Transgender inclusion and the changing face of lesbian softball leagues

2010 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 488-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Travers ◽  
Jillian Deri
Keyword(s):  
Participant Observation ◽  
Transgender Women ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Lesbian Identity ◽  
Research Participants ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Cultural Processes ◽  
Positive Experiences ◽  
Cultural Affinity ◽  
Previous Scholarship

This article examines the re-negotiation of sex-based boundaries within the context of transgender/transsexual inclusion in North American lesbian softball leagues. Semi-structured interviews with transgender participants combined with participant observation have been undertaken. We focus on the ‘climate’ ( Hall and Sandler, 1982 ) for transgender participation in lesbian softball leagues that have adopted radical (non sex-binary-based) transinclusive policies. The majority of our research participants report positive experiences of inclusion and our own observations inform us that trans participation has already changed the faces of these leagues to the extent that lesbian identity is being queered: it is shifting away, at least to some degree, from assumed biological commonality to cultural affinity. Positive experiences, however, were more uniformly reported by transgender women than by transmen. A number of transmen, while reporting experiences of inclusion, expressed both personal ambivalence about participating in lesbian sporting and non-sporting spaces and a desire for fuller inclusion in the form of sensitivity and awareness concerning the use of gendered pronouns and categorical invocations. Our study documents cultural processes of sex boundary re-negotiation. As such it builds on previous scholarship ( Travers, 2006 ) that suggests that lesbian softball leagues with non-sex-binary based transinclusive policies may offer a model for queering mainstream sporting spaces away from the socially constructed categories of the two sex system.

scholarly journals A Menstruating Taboo is Structuring and Shaping the Human Behavior in the Harvesting of Medicinal Plants in a Semiarid Landscape in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Izaquiel Alves de Siqueira ◽  
Jorge Izaquiel Alves de Siqueira ◽  
Luci de Senna-Valle ◽  
Edna Maria Ferreira Chaves ◽  
Jesus Rodrigues Lemos
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Rural Community ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Traditional Practice ◽  
Research Participants ◽  
Home Remedies ◽  
The Social

Abstract BackgroundThis article presents, from a biocultural perspective, a menstruating taboo related to the touching, harvesting and preparation of home remedies based on the use of medicinal plants in a rural community located in a semiarid landscape of Cocal municipality, Piauí state, Northeastern Brazil. MethodsMethods used include participant observation and semi-structured interviews performed with 27 local people (21 female and six male) that recognized a taboo regarding the menstruating cycle and the harvesting of medicinal plants in Franco rural community, Cocal, Piauí, Northeastern Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were used to document data regarding the profile of research participants, their perceptions about the taboo documented, as well as the social and biocultural implications of the execution of this traditional practice of prohibition. Participant observation was conducted in order to grasp a better understanding of the social and biocultural implications of the taboo. Additionally, a photographic record was kept during this stage.ResultsIt was verified in Franco rural community that female adolescents and/or women in their menstruating period were prohibited from touching, harvesting and/or preparing home remedies based on the use of medicinal plants. Research participants believed that this can cause the death of medicinal plants, or that they lose their medicinal properties. This taboo has serious social and biocultural implications locally, and can be structured firstly as maladaptive of cultural information at the individual level, as it inhibits the ability of menstruating women to take care of themselves and the health of their families, and secondly as an adaptative strategy at the group level among its users (promotes the transmission of knowledge and cooperation among its users). This traditional practice has serious positive implications for maintaining local bioculturality, sustainability of local medical systems and women's health.ConclusionThis taboo documented within the Franco community is an important informal institution with great influence on human biocultural behavior. The inclusion of these perspectives on taboos in biocultural studies offers opportunities for a greater understanding of biocultural attitudes related to interactions between the human species/biota and the environment in a complex knowledge system.

Kairotic and chronological knowing: diabetes logbooks in-and-out of the hospital

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Maria Piras
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Condition ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
The Right ◽  
Forms Of Knowledge

Purpose The paper reflects on the role of knowledge artefacts in the patient-provider relationship across the organisational boundaries of the clinical setting. Drawing on the analysis of the diabetes logbook, the purpose of this paper is to illustrate the role of knowledge artefacts in a fragmented system of knowledge through the study of two distinct practices: “logbook compiling” and “consultation in the surgery”. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical framework of analysis is rooted in the tradition of practice-based studies which envisions knowledge as the emerging, precarious and socially constructed product of being involved in a practice. The paper follows a designed qualitative research, conducting semi-structured interviews, participant observation and artefact analysis. Findings The knowledge artefacts support different and partially irreducible forms of knowledge. Knowing-in-practice is accomplished by means of different activities which contribute to the reshaping of the knowledge artefact itself. The analysis of the “knowledge artefact-in-use” reveals that different actors (doctors and patients) adopt two different perspectives when investigating the chronic condition. Clinicians are interested in a chronological representation of patient data while patients and families are interested in making sense of specific situations, adopting a kairotic perspective (Kairos: the right moment) that emphasises the instant in which something significant for someone happens. Originality/value The analysis of the knowledge artefacts-in-use has a twofold outcome. On one hand, it illustrates the mutual shaping of knowing, artefacts and practices. On the other hand, it shows how knowledge artefact can become pivotal resources in a fragmented system of knowledge.

