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Phenomenology of sociality and relational accounts of personhood: reinstating the moral status of children with profound and multiple learning difficulties
No full textIn this chapter we critically analyse concepts of ‘personhood’ as they relate to children with ‘profound and multiple learning difficulties’ (PMLD). We argue that dominant accounts of personhood in Western philosophy are cognitivist-centric and lead to children with PMLD being classed as ‘non-persons’. We counter this perspective by demonstrating how relational concepts of personhood, anchored in phenomenological theory, lead to a more enriched and inclusive definition of personhood that reinstates the moral status of children with PMLD. We suggest that debates in citizenship education can be extended by the relational model we develop in this chapter
‘Citizen scientists’ on citizen science
Get PDFCitizen science, also known as participatory or community science, involves the participation of non-professionally trained individuals in scientific research. This article, part of a series of articles aiming to map and theorise the postdigital dimensions of citizen science, presents diverse narratives from individuals actively engaged in citizen science endeavors. The authors were invited to share their experiences, motivations, challenges, and opportunities in their own words. Their perspectives are organized into three categories: (1) citizen science as a mediator between professional and amateur science, (2) citizen science for diverse publics and community action, and (3) citizen science from the margins. These narratives illuminate citizen science as not just a theoretical construct, but a dynamic methodological prism, revealing the complex entanglement of the postdigital realm and citizen science through innovative sociotechnical methods and approaches. Each contribution highlights the rich possibilities and challenges arising from the intertwining of community researchers and technology in the pursuit of knowledge, meaning, and action. This tapestry of experiences invites further exploration of the evolving landscape of postdigital citizen science
From colonialism to citizen engagement: reforming legislative processes in Nigeria and Ghana
No full textThis article critically interrogates the enduring colonial imprint on the political and legal
architectures of Nigeria and Ghana, illustrating how colonial frameworks entrenched
centralised, hierarchical governance structures that persist in alienating citizens and
disrupting indigenous mechanisms of self-rule. The imposition of foreign legislative models
not only severed the organic link between legislators and their constituencies but also
undermined the inclusivity and responsiveness of the law-making process. Colonial rule
marginalised traditional governance practices, many of which were deeply embedded in
consensus-building and communal participation, replacing them with rigid, top-down
structures ill-equipped to navigate the complexities of post-colonial societies. The
persistence of these inherited frameworks has constrained legislative adaptability, often
rendering legal institutions disconnected from the lived realities and aspirations of the
populace. To redress these systemic shortcomings, the article argues for substantive
reforms that reintegrate pre-colonial governance models attuned to local needs. This
necessitates enhancing community participation in legislative processes, strengthening the
capacity of lawmakers through targeted development initiatives, and leveraging digital
innovations to foster transparency and civic engagement. Moreover, the article advocates
for a comprehensive reassessment of outdated legislative structures that remain anchored in
colonial paradigms. Such reforms must prioritise inclusivity, ensuring that law-making
becomes more representative and reflective of contemporary socio-political dynamics. In reimagining governance beyond the constraints of colonial legacies, the article envisions a
legal order grounded in ethical governance, indigenous traditions, and the democratic
aspirations of the people, fostering a more just and participatory political landscape
From performing gender to symbolic violence in English women’s football: “women are not supposed to be viewed in this way”
Get PDFResearch question:- This paper explores the recollections of twelve women’s physical education experiences in England, and the impact of this on their future footballing opportunities; six of whom went on to become semi-professional footballers and six whom did not continue in football post school life. Research methods:- The age range of participants in the qualitative study was from 18 to 37 years. These themes were addressed using Bourdieu’s sensitising notions of symbolic violence and collective expectations. Furthermore, the study embeds itself within the broad critical feminist writings of Judith Butler and the theory of gender performativity. Results and findings:- Following the data collection, reflexive thematic analysis identified limiting narratives of success, sexism, and the significant role that gender played within footballing environments. The study identified key themes around gendered experiences of PE, school sport and community pathways in the context of girls’and women’s football. Implications:- The recommendations suggest the promotion of a more inclusive landscape for women and girls’ participation in football, and physical education more broadly, is required if we wish to improve women and girls experiences within the sport
Reflections on 50 years of 'Land snails in archaeology'
Get PDFWhen J.G. Evans’s 'Land Snails in Archaeology' was published in 1972, it established a new understanding of
the environmental history of prehistoric archaeological sites in southern Britain and in the process introduced archaeologists to the value of studying assemblages of land snail shells from archaeological deposits. This paper reflects on
the impact of the book, reviews developments in the discipline over the intervening half century, and proposes some
future directions for the practice of archaeological land-snail analyses
Researching site dance: entangled enmeshments
No full textIn this chapter I reflect on my career as a site dance researcher and consider processes of body-site entanglement and enmeshment central to this field of dance studies in which moving bodies engage with moving sites in non-theatre and non-studio settings. Drawing on my own practice-led research and academic writing alongside the work of others in the field I consider how this sub-field of dance studies has grown over the past twenty tears and reflect on key themes and practice-led methods such as site-scoping, movement generation, thematic and historical research, documentation and evaluation and participant / community engagement. The chapter will articulate my own methods and approaches to documenting practice-research conducted in situ and the application of theoretical and contextual research employed to articulate reflection and evaluation of practice drawn from an interdisciplinary framework spanning related fields of phenomenology, feminist new materialism, ecology and environmental humanities
