Unintended harm: A qualitative study of “harm” upon people who inject drugs in Bangkok, Thailand

2021 ◽  
pp. 136345932110468
Author(s):  
Niphattra Haritavorn
Keyword(s):  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
People Who Inject Drugs ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Leader ◽  
Social Responses ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The People ◽  
Health Strategy ◽  
Unintended Harm

Given the highly pervasive health threats faced by people who inject drugs, harm reduction has been implemented in Thailand. Although harm reduction is a particularly effective public health strategy for reducing risky behavior, it is currently practiced with minimal understanding of unintended harm—drug policy, social exclusion, stigma, and discrimination—for people who inject drugs (PWID) in Thailand. This study aims to understanding the “unintended harm” encountered by people who inject drugs in Bangkok in their everyday lives through social interaction at all levels of society from macro, micro, and individual levels. In-depth interviews were conducted with 28 people who inject drugs in Bangkok (21 men and 7 women) and 4 people who are a nurse, a community leader, a policeman, and a family member (2 men and 2 women). The result shows that individuals, society, and politics are not separable phenomena and all produce harm upon people who inject drugs. These unintended harms on the macro, micro, and individual level are closely linked; each in their own way poses a threat to the health and well-being of people who inject drugs and embody negative social responses as the people who inject drugs become typecast as “deviants.” In conclusion, there is an urgent need to develop a “harm reduction” model that addresses unintended harm and could be integrated within the existing socio-cultural context of Thai society.

Barriers and Facilitators of HIV and Hepatitis C Care Among People Who Inject Drugs in Nairobi, Kenya: A Qualitative Study with Peer Educators

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Ludwig-Barron ◽  
Brandon L Guthrie ◽  
Loice Mbogo ◽  
David Bukusi ◽  
William Sinkele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis C ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Harm Reduction ◽  
People Who Inject Drugs ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Peer Educators ◽  
Prevention Education ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Policy Level

Abstract Background: In Kenya, people who inject drugs (PWID) are disproportionately affected by HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) epidemics, including HIV-HCV coinfections; however, few have assessed factors affecting their access to and engagement in care through the lens of harm reduction specialists. This qualitative study leverages the personal and professional experiences of peer educators to help identify HIV and HCV barriers and facilitators to care among PWID in Nairobi, including resource recommendations to improve service uptake. Methods: We recruited peer educators from two harm reduction facilities in Nairobi, Kenya, using random and purposive sampling techniques. Semi-structured interviews explored circumstances surrounding HIV and HCV service access, prevention education and resource recommendations. A thematic analysis was conducted using the Modified Social Ecological Model (MSEM) as an underlying framework, with illustrative quotes highlighting emergent themes. Results: Twenty peer educators participated, including six women, with 2 months to 6 years of harm reduction service. Barriers to HIV and HCV care were organized by (a) individual-level themes including competing needs of addiction and misinterpreted symptoms; (b) network-level themes including social isolation and drug pusher interactions; (c) community-level themes including transportation, mental and rural healthcare services, and limited HCV resources; and (d) policy-level themes including nonintegrated services, clinical administration, and law enforcement. Stigma, an overarching barrier, was highlighted throughout the MSEM. Facilitators to HIV and HCV care were comprised of (a) individual-level themes including concurrent care, personal reflections, and religious beliefs; (b) network-level themes including community recommendations, navigation services, family commitment, and employer support; (c) community-level themes including quality services, peer support, and outreach; and (d) policy-level themes including integrated services and medicalized approaches within law enforcement. Participant resource recommendations include (i) additional medical, social and ancillary support services, (ii) national strategies to address stigma and violence and (iii) HCV prevention education. Conclusions : Peer educators provided intimate knowledge of PWID barriers and facilitators to HIV and HCV care that were described at each level of the MSEM, and should be given careful consideration when developing future initiatives. Recommendations emphasized policy and community-level interventions including educational campaigns and program suggestions to supplement existing HIV and HCV services.

scholarly journals Islam and the Development of Democratic Opposition in Central Asia

ICR Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 74-91
Author(s):  
Elmira Akhmetova
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Authority Control ◽  
The People ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Central Asian Countries

