Academic literature on the topic 'Womens self perception'

This study examined the relationships between older women’s comparison styles, physical self-perceptions, and functional fitness. Participants were community-dwelling women (N= 102, age 65-99) living in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Individuals were categorized as relying primarily on social comparisons, temporal comparisons, or a combination of both styles. Also of interest was whether individuals evaluated themselves positively or negatively when making comparisons. Participants who evaluated themselves positively as compared with others were found to have higher levels of physical self-perception. Analyses revealed that women who relied primarily on temporal comparisons had higher self-perceptions of their functional ability than those who relied on a combination of comparison styles. An avoidance of both temporal and social comparisons was also related to higher levels of physical self-perception.

IntroductionResarches on body image suggest a link with sexuality.The objective of our study was to investigate Tunisian women's perceptions of their bodies and its involvement on sexuality.Methods and patientsA total of 100 Tunisian women were interviewed using a self-administered questionnaire which explores: -Clinical data: weight, height, hormonal status-The perception of women to their bodies and their husband's perception.-The impact of body image on sexual activityResultsWomen's body image was positive in most cases: The body is seen as female in 94% of cases, young in 76% of cases, physically attractive in 66% and erotic in 51% of cases.Eighty five percent of women were satisfied with their sexual activity. These women report having an erotic body (p = 0.009) and source of self-confidence (p = 0.002).Half of women said that their body image allowed them to take the initiative in sexual activity and to have a satisfying desire (p = 0.003).A positive perception of the spouse of a woman's body influenced significantly the sexual behavior of women: more interest to intimate moments (p = 0.001), ability to initiate sexual activity (p = 0.014) and sexual satisfaction (p = 0.018).ConclusionOur study shows the positive role of an adequate perception of body image of women by herself and her spouse about sexuality, through its influence on self-esteem and confidence. It would be interesting to consider these dimensions in any treatment of sexual disorders.

The major objectives were (1) to explore working women's perceptions of various apparel brands in the enhancement of their self-perceptions of occupational attributes, (2) to investigate the relationships between working women's self-perceptions of occupational attributes and the perception of each apparel brand image, and (3) to assess the effects of selected consumer variables of working women (clothing interest, age, education, and occupation) on their perceptions of brand-name apparel. The data from 81 working women showed that the well-known apparel brands generally enhanced their occupational attributes. Anne Klein was perceived most positively for enhancement of all the occupational attributes, while Junior House Collectibles was perceived as lowest in enhancement of those attributes. Evan Picone was rated highest in relation to subjects' clothing interest and was perceived most effective in enhancing the subjects' occupational attributes.

Background Women with chronic disease are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancies which pose higher risk, often require increased medical supervision and intervention. How women perceive their pregnancy risk and its impact on health behaviour is poorly understood. The aim of this systematic review of qualitative literature is to evaluate risk perceptions of pregnancy in women with chronic disease. Methods Eleven electronic databases including grey literature were systematically searched for qualitative studies published in English which reported on pregnancy, risk perception and chronic disease. Full texts were reviewed by two researchers, independently. Quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative checklist and data were synthesised using a thematic synthesis approach. The analysis used all text under the findings or results section from each included paper as data. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO. Results Eight studies were included in the review. Three themes with sub-themes were constructed from the analysis including: Information Synthesis (Sub-themes: Risk to Self and Risk to Baby), Psychosocial Factors (Sub-themes: Emotional Response, Self-efficacy, Healthcare Relationship), and Impact on Behaviour (Sub-themes: Perceived Risk and Objective Risk). Themes fitted within an overarching concept of Balancing Act. The themes together inter-relate to understand how women with chronic disease perceive their risk in pregnancy. Conclusions Women’s pregnancy-related behaviour and engagement with healthcare services appear to be influenced by their perception of pregnancy risk. Women with chronic disease have risk perceptions which are highly individualised. Assessment and communication of women’s pregnancy risk should consider their own understanding and perception of risk. Different chronic diseases introduce diverse pregnancy risks and further research is needed to understand women’s risk perceptions in specific chronic diseases.

