The Acousmatic Gap as a Flexile Path to Self-Understanding: A case for experiential listening

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-352
Author(s):  
Thembi Soddell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Real World ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
Felt Sense ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Musique Concrete

Since Schaeffer’s development of musique concrète, there has been an ongoing debate regarding the value of the acousmatic reduction for engaging with real-world sound in music, and its relevance for composers and listeners. This article presents a way of working with acousmatic sound that is more meaningful to me as a composer, which I have labelled experiential listening. In understanding acousmatic sound through the lens of experientialism (as opposed to Schaeffer’s use of phenomenology), I have devised this method to form a dialogue between sound, composer, and listener through the use of metaphor, to explore concepts beyond the experience of just sound in itself while composing. It accounts for the felt sense of intuition that can form through working with acousmatic sound, presenting a way of using this as a tool for self-understanding. It highlights Brian Kane’s ontology of acousmatic sound as the being of a gap, exploring where this gap can take the mind of the composer and listener. This is illustrated through my use of experiential listening to gain insights into lived experiences of mental illness and trauma, which reveals inner wisdom about the listening self that can be negotiated through acousmatic sound.

Through Madness and Back Again

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-155
Author(s):  
Matthew S. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health System ◽  
Mental Health System ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Recovery Processes ◽  
Mad Studies ◽  
Way Of Knowing ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Fragmented Identity

This article traces my struggles with psychosis, arrest, psychiatric institutionalization, and recovery. Mobilizing a cathartic approach to autoethnography, I reveal my resistances, resiliencies, oppressions, nightmares, and recovery processes in the mental health system as I became entangled in another, darker reality and tried desperately to escape it. This work is a contribution to the emerging field of Mad Studies that seeks to privilege lived experiences with madness and the mental health system as a way of knowing. I found that doing an autoethnography of the mind helps recover the pieces of a fragmented identity and heals some of the visceral horrors that haunts us through and beyond experiences with mental illness.

Lived Experiences of Young People who Live with Mental Healthcare Users in Limpopo, South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mamakota Maggie Molepo ◽  
Faniswa Honest Mfidi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Young People ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Support Systems ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Burden Sharing

Mental illness is more than just the diagnosis to an individual – it also has an impact on the social functioning of the family at large. When a parent or relative has a mental illness, all other family members are affected, even the children. The purpose of the study was to provide insight into the lived experiences of young people who live with mental healthcare users and the way in which their daily coping can be maximised. A qualitative, descriptive, phenomenological research was undertaken to explore and describe the lived experiences of young people who live with mental healthcare users in the Limpopo province, South Africa. Audiotaped, unstructured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 young people who grew up and lived with a family member who is a mental healthcare user in their homes, until data saturation was reached. A content analysis was used to derive themes from the collected qualitative data. Four major themes emerged as features reflective of the young people’s daily living with mental healthcare user, namely psychological effects, added responsibilities, effects on school performances, and support systems. This study recommends that support networks for young people be established through multidisciplinary team involvement and collaboration and the provision of burden-sharing or a relief system during times of need. With the availability of healthy coping mechanisms and support systems, the daily living situations and coping of young people could be maximised, thereby improving their quality of life while living with their family members with mental illness.

A Philosophical, Cultural, and Literary Critique of Mental Illness in Birago Diop’s “Sarzan”

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-37
Author(s):  
Adrien Pouille
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Nervous Breakdown ◽  
The Mind

This paper is another contribution to the long list of articles and book chapters written about Birago Diop's work, “Sarzan.” Unlike most if not all interpretations of the eponymous hero's mental illness, this article reads Sarzan's nervous breakdown as an invitation to services, which are radically different from the ones he is mandated by the French administration to perform, yet integral to the customs of his village. To many critics, the mental degradation witnessed in Sarzan, is an ancestral correction inflicted to Sarzan following his desacralization of rituals and sites sacred to his community. But however, legitimate this interpretation may be, it is quite limited in light of various forms of recuperative rituals practiced in traditional Africa to address and cure disturbances related to the mind.

The diary of a madman, seventeenth-century style: Goodwin Wharton, MP and communer with the fairy world

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Porter
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Seventeenth Century ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Life Of The Mind ◽  
The Mind

SynopsisGoodwin Wharton (1653–1704) was a nobleman's son and a Whig MP who played no small part in English public life. His manuscript journal shows, however, that he also lived a bizarre secret life of the mind of a kind which, in later generations, would have led to his confinement as suffering from mental illness. Above all, through the offices of his medium and lover, Mary Parish, he entered into elaborate relations both with the fairy world and with God and His Angels. This paper examines our records of Wharton's consciousness

scholarly journals Dapper dudes: an exploration of young men's fashion consumption and conceptions of masculinity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan Martin
Keyword(s):  
Generation Y ◽  
Real World ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Gender Norms ◽  
First Century ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Depth Interviews

If sensationalized media reports are any indication, the men’s fashion industry has entered into an exciting phase of expansion and evolution. As the market diversifies to become increasingly vibrant and varied, prominent ready-to-wear labels continue to showcase evermore divergent and gender-blurring designs in what is celebrated as an anything-goes period in menswear. To examine whether these clothing trends and industry transitions have lasting real world implications, this research seeks to give voice to fashion-conscious male consumers - the subject of scarce qualitative scholarship. Insights gleaned from 20 in-depth interviews with young Canadian men point to contemporary shifts not only in shopping habits and tastes, but also in hegemonic masculinity. Responding to romantic assertions that there are “no rules” in twenty-first century fashion, findings examine the extent to which long withstanding Western menswear conventions prevail. Through illuminating the lived experiences of sartorially savvy males aged 19 to 29, this study uncovers how Generation Y men navigate gender norms and expectations while crafting an idiosyncratic sense of style. Ultimately, this research enriches existing industry and theoretical understandings of how young men approach fashion.

