| 1. |
- Aléx, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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Balancing within various discourses--the art of being old and living as a Sami woman.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Health Care for Women International. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0739-9332 .- 1096-4665. ; 27:10, s. 873-92
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this part of the Umeå 85+ Study was to explore how indigenous women narrate their lives and their experience of being old as Sami women. Interviews with 9 old Sami women were analyzed using grounded theory. The categories identified were "reindeer as the basis of life," "longing for significant Sami values," "feeling valued as a Sami woman," and "changing for survival;" these evolved into the core category: "balancing within various discourses-the art of being old and living as a Sami woman." Knowing how to balance provided the ability to make use of available opportunities.
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| 2. |
- Alex, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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Beyond a Dichotomous View of the Concepts of 'Sex' and 'Gender' Focus Group Discussions among Gender Researchers at a Medical Faculty
- 2012
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public library of science. - 1932-6203. ; 7:11, s. e50275-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: The concepts of 'sex' and 'gender' are both of vital importance in medicine and health sciences. However, the meaning of these concepts has seldom been discussed in the medical literature. The aim of this study was to explore what the concepts of 'sex' and 'gender' meant for gender researchers based in a medical faculty. Methods: Sixteen researchers took part in focus group discussions. The analysis was performed in several steps. The participating researchers read the text and discussed ideas for analysis in national and international workshops. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The authors performed independent preliminary analyses, which were further developed and intensively discussed between the authors. Results: The analysis of meanings of the concepts of 'sex' and 'gender' for gender researchers based in a medical faculty resulted in three categories; "Sex as more than biology", with the subcategories 'sex' is not simply biological, 'sex' as classification, and 'sex' as fluid and changeable; "Gender as a multiplicity of power-related constructions", with the subcategories: 'gender' as constructions, 'gender' power dimensions, and 'gender' as doing femininities and masculinities; "'Sex and gender as interwoven", with the subcategories: 'sex' and 'gender' as inseparable and embodying 'sex' and 'gender'. Conclusions: Gender researchers within medicine pointed out the importance of looking beyond a dichotomous view of the concepts of 'sex' and 'gender'. The perception of the concepts was that 'sex' and 'gender' were intertwined. Further research is needed to explore how 'sex' and 'gender' interact.
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| 3. |
- Aléx, Lena, 1948-, et al.
(författare)
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Construction of masculinities among men aged 85 and older in the north of Sweden.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Nursing. - : Wiley. - 0962-1067 .- 1365-2702. ; 17:4, s. 451-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: The aim was to analyse the construction of masculinities among men aged 85 and older. BACKGROUND: All societies have a gender order, constructed from multiple ideas of what is seen as feminine and masculine. As the group of men aged 85 and older is increasing in size and their demand for care will increase, we must recognize the importance of studying these men and various discourses of masculinities. DESIGN: Qualitative explorative. METHODS: Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse thematic narratives. Masculinity theories provided the point of departure for the analysis. RESULTS: The analysis coalesced into three masculinities. 'Being in the male centre', developed from subthemes as: taking pride in one's work and economic situation; being in the centre in relation to others; regarding women as sexual objects; and belonging to a select group. 'Striving to maintain the male facade' developed from subthemes as: emphasizing 'important' connections; having feelings of loss; striving to maintain old norms and rejecting the fact of being old. 'Being related' was formulated from subthemes as: feeling at home with domestic duties; being concerned; accepting one's own aging; and reflecting on life. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates the importance of being aware of the existence of multiple masculinities, in contrast to the generally unproblematic and unsubtle particular healthcare approaches which consider men as simply belonging to one masculinity. Relevance to clinical practice. Diverse masculinities probably affect encounters between men and healthcare providers and others who work with an older population and therefore our results are of importance in a caring context.
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| 4. |
- Aléx, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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Constructions of various femininities among the oldest old women.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Health Care for Women International. - Washington, D.C. : Informa UK Limited. - 0739-9332 .- 1096-4665. ; 27:10, s. 853-72
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study forms part of the Umeå 85+ Study, and the aim was to explore various gendered constructions of femininities among the oldest old women. Femininities are seen as various ways of shaping oneself as a woman in relation to the impact of historical, social, and cultural circumstances. Thematic narratives were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Through interpreting these narratives in the light of gender theories, we were able to discern four femininities: "being connected," "being an actor," "living in the shadow of others," and "being alienated." The oldest old women displayed complex outlooks on femininities, and no femininity was interpreted as being in the center related to the other femininities. Further research is needed in order to disclose the complexity of femininities related to factors such as social class, ethnicity, and financial situation among the oldest old, and to acquire a greater knowledge of various femininities.