Social psychological variables such as identification and communication with significant others, perception of others' expectations, and self-perceptions influence the effect that social and family structural variables have on educational attainment. Using available data on Los Angeles women collected in 1973 and 1975, this article further investigates the relative role of structural and social psychological variables in predicting the educational attainment of women. With some modifications, findings replicate those of other studies. Women's perceptions of their mother's education and aspirations as well as their own educational aspirations predict the amount of education attained. Early heterosexual experience, pregnancy, and early first marriage decrease completed education.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of married couples regarding women’s autonomy and the association of these perceptions with the subjective well-being of wives in Lao PDR.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted in semi-urban communities in Vientiane Capital of Lao PDR. Data were collected from 198 matched married couples with children under 12 years of age. Cross-tabulation analysis and multivariate regression analysis were used to assess the association between couple’s perceptions regarding women’s autonomy and the subjective well-being of wives.FindingsResults from regression analysis revealed a positive association between the self-reported autonomy of wives and their subjective well-being. In contrast, neither the husband’s perceptions nor the couple’s concordance regarding the autonomy of the wife was associated with the level of the wife’s subjective well-being.Research limitations/implicationsThe survey was conducted in four small communities in Vientiane Capital. Thus, larger and more representative studies covering the entire country would be preferable for future policy orientation.Originality/valueThe study sites belong to the Lao-Lum group, which follows a matrilineal inheritance system under which wives generally enjoy a relatively higher social status than do women elsewhere in the world. The findings suggest that, even in women-centered settings, interventions aimed at increasing a woman’s perception of her household decision-making autonomy can improve her subjective well-being.

Over the centuries, the notion of women’s empowerment has created an immense effect on both women and men. This research aims to study the influence of the English language in shaping the concept of women’s empowerment amongst undergraduate students in a private university in Malaysia. The objectives of this study are to identify male and female undergraduates’ perception towards women’s empowerment and to investigate the correlation between the role of the English language and the undergraduates’ perceptions towards women’s empowerment. This study is based on a correlational research design that includes 570 undergraduates from 6 distinct faculties. T-test and regression analysis were done to test the correlation between the variables and their significance. The findings of this study established that there is a significant difference between male and female students’ perceptions that indicates that female and male participants have varying perceptions towards women’s empowerment. With the English language playing a significant role in shaping the perception of women’s empowerment, the female participants were self-aware of how engagement in the English language can enhance the extent of their empowerment. Projection of the findings also addressed the growing importance of literacy as a mediator in the relationship between the English language and women’s empowerment.

Sexual trauma is associated with particularly harmful consequences in comparison to other types of trauma. Studies investigating differences between trauma-types usually focus on the most distressing (i.e., main) trauma of each participant and do not consider the cumulative effects of multiple traumas, which many individuals experience. We sought to fill this gap by examining the effects of trauma-type (sexual vs. nonsexual), as well as the focality assigned to the sexual trauma (whether it was perceived as a main vs. background trauma), on symptoms and self-perceptions. Our sample comprised 231 Jewish-Israeli women: 96 with a single trauma-type and 135 with multiple (two to three) trauma-types. Women completed online measures of trauma history, symptoms, and self-perceptions. Women who were exposed to sexual trauma reported greater symptom severity and self-perception impairments than women with a history of nonsexual trauma-type(s). Among women with multiple trauma-types, those with a main sexual trauma reported greater symptom severity and self-perception impairments than women with a background sexual trauma. When controlling for levels of posttraumatic symptoms, differences in self-perceptions ceased to be significant. Our findings highlight the importance of collecting a detailed trauma history, with attention to trauma-centrality, and of addressing various symptoms and self-perceptions among sexual trauma survivors.

AbstractObjectivesTo describe the proportion of women reporting time is a barrier to healthy eating and physical activity, the characteristics of these women and the perceived causes of time pressure, and to examine associations between perceptions of time as a barrier and consumption of fruit, vegetables and fast food, and physical activity.DesignA cross-sectional survey of food intake, physical activity and perceived causes of time pressure.SettingA randomly selected community sample.SubjectsA sample of 1580 women self-reported their food intake and their perceptions of the causes of time pressure in relation to healthy eating. An additional 1521 women self-reported their leisure-time physical activity and their perceptions of the causes of time pressure in relation to physical activity.ResultsTime pressure was reported as a barrier to healthy eating by 41 % of the women and as a barrier to physical activity by 73 %. Those who reported time pressure as a barrier to healthy eating were significantly less likely to meet fruit, vegetable and physical activity recommendations, and more likely to eat fast food more frequently.ConclusionsWomen reporting time pressure as a barrier to healthy eating and physical activity are less likely to meet recommendations than are women who do not see time pressure as a barrier. Further research is required to understand the perception of time pressure issues among women and devise strategies to improve women’s food and physical activity behaviours.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand women’s working relationships and career support behaviors, by investigating expectations women have of other women regarding senior women’s roles in (and motivations for) helping junior women succeed, and junior women’s engagement in their own career advancement behaviors. Design/methodology/approach The authors surveyed self- and other-reports of senior women’s engagement in career assistance behaviors on behalf of junior women colleagues, and junior women’s engagement in their own career advancement behaviors. One sample of respondents indicated to what extent they believed senior women did engage in career assistance toward junior women, and to what extent they believed junior women did engage in career advancement. Another sample indicated to what extent they believed senior women should engage in career assistance, and to what extent they believed junior women should engage in their own career advancement. Findings Results suggest a disconnect between the expectations and perceptions junior and senior women have of each other. Junior women expect senior women to engage in career assistance behaviors to a greater degree than they believe senior women are engaging in such behaviors, and junior women think they are doing more to advance their careers than senior women are expecting them to do. The authors examine individual and organizational implications of these unmet expectations and perception mismatches. Originality/value Women-to-women working relationships are under-studied, and typically viewed in either/or terms – good or bad. The findings provide a more nuanced understanding of women’s perceptions and expectations and offer suggestions for how women can influence female career advancement.

