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Rausch und Lärm der Stadt
Get PDFThis article seeks to explore filmic representations of the turmoil potentially offered by modern city dwelling, using the concept of Rausch, in the sense of a sensory overload for both characters and spectators. Specifically, it considers the Rausch of the city on film through the example of Berlin and its impact upon characters found within. In considering such representations of Berlin we are able to explore the ways in which the city can be used within cinema as a mirror, and at times a stamp, to the expectations and experiences of the characters. To explore cinematic Berlin in this way we look specifically towards expressionistic interpretations and treatments of the city and its inhabitants, considering the interactions of space, place, and character. This convergence of Rausch and expressionism upon the specific example is appropriate since in many respects Berlin and expressionism are synonymous: in visual arts, but above all in film. In applying such considerations to more modern interpretations and presentations of the city we are able to see the deep connection between the use of a cityscape, the exploration of character within it, and, indeed, their reactions to it. In locating to a modern iteration of this longstanding stylistic and generic device we are able to widen our understanding of the use of expressionism and in doing so more strongly explore the concept of Rausch
Health Psychology - 2nd edition
Get PDFWhat are the processes that lead to illness and, inversely, to health and wellness? How can healthcare systems be improved to help prevent and manage illness? What are the primary political and lifestyle factors that can contribute to the promotion of public health and wellbeing? Part of the Palgrave Insights in Psychology series, this straight-forward text provides a well-rounded introduction to the topic of health psychology and delivers an overview of the key issues within the discipline. Readers can expect to learn about the various sub-disciplines that comprise this interdisciplinary area of psychology such as sociology, medicine and politics. Written for those who would like to gain a general understanding of the profession and discipline of the subject, this book introduces the main disorders at the heart of health psychology's focus such chronic illness, cancer, pain, stress, smoking cessation and weight loss. Further, Rodham examines the behavioural factors and wider political processes that affect the psychology of health, illness and healthcare in society.
This title stands as part of the Insights series edited by Nigel Holt and Rob Lewis, containing well-rounded, quick guides to the cornerstone theories, main topics and theoretical perspectives of their subjects and are useful for pre-undergraduate students looking to find incisive introductions to subjects that they may be considering for undergraduate study or those looking for helpful preparatory reading for undergraduate modules in the prospective subject
Intergenerational Transmission of Domestic Violence: Practitioners' Perceptions and Experiences of Working with Adult Victims and Perpetrators in the UK
Get PDFPractitioners' preconceived ideas about service users can lead to prejudice and labelling, and ultimately may result in biased services. This paper reports on a UK‐based qualitative research study exploring the views and experiences of practitioners working with adult victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. It examines whether or not practitioners believe that childhood experiences of witnessing domestic violence indicate the likelihood of domestic violence in adulthood. It further explores practitioners' perceptions of factors contributing to the experiences of domestic violence amongst their service users. Twelve semi‐structured interviews were conducted with practitioners working in the domestic violence field, and thematic analysis was used to analyse their responses. The data did not indicate a general consensus on the matter of children becoming victims or perpetrators based on their childhood experiences of domestic violence. Participants' responses indicated that they thought the issue was more complex. Common themes that participants consider important to children's development of healthy/unhealthy relationships in this context were identified in the data. These included: an awareness of service users' individuality; the importance of meaningful support networks; and an understanding of the risk amongst their service users to normalise abusive behaviour
The Approach
No full text‘The Approach’ addresses the politics of ‘remembering’ and ‘forgetting’ (Beech 2002) on former concentration camp at Jasenovac in Croatia where a monument - the ‘Stone Flower’ created by architect Bogdan Bogdanović – deliberately used ambiguous symbolism as part of an attempt to move beyond the conflicted history of the site towards the ideals of brotherhood and unity, socialist revolution, and sacrifice of the new Yugoslav state (Pavlakovic and Perak 2017)The artwork uses handheld footage that deliberately does not represent a clear view of the monument, thus reflecting its aforementioned ambiguity and the difficulties involved in mentally and physically navigating the site. These difficulties are caused by the competing narratives that surround the site, the absence of material remains and the imposing presence of the stone flower. Much like Neme’s film ‘Son of Saul’, omission or absence is often the only way to deal with that which cannot be dealt with (Bradshaw 2016). The work also acknowledges the changing borders of the region by filming the approach to the monument from different angles and the multiple views offered mimics the various agencies wishing to forget and rehabilitate either the victims or perpetrators of the site and its history (Byford 2014)
Spaces of Welfare Localism: Geographies of Locality Making
No full textSituated in the latest incarnation of the "localism" turn, this chapter offers new theoretical insights into the rhetoric of decentralist discourses and the geographical complexities and contradictions of state-remaking realities on-the-ground. The chapter suggests that there is considerable mileage in the notion of "locality" to advance critical social policy analysis and that its earlier jettisoning may have been premature. The chapter urges for a "return to locality" to enlighten studies of social policy and advances its argument through three new readings of locality - locality as bounded territorial space, as an approach to comparative analysis, and to read spaces of flows for diverse policy fields. Taken together the chapter argues that these constitute the basis for the benefits in thinking about geography through the lens of new localities
Did you know that the RSPCA was set up sixty years earlier than the NSPCC?’
