and leadership development.

With a considerable focus to increase America’s degree completion rates amongst our diverse population, higher education policymakers and researchers have examined the college access, persistence, and completion rates of first-generation students. However, minimal research has addressed the heterogeneous student population through a gendered or intersectional lens. To provide nuance to first-generation scholarship and identity development, the dissertation employed a narrative inquiry approach to examine the meanings five first-generation women made as they understood their intersecting identities within unique institutional contexts. Findings from the study are the following: the women defined themselves as individuals with multiple identities and not solely on their first-generation status; the saliency with which individuals associated with a first-generation identity varied; an initial identity conflict regarding first-generation status catapulted the women’s understanding of other social dimensions and allowed them to transition from processing each identity in isolation to an intersectional conception of self; identity development was an evolving process with the saliency of social dimensions fluctuating based on temporal and situational contexts; and some women were not adequately challenged to reflect on their gender identity. The conclusions from the study will add to the knowledge base not only on first-generation students, but undergraduate women’s advantaged experiences, and identity intersectionality within higher education.

Working mothers face the challenge of balancing multiple roles while adhering to or rejecting the societal norms associated with those roles. The unique perceptions of the effects motherhood places on the working mother can shed light on the current and best practices in providing support for working women transitioning into working mothers. The purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate workplace and relationship perceptions of postpartum women employed in higher education. A qualitative, case study approach was developed and framed with three theoretical perspectives: the theory of work adjustment, role theory, and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. To complete this study, 10 subjects were chosen from a Midwestern college based on the age of their children and higher education employment at the time of maternity leave. Results of this study included the emergence of six relevant themes: (a) mothers acting as superwoman, (b) fulfillment as mothers and employees, (c) inconsistency and decentralization, (d), decisions to place jobs on hold versus assigning task completion, (e) level of satisfaction based on job type, (f) strive for self-actualization, and (g) prioritization. The findings of this study were supported by previous research on the topics of work-life balance and need for social and organizational support for new mothers. Perspectives of supervisors, human resource professionals, and working fathers should be further explored in future research.

Research has shown a link between sexual risk taking among college women and a decrease in self-esteem. The primary purpose of this study is to explore the sexual risktaking practices occurring within the academic achieving, more affluent, Caucasian and female college student population. The secondary purpose of this study is to explore what sexual risk-taking patterns exist within behavioral and sociocultural constructed variables and demographic information among college women. The variables examined are religion, self-esteem and reported depressive symptoms. Additional variables used during analysis are body weight and race and/or ethnicity of college women. There are three primary research questions being examined in this study: (a) Do college women with higher academic achievement report more sexual risk-taking practices than those with lower academic achievement? (b) Do women of a higher socioeconomic status choose birth control over disease prevention in their sexual encounters? (c) Do behavioral and sociocultural variables make a difference in risky sexual behavior of college women? The American College Health Association (ACHA) National College Health Assessment II (NCHA-II) has been used to measure the college student health habits and practices at over 540 college and universities in the United States and Canada. The instrument was administered online in spring 2010 and received 872 responses, of which 542 were from female students. The data is analyzed through multiple logistic regressions. Findings of statistical significance were found between academic achievement and sexual risk taking, the number of partners a college woman has and sexual risk taking, and increase in human papillomavirus (HPV). This study also affirmed prior research that there was a significant difference in the sexual risk taking between college women who had been diagnosed with depression in the last year. The study demonstrates the connection between depressive symptoms and sexual risk taking. The research does not present a judgment about sex—but rather, evidence regarding the lack of disease prevention, the long-term implications, and possible causes of increases in casual sex on college campuses.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the ways in which Black, Black biracial, and Black multiracial women experienced and navigated colorism in college. This is an important topic to explore given that colorism, or skin tone bias, has been found to impact the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of people of color. One-on-one interviews were used to gather data from 10 participants. Four themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) White colorism; (b) Colorism is ingrained in Black culture; (c) Emotional and psychological responses to colorism; and (d) Education is key. These four themes represent the participants’ experiences with colorism and provide insight into the ways they navigated encounters with colorism. This study adds to the research on colorism in higher education and offers implications for practice and directions for research.

For the last twenty years, literature has demonstrated that women have attained jobs as faculty members within academic medicine at a steady rate. Yet, women faculty members have been consistently underrepresented in traditional senior-level positions in academic administration. Their underrepresentation is attributed to career decisions. The main purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of ELAM participants who pursued non-traditional career commitments. The problem of practice addressed the impact of career choices of women faculty in academic medicine, an understudied topic. Toward filling this void in the literature, this study utilized a constructivist methodological framework that is shaped, in part, by the Feminist Standpoint Theory, thereby, allowing the researcher to draw on pre-transcribed interview data that provide insight into ELAM participants' decisions to pursue non-traditional leadership commitments. For the purposes of this study, Traditional Leadership Commitments are defined as positions on the traditional career ladder, including faculty member positions, president, vice president, and provost. Non-traditional Commitments are defined as Director of Residency, Deputy Dean of Education, and Associate Director Echocardiography Lab.

The main question generated four operational research questions that, in turn, yield four findings that facilitate an understanding of the experiences and decisions that influenced women faculty choices to pursue non-traditional leadership positions. Finding One indicated that there are no 'dedicated leadership pipelines' for women seeking to advance to senior-level positions, and the 'leadership pipeline model' has failed to provide women with viable professional strategies for advancement. Finding Two demonstrated that the misalignment between institutional policies and work-life integration impedes women's advancement to senior-leadership positions. Finding Three showed that Non-traditional careers are viable and sustainable interventions for women seeking advancement to senior level positions in academic medicine.

Finding Four revealed that ELAM is a valuable intervention that enables its participants to become self-determined and self-directed agents in the creation of their non-traditional commitments as alternative 'career choices' to traditional senior-level leadership positions. By examining the experiences of ELAM participants who pursued non-traditional leadership commitments within academic medicine, this study made a scholarly contribution to the larger body of literature regarding women faculty career choices.

As overt acts of racism are becoming increasingly visible and publicized on college campuses, institutions may be tasked with addressing issues around hate speech or racist marches. Meanwhile, white supremacy covertly impacts institutions through biased policies and practices. In this context, student affairs professionals can either perpetuate or combat racism. This study examined how 10 white women working as mid-level student affairs professionals in highly diverse institutions in Southern California made meaning and engaged in anti-racist allyship. The findings were organized along four themes: perceptions of campus climate at diverse institutions, developing white racial consciousness, efforts toward anti-racist allyship, and complexities of white allyship. Participants noticed the impact of historical and geographical contexts, and they identified aspects of climate specific to their institutions. They described the process of developing racial consciousness in a cyclical way, and they understood anti-racist allyship as advocacy. The complexities of white allyship included role confusion, difficulty identifying racism, white privilege, and the consequences of allyship. Emerging from this theme, a conceptual model of white anti-racist identity development is proposed. Recommendations for policy and practice include revision of the ACPA and NASPA (2015) social justice and inclusion competency, increased professional development opportunities around racial justice, and the inclusion of research on racial identity development and disrupting white supremacy in graduate degree programs. Recommendations for future research are also provided.