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How stories can teach young people about life in a changing climate
No full textClimate change will reach into every aspect of young people's lives in complex ways. However, the national curriculum largely confines climate change to a few subjects, meaning teachers in other disciplines feel underprepared to teach it. In particular teachers are concerned about the political and technical complexities of teaching about climate adaptation. Our practice research in a secondary school and two youth organisations found that one effective way of doing this is to help young people to exchange their experiences, both among themselves and with communities most impacted by climate change. Students in the 'Suitcase Stories' project prepared short storytelling performances that packed into suitcases, which enabled them to communicate their own knowledge of climate adaptation and climate justice to their communities
Sustainable Language Programme Design and Management at a Widening Participation University
No full textLevels of enrolment on language degree programmes are of concern in majority English-speaking countries. English universities with below average entry tariffs generally do not, or no longer, offer languages to degree level. Yet little research on curriculum design addresses this issue of declining student numbers and unsustainable courses. In this chapter, we reflect on our approach to designing and managing language programmes at York St John University, a small widening participation university. In 2017, 37 different language degree programmes were offered at York St John. However, only 52 first years enrolled, making the average programme size 1.4 students. This caused an unsustainable burden on timetabling, module choices, marketing, and quality assurance, negatively impacting the student experience. We replaced the 37 programmes with 5: one for British Sign Language and two each for Japanese and Korean. This led to an increased intake of first-year students to 165 in 2021. The new programmes are easy to administer, improving the student experience. We summarise our approach as follows: recognising the administrative burden and financial unsustainability of offering multiple small programmes, we analyse programme and module enrolment data to understand students’ preferences, then design one, or two, tailor-made programmes per language. In this chapter, we explore what is innovative about this approach, comparing it with research on curriculum/programme design and language education
Navigating Digital Leadership: How UK-Based Marketing Leaders are Redefining Brand Trust in an AI-Driven Era
Get PDFThis study examined the impact of ethical leadership in AI-driven digital marketing on brand trust among UK consumers. As AI transforms digital marketing through personalisation and predictive tools, concerns about transparency, data privacy, and consumer autonomy have become vital for sustaining trust. Data was collected through 25 semi-structured interviews with marketing leaders and industry experts and three focus groups with UK consumers. The findings underscored the importance of ethical leadership, transparent AI use, and balancing personalisation with privacy in building consumer trust. Case studies of UK brands illustrated the successful alignment of AI with consumer expectations and regulations. This research contributed to digital marketing and AI ethics by offering insights into the relationship between ethical leadership, AI-driven personalisation, and brand trust, highlighting the need for responsible AI frameworks within the UK marketing sector
Early Career Academics’ Development in Africa: Reflections on the Brain Re-Engineering Concept as Formal Institutionalised Mentoring Options
Get PDFDeveloping the next generation of academics is essential due to the changing academic landscape, the need for educators to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to contribute to knowledge creation and dissemination, facilitate teaching and learning, mobilise resources for community transformation, and research. Borrowing from the Brain Re-Engineering Concept and Reimagination (BRECR), this chapter reflects on alternative policy and development options available to higher education institutions (HEI s) management and government for developing countries to create a more effective educational system that meets the needs and aspirations of the early career academics (ECA s). The BRECR concept is based on four pillars: mindset or perception change, ideation and entrepreneurship, technology, and sustainability. This addresses the misconceptions that limit the advancement of scientific and technological solutions and their impact on the development of ECA s in HEI s of Africa and developing nations. ECA s face high expectations from HEI management, including increasing research output, teaching larger classes, supervising and publishing, often without adequate support. This chapter examines the findings of three studies conducted in African HEI s vis-à-vis the BRECR concept and proffers alternative options towards improving the career development strategies of the ECA s and academic mentees in Africa
Reactions, reality, and resilience in adults with Crohn’s disease: a qualitative study
Get PDFBackground
Crohn’s disease (CD) is a lifelong condition that poses unique challenges. This study reports findings from a person’s perspective of living with CD to help enhance the understanding of an individual’s specific care and support needs.
Methods
Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of adults with Crohn’s disease recruited from Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Data were analyzed after data collection using thematic analysis.
Results
Forty-one (68% female) participants aged 49.1 ± 12 years with a disease duration between 1 and 55 years were interviewed. Three overarching themes emerged, along with 12 subthemes: (1) reactions to presenting symptoms, emotions, and challenges at diagnosis; (2) reality of living with the condition, seeking information, decision making, psychological challenges, experiencing symptoms/complications during remission and the impact on social life, education, employment, and relationships; (3) Resilience involving emotional adaptations, strategies on self-management, social comparisons as a means of coping and barriers to resilience.