Get PDFContemporary society is peppered with state regulation – regulation of housing, driving, communication, education to name but a few. Even without taking the mass of health and safety regulation that has increased over the 20th century, state regulation controls virtually all activity people engage in and all institutions that activity involve. We live very much in a ‘regulatory-state’ where there are rules, regulations and laws that govern everyday life (Braithwaite, 2011). But life was not always like this. Godfrey et al (2007) argue that it was the second half of the 19th century that Britain saw the beginning of this regulatory state, which then grew exponentially over the 20th century. They argue that private and local authority agencies, backed by central government, turned to social regulation to alleviate the poverty and deprivation caused by industrial, economic and urban changes that took place during the previous decades of the 19th century. Thus began a time of social responsibly that the problems caused by the enormous changes of the Industrial Revolution would now be addressed. It was during this period, over the 19th century, in this atmosphere, that the conditions under which children and animals were kept and how they were treated became pressing issues. It seemed that their life experiences could be improved through regulation. However, it was the welfare of animals that took precedence
Investigating Psychological Stress In Elite Indian Performers Using The Theory Of Challenge And Threat States In Athletes
Get PDFThis program of research investigated psychological stress in a hitherto unexplored population of Indian sport performers, using the Theory of Challenge and Threat States in Athletes (TCTSA) as a theoretical framework. First, using thematic analysis, stress experiences of Indian elite athletes were explored and are presented in chapter two. This chapter presents one of the initial studies in sport psychology literature that reports the stressors of elite Indian athletes. The demands and resources of Indian elite athletes across various sports were found to be in line with the postulations as outlined by the TCTSA, however culturally specific demands and resources also emerged. Second, a cross-cultural study developed based on the cultural findings of chapter two. The study thus presented in chapter three, compared the stress responses of cricketers from India with cricketers from the UK. This is also the first study to consider cross-cultural responses to stress. Data were similar in the way elite athletes from both countries respond to stress. For example, Indian as well as UK cricketers perceived high self-efficacy, high perceptions of control, had an approach goal orientation and perceived to be in a challenge state before competition, thus supporting predictions made by the TCTSA. However, Indian cricketers seemed to experience higher emotions before competition. Social identity was measured and data illustrated that Indian cricketers did not identify with their teams as strongly as UK cricketers. Finally, the program of research provides a unique contribution to sport psychology literature by conducting intervention studies using single-case research designs to reduce threat and enhance a challenge state in Indian performers. No previous single-case research design studies have been found that manipulate challenge and threat states using interventions. The multimodal interventions presented in chapter five and six helped reduce the threat state and increased the challenge state of an elite Indian badminton player and an elite Indian squash player respectively. While in the final study that included the Indian tennis coaches presented in chapter seven, the researcher developed an innovative theoretically driven intervention that proved to be effective in helping the elite coaches appraise their stressors positively (i.e., as a challenge). This is also the first study that uses the TCTSA framework in the context of sports coaching. The program of research adds to the scant literature regarding the stress experiences of Indian performers. It also extends the limited literature regarding intervention strategies that may reduce threat and enhance a challenge state in performers. The thesis revealed that the TCTSA is a useful framework to understand stress experiences of athletes not only in the Western countries, but also in the Eastern part of the world. The thesis thus offers new knowledge to researchers and applied practitioners however is not without limitations. The limitations associated with the program of research are identified and directions for future researchers are recommended
The Welfare State, Wages and Work
Get PDFAbstract.
The State welfare system has been under attack for nearly a decade from austerity-driven cuts, mismanaged and under-funded schemes, and regulatory failures. Key areas are failing badly, with some programmes and services at risk of completely falling apart.
