bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Let Him Hold You: Spiritual and Social Support in a Catholic Convent Infirmary
Authors: Corwin Anna I
Published: April 2015

American Catholic nuns have been found to age more ‘successfully’ than their lay counterparts, living longer, healthier, and happier lives.  Two of the key factors contributing to the nuns’ physical and mental wellbeing are the spiritual support they experience from the divine and the social support they provide for and receive from each other in the convent.  I argue that by integrating the divine into their everyday interactions, the nuns engage in phenomenological meaning-making process through which mundane care interactions are rendered sacred. This communicative process, I argue, contributes to the nuns’ overall wellbeing by providing an enriched form of care and support, thereby enhancing their end-of-life experience.
A Little to One Side: Caregiving, Spatial Seclusion, and Spiritual Border-Crossing in Frail Old Age among the Tuareg (Kel Tamajaq)
Authors: Rasmussen Susan
Published: April 2015

This essay examines the meanings of the seclusion of frail elders and the roles of small children who act as their primary caregivers in rural Tuareg communities of  northern Niger, and explores the implications of these arrangements for intergenerational relationships. Data suggests that both cosmological and socioeconomic forces shape the seclusion and caregiving of frail elders. It is argued that, despite some physical decline and social withdrawal in these circumstances, particularly on approaching death,  nonetheless there is enhanced spiritual power in which these elders and their small caregivers cross thresholds toward new sources of meaning. More broadly, the essay contributes to debates over the meanings of disengagement over the life course and the semiotics of peripheral and secluded spaces.
Paying Down the Care Deficit: The Health Consequences for Grandmothers Caring for Grandchildren in a Mexican Migrant Community of Origin
Authors: Scott Mary Alice
Published: April 2015

While significant research addresses global chains of care work from the perspective of female migrant workers engaged in low-paid, unstable domestic labor in “receiving” communities, little research has focused on those who substitute for migrant workers to provide care in communities of origin. This article addresses that gap by focusing on the health consequences of care work for grandmothers in southern Veracruz, Mexico who assume the primary responsibility for caring for their grandchildren when the parents migrate out of the community. Based in the literature on care work and transnational families, this ethnographically-based article argues that grandmothers suffer consequences for their own health in three ways. They must deduct from their own health care resources – including time and money – to provide for their grandchildren. They must concede to the exploitation of already ill bodies to engage in the physical care of children and the household. Finally, they must transfer energy for self-care to caring for others thereby exacerbating their own existing health issues in order to meet the physical and emotional needs of their grandchildren. The article calls for further research in this area that aims to develop solutions to the problem of “care substitution” in transnational families.
A Terminal Patient’s Hopes for Connections Transcending Time
Authors: Kondo-Arita Megumi
Published: April 2015

Terminal cancer patients face not only issues unique to their diseases, but also issues rooted in their previous life experiences, including physical, social, psychological, and spiritual pain. This study focuses on the hopes of a terminal patient for “Continuing Bonds.” Much current research emphasizes the importance of “continuing bonds” for the health of bereaved families, but little has looked at the meaning of “continuing bonds” for dying patients themselves. I attended an elderly terminal cancer patient in a Japanese hospital, observing and conversing with her as she went through the process of examining her life and faith. The patient granted permission to record and share these observations to shed light on Japanese views of “death” and “life.” This research shows that Japanese face death not merely as personal issues, but in the broader perspective of continuing family bonds.
Population Aging as the Social Body in Representation and Real Life
Authors: Crampton Alexandra
Published: April 2015

This article uses three levels of body analysis as presented by Nancy Scheper-Hughes and Margaret Lock to compare old age as a construct in population aging discourse with research on lived experience of people aging in the United States and Ghana. I first describe how demographers construct social bodies as becoming “gray” through population statistics and how policy makers then use dependency ratios to rationalize intervention on behalf of older adults in the body-politic.  The construction of old age within this discourse is then compared with ethnographic research that suggests this construct leaves out much of the lived experience familiar to anthropologists of aging.  Rather than debunk the old age construct, however, the purpose of this article is to argue for study of population aging discourse as constituting a social body reflecting cultural constructions of nature and society.  Moreover, this representation is made real through policy and social intervention work, and with very real effect on people’s lives. As such, an anthropology of aging bodies can include the social life of old age as a social construct.
Book Reviews
Authors: Kovacich Joann
Published: April 2015

Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics 2010-2013 Volume 30, 2010: Focus on Biobehavioral Perspectives on Health in Late Life (Keith E. Whitfield, ed.) Linda J. Keilman , Michigan State University Volume 31, 2011: Pathways Through the Transitions of Care for Older Adults. (Peggye Dilworth-Anderson and Mary H. Palmer, eds.) Rachel Sona Reed, The Pasadena Village Volume 32, 2012: Emerging Perspectives on Resilience in Adulthood and Later Life (Bert Hayslip Jr., Gregory Smith, eds.) Lydia K. Manning, Concordia University, Chicago Volume 33, 2013. Healthy Longevity: A Global Approach (Jean-Marie Robine, Carol Jagger, and Eileen M. Crimmins, eds.) Richard Zimmer, Sonoma State UniversityTranscending Dementia through the TTAP Method:  A New Psychology of Art, Brain, and Cognition (Linda Levine Madori) Jennifer A. Wagner, Bowling Green UniversityHandbook of Life-Span Development (Karen L. Fingerman, Cynthia A. Berg, Jacqui Smith & Toni C. Antonucci, eds.) Ruth N. Grendell, University of Phoenix/Point Loma Nazarene UniversityHealth, Illness, and Optimal Aging: Biological and Psychosocial Perspectives Second Edition. (Caolyn M. Aldwin and Diane Gilmer Fox) Elisha R. Oliver, University of OklahomaBy Himself: The Older Man’s Experience of Widowhood. (Deborah K. Van den Hoonaard) Lindsay L. Martin, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical CenterThe Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias. Third Edition (Naomi Feil and Vicki de Klerk-Rubin) Stacey L. Barnes, Marquette UniversityGrandma, a Thousand Times (Teta, Alf Marra) (Film) Philip Kao, University of Pittsburgh
Challenging Marginalization at the Universities of the Third Age in Poland
Authors: Robbins-Ruszkowski Jessica C
Published: April 2015

Older people in Poland often describe and experience old age as a time in the life course marked by discrimination and marginalization. In this postsocialist context, a still-dominant Cold-War logic links older people to the devalued socialist past and younger people to the present and future of the Polish nation-state. Contemporary media portray old age as defined by physical and mental decline and social isolation. The most visible challenge to such temporal, bodily, and social exclusion occurs through Universities of the Third Age, where older people learn new skills, cultivate hobbies, and explicitly theorize growing old as a positive phase of life. Drawing on twenty months of ethnographic research, this article traces key sociocultural, political-economic, and historical factors that contribute to discrimination against and empowerment of older people in Poland. By analyzing national politics and media representations of old age together with ethnographic data from Universities of the Third Age, this article highlights the practices through which older Poles feel themselves to be transformed in old age—and asks who may be excluded from such practices—thus contributing to gerontological discussions of “active aging” and anthropological understandings of sociality in late life.
Heterotopia and Illness: Older women and Hypertension in a Brazilian Favela
Authors: Leibing Annette
Published: April 2015

This article is about older women and the way hypertension is linked to their life in a favela, a “shantytown”, in Rio de Janeiro. Inspired by Foucault, I suggest calling this complex phenomenon ‘heterotopic illness’. By calling attention to the importance of place for understanding certain illnesses, the limited usefulness of some public health prevention campaigns is shown. Since hypertension can be considered a “disease of aging”, it will be argued that some place-related stressors often have a greater impact on seniors than they have on younger adults.
Wilmoth, Janet & Ferraro, Kenneth, Eds. Gerontology Perspectives and Issues (4th ed.)
Authors: Grendell Ruth N.
Published: April 2015

None
Book Reviews
Authors: Kovacich Joann
Published: April 2015

Lynch, Caitrin & Danely, Jason, Eds. Transitions & Transformation: Cultural Perspectives on Aging and the Life Course Renee Rose ShieldChang,  Heewon, Faith Wambura Ngunjiri, and Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez. Collaborative Autoethnography Richard ZimmerUlsperger, Jason S. and Knottnerus, J. David. Elder Care Catastrophe: Rituals of Abuse in Nursing Homes & What You Can Do About It Diane L. BrownSanjek, Roger.  Gray Panthers Lindsay DuBoisHaber, David. Health Promotion and Aging:  Practical Application for Health Professionals. Jennifer Wagner
Cloud computing in New York State education: Case study of failed technology adoption of a statewide longitudinal database for student data
Authors: Bennett E. , Weber A.S.
Published: April 2015

Educational institutions are turning to private cloud computing solutions to lower costs, efficiently deliver educational content and analyze student data, ranging from grades and school activities to behavior, health status, and basic demographic variables. This case study of New York State Education Department's failed adoption of cloud computing for its student data and administrative needs demonstrates the potential benefits of creating detailed longitudinal student databases and large datasets. However, it also highlights several serious concerns about privacy, trust, and security in relation to student personally identifiable information (PII). Opposition from parents and educational and privacy advocacy groups–primarily due to fears of commercialization and ubiquitous, non-transparent, and unregulated sharing of student data–led to the closure of a private, cloud-based longitudinal database built by inBloom; and to new New York state legislation regulating student data. This case study analyzes educational governance in New York State, in particular the notion of flexian relations– the powerful web of actors and networks that influence New York State's technology adoption behavior. Student PII, similar to personal health information (PHI), is a particularly sensitive category of data. Data breach and loss of confidentiality by the private cloud vendors could have caused real, quantifiable harms to students. This study provides valuable lessons learnt about cloud platform adoption, for educational institutions and the cloud computing industry.
Cambios fonológicos vs obsolescencia lingüística: ¿Cuál es su impacto en la revitalización del rama?
Authors: Pivot Bénédicte , Chevrier Natacha
Published: April 2015

