scholarly journals “I’m not homosexual or heterosexual, I’m paedosexual”: exploring sexual preference for children using interpretive phenomenology

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie S. Walton ◽  
Simon Duff
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Sexual Preference ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Interpretive Phenomenology ◽  
Sexual Offences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Inherent Problem ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose There is little research that examines the experiences of individuals who were assessed as having a sexual preference for children. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the lived experience of five incarcerated participants who possessed a sexual preference for either prepubescent or pubescent children and had completed an accredited programme for males convicted of sexual offences in HM Prison Service in England and Wales. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were carried out and the data were analysed using the principles of an interpretative phenomenological approach. Findings Three recurrent themes were identified. These were: internal battle, I am always going to have these thoughts, and there is no help out there. In particular, these participants perceived that their sexual preference was relatively enduring and would require continuous management. Practical implications The results have implications for clinical practice and further research. Clinicians may need to think particularly creatively about their therapeutic plans and extend the parameters of desirable treatment goals for clients with sexual preferences for children. Originality/value To date there are very few studies that have examined the accounts of men with a sexual preference for children regarding their lived experience. Paedophilia constitutes a stable sexual preference, suggesting that convicted perpetrators with such a preference face an inherent problem. Whilst sexual urges may be regulated and arousability reduced, the underlying attraction may remain intact. In response to the lack of research in this area, the aim of this study was to investigate the lived experience of a sexual preference for children.

scholarly journals Postgraduate work-based learning: a qualitative study

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 637-649
Author(s):  
Victoria Stewart ◽  
Matthew Campbell ◽  
Sara S. McMillan ◽  
Amanda J. Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Approach ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of students and teachers who had participated in a postgraduate work-based praxis course within a Master of mental health practice qualification. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used an interpretative phenomenological approach to understand the lived experience of students and course convenors participating in a work-based praxis course. Seven students and two convenors were recruited. Interview and reflective portfolio data were analysed thematically. Findings The main themes identified were the importance of planning, the value of partnerships, the significance of learning in the workplace and how the facilitation of work-based learning differs from coursework. Originality/value Work-based learning within postgraduate coursework qualifications can support higher-level learning, knowledge and skills has received limited attention in the literature. This study supported the value of providing postgraduate students with work-based learning opportunities, resulting in the application of new or advanced skills, within their existing work roles. This study is important, because it provides insights into the student experience of postgraduate work-based learning and the impact of this learning on professional practice.

Husserl’s epoche and the way of the sword: exploring pathways into phenomenological inquiry

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-402
Author(s):  
Bradley Edward Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Continental Philosophy ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Phenomenological Inquiry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nuanced Understanding

Purpose Phenomenology is widely recognised for its power to generate nuanced understanding of lived experience and human existence. However, phenomenology is often made inaccessible to prospective researchers due to its specialised nomenclature and dense philosophical underpinnings. This paper explores the value of the researcher’s lived experience as a pathway into phenomenological inquiry. The purpose of this paper is to improve the accessibility of phenomenology as a method for qualitative analysis. It achieves this by aligning Husserl’s concept of phenomenological epoche, or bracketing of preconceptions, and the author’s lived experience as a practitioner of kendo, or Japanese fencing. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs the narrative vignette as a means of illuminating the intersections between kendo practice and the application of phenomenological epoche as it applies to the understanding of embodied sensemaking. Reflections on the narrative vignette identified a suite of techniques from kendo practice that were applied to a phenomenological approach for critical incident interviews. These techniques were then applied to 30 critical incident, semi-structured interviews as part of a PhD research project into embodied sensemaking. Findings The results from these interviews suggest that the kendo-derived techniques were effective in generating thick narratives from participants during semi-structured interviews. Examination of the results provided insights into the linkage between phenomenology as a continental philosophy and eastern perspectives such as those found within the Zen traditions and other aesthetic practices. Originality/value This research suggests that lived experience such as kendo practice can provide a ready-to-hand pathway to phenomenological inquiry.

scholarly journals The loneliness of personality disorder: a phenomenological study