This paper considers the challenges, focusing on work-related support from both sides of what is referred to as the work-welfare interface.
Much of the impact of the system’s failures has been on labour market participants, particularly in the bottom 30% of the wage distribution. Most people in this group depend on a combination of wages and occupational benefits from their employer (the work side of the interface) and income and other support from the State (the welfare side). Shortcomings and system failures on both sides are leaving many people in poverty. After the 2018 Budget the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) described the rising tide of in-work poverty as the problem of our times. The Institute for Fiscal Studies reached the same conclusion, calling it the big issue and identifying low earnings growth, poor productivity, and a rise in part-time work as causes.
Although tax credits and income transfers from the State flatten and mitigate the impact of income inequalities between households, cuts to State support since 2015 have transformed that position for the worse.
Low earnings and wage subsidisation owe much to the legacy of neo-liberal policies and the deregulation of the labour, housing, and social markets. Weakened collective bargaining and removal of sectoral wage-setting by the wages councils mean that there is little or no pressure on employers to pay above national minimum wage rates. Low productivity has been exacerbated by the lack of investment in training and skills development, and insufficient opportunities for career and wage progression. Although employers - particularly in the low pay sectors - benefit from massive levels of wage subsidisation through in-work benefits there appears to be little reciprocity for that assistance.
Against this background, there is a powerful case for reconstructing the wages floor with the aid of regulated collective bargaining, as proposed by the Institute of Employment Rights, while maintaining a national minimum wage aligned to the Real Living Wage as a safety-net. The IER Rolling Out the Manifesto for Labour Law sets out a detailed case for this. From a welfare perspective this would also deliver a range of other attractive features, including better opportunities for wage progression and reduced reliance on benefits as wage top-ups: what has become, in effect, a State second wage.
On the welfare side, the national roll-out of Universal Credit needs to stopped to enable fundamental flaws to be rectified. In particular, the value of in-work UC must be restored by lifting the freeze on annual up-ratings; and the original eligibility criteria for work allowances need to be reinstated (with full restoration of the allowances’ value). The operation of the earnings taper needs to be reviewed and reduced from its current high level. In the meantime, there are serious concerns about the transition from tax credits and other legacy benefits to UC. Advisers are seeing a massive rise in debt, repossessions, and delays in accessing key support like childcare expenses.
Other features will require longer-term remedial action. These include much-needed reforms of the contributory benefits system, childcare, and State support for housing costs, coupled with a need to revisit the case for rent controls.
Clearly, there is a need to defend our welfare services, stop further disintegration, and reverse the threat to national and local services that collectively deliver an important social wage for millions of workers and their families. Going forward, renewal of the system is required to meet newer challenges, including the systemic rise in underemployment and likely impact of automation and artificial intelligence on employment – particularly in unskilled and semi-skilled work which is prone to displacement by artificial intelligence. These factors, and the increasing likelihood that there may, in time, simply be insufficient paid employment available, have been spurring debate as to whether a universal basic income may provide better solutions than a continuing expansion of the in-work social security system
MEANING AND EXPERIENCES OF SPIRITUALITY AND SPIRITUAL CARE AMONG PEOPLE FROM CHINESE BACKGROUNDS LIVING IN ENGLAND: A GROUNDED THEORY INVESTIGATION
Get PDFSpiritual care has become a topic of global interest, especially within healthcare context. Despite this growing interest, there is a sparsity of research conducted internationally exploring the understanding of spirituality and spiritual care among people from Chinese backgrounds, particularly those living in the UK. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the meaning of spirituality and spiritual care among this group of people to support the delivery of high-quality care for them.
The aim of this investigation is to understand the meaning and experience of spirituality and spiritual care among people from Chinese backgrounds residing in three regions of England. In order to achieve the aim, a grounded theory design was utilized, based on Strauss and Corbin’s (1998) method to interpret the meaning of spirituality and spiritual care among this group.
Recruitment of participants was through Chinese community centres, using purposive and theoretical sampling methods. Twenty-five participants were recruited after which point data saturation was reached. Participants included 11 males and 14 females, aged between 20 and 82, originating from different regions in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam. Participants held diverse personal, religious and spiritual beliefs. In-depth interviews were conducted to capture the participants’ thoughts and perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care. Transcribed digital recordings were translated into English and imported into NVivo for analysis. Data collection and analysis progressed simultaneously.
Data analysis followed the techniques of open coding, axial coding and selective coding, leading to the development of a substantive theory called ‘Seeking a meaningful life’
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