This article provides a brief study of democracy in the five Central Asian countries, i.e. Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. It suggests that the expected democratisation of Central Asia failed to occur due to the regions internal conditions, which can be termed the classic colonial syndrome, in addition to several international factors. The Central Asian countries did not have the potential to find their own way in the international arena, simply maintaining their traditional Soviet way of rule under the new name of democracy. The paper also finds that the Central Asian approach to Islam at both state and individual level is a crucial tool of identity construction as well as an instrument of authority, control and suppression of political opposition. Yet, Islam played almost no role in the failure of democracy in the region. This article states that the application of instruments of democracy alone cannot make nations democratic or provide well-being and justice for the people. Democracy is about sets of values and principles aimed at achieving good governance. Thus, democracy should be considered as a tool and structure on the path of achieving societal well-being, rather than as the main objective of governance.

scholarly journals Values that Underlie and Undermine Well–Being: Variability across Countries

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florencia M. Sortheix ◽  
Shalom H. Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Openness To Change ◽  
Conservation Values ◽  
Self Transcendence ◽  
Context Shapes ◽  
Self Protection

We examined relations of 10 personal values to life satisfaction (LS) and depressive affect (DEP) in representative samples from 32/25 countries ( N = 121 495). We tested hypotheses both for direct relations and cross–level moderation of relations by Cultural Egalitarianism. We based hypotheses on the growth versus self–protection orientation and person–focus versus social–focus motivations that underlie values. As predicted, openness to change values (growth/person) correlated positively with subjective well–being (SWB: higher LS, lower DEP) and conservation values (self–protection/social) correlated negatively with SWB. The combination of underlying motivations also explained more complex direct relations of self–transcendence and self–enhancement values with SWB. We combined an analysis of the environmental context in societies low versus high in Cultural Egalitarianism with the implications of pursuing person–focused versus social–focused values to predict how Cultural Egalitarianism moderates value–SWB relations. As predicted, under low versus high Cultural Egalitarianism, (i) openness to change values related more positively to SWB, (ii) conservation values more negatively, (iii) self–enhancement values less negatively and (iv) self–transcendence values less positively. Culture moderated value–SWB relations more weakly for DEP than for LS. Culture moderated value–LS relations more strongly than the socio–economic context did. This study demonstrates how the cultural context shapes individual–level associations between values and SWB. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology

Aging and well-being in cultural context: With multiple well-being scales

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiemi Kan ◽  
Mayumi Karasawa ◽  
Shinobu Kitayama ◽  
Carol Ryff
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Well Being

Principles of a Successful Social Life, In The Light of Islamic Teachings

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 37-50
Author(s):  
Muhammad Suleman Nasir
Keyword(s):  
Social Life ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
The People ◽  
Analytical Research ◽  
Sound Foundation ◽  
Human Intellect ◽  
Islamic Society

Society means a group of people who are living together. People need society from birth to death. Without a collective life, man's deeds, intentions, and habits have no value. Islamic society is the name of a balanced and moderate life in which human intellect, customs, and social etiquette are determined in the light of divine revelation. This system is so comprehensive and all-encompassing that it covers all aspects and activities of life. Islam is a comprehensive, universal, complete code of conduct, and an ideal way of life It not only recognizes the collectiveness of human interaction. Rather, it helps in the development of the community and gives it natural principles that strengthen the community and provides good foundations for it and eliminates the factors that spoil it or make it limited and useless. The Principles of a successful social life in Islamic society seem to reflect the Islamic code of conduct and human nature. Islam is the only religion that advocates goodness and guarantees well-being. Islam gives us self-sacrifice, generosity, trust and honesty, service to the people, justice and fairness, forgiveness and kindness, good society and economy, good deeds, mutual unity, harmony, and brotherhood. Only by practicing the pure thoughts, beliefs, and unparalleled ideas of the religion of Islam, can a person live a prosperous life and he can feel real peace and lasting contentment in the moments of his life. A descriptive and analytical research methodology will be used in this study. It is concluded that for a prosperous social life it is necessary to abide by the injunction of Islamic principles, which provides a sound foundation for a successful social life here in the world and hereafter.

