Draft 1: Gender Differences in Perpectives and Response to Trauma

This topic submitted by Nikki Etter, Katie Hange, Rachel Stern ( etternm@muohio.edu ) on 2/17/05. [ Human Nature Team: Nikki Etter, Katie Hange, Rachel Stern-Section: Cummins/Wolfe]

Nicole Etter, Katie Hange, Rachel Stern
Wolfe/Cummins
WCP 262-B
18 February 2005

Human Nature Project Proposal

Abstract
Is there a difference between the ways males and females perceive, respond to, and recover from trauma and disaster? Can we find some evidence to suggest that the sexesÕ attitudes toward death and destruction are significantly different? We hypothesize that this is the case Ð that there are some fundamental differences between the attitudes and perceptions of males and females toward trauma, and our research is devoted to hopefully shedding some light on this phenomenon. Through interviews and surveys, our group intends to find conclusive data that will either support or reject this hypothesis.

I. Introduction
We are researching the way females and males perceive and respond to natural disasters, terrorism/violence, and medical trauma. Phenomena such as war, health issues, and natural disasters are all a part of our world and life. These are universal issues, and humans have no choice but to respond. This study is simply one vein of this larger aspect of life, and knowing how different people respond and perceive to these events can ultimately help in planning and anticipating for the future. We hypothesize that there is a significant difference between menÕs and womenÕs responses toward and perception regarding these three phenomena. Current data and research suggests that there are some differences in the way that men and women respond to and perceive proposed and experienced trauma (Laube). This study will use this information as a spring-board to guide us in finding more specifically what prompts certain attitudes and behaviors from both men and women when faced with disaster.
Our proposal is interdisciplinary in its innate nature, drawing upon the disciplines of sociology, biology, cognitive science, economics, and gender studies. All of these issues function to provide a broad basis upon which we ground our study and understanding of this topic. We will create a survey to analyze the responses of men and women in hypothetical situations and perception of traumatic experiences. In the end, we would like to have some solid information to aid in a better understanding of how different genders approach, perceive, and recover from natural disasters, terrorism/violence, and medical trauma.
We have discussed the issue of war as a concept of human nature, and our research will just take this a step further and touch on the manner in which people deal with this (Goodall). In week 9, our discussion focuses on experience and creating meaning based on those experiences, which parallels this study perfectly (Clark). The concept of multiple intelligences is also useful toward our research (Gardner). Being able to tie our own research into class discussion and material is important, as it provides a framework with which to place our study in the context of the course.

II. Materials and Methods
Our main method of research will be our survey. Our subject pool will be individuals within the allied medical fields, including physicians, nurses, speech pathologists, physical therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and members of the American Red Cross. The significance of limiting our subjects to these individuals is that they are directly associated with and well versed in the problems associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, the grieving process, and the emotional and physical aspects surrounding death and trauma. We plan on analyzing data from the results one hundred and fifty surveys. To bolster our research, we would also like to implement a small number of interviews with mental and medical health professionals.
We will each be taking fifty surveys to split up the burden of work. By combining our efforts we will analyze our own data and then the results of all data in relation to our topic question. We have each taken a number of books, articles, and websites to read and summarize the text to gather important information for our paper.

III. A Specific Research Design
Our research design is a survey that will gather personal information about the subject as well as personal perception towards historic and hypothetical disasters. This data will be analyzed along with their attitudes regarding fictional scenarios. (Our survey is included at the end of this proposal). We will specifically be researching the attitudes of males and females in the medical profession regarding trauma, as well as their perception of traumatic events, not only in their own lives, but in the greater global society as well. We will be utilizing the rank order questions to measure what people consider traumatic situations and what scenarios they think are more disastrous than others. These responses will be used primarily to support the quantitative data from the other questions. We will also be using a Likert scale to measure the attitudes people have toward hypothetical situations, which will allow us to see what is "worse" to them.

IV. Interdisciplinary Approaches and Context
Our project includes a social approach because we are focusing on psychological responses of the genders. Psychology is a study of a stimulus/response relationship. As we look at cognition, development, perception, and response, we will be able to study more specific stimuli (disasters) and there relationship to various responses. By reading about how communities come together to respond and deal with tragedies, we are bringing in the cultural aspects of anthropology, sociology, and even historical perspectives. There may be even an aspect of religious influences on decision- making and emotional outlook on trauma, especially since we know we are targeting a specific group of individuals (i.e. Red Cross members). We are addressing the scientific, biological aspect of gender differences to learn about how different genders can understand, comprehend and then react to natural, medical, and organic disasters. Cognitively and biologically, there are known differences to the ways in which men and women perceive the world and reality, and using this information will help us analyze our data and put in the context of the scientific and psychological disciplines.
The major issue of gender differences falls in line with a few of the books we have provided. But more importantly, the broader issue of response and recovery is addressed within almost all of these sources, and this is what will provide us with the guidelines necessary to base our project. The case studies will be invaluable in allowing us to understand specific events and specific responses. From this we can see parallels in our own study, hopefully, and draw conclusions accordingly.
For every action there is a response. Organisms have no choice but to somehow illicit a response to what has happened around them. We know that this is true, but a more clear understanding of the specific ways in which people align themselves with disruptions is a more specific attempt to understand this notion (Folkman). An even finer aspect to explore within this broad concept is the idea of gender differences.

