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Postmistresses and the state, 1660–1715
Get PDFWomen’s place in the post-Restoration Post Office has been overlooked in the existing literature on the mail, 1660-1715. Historians and historical geographers have explored the bureaucratic and administrative history of the Post; the expansion of postal routes; and the importance of change in the postal network to the delivery of letters. There has, however, been no social history of the post. This article reveals the positions occupied by women within the early modern post but focuses principally on postmistresses in the period 1660-1715. It explains why women, particularly widows, were considered suitable for the office. The article defines the role of postmaster and explains the behaviour required of officeholders, combining hospitality, logistics, administration, and the provision of intelligence. The functions and legitimation of postmasters developed considerably from the mid-seventeenth century alongside similar offices within the early modern state. As important cogs in an increasingly complex machine of communication and administration, postmistresses were part of the process of state formation, and their work legitimised the state in the provinces. This article argues for the first time that postmistresses were a significant, and yet unnoticed, presence in the early modern British state at a key stage of its development
Belonging, community and capability: Listening to the voices of young children to realise process quality in early childhood curriculum enactment in Wales
No full textThis paper addresses the problem of how to achieve process quality in early childhood education (ECE) in a manner that attends to young children’s views. Process quality, the interactional experiences of the child in ECE, is highlighted by the OECD as a critical driver for development and so should be the focus of ECE curriculum enactment, which should be responsive to children's interests. We report findings from a project that explored young children’s educational experiences of ECE during Covid-19 that provide insight into what children value in ECE. These findings can be used to consider how we ensure process quality in ECE by attending to what children value in curriculum enactment. The findings demonstrate the value that children place on belonging to the school community and illustrate young children’s capacities to express their experiences with nuance and detail
Community led housing, health and wellbeing: a comprehensive literature review
No full textCommunity Led Housing (CLH) is an umbrella term encompassing several non-profit models of housing delivery, which is used internationally. There has been little comprehensive assessment of the health impacts of housing arrangements where people intentionally live or work together in a community. This systematic review provides the first overview of the health, wellbeing and heath inequality impacts of all forms of CLH. 4,091 literature items were identified from a structured search of eight databases and manual searching for grey literature. Literature published between January 2009 and June 2022, in OECD countries, were eligible. 34 academic and 11 grey literature items were included. The review identifies far more literature reporting that CLH has positive rather than negative impacts, on primary health outcomes and on neighbourhood level factors which impact on health (social contact, employment, safety, environmental sustainability, and affordability). There is a lack of research on CLH impacts on the health of children and young people, and on health inequalities. These findings provide an indication of largely positive impacts of CLH arrangements on health and wellbeing. They indicate the importance of further longitudinal, objective research, and of policies and actions to support this form of housing delivery
A human-robot collaboration method for uncertain surface scanning
Get PDFRobots are increasingly expected to replace humans in many repetitive and high-precision tasks, of which surface scanning is a typical example. However, it is usually difficult for a robot to independently deal with a surface scanning task with uncertainties in, for example the irregular surface shapes and surface properties. Moreover, it usually requires surface modelling with additional sensors, which might be time-consuming and costly. A human-robot collaboration-based approach that allows a human user and a robot to assist each other in scanning uncertain surfaces with uniform properties, such as scanning human skin in ultrasound examination is proposed. In this approach, teleoperation is used to obtain the operator's intent while allowing the operator to operate remotely. After external force perception and friction estimation, the orientation of the robot end-effector can be autonomously adjusted to keep as perpendicular to the surface as possible. Force control enables the robotic manipulator to maintain a constant contact force with the surface. And hybrid force/motion control ensures that force, position, and pose can be regulated without interfering with each other while reducing the operator's workload. The proposed method is validated using the Elite robot to perform a mock B-ultrasound scanning experiment
An inquiry into the health and safety management practices of construction firms in South Korea
