Rak, Kimberly
(2013)
SEEING GREEN: GENDERED RELATIONSHIP EXPECTATIONS AND SEXUAL RISK AMONG ECONOMICALLY UNDERSERVED ADOLESCENTS IN BRADDOCK, PENNSYLVANIA.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
This dissertation examines adolescent sexual health disparities from the perspective of economically underserved youth considered “at risk” living in the Mon Valley of southwestern Pennsylvania. Adolescent discussions of relationship and sexual risk highlight social relations and contexts in contrast to discrete behaviors and outcomes. While adolescents are aware of the possibility for contracting a sexually transmitted disease or pregnancy from engaging in sex, these risks are negated or mitigated in relation to other risks that threaten self esteem, group belonging, and a moderate sense of security. In addition, variation by age and gender contribute to complex constructions of romantic relationship expectations that inform the context for sexual risk taking beliefs and behaviors. Adolescent risk taking is social, symbolic, and subjective and not solely reducible to individualistic domains of knowledge or adoption of preventative measures. Therefore, this qualitative study examines the ways in which poverty structures the social meanings of risks.
This study is based on 18 months of ethnographic research including in-depth interviews, creative arts-based data collection sessions, participant observation, and on-going dialogue with community stakeholders. In addition, this qualitative research provided an opportunity to explore, investigate and document gender and age differences: there were two adolescent age cohorts each including male and female participants. Older adolescents detailed the scope and content of romantic relationships and perceptions of sexual risk while younger adolescents detailed relationship dynamics.
The qualitative approach broadens the scope of inquiry from acts (e.g. use of protection) or outcomes (e.g. STDs, teenage pregnancy) to include social and power dynamics influencing gendered expectations in relationships. Additionally, this dissertation explores relationship expectations among younger adolescents who are traditionally absent from research on sexual health. Furthermore, discussions of sexual risk need to be contextualized to incorporate larger social and cultural constructions of what is considered “risk” as well as the potential benefits incurred by risk taking. Policy suggestions would include an explicit recognition of the role of poverty in adolescent sexual health disparities (and health disparities more broadly), and a first step would be to track adolescent sexual health information by socioeconomic status in addition to geographic location and race/ethnicity.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
| Title | Member | Email Address | Pitt Username | ORCID |
|---|
| Committee Chair | DeWalt, Kathleen | kmdewalt@pitt.edu | KMDEWALT | | | Committee Member | Alter, Joseph | | | | | Committee Member | Terry, Martha Ann | | | | | Committee Member | Burke, Jessica | | | | | Committee Member | Yonas, Michael | | | |
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| Date: |
2 July 2013 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
28 February 2013 |
| Approval Date: |
2 July 2013 |
| Submission Date: |
20 March 2013 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
229 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Anthropology |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
medical anthropology, adolescent sexual health, health disparities, risk |
| Date Deposited: |
02 Jul 2013 13:47 |
| Last Modified: |
15 Nov 2016 14:10 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/17841 |
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