Exploring the relevancy of random and scheduled alcohol breathalyser testing in high-risk jobs within safety-sensitive work settings

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vusi Mthimkhulu ◽  
Hugo D. Van der Walt
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Alcohol Intoxication ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
Work Settings ◽  
Value Add ◽  
Viable Method

Orientation: Workplace testing is seen as a viable method in monitoring alcohol intoxication in the workplace. This article explored lived experiences of random and scheduled alcohol breathalyser testing to gain insights into meaning and understanding of the phenomenon under study.Research purpose: Random and scheduled testing are preferred techniques of assessing intoxication in the workplace. This article set to gain insights into whether behaviour can have an influence on the effectiveness of random and scheduled testing. The information can contribute to the ongoing debate on the efficacy of workplace testing and lays groundwork for future studies.Motivation for the study: Emergent data seem to suggest that the success of workplace testing in preventing alcohol and substance use in the workplace is indecisive.Research approach/design and method: A qualitative method was employed to collect data from eight alcohol-consuming individuals who performed jobs considered safety-sensitive through semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed through the application of an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).Main findings: Findings revealed incidents of alcohol intoxication within the workplace in spite of random and scheduled testing in place. There seems to be a disregard for rules that prohibit intoxication in the workplace. Money bribes seem to enable cheating on testing in the workplace. Behaviour undercuts the goal of an alcohol-free workplace.Practical implications: Behaviour stemming from on-site intoxication and cheating on alcohol tests hinders on the goal of attaining an alcohol-free workplace.Contribution/value-add: The analysis of behaviour could contribute to the ongoing debate regarding the efficacy of workplace testing.

scholarly journals The Impact of Cultural Values, Family Involvement and Health Services on Mental Health and Mental Illness

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-126
Author(s):  
Anastasia Tarnovetskaia ◽  
Linda Hopper Cook
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Asian Indian ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Willingness To Seek Help ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Impact

This paper explores the impact of cultural values, the role of the family, access to and usage of culturally acceptable health services for three distinct Canadian cultural groups. Specifically the paper examines the mind/body/spirit connection, the cultural impact of formal or informal social support, as well as access and willingness to seek help in the context of mental health among Canadian Aboriginals, Chinese and Asian Indian cultures. Three diseases that have been documented only within Canadian Aboriginal, Chinese and Asian Indian cultures are also examined. Through using examples from three separate and very distinct cultures, this paper hopes to foster a greater cross-cultural understanding of mental health and mental illness.

scholarly journals Evaluating agency-led adaptions to an evidence-based lifestyle intervention for adults with serious mental illness

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 263348952094320
Author(s):  
Kelly A Aschbrenner ◽  
Gary R Bond ◽  
Sarah I Pratt ◽  
Kenneth Jue ◽  
Gail Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Real World ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Reduction ◽  
Evidence Based Practices ◽  
Practical Advantage

Background: Limited empirical evidence exists on the impact of adaptations that occur in implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) in real-world practice settings. The purpose of this study was to measure and evaluate adaptations to an EBP (InSHAPE) for obesity in persons with serious mental illness in a national implementation in mental health care settings. Methods: We conducted telephone interviews with InSHAPE provider teams at 37 (95%) of 39 study sites during 24-month follow-up of a cluster randomized trial of implementation strategies for InSHAPE at behavioral health organizations. Our team rated adaptations as fidelity-consistent or fidelity-inconsistent. Multilevel regression models were used to estimate the relationship between adaptations and implementation and participant outcomes. Results: Of 37 sites interviewed, 28 sites (76%) made adaptations to InSHAPE ( M = 2.1, SD = 1.3). Sixteen sites (43%) made fidelity-consistent adaptations, while 22 (60%) made fidelity-inconsistent adaptations. The number of fidelity-inconsistent adaptations was negatively associated with InSHAPE fidelity scores (β = −4.29; p < .05). A greater number of adaptations were associated with significantly higher odds of participant-level cardiovascular risk reduction (odds ratio [ OR] = 1.40; confidence interval [CI] = [1.08, 1.80]; p < .05). With respect to the type of adaptation, we found a significant positive association between the number of fidelity-inconsistent adaptations and cardiovascular risk reduction ( OR = 1.59; CI = [1.01, 2.51]; p < .05). This was largely explained by the fidelity-inconsistent adaptation of holding exercise sessions at the mental health agency versus a fitness facility in the community (a core form of InSHAPE) ( OR = 2.52; 95% CI = [1.11, 5.70]; p < .05). Conclusions: This research suggests that adaptations to an evidence-based lifestyle program were common during implementation in real-world mental health practice settings even when fidelity was monitored and reinforced through implementation interventions. Results suggest that adaptations, including those that are fidelity-inconsistent, can be positively associated with improved participant outcomes when they provide a potential practical advantage while maintaining the core function of the intervention. Plain language abstract: Treatments that have been proven to work in research studies are not always one-size-fits-all. In real-world clinical settings where people receive mental health care, sometimes there are good reasons to change certain things about a treatment. For example, a particular treatment might not fit well in a specific clinic or cultural context, or it might not meet the needs of specific patient groups. We studied adaptations to an evidence-based practice (InSHAPE) targeting obesity in persons with serious mental illness made by teams implementing the program in routine mental health care settings. We learned that adaptations to InSHAPE were common, and that an adaptation that model experts initially viewed as inconsistent with fidelity to the model turned out to have a positive impact on participant health outcomes. The results of this study may encourage researchers and model experts to work collaboratively with mental health agencies and clinicians implementing evidence-based practices to consider allowing for and guiding adaptations that provide a potential practical advantage while maintaining the core purpose of the intervention.

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