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Voices in a contested landscape: Community participation and upland management in the North York Moors National Park
Get PDFThe moorland plateau is the defining landscape of the North York Moors National Park in England. It reflects the everyday management decisions of land managers and the complex web of power relations between multiple stakeholders. The moorland is a contested, shared space that poses questions over access, habitat conservation, biodiversity, grouse shooting, land management, and ultimately, the purpose of National Park landscapes. This article draws upon a mixed methods approach and a heritage-landscape perspective to analyse community viewpoints of the management, use, and ownership of this landscape and to demonstrate how power relations frame human-nature synergies in the Park. In doing so, the article highlights new ways that North York Moors communities could be better represented in discussions on how landscapes are perceived, valued, and managed. It proposes a system that amalgamates key decision makers and residents and, therefore, involves a wider range of stakeholders in the landscape decision-making process
A New Hope? The Future of Researching Space Crime, Criminal Justice and Ethics
No full textIn this concluding chapter, which is actually the ending of the first few steps toward a holistic and interdisciplinary study of space crime, criminal justice and ethics, we critically and constructively reflect upon the lessons drawn from each chapter. Based on that reflection, we present further directions and invite those interested in (the intersection of) space criminology, space criminal justice and space ethics to critically engage in such discussions in the future. In doing so, we conclude the need to take seriously and take up the task of researching critically space sectors, actors, (mal)practices, cultures, ambitions and promises, and the possible (unintended) harmful effects they may all bear. Doing so is vital as the human species begins to embark on imminent exploration and expansion of outer space in the coming years and decades
‘You feel like you've found a place where you belong’: Symbolic Interactionism and Online Social Video Games in the Age of COVID-19
Get PDFThis paper investigates how players perceive and understand the sociality afforded by online social video games (OSGs), framed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilising data from semi-structured interviews (n=20), we apply Blumer’s (1998) concept of symbolic interactionism to explore the ways in which video games take on new meanings in co-constructed, collaborative and contributory digital spaces. We argue 1) that games offer a meaningful social experience, 2) that this sociality flourishes due to the perceived lack of social risk particularly due to OSGs characteristics of perceived or real anonymity, 3) that this works to facilitate social development, and 4) that these characteristics were valuable in the context of a pandemic at a time of reduced social interaction. Our contribution shows that online video game spaces alter the risk profile of forming and maintaining connections by reframing interaction as the cooperation towards shared goals
Youth Climate Activism: Addressing research pitfalls and centring young people's voice
Get PDFAll over the world, young people have been leading and participating in multiple forms of climate activism. In this chapter, we discuss the main trends in contemporary literature, proposing new conceptual and methodological paths for centring youth voices in climate activism research. We first identify critical pitfalls in the field of youth participation which are related to research foci, assumptions, and practices: i) the old electoral dilemma, ii) the behaviourist perspective, iii) the ever-search for the spectacular, iv) the individual-collective
dichotomy, v) the intrinsic benefit of participation, vi) the extractivist research. We argue that there is a risk of reproducing these pitfalls when researching youth climate activism. Therefore, drawing from empirical evidence (ethnographic, interview and survey data), we propose three
pathways to foreground young people’s voices and experiences in climate activism: ‘beyond climate strikes’, ‘more than white activism’, and ‘not like adults’. Finally, we discuss the potential of a conceptual articulation of political agency and imagination and the need for incorporating participatory and visual methods. Such approaches will lead towards a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics and facets of youth climate activism
Songs of diversity: three case studies of community singing, identity and well-being
Get PDFThe chapter presents insights from three case studies of different community singing initiatives in the UK: a singing group in a women’s prison, a singing group in a community music organisation, and an LGBTQ+ choir. These qualitative, culturally and contextually specific accounts are framed in the context of a wider literature on singing and well-being that adopts the more positivistic, standardized procedures of structured surveys and controlled experimental evaluations. It is argued that individual case studies are particularly valuable for the insights they provide in the particularities of individuals, projects and music-making with special reference to a chosen repertoire of songs including songs specially composed, which address challenges of identity and well-being specific to the groups involved. Our aim in this chapter is to illustrate the opportunities for learning that come from discussion across case studies. Doing so, to acknowledge knowledge-exchange as a process of evaluation, situating case studies as a methodological tool that goes beyond evidencing the positive change experiences of participating in community singing
‘They Should have been Looking after People for a Long Time’: Human Giving and Generosity During COVID-19, in Austerity Britain
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic mobilised a multitude of acts of giving and generosity. This article provides a snapshot of giving and generosity among a small sample of individuals in the UK, in a context following years of ungenerous austerity politics. Giving and generous actions played a crucial role in mitigating the negative effects of COVID and we report on data collected using in-depth interviews to understand experiences of giving and generosity. We conceptualise giving and generosity as pro-social or other-focused actions that involve sharing of resources, underpinned by a crossing of the hyphen between self and other. This article explores the ways in which participants were mobilised by perceived social and political injustices and thus we offer a different understanding of giving and generosity as micro-activism that is done with a critical eye turned towards the macro context
“The new normal isn’t normal”: to what extent has the Covid-19 pandemic affected secondary school children’s mental health and wellbeing in the North of England?
