Suchergebnisse

The goal of this research was to model the relationship between stress and natural disasters, with a view to explaining levels of stress among women. Following flooding in Iowa, in 1993, two in-depth questionnaire surveys were administered, one to residents in high flood exposure areas, and another to the general population as a control. Results indicated that gender plays a significant role in interpreting stress responses to natural hazards, with women consistently exhibiting greater stress than men. However, it was evident that a complex web of factors influenced stress levels including marital status, structure of the family unit, age, socio-economic status, health, levels of social involvement, and degree of hazard experience. These findings suggest that more research should focus on determining structural constraints that exacerbate stress levels for women.

Studies of mental health have indicated that the stress associated with living in hazardous areas is related, in part, to economic status, gender, kinship relationships, physical health, sociopsychological traits, community structure, and familiarity or experience with the hazard. This research modeled stress variability as manifested through expressed levels of anxiety, depression, and day-to-day function-ability in a flood-prone environment. A telephone questionnaire was used to collect data from adult flood victims in a medium-size midwestern town, 3 months after the floods of 1993, as part of a comprehensive survey of how stress fluctuates over time. Standard measures of anxiety, depression, and stress were incorporated into the survey instrument for comparison purposes. A large percentage (71%) of respondents displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Traditional predictors were not significant, for stress symptoms appeared equally across gender, income, and age stratifications. The results showed that previous health conditions, particularly anxiety, employment status, and propensity to interpret the flood negatively were significant predictors for high levels of post disaster stress.

This article explores the "gender model" of job research instruments that are based on the Holland Occupational Classification scheme. The six Holland "environments" constitute a ubiquitous base for tests and measures in career counseling and research. Analysis of the 1973 Quality of Employment Survey provides evidence that the Holland Classification scheme replicates the segmentation of women into certain occupations that generate low pay, even after controlling for worker education, job tenure, and age. Comparable data for male wage earners show a significant segregation away from low-income, predominantly female occupations. Thus the Holland occupational scheme and the instruments based upon it are likely to contribute to the replication of sex-segregated labor markets. The findings suggest that current models of "work" and job counseling tests and techniques may reinforce, rather than eliminate, the economic disadvantages for women.