scholarly journals Money is Easy in Paracale: Small-scale Miners' Perceptions, Strategies, and Modes of Spending and Consumption in Relation to Variable Income

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Saturay
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mining Operations ◽  
Research Participants ◽  
Production Strategies ◽  
Economic Risks

The study deals with how small-scale miners in Paracale handle and spend their income in relation to occupational conditions, especially the variable income. The research was conducted among the underground small-scale miners in Paracale, Camarines Norte, Philippines. The study mainly employed participant observation among four mining workgroups; semi-structured interviews among individual miners and other key research participants; and collection of secondary data. Study showed that mining operations are economically and technologically limited. These limitations are addressed by employing various production strategies that manage economic risks. Further, risks appear to be more calculable from the miners' perspective. The SSM income is variable and difficult to predict, both in terms of amount and tempo. Variable income entails adoption of flexible modes of spending and consumptiion snd employment of various strategies to survive the periods of low income. There are several categories of expenses, which include the regular expenses; future-oriented expenses; and leisure-related expenses. The study also confirmed the phenomenon of lavish spending among miners, which was influenced by perceptions of abundance. Strategies employed by miners in relation to variable income may be lumped intro two categories, namely: the income-generating strategies snd the spending and consumotion strategies.

Granting the privilege to grunt: Reconceptualizing the perception of grunting in gyms

2021 ◽  
pp. 101269022110201
Author(s):  
Assaf Lev ◽  
Esther Hertzog
Keyword(s):  
Symbolic Interaction ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Voluntary Action ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Sociological Research ◽  
Social Phenomenon ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Interaction Approach

For many gym goers, grunting in times of bodily exertion is perceived as a voluntary performance, a self-evident expression for which they can waive any responsibility. Drawing on a symbolic interaction approach, this paper provides a novel examination of grunting as a social phenomenon. It demonstrates the role of grunting as a social symbol and its connection to social spaces and identities, gender norms, and power relations. The scope of sociological research on grunting in times of bodily exertion is relatively limited and often relegated to the context of biomedicine. Therefore, the contribution of this paper is to address the lacuna of research that focuses on the link between grunting as a socially constructed phenomenon and its sociocultural implications. Ethnographic research was conducted for 3 years in two gyms, using a combination of participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Key findings illustrate three themes toward the role of grunting: grunting and socialization; grunting and space; and finally, grunting and situational adjustment. It is argued that grunting at the gym is socially constructed, a rational and voluntary action that is negotiated, controlled, and adjusted according to the situation.

Peregrinação Acadêmica: A mulher Romeira do Bom Jesus da Lapa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Célia Coelho Gomes da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Social Reproduction ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The West ◽  
Patriarchal Family ◽  
The Family ◽  
West Part

This work is the result of the doctoral thesis entitled Pilgrimage of Bom Jesus da Lapa: Social Reproduction of the Family and Female Gender Identity, specifically the second chapter that talks about women in the Pilgrimage of Bom Jesus da Lapa, emphasizing gender relations, analyzing the location of the pilgrimage as a social reproduction of the patriarchal family and female gender identity. The research scenario is the Bom Jesus da Lapa Pilgrimage, which has been held for 329 years, in that city, located in the West part of Bahia. The research participants are pilgrim women who are in the age group between 50 and 70 years old and have participated, for more than five consecutive years in the Bom Jesus da Lapa Pilgrimage, belonging to five Brazilian states (Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Espírito Santo and Goiás) that register a higher frequency of attendance at this religious event. We used bibliographic, qualitative, field and documentary research and data collection as our methodology; we applied participant observation and semi-structured interviews as a technique. We concluded that the Bom Jesus da Lapa Pilgrimage is a location for family social reproduction and the female gender identity, observing a contrast in the resignification of the role and in the profile of the pilgrim women from Bom Jesus da Lapa, alternating between permanence and the transformation of gender identity coming from patriarchy.

TOURISM MOBILITY AT THE SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES RIO 2016

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Cabral ◽  
Carolin Lusby ◽  
Ricardo Uvinha
Keyword(s):  
Olympic Games ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Bus Rapid Transit ◽  
Rapid Transit ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Tourist Attractions ◽  
Official Sources ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City

Sports Tourism as a segment is growing exponentially in Brazil. The sports mega-events that occurred in the period from 2007 to 2016 helped strengthen this sector significantly. This article examined tourism mobility during the Summer Olympic Games Rio 2016, hosted by the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This study expands the understanding of the relationship between tourism and city infrastructure, therefore being relevant to academics, professionals of the area and to the whole society due to its multidisciplinary field. The existence of a relationship between means of transportation and the Olympic regions as well as tourist attractions for a possible legacy was observed. Data were collected from official sources, field research and through participant-observation and semi structured interviews. Data were coded and analyzed. The results indicate that the city was overall successful in its execution of sufficient mobility. New means of transportation were added and others updated. BRT's (Bus Rapid Transit) were the main use of mass transport to Olympic sites. However, a lack of public transport access was observed for the touristic sites.