The aim of this study was to describe the behaviour and perceptions of women in aerobic or exercise to music classes. In particular, the study examined the meaning women attach to this activity choice and the interaction of aerobics participation with cultural pressures and beliefs such as that of the ‘ideal female bodyshape’. A naturalistic method of study was chosen in order to gain a comprehensive view of the subjective experience of aerobics participation. Approximately fifty female health club members were observed over a three month period in order to identify and describe patterns of involvement, behaviour and perception and the factors affecting them. Six groups of women were identified. These were ‘Naturals’, ‘Compulsive’, ‘Functional Feminist’. Several factors were observed as potentially contributing to the patterns observed. These included attitude toward perceived cultural ideals and pressures of female expectation and shape, perceptions of aerobics and exercise, pre-occupation with slenderness and bodyshape, self-image and body image. The relationship between these factors was found to be dynamic and reciprocal, with participation possibly intensifying or alternately reducing bodyshape concern. Aerobics was seen to have a multifaceted yet very individual and important appeal to the women observed.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2007.
Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Oct. 18, 2007). Directed by Barbara Dyer; submitted to the School of Human Environmental Sciences. Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-100).

The thesis deals with a group of modern Canadian women performing the visible social and economic role of entrepreneur. In general, males are dominant as entrepreneurs. However, the centre of this research is a case study of a female entrepreneur. It is augmented by interviews with other female entrepreneurs and the limited published research available about female entrepreneurs. It addresses the question: in what ways do self-images influence the behaviour of entrepreneurial women? Self-image is conceptualized as an essential component of ourselves, influenced by such themes as our culture, our sex-role socialization, and our environment. Self-image helps to shape our ability to act in society. Self-image can be manipulated and used as a strategy for the entrepreneurial role which is valued in our society. Entrepreneurial experts affirm that a positive self-image is important to entrepreneurial behaviour. Researchers have identified women as a group with a poor self-image, yet women are now becoming entrepreneurs at three times the rate of men. My thesis suggests that a number of factors related to self-image influence the behaviour of entrepreneurial women: 1) through the lack of relevant beliefs, values or images to incorporate into their self-images; 2) through the lack of appropriate beliefs, values or images to incorporate into their self-images; 3) through the presentation of conflicting beliefs, values or images; 4) and through the reinforcement of beliefs, values and images in particular social situations or contexts. The factors related to the self-images of those women who perform the entrepreneurial role suggest important cultural and social changes in the status of women generally. Following the conclusion, a discussion on the illusions that can be a part of women's self-images is included. I look at the illusion associated with images of women and the illusion of choice. I suggest that both these illusions can impact significantly on self-image and often with detrimental effects for women. My point is to make sure we are aware that the self-images do not always reflect objective reality.
Arts, Faculty of
Anthropology, Department of
Graduate

Hispanics will become the majority ethnic group in the U.S. by 2060. The social and business cultural changes affected by these demographics are inevitable and will require leadership from academic and business communities in order to ensure clear direction for the future. Gender research in managerial and professional positions mostly includes White women and typically excludes those of other racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. The research problem was that there is little known about the lived experiences of Hispanic women business executives. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the self-perceptions of leadership effectiveness of Hispanic women business executives. A conceptual lens informed by the concepts of intersectionality, bicultural competence, and emotional intelligence guided this study. Purposive sampling was used to obtain 12 participants for face-to-face interviews. Research questions focused on self-perceptions of leadership style, the ways they enact leadership, and their contributions to organizational effectiveness. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the data and member checking helped assure trustworthiness of interpretations. The findings revealed that the participants acquired effective leadership skills through their diverse contact with other people and cultures. The potential positive social change impact includes a contribution to existing literature by increasing scholars' and business-peoples' understanding of this group's lived experiences; creating more leadership opportunities for Hispanic women; identifying areas for self-development, thereby improving leadership and decision making; and clarifying expectations for young Hispanic women considering executive leadership as a career path.

