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Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Inadequate postnatal care (PNC) increases the risk of maternal mortality. This study aimed to analyze the socioeconomic and demographic factors that affect postnatal care utilization. A secondary analysis was conducted in 2019 based on the data from the 2015 Afghanistan Demographic and Health Survey. The sample included 29,461 married women aged 15–49 interviewed during the survey. This was a cross-sectional study in which a frequency distribution of independent variables for the study sample was carried out, Pearson's chi-square test was conducted for association, and the strength of association was measured using binary logistic regression. The study found that 39.9% of married women used postnatal care services. The findings of this study suggest that place of delivery and women who gave birth at health facilities were more likely to use PNC than women who delivered at home. Women age 30–39 and 20–29 positively associated with PNC use compared with mothers aged < 20 years. Each level of women's educational attainment increased their use of PNC, and women with higher education were more likely to use PNC than those without education. Furthermore, women who visited 1–3 and more than four ANC visits were more likely to use PNC than women who did not visited ANC. Moreover, women exposed to mass media were more likely to use PNC than those who were not exposed to mass media. Finally, women who lived in the northern and western regions were more likely to use PNC than those who lived in the central region, while women who lived in the southern and southeastern regions were less likely to use PNC than those who lived in the central region. Therefore, strengthening the provision of information, education, and communication could be a communication channel to further improve PNC utilization. Meanwhile further studies are needed to focus on the quality of maternal health care and PNC services in Afghanistan in order to obtain more precise information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study featured a survey of 32 LPGA athletes and follow-up interviews. We employed a postfeminist critique, highlighting the contradictions of modern feminism in a patriarchal, capitalist society. Findings reflected the athletes' conflicting views on their place in the sports world. They noted the hegemonic masculinity that has always existed in sports and media coverage of sports, but some viewed this as a problem for individual women rather than for the LPGA collectively. Some respondents said the LPGA did not need to take action as a whole, when such action clearly would benefit them. Some accepted women's bodies as a commodity to be traded in the sports marketplace. Some responses revealed ugly racism toward Asian players. Overall, the women's words raised questions and reflections on how to respond to structural sexism in sports, why the women believe they are treated unequally to men, and how to improve media coverage of women's golf by humanizing players. We also make recommendations on how an intersectional approach to the sport might improve its revenue, media treatment, and quell racist attitudes. We acknowledge that real change will require institutional responses to these problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores mainstream print media depictions of women’s work during COVID-19 and associated lockdowns in India. Specifically, it aims to understand perceptions of educated upper- and middle-class women regarding remote working arrangements during the pandemic. It delineates two broad themes that emerge from an analysis of selected articles in four national dailies; first, many women regarded these arrangements as mutually beneficial for women employees as well as their workplaces, and its counternarrative characterised by women having to juggle paid and care work with little support from the family, market or state. The paper then unpacks the arrangement of work from home that emerges in the media analysis and offers a critique of the simplistic and binary understanding of flexibility, choice, and agency sustained by the neoliberal and postfeminist framing of pandemic work arrangements. Our analysis provides a feminist critique of these dominant perceptions that invisibilise the complexity and heterogeneity embedded within women’s experiences. Finally, the paper reiterates the urgent need to consider the structural factors that undermine gender equality across work and home; and pushes for a rethink of neoliberal and postfeminist notions of ‘flexibility’, ‘choice’ and ‘agency’ through the intersecting lenses of gender, labour, care work, and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the level of gender parity in political news reporting at the New York Times. We apply a media sociology approach to examine how gender stereotypes, women in media leadership, and women in political leadership interact to affect the extent to which women journalists appear in bylines about domestic and foreign affairs news. We leverage an original data collection of nearly 3,000 news articles published from 2007–2020. We find several key results. First, women are more likely to appear in bylines about domestic political news than foreign affairs news. Second, we find that during Jill Abramson’s tenure as executive editor the number of women writing about politics increased. Third, as the proportion of women in the U.S. Congress rises, more women appear in story bylines about political news. Fourth, while more women write about political news now compared to the past, most political news stories still have men as authors. Our findings show slow but steady improvement in the gender diversity of political news journalists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's media, conservative women are often represented by their domestic roles or low income levels rather than their social, cultural, and political positions. This representation offers a generalizing and restrictive portrayal that does not correspond to the real lives and experiences of women. The aim of this study is to reveal how conservative women who are not frequently seen in the media are positioned through which roles in selected TV series. Within the scope of the study, the TV series Gönül Dağı and the locally produced digital series