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Eadwig has a Threesome:Gender and the Breaking of Authority in the Tenth Century
No full textThis chapter will examine sex, gender and authority in the episode of Eadwig's coronation feast in 955, where the king departs the company of the hall to have a sexual escapade with two women, one his wife. This scandalous episode was written as early as c. 1000, some fifty years after the events, in the anonymous B’s Vita Sancti Dunstani, and was noted in various texts through the twelfth century, with Malmesbury, for example, writing about the scene not once but twice in his Vita Dunstani and Gesta Regum Anglorum. The basic events of the story are that on the day of his coronation, Eadwig left the company of the noblemen during the feasting following his coronation in order to frolic with a woman, and possibly her daughter in some texts. One of these two women was Ælfgifu, Eadwig’s consort, though her role is consistently unmentioned. At the request of the indignant nobles at the feast, Abbot Dunstan (and sometimes Bishop Cynesige) went to retrieve the king, and brought him back to the gathered noblemen. This gained Dunstan the hatred and enmity of both the woman and Eadwig, resulting in his exile. Both Eadwig and Ælfgifu were cast as the villains in the story, though Ælfgifu was particularly vilified in most versions, notably in Malmesbury’s Vita Dunstani where she is a ‘second Jezebel.’ Although fondly noted by Simon Keynes as ‘the kind of story which enlivens a period always in need of enlivenment,’ in actuality this scene is far more than a titillating and scandalous tale. In this, throughout several versions of the events, all three main figures – Eadwig, Ælfgifu and Dunstan – display varying means and methods of gendered authority and lack thereof, envisioned through sexuality and chastity. The steely Dunstan’s sanctity is justified by his condemnation of depraved acts – not only against morality but against the tradition of the coronation feast; Eadwig’s weaknesses as a king are highlighted by his sexual weaknesses; and Ælfgifu’s snaring sexuality is part of the cause of the bad kingship. Rather than simply being a scandalous and entertaining story, the coronation feast highlights the roles that sexuality played in creating and destroying gendered roles of authority. Using the five main texts which describe the coronation scene, alongside contemporary charters and later writings of the events of Eadwig’s reign, this chapter will demonstrate the crucial roles that appropriate and inappropriate masculinities and femininities played in the record to denigrate Eadwig’s reign and Ælfgifu’s role as consort, frequently to the benefit of Dunstan and the court factions surrounding Edgar. Eadwig’s threesome is more than an amusing side note, whether or not it actually happened. This chapter will show that the very record of it, and how it was recorded, is crucial to understand how gender and sexuality was a part of making and breaking authority in the tenth century
A posthuman autoethnographic exploration of the transformational potential of embodied leadership
Get PDFDisplaying the Dead with Decency: Considering the Private Viewing of Embalmed Fleshy Bodies at Funeral Homes, and the Public Exhibition of De-fleshed Plastinated Corpses at Body Worlds’
No full textExploring athletes’ socio-cultural experiences of support when living with persistent post- concussion syndrome
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to explore how the socio-cultural context impacts athletes living with persistent post-concussion syndrome (PPCS). Following interviews with 19 retired athletes with PPCS, a reflexive, thematic analysis was used to identify two main themes (Feeling Abandoned by Society, Support Encouraging Resilience), with each main theme having three sub-themes. Specifically, when feeling abandoned by society, the athlete with PPCS feels hopeless as socio- cultural stakeholders lack awareness, which can result in limited support and isolation. In contrast, when they feel supported, this leads to building resilience, with athletes with PPCS engaging in self- improvement and overcoming challenges. Awareness and advocacy further empower the athlete with PPCS and can result in more effective social, medical, and professional support. Therefore, our findings suggest that more support, including an early diagnosis, should be extended to athletes with PPCS, which could enable them to integrate their new identity into society more effectively. Moreover, our findings provide a call to action to promote awareness of PPCS and increased support like that currently extended to more visible conditions
Vertical perception following stroke: a survey of rehabilitation therapists’ opinions on the impact of vertical perception deficits on rehabilitation and recovery
Get PDFBackground/Aims: Following stroke, people can present with spatial perceptual deficits, which are associated with vertical perception deficits and are known to negatively influence the outcome of rehabilitation. It is not known how vertical perception deficits influence rehabilitation therapists’ assessment and treatment choices. A survey of mainly UK-based physiotherapists and occupational therapists was undertaken to explore views and current practice in relation to vertical perception following stroke. Specifically, the survey investigated rehabilitation therapists’ views on terminology, assessment and treatment, impact on functional outcome and clinical decision making. Methods: An online survey was completed by a convenience sample of 70 rehabilitation therapists (52 physiotherapists and 18 occupational therapists). Results: Vertical perception deficits were commonly encountered by respondents and were diagnosed mainly through observation. Respondents were confident in their ability to assess and treat vertical perception deficits. Vertical perception deficits were understood to be associated with pushing behaviour, neglect, weight-bearing asymmetry and decreased balance. Respondents understood it was related to severe, right-sided strokes with sensory and proprioceptive loss, but were inconsistent in their awareness