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 213-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Sagan
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Transient State ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Close Study ◽  
Constituent Elements ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experience of loneliness amongst people who have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Design/methodology/approach The research used a narrative phenomenological approach. Findings The study found that the loneliness experienced amongst this group of participants was perceived to have taken root in childhood and was not a transient state. Its endurance, however, had led participants to develop a number of strategies as means by which to manage what was felt to be a deep seated painful sense of emptiness; some of these strategies were, however, risky or harmful. Research limitations/implications Limitations of the study include the absence of longitudinal data which would have offered the opportunity for the close study of how people manage the experience over time. Practical implications The study has practical implications for mental health professionals wishing to better understand the difficulties faced by individuals with the characteristics described, but it also highlights the resilience of sufferers who, while living with acute loneliness continue to explore ways of managing it. Social implications The study brings to the attention that the connectivity and sociability required and expected in today’s society emphasise the lack of lonely individuals, further stigmatising loneliness as deficit and taboo. Originality/value The paper offers a welcome addition to loneliness studies in its adherence to the phenomenological experience and offers a small corrective to the bulk of existing loneliness studies which, while valuable have been more attentive to exploring the constituent elements of loneliness than the lived experience of it.

The missing piece: an interpretative phenomenological study of the experience of unresolved infertility for women

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-39
Author(s):  
Vasiliki Anyfioti ◽  
Maria Luca
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Psychological Effects ◽  
Word Count ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Approach

This article is based on a larger interpretative phenomenological study exploring the lived experience of women who have faced unresolved infertility, and which aimed to understand and interpret the meaning of infertility, its emotional implications, and the coping mechanisms of sufferers. The five participants were women who faced primary infertility, whilst being with a partner, having undergone treatment, and who had not encountered (at least initially) other handicaps critical to their infertility. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews and the narratives were analysed using Smith’s Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA). The four superordinate themes identified were: (1) meaning of motherhood; (2) being in treatment; (3) consciously facing infertility; and (4) moving on. Due to word count limitations, this article only focuses on: “meaning of motherhood” and “consciously facing infertility”, with the intention to publish a different article to address the remaining two themes. The combination of themes was determined by considering how to wholesomely present the most essential aspects of the narrative as related to us by the participants. The themes included in this article explore how archetypical beliefs about motherhood and fertility help define cultural, societal, and personal expectations, and in turn affect the magnitude and intensity of infertility’s psychological impact. The findings emphasise the complexity of the phenomenon and how it can impinge on all aspects of life. Sufferers were found to experience complex loss, relating to their identity and self-esteem, life purpose, but also relationships and social integration. These profound psychological effects can be particularly long lasting due to the lifelong nature of the phenomenon but also the shame and secrecy surrounding it.

Employment discrimination against gender diverse individuals in Western Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trudy Bates ◽  
Cati S. Thomas ◽  
Andrew R. Timming
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Employment Discrimination ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gender Diverse ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper explores employment discrimination against gender diverse job applicants and employees in Western Australia (WA).Design/methodology/approachUsing grounded theory, this study draws on semi-structured interviews with respondents (n = 20) who identified as trans women, trans men, nonbinary or agender. Thematic analysis focused on the multiple dimensions of disadvantage experienced by respondents, including subtle, not so subtle and overt types of employment discrimination.FindingsThe authors’ results point to several reasons why gender diverse individuals (GDIs) may fear the labor market, including difficulties in concealing their stigma and acquiescence to discrimination. On the other hand, our results also point to sources of organizational support, including encouragement from direct line managers and colleagues who are also Allies.Practical implicationsThe results of the research have important implications for sociological frameworks surrounding dramaturgy, stigma, aesthetic labor, organizational silence and social identity. Practical implications for employers, employees, human resource (HR) professionals and trade unions are also articulated.Originality/valueWhereas previous studies have prioritized the discriminatory experiences of GDIs in the US and European labor markets, this study reports on gender diverse voices in WA. Furthermore, recent work on this topic has been experimental and largely quantitative, whereas the present study offers a compelling set of profound narratives, thereby addressing calls for qualitative research that foregrounds the complexities and nuances of lived experience for GDIs and renders their voices heard.

