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Empowering road safety practitioners in fatigue management: Informed development of an online learning resource
Get PDFDriver fatigue is a safety concern as sleepy drivers are more likely to crash than alert drivers. Evidence-based fatigue management programs implement mitigation strategies aimed at reducing the risk of driver fatigue. However, there is a high barrier to entry for those seeking to establish such a program in terms of understanding the evidence and recognition of the problem. It is proposed that an online self-directed learning resource could overcome this barrier. This work aims to inform the development of such a learning resource for road safety practitioners. Firstly, a market research exercise identified existing learning provisions available in the UK to ascertain gaps in the market. Secondly, three focus groups were undertaken with road safety practitioners (n = 14). The objectives of the groups were to understand the challenges faced in fatigue management and identify useful content and features for a learning tool. The market research identified six independent companies providing fatigue management training in the UK, mostly delivered by a course facilitator either online or face-to-face. learning provisions were predominantly aimed at frontline workers (drivers, pilots) and their immediate managers; suggesting that there is a gap in the market for an entry level online learning resource. Thematic analysis of focus group data identified the content inclusion and delivery mechanism preferences which are listed in the conclusion of this paper. Overall findings suggest that an acceptable learning resource should be context specific, equipping learners with the necessary knowledge and practical approaches (including resources) to support themselves and their staff in managing fatigue. Additionally, it was recognized that fatigue is a difficult topic to discuss, and learners would benefit from developing soft skills to facilitate conversations about fatigue with drivers as well as tools to evidence the benefits of an alert workforce to foster broader buy-in from senior leaders
Leave no one behind: Making the ‘shared values of human dignity’ in international law central to achieving the SDGs agenda in relation to migrants in the global tropics
Get PDFThe global migration crisis, driven mainly by armed conflicts and human rights abuses in the world, is wreaking havoc on the ‘leave no one behind’ (LNOB) transformative promise of the UN Agenda 2030, thus raising questions whether the crisis is beyond the sustainable development goals’ (SDGs’) reach and states’ political will to achieve them. One common feature of this crisis is the constant ripping apart of the ‘shared values of human dignity’—power, enlightenment, wellbeing, wealth, skills, affection, respect and rectitude—the very foundational values upon which the SDGs should stand. In relation to the protection of migrants, these values are rarely upheld, an indication that the SDGs’ promise to reduce injustices in the world by 2030 may be falling through the cracks. Previous research in human rights and migration has focused narrowly on the doctrinal relationship between human dignity and the SDGs Agenda, overlooking both wider and non-doctrinal ways in which the shared values of human dignity distinctively bear on the responsibility of states to fulfil the LNOB pledge in relation to migrants. Through reference to three key cases of forcibly displaced migrants in the global tropics: one in Asia (Rohingya migrants fleeing persecution in Myanmar), another in Central America (the migrant caravan at the US-Mexico border), and the last one in the Horn of Africa (South Sudan and Somalia migrants moving through sea routes in an attempt to reach Europe and the UK), this article addresses this gap in the literature by providing a more nuanced account of where and how we might engage these shared values of human dignity when assessing the responsibility of states to fulfil the LNOB pledge in relation to people caught up in forced migration, regardless of whether they are labelled migrants or refugees. The article argues that states’ substantially achieving the LNOB pledge would require an SDGs implementation framework premised on shared values of human dignity
Overcoming contemporary academic attachments: Developing even-mindedness in neoliberal cultures of excellence
No full textWhile academics are aware of the drawbacks of the neoliberalist system within institutions of higher education, paradoxically they are partly complicit in perpetuating it. Drawing upon Bowlby’s (1969) attachment theory and a Buddhist perspective on attachment, we develop a Bowlby–Buddhist lens to unpack this paradox and the complicity of academics, whose fear and craving for self-excellence and careerism prompt anxious and avoidant attachments that sustain the very system they critique. These attachments confine academics to a conventional state of being, in which clinging to instrumental out- comes and metrics masks the impermanent, fundamentally unsatisfactory, and interdependent nature of reality. To overcome such an embodied paradox in academia, we propose a mindful response, through which academics can develop the personal power to liberate themselves from the entrapments of anxious and avoidant attachments engendered within neoliberal academia, affording opportunities to reinvigorate academic agency and reclaim scholarly vocation
A phenomenology of hesitation, open-mindedness, and intergenerational habitus formation at older age
Get PDFIn this article, I explore how older people can experience the tensions between ‘keeping an open mind’ at older age, intergenerational shifts in cultural norms, and social separation between generations— interpreting this phenomenologically as a rupture in the intergenerational habitus. Drawing on engaged phenomenological insights from qualitative interviews, as well as Beauvoir’s and Mannheim’s theories of intergenerationality, I explore structural factors which pose specific obstacles to intergenerational relationships and open-mindedness at older age. I phenomenologically review the conditions of possibility for being open to the perspectives of younger people. In particular, I attend to a moment of ‘hesitation’ (Al-Saji, 2014) experienced by participants during which they felt aware of intergenerational differences. I consider and analyse phenomenologically the different affective responses that are possible when moments of generational difference manifest in a tangible intergenerational encounter
Stepping into safety: A systematic review of extended reality technology applications in enhancing vulnerable road user safety
