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Student co-inquirers: the challenges and benefits of inclusive research
No full textThis article focuses on the process of conducting a research project which explored the university student experience across three different geopolitical contexts using students studying at an English university as co-inquirers. The project sample included students at different stages of their university experience (undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral) studying across a range of disciplines in India, Ireland and England. Qualitative interview data were collected by the student co-inquirers using Skype technology. The student co-inquirers were equal partners in all aspects of data collection and analysis but were not part of the initial theoretical framework and methodological decisions. The student engagement as co-inquirers provided a particular space for the student voice to be heard in making multiple meanings from the data. The shifting identities of the co-inquirers and the impact of taking part in the project on their ability to enact agency with a particular voice within a democratic, participatory research framework is discussed. The authors conclude that participation of students in research as co-inquirers involve both risks and benefits mainly associated with the inherent difficulties with unequal power relationships, managing student agency and understanding multifaceted complexities that arise from shifting identities
Understanding the journeys of high-risk male sex offenders voluntarily receiving medication to reduce their sexual preoccupation and/or hypersexuality
No full textPsychological therapy is the first line treatment for sexual offenders in UK prisons, but sexual preoccupation and hypersexuality can interfere with treatment progress and daily functioning. Under such circumstances the use of anti‐libidinal medication for consenting prisoners is endorsed. Here the experiences of prisoners in a UK prison on anti‐libidinal medication, either the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine or anti‐androgen cyproterone acetate (CPA), are examined. Alongside a brief discussion of psychometric data on all medicated prisoners, the focus here is on four case studies representing the range of journeys of those taking anti‐libidinal medication.
These case studies echo the group data analyses in demonstrating the success of anti‐libidinal medication in reducing sexual preoccupation. They illustrate the complexity and individuality of that experience, highlighting the need for a close therapeutic relationship between prisoner and psychiatrist. Further research is required to assess long‐term benefits in reducing sexual reoffending
Learning from the past to assist local climate change adaptation planning: Case study from two communities in the Pacific
No full textIncreasing global temperatures, rising sea levels, and changes in rainfall patterns and extreme weather events position communities in the Pacific Islands region at the epicentre of vulnerability (Keener et al 2012). As highlighted by Hay and Mimura (2013), a diverse array of vulnerability assessments have been undertaken in communities across the region over the last two decades and all point to the regions high level of ‘risk to the adverse consequences of climate change’. Despite a flurry of community-based climate change adaptation activities being rolled out across the region, Pacific communities continue to face an ever-present level of vulnerability to the impacts of climate change (Hay and Mimura 2013). Planning for climate change therefore needs to continue across all levels of government in order to develop effective and sustainable climate change policies, and adaptation and mitigation activities. The threats posed by climate change in the Pacific present complex governance challenges, which are only compounded by other competing issues such as economic development, poverty reduction and improvements to education and health services. However, it is crucial that governments continue to develop national climate change policies, support and fund on-ground adaptation efforts and advocate for global mitigation targets in international forums (Nakalevu 2006). As we argue throughout this chapter, well-formulated climate change policies and adaptation efforts could be more effective if they integrate Indigenous knowledge into their overall strategy for action. Government policy stems from outside of the community, as does scientific knowledge (Mercer et al 2009). Much therefore can be learnt from Indigenous knowledge systems. We posit that climate change adaptation could be more effective if Indigenous knowledge and experiences were well understood and incorporated into climate change planning. In recent years, it has been acknowledged that Indigenous knowledge can enhance our understanding of climate change impacts and adaptation measures (Salick and Ross 2009; Nyong et al 2007; Riedlinger and Berkes 2001). This is reinforced by scholars, such as Finucane (2009), who defend that ‘scientific knowledge is only one element of an effective risk-management process’ for addressing climate change. Indigenous knowledge is another core element for developing ways to address climate change. This chapter outlines how and why Indigenous knowledge can be a vital component for climate change planning in the Pacific region. As explored in this chapter, it is hoped that a strong recognition of the role and value of Indigenous knowledge will be enshrined at the national policy level in Pacific island countries. At the local level, it is propositioned that Indigenous knowledge be safeguarded and integrated into climate change adaptation planning activities. Such initiatives, at both national and local levels, could empower communities most at risk to the impacts of climate change by acknowledging the valuable role they can play in being part of the solution. Indigenous knowledge is vitally important in reducing vulnerabilities to climate change for a whole host of reasons, as discussed in more detail below. Of paramount importance is that such ways of knowing are internal to the communities (as opposed to external scientific sets of knowledge), which has allowed communities to develop an intimate understanding of localised conditions, patterns and changes to their surrounding environment. Examples to showcase the role and value of Indigenous knowledge for climate change planning in the Pacific are also explored in this chapter
Reimagining the relationship between social work and information communication technology in the network society