Society has generally taught women in a rather subliminal way they should remain young, thin, and beautiful (Horton, Baker, Cote, & Deakin, 2008; Mock & Eibach, 2011; Stark- Wroblewski, Edelbaum, & Bello, 2008). As the number of older adults increase, the driving forces that determine self-perceptions of aging are essential. Using a hierarchical regression analysis, the current study examined self-perceptions of aging among older adult women. For the study, 102 females (age 60 and older) in the Red River Valley area completed a survey on selfperceptions of aging. Sense of mastery was significantly related to negative self-perceptions of aging. The findings demonstrate that one?s self-worth and ability to do things without needing help may play an important role in how an aging woman feels about herself and her own aging process.

Abstract This study analyzes qualitative interviews with 40 women across a range of age, race, and sexual orientation to examine experiences with sex during menstruation. Results show that 25 women describe negative reactions, two describe neutral reactions, and 13 describe positive reactions. Negative responses involve four themes: discomfort and labor to clean ‘messes,’ overt partner discomfort, negative self-perception, and managing partner’s disgust. Positive responses cohere around physical and emotional pleasure from sex while menstruating and rebellion against anti-menstrual attitudes. Race and sexual identity differences appear: White women and bisexual or lesbian-identified women describe more positive feelings than women of color or heterosexual women. Bisexual women with male partners describe more positive reactions than heterosexual women with male partners, implying that heterosexual identity relates to negative attitudes more than heterosexual behavior. Those with positive attitudes also enjoy masturbation more than others. Additionally, interviews address sexual and racial identities’ informing body practices, partner choice affecting body affirmation, and resistance against ideas about women’s bodies as ‘disgusting.’

The study and analysis of the self-efficacy beliefs of students has become an important line of educational research. The purpose of this study, conducted at the University of Mondragon (Spain), is to explore the different perceptions concerning the creative and entrepreneurial self-efficacy of students on their entrance to university. Results revealed clear patterns with regards to discipline and gender. Students commencing their degrees in social sciences show lower creative and entrepreneurial self-efficacy perceptions than their peers in other disciplines. Women show lower scores than men across different disciplines with the exception of women commencing engineering studies. Self-efficacy has been related to student motivation and learning and has been found influential in the choice of the professional career. The high significance of this construct in education makes the results of this study have clear implications for the development of learning environments that address the differences found between gender and disciplines. Directions for future research are also indicated.

This study examined gender differences in work experiences and work outcomes among 215 male and 46 female employees working in the textile and furniture sectors in Turkey. Data were collected from 261 employees, a 65 percent response rate, using anonymously completed questionnaires. Respondents were mostly male, worked full-time, had relatively short job and firm tenures, generally held jobs involving some supervisory responsibilities, and worked 41 to 50 hours per week in fairly large firms. All measures used here had been used and validated previously by other researchers. Work experiences included perceptions of supervisor empowering behaviors; outcomes included job satisfaction, affective commitment, work engagement, engaging in voice behaviors, and intent to quit. Learning related outcomes included learning opportunities and self-rated employability. There were small differences in departments in which men and women worked with a slightly higher percentage of men in production and a slightly lower percentage of men in accounting, human resource management and marketing. Consistent with earlier work, significant gender differences were found on several personal demographic and work situation characteristics. Women were younger, less likely to be married, were more highly educated, were at lower organizational levels, had less job and organizational tenure. Males and females had similar perceptions of their supervisor’s empowering behaviors, their own levels of psychological empowerment, similar learning opportunities and levels of self-rated employability and on most work outcomes (e.g, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, intent to quit).

The research problem is to establish the patterns of stress-coping patterns connected with life changes experienced by a person. The aim is to identify whether middle-aged women affected by appearance concerns are coping with the stress of growing older. Hypothesis: Women who are constantly using caring aesthetic manipulations connected with their outlook do rather cope with the stress of aging than addict. To cope with the stress of negative self-perception, women too much concerned about their outlook actively use anti-aging aesthetic procedures. The experimental group (N1 = 54; av. age 48 yrs; SD = 6) included women who actively, persistently and constantly (at least several times a month and for at least a year) use aesthetic manipulations in the medical center; the control group did not resort to manipulations (N2 = 54; av. age 48 yrs; SD = 6). Method of a longitudinal research: interview, consumers` behavior analysis; psycho-diagnostics. Results: stress and discomfort experiencing with attractiveness loss, the continuity and regularity of various manipulations (improving face and body) are confirmed. Half of women use rejuvenation esthetic (non-surgical) services from 4–5 to 11 times a month. The factors of their behavioral activity include: women`s dissatisfaction with the outlook, high level of outlook relevance and value, affiliating themselves to special subculture (women in a control group pay much less attention to their appearance); stress caused by the loss of outlook attractiveness with age, according to their subjective opinion. The analysis of young outlook as a value that influences decision-making during changes showed that in this way women actively cope, reduce stress and fear of the future, improve relationship with the loved ones. At the same time, they risk becoming behavioral addicts, seeking to increase positive emotions, and sense of security.