Get PDFPurpose-In alignment with the European Union’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate road fatalities by 2050, leveraging technological advancements becomes crucial for addressing the challenges of vulnerable road users (VRUs), and for mitigating the impact of human error. Despite increasing scholarly interest in applications of extended reality (XR), a research gap persists, particularly in the role of XR in transportation safety. Therefore, the aim of the study was to fill this gap through a systematic literature review to evaluatecomprehensively the potential scope and practical applicability of XR technologies in enhancing the safety of VRUs.Design/methodology/approach – A systematic review was undertaken, following PRISMA guidelinesmeticulously, in which 80 relevant articles from databases, such as Scopus and Science Direct, were identified and analysed.Findings – The results of the analysis revealed the potential of XR beyond pedestrians and cyclists, and highlighted a lack of research about the impact of XR with regard to the personal traits or abilities of VRUs.The results of a thorough analysis confirmed the potential of XR as a promising solution for an approach to collaborative co-creation in addressing the safety challenges of VRUs. In addition, the integration of eye tracking with virtual reality emerged as a promising innovation for enhancing the safety of vulnerable road users.Research limitations/implications – Theoretical implications include enhancing the understanding ofapplications of XR in VRUs’ safety and providing insights into future research possibilities and methodological approaches. Valuable insights into search strategies and inclusion-exclusion criteria canguide future research methodologies.Practical implications – Practically, the findings from the study offer insights to assist urban planners and transportation authorities in incorporating XR technologies effectively for VRUs safety. Identifying areas for further development of XR technology could inspire innovation and investment in solutions designed to meet the safety needs of VRUs, such as enhanced visualisation tools and immersive training simulations.Originality/value – The findings of previous research underscore the vast potential of XR technologies within the built environment, yet their utilisation remains limited in the urban transport sector. The intricaciesof urban traffic scenarios pose significant challenges for VRUs, making participation in mobility studies hazardous. Hence, it is crucial to explore the scope of emerging technologies in addressing VRUs issues as a pre-requisite for establishing comprehensive safety measures
Terrorism as an aesthetic signifier: The afterlives of terrorism discourse in Western reactions to wartime suffering
No full textWhat are the legacies of the War on Terror? This paper seeks to answer this question through an analysis of vernacular uses of terrorism discourse in political commentary on the Ukraine War. The paper describes how the set of tropes, ideas and recurrent metaphors that constituted the historical backbone of narratives about terrorism before and after 9/11 is now being mobilized in the context of inter-state conflict. Instead of rejecting such deployments of terrorism as lay misappropriations of an otherwise objective concept, we argue that they evidence the aesthetic force of terrorism discourse in organizing our ethical relationship to different experiences of (in)human suffering. The paper advances the concept of terrorism as an aesthetic signifier, to provide two contributions to terrorism studies. First, we argue that narrative approaches to the study of political violence in IR can only move forward if they bypass the field’s traditional framing of terrorism – which we dub the (il)legitimacy trap – and push the boundaries of critique beyond the idea of terrorism as unacceptable violence. Second, we contend that IR scholars must situate the signifiers orbiting the discourse on terror within wider racialised aesthetic regimes dictating the visibility and invisibility of collective suffering. With these two moves we hope to bring more attention to the question of victimization in terrorism studies, a field historically focused on perpetrators and the conditions of perpetration of violence
Enhancing statistics support with artificial intelligence
Get PDFThe integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is revolutionising traditional methods of teaching and learning. The University of the West of England, Bristol, has developed a generative AI policy that encourages AI literacy, personal learning and creativity. In accordance with this policy, we demonstrate use of AI within an established help drop-in service at the university. Data analysis advice from statisticians is provided to students via a newly formed 'Stats Clinic' which aims to act as a triage service within the institution's existing 'espressoMaths' service, open to all. With appropriate student preliminary engagement, including the use of AI, the productivity and value of student-academic discussions can be greatly increased. Detail is given of how students can use artificial intelligence to get the most out of pre-visit engagement and therefore ultimately their visit with a statistics professional. Examples where students have applied varying levels of engagement with pre-visit recommended actions are discussed, with empirical evidence from the sessions indicating that those embracing AI are more aware of their data analysis and can comprehend advice more readily
An interpretative phenomenological inquiry into older adults’ experience of nature through virtual reality and its effect on their perceived well-being
No full textObjectives: To explore older adults’ lived experiences of nature through immersive virtual reality (VR) and its influence on their perceived well-being in care home settings.Methods: Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), eight older adults (aged 85–98) residing in care homes engaged with 360-degree VR videos of natural environments. Data were collected via VR-assisted interviews and follow-up semi-structured interviews.Results: Participants reported a broad spectrum of complex emotional responses, ranging from relaxation and reminiscence to sadness and disconnection. Key experiential themes included immersion and escapism, emotional evocation, and reflections on limitations and loss.Discussion: The study reveals that virtual nature experiences can evoke emotionally complex responses, underscoring the need for individualised and context-sensitive implementation. It cautions against overstating VR’s positive effects and calls for trauma-informed, age-appropriate approaches that take account of personal history and technological limitations. By openly reporting less favourable experiences, this study contributes to a more balanced evidence base and challenges prevailing publication bias in VR research
Complications and consistency: Investigating the asymmetric information management ‘AIM’ technique with follow-up statements
Get PDFThe Asymmetric Information Management (AIM) technique encourages truth tellers to adopt a forthcoming verbal strategy and liars a withholding strategy. We investigated the effectiveness of this technique using a follow-up statement. We predicted that truth tellers in the AIM condition would provide more new and overall detail, with a higher proportion of complications, compared to control truth tellers, whereas AIM liars would use more self-handicapping strategies and common knowledge details, with fewer commissions, repetitions, and less overall detail than control liars. This was tested using a mixed-factors design in which truth tellers (n = 65) gave an honest recollection of a recent trip while liars fabricated a story (n = 62). Participants provided an initial statement and half received the AIM instructions prior to providing their second statement. Truth tellers in the AIM condition provided more new detail and complications in their second statement compared to truth telling controls. Unlike previous research, AIM instructions had no significant effect on liars’ statements. No other differences emerged. In conclusion, the AIM instructions elicit some new information from truth tellers but do not improve classification from liars