Bir Başkadır, which are among the most watched domestic television series, were included in the analysis due to the conservative women they feature. As a result of the study, it was determined that conservative women in the media have not attained economic freedom, have not received education or have received only primary-secondary education, have not developed an autonomous or public identity, and are typically positioned in domestic roles such as housekeeping or as stay-at-home mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies have highlighted that women are at a higher risk of becoming victims of cyberbullying, with the severity of cyberbullying among women in many countries increasing and the urgency of having necessary intervention steps by governments and legal institutions in place. Nonetheless, the taboo of discussing mental health and individual struggles has hindered victims from disclosing their cyberbullying experiences they have gone through or are still currently experiencing due to the fear of being discriminated against. Therefore, this study aimed to explore cyberbullying from a victim's perspective among women with heavy social media usage, as well as their coping strategies. A qualitative research design was utilised to understand the cyberbullying experience and coping strategies among five young women aged between 20 to 26 years old. Participants were recruited through social media. Collected data were analysed using thematic analysis which revealed three cyberbullying themes: "harassment", "relational aggression" and "trolling", three initial reaction themes: "anger", "sadness" and "confusion", two crossroad themes: "helplessness" and "sense of control" that either lead to the relapse of cyberbullying experience or coping strategies, and three coping strategy themes: "social coping", "emotion-focused coping" and "problem-focused coping" and lastly, cognitive reappraisal. The findings provide comprehensive insights into understanding cyberbullying experiences and coping strategies among women with heavy social media usage. Understanding the effectiveness of various forms of coping allows mental health professionals to support their clients by finding out the implemented coping strategy and expanding on other forms of coping to build a more holistic support for their clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prejudicial behaviors toward female journalists are on the rise, yet few instruments are available to measure stereotyping of female journalists. The present work validates a new scale for measuring the prominent sexual stereotype that female journalists have sex with their sources using exploratory (N = 561) and confirmatory factor analysis (N = 580). Results reveal that the proposed scale has a reliable and replicable factor structure that is distinct from measures of sexism and journalist mistrust, attesting to concurrent and discriminant validity. The proposed scale also negatively predicts the credibility of news written by women, which demonstrates predictive validity. Theoretical and practical implications of these results for journalism studies is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to find out how media framing and the impact obtained from media framing on the representation of women in the hardcore punk scene. This research reveals how media framing affects people's perceptions and understanding of women's representation in the hardcore punk scene and the impact of media framing on women's representation. The many roles of women in the hardcore scene, with the presence of female musicians and fans who actively contribute and bring new perspectives that enrich this music scene. This study uses a qualitative method to describe how media framing represents women in the hardcore punk scene through the website and social media use your voice using Robert N. Entman's framing analysis theory. As for the results of this study, women in the hardcore punk scene are faced with various obstacles and discrimination that must be addressed immediately through concrete actions to improve representation and gender equality in the hardcore punk scene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The empowerment of women has implications on the health and dietary needs of children. Using the survey-based women's empowerment index (SWPER), we examined the association between women's empowerment and dietary diversity among children aged 6–23 months in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: Data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 21 countries were utilized. Descriptive spatial map was used to present the proportions of dietary diversity among the children. Multilevel binary logistic regression was used to examine the association between SWPER and dietary diversity. Results: Overall, 22.35% of children aged 6–23 months had adequate minimum dietary diversity (MDD) in sub-Saharan Africa. The countries with the highest proportions of adequate MDD were Angola, Benin, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and South Africa. South Africa had the highest proportion of MDD (61.00%), while Liberia reported the least (9.12%). Children born to mothers who had high social independence were more likely to have adequate MDD compared to those with low social independence [aOR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.21, 1.41]. In addition, children born to women with medium [aOR = 1.12; 95% CI 1.03, 1.21] and high decision-making [aOR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.14, 1.37] were more likely to receive MDD than those with low decision-making. Conclusions: Insufficient dietary diversity is evident among children aged 6–23 months in sub-Saharan Africa. MDD in children is influenced by women's empowerment. Policies and interventions promoting women's empowerment can enhance MDD, especially for vulnerable groups in rural and poorer households. It is crucial to leverage media and poverty reduction strategies to improve MDD among children in sub-Saharan African countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women working in sports media contend with unwanted attention during their careers, extending beyond evaluations of their knowledge to encompass judgements of their appearances and emotional management. Using Banet-Weiser's framework of popular feminism, within the 'economies of visibility', this