Este estudio presenta una mirada cruzada entre los cambios fonológicos de una lengua en período de extinción y el impacto de esos cambios sobre los esfuerzos de revitalización de la lengua. El trabajo está basado en un estudio de caso del idioma rama el cual se consideraba casi extinto en los años ochenta, y que desde entonces ha sido beneficiado de un programa de descripción, documentación y revitalización. Luego de una presentación de la situación sociolingüística del rama y del contexto en el cual se inscribe el proyecto de revitalización, el fenómeno de obsolescencia lingüística será descrito a través del estudio de la pérdida de un fonema, la nasal velar / ŋ /. Finalmente será analizado el reto que representa para los esfuerzos de revitalización la emergencia de nuevas ‘variantes’ debidas a este tipo de fenómeno de obsolescencia Nahki sturi aisanka kum kau karna ba bui wala kau slu bara taibi ba, ¿Rama bila aisanka ba bukaia lukanka bara nahki ambuk muniba?Naha stadi muni laki kaikanka nara mahrikisa nahki warhra sari baku kaiki ba, bila aisanka karna kumi mahka tiwi auya ba, baku sin naha aisanka na tiwi auya ba taka nahki ambuk wan muniba kli aisanka ba buki raya daukaia muni ba pyuara. Upla nani kainara stadi muni laki kaikan ninkara Naha wark ka lukanka nani ba takan rama nani bila aisanka ba dukiara, naha bila aisanka na mani 80 mankara pat sut tiwan baku lukan kan, bara naha pyua wina naha bila aisanka ba kli bukaia wisi wark kum tâ krikan, naha lainkara diara nani kum kum ulbaia,wauhtaya nani plis kumira paski briaia bara kli aisanka ba alki bukaia. Rama nani ai iwanka bara ai bila aisanka nani ba upla nanira mahrikan, baku sin bila aisanka ba kli alki bukaia wark ka nani sin mahrikan ninkara, bila aisanka nani kum tiwi auya ba dukiara sin ulbi mahrikan kabia stadi muni laki kaikanka kum bakku; tawa aisanka bila nani tiwi auya ba,baku sin ulbanka satka nani kum kum sin tiwi auya ba dukiara / ŋ /.las bara lika laki kaikan kabia naha sat trabilka nani ba nahki natkara wapni mankaia sip kabia sapa aisanka raya nani wala naha mankara yus munbia sa kaka.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/wani.v67i0.1887
El coco, signo de la cultura creole de Corn Island
Authors: González John Jeremiah
Published: April 2015

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/wani.v67i0.1890
Entre las aguas/Between the Waters: Interorality in Afro-Cuban Religious Storytelling
Authors: Otero Solimar
Published: April 2015

This essay investigates different kinds of storytelling found in Afro-Cuban religions. The term "interorality" describes how narrators and audiences interact, collaborate, and help construct the meaning of narratives. The piece uses fieldwork and ethnographic writing to illustrate how Afro-Cuban religious storytelling allows for the fluid interpretation of gender, race, and sexuality by different members of the religious community. Storytelling here also affords opportunities where Cuba’s cultural and historical frictions are negotiated through moments of religious affect.
Coloration of Polyester Fibers for Securities Protection from Counterfeit
Authors: Goldade V.A. , Kuzmenkova N.V. , Sytsko V.E.
Published: April 2015

The results of modifying polyester fibers with luminescent colorants by crazing mechanism have been given. By means of REM and AFM stages of crazes initiation, their transformation into fibrillar structure of fiber and redistribution of modifiers incorporated into crazes in the surface layer of fiber have been revealed. Techniques of concentrating luminescent colorants on local sections of fiber with alternation of unprocessed segments and segments containing target additives have been described. Polyester fibers with alternating by length sections of luminescent division of colors have been obtained. It was shown that effective fiber coloration takes place when the drawing out degree ε* is between 2 and 3. Fibers modified by Oxazine and Rhodamine colorants are characterized by highest intensity of luminescence in UV radiation. The conclusion has been made that technology of modifying chemical fibers by cazing mechanism allowing implementing measured incorporation of target additives on local sections of fiber satisfy in the optimal way the protection criteria of paper filled with such fibers from counterfeiting.
Effect of Hydroxyl-Terminated Random Copolyether (PET) and Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene (HTPB) on Thermal Decomposition Characteristics of Ammonium Perchlorate
Authors: Mao Ke-Zhu , Xia Min , Luo Yun-Jun
Published: April 2015

The effects of two binders (PET and HTPB) on thermal decomposition characteristics of Ammonium Perchlorate were studied by TG-FTIR, DSC and SEM. When Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) mixes with AP, there is no obvious mutual effect in the process of heating, but it happen in the other way when Hydroxyl-terminated random copolyether (PET) mixes with AP. During the heating process of PET-AP mixture, the decomposition of PET occur in advance significantly, so that the porous structure of AP at the low-temperature decomposition stage becomes more significant, the total amount of heat released increases significantly, and the weight-loss ratio of AP about the two stages increases to about 2:1. During the thermal decomposition, the heat release and N2O gas production of PET-AP mixture is milder than the HTPB-AP, which is more conducive to the insensitive properties of propellant.
Shear wave automatic picking and splitting measurements at Ruapehu volcano, New Zealand
Authors: Castellazzi Claire , Savage Martha K. , Walsh Ernestynne , Arnold Richard
Published: April 2015