No full textAustralia is experiencing a period of immense cultural change predicated on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). New devices such as smartphones, tablet computers, and the social iterations of the internet are impacting on communication patterns and contributing to the merging of people's online and offline lives. Using Spanish sociologist Manuel Castells's theory of the Network Society as a theoretical foundation, this issues paper posits that social work must overcome its historical reluctance to embrace ICT if it is to remain relevant in the era of the network society. In particular, we argue that social work professionals need to begin a dialogue with IT developers, social service managers, and funding bodies about the need for practice-led ICT systems. This paper examines the turbulent history social work has had with technological change, and concludes that the adoption of a practice-led approach to ICT use in education, practice, and research provides a strong foundation for reimagining the relationship between social work and ICT
Victorian women writers and the truth of "the other side of Italy"
No full textThis chapter explores the writing of Victorian women who resided in Italy after its unification, expanding the dimensions of their empirical accounts by combining the real and the ideal, contributing to the creation of an image of Italy as a European nation in formation. Writers, such as Margaret Collier, 'Ouida' (Marie Louise de la Ramée) and Janet Ross, engaged with the political country as well as the aestheticized space, and were concerned with the contemporary historical and social contexts of a country traditionally represented in ideal terms as a space for artistic freedom
Frances Burney's private professionalism
No full textFrances Burney's experiences of conversational culture at Streatham and St Martin's Street are crucial to an understanding of her early artistic identity. While the influence of the Streatham coterie on Burney's professional development is well established, and often seen as an antidote to the private circulation models of the bluestocking circle, the vibrant artistic and intellectual network of her father's household is formative. Her experiences of all of these coteries would ultimately enable Burney to synthesise a hybrid blend of domestic privacy and artistic professionalism that she would valorise in her later work, and idealise in Memoirs of Doctor Burney
The relationship worlds of infants and toddlers: Multiple perspectives from early years theory and practice
No full textThis book explores the concept of relationships as a core element of early childhood education and care. Taking as its starting point that children from birth to three learn and develop in a network of relationships, it examines what these relationships look and feel like, how they can be fostered and why they are important for children, educators and families who are involved in early years settings
‘Women can’t referee’: Exploring the experiences of female football officials within UK football culture
No full textThe purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of female (association) football officials who officiate in amateur men’s and boys’ football matches in two UK counties (Warwickshire and Somerset). The research presents a view of men’s football from a position that has hitherto been overlooked in the social exploration of football culture. Drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork collected between September and December 2012, the findings provide insight into some women’s experiences of sexism and marginalization in predominantly male football contexts. Participant observations, formal semi-structured interviews and a range of informal conversations with four female match officials demonstrated a wide range of abuse that could generally be construed as sexist. The women used various strategies to overcome the hostile attitudes that often greeted their presence on the football pitch. Moreover, they continuously negotiated their identities as females and football officials in a space where men and masculinity are prevalent
Memory sources of dreams: The incorporation of autobiographical rather than episodic experiences.
No full textThe present study aimed to explore autobiographical memories (long-lasting memories about the self) and episodic memories (memories about discrete episodes or events) within dream content. We adapted earlier episodic memory study paradigms and reinvestigated the incorporation of episodic memory sources into dreams, operationalizing episodic memory as featuring autonoetic consciousness, which is the feeling of truly re-experiencing or reliving a past event. Participants (n = 32) recorded daily diaries and dream diaries, and reported on wake-dream relations for 2 weeks. Using a new scale, dreams were rated for their episodic richness, which categorized memory sources of dreams as being truly episodic (featuring autonoetic consciousness), autobiographical (containing segregated features of experiences that pertained to waking life) or otherwise. Only one dream (0.5%) was found to contain an episodic memory. However, the majority of dreams (>80%) were found to contain low to moderate incorporations of autobiographical memory features. These findings demonstrate the inactivity of intact episodic memories, and emphasize the activity of autobiographical memory and processing within dreams. Taken together, this suggests that memories for personal experiences are experienced fragmentarily and selectively during dreaming, perhaps in order to assimilate these memories into the autobiographical memory schema
Exploring the use of complexity theory and action research as frameworks for curriculum change
No full textThis paper considers the impact of a small-scale action research project which focused on the development of an emergent approach to curriculum making in a GCSE (General Certificate in Secondary Education) course in geography. In this context we argue that complexity thinking offers a useful theoretical foundation from which to understand the nature of dynamic pedagogic change resulting from the application of action research methods.
Results show that process-focused curriculum change can bring about shifts in both learning and assessment. This is seen as being the result of an emergence orientated approach to action research as a counter to more reductionist approaches which are often used and advocated in educational settings by teachers. We conclude that a combination of complexity thinking and action research can offer a valuable medium through which the educational needs of learners and teachers can be addressed in different, localised contexts