research explores the experiences and strategies of women in sports media as they navigate increased -visibility. Working as a researcher-insider, the first author conducted semi--structured interviews with seven women working in sports media (early career to 35 years' experience), working in the UK and/or Ireland, across TV, radio, print and/or online formats. Collaborative reflexive thematic analysis by both authors resulted in the construction of two themes around 'heightened visibility' (including a subtheme of standing out) and 'blending in'. The findings indicate that while women are increasingly visible in the industry, the gender dynamics and conditions of the sports media workplace have not progressed to the same extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical and contemporary scholarship paint a picture of women in media as under-represented, misrepresented and lacking the opportunity to influence what happens in media and their own status in media. This is despite years of interventions – including pushing for affirmative action – targeted at improving their status and working conditions. In this study, we argue that part of the solution lies in conscientizing women in media to become more aware of the inequalities they face. Through a nationwide survey of women in the Ghanaian media and premised on feminist media theory, we show that though progress is visible in the status of women, inequalities persist. Respondents were ambivalent about status parity with males, pointing to the possibility that they acquiesce to unfair practices because they are unaware of the embedded inequality. We discuss these findings and their implications for scholarship and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media has become a pervasive phenomenon which is affecting the life of all genders and all age groups across different demographics. This paper explores the multifaceted impact of social media on women examining its positive and negative consequences. Drawing upon the conclusions of 25 related and relevant review of literature, this study highlights the diverse ways in which social media influences women's lives. All the researches were systematically compared with each other to understand the common pattern in which social media is impacting the lives of women. The present research concludes that it has both positive and negative effects in their lives. On the positive side it gives a platform for women to learn and earn simultaneously whereas on the negative side it leads to low level of self-esteem among women. In addition to it, it leads to a situation of comparison and idolization of unrealistic beauty standards consequently leading to various psychological illnesses like depression and anxiety. It further has a detrimental effect on having a healthy partner and married life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research paper investigates the support system available to women entrepreneurs in Punjab's MSME sector. It aims to assess the extent of support received by women entrepreneurs from their families, friends, and various government and non-government agencies. The study, based on a sample of 204 women entrepreneurs in Punjab's MSME sector, reveals that the development of women's entrepreneurial talent has largely been nurtured through the familial support system in Punjab, rather than through external agencies. Findings indicate that a significant majority of the women entrepreneurs enjoy substantial support from their extended families. For professional guidance, these women predominantly rely on their husbands, family members, and relatives, rather than on external support systems such as banks or government institutions, which often exist more in theory than in practice. Furthermore, a minimal number of women entrepreneurs are aware of government programmes, schemes, or policies designed to aid their development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty remains a serious problem in Nigeria; women are among those mostly affected and are often deprived in many ways. This paper uses the multidimensional approach to examine poverty levels among women in Ibadan South West Local Government Area, Oyo State. Primary data was obtained from a sample of 393 women across the population density areas on socio-economic characteristics and poverty indicators (health, education and standard of living). The Alkire-Foster multidimensional approach was used to estimate the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) for the sampled women. The weights assigned to these poverty dimensions were generated using the multiple correspondence analysis. The MPI for each woman were categorized as abject poor (deprived in at least two dimensions), moderate poor (deprived in one dimension) and non-poor (not deprived in any dimension). The mean age of the women was 30.8±6.7 years. One-third of the respondents were mostly artisans (30.0%) and traders (26.5%), and 52.2% had completed secondary education. About 23.0% of women were deprived in education, 61.0% in health and 70.4% in standard of living. Based on location, the study indicated that the women in the medium and high density areas are mostly deprived in the different dimensions of poverty. When the poverty cut off K= 1, poverty incidence is 94% and 51.7% of the women were multidimensional poor as against 28% poverty incidence and 19.6% poor women when k=3 using the Alkire-Foster Multidimensional methodology. This implies that when women are deprived in at least one dimension; 51.7% are multidimensional poor. More than half of the respondents (51.0%) were categorized as moderately poor, 26.0% were abject poor while 23.2% were non-poor. This study revealed high poverty levels among women in Ibadan South West Local Government Area. Deprivation in standard of living and health in the three areas could be improved upon through the concerted effort of the government with appropriate ministries by initiating more productive and empowerment programs to improve their purchasing power and disseminating educative information that will improve their nutritional status through health talks to reduce the level of multidimensional poverty in urban locations respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper examines how women in Bangladesh contest abuse within patriarchal systems of control. In many cases, women will often