The article covers the issue of the personal psychological safety of police officers. A theoretical analysis of the scientific literature was conducted, which resulted in a definition of the psychological safety of the individual police officer. PhIlosophical interpretations of the term ‘Safety’, in the ancient World, New Age, and the contemporary world have been considered (Platon, T. Gobbs, J.J. Russo, G.V. Gegel, N.A. Berdyaev). The psychological definitions of the term ‘Psychological Safety’ have been analysed (A. Maslow, A. Adler, Sullivan, M.A. Kotik, T. S. Kabachenko, I.A. Baeva, O.Y. Zotova, E.E. Pronina). The article describes specific traits of the professional activity of police officers, e.g., the operational environment, sudden job changes, permanent interaction with criminals, physical and psychological fatigue, high-level responsibility, the lack of sleep and recreation, etc. The study of the specificity of the personal psychological safety of police officers was divided into several phases. The first phase consisted in enquiring, upon which 47% of respondents were found out to feel psychologically unsafe, which proves the relevancy of studying this phenomenon. Furthermore, the technique ‘Motivation Diagnostics’ suggested by A.A. Akindinova was used, which has allowed the dominant needs of police officers to be determined: the need for safety, and the need for self-fulfillment. At the final phase, the authors employed the ‘Free Association Technique’, and have thereby found that 69% of respondents associate their safety with serenity, 62% - with protectiveness, 31% - with confidence, and 23% - with comfort/reliability. Moreover, here are differences in the subjective perception of safety in women (protectiveness), and in men (serenity).

Aim/Purpose: [This Proceedings paper was revised and published in the 2018 issue of the journal Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, Volume 15] In this exploratory study we investigate the influential factors of users' decisions in the dilemma whether to agree to online personalization or to protect their online privacy. Background: Various factors related to online privacy and anonymity were considered, such as user's privacy concern on the Web in general and particularly on social networks, user online privacy literacy and field of study. Methodology: To this end, 155 students from different fields of study in the Israeli academia were administered closed-ended questionnaires. Contribution: The main conceptual contribution of this study was the creation of a new direct scale for assessing user decisions regarding the personalization-privacy tradeoff. Another contribution was the investigation of the predictive factors of the personalization-privacy tradeoff. While previous studies found that users seldom allow their privacy concerns to affect their online behavior, our results revealed the opposite, as the participants with a higher level of concern for online privacy tended to prefer privacy protection, at the expense online personalization. Findings: The multivariate linear regression analysis showed that as the participants' privacy concern increases, they tend to prefer privacy protection over online personalization. In addition, we found significant differences between men and women, as men tended to favor privacy protection more than women did. Recommendations for Practitioners: The new direct scale that was developed may be used by other practitioners to measure other issues relating to the privacy paradox behavior. Recommendation for Researchers: The questionnaire may be used by other researchers to examine online information behavior. Impact on Society: This research has social implications for the academia and general public as they show that by raising the concern for the protection of personal information on the Web, it is possible to influence the personalization-privacy tradeoff and encourage users to prefer privacy protection. Furthermore, the enhancement of users' preference for privacy protection over Web-surfing convenience may be used as a mean to mitigate the online privacy paradox behavior. Future Research: Since our results were based on students' self-perceptions, which might be biased, future work should apply qualitative analysis to explore additional types and influencing factors of online privacy behavior.

