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Paisaje pegajoso/Sticky sororidad Crónica
No full textThis crónica is really the first time I’ve written about my childhood. As I’ve noted elsewhere, I have many black holes—up to my early teens, when things sort of snap into focus. Hi-res focus, even. Although I’ve lived in and visited a number of countries whose cuisine is imprinted in my memory and even my day-to-day practices in southern California, I decided to focus on only one place: Zapopan (Guadalajara), Jalisco, México, where I spent summers with my family as a young girl. After informally interviewing my sister, Sarita—my closest childhood compinche (she’s only 18 months younger)—I decided to take this issue’s prompt, the notion of sticky memories/emotions, literally. Stickiness functions as a sensorial structuring motif, recurring in different ways in each of my crónica’s four vignettes. However, as is my wont, it offers no sense of resolution or closure. Rather, it appears as a floating signifier: these memories of scent, taste, feel and place have “stuck” with me throughout my life, but they evoke neither univocal nor consistent feelings. The same image or memory can feel now comforting, now disquieting, homely yet uncanny, familiar yet alien. Ultimately, it is this ecotonic, interstitial modus vivendi, which I’ve been inhabiting since about age four, that I hope to convey to the reader.
 
Rhythm Interactive Special Enablers (R.I.S.E) - A collaborative community engagement program
Get PDFRhythm Interactive Special Enablers (R.I.S.E.) is a collaborative community engagement program designed to improve motor function, engagement and self-esteem through music-based intervention in children with cerebral palsy (CP). CP is a movement disorder caused by brain damage during development, with spasticity significantly affecting mobility and quality of life.
Utilising drum circles, a form of group drumming, R.I.S.E. aims to stimulate neuroplasticity, enhance motor skills and provide a creative and enjoyable therapeutic experience. The program implemented at the Spastic Children’s Association of Selangor & Federal Territory (SCAS&FT) involved 12 biweekly workshops that combined rhythmic exercises and music with the objectives of improving motor coordination, fostering teamwork and boosting participants’ self-confidence. Through structured drum circles, the participants engaged in rhythmic activities that stimulated both cognitive and physical functions.
The program was assessed on participant retention, engagement and the incorporation of music into rehabilitation exercises. Feedback from participants and caregivers indicated improvements in motor skills, confidence and community connectedness. Additionally, a ‘Train the Trainer’ initiative was implemented to ensure long-term sustainability, enabling SCAS&FT to autonomously run the program. Moving forward, the program aims to expand to other neurological conditions, ensuring wider accessibility through training and resources
Cosmopolitanism over Ethnonationalism through Social Movement: The Case of Anti-CAA Movement in India
Get PDFEthnonationalism based on religion has had a significant impact in the modern history of India. While celebrating its diversity as a democratic nation, the country has also witnessed numerous ethnic movements, tensions, violence as well as assertion of cultural and ideological values by one dominant group over another. The ‘State’ often gets involved in these conflicts directly or indirectly. The case of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of 2019 is a recent example relating to issues of citizenship and discrimination based on religion that sparked a nationwide movement. The citizens condemned the enactment of CAA as anti-democratic and against the secularistic ideology of India. Drawing upon the case of Anti-CAA movement across India the paper argues that social movements serve as a platform to revisit and realize the ideologies of cosmopolitanism
Enabling the Epistemic Authority of Domestic Violence Survivors in a Work Setting
Get PDFDomestic violence is a social issue, which can cause immense pain and suffering to people in our community. However, it also presents a challenge to business. How can businesses offer support to domestic violence survivors to navigate an immediate crisis situation or, if they wish, to empower survivors with the epistemic authority to apply their own personal experiences and knowledge to affect change in an organisation? In this paper we argue that managers have an important role to play in enabling the epistemic authority of members of the workforce which have been affected by domestic violence. We argue that the ability of a manager to enable a domestic violence survivor is grounded in that manager’s willingness to critically examine their own sense of self. Will they be guided by the prevailing cultural understanding around domestic violence in their organisation? Or will they be guided by their own values and understanding? We examine these questions with reference to West’s (2008) model of existential ethical decision making
Challenges Faced by Women in New Zealand\u27s Construction Industry: Impact of Demographic Factors
No full textDiversity and inclusion of the construction workforce are considered fundamental to disrupting the perception of the male-dominated construction industry. Despite efforts to increase diversity and inclusion, the construction industry continues to record a slow increase in women’s representation, resulting in the industry missing significant potential talent. Therefore, identifying women\u27s work environment challenges is vital for promoting construction careers. This study examines three categories of challenges: benevolent sexism, hostile sexism, and job conditions and the influences of demographic factors. The study adopted a quantitative research method, with 65 structured questionnaires completed by women working in the industry. The study found that benevolent sexism challenges, such as stereotyping and pressure to prove oneself and hostile sexism challenges, like masculine culture, sexual harassment, and lack of respect, are significant for women in construction. A lack of female role models and work overload are two job condition-related challenges that affect women in the industry. The findings from this study are an important contribution to the existing literature, as they highlight the need to consider demographic factors when creating initiatives to address the challenges faced by women in the construction industry
A Sandakan Childhood: Recalling Hakka Food Memories