V. Time Line
February 18th: Project Proposal Due
March 11th: Rough Draft Written
March 20th: All data collected
March 25th: Analyze Data
April 1st: Project Draft Due
April 8th: Revise First Draft
April 15th: Process of Rough Draft
April 22nd: Project Report Due
Week 15: Present

VI. SAMPLE SURVEY

Age:

Gender:

Highest Level of Education Received:

Primary News Source: (Radio, TV, Newspaper, etc)

City of Current Residence:

Do you think group therapy sessions are effective:

Please Rank these events from 1-10, 1 being the most important/relevant
Tsunami of Winter 2004
Assassination of President Kennedy
Death of a Family Member
September 11th Terrorist Attacks
Current War in Iraq
World War II
Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Personal Health Issues
Hurricane Andrew
Riots of Cincinnati (Death of Timothy Thomas)-Spring 2001

Do you think you have ever suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Please rank from 1-10 (1 being the worst situation, and 10 being easier to cope with), each of the following situations.
Being wheel-chair bound
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Destruction of home and property by tornado, hurricane, etc
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Murder of a close friend
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Watching news footage of the tsunami destruction
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Watching nws footage of the current war in Iraq
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Reading a book about the Holocaust
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Reading the obituary section of the newspaper
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Losing your ability to communicate through language (result of stroke)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

VII. Literature Review

Joffe, H. (1999). Risk and the Other. New York: Cambridge University Press.

This book focuses on risk and how we understand it in our society. It attempts to explain how within a given social and cultural context, individuals make sense of impending crisis. Specifically, it deals directly with the notion of invulnerablitiy amongst communities and how this functions within a crisis.

Gist, R. & Lubin, B. (Eds.). (1999). Response to Disaster: Psychosocial,
Community, and Ecological Approaches. Ann Arbor: MI, Taylor and Francis.

System level responses of a community are focused upon in this book. Rather than looking at an individualÕs response to disaster, a few case studies help us to understand how a group responds. There are also suggestions for intervention, disaster response, and management.

Friesema, H.P., Caporaso, J., Goldstein, G., Lineberry, R., & McCleary, R. (1979)
Aftermath: Communities After Natural Disasters. Beverly Hills: Sage
Publications.

Much like Response to Disaster, Aftermath looks at a large groupÕs response to the time following trauma. It does not attempt to offer any advice, but voices concerns regarding policy in this area.

Zinner, Ellen S., & Williams, M. (Eds.). (1999). When a Community Weeps. Ann Arbor,
MI: Taylor and Francis.
This book delineates specific events or series of events and the response of the community. The physical and emotional aspects of individualÕs initial reaction to the disaster are used to provide a framework for resolving the problem and future planning.

Hohm, C. F., & Glynn, J.A. (2002). CaliforniaÕs Social Problems (2nd Ed.). Thousand
Oaks: Pine Forge Press.

Social problems specific to California and how they relate to other states are addressed in this book. There is also attention paid to the historical perspectives of natural disasters and racial/ethnic relations. This will be helpful in understanding how these two issues interrelate.

Hodgkinson, P.E., & Stewart, M. (1998). Coping with Catastrophe: A Handbook of
Post-Disaster Psychosocial Aftercare (2nd Ed.). New York: Routledge.

Hodgkinson and Stewart provide a handbook-like text which realizes the sudden and traumatic nature of violence and disaster. It includes the latest findings about the nature and effects of trauma, as well as first hand accounts of the bereavement process. It also provides skills and information on what to expect for people wanting to help someone through their grief process.

Laube, J., & Murphy, S.A. (1985). Perspectives on Disaster Recovery. Norwalk:
Appleton-Century-Crofts.

This book deals with researching, understanding, and implementing proper practices for pre-planning for recovery and the recovery process itself. How children act as victims is focused upon, as well as the range of consequences on humans from the emotional to the physical. There are two chapters dedicated to how the media portrays disasters.

Raphael, B. (1986). When Disaster Strikes: How Individuals and Communities Cope
With Catastrope. New York: Basic Books, Inc., Publishers.

