Despite a proliferation of research with families of children with cancer and gender differences in parental coping, few studies have explicitly explored the experiences of fathers of children with cancer. Using several different data collection efforts, including semistructured in-depth interviews and open workshops, this integrative analysis views fathers' experiences through the lens of gender. Findings suggest that fathers' experiences can be understood as influenced by gender identities, gender roles, and the gendered organization of support systems, employment, and health care institutions. The results suggest the need for interventions that provide fathers and entire families with the opportunity to develop new skills and coping strategies for dealing with the stresses and challenges of childhood cancer.
The successful treatment for children with cancer has greatly increased the survival rates for these young people compared to children diagnosed with cancer 30 years ago. These new medical realities direct attention to the psychosocial consequences of successful treatment and subsequent survival. In this paper, quality of life in 176 childhood cancer survivors (age 16-28) is assessed using a survey instrument designed for cancer survivors. In addition, the instrument is evaluated for its utility with this population. Survivors indicate that symptoms often associated with treatment are at a minimum but that other long-term effects like fatigue, aches, and pain negatively impact quality of life. They rate themselves high on happiness, feeling useful, life satisfaction and their ability to cope as a result of having had cancer but their hopefulness is tempered by uncertainty. Whereas the salience of spiritual and religious activities appears to be low, having a sense of purpose in life and perceiving positive changes as a result of cancer are associated with positive quality of life. A lower valence of physical concerns reflects the vitality and positive life outlook of a young population.
Advances in medical treatment for childhood cancer have resulted in dramatically increased survival rates and a growing population of long-term survivors. Until recently, researchers reported primarily negative psychosocial sequelae of childhood cancer. Emergent conceptual frameworks propose that the assumption of pathology or long-term deficits in functioning might obscure an understanding of the full range of outcomes. Using qualitative interview data (N = 50), the authors explore how cancer can lead to positive psychosocial outcomes, including thriving. The findings suggest that processes of coping, meaning making, and psychospiritual growth are intimately related to long-term psychosocial well-being. The results suggest that in the aftermath of a trauma such as childhood cancer, many outcomes are possible, including thriving.
Improved mentoring of women graduate students and young faculty is one strategy for increasing the presence, retention and advancement of women scholars in engineering. We explore the sociological literature on interpersonally-and institutionallygenerated gender roles and dynamics that make the construction and maintenance of mentoring relationships especially difficult for women in male-dominated fields. In addition, we review nontraditional strategies including peer-, multiple-and collective mentorships that are likely to be more successful for most women (and many men). Finally, organizational change strategies designed to provide a more egalitarian and cooperative atmosphere in engineering programs and departments are presented. These ideas represent a social contract for a caring community more supportive of all members' personal and professional growth and success. I. INTRODUCTIONOur primary concern in this paper is with strategies for improving the presence, retention, and advancement of women graduate students and faculty in engineering. We focus on mentoring as a key element in such strategies. Progress on the broader agenda, of which mentoring is one important aspect, is significant for several reasons. First, it should lead to improved interest by and retention of women in engineering at all educational levels. Success in this area would significantly increase the talent pool in engineering programs, create a more diverse community in institutions of higher education and in the engineering workplace more generally. Second, it will likely lead to greater equality and equity in the academy-that is, more equal access to resources and rewards, and freedom from either bias or favoritism. Third, it is likely to improve the quality and climate of our profession, leading to greater achievements for all members of the engineering community. II. WOMEN SCHOLARS IN SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND ENGINEERING: THE PROBLEMSOf engineers with doctorate degrees employed at four-year colleges and universities in 1997, less than 7% were women [1]. Of the engineering faculty nationwide in 1991, 7% of Assistant Professors were women, 3% of Associate Professors were women, and only 1% of Full Professors were women [2]. The science, mathematics, and engineering (SME) gender gap at the faculty level is mirrored in academic medicine and the higher ranks of the industrial sector. While the proportion of women attending medical school has increased steadily over the last decade [3], a significantly smaller proportion of women than men advanced from Assistant to Associate Professor, and from Associate to Full Professor in the medical academy [4]. Female leadership in the upper echelon of the business community is also rare: women comprise only 10% of senior managers and less than 4% of the uppermost ranks (CEO, president, executive vice president and COO) in Fortune 500 companies; and are less than 3% of top corporate earners [5].How do we account for the disproportionate absence of women in the higher technical and managerial...
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