Attention to safety and health are of ever-increasing priority to industrial organizations. Good Safety is demanded by stockholders, employees, and the community while increasing injury costs provide additional motivation for safety and health excellence. Safety has always been a strong corporate value of DuPont and a vital part of its culture. As a result, DuPont has become a benchmark in safety and health performance. Since 1990, DuPont has re-engineered itself to meet global competition and address future vision. In the new re-engineered organizational structures, DuPont has also had to re-engineer its safety management systems. A special Discovery Team was chartered by DuPont senior management to determine the “best practices’ for safety and health being used in DuPont best-performing sites. A summary of the findings is presented, and five of the practices are discussed. Excellence in safety and health management is more important today than ever. Public awareness, federal and state regulations, and enlightened management have resulted in a widespread conviction that all employees have the right to work in an environment that will not adversely affect their safety and health. In DuPont, we believe that excellence in safety and health is necessary to achieve global competitiveness, maintain employee loyalty, and be an accepted member of the communities in which we make, handle, use, and transport products. Safety can also be the “catalyst” to achieving excellence in other important business parameters. The organizational and communication skills developed by management, individuals, and teams in safety can be directly applied to other company initiatives. As we look into the 21st Century, we must also recognize that new organizational structures (flatter with empowered teams) will require new safety management techniques and systems in order to maintain continuous improvement in safety performance. Injury costs, which have risen dramatically in the past twenty years, provide another incentive for safety and health excellence. Shown in the Figure 1, injury costs have increased even after correcting for inflation. Many companies have found these costs to be an “invisible drain” on earnings and profitability. In some organizations, significant initiatives have been launched to better manage the workers’ compensation systems. We have found that the ultimate solution is to prevent injuries and incidents before they occur. A globally-respected company, DuPont is regarded as a well-managed, extremely ethical firm that is the benchmark in industrial safety performance. Like many other companies, DuPont has re-engineered itself and downsized its operations since 1985. Through these changes, we have maintained dedication to our principles and developed new techniques to manage in these organizational environments. As a diversified company, our operations involve chemical process facilities, production line operations, field activities, and sales and distribution of materials. Our customer base is almost entirely industrial and yet we still maintain a high level of consumer awareness and positive perception. The DuPont concern for safety dates back to the early 1800s and the first days of the company. In 1802 E.I. DuPont, a Frenchman, began manufacturing quality grade explosives to fill America’s growing need to build roads, clear fields, increase mining output, and protect its recently won independence. Because explosives production is such a hazardous industry, DuPont recognized and accepted the need for an effective safety effort. The building walls of the first powder mill near Wilmington, Delaware, were built three stones thick on three sides. The back remained open to the Brandywine River to direct any explosive forces away from other buildings and employees. To set the safety example, DuPont also built his home and the homes of his managers next to the powder yard. An effective safety program was a necessity. It represented the first defense against instant corporate liquidation. Safety needs more than a well-designed plant, however. In 1811, work rules were posted in the mill to guide employee work habits. Though not nearly as sophisticated as the safety standards of today, they did introduce an important basic concept — that safety must be a line management responsibility. Later, DuPont introduced an employee health program and hired a company doctor. An early step taken in 1912 was the keeping of safety statistics, approximately 60 years before the federal requirement to do so. We had a visible measure of our safety performance and were determined that we were going to improve it. When the nation entered World War I, the DuPont Company supplied 40 percent of the explosives used by the Allied Forces, more than 1.5 billion pounds. To accomplish this task, over 30,000 new employees were hired and trained to build and operate many plants. Among these facilities was the largest smokeless powder plant the world had ever seen. The new plant was producing granulated powder in a record 116 days after ground breaking. The trends on the safety performance chart reflect the problems that a large new work force can pose until the employees fully accept the company’s safety philosophy. The first arrow reflects the World War I scale-up, and the second arrow represents rapid diversification into new businesses during the 1920s. These instances of significant deterioration in safety performance reinforced DuPont’s commitment to reduce the unsafe acts that were causing 96 percent of our injuries. Only 4 percent of injuries result from unsafe conditions or equipment — the remainder result from the unsafe acts of people. This is an important concept if we are to focus our attention on reducing injuries and incidents within the work environment. World War II brought on a similar set of demands. The story was similar to World War I but the numbers were even more astonishing: one billion dollars in capital expenditures, 54 new plants, 75,000 additional employees, and 4.5 billion pounds of explosives produced — 20 percent of the volume used by the Allied Forces. Yet, the performance during the war years showed no significant deviation from the pre-war years. In 1941, the DuPont Company was 10 times safer than all industry and 9 times safer than the Chemical Industry. Management and the line organization were finally working as they should to control the real causes of injuries. Today, DuPont is about 50 times safer than US industrial safety performance averages. Comparing performance to other industries, it is interesting to note that seemingly “hazard-free” industries seem to have extraordinarily high injury rates. This is because, as DuPont has found out, performance is a function of injury prevention and safety management systems, not hazard exposure. Our success in safety results from a sound safety management philosophy. Each of the 125 DuPont facilities is responsible for its own safety program, progress, and performance. However, management at each of these facilities approaches safety from the same fundamental and sound philosophy. This philosophy can be expressed in eleven straightforward principles. The first principle is that all injuries can be prevented. That statement may seem a bit optimistic. In fact, we believe that this is a realistic goal and not just a theoretical objective. Our safety performance proves that the objective is achievable. We have plants with over 2,000 employees that have operated for over 10 years without a lost time injury. As injuries and incidents are investigated, we can always identify actions that could have prevented that incident. If we manage safety in a proactive — rather than reactive — manner, we will eliminate injuries by reducing the acts and conditions that cause them. The second principle is that management, which includes all levels through first-line supervisors, is responsible and accountable for preventing injuries. Only when senior management exerts sustained and consistent leadership in establishing safety goals, demanding accountability for safety performance and providing the necessary