Automatic shear wave picking and shear wave splitting measurement tools (Multiple Filter Automatic Splitting Technique (MFAST)) are combined to build a near‐real time application for monitoring local stress around volcanoes. We use an adapted version of Diehl et al. (2009) on seismograms provided by the New Zealand GeoNet network and having an origin time and location based only on P picks. The best automatic picks are processed by MFAST, which computes the corresponding shear wave fast direction ϕ, and splitting delay time δt, interpreted, respectively, as the principal direction of stress underneath the station and the amount of anisotropy integrated along the wave raypath. We applied our system to 9 years of local earthquakes recorded at seven stations around Ruapehu volcano, New Zealand. Results are compared against MFAST measurements from manual S picks when available and show less than 10° difference for 90% of ϕ measurements and less than 0.05 s difference for 95% of δt measurements. Shear wave splitting from automatic S arrival times are slightly more consistent than those from manual arrival times. At some stations, two populations of delay times occur, which depend upon computed initial polarization. This may be caused in part by cycle skipping, an artifact usually associated with monochromatic signals. However, spatial consistency in the behavior suggests a physical cause as well, such as focal mechanisms varying with earthquake source location or a spatially varying near‐source anisotropic region. The numbers of events in each population group vary over time, possibly related to activity at Ruapehu volcano.
Rayleigh wave phase velocity and error maps up to the fifth overtone
Authors: Durand Stéphanie , Debayle Eric , Ricard Yanick
Published: April 2015

We present a global data set of phase velocity maps for Rayleigh waves, with their errors. These maps are obtained from the tomographic inversion of phase velocity curves measured in the period range 40–250 s by Debayle and Ricard (2012), completed with new measurements at longer periods, between 150 and 360 s. The full data set includes ∼22,000,000 phase velocity measurements combined to build 60 phase velocity maps covering the period range 40–360 s for the fundamental mode and up to the fifth overtone. Each phase velocity map is provided with its a posteriori error, resulting in a unique data set which can be combined with other seismic measurements (surface waves, normal modes, and body waves) in regional and global tomographic studies. A preliminary inversion of this data set shows that it provides constraints on the shear velocity structure down to 1000 km depth.
The Rosetta Ion and Electron Sensor (IES) measurement of the development of pickup ions from comet 67P/Churyumov‐Gerasimenko
Authors: Goldstein R. , Burch J. L. , Mokashi P. , Broiles T. , Mandt K. , Hanley J. , Cravens T. , Rahmati A. , Samara M. , Clark G. , Hässig M. , Webster J. M.
Published: April 2015

The Rosetta Ion and Electron Sensor (IES) has been measuring solar wind ions intermittently since exiting from hibernation in May 2014. On 19 August, when Rosetta was ~80 km from the comet 67P/Churyumov‐Gerasimenko, which was ~3.5 AU from the Sun, IES began to see ions at its lowest energy range, ~4–10 eV. We identify these as ions created from neutral species emitted by the comet nucleus, photoionized by solar UV radiation in the neighborhood of the Rosetta spacecraft (S/C), and attracted by the small negative potential of the S/C resulting from the population of thermal electrons. Later, IES began to see higher‐energy ions that we identify as having been picked up and accelerated by the solar wind. IES continues to measure changes in the solar wind and the development of the pickup ion structure.
Magnetic forces associated with bursty bulk flows in Earth's magnetotail
Authors: Karlsson Tomas , Hamrin Maria , Nilsson Hans , Kullen Anita , Pitkänen Timo
Published: April 2015

We present the first direct measurements of magnetic forces acting on bursty bulk flow plasma in the magnetotail. The magnetic forces are determined using Cluster multispacecraft measurements. We analyze 67 bursty bulk flow (BBF) events and show that the curvature part of the magnetic force is consistently positive, acting to accelerate the plasma toward Earth between approximately 10 and 20 RE geocentrical distances, while the magnetic field pressure gradient increasingly brakes the plasma as it moves toward Earth. The net result is that the magnetic force accelerates the plasma at distances greater than approximately 14 RE, while it acts to decelerate it within that distance. The magnetic force, together with the thermal pressure gradient force, will determine the dynamics of the BBFs as they propagate toward the near‐Earth tail region. The determination of the former provides an important clue to the ultimate fate of BBFs in the inner magnetosphere.
Seasonal to multiyear variability of glacier surface velocity, terminus position, and sea ice/ice mélange in northwest Greenland
Authors: Moon Twila , Joughin Ian , Smith Ben
Published: April 2015