The politics of genetic technoscience for conservation: The case of blight-resistant American chestnut

2021 ◽  
pp. 251484862110249
Author(s):  
Jessica C Barnes ◽  
Jason A Delborne
Keyword(s):  
Participant Observation ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Plant Biotechnology ◽  
American Chestnut ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Neoliberal Capitalism ◽  
Political Outcomes ◽  
Genetic Technologies ◽  
Genetics And Genomics

Innovations in genetics and genomics have been heavily critiqued as technologies that have widely supported the privatization and commodification of natural resources. However, emerging applications of these tools to ecological restoration challenge narratives that cast genetic technoscience as inevitably enrolled in the enactment and extension of neoliberal capitalism. In this paper, we draw on Langdon Winner’s theory of technological politics to suggest that the context in which genetic technologies are developed and deployed matters for their political outcomes. We describe how genetic approaches to the restoration of functionally extinct American chestnut trees—by non-profit organizations, for the restoration of a wild, heritage forest species, and with unconventional intellectual property protections—are challenging precedents in the political economy of plant biotechnology. Through participant observation, interviews with scientists, and historical analysis, we employ the theoretical lens provided by Karl Polanyi’s double movement to describe how the anticipations and agency of the developers of blight-resistant American chestnut trees, combined with chestnut biology and the context of restoration, have thus far resisted key forms of the genetic privatization and commodification of chestnut germplasm. Still, the politics of blight-resistant American chestnut remain incomplete and undetermined; we thus call upon scholars to use the uneven and socially constructed character of both technologies and neoliberalism to help shape this and other applications of genetic technoscience for conservation.

scholarly journals Young children’s information-seeking practices in center-based childcare

2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062096216
Author(s):  
Sarah Barriage
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Day Care ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Information Practices ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Concept Of Information ◽  
Classroom Resources

Many children in the USA spend a significant amount of time in center-based childcare. However, research has yet to explore their information practices in this setting. This study investigates young children’s perceptions of the concept of information and their own information-seeking practices within the context of their day care classroom. The participants included 13 children between three and five years of age. Data was collected using participant observation, semi-structured interviews, child-led photo tours, and photo-elicitation interviews. The findings indicate that the children did not perceive the concept of information in a manner consistent with adult understandings of the term, and that they engaged in information-seeking related to finding out new things on their own, through interactions with others, and through classroom resources, activities, and routines. The findings have implications for both researchers and practitioners working with young children.

Family Participation in Challenger Baseball: Critical Theory Perspectives

1999 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lupe Castañ ◽  
Claudine Sherrill
Keyword(s):  
Critical Theory ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Physical Disabilities ◽  
Head Coach ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
The Social ◽  
Field Notes

The purpose was to analyze the social construction of Challenger baseball opportunities in a selected community. Participants were 10 boys and 6 girls with mental and/or physical disabilities (ages 7 to 16 years, M = 11.31), their families, and the head coach. Data were collected through interviews in the homes with all family members, participant observation at practices and games, and field notes. The research design was qualitative, and critical theory guided interpretation. Analytical induction revealed five outcomes that were particularly meaningful as families and coach socially constructed Challenger baseball: (a) fun and enjoyment, (b) positive affect related to equal opportunity and feelings of “normalcy,” (c) social networking/emotional support for families, (d) baseball knowledge and skills, and (e) social interactions with peers.

scholarly journals Traditional knowledge and uses of the Caryocar brasiliense Cambess. (Pequi) by “quilombolas” of Minas Gerais, Brazil: subsidies for sustainable management

2016 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 511-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. C. L. Pinto ◽  
L. M. O. Morais ◽  
A. Q. Guimarães ◽  
E. D. Almada ◽  
P. M. Barbosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Participant Observation ◽  
Minas Gerais ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
Soap Production ◽  
Community Data ◽  
Caryocar Brasiliense ◽  
Ecological Importance ◽  
Support Of Research ◽  
Caryocar Brasiliense Cambess

Abstract Local knowledge of biodiversity has been applied in support of research focused on utilizing and management of natural resources and promotion of conservation. Among these resources, Pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Cambess.) is important as a source of income and food for communities living in the Cerrado biome. In Pontinha, a “quilombola” community, which is located in the central region of State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, an ethnoecological study about Pequi was conducted to support initiatives for generating income for this community. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and crossing. The most relevant uses of Pequi were family food (97%), soap production (67%), oil production (37%), medical treatments (17%), and trade (3%). Bees were the floral visitors with the highest Salience Index (S=0.639). Among frugivores that feed on unfallen fruits, birds showed a higher Salience (S=0.359) and among frugivores who use fallen fruits insects were the most important (S=0.574). Borers (folivorous caterpillars) that attack trunks and roots were the most common pests cited. According to the respondents, young individuals of Pequi are the most affected by fire due to their smaller size and thinner bark. Recognition of the cultural and ecological importance of Pequi has mobilized the community, which has shown interest in incorporating this species as an alternative source of income.

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