resources, can a safety program be effective in an industrial environment. The third principle states that, while recognizing management responsibility, it takes the combined energy of the entire organization to reach sustained, continuous improvement in safety and health performance. Creating an environment in which employees feel ownership for the safety effort and make significant contributions is an essential task for management, and one that needs deliberate and ongoing attention. The fourth principle is a corollary to the first principle that all injuries are preventable. It holds that all operating exposures that may result in injuries or illnesses can be controlled. No matter what the exposure, an effective safeguard can be provided. It is preferable, of course, to eliminate sources of danger, but when this is not reasonable or practical, supervision must specify measures such as special training, safety devices, and protective clothing. Our fifth safety principle states that safety is a condition of employment. Conscientious assumption of safety responsibility is required from all employees from their first day on the job. Each employee must be convinced that he or she has a responsibility for working safely. The sixth safety principle: Employees must be trained to work safely. We have found that an awareness for safety does not come naturally and that people have to be trained to work safely. With effective training programs to teach, motivate, and sustain safety knowledge, all injuries and illnesses can be eliminated. Our seventh principle holds that management must audit performance on the workplace to assess safety program success. Comprehensive inspections of both facilities and programs not only confirm their effectiveness in achieving the desired performance, but also detect specific problems and help to identify weaknesses in the safety effort. The Company’s eighth principle states that all deficiencies must be corrected promptly. Without prompt action, risk of injuries will increase and, even more important, the credibility of management’s safety efforts will suffer. Our ninth principle is a statement that off-the-job safety is an important part of the overall safety effort. We do not expect nor want employees to “turn safety on” as they come to work and “turn it off” when they go home. The company safety culture truly becomes of the individual employee’s way of thinking. The tenth principle recognizes that it’s good business to prevent injuries. Injuries cost money. However, hidden or indirect costs usually exceed the direct cost. Our last principle is the most important. Safety must be integrated as core business and personal value. There are two reasons for this. First, we’ve learned from almost 200 years of experience that 96 percent of safety incidents are directly caused by the action of people, not by faulty equipment or inadequate safety standards. But conversely, it is our people who provide the solutions to our safety problems. They are the one essential ingredient in the recipe for a safe workplace. Intelligent, trained, and motivated employees are any company’s greatest resource. Our success in safety depends upon the men and women in our plants following procedures, participating actively in training, and identifying and alerting each other and management to potential hazards. By demonstrating a real concern for each employee, management helps establish a mutual respect, and the foundation is laid for a solid safety program. This, of course, is also the foundation for good employee relations. An important lesson learned in DuPont is that the majority of injuries are caused by unsafe acts and at-risk behaviors rather than unsafe equipment or conditions. In fact, in several DuPont studies it was estimated that 96 percent of injuries are caused by unsafe acts. This was particularly revealing when considering safety audits — if audits were only focused on conditions, at best we could only prevent four percent of our injuries. By establishing management systems for safety auditing that focus on people, including audit training, techniques, and plans, all incidents are preventable. Of course, employee contribution and involvement in auditing leads to sustainability through stakeholdership in the system. Management safety audits help to make manage the “behavioral balance.” Every job and task performed at a site can do be done at-risk or safely. The essence of a good safety system ensures that safe behavior is the accepted norm amongst employees, and that it is the expected and respected way of doing things. Shifting employees norms contributes mightily to changing culture. The management safety audit provides a way to quantify these norms. DuPont safety performance has continued to improve since we began keeping records in 1911 until about 1990. In the 1990–1994 time frame, performance deteriorated as shown in the chart that follows: This increase in injuries caused great concern to senior DuPont management as well as employees. It occurred while the corporation was undergoing changes in organization. In order to sustain our technological, competitive, and business leadership positions, DuPont began re-engineering itself beginning in about 1990. New streamlined organizational structures and collaborative work processes eliminated many positions and levels of management and supervision. The total employment of the company was reduced about 25 percent during these four years. In our traditional hierarchical organization structures, every level of supervision and management knew exactly what they were expected to do with safety, and all had important roles. As many of these levels were eliminated, new systems needed to be identified for these new organizations. In early 1995, Edgar S. Woolard, DuPont Chairman, chartered a Corporate Discovery Team to look for processes that will put DuPont on a consistent path toward a goal of zero injuries and occupational illnesses. The cross-functional team used a mode of “discovery through learning” from as many DuPont employees and sites around the world. The Discovery Team fostered the rapid sharing and leveraging of “best practices” and innovative approaches being pursued at DuPont’s plants, field sites, laboratories, and office locations. In short, the team examined the company’s current state, described the future state, identified barriers between the two, and recommended key ways to overcome these barriers. After reporting back to executive management in April, 1995, the Discovery Team was realigned to help organizations implement their recommendations. The Discovery Team reconfirmed key values in DuPont — in short, that all injuries, incidents, and occupational illnesses are preventable and that safety is a source of competitive advantage. As such, the steps taken to improve safety performance also improve overall competitiveness. Senior management made this belief clear: “We will strengthen our business by making safety excellence an integral part of all business activities.” One of the key findings of the Discovery Team was the identification of the best practices used within the company, which are listed below: ▪ Felt Leadership – Management Commitment ▪ Business Integration ▪ Responsibility and Accountability ▪ Individual/Team Involvement and Influence ▪ Contractor Safety ▪ Metrics and Measurements ▪ Communications ▪ Rewards and Recognition ▪ Caring Interdependent Culture; Team-Based Work Process and Systems ▪ Performance Standards and Operating Discipline ▪ Training/Capability ▪ Technology ▪ Safety and Health Resources ▪ Management and Team Audits ▪ Deviation Investigation ▪ Risk Management and Emergency Response ▪ Process Safety ▪ Off-the-Job Safety and Health Education Attention to each of these best practices is essential to achieve sustained improvements in safety and health. The Discovery Implementation in conjunction with DuPont Safety and Environmental Management Services has developed a Safety Self-Assessment around these systems. In this presentation, we will discuss a few of these practices and learn what they mean. Paper published with permission.