Get PDFThis paper reports on a study exploring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on secondary school children's mental health and well-being in the North of England. It explores three research questions: to what extent has the Covid-19 pandemic affected secondary school children’s mental health and wellbeing in England? What did students value most for their mental health and wellbeing in a secondary school context during the Covid-19 pandemic? What are the implications for the post-pandemic future? A qualitative multi-method research design was used consisting of an online questionnaire survey (n = 605) and follow-up focus group interviews (n = 16). The findings of the study show that the pandemic and associated restrictions had a detrimental effect on the lives of a very large proportion of the young people in our study, with greater impact on girls than boys. From the analysis the resilience and ability of the participants to “bounce back” from the upheavals caused by the restrictions was apparent. However, for a significant minority the adverse impacts on their mental health and wellbeing continue to affect their lives. The idea of returning to “normal” following a period of crisis and turmoil such as the Covid-19 pandemic, emerges as an unhelpful concept because of the implied associated expectation of a smooth return to the routines prior to the pandemic crisis. This assumption is problematic as this study’s findings demonstrate. The “new” normal is experienced differently by students, especially girls, to what was “normal” experience before the pandemic and this has significant implications for schools
Charlotte Bronte and Contagion: Myths, Memes, and the Politics of Infection
No full textThis book argues for the significance of contagious disease in critical and biographical assessment of Charlotte Brontë’s work. Waugh argues that contagion, infection, and quarantining strategies are central themes in Jane Eyre (1847), Shirley (1849), and Villette (1853). This book establishes the ways in which Charlotte Brontë was closely engaged with the political and social contexts in which she wrote, extending this to the representation and metaphorical import of illness in Brontë’s novels. Waugh also posits that although miasmatic theories are often assumed to have been entirely in the ascendant in the late 1840s, the relationship between miasma and contagion was a complex one and contagion in fact remained a crucial way for Charlotte Brontë to represent disease itself, as well as to explore the relationships between the individual and social, political, and cultural contexts. Contagion and its metaphors are central to Charlotte Brontë’s construction of subjectivity and of the responsibilities of the individual and the group
Unmasking Toxic Leadership: Identifying, Addressing, and Preventing Destructive Leadership Behaviours in Modern Organizations
Get PDFToxic leadership presents significant challenges to organizational health, employee well-being, and overall productivity. This article delves into the complex nature of toxic leadership, identifying its key behaviors and characteristics that foster detrimental workplace environments. By reviewing existing literature and analyzing real-world case studies, the paper investigates the profound impacts toxic leadership has on organizational culture and employee morale. It offers actionable strategies for identifying, addressing, and mitigating toxic leadership behaviours, aiming to restore a healthy workplace atmosphere. The findings highlight the psychological effects of toxic leadership on employees, such as increased stress, anxiety, and burnout, as well as the broader organizational consequences, including reduced productivity and high turnover rates. Furthermore, the study explores intervention techniques, such as coaching and mediation, and organizational policies, such as zero-tolerance approaches and transparent reporting mechanisms. The article concludes with practical recommendations for developing leadership training programs that promote positive, inclusive, and ethical leadership practices. By implementing these strategies, organizations can create a more supportive and productive work environment, ultimately fostering a culture of trust and collaboration. This comprehensive analysis underscores the importance of proactive measures and a continuous commitment to nurturing healthy leadership dynamics in the modern workplace