Foundations From Quantum Physics for a Normative Theory of Administration and Governance

Public Voices ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
R. Philip Brown
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Quantum Physics ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Normative Theory ◽  
The People ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
Prime Meridian ◽  
Organizational Purpose ◽  
Organizing Principles

The modem American ethos is a brand of Lockean individualism gone wrong that now embraces rapacious self-interest as its prime meridian. A new ethicalmodel is necessary to combat this radical, soulless, and excessively particularistic form of individualism. The author proposes a journeyman philosophy of organization and governance for citizen and administrative practitioner alike based upon concepts from quantum theory. This normative model of administration, called authentic individualism, has certain ramifications for a more reflexive, creative and unorthodox approach to public administration. All institutions and organizations are systems guided by general organizing principles that should discard the humans as a resource model, make employee well-being an organizational purpose, encourage humans toward a sense of moral meaning in life and work, recognize legitimate leadership as emerging from the people who make up the organization, and fulfill obligations to the community that supports them and makes them successful.

Becoming the Demon Woman

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Faxneld
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Silent Film ◽  
Femme Fatale ◽  
Individual Level

Chapter9 analyses individuals who, both on and off the stage, actively assumed the role of the demon woman. Three persons are considered in detail: Sarah Bernhardt, the Italian marchioness Luisa Casati, and silent film actress Theda Bara. They chose—or, in Bara’s case, were chosen—to embody the (more or less supernatural or occult) femme fatale, as constructed mostly by male authors and artists. Seemingly, they felt this was empowering or useful for commercial, subversive, or other purposes. The analysis attempts to tease out some of the implications this enactment of a disquieting stereotype had on an individual level as well as in a broader cultural context. This also applies to the unknown women who wore jewellery depicting devils, demons, or Eve—a rebellious token clearly drawing on motifs familiar from Satanic feminism.

Parenting and the Prosocial Behaviors of Children Across Cultures

2019 ◽  
pp. 162-178
Author(s):  
Maria Rosario T. de Guzman ◽  
Aileen S. Garcia ◽  
Irene O. Padasas ◽  
Bernice Vania N. Landoy
Keyword(s):  
Parenting Styles ◽  
Family Life ◽  
Parenting Practices ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Prosocial Behaviors ◽  
Inductive Discipline ◽  
Parenting Dimensions

A large body of empirical work has shown the role that parenting plays in the development of prosocial behaviors of children. Parenting styles (e.g., democratic versus authoritarian) and parenting practices (e.g., inductive discipline versus guilt-shame induction) in particular have been empirically linked to prosocial behaviors as well as numerous other well-being indicators in children. What is less understood is the role that culture and cultural context might play in the parenting-prosocial nexus. This chapter explores the contributions of culture comparative and in-depth cultural studies of parenting and children’s prosocial behaviors. These studies extend the range of variability of parenting dimensions and contexts as they relate to children’s prosocial outcomes – providing a means of testing the generalizability of theory in a wider range of settings, as well as in identifying facets of parenting and family life that may otherwise be neglected in current scholarship. Collectively, studies support traditional socialization theories and show how numerous parenting dimensions are linked to prosocial outcomes in children in several cultural communities. Nonetheless, emerging research suggests culturally embedded processes that impact upon the parenting and prosocial link - meriting closer attention for future scholarship.

scholarly journals Evidence-Based Landscape Architecture for Human Health and Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Brown ◽  
Robert C. Corry
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Landscape Architecture ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
The People ◽  
Outdoor Environments ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Health And Well Being

More than 80% of the people in the USA and Canada live in cities. Urban development replaces natural environments with built environments resulting in limited access to outdoor environments which are critical to human health and well-being. In addition, many urban open spaces are unused because of poor design. This paper describes case studies where traditional landscape architectural design approaches would have compromised design success, while evidence-based landscape architecture (EBLA) resulted in a successful product. Examples range from school-yard design that provides safe levels of solar radiation for children, to neighborhood parks and sidewalks that encourage people to walk and enjoy nearby nature. Common characteristics for integrating EBLA into private, public, and academic landscape architecture practice are outlined along with a discussion of some of the opportunities and barriers to implementation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document