The article clarifies of gender identity stereotypes in modern media. The main gender stereotypes covered in modern mass media are analyzed and refuted. The model of gender relations in the media is reflected mainly in the stereotypical images of men and woman. The features of the use of gender concepts in modern periodicals for women and men were determined. The most frequently used derivatives of these macroconcepts were identified and analyzed in detail. It has been found that publications for women and men are full of various gender concepts that are used in different contexts. Ingeneral, theanalysisofthe concept-maximums and concept-minimum gender and their characteristics is carried out in the context of gender stereotypes that have been forme dand function in the society, system atizing the a ctual presentations. The study of the gender concept is relevant because it reveals new trends and features of modern gender images. Taking into account the special features of gender-labeled periodicals in general and the practical absence of comprehensive scientific studies of the gender concept in particular, there is a need to supplement Ukrainian science with this topic. Gender psychology, which is served by methods of various sciences, primarily sociological, pedagogical, linguistic, psychological, socio-psychological. Let us pay attention to linguistic and psycholinguistic methods in gender studies. Linguistic methods complement intelligence research tasks, associated with speech, word and text. Psycholinguistic methods used in gender psychology (semantic differential, semantic integral, semantic analysis of words and texts), aimed at studying speech messages, specific mechanisms of origin and perception, functions of speech activity in society, studying the relationship between speech messages and gender properties participants in the communication, to analyze the linguistic development in connection with the general development of the individual. Nowhere in gender practice there is the whole arsenal of psychological methods that allow you to explore psychological peculiarities of a person like observation, experiments, questionnaires, interviews, testing, modeling, etc. The methods of psychological self-diagnostics include: the gender aspect of the own socio-psychological portrait, a gender biography as a variant of the biographical method, aimed at the reconstruction of individual social experience. In the process of writing a gender autobiography, a person can understand the characteristics of his gender identity, as well as ways and means of their formation. Socio-psychological methods of studying gender include the study of socially constructed women’s and men’s roles, relationships and identities, sexual characteristics, psychological characteristics, etc. The use of gender indicators and gender approaches as a means of socio-psychological and sociological analysis broadens the subject boundaries of these disciplines and makes them the subject of study within these disciplines. And also, in the article a combination of concrete-historical, structural-typological, system-functional methods is implemented. Descriptive and comparative methods, method of typology, modeling are used. Also used is a method of content analysis for the study of gender content of modern gender-stamped journals. It was he who allowed quantitatively to identify and explore the features of the gender concept in the pages of periodicals for women and men. A combination of historical, structural-typological, system-functional methods is also implemented in the article. Descriptive and comparative methods, method of typology, modeling are used. A method of content analysis for the study of gender content of modern gender-labeled journals is also used. It allowed to identify and explore the features of the gender concept quantitatively in the periodicals for women and men. The conceptual perception and interpretation of the gender concept «woman», which is highlighted in the modern gender-labeled press in Ukraine, requires the elaboration of the polyfunctionality of gender interpretations, the comprehension of the metaphorical perception of this image and its role and purpose in society. A gendered approach to researching the gender content of contemporary periodicals for women and men. Conceptual analysis of contemporary gender-stamped publications within the gender conceptual sphere allows to identify and correlate the meta-gender and gender concepts that appear in society.