Glacier ice discharge, which depends on ice velocity and terminus fluctuations, is a primary component of Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss. Some research suggests that ice mélange influences terminus calving, in turn affecting glacier velocity. The details and broad spatiotemporal consistency of these relationships, however, is undetermined. Focusing on 16 northwestern Greenland glaciers during 2009 through summer 2014, we examined seasonal surface velocity changes, glacier terminus position, and sea ice and ice mélange conditions. For a longer‐term analysis, we also produced extended records of four glaciers from 1999 to 2014. There is a strong correspondence between seasonal near‐terminus sea ice/mélange conditions and terminus change, with rigid ice mélange conditions associated with advance and open water associated with retreat. Extended sea ice‐free periods and reduced rigid mélange are also linked with anomalously large terminus retreat. In all but one case, sustained multiyear retreat of greater than 1 km during both the 15 year and 6 year records was accompanied by interannual velocity increases. Seasonal velocity patterns, however, correspond more strongly with runoff changes than terminus behavior. Projections of continued warming and longer sea ice‐free periods around Greenland indicate that notable retreat over wide areas may continue. This sustained retreat likely will contribute to multiyear speedup. Longer melt seasons and earlier breakup of mélange may also alter the timing of seasonal ice flow variability.
Abortion
Authors: Loewentheil Kara
Published: April 2015

Abortion is a medical procedure, performed through the administration of medication or surgery, which terminates a pregnancy. Historical texts and records show that humans have employed a variety of abortion methods to control fertility for thousands of years. Today, safe abortion is one of the risk‐free medical procedures available, while unsafe abortions continue to cause high levels of maternal mortality and disability in places where safe abortion is illegal or difficult to access. Social controversies over abortion and the question of when human life begins often polarize political debates about legality and access, but illegality does not decrease the overall incidence of abortion, it only increases the incidence of unsafe abortion. Access to safe abortion is thus not only an important human right for women, but a crucial aspect of global public health.
Androgyny
Authors: Hassenstab Christine M. , Ramet Sabrina P.
Published: April 2015

Androgyny refers to a blurring of gender traits through mannerisms, dress, or a combination or these, for a variety of reasons. Androgyny also refers to a group of medical conditions called disorders of sexual development (DSD). The entry traces the history of the concept from ancient times to the present, presenting examples from philosophy, history, religion, and literature. Sociocultural and political influences are also discussed.
Bakla (Philippines)
Authors: Manalansan Martin F.
Published: April 2015

Bakla is a Tagalog sexual/gender category still prevalent in contemporary Philippines today. While in the past it was used pejoratively, it has acquired a more positive meaning in recent years with the emergence of gay and queer culture.
Beauty standards
Authors: Frederick David , Forbes Megan , Jenkins Brooke , Reynolds Tania , Walters Tia
Published: April 2015

The saying that “beauty is only skin deep” suggests that there is a certain triviality to physical attractiveness, and that appearance alone should not impact the way others view or treat people. Across the world, however, people make judgments about others based solely on their appearance and treat them differently based on their looks. Social constructionists focus on the ways that social norms and belief systems influence who we find attractive. Beauty standards differ substantially across cultures, although some cross‐cultural universals exist.
Bestiality
Authors: Miletski Hani G.
Published: April 2015

Bestiality—human sexual relations with animals—has been an aspect of human behavior since the dawn of civilization, and has been found all around the world and throughout history. Although no one knows how prevalent bestiality is, interest in bestiality continues despite the risk of stigma and punishment. No one knows what causes people to want to have sex with animals, and, therefore, no one knows how to “cure” this “problem.” In recent years, an online community of individuals who have sex with animals has argued that zoophilia is different from bestiality: Zoophilia is not just about sex; zoophilia has to do with having a relationship with the animal, an emotional attachment, and sexual attraction. One recent study offers some merit to this claim.
Bisexuality
Authors: Rodríguez Rust Paula C.
Published: April 2015

Bisexuality challenges the cultural belief that sexual orientation consists of heterosexuality or homosexuality. Research shows that some individuals behave bisexually, identify as bisexual, and experience bisexual attractions. However, both popular and scientific attitudes have often disavowed the existence of bisexuality. Stereotypes include the belief that bisexuals are internally conflicted, cannot be monogamous, and are actually gay. Bisexuality receives periodic media attention, for example, as a “chic” form of sexuality in the 1970s, and as a gateway for HIV in the 1980s and 1990s. To facilitate research on bisexuality, scientists have developed new models of sexual orientation. The best known is the seven‐point Kinsey scale, ranging from homosexuality, through bisexuality, to heterosexuality. Other models include the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid, and the argument that bisexuality can be conceptualized as an attraction to “people” rather than an attraction to “men and women.” There is a growing bisexual political movement and bisexual community.
Breast cancer
Authors: Ussher Jane M. , Perz Janette , Gilbert Emilee
Published: April 2015

Changes to sexuality and intimacy can be one of the most problematic aspects of life post‐breast cancer, with the impact lasting for many years after treatment. When compared with healthy, same‐aged women, women with breast cancer experience lower levels of sexual satisfaction and have more difficulty maintaining their sexual life because of pain, fatigue, vaginal dryness, body image concerns, decreased sexual interest or desire, numbness in previously sensitive breasts, and difficulty achieving orgasm. The quality of a woman's intimate relationship and partner support are the major predictors of a positive outcome following sexual changes.
Breast ironing
Authors: Mancho Innocent Ndifor
Published: April 2015