decide the extent to which they adopt a particular technology to prevent experiences of abuse on social media platforms. In the current study, we analysed how women's online presence is controlled by patriarchal norms which impede their agency and recontextualise their empowerment through social media. As such, we rely on the narratives of three women in Dhaka, Bangladesh to understand how they exercise agency on social media platforms to ensure their own empowerment and avoid (further) experiences of abuse. Although we recognise that ICT for Development (ICT4D) can be a crucial way to ensure women's empowerment, we argue that, as a male-dominated space, social media platforms promote restrictive and unequal gender stereotypes that require women to find alternative strategies to challenge and resist existing patriarchal structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Ciencias Sociales (13159518) is the property of Revista de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad del Zulia Venezuela and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article explores the push for family-oriented eugenics and pronatalism within the United States, chronicling social and political movements and their impact on the American mother. The essay illustrates this problem through Edith Summer Kelley's Weeds (1923), a novel that utilizes eugenic rhetoric of the American Progressive Era to expose problems in American maternity and parturition. Kelley's female protagonists present not only a crisis of motherhood but also a crisis for American families, as unhappy mothers symbolized issues of dysfunction. This reading positions itself alongside historical examples of pronatalism and eugenics, and utilizes American media to argue that women felt compelled to reproduce in order to meet national standards of progress during the post-World War I era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The unstoppable and exponential growth of social media use has given rise to concerns about the consequent effects on users. Among the major concerns are the psychological consequences, which have received considerable academic attention. The current mixed-methods research aims to examine women's social media use and its effects on their psychological well-being in a patriarchal culture, namely Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a mixed-method research methodology. The quantitative section collected data from 240 women and used structural equation modelling to test the proposed hypotheses. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the in-depth interviews with ten women. Findings: The integration of the findings revealed increased use of social media by women and its beneficial effects (communication and socialisation, escapism and self-presentation), though qualitative findings revealed the cultural implications and obstacles that women face (online anonymity and digital asylum). The study calls attention to women's social media usage patterns and the resulting effects on women's psychological well-being in a low-income country with a patriarchal social structure. Originality/value: Most research remains limited to Western societies and young populations. The situation is somewhat different in developing economies with traditionally preserved cultures compared to Western societies. This study uniquely examines the influence of social media on psychological well-being in a developing country with a special cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how the podcast Thirst Aid Kit makes Black women's desires—often erased or distorted in media—audible. Using Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis (CTDA) and feminist close reading, I make three interrelated arguments: (1) The hosts' use of regional, Black vernaculars and cultural touchstones disrupts podcasting's Whiteness and builds intimacy with Black women listeners; (2) The podcast's aural expressions of thirst articulate Black women's desires rather than shield them from broader publics; (3) The show's expression of thirst is connected to the romance genre; however, Thirst Aid Kit , ruptures the genre's investment in Whiteness and the happy ending. This article builds from and intervenes in podcasting research, studies of Black women and media, and popular romance studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite technological, political and economic progress, Pakistan is still a traditionally patriarchal society, and cultural norms curb women's freedom of socialization, which contributes to poor mental health. The digital technology spaces are rampant with male dominance, and offline cultural behaviours are replicated. Therefore, the current research in Pakistan intends to focus solely on women, their social media uses and the consequent impact on their psychological well-being. Furthermore, the mediation role of social capital is explored, which is linked to women's socialization. In virtual communication, women can expand their connection or remain limited to known people. Methods: An online survey collected 240 responses from women social media users. The questionnaire was divided into demographics, social media use patterns like access, online time, frequency of use, social media uses, online social capital and psychological well-being. The obtained responses were statistically analyzed using Smart PLS. Results: Pakistani women use social media extensively; however, their uses are culturally influenced. The women use social media and socialize online but do not openly disclose their personalities and emotions to extend the connection. They seek information only from acquaintances and do not trust newly developed online contacts. Therefore, the mediation role of bonding social capital is significant, referring to the importance of close ties and trust in psychological well-being. Though virtual spaces provide an opportunity for bridging social capital, women use social media for socialization; however, it doesn't contribute to women's psychological well-being. Conclusion: Despite the higher penetration of digital technologies, cultural power still rules in developing countries like Pakistan. Social media uses are gender- and culturally specific, contributing to psychological well-being and developing social capital. The results from Pakistani society recommend ensuring a secure digital experience for women to get