Daniele D. Flannery

Women's Leisure: Affiliation, Self-Determination, Empowerment and Resistance?

Abstract Because of leisures relationship to the quality of life, mental health, and development, access to or opportunity for leisure has been the topic of much study. This research has shown that women across cultures face numerous constraints to leisure—both material and ideological. Leisure is a context of womens oppression and exploitation. However, oppression or hegemony “is never complete, always in the process of being reimposed, and always capable of being resisted” (Weiler, 1988). Indeed leisure, which is defined by relative freedom and rolelessness, may not only be a realm of cultural reproduction but also a context for womens empowerment and cultural resistance. This research explored that question. It was found that the female gender role was not only reproduced in leisure (leisure as affiliation) but also challenged (leisure as self-determination). In self-determined leisure women were empowered to resist falsifying, but also to regain or create, their sense of themselves.

Designing Health Information Delivery Systems for Puerto Rican Women

Although health information is important to the prevention of much illness, the health information needs of Puerto Rican women remain unaddressed, according to the results of this phenomenological study. Through audiotaped interviews, 21women evaluated various sources of health information. Analysis of the data revealed which health information sources they considered trustworthy and nontrustworthy. Health care providers were found to be one of the least helpful sources, as personal interactions were often hurried and inattentive to women’s needs. Yet, the women were able to present a vivid portrait of a culturally sensitive community environment conducive to the presentation of health information. Implications include the importance of including cultural values in any health information setting, as well as the importance of building cultural bridges between health educators and Puerto Rican women. More research is needed to examine community efforts to enhance health information sources for this population of women.

Social Factors that Impact Women's Practice of Breast Self-Examination: A Challenge to the Transfer of Training Literature.

The purpose of the qualitative study was to understand how social factors might help or hinder the training transfer process. Specifically, this qualitative research looked at the meanings a group of women attached to social factors that might influence their practice of breast self‐exam. Implications for transfer of training are suggested.