Breast ironing is the practice of using objects to press, rub, or massage the budding breasts of a girl child in order to make them disappear. The practice is widespread in Cameroon and is carried out by a female family member close to the victim. It is employed to conceal the physical signs of maturity and so postpone or delay the start sexual activity, whether consensual or forced. Breast ironing affects the girl both physically and psychologically. It is a form of violence against the child carried out within the home or the family.
Breasts (infants vs. sex objects)
Authors: Dettwyler Katherine A.
Published: April 2015

Human females have mammary glands (breasts) to provide a fluid (milk) that is species‐specific and necessary for the optimal health and growth of their offspring. Breast size is affected by genetic factors, age, pregnancy/lactation status, and nutritional status. Breasts develop during puberty with the growth of glandular tissue and the deposition of fat. During pregnancy they gain significant additional blood supply and glandular tissue, increasing in size. There is no evidence that larger breasts confer any reproductive advantage to women, as lactational ability is not dependent on breast size. In the vast majority of human cultures, the breasts play no role in sexual attraction or sexual behavior. Defining breasts as sexually erotic, and fondling or manipulating them during sexual activity is best described as a cultural (learned)paraphiliaof limited geographic and temporal distribution.
Childbirth
Authors: Wilkie Laurie A.
Published: April 2015

This entry provides an overview of how archaeologists have looked at skeletal and archaeological materials to understand childbirth through time and across cultures. It discusses birthing practices and rituals found in the archaeological record in both the Old and New World.
Corseting
Authors: Kunzle David
Published: April 2015

Corseting, or tight‐lacing, can be traced to fourteenth‐century Europe and continued through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries Proponents of tight‐lacing in the nineteenth century were resisted by medical practitioners. By World War I tight‐lacing had ceased, but enjoyed a revival in the 1980s in the fashion world and expansion among fetishists through the advent of the Internet.
Desire versus “sexual identity” debate
Authors: Barrett Rusty
Published: April 2015

In the late 1990s and early twenty‐first century scholars debated whether the central focus of linguistic studies of sexuality should be sexual identity or sexual desire. The debate emerged as a response to earlier research that presumed the existence of discrete varieties of lesbian or gay male language. The debate played an important role in broadening the scope of language and sexuality studies.
Diamond, Milton (1934–)
Authors: Pearson Judith
Published: April 2015

This entry details the work of sexologist Milton Diamond, with specific focus on his involvement in the “John/Joan” case. He disputed the views of John Money, indicating that human beings were not gender‐neutral at birth, and therefore gender reassignment could cause grave suffering to patients and their families.
Dry sex
Authors: Hilber Adriane Martin
Published: April 2015

Dry sex is a relatively common practice among several Sub‐Saharan African societies and may involve a number of agents to reduce or eliminate vaginal secretions. A “tight” or dry vagina is a means of enhancing the sexual pleasure of the woman's male sexual partner in a number of societies. The effect of dry sex in increasing the risk of HIV transmission and contraction is discussed.
Endometriosis
Authors: Ballweg Mary Lou
Published: April 2015

Pain during sex is a problem affecting many with endometriosis, a chronic endocrine and immunological disease affecting an estimated 89 million women and girls worldwide. Environmental toxins and other factors have been implicated in this modern epidemic. Approximately 60 percent of women with endometriosis report pain with sex, sometimes cyclical; sometimes ongoing, which can occur with all types of sexual activity, not only intercourse. Delayed diagnosis greatly increases suffering and lack of understanding from partners and families. Open communications, determining the least painful time during the menstrual cycle, exploring forms of intimacy other than deep penetration, and utilizing alternative positions can be helpful.
Erotica vs. pornography
Authors: Davis Berta
Published: April 2015

Eroticism and pornography deal with the use of erotic stimuli to enhance sexual feelings and expression. However, the deeper nuances of these two areas tend to be significantly different. Eroticism is seen as an artful expression of sexuality; it is considered “vanilla,” nonviolent, and sensual. Pornography, on the other hand, seems to correlate sexuality with some form of aggression and/or imbalance of male–female power relationships.
Erotica, female‐friendly
Authors: Pillai‐Friedman Sabitha
Published: April 2015

Erotica can be expressed through all forms of art and deals with erotically stimulating or sexually arousing content. Traditionally, men were seen as the primary consumers of erotica. However, luminaries such as Anaïs Nin (1903‒1977) and her contemporaries paved the way for later works in female erotica. While erotica that is favored by men is explicit, mechanical, and visual, women favor erotica that is flavored by emotion, hunger, desire, lust, whims, caprices, personal ties, and deeper relationships. In the 1970s, Nancy Friday researched women’s fantasies and wrote about them in her books. BDSM, which has long been a central part of women’s sexual fantasies, has now reached the mainstream through the
Fifty Shades of Grey
trilogy.
Evolutionary psychology
Authors: Gaulin Steven J. C.
Published: April 2015