Get PDFPurpose: This paper aims to investigate the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) management practices of construction companies in South Korea to ascertain specific components and practices that need improvement for successful OSH performance. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research strategy was adopted. A close-ended questionnaire survey covering 45 OSH management practices was sent to 324 contractors; 108 responses were gathered, representing a response rate of 33.3%. Data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and Pearson’s chi-square test. Findings: The findings revealed that there is a moderate level of implementation of OSH management practices among construction firms in South Korea. However, there is a significant disparity in terms of implementation between large enterprises on the one hand and small to medium enterprises on the other. Furthermore, a few of the business characteristics (i.e. the size of companies and certification to OHSAS 18001) were closely associated with the extent of the implementation of OSH management practices. Practical implications: This research uncovers the OSH management practices that are poorly implemented and lays the foundation for appropriate measures to improve OSH in South Korean construction companies. It suggests an effective strategy for communicating health and safety issues to workers, training safety managers, reviewing risk assessments, reviewing the health and safety plan, incentivising workers by rewarding good behaviour and having a penal mechanism for employees not adhering to the rules. Originality/value: The study provides insights into an under-investigated South Korean construction industry topic. It offers additional insight into state-of-the-art health and safety management practices in the construction industry in South Korea. Furthermore, it establishes which components of OSH management practice require improvement in the Korean context. This is also one of the few studies in OSH which establishes the association between the construction business characteristics and OSH management in the South Korean construction domain
Moderating effects of coping behaviors on stressors–Stress relationships of ethnic minority construction workers
Get PDFTo overcome the shortage of construction workers in developed countries, the construction industry recruits a minority workforce from developing countries. However, ethnic minority construction workers (EM-CWs) experience numerous stressors in the host country that may induce stress significantly. Inadequate coping strategies in response to stress could affect overall health and performance in the construction industry. Nevertheless, studies examining moderating effects of coping behaviors is neither specific to stressors and stress relationship nor tailored to EM-CWs. Therefore, it is essential to get nuanced understanding of how EM-CWs respond to various stressors and stress, which could be quite different than native workers. The current study adopted mixed method approach, including both quantitative and qualitative research methods to achieve research triangulation. Valid 243 responses from a questionnaire survey and 17 interviews of EM-CWs were included for data analysis. The results revealed that (1) instrumental support seeking moderates the effects of migration and work-family conflict on emotional stress, (2) instrumental support seeking moderates the effects of work time pressure on physical stress, and (3) religious-focused coping moderates the effects of demanding physical workload on emotional stress. The study can contribute to the development of proactive tailored stress management strategies for EMs, particularly identifying the most effective coping behaviors and understanding complex interaction of stressors, stress and coping behaviors for EM-CWs. Moreover, it is the first empirical study to date that has also included the religious-focused coping in the context of moderators for EM-CWs in stressors-stress relationship. This study offers valuable insight into establishing guidelines and policy for ethnic minorities to manage ethnic diversity and improve multicultural integration successfully within organizations and society
Constructing a discourse of hope and inspiration: A positive discourse analysis of Joko Widodo’s press statements on COVID-19
No full textUsing positive discourse analysis as a framework, this article examines Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s press statements on the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on how he constructed a message of hope and inspiration. The analysis demonstrates that Widodo used his language to encourage the people of Indonesia to be resilient, remain positive, and collaborate with the government to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic. The findings reveal that metaphor, lexicalisation, and rationalisation were the three main strategies that helped Widodo to construct his message of hope and inspiration and to formulate an emancipatory discourse intended to liberate the people of Indonesia from the difficulties of the pandemic and chart a way forward in the post-pandemic period. The study underscores the crucial role of language as a resource for hope and as a response strategy during a crisis as well as its significance in helping individuals, communities, nations, and societies make sense of their experiences and (re)imagine a positive future despite their present predicament
How engineering and technology sectors are derailed by legislations: A case study of Pakistan
