12560 research outputs found
Sort by
Insider ethnography in professional boxing
No full textThis chapter discusses methodological challenges involved in the practice and production of what is often termed “insider ethnography.” Following in this ethnographic vein, I researched field sites patronized by professional boxers located in and around London, England, over a 5-year period. As an experienced and still active competitive boxer prior to my scholarly endeavor, I assumed that my entrée and presence in the field would be unproblematic. I also presumed that my background experience would afford a somehow more empathetic, culturally nuanced, and thus intuitive position of knowing that would credibly add to existing discourse. Whatever suppositions I may have harbored at that time, however, it is safe to say that as a neophyte researcher I had little appreciation of the procedural and analytic challenges yet to unfold. This chapter outlines the always evolving and perpetually messy fieldwork processes undertaken as I reflexively grappled with issues of over-identification and strangeness necessary to add “insider” analytical rigor to the final representation of culture presented, namely, the ongoing requirement to manage and re-negotiate my boxer/researcher identity as I moved between the disparate social worlds of pugilism and academia, collecting a mixed bag of qualitative data, historiography, scholarly analysis, and writing
Value-informed approaches to peer mapping and assessment: learning from test sites
No full textPeer relationships are relevant to safeguarding young people affected by extra-familial harm (EFH) and, in recent years, local authorities have become increasingly interested in using peer mapping and peer assessment to support their safeguarding responses. This chapter explores some of the themes which have surfaced while reflecting on the developing practice with peers being piloted by the Contextual Safeguarding (CS) test sites. We foreground the views of young people to emphasise the importance of engaging and working alongside them in developing this practice. We use this to outline some potential benefits and risks identified in the data of safeguarding work with peer groups and reflect on what could happen when these practices are employed without the application of the values. The chapter explores three connected themes which have emerged from the data to help consider priorities for developing peer mapping and assessments. They include leading with a child welfare rather than crime detection lens, building relationships of trust over relationships of surveillance and moving beyond mapping to understand and respond to the social conditions of abuse. We contemplate the notion that how we undertake work with peers is as important as what we do
Global experiences in gaining cooperation towards organ donation: a reply to ‘Nurturing, nudging and navigating the increasingly precarious nature of cooperation in public health: the cases of vaccination and organ donation’ by Heidi J. Larson and Alexander H. Toledo
No full textWhat roles does physical activity play following the death of a parent as a young person? a qualitative investigation
Get PDFBackground: Physical activity benefits physical and mental health. However, limited research investigates if physical activity can improve outcomes from the grieving process following the death of a parent. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 individuals (n = 8 female; age M = 31.2 years), who had experienced the death of a parent when they were aged between 10-24 years old, using retrospective recall. Data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis. Results: Six themes were identified. Physical activity was seen as; 1) ‘Therapeutic’; providing an 2) ‘Emotional Outlet’ and created a strong sense of 3) ‘Social Support’. Alongside it 4) ‘Builds Confidence’, and led to 5) ‘Finding Yourself’ and 6) ‘Improved Health’ (physical and psychological). Conclusion: Physical activity has the potential to provide positive experiences following a parental bereavement. It can provide a sense of freedom and was seen to alleviate grief outcomes, build resilience, enable social support and create a stronger sense of self. Bereavement support services for young people who have experienced death of a parent should consider physical activity as a viable intervention to support the grieving process. Keywords: Physical Activity, Exercise, Parental Bereavement, Death, Grief, Social Support, Resilienc
Complex issues in supporting the participation rights of children and young people with lived experience of child sexual abuse and exploitation: practitioner briefing
Get PDFOur research highlighted a number of issues that require careful thought and consideration when supporting the participation of young survivors in decision-making processes or activities that seek to address the sexual abuse and exploitation of other young people. Four areas that were particularly notable were: • the potential for triggering • feelings of anger and frustration • public identity disclosure • compensating young survivors for their time and contributions We have produced this briefing to share what we found out about these complex issues – and to highlight that young people and professionals can have different views about them
Toward autism-friendly magnetic resonance imaging: exploring autistic individuals' experiences of magnetic resonance imaging scans in the United Kingdom, a cross-sectional survey
Get PDFBackground: Autistic individuals might undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination for clinical concerns or research. Increased sensory stimulation, lack of appropriate environmental adjustments, or lack of streamlined communication in the MRI suite may pose challenges to autistic patients and render MRI scans inaccessible. This study aimed at (i) exploring the MRI scan experiences of autistic adults in the United Kingdom; (ii) identifying barriers and enablers toward successful and safe MRI examinations; (iii) assessing autistic individuals' satisfaction with MRI service; and (iv) informing future recommendations for practice improvement.Methods: We distributed an online survey to the autistic community on social media, using snowball sampling. Inclusion criteria were: being older than 16, have an autism diagnosis or self-diagnosis, self-reported capacity to consent, and having had an MRI scan in the United Kingdom. We used descriptive statistics for demographics, inferential statistics for group comparisons/correlations, and content analysis for qualitative data.Results: We received 112 responses. A total of 29.6% of the respondents reported not being sent any information before the scan. Most participants (68%) confirmed that radiographers provided detailed information on the day of the examination, but only 17.1% reported that radiographers offered some reasonable environmental adjustments. Only 23.2% of them confirmed they disclosed their autistic identity when booking MRI scanning. We found that quality of communication, physical environment, patient emotions, staff training, and confounding societal factors impacted their MRI experiences. Autistic individuals rated their overall MRI experience as neutral and reported high levels of claustrophobia (44.8%).Conclusion: This study highlighted a lack of effective communication and coordination of care, either between health care services or between patients and radiographers, and lack of reasonable adjustments as vital for more accessible and person-centered MRI scanning for autistic individuals. Enablers of successful scans included effective communication, adjusted MRI environment, scans tailored to individuals' needs/preferences, and well-trained staff
