4254 research outputs found
Sort by
<i>Eleanor of Aquitaine As It Was Said: Truth and Tales about the Medieval Queen</i>, by Karen Sullivan
No full text
Political Animals: The Democratic and Electoral Case for Strong Animal Welfare Policies in UK General Elections
Get PDFFarm Animal Welfare in the UK: What Does the British Public Want, and Should Government Policy Reflect Public Opinion?
No full textThis presentation is based on a report published in 2023 for the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation, “Farm Animal Welfare in the UK: What Does the British Public Want?” [1]. The presentation focuses on three questions: First, what are British public beliefs and attitudes to farmed animal welfare? Secondly, is British public opinion consistent with animal welfare science? And thirdly, should Government policy be influenced by public attitudes to welfare? First, the British public supports high animal welfare standards. For instance, a 2022 Focaldata poll found 71% of the British public would like the UK Government to pass more laws to improve welfare [2]. The British public supports more extensive and outdoor systems, and is opposed to cages and mutilations. A 2020 YouGov poll found 88% of the British public believe cages for farmed animals to be cruel, and 77% support a complete ban [3].Despite this, over 70% of farmed animals in the UK are raised intensively [4]. Contemporary intensive farming systems are associated with significant welfare problems. Over 25% of broiler chickens suffer lameness due to rapid growth [5]. Almost all the UK’s indoor breeding sows are severely confined in crates for five weeks per litter [6]. Around 30% of the UK laying flock is kept in modified cages, with the mutilation of beak trimming prevalent [7]. For these and other reasons, British public opinion is broadly consistent with animal welfare science.Finally, the presentation argues that UK government policy should better reflect the views of the British public. There is substantial overlap between British public opinion and the findings from animal welfare science and related disciplines. Given that the British public opinion is far more progressive than UK government policy, this would mean significant legislative reform. All governments have a guardianship role to protect farm animal welfare [8]. Furthermore, given European publics are both citizens and consumers, there are strong democratic and market-based reasons for governments in general to better reflect public opinion within their jurisdictions on farmed animal welfare.References1. McCulloch, S. Farm Animal Welfare in the UK: What Does the British Public Want?; Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation: UK, 2023.2. Focaldata. Animal Welfare Standards; 2022.3. Compassion in World Farming. 88% of UK public think cages are cruel. Available online: https://www.ciwf.org.uk/news/2020/12/88-of-uk-public-think-cages-are-cruel (accessed on February 8).4. Compassion in World Farming. UK factory farming map. Available online: https://www.ciwf.org.uk/factory-farm-map/ (accessed on February 14).5. RSPCA. Eat. Sit. Suffer. Repeat: The Life of a Typical Meat Chicken; Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: 2020.6. McCulloch, S. Banning Farrowing Crates in the UK: Transitioning to Free Farrowing to Meet the Welfare Needs of Pigs; Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation: UK, 2022.7. Gov.UK. UK egg packing station throughput and price dataset; DEFRA: 2023.8. Farm Animal Welfare Council. Farm animal welfare in Great Britain: Past, present and future; Farm Animal Welfare Council: London, 2009.<br/
A Sport Research Teams’ Reflections on Conducting Emotionally Demanding Research with the Bereaved.
Get PDFThis paper explores the experiences of a sport research team (n = 6) who attended a conference with and then interviewed relatives of athletes whose deaths were linked to traumatic brain injuries through playing sport. Afterwards the research team were interviewed to explore the effects of undertaking such emotionally demanding research. Several researcher team members (n = 3) also later conducted online interviews with bereaved relatives who had not attended the conference. These researchers were re-interviewed to explore how their online experience was different to conducting in-person interviews. Interviews with the research team took place with a colleague known to the researchers but not involved in data collection at the conference. Reflexive thematic analysis led to the development of five themes: (1) ‘Wow! I don’t know if we’re ready for this’, (2) the emotional struggle, (3) a vulnerable team, (4) learning how to take self-care, (5) less emotion but also less connection. Findings suggest that preparing for bereavement interviews is challenging, that the research team were collectively vulnerable, and that learning to take self-care was important. Online data collection was found to reduce researcher vulnerability but raised different challenges. Findings are discussed in relation to the challenges of preparing for sensitive interviews, the pros and cons associated with deeply connecting with participants, the importance of self-care and support for researchers, and the implications of conducting interviews online without having developed pre-established relationships with participants
UK Parliamentary Inquiry Reports in Forensic Science – plus ça change?
No full textForensic Science provision in England and Wales underpins scientific evidence in many criminal cases. The quality of scientific investigation by scientists and the presentation of science insights has been under scrutiny for decades from different government bodies and parliamentary inquiries. It is increasingly established that multiple significant, deep-rooted and persistent issues exist in the Forensic Science ecosystem. A thematic analysis of seven UK parliamentary inquiry reports that addressed Forensic Science and published since 2000 identified key themes and associated contextual factors, resulting in the development of a matrix model that illustrates the connectivity between these themes and factors. The primary issue identified in this research was the challenge of the traditionally narrow focus on specific elements of the Forensic Science ecosystem, rather than considering that ecosystem holistically. Six out of the seven reports focused on a specific challenge or component within the ecosystem. Only the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee inquiry published in 2019, set out to identify the root causes of key challenges within Forensic Science by addressing the ecosystem as a whole.Through the analysis of these seven inquiry reports, it was possible to develop a matrix which provides a structured framework to critically consider the interconnections, interdependencies and connectivity between the key elements of the Forensic Science ecosystem. The matrix serves to highlight the need for an integrated approach that brings together an understanding of each component of the system and their intersections and connections to address the Forensic Science ecosystem more holistically and address the root causes of key Forensic Science challenges within the criminal justice system. It is hoped that the insights identified in this study offer a starting point for broader discussions and strategic activities across the Forensic Science community to find pathways forward to address persistent deep-seated challenges that have been identified in Forensic Science and find solutions.<br/
Book review: Understanding Academic Freedom; Henry Reichman; Johns Hopkins University Press, 2021, Pp. 248. Challenges to Academic Freedom; Joseph L. Hermanowicz, ed.; Johns Hopkins University Press, 2021, Pp. 304. It's Not Free Speech: Race, Democracy, and the Future of Academic Freedom; Michael Bérubé and Jennifer Ruth; Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022, Pp. 304.
Get PDF