of the specific brain regions involved in vertical perception deficits, specifically in posterior circulation strokes. Respondents reported that stroke survivors with vertical perception deficits require longer periods of rehabilitation, and overall have a worse functional outcome than those without. A variety of treatment options were used to address vertical perception deficits. Conclusions: Further research should investigate the treatment and assessment used by rehabilitation therapists in relation to vertical perception deficits following stroke. Implications for practice Vertical perception deficits are commonly encountered in stroke rehabilitation. Rehabilitation therapists identify this mainly through observation. There are currently no methods to quantify vertical perception deficits in the clinical environment. Individuals living with vertical perception deficit may require longer periods of rehabilitation. At present, there are no evidence-based interventions to address vertical perception deficits in people who have had a stroke
From the Everyday to the Extraordinary::Economic Evidence for Queenship in the Chamber Books
No full textThe Tudor Chamber Books (1485–1521) are a useful, underexplored source for examining queenship. In addition to the two queen consorts, Elizabeth of York and her daughter in law, Catherine of Aragon, there is interesting coverage of Margaret and Mary Tudor who became respectively Queen of Scots and Queen of France, as well as the early years of Mary I. This article demonstrates how financial records can shed new light on pivotal moments in a royal woman's life, including childhood, betrothals and weddings, widowhood, joys such as coronation ceremonies and stresses of childbirth and infant (or even maternal) loss. It demonstrates the utility of the Chamber Books themselves and of wider financial sources in charting the lives of royal women and understanding more deeply the rhythms and responsibilities of queenship. This article is part of a research cluster in this issue on the economic power of medieval queens
‘The veterinary profession must condemn intensive pig farming’
No full textSteven McCulloch argues that the global intensive pig farming industry does not meet the welfare needs of pigs and that the veterinary profession should and must withdraw all support
Education beyond the limits: Addressing Violence against Women and Girls
No full textThis article is a contribution to a suite of papers on violence against women and girls. It sets out the context in which this issue is currently discussed, how it might be understood and how it can be addressed. Education is seen as a key mechanism for the prevention of gender-based violence through the transformation of the attitudes and beliefs that boys and young men hold about women and girls and what it means to be a man. This article considers the challenges of achieving this in the face of online influencers like Andrew Tate with their appeal to masculine entitlement and supremacy, often expressed in terms of misogynistic violence and coercion. Drawing on the work of Jacqueline Rose, Judith Butler and others, the paper argues that this is a task that involves creative and affective pedagogy as well as sustained critical engagement. There is, therefore, an important role for the arts and humanities in providing spaces for exploration, conversation and reflection about the embodied experience of violence and abuse. Through difficult educational encounters it may be possible to initiate a change in boys and young men from impervious thoughtlessness to a greater recognition and understanding of the impact of harassment and violence, both within the educational setting and beyond
Role Exit in Prison Officers: returning to civvy street
No full textRole Exit Within Prison Officers: Returning to ‘Civvy Street’ explores the reasons why prison officers leave His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) England and Wales and examines the processes and trajectories involved in returning back to civilian life, which is referred to as ‘civvy street’.Writing from their experiences as ex-prison officers now working in academia, the authors draw upon ‘insider’ positionality of their own ex-prison officer narratives, which has shaped and developed their research design. They also employ interview data collected from other ex-prison officers to identify the rewards and challenges of working within a prison environment, with Ebaugh’s (1988) role exit theory serving as a theoretical framework to offer an original approach to understanding the lived experience of prison officers who leave the service. The authors address issues including the impact of austerity, Voluntary Early Departure Scheme (VEDS), the decline in transmission of knowledge to staff (‘jail craft’), high staff turnover, increased violence and the impact of COVID-19 on prison officer retention rates. Barriers towards workplace integration, burnout and the culture of ‘presenteeism’ are prevalent themes alongside difficulties experienced when transitioning back into civilian life. This is balanced with an exposition of what ex-prison officers recall positively about their time in service, such as loyalty, support, solidarity, pride at wearing the uniform and helping prisoners with their custodial lives. The book also makes practical recommendations, including the need for sustainability and retention within the prison officer workforce; to re-establish the role of prison officer as a ‘career’; to lower the age of retirement to match the police/fire service; to place a greater emphasis upon building the morale of staff and a wider recognition of the impact of trauma to support (ex) prison officers.Giving authentic insights into the role of prison officers, the issues they face and subsequent reasons for leaving the service, this book is ideal reading for students and academics within the fields of criminology, penology, criminal justice, sociology, and criminal and occupational psychology. It will also be of great interest to criminal justice practitioners and organisations such as Unlocked Graduates, the Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Reform Trust