In contrast to traditional psychology, which focuses on mechanisms, evolutionary psychology focuses on functions. Functional questions about learning, cognition, emotion, and other psychological phenomena can be addressed by one of two methods: reverse engineering or planned comparisons. The former evaluates whether or not a trait's features instantiate an efficient design for meeting the hypothesized function. The latter evaluates whether or not the distribution of the trait matches the demand for the hypothesized function. Because evolution maximizes the rate of gene transmission to future generations, psychological aspects of reproductive strategy are likely to have been targets of strong selection, and hence are profitable topics of scrutiny by evolutionary psychologists.
Female choice
Authors: Burleson Mary H.
Published: April 2015

Female choice of mates currently is viewed as a crucial mechanism for the operation of sexual selection. Proposed criteria for female choice include the ability of the male to provide resources such as food, protection, or parental care; or to contribute genes leading to good health or sexual attractiveness of offspring.
Femininity
Authors: Gonzalez Cesar A. , Spencer Katie
Published: April 2015

Femininity is the dynamic sociocultural, psychological, and visible traits and characteristics that are traditionally associated with the birth sex of girls/women in a given culture and are informed by sociocultural contexts. The definition of femininity has evolved beyond the gender binary, with contemporary views of femininity being defined as multidimensional, and incorporating varying degrees of femininity and masculinity across personal, social, role, and implicit identities. There is current debate about the conceptual independence of femininity and masculinity and whether they relate more to social role and professional identity than to personal and gender identity. Moreover, feminists and gender theorists have challenged the traditional definition of femininity, which is often fueled by patriarchal culture, and propose that each individual can define femininity. This may include deviations from stereotypical femininity across sexes, gender identities, and gender expressions, including transgender and intersex people.
Feminist archaeology
Authors: Blackmore Chelsea
Published: April 2015

Feminist archaeology is a political practice and theoretical approach that places gender at the center of archaeological investigations. It situates archaeology as a feminist practice by examining the ideological structures that dominate both who practices archaeology and how and by whom the past is interpreted. Feminist archaeology has developed from a largely women‐centric approach (e.g., add women and stir) to one that highlights the complexity and variation of gender and its intersection with other axes of identity, such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, age, and class.
Figurines: Europe
Authors: Bailey Doug
Published: April 2015

Prehistoric figurines from the Neolithic period (6500−3500B.C.E.) of Southeastern and Central Europe were once widely interpreted as evidence of matriarchal societies of early farmers. Widely disseminated by Marija Gimbutas (1921−1994) was the argument that placed figurines at the center of reconstructions of prehistoric mother‐goddess cults, religions, and ceremonies. Recent advances in archaeological fieldwork, material analysis, and multidisciplinary interpretation have revealed the fragility of the assumptions that supported that earlier interpretation. The recovery of male figurines, as well as of individual figurines with male and female attributes, suggests that prehistoric sexualities, in Neolithic Europe at least, were more broadly defined. The observation that most figurines possess neither male nor female attributes suggests that these objects were part of larger discourses about identity not limited to modern, Euro‐American definitions of sexuality or personhood. The pattern of find‐spots on Neolithic sites reveals that they were everyday objects without extraordinary meaning or function. It is now recognized that figurines played a powerful part, probably at a subconscious level, in the gradual emergence of historic and modern senses of identity, which became anchored on the body and its shape and appearance.
Gibbons
Authors: Barelli Claudia
Published: April 2015

Gibbons are traditionally known as pair‐living and monogamous animals while indeed they live in variable social organizations (pairs or multimale units) that lead to different mechanisms of mate acquisition (monogamy and polyandry). Gibbons display small sexual swellings as signals to advertise the probability of ovulation, without allowing males to pinpoint its exact time. Sexual swellings are closely associated to copulation frequency, during both ovarian cycles and pregnancy, which suggests that females may manipulate male mating behavior to their own interests by confusing paternity and/or biasing copulations towards preferred males when highly fertile.
Gimbutas, Marija (1921–1994)
Authors: Levy Janet E.
Published: April 2015

Marija Gimbutas (1921–1994) was an archaeologist who wrote extensively about prehistoric farming cultures in southeastern Europe. She believed these communities were peaceful cultures, led by women, and practiced religions focused on a mother goddess. Her work is popular with non‐archaeologists and some scholars of religion, but has been critiqued by archaeologists.
Gynecology
Authors: Carlson Julie
Published: April 2015

Obstetrics and gynecology has both an amazingly wonderful healing side and also an astonishing abhorrent side that causes incredible harm, which often occur simultaneously. To understand why this happens, one must look at the foundation upon which this profession was built and then how it developed alongside general medicine to become a legitimate institution. Critical to this process is an exploration of how dominant cultural values shaped modern medicine, the rise of male doctors treating women through obstetrics and gynecology, and this profession securing its authority through the medicalization of women.
Homosexuality in nonhuman primates and in humans
Authors: Vasey Paul L. , Forrester Deanna L.
Published: April 2015

This entry presents information pertaining to the evolution of same‐sex sexuality in nonhuman and human primates. Explanations that characterize same‐sex sexuality as an adaptation or a byproduct of an adaptation are discussed. An evolutionary history of same‐sex sexuality in primates is presented.
Hooking up
Authors: Sweeney Brian
Published: April 2015