scholarly journals Unseen and unheard? Women managers and organizational learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn M. Martin ◽  
Gemma Lord ◽  
Izzy Warren-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Women Managers ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Gendered Organizations

Purpose This paper aims to use (in)visibility as a lens to understand the lived experience of six women managers in the headquarters of a large multinational organization in the UK to identify how “gender” is expressed in the context of organizational learning. Design/methodology/approach The researchers take a phenomenological approach via qualitative data collection with a purposeful sample – the six female managers in a group of 24. Data were collected through quarterly semi-structured interviews over 12 months with the themes – knowledge, interaction and gender. Findings Organizations seek to build advantage to gain and retain competitive leadership. Their resilience in a changing task environment depends on their ability to recognize, gain and use knowledge likely to deliver these capabilities. Here, gender was a barrier to effective organizational learning with women’s knowledge and experience often unseen and unheard. Research limitations/implications This is a piece of research limited to exploration of gender as other, but ethnicity, age, social class, disability and sexual preference, alone or in combination, may be equally subject to invisibility in knowledge terms; further research would be needed to test this however. Practical implications Practical applications relate to the need for organizations to examine and address their operations for exclusion based on perceived “otherness”. Gendered organizations cause problems for their female members, but they also exclude the experience and knowledge of key individuals as seen here, where gender impacted on effective knowledge sharing and cocreation of knowledge. Social implications The study offers further evidence of gendered organizations and their impacts on organizational effectiveness, but it also offers insights into the continues social acceptance of a masculinized normative model for socio-economic practice. Originality/value This exploration of gender and organizational learning offers new insights to help explain the way in which organizational learning occurs – or fails to occur – with visibility/invisibility of one group shaped by gendered attitudes and processes. It shows that organizational learning is not gender neutral (as it appears in mainstream organizational learning research) and calls for researchers to include this as a factor in future research.

scholarly journals “I kind of find that out by accident”: probation staff experiences of pharmacological treatment for sexual preoccupation and hypersexuality

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Elliott ◽  
Belinda Winder ◽  
Ellie Manby ◽  
Helen Edwards ◽  
Rebecca Lievesley
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Offence ◽  
Further Training ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sexual Offences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Community Data ◽  
Staff Experiences ◽  
Ongoing Support ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Potential Tool

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the views and experiences of probation staff working with individuals convicted of a sexual offence who have been prescribed medication to manage sexual arousal (MMSA). Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were utilised with a sample of probation staff (offender supervisors and managers, n=12), who supervise individuals convicted of a sexual offence, either in prison, or post-release in the community. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Two main themes emerged: barriers for probation staff and suspicious but hopeful. Theme 1 encapsulates factors that prevent probation staff from engaging with MMSA; theme 2 highlighted the samples’ uncertainty and mistrust of the use of medication as a potential tool for risk management and scepticism about individuals’ motivations, particularly in the community. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this study was the differing levels of knowledge the sample had about MMSA and their subsequent ability to discuss MMSA other than in a theoretical sense. Practical implications Practical implications include the need for further training for probation staff, improved collaboration between departments and ongoing support for staff to support the success of the MMSA intervention. Originality/value This study offers a novel perspective on MMSA – that of the probation staff supervising prisoners taking MMSA. This has not been explored before, and the findings and associated implications are of importance for the treatment and care of those convicted of sexual offences.

scholarly journals Sinabung volcano: how culture shapes community resilience

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-303
Author(s):  
Marta Mori ◽  
Ronan McDermott ◽  
Saut Sagala ◽  
Yasmina Wulandari
Keyword(s):  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Aid Dependency ◽  
Relief Operations ◽  
Long Term Impact ◽  
Cultural Experts ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how culture, including traditions and social structures, can influence resilience and how culturally sensitive relief operations can put affected people and their context at the core of any interventions. Design/methodology/approach A case study of the Mt Sinabung volcano area in Indonesia was undertaken. As part of the case study, an analysis of interventions was conducted, which was complemented by semi-structured interviews with Karo cultural experts and humanitarian organisations. Findings Culture influences the manner in which the Karo people react to volcano eruptions with varying implications for recovery. In addition, relief organisations which understand people’s actions through a cultural lens have better managed to tailor programs with long-term impact, thereby avoiding aid dependency. Practical implications Practical examples of disaster management activities that adequately account for the beneficiaries’ way of living prior to the eruptions are provided. Aid actors are provided with guidance concerning how to better tailor their activities in line with a cultural lens. Originality/value The study provides empirical grounding for claims concerning the role of culture in planning interventions in Indonesia and other similar contexts.

