9277 research outputs found
Sort by
Labour Pains: Mothers and Motherhood on the British Left in the Twentieth Century
Get PDFBritish left-wing politics does not know what to think about mothers. In left-wing women’s movements, motherhood has been recognised as essential and difficult; necessary for future revolutions, not least in raising future revolutionaries. In less radical circles, it has been understood as a crucial contribution to the functioning of society, often forming the basis of women’s claims to citizenship and maternalist forms of politics. On the other hand, motherhood has been seen as a ‘natural’ function of women and a private responsibility, rather than a public good or a collective act which needs comprehensive state support. The family, in this reading, is a rather conservative force, better left to social reactionaries. Mothering has added additional hurdles to the gendered obstacles women already face in pursuing politics as activists or elected representatives. Perhaps because of this, many mothers in politics have sought to downplay or distance themselves from their roles as mothers, emphasising instead their contributions as workers and activists who can be fully committed to the left cause. Feminist historians have often followed their lead and have tended to write around political mothers’ maternal roles in their scholarship. This roundtable develops themes first explored in our November 2023 workshop, generously supported by the Royal Historical Society
A scoping review of how people living with dementia perceive and use assistive technology to support everyday activities in their homes
Get PDFThere is an increasing need to support people living with dementia to increase participation in activities of daily living (ADLs). Research on the uptake and acceptability of Assistive technology (AT) includes the views of carers and results from living lab or prototypes rather than people living with dementia using AT in ‘real world’ settings. This review explored the perceptions of people living with dementia using AT to carry out everyday activities at home to identify barriers and facilitators to using AT. Twelve peer reviewed studies and one focus group report published between 2013 and 2022 were selected and thematic analysis completed. AT was accepted for meaningful activities which have value and purpose. Support and individualised strategies to adapt AT into their daily life is required and successful use of AT can support maintenance of identity. Barriers to AT use were perception of AT and self-perception in relation to learning to use AT, cost, functionality, insufficient information and support. AT can cause unintended negative outcomes. Supporting people living with dementia to use AT for meaningful activities can maintain identity and personhood
What are the challenges and opportunities for professional psychologists working in dementia care over the next ten years? Reflections from the dementia literature
No full textThis paper summarises a keynote presentation given at the 2024 FPOP conference. Given her editorship of the Reconsidering Dementia Book Series, the author reflects on a number of key developments that professional psychologists working in dementia care will need to face over the next ten years. These include disease modifying pharmacological treatments; routine screening for dementia and MCI in at risk groups; many people being diagnosed at a much earlier stage and living many more years with a diagnosis; assisted dying; increased need for talking based psychosocial interventions; increasingly sophisticated AI technology; increased need for peer support. Staying true to professional values and the value of person-centred care will enable us to articulate our vision. The real challenge will be how we can provide this in a volatile social, political and economic situation
Home-schooling and parent-child relationships during lockdown in England: A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis
No full textThe aim of this study was to explore and describe the impact of home-schooling during the Covid-19 lockdown on parent-child relationships. Online semi-structured interviews were conducted with an opportunistic sample of parents (n=11) in England who were experiencing home-schooling during the first period of lockdown. A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis was conducted on the data and six subject positions were revealed. Home-schooling was variously constructed as a bonding experience, an opportunity for new appreciation of children, the cause of new conflicts in the home setting, the cause of psychological stress, the creation of a new parent-teacher role and the creation of a new child-pupil role. These discursive constructions confirmed the findings of previous research into lockdown home-schooling related to the conflicts of time and space, the impact of differing levels of parental self-efficacy, and direction of children’s development. This research provided further detailed descriptions of the lived experiences of participants in these areas but also supported recent research on parental attachment that suggests that the construction of parent-child relationships can be quickly re-negotiated under the influence of external factors
Assessing on-farm impacts of the deep bed farming system on soil and water conservation, and maize yields among smallholder farmers in Malawi
Get PDFMalawi's vulnerability to climate change and declining soil fertility underscores the need for climate-smart, soil-conserving agricultural practices. In Malawi, the deep bed farming (DBF) system offers promising solutions for smallholder farmers facing these challenges. This study evaluated the effectiveness of DBF in improving soil and water conservation and maize productivity in Malawi. On-farm assessments and farmer interviews revealed that the DBF reduces soil erosion by over 50% while increasing maize yields by 51% compared with conventional ridge-based (CR) farming. These results showcase the DBF’s capability to meet farmers' short-term food security needs while mitigating soil degradation through erosion. DBF also showed consistently greater organic matter, organic carbon and phosphorus contents (19.8%, 22% and 28.7%, respectively), indicating that DBF has the potential to improve and conserve soil fertility in Malawi. The variability in farmers' adherence to essential DBF practices, such as crop residue retention and manure application, indicates a need for a tailored approach to DBF promotion focusing on site-specific suitability and locally driven adaptive learning among farmers. Moreover, caution is necessary when providing input support to avoid dependency and ensure that farmers focus on the core features of DBF