Get PDFThis narrative is on recalling foods enjoyed in my childhood in Sandakan, a town in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island. It is more stream of consciousness than reflective, more descriptive than analytical. In recollecting my memories of foods eaten in years gone I realise it is not an exercise in isolation. When we consume food it is not merely for sustenance as our food practises are invariably intertwined with a whole lot of experiences, rituals and habits of old. The act of remembering favourite or comfort foods can set off triggers of feelings and emotions long past. My family, like most Chinese families of the time, express their love for each other through food. It is through food that I acknowledge the caring family environment that our parents created for us
Building research and evaluation within an Australian community eating disorder organisation through academic partnership: A pragmatic protocol
Get PDFEating disorders are complex mental health conditions with rising prevalence. Despite this, research and evaluation (R&E) remain under-funded, hindering translation, policy, prevention and advances in care; an equitable and responsive ecosystem of research and knowledge-sharing across the sector is needed to enhance outcomes for people and systems affected by eating disorders. Community members engage with community eating disorder organisations/services to receive guidance and support, often through innovative co-designed programs and resources. Building R&E capacity and capability within community settings is essential in capturing, leveraging and translating local knowledges, such as evaluation outcomes to research, policy, practice settings and the broader community to improve understandings, actions and outcomes. Partnerships between community service providers and academic researchers could be a way of establishing reciprocal knowledge- sharing pathways while simultaneously building internal R&E capacity/capability. The current article presents a longitudinal participatory protocol to plan for, co-design and implement R&E practices within an Australian community-based eating disorder service via an academic partnership. We present a four-stage methodological outline aiming to (a) identify the needs, experiences and feasibility of engaging in R&E in a community eating disorder context; and (b) collaboratively plan for, develop and integrate R&E practices through partnership. We will collect data through focus groups, meetings, interviews, researcher notes and questionnaires across several months. This pragmatic plan can guide future collaborative R&E building efforts within a community mental health context in ways that inform the development and scalability of sustainable, effective and efficient R&E praxis and partnerships across the eating disorder and broader mental health sector
Leveraging Digital Asset Management and Meta-Data Integration for Enhanced Asset Management
No full textDigital Asset Management (DAM) has emerged as an advanced approach to empower asset managers in controlling and optimizing asset operations. This study addresses the challenge of integrating metadata from a repository of 2340 reported asset problems at one of the public schools in Saudi Arabia over 2 years. The data, obtained in .xls format from the existing asset/facility information management system, was meticulously unified to visualize digital assets enriched with relevant data. Findings showed, among others, repeated data/records, incomplete/inaccurate data, language issues, lack of time reporting a problem, absence of status reports, and confusion between asset and facilities data. The primary aim is to explore the integration of this metadata into an Asset Information Model (AIM) for more efficient asset management. The proposed integrated strategy for supporting metadata in AIM analysis emphasizes effective metadata management. By defining metadata requirements, establishing robust standards, implementing efficient capture and storage processes, seamlessly integrating metadata into the AIM model, establishing governance procedures, leveraging metadata in analysis, and continuously monitoring and optimizing the strategy, organizations enhance the accuracy, consistency, and integrity of AIM analysis. This comprehensive approach fosters improved decision-making in asset and facility management, leading to enhanced overall efficiency. Successful implementation and further research on this strategy contribute to AIM analysis advancement and metadata utilization optimization, elevating asset management practices in the evolving construction and infrastructure industry. This research provides valuable insights into digital asset management and presents a compelling blueprint for leveraging metadata integration for effective asset management strategies
Virtual reality in construction activities: barriers for adoption in China
Get PDFPurpose - The research presents a study of the barriers that hamper industry adoption of Virtual Reality (VR) for construction activities in China.
Design/methodology/approach - The research adopted a qualitative research methodology, using semi-structured interviews to collect data from participants. The initial set of codes was established through an open coding method for the subsequent content analysis of data.
Findings - The findings obtained identified the economic issue as the main barrier impeding the adoption of VR to deliver construction projects in China. Other barriers were also identified including insufficient technical depth and awareness, and the fragmented nature of the supply chain within the industry.
Originality/value - The study proposed recommendations on raising awareness, setting up workflows and government support to mitigate the limiting barriers. The findings of the study provide valuable insights to researchers and Chinese construction industry practitioners to better understand and promote VR adoption in the delivery of construction projects
Advancing local government in Pacific Island Countries: a practitioner reflects
Get PDFThis paper presents the author’s reflections on efforts to advance the scope and role of elected local government in the Pacific Islands. It focuses primarily on the Commonwealth Local Government Forum Pacific Project, which has been operating since 2000, but also looks at broader issues around decentralisation and devolution, legislation and funding for local government, democracy and good governance, promoting better practice, sustainability and resilience, and the importance of a sound evidence base for developmental programmes and projects
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