maximum benefits from social media and enhance their psychological well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The book "The Cultures of the Press in Mexico (1880-1940)" analyzes the particularities of Mexican publications during that period and how they influenced their context. Questions such as who were the readers of the press, who financed journalistic projects, and how the role of the press evolved in the Mexican public sphere are explored. The book features the collaboration of 16 researchers and is divided into six sections that address topics such as the relationship between the press and cinema, the democratization of the press, and the participation of women in the media. The study of Mexican-American press in the United States is highlighted, as it became an important literary institution for Spanish-speaking communities. The magazine Ser de Puebla is also analyzed, dismantling preconceptions about publications. The book showcases different methodological approaches to understanding the importance of journalistic projects in Mexican publishing culture. The influence of newspaper directors such as Carlos Noriega Hope and Martín Luis Guzmán is emphasized. The book concludes by highlighting the importance of journalism in national life and the need to question preconceptions about print media. [Extracted from the article]

This article presents an illustrative case study of the role of women in the print media at the beginning of the last century that serves to critically examine the chronicles signed by Emma Sarepta Yule (1863-1939) on women in East Asia, published in the journals Scribner's Magazine and Current History. The aim is to highlight the ideological, cultural, and gender elements evident in Yule's reports dedicated to the Asian «new woman», and how the writings reflect the geopolitical context of the time. This seeks to highlight the role of these «gender correspondents» to discuss the representation of the «new woman» in Japan, China, and Korea that they disseminated in magazines. Likewise, the «geosexual» and «geoideological» factors of their texts are reviewed, as well as the contradictions between the reality of those women and the journalist's attempt to superimpose, handling the category "new woman", principles and values of the «Protestant modernity» mobilized with the help of the establishment in Asia of women-led organizations such as the Young Women's Christian Association (ywca). The disputed nature of modernity and feminism in East Asia during this period is underlined by studying how foreign journalists played a substantial role in the construction of the image of the «new woman» in the region, to conclude by showing the relevance that this journalistic production had in transmitting the liberal-idealist ideology inherent to the interwar international society and the epistemic problems that it presents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The book review discusses Philip Sipiora's edited collection, "Ida Lupino, Filmmaker," which explores the work of pioneering actress, director, producer, and screenwriter Ida Lupino. The collection includes sixteen chapters written by various scholars, covering a wide range of topics related to Lupino's work in film and television. The book examines Lupino's directorial ventures, such as "The Hitch-hiker" and "The Bigamist," and also explores her underrepresented directing roles in television, including Westerns. The review praises the collection for its engaging and varied content, which adds depth to the limited existing scholarship on Lupino and addresses wider socio-historical, gender, and industrial issues. [Extracted from the article]

"Growing up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World" by Devorah Heitner is a book that provides insight into the technoculture that contemporary children are growing up in. The book covers topics such as surveillance, sexting, public shaming, and college admissions, offering a balanced perspective by including the voices of parents, children, educators, and researchers. Heitner explores the concepts of "small" and "big" privacy, offering guidance on how to discuss these concepts with children. While the book could benefit from further defining mentoring and including more academic references, it is a valuable resource for parents, educators, and policymakers, challenging norms and advocating for a more equitable treatment of young people's digital lives. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the book "Strictly Observant: Amish and Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Women Negotiating Media" by Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar. The book explores the media consumption patterns of Amish and ultra-Orthodox Jewish women and argues that despite their differences in resources and freedom, these women have a significant amount of autonomy in their media choices. The author also highlights the role of boundary management in navigating their media environments and maintaining their social status within their respective communities. The article praises the book for its unique perspective and recommends it for those interested in the sociology of religion and media studies. [Extracted from the article]

Popular discourses assume that in Pakistan, about 3.6 per cent of the total 207 million populations are religious minorities but their representation in media is often limited to the episodic coverage of tragic incidents happened to them. A large number of reports have been observed that being a woman in Pakistan is difficult but if someone belongs to a religious minority, it becomes worse but their challenges get almost no media depiction. Therefore, this paper is an attempt to assess the perceptions of minority women about their struggles in Pakistan with almost no representation in media. To understand the perceptions, 20 women were interviewed through snowball sampling from religious minorities. Their responses are analyzed under the light of social responsibility theory. This study also highlights the suggestions of minority women to media organizations to improve their discourse for their community and to understand their views about policy making to strengthen the participatory democracy through a rights-based inclusive media discourse for the unnoticed and the unseen in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]