Dynamic surgical prioritization: a machine learning and XAI-based strategy
Get PDFSurgical waiting lists present significant challenges to healthcare systems, particularly in resource-constrained settings where equitable prioritization and efficient resource allocation are critical. We aim to address these issues by developing a novel, dynamic, and interpretable framework for prioritizing surgical patients. Our methodology integrates machine learning (ML), stochastic simulations, and explainable AI (XAI) to capture the temporal evolution of dynamic prioritization scores, qp(t), while ensuring transparency in decision making. Specifically, we employ the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) for predictive modeling, stochastic simulations to account for dynamic variables and competitive interactions, and SHapley Additive Explanations (SHAPs) to interpret model outputs at both the global and patient-specific levels. Our hybrid approach demonstrates strong predictive performance using a dataset of 205 patients from an otorhinolaryngology (ENT) unit of a high-complexity hospital in Chile. The LightGBM model achieved a mean squared error (MSE) of 0.00018 and a coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.96282, underscoring its high accuracy in estimating qp(t). Stochastic simulations effectively captured temporal changes, illustrating that Patient 1’s qp(t) increased from 0.50 (at t=0) to 1.026 (at t=10) due to the significant growth of dynamic variables such as severity and urgency. SHAP analyses identified severity (Sever) as the most influential variable, contributing substantially to qp(t), while non-clinical factors, such as the capacity to participate in family activities (Lfam), exerted a moderating influence. Additionally, our methodology achieves a reduction in waiting times by up to 26%, demonstrating its effectiveness in optimizing surgical prioritization. Finally, our strategy effectively combines adaptability and interpretability, ensuring dynamic and transparent prioritization that aligns with evolving patient needs and resource constraints
Poetics of machinic opacity: Glissant and Bayes
No full textThis article explores the concept of opacity, examining its multifaceted roles in conditioning knowledge and cultural existence. It begins by addressing technical opacity in machine learning, and the Bayesian techniques used to quantify uncertainty. While these methods can reduce opacity technically, they fail to address the broader, structural “machinic opacity” that emerges from the interaction of computational reason with social processes at scale. This machinic opacity represents a phenomenological dimension beyond human cognitive and experiential grasp, compounded by the complexity of large-scale machine ecologies.
The article then transitions to a cultural critique, drawing on Édouard Glissant’s pluralist concept of opacity and his poetics of Relation. Glissant's framework offers an affirmative response to the alienating potential of machinic opacity, advocating for the “right to opacity” as a means to preserve ontological diversity and foster cultural creation. By juxtaposing Glissant’s ideas with Bayesian epistemology, the article argues for a nonreductive approach to understanding machinic opacity, emphasising the generative role of nonknowledge in cultural processes.
Ultimately, the article proposes that embracing machinic opacity through Glissant’s poetics of Relation opens space for a cultural response to the challenges posed by computational technologies and machinic opacity. This approach not only counters the colonial logic of transparency but also highlights the creative potential inherent in the interplay between human and machinic processes despite their mutual opacity. The article concludes by advocating for a cultural poetics that recognises and utilises the productive tensions between technical and cultural opacities, fostering a deeper engagement with the complexities of contemporary computational culture
Community-based conservation surveillance: an ethnographic analysis of the drivers and obstacles of local reporting on rhino and plains game poaching in Namibia
Get PDFConservation surveillance, or the monitoring of people for conservation purposes, is a core component of coercive conservation governance. Over the last decade, in response to the social injustice attributed to top-down applications of surveillance technologies associated with militarised conservation, policies have increasingly prescribed an integration of local populations into conservation law enforcement. The problem with ‘inclusive’ or ‘community-based’ forms of conservation surveillance is that little is empirically known about reporting behaviours within rural communities. While reporting rates tend to be low, practitioners have limited understanding of how to engage local people. This knowledge gap significantly undermines conservation's capacity to integrate local people into conservation surveillance and enhance community-based interventions for combating illegal-hunting and illegal wildlife trade (IWT). Drawing on fieldwork among communities in north-west Namibia, where local people are recruited as informants of conservation authorities, we contribute a deeper, qualitative understanding of what motivates local people to report or withhold information on illegal-hunting of rhino and plains game. We show that communal area residents primarily report because they feel morally compelled to do so and/or because they seek to bolster their claims to status, privilege and entitlement. They fail to report due to the pervasiveness of communal disciplinary power, including locally-divergent social rules and sanctions. In contrast to dominant perceptions among policymakers and practitioners, our analysis demonstrates that incentive-based informant networks and reward systems have limited effectiveness, while carrying high risks. Our analysis supports five recommendations for integrating local people into conservation surveillance in more locally acceptable and sustainable ways
Diversity in unity: developing an anti-racist framework within Froebelian pedagogy
No full textThe chapter details the authors' experiences of creating a framework to challenge
racial inequalities in young children's play drawing on Jones and Okun’s (2001)
decolonial framework. Across four sections, it examines practitioners' challenges in
acknowledging their own racial identity, explores current anti-racism policies, analyses
the potential of Froebelian pedagogies to address colonialism and proto-racialisation
in children's play, and provides an overview of the authors' ethnography-by-proxy
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