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| 5. |
- Aléx, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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Lack of resilience among very old men and women : a qualitative gender analysis
- 2011
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Ingår i: Research and Theory for Nursing Practice. - : Springer Publishing Company. - 1541-6577 .- 1945-7286. ; 25:4, s. 302-316
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High degree of resilience has been described as an enduring positive view of life despite difficult circumstances during the aging process. How to become old and being old with low resilience have not been studied. The aim of this study was to illuminate experiences about becoming old and being old among very old people with low resilience. Interviews from very old women and men were analyzed using content analysis with the following themes identified: being out of it, emphasizing life experiences from the past, religious doubting, and accepting age. Except for religious doubting, the themes contained both similarities and variations between women and men. Our study showed that in spite of scoring low on the Resilience Scale (RS), very old persons can experience integration and well-being. However, the women seemed to be more vulnerable compared to men, and for them, it is important to strengthen social and relational possibilities for contributing to resilience.
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| 6. |
- Aléx, Lena, et al.
(författare)
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Reflections of men and women in advanced old age on being the other sex
- 2010
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Ingår i: Ageing & Society. - 0144-686X .- 1469-1779. ; 30:2, s. 193-206
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The study reported in this paper is part of the Umeå 85+ project in Sweden. The aim was to investigate gender perspectives among ‘the oldest old’, by asking men and women in advanced old age living in a sparsely populated area of northern Sweden to reflect on how life might have been if they had been born the other sex. Thematic narratives from nine men and seven women were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The content of these narratives was resolved into eight categories in two domains, respectively men's and women's reflections about being born the opposite sex. The narratives of both the men and women indicated that they were satisfied with their actual birth sex. The men were aware that if they had been born female, they would probably have experienced more hard work and had a more restricted life, and they were conscious of both women's relative powerlessness and their greater ability to manage and organise work within the home. The women's narratives described a femininity characterised by longing for a state of being unconcerned when young, and their narratives also displayed awareness of women's physical strength and that men's lives had also been hard.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Choowattanapakorn, Tassana, et al.
(författare)
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Resilience among women and men aged 60 years and over in Sweden and in Thailand
- 2010
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Ingår i: Nursing and Health Sciences. - : Wiley. - 1441-0745 .- 1442-2018. ; 12:3, s. 329-335
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this study was to compare the level of resilience of people aged > or = 60 years in Sweden and Thailand. In a randomized sample of 422 people in Sweden and a convenience sample of 200 people in Thailand, the level of resilience was measured by using the Resilience Scale. A chi(2)-analysis was used for the differences between proportions. The relationships between the background variables and the resilience scores were analyzed by using stepwise multiple linear regression. The mean scores of resilience were 144 for the Swedish participants and 146 for the Thai participants. The two samples differed in their background characteristics. The Thai participants were more likely to be women, to be widowed, and to have more children, while among the Swedish participants, more women were married and more participants were aged > or = 80 years. Despite different background characteristics, the Swedish and the Thai participants' scores were almost the same on the Resilience Scale. More studies are necessary to address aspects of gender and ethnicity in relation to resilience.
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| 10. |
- Christianson, Monica, et al.
(författare)
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Sex and gender traps and springboards : a focus group study among gender researchers in medicine and health sciences
- 2012
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Ingår i: Health Care for Women International. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 0739-9332 .- 1096-4665. ; 33:8, s. 739-755
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We explored the difficulties that gender researchers encounter in their research and the strategies they use for solving these problems. Sixteen Swedish researchers, all women, took part in focus group discussions; the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The problems reported fell into four main categories: the ambiguity of the concepts of sex and gender; traps associated with dichotomization; difficulties with communication; and issues around publication. Categories of suggested problem-solving strategies were adaptation, pragmatism, addressing the complexities, and definition of terms. Here the specific views of gender researchers in medicine and health sciences-"medical insiders"-bring new challenges into focus.
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