Submission to Select Committee 5b: Health and Child Development
No full textWhat evidence is there that TV and video content that children watch, and how they watch it can contribute negatively to their health, learning and development and what can be done
The Potential of Art ot Break Down Barriers and Draw Together
No full textThis chapter discusses how individuals can explore their place in the world through the alignment of social pedagogical and art education. Art has the unique power to connect us as global citizens and create opportunities for us to share our lived experiences, transcending both class and culture. By exercising and enriching our artistic understanding, we can begin to build meaningful relationships not only with our own heritage, but also with each other. These artistic connections, when built on empathy and understanding, can bring communities together through a sense of creative exploration and curiosity, aligning with the social pedagogical concept of the common third. By undertaking artistic experiences together, as part of a learning community, we can utilise art as a tool that enables is to focuss on what brings us together rather than what sets us apart, providing empowerment for all. This chapter aims to explore the ways in which art can be used by social pedagogues to bring people together, break down barriers and foster connections and understanding within diverse communities
Understanding the Scale and Nature of Parent/Guardian Telephone Calls to a Tertiary Children’s Cardiac Centre: A Service Evaluation
No full textHeart defects are the second most common congenital anomaly in babies born in the UK and standards state families should have access to a children’s cardiac nurse specialist telephone advice service. However, there is little published information to describe the nature of calls and the workload associated with telephone support. We conducted a prospective service evaluation of telephone calls received at one UK specialist children’s cardiac surgical center from parents/carers (April–June 2019). All inpatient cardiac teams (cardiology secretaries, inpatient cardiac wards, outpatient department and Clinical Nurse Specialist team) were asked to record calls on a purpose-designed template. This included recording of call duration and reason (from pre-defined categories), with the aim to identify the volume and nature of phone calls. Actions and time taken to resolve issues were not recorded. Data was entered into Excel and analyzed using descriptive statistics. In a seven-week period, 204 telephone calls were received; 41% (n = 83) to the clinical nurse specialist team, 25% (n = 51) to medical secretaries, 20% (n = 42) to cardiac ward staff and 14% (n = 28) to the cardiac outpatient department. The mean length of calls was 6.08 mins (SD 5.07 mins). Across all groups phone call duration totaled 20.8 hours. Sixty-two calls (31% of all calls) reflected 70 concerns/queries about a current health issue. The most common reasons included respiratory (n = 13), heart rate or rhythm (n = 12) and chest pain/pallor (n = 11). Sixty-five calls (32% of all calls) related to issues surrounding medications, with 23% (n = 15) related to dose queries and 49% (n = 32) related to repeat prescription requests or challenges obtaining prescriptions. The results demonstrated a high telephone support need for current health issues or medication queries which required timely assessment and support from health care professionals working across cardiac services. Further research is required to identify the time implications of dealing with phone calls and interventions to support parent/guardian assessment and communication about their concerns and medication management
Pea-Saving Partners: Bacillus and Pseudomonas combat downy mildew in pea crops
Get PDFDowny mildew (DM) is a destructive disease that significantly reduces the yield and quality of important pulses (legumes) and horticultural crops, particularly during humid and cool seasons. This disease is caused by obligate and host-specific oomycete pathogens. Controlling the pathogen is challenging due to its long-term survival as spores and its rapid mutation. Use of chemical pesticides has been the most effective method to control DM pathogens, but their environmental hazards are a global concern. Current research is focused on exploring the potential of microbial biological control agents (MBCA), particularly rhizobacteria strains of the genera Bacillus and Pseudomonas , which have shown suppression of plant pathogens. However, to date, no MBCA has been reported to be effective against DM pathogens in pulses. We investigated the effectiveness of Bacillus and Pseudomonas strains as potential biopesticides against the pea downy mildew pathogen Peronospora viciae f. sp. pisi ( Pvp ). In our study, in vitro bioassays showed 100% inhibition of Pvp spore germination compared to the control. In planta antagonism assays further demonstrated significant suppression (>80%) of Pvp sporulation in pea plants sprayed with strains of Bacillus velezensis or P. fluorescens or their filtrates. The drench application also showed significant effects where either a Pseudomonas or cold-adapted Bacillus strain was used. We observed a synergistic effect for the dual foliar application of the microbes compared to individual application (27.6 to 46.7% suppression). Furthermore, the results from the molecular biomass analysis were consistent with the results of the sporulation assays. This demonstrates the strong interactive and promotive benefits of using Bacillus and Pseudomonas as biocontrol agents Based on these results, we conclude that these MBCAs could be effective in combatting Pvp infections in the field