Marsha Carolan

Contemporary Muslim families: Research and practice

This research project was undertaken to provide family professionals with the basic information necessary to work appropriately with Muslim families. The Muslim population represents 4–6 million people in the United States, yet it is significantly underrepresented in the family literature. Qualitative analysis of focus groups and interviews revealed multiple key findings. Emergent themes include an interest in gender respect rather than gender equity, the importance of extended family, the centralism of Islam in daily life and the qualified acceptance of professional interventions. Implications for practice are discussed.

The Longitudinal Effects of Cancer Treatment on Sexuality in Individuals With Lung Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To examine changes in sexual functioning during treatment for lung cancer and the extent to which age, gender, social support, and mood status affect sexual dysfunction. DESIGN Prospective, exploratory. SETTING Outpatient cancer clinic. SAMPLE 59 of 84 eligible patients diagnosed with small cell or non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS The Derogatis Interview for Sexual Function, Self-Report, to measure sexual functioning; the Social Provisions Scale to measure social support; and the Derogatis Affects Balance Scale to measure mood status were administered at diagnosis and at two and four months during treatment. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Level of sexual function, treatment, age, gender, social support, and mood status. FINDINGS Results indicate a decrease in sexual function but no significant change in sexual function between the two treatment groups. Age was a significant factor affecting sexual function. Gender significantly affected sexual function at time 2 only. Between times 1 and 2, mood status had a significant relationship with sexual function. Social support did not affect sexual function directly; social support was found to significantly affect mood status. CONCLUSIONS Most patients reported below-normal sexual function at baseline. Sexual function worsened over time. Further research is warranted to examine time, place, and type of intervention needed. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING New data encourage assessment, intervention, and research related to the sexual function of patients with lung cancer.

A place to be: The role of clubhouses in facilitating social support

OBJECTIVE Intentional recovery communities, such as clubhouse programs, aim to foster social connections among individuals at risk for isolation as a result of living with a serious mental illness to engage and become active participants in the community. The objective of the study was to gather information on the nature of clubhouse support as it pertains to social network support and social relationships. METHODS The personal story/narrative approach was utilized and involved a naturalistic inquiry approach that allowed stories of clubhouse experiences to come forth with little interference or interjection as possible. RESULTS Personal narratives revealed that staff, members and the overall clubhouse structure emerged as the center of social interaction and comfort for participants and a central sustaining means of social support. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE It appears that the clubhouse provides an intentional environment that creates a sense of community and a place to belong. The clubhouse as a place to be where one can meet individuals in like situations has been identified as very helpful in achieving recovery by providing the opportunity to rebuild ones shattered social network and offering contact with others in similar contexts.

Women Who Have Their Parental Rights Removed by the State: The Interplay of Trauma and Oppression

Although there is extensive literature related to assessment, intervention, and outcomes for families in the child welfare system, less is written about the experience of mothers in these families when the legal system moves towards terminating parental rights. The experiences of three women in this situation of removal and termination are presented through clinical case studies by the four family therapists whose lives intersected with theirs. As feminist therapists, we use a lens of critical consciousness; and recognize the real influence of social oppression that has culminated in the loss of their children. All three women are young, low-income, were at times homeless and unemployed, and represent diversity in both ethnicity and sexual orientation. Their case studies highlight the interplay of trauma and oppression that capture their lifelong and current situations and impede their ability to mother.

An Ecological Approach to Culturally Sensitive Intervention for Arab American Women and Their Families

An ecological perspective toward intervention recognizes the relevance of multiple influences and contexts on intervention with a given population. Ecological issues in psychotherapy with Arab American women would include both macro system issues such as historical events, internal and external culture, societal beliefs and stigmas and micro system issues such as family dynamics and community participation. The intersections of these systemic issues are also addressed in this article.

Commitments and Constraints to Intimacy for African American Couples at Midlife

This study focuses on the contributors and detractors to intimate relationships for African American couples at midlife. Qualitative analysis revealed that commitment to faith provided a foundation for familial and intimate relationships and mediated the constraints of aging and racism. African American couples were devoted to their families and to their spiritual beliefs. Midlife was a time of change and stability for couples with the competing demands of work and family. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Biblionarrative: A Narrative Technique Uniting Oral and Written Life-Stories

Abstract This paper explores an innovative, child-focused, narrative therapy technique, biblionarrative. Biblionarrative is the process of uniting oral and written stories in order to facilitate conversation and to gather a childs life-story for clinical and research purposes. Relying on either talk or writing alone may produce an incomplete description of events, but biblionarrative allows researchers and clinicians access to information that may not be discovered when using one method. To illustrate the process of creating a biblionarrative, the authors describe a research project that employed the technique with parentally bereaved children. Additionally, implications for using biblionarrative in therapy are discussed.

Beyond Deficiency: Broadening the View of Menopause

Traditional medical response to womens health issues, cultural stereotypes of aging women, and folklore have contributed to the misunderstanding and misconception of menopause. These views have produced a dominant view of menopause as a deficiency disease, a reductionistic view that obscures developmental and sociocultural factors. Broadening the view of menopause to incorporate a range of contributing factors as well as attending to the diversity inherent in womens experiences will allow for a more inclusive research agenda, in addition to providing more flexibility in resources and services for menopausal women.

The Intersection of Gender and Culture in Chinese International Student Couples

A grounded-theory qualitative study based on feminist theory was conducted to investigate three areas of inquiry regarding the marital relationships of Chinese international graduate students. The three areas of inquiry were gender socialization, cultural influence, and structural aspects of the relationship. Ten Chinese couples, of which at least one spouse was a graduate student, participated in the research. Thirty open-ended qualitative interviews were conducted, one with each couple, one with each husband, and one with each wife. Qualitative analysis revealed several dominant themes including traditional versus flexible gender ideology, the sacrificial wife, relationship expectations, the influences of Western culture and communism, problem-solving communication, and spousal support.

Locating Community in Women's Experiences of Trauma, Recovery, and Empowerment:

Feminist interpretive methods informed our understanding of the role of the community and family-based services in womens trauma and recovery. Amys story illustrates how trustworthy community relationships have a role in healing past experiences of isolation and points to the need for community supports to understand their power and responsibility to facilitate womens individual and family empowerment.