Conclusions
The results highlight the complex health journey and challenges faced by people living with Crohn’s disease and provide health care professionals with a greater insight into the psychological challenges and emotional complexities of the condition to facilitate a more holistic approach to planning care
‘A few regrettable cases’: Civil War Violence and the Recognition of the Russian Red Cross Society, 1918–21
Get PDFThis article examines how and why the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) officially recognised the Bolshevik-controlled Russian Red Cross Society (ROKK) in October 1921, a decision that enabled more effective humanitarian relief in Soviet Russia but interlinked the ICRC with its new revolutionary, and authoritarian, regime. The Bolshevik takeover of the Russian Red Cross in 1918 posed a significant problem for the ICRC and disrupted relief to approximately 2,000,000 POWs still in Soviet territory at the end of the First World War. The extreme violence of the Russian civil war raised further the urgency of humanitarian aid. ROKK, however, was distrusted in Geneva and was not just subservient to the Soviet government but proved to be a vocal defender of Red Army atrocities against civilians. Even though these were violations of the international conventions underpinning the Red Cross movement’s authority, the ICRC, after three years of resistance, decided to officially recognise ROKK in 1921 nevertheless. This article argues that pointing to pragmatism within the ICRC explains this turnaround, but taken alone obscures the steep compromises made against its principles, which shaped the Red Cross movement in ways running counter to the ICRC’s wider goal of professionalising humanitarian relief
Understanding health communication processes and challenges: cultural insights from Katkari tribal in western Maharashtra, India
Get PDFCommunication is integral to human interaction, facilitating information exchange and conveying symbolic meaning. In the realm of public health, effective communication is paramount for disease prevention, health promotion, emergency preparedness, dissemination of government health initiatives including policies. This qualitative inquiry explores the intricacies of communication within the Katkari tribe, a minority group residing in western Maharashtra, India. Utilizing anthropological theories, the study seeks to unravel how culture influences health communication among the community. The objectives encompass investigating health communication sources, examining communication patterns through a cultural lens, and documenting challenges in public health communication. Using an inductive approach to the data analysis, the themes that emerged, included the Accredited Social Health Activist, (ASHA), television, social media as the factors influencing health communication dynamics, including the effects of media and technology on tribal health and lifestyle, challenges in terms of gaps in comprehension and action, barriers of language, social isolation, deep seated misconceptions and the cultural influences on health behaviour and the strategies recommended to overcome the challenges. To improve health communication for India's tribal populations, it's crucial to use culturally tailored approaches. This includes incorporating traditional art and local artists, using multimedia tools like radio jingles and videos, offering incentives to healthcare workers, and employing visual aids in simplified language. Engagement of local communities in the process will lead to an effective implementation of health communication policies
First insights into post-pandemic distress in a high secure hospital: correlates among staff and patients
No full textPurpose
This preliminary investigation aims to examine the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients and staff within a high secure service.
Design/methodology/approach
To discern the connection between COVID-19-related distress and multiple factors, the study involved 31 patients and 34 staff who completed assessments evaluating coping strategies, resilience, emotional reactivity, ward atmosphere and work-related aspects.
Findings
Results demonstrated that around a third of staff (31.2%) experienced COVID-19-related distress levels that met the clinical cut-off for possible post-traumatic stress disorder. Emotional reactivity, staff shortages, secondary traumatic stress and coping strategies were all positively correlated with COVID-19-related-distress. Resilience was negatively associated with distress, thus acting as a potential mitigating factor. In comparison, the prevalence of distress among patients was low (3.2%).
Practical implications
The authors postulate that increased staff burdens during the pandemic may have led to long-term distress, while their efforts to maintain minimal service disruption potentially shielded patients from psychological impacts, possibly lead to staff “problem-focused coping burnout”. This highlights the need for in-depth research on the enduring impacts of pandemics, focusing on mechanisms that intensify or alleviate distress. Future studies should focus on identifying effective coping strategies for crisis situations, such as staff shortages, and strategies for post-crisis staff support.
Originality/value
The authors postulate that the added burdens on staff during the pandemic might have contributed to their distress. Nonetheless, staff might have inadvertently safeguarded patients from the pandemic’s psychological ramifications by providing a “service of little disruption”, potentially leading to “problem-focused coping burnout”. These findings underscore the imperative for further research capturing the enduring impacts of pandemics, particularly scrutinising factors that illuminate the mechanisms through which distress is either intensified or alleviated across different groups. An avenue worth exploring is identifying effective coping styles for pandemics