The basic nature of psychological response to disaster and the consequences thereof are addressed directly in When Disaster Strikes. The notion that planning and management will aid in the implementation of help in the future is also addressed.

Rossi, P.H., Wright, J.D., Weber-Burdin, E., & Pereira, J. (1983). Victims of the
Environment: Loss from Natural Hazards in the United States, 1970-1980. New
York: Plenum Press.

This two volume text is dedicated to the long range effects of natural hazards (specific to the U.S.) and mitigation policies among local and state governments. This is more of a political and policy resource toward the environment and how humans respond personally rather than through government policy.

Blumenthal, M.D., Kahn, R., Andrews, F.M., & Head, K.B. (1972). Justifying Violence:
Attitudes of American Men. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research.

This is a great resource that pinpoints the problem of violence in America and the fact that this land is ripe for such acts. There are sections devoted toward the attitudes people have regarding violence and specifically how men factor into this issue. Also, with all this information, this book attempts to provide some predictions about attitudes about violence.

Bawden, G., & Reycraft, R.M. (2000). Environmental Disaster and the Archaeology of
Human Response. Albuquerque: Maxwell Museum of Anthropology.

This is a collection of anthropological papers complete with figures and graphs that range in areas of focus from human response to the chaos of aftermath. There are areas devoted to the resilient nature of humans as well as the ability for us to adapt to the changes that come from our natural surroundings.

Helman, C.G. (2000). Culture, Health, and Illness (4th Ed.). Boston: Butterworth
Heinemann.

This is another anthropological view on medical trauma and health problems in general with a deep focus on cultural differences in this area. A section is dedicated to gender and reproduction.

Dynes, R.R. (1970). Organized Behavior in Disaster. Lexington: Health Lexington
Books.

Dynes covers many issues regarding organized response to disaster. He writes of the inherent problems with mass response in the wake of danger, but also reviews case studies that uncover some of the nuances of group reactions.

Brown, B.J. (1979). Disaster, Preparedness, and the United Nations: Advanced
Planning For Disaster Relief. New York: Pergamon Press.

A more global outlook is revealed in this book, as it goes into detail the efforts of the United Nations in allocating funds and services to developing countries and those under stress in some form. It offers insight into the planning process on an international level.

Websites

http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/disasters/

This website provides case studies on the preparedness of individuals and communities, and how this has helped or hindered them in the face of disaster.

http://www.ncptsd.org/

This is a prime resource for our project because it is the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It provides links to several other pages with vital information

http://www.psych.org/public_info/ptsd.cfm

This site, composed by the American Psychiatric Association provides more information on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders.

http://www.dangerousbehaviour.com/Disturbing_News/Gender%20Differences%20in%20PTSD.htm

This online article provides pertinent information on the gender differences that exist in clients dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders.

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:6kZFeY0PSXMJ:www.who.int/gender/other_health/en/genderdisasters.pdf+gender+differences+in+disaster+response&hl=en&client=firefox-a

This website is extremely important because it evaluates the gender differences that occur at all the processes of a disaster, from preparedness, to initial response, to post-disaster mentalities.

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:6kZFeY0PSXMJ:www.who.int/gender/other_health/en/genderdisasters.pdf+gender+differences+in+disaster+response&hl=en&client=firefox-a

This website offers explanation as to why women are more likely to report having suffered PTSD, than men are. It looks primarily at the gender differences that occur directly after a disaster. The site analyzes the roles that are assumed by each gender in the post-disaster, clean up stage.

Journal Articles

Cronkite, Ruth, Gima, Kristian, et al. "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Health Status Among Female and Male Medical Patients". Journal of Traumatic Stress, 17, 1: 1-9.

This article is a direct assessment of what the differences are in male and female patients when specifically dealing with PTSD.

Folkman, Susan. (1982). "An approach to the measurement of coping." Journal of Occupational Behaviour, 3, 1: 95-107.

This article, written by an occupational therapist, provides an "insiders" view oh how people deal with physical and emotional problems. The writer goes in depth with the emotional and physical responses that people use to as defense mechanisms to their experienced trauma.

Guinther, P. M., Segal, D. L., Bogaards, J. A. (2003). "Gender differences in emotional
Processing among bereaved older adults." Journal of Loss and Trauma, 8, 1: 15-
34.

This was a study done to analyze the differences in coping mechanisms among the elderly who had recently lost a spouse. Major findings found that women benefited from group sessions and therapy, whereas men did not show as much of a difference.

"Gender and Peace: Old Issues in new Contexts". (2002). Peace and Conflict, 8, 2: 177-
179.

This articles primary focus is on women and their perceptions of war and peace times.

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