The deputy principal instructional leadership role and professional learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Leaf ◽  
George Odhiambo
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Team Building ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on a study examining the perceptions of secondary principals, deputies and teachers, of deputy principal (DP) instructional leadership (IL), as well as deputies’ professional learning (PL) needs. Framed within an interpretivist approach, the specific objectives of this study were: to explore the extent to which DPs are perceived as leaders of learning, to examine the actual responsibilities of these DPs and to explore the PL that support DP roles. Design/methodology/approach The researchers used multiple perspective case studies which included semi-structured interviews and key school document analysis. A thematic content analysis facilitated qualitative descriptions and insights from the perspectives of the principals, DPs and teachers of four high-performing secondary schools in Sydney, Australia. Findings The data revealed that deputies performed a huge range of tasks; all the principals were distributing leadership to their deputies to build leadership capacity and supported their PL in a variety of ways. Across three of the case study schools, most deputies were frequently performing as instructional leaders, improving their school’s performance through distributing leadership, team building and goal setting. Deputy PL was largely dependent on principal mentoring and self-initiated but was often ad hoc. Findings add more validity to the importance of principals building the educational leadership of their deputies. Research limitations/implications This study relied upon responses from four case study schools. Further insight into the key issues discussed may require a longitudinal data that describe perceptions from a substantial number of schools in Australia over time. However, studying only four schools allowed for an in-depth investigation. Practical implications The findings from this study have practical implications for system leaders with responsibilities of framing the deputies’ role as emergent educational leaders rather than as administrators and the need for coherent, integrated, consequential and systematic approaches to DP professional development. Further research is required on the effect of deputy IL on school performance. Originality/value There is a dearth of research-based evidence exploring the range of responsibilities of deputies and perceptions of staff about deputies’ IL role and their PL needs. This is the first published New South Wales, Australian DP study and adds to the growing evidence around perceptions of DPs as instructional leaders by providing an Australian perspective on the phenomenon. The paper raises important concerns about the complexity of the DP’s role on the one hand, and on the other hand, the PL that is perceived to be most appropriate for dealing with this complexity.

Has Lean improved organizational decision making?

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 536-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Simons ◽  
Jos Benders ◽  
Jochen Bergs ◽  
Wim Marneffe ◽  
Dominique Vandijck
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Lean Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Organizational Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Contexts ◽  
Sustainable Improvement ◽  
Care Processes ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Sustainable improvement is likely to be hampered by ambiguous objectives and uncertain cause-effect relations in care processes (the organization’s decision-making context). Lean management can improve implementation results because it decreases ambiguity and uncertainties. But does it succeed? Many quality improvement (QI) initiatives are appropriate improvement strategies in organizational contexts characterized by low ambiguity and uncertainty. However, most care settings do not fit this context. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a Lean-inspired change program changed the organization’s decision-making context, making it more amenable for QI initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – In 2014, 12 professionals from a Dutch radiotherapy institute were interviewed regarding their perceptions of a Lean program in their organization and the perceived ambiguous objectives and uncertain cause-effect relations in their clinical processes. A survey (25 questions), addressing the same concepts, was conducted among the interviewees in 2011 and 2014. The structured interviews were analyzed using a deductive approach. Quantitative data were analyzed using appropriate statistics. Findings – Interviewees experienced improved shared visions and the number of uncertain cause-effect relations decreased. Overall, more positive (99) than negative Lean effects (18) were expressed. The surveys revealed enhanced process predictability and standardization, and improved shared visions. Practical implications – Lean implementation has shown to lead to greater transparency and increased shared visions. Originality/value – Lean management decreased ambiguous objectives and reduced uncertainties in clinical process cause-effect relations. Therefore, decision making benefitted from Lean increasing QI’s sustainability.

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