Motivations and challenges for food companies in using IoT sensors for reducing food waste: some insights and a road map for the future
Get PDFFood waste is a serious problem worldwide, including in Europe. Research efforts are being carried out to reduce food waste. In this paper, we focus on using modern digital technologies (also known as Industry 4.0 technologies) to reduce waste in food supply chains. Based on interactions with a number of food companies in Europe over the last four years using Action Research, we provide new insights on the motivations and challenges for food companies when they are engaged in the use of technologies for reducing food waste in their supply chains. Motivations for firms include improved food quality of their produce, improved reliability, support in meeting legal requirements, a green image, and improved revenues from selling the food that has been saved. However, data security issues and trust issues posed challenges in using these technologies. Since this is an emerging area of research, we look at potential business models for technology companies for working with food companies in reducing food waste, identify value propositions and value capture, and look at how these investments in technologies can improve the sustainability of food businesses. We believe technology companies can leverage the opportunities, develop new business models with value propositions around the use of technologies, and support food companies via timely alerts in case of potential quality issues. Value capture occurs via the sale of hardware and subscriptions
Ducks, elephants and sharks: using LEGO® Serious Play® to surface the ‘hidden curriculum’ of equality, diversity and inclusion
Get PDFDespite widespread agreement on the importance of preparing management students for working in diverse organizations there is evidence (Perriton, Elliott and Humbert 2021; Perriton and Elliot 2018) that this is often ignored or marginalised in formal curricula. Our article draws on the concept of the hidden curriculum to present the results of a project in which business school academics and support staff explored the ‘unthought knowns’ (Bollas 2017: xix) that influence how equality, diversity and inclusion are, or are not, engaged with in the classroom. Our data were generated during workshops using the LEGO® Serious Play® methodology in which participants built LEGO® models to develop their own understandings of equality, diversity and inclusion. The models, and the discussions about them, uncovered complexities and contradictions inherent within these topics, alongside significant levels of anxiety and fear. Our study makes two contributions; firstly through the animal metaphors that featured in the models, we identify some of the anxieties that are generated by these topics which are likely to influence the hidden curriculum. Secondly, our innovative use of LEGO® Serious Play® contains important implications about the actual mechanism through which such insights can be ‘surfaced’ so that they become available for reflection and thought
3D numerical analysis of the structural behaviour of a carbon fibre reinforced polymer drive shaft
Get PDFDue to their high strength and favourable mechanical behaviour, metals are used in a variety of applications within the automotive industry, including drive shafts. However, the use of metallic drive shafts in the automotive sector presents some disadvantages such as high inertial masses. This work investigates the mechanical benefits of using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) for manufacturing drive shafts. A Formula Student car was used as a model for the present work design for the drive shaft. Drive shafts made of Steel AISI 4340, Aluminium, and CFRP are investigated when subjected to mechanical excitations. Simulation includes the use of Comsol Multiphysics software. The CFRP drive shaft was modelled using the layered material feature. Various stacking sequences are tested. Results show that [90°/0°/-45°/+45°] sequence presents the best mechanical behaviour. Analytical and numerical calculations for the natural frequencies are performed and compared. CFRP drive shaft is observed to give the highest fundamental natural frequency when compared to the metallic counterparts. Fatigue analysis are also studied and revealed that the drive shafts can sustain the applied load for its expected fatigue life, with the CFRP drive shaft having the highest fatigue usage factor. Critical buckling analysis showed that the drive shaft made of steel has the highest critical buckling torque. However, drive shafts made of carbon fibre reinforced polymer was found to be 40.7% lighter than the aluminium tube and 79.6% lighter than the steel tube
Mental health experiences and coping strategies of BAME care workers who worked in nursing and residential care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic in Luton, England
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic intensified the risk factors for poor mental health among care workers in the UK. However, there is inadequate evidence on the mental health impact of COVID-19 on Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) care workers in particular. This study seeks to explore mental health experiences and coping strategies of BAME care workers who worked in nursing and residential care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a qualitative study conducted between February and May, 2021 in Luton, England. A sample of n = 15 care workers from BAME background working in nursing and residential care homes were recruited purposively using the snowball sampling technique. In-depth interviews were conducted around topics such as views on COVID-19, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the interviews was analysed using the Framework Analysis Approach. The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the participants' mental health as they experienced stress, depression, anxiety, trauma and paranoia. The majority of the participants explained that they managed their mental health by belief in God and religious practices, by keeping themselves busy doing activities they were passionate about, following government guidelines on the prevention of COVID-19, seeing the service users happy and some participants managed through support that was offered by the government. However, some participants did not have any support for their mental health. Issues such as increased workload associated with COVID-19 restrictions engendered mental health problems among BAME care workers, however, the workload only further increased during the pandemic, but the health and social care sector was already affected by heavy workload due to staff shortages and this needs to be addressed through increasing their wages to encourage more people to work in the health and social care sector. In addition, some BAME care workers never received any support for their mental health during the pandemic. Hence, integrating mental health services such as counselling, supportive psychotherapy and recreational therapies in care homes could help to support the mental health of care workers in the COVID-19 era
Data sources:
Access Repository Dashboard
Do you manage University of Bedfordshire Repository? Access insider analytics, issue reports and manage access to outputs from your repository in the CORE Repository Dashboard!