Get PDFThe engineering profession play a vital role in the socio-economic development of societies and contribute to the GDP of countries. This role, however, can be derailed by legislations that regulate such profession. This paper investigates the impacts of legislations on engineering profession in developing countries. The case of Pakistan where engineering profession is regulated by the Pakistan Engineering Council Act has been considered. A qualitative research approach in which 66 documents related to legislations, law cases, international standards, and practices, qualification frameworks have been reviewed to assess the impact of legislation on technology education and employment. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with government officials to get their stance on the subject matter. The finding suggests that the absolute purpose of this legislation was to regulate the engineering profession, however, wrong interpretation of this regulation has barred qualified technology graduates from the practice of engineering within the country. The faulty regulations are required to be revisited enabling graduates to contribute to the development of Pakistan
The language of assessment: Identifying challenging terminology for students and exploring implications for practice
Get PDFMany interventions have been developed by staff to support students in understanding assessment task requirements and summative and formative feedback. However, to various extents, these approaches assume a shared understanding of the, often indeterminate, language used in assessment. This article reports on a project, which aimed to explore students’ confidence in interpreting frequently used language in assessment and feedback documentation and explore ways in which staff can work with students to address misunderstanding and misinterpretation. To do this, we undertook a corpus-based linguistic analysis of assessment documentation to identify frequently used and potentially problematic language. We then used a survey and focus groups to explore with students their confidence in interpreting these terms. In doing so, we identify commonly used assessment and feedback terminology, which students find challenging to interpret, potentially resulting in frustration and demotivation. We conclude by exploring different approaches reported by students in the focus groups which help them interpret challenging terminology, notably different forms of dialogic-based intervention, but note, however, that time and space are needed within the curriculum for a shared (or ideally co-created) understanding of language to be developed between students and staff
Barriers and facilitators to learning and using first aid skills for road traffic crash victims in Nepal: A qualitative study
Get PDFBackgroundRoad traffic injuries are a major global public health problem despite being avoidable and preventable. In many low- and middle-income countries, the victims of road traffic crashes do not receive care at the scene and may die before reaching hospital. In low- and middle-income countries where prehospital emergency medical services are not well established, bystanders have the potential to save lives by providing first aid. Nepal has rising rates of road traffic injuries and emergency medical services are early in development. There is limited evidence on the factors that influence people in Nepal to become trained in first aid and to use their first aid skills. ObjectivesTo understand the barriers and facilitators to learning first aid and to applying those skills to help road traffic crash victims in Nepal.DesignQualitative study using semi-structured interviewsSettingKathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kaski and Makwanpur districts in NepalParticipantsWe interviewed three groups of participants (i) members of the public who had never been trained in first aid, (ii) members of the public who had been trained in first aid (iii) first aid trainers. Data sourcesInterviews explored reasons why people may be interested in being trained and factors that would inhibit being trained or applying their first aid skills. Interviews were transcribed, translated into English, and analysed thematically.ResultsRespect from the public, a desire to help those in need, and confidence to apply skills were important factors encouraging people to learn and apply first aid. Barriers included lack of time and financial implications of providing first aid. The fear of social and legal consequences if the patient had a poor outcome, a lack of confidence to apply skills, and lack of trust shown to first aiders by some members of the community, discouraged learning and using first aid skills.LimitationsParticipants were mostly from urban and semi-urban areas. People with more difficult access to healthcare may have held different views. People who were untrained in first aid and agreed to participate may hold different views to those who were not recruited, as they had interest in the topic. ConclusionsMembers of public can be encouraged to learn and apply first aid skills to help road traffic crash victims, but there are multiple barriers to engagement in first aid. Providing legal protection from prosecution for first aiders, raising public awareness of the value of first aid, addressing financial constraints, and provision of refresher training may address these barriers.Future workResearch to address the barriers to the creation of a Good Samaritan law appear warranted. The perspectives of other groups often involved in the care and/or transport of RTC victims, such as taxi drivers would add to our understanding of factors affecting the application of first aid. The gendered stereotypes reported by female first aiders warrant further exploration