Hooking up, or sexuality activity outside a committed relationship, has become an increasingly common model of sexual intimacy among young adults. Hooking up can refer to behavior ranging from kissing to intercourse and is often associated with college students. Typical aspects of the college environment—such as population density and a culture focused on partying and sexual experimentation—promote hooking up over other forms of sexual interaction. Sexual double standards make hooking up more problematic for women, who may face stigma for pursuing sex outside of a romantic, monogamous context. Compared to sex in relationships, hook‐up sex is more likely to be characterized by gender inequality.
Hormones (primate sexuality)
Authors: Carnegie Sarah D.
Published: April 2015

In nonhuman primates, hormones related to female sexuality are mainly associated with the ovarian cycle and include estrogens and progesterones. In male primates, the main hormone related to sexuality is testosterone. In male primates, testosterone affects male sexual behavior but its direct effect on mating behavior can be confounded by its relationship with dominance rank. In female primates, estrogens and progesterones are produced during the ovarian cycle and fluctuate in a predictable way. Female and male sexual behavior has been linked to the cyclical pattern of ovarian hormones and can be described using the terms: attractivity, proceptivity, and receptivity. The two steroid hormones seem to have a negative relationship with each other with respect to sexuality: high levels of estrogen tend to increase male attractiveness toward the female, and high levels of progesterone tend to reduce female attractiveness for males.
Human papilloma virus (
HPV
)
Authors: Chen Jian
Published: April 2015

HPV infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases and infections worldwide. At least 70 percent of sexually active individuals will be infected by one of the HPV genotypes at some point in their lives. HPV can be transmitted through vaginal, anal and oral sex, or simply skin‐to‐skin contact of the genitals. The risks of transmission are associated with age, smoking, number of sex partners, and oral contraceptive (OC) use, as well as high‐ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure, and so on. Persistent infection with high‐risk HPV‐types is associated with cancers, that is, cervical, anal, and head/neck cancers. There is no cure for HPV infection. HPV vaccines are effective at preventing infection and disease related to the vaccine‐specific genotypes with no evidence of past or current HPV infection. Preadolescent girls ranging from ages 9 to 13 are the target group for vaccination.
Intercourse, frequency
Authors: Willetts Marion C.
Published: April 2015

Researchers have found that on average, men and women engage in sexual intercourse approximately six times per month. The frequency at which couples engage in sexual intercourse varies, however, as a function of the partners’ ages, the duration of their relationship, and the type of their relationship. Cohabitors engage in sexual intercourse more frequently than do couples in other types of relationships, followed by married couples, and followed by those in non‐marital, non‐cohabiting relationships. Older individuals engage in less frequent sexual activity, including intercourse, than do younger individuals, and couples in relationships of longer duration engage in less frequent sexual activity than do couples in relationships of shorter duration. Variables such as race/ethnicity, religious affiliation, and sexual orientation are unrelated to the frequency of sexual intercourse.
Intergenerational sex, male
Authors: Zientara Gerald Roy
Published: April 2015

Cross‐cultural definitions of intergenerational male sex are widely divergent and often controversial. Organized intergenerational sex within homophile political movements produced a largely unknown culture in the 1960s and 1970s. The case of The North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) is discussed.
Kathoey
Authors: Matzner Andrew , Costa LeeRay M.
Published: April 2015

Kathoey
is a Thai word that refers to people with male bodies who are transgendered (male to female) and also to effeminate gay men. Attitudes in Thai culture toward
kathoey
are complex and dependent on a range of social factors. Historically, it appears that
kathoey
occupied a spiritual role in Thai society.
Language planning (gender and sexuality issues)
Authors: Weatherall Ann
Published: April 2015

There are important gender and sexuality issues in language planning. Feminists have long documented sexism in language including that it ignores and narrowly defines women. Various strategies have been used to promote gender fair language. There are theoretical debates about the relationships between gender and language—does sexist language perpetuate sexism in society or just reflect it? Regardless, marginalized social groups such as gay and lesbians change language by coining new terms or reclaiming old ones in order to better represent themselves in language.
Lesbian
Authors: Enszer Julie R.
Published: April 2015

Lesbians are women who have sexual, emotional, erotic, intimate, and affectionate relationships with other women. Lesbian is a term used in a variety of disciplines—literature, sociology, history, medicine, psychology, among others—with multiple meanings and valences. All refer to intimacy between women. The word lesbian to describe women physically, sexually, emotionally, and erotically attracted to other women crystallized at the end of the nineteenth century. The history of the word lesbian demonstrates how it emerged from multiple modes of human inquiry. Throughout the twentieth century, the meaning of lesbian changed and evolved. In particular, during the twentieth century, lesbians themselves took an active role in defining their lives and their experiences as lesbians. Whatever the future may hold for women who have sexual, emotional, erotic, intimate, and affectionate relationships with other women, lesbians will have a role in defining—and naming—their own lives and experiences.
Lesbian and gay rights movement, United States
Authors: Cruikshank Margaret
Published: April 2015

The lesbian and gay rights movement, United States, gives an overview of the movement from 1970 to the present. It considers origins, developments, and anti‐gay backlash as it examines the movement from three perspectives: sexual freedom, politics, and ideas. It discusses same‐sex marriage and other legal issues.