Reconceptualising emotional capital and intimacy using a sociological lens: the Authentic Revolution

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreea Nica
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Relationship ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Authentic Movement ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Us ◽  
Emotional Capital

Sociologists and public health scholars have called attention to the rise of social isolation and loneliness in the US. Considering these developments, it is vital to extend the sociological imagination to better understand the forms of meaningful connection and social relationship characteristics sought by individuals. The growing Authentic Movement represents a series of decentralised social groups in the US and abroad that focus on Authentic Relating and Circling Practices. This ethnographic research combines semi-structured interviews and participant observation techniques to examine how these groups promote and allow for participants to explore concepts of emotion intimacy and alternative ways to form authentic connections with others in psychologically safe and (semi-) structured environments. In addition, the research aims to explore how these communities specifically address the rising trends and social problem of social isolation and limited meaningful (emotional) connection with others.

scholarly journals The art and science of priority-setting: assessing the value of Public Health England’s Prioritization Framework

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Maniatopoulos ◽  
D J Hunter ◽  
J Gray
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Priority Setting ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Adoption Process ◽  
Early Adopter ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Prioritization Framework

ABSTRACT Background Findings are presented from the evaluation of Public Health England’s (PHE) Prioritization Framework (PF) aimed to assist local authority commissioners with their public health investment and disinvestment decisions. The study explored the take up of the PF in three early adopter local authority settings. Methods Semi-structured interviews (n = 30) across three local authorities supplemented by participant observation of workshops. Results Participants acknowledged that the PF provided a systematic means of guiding priority-setting and one that encouraged transparency over investment and disinvestment decisions. The role performed by PHE and its regional teams in facilitating the process was especially welcomed and considered critical to the adoption process. However, uptake of the PF required a significant investment of time and commitment from public health teams at a time when resources were stretched. The impact of the political environment in the local government was a major factor determining the likely uptake of the PF. Ensuring committed leadership and engagement from senior politicians and officers was regarded as critical to success. Conclusions The study assessed the value and impact of PHE’s PF tool in three early adopter local authorities. Further research could explore the value of the tool in aiding investment and disinvestment decisions and its impact on spending.

scholarly journals From deliberative dialogue to impact: envisioning kmowledge translation

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
O Hobden ◽  
R A J Borst ◽  
A Al-Metleq ◽  
M O Kok
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Research Impact ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Research Knowledge ◽  
Deliberative Dialogue ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Scenario Approach

Abstract Background The previous decades of research have contributed tremendously to the improvement of health. Nonetheless, problems remain regarding the use and relevance of public health research. Knowledge translation methods, such as deliberative dialogues, are believed to increase the use and relevance of such research. However, little is known about how they increase the impact of public health research. This study sought to trace the impact of deliberative dialogues through an actor-scenario approach. Actor-scenario mapping asks key actors to describe how and by whom research findings may potentially be used. This allows for constructing more concrete action plans. Methods This study used a qualitative case-study design with semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and a survey. The study focused on a Jordanian deliberative dialogue organised in April 2019. Interviews were conducted with 15 key stakeholders before and after the dialogue. Observations and surveys were collected during the dialogue. An abductive approach to thematic analysis was used to arrive at key themes for the report. Results The results show that dialogue participants found it difficult to propose concrete scenarios for action. They described that the sensitive nature of some research topics impairs action. Additionally, participants proposed that research funding should be earmarked for concrete actions. Overall, their scenarios proposed that high-level decision makers maintain involved in the knowledge to action process. Some participants mentioned that the articulation of scenarios for action contributes to research impact, since researchers usually do not engage with potential users. Conclusions Actor-scenario mapping is an innovative way of understanding how deliberative dialogues increase the impact of public health research. This scenario approach can inform the organisation of deliberative dialogues by actors such as EVIPNet. Key messages Actor-scenario mapping can trace the impact of deliberative dialogues. The scenario approach can better align the dialogues with policy and practice.

War and Health

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Military Families ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
The Public ◽  
Us Military ◽  
The People ◽  
The Us ◽  
Drone Strikes

War affects human lives and public health far beyond the battlefield, long after combat ceases. Based on ethnographic research by anthropologists, healthcare workers, social workers, and activists, these chapters cover a range of subjects from maternal health in Afghanistan, to the public health effects of US drone strikes in Pakistan, to Iraq’s deteriorating cancer care system, to the struggles of US military families to recover from combat-related trauma, among other topics. With a spotlight on the US-led wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan, started ostensibly to root out terrorism, the book argues that the terror and wounds of war have no clear resolution for the people who experience it, and for the communities where battles are fought.

scholarly journals Exploring the ‘Spoiled’ and ‘Celebrated’ Identities of Young and Homeless Drug Users

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Hoolachan
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Housing Situation ◽  
Symbolic Interactionist ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Supported Accommodation

Young people experiencing homelessness and who use drugs are vulnerable to being attributed with ‘spoiled identities’ due to stigmatising attitudes by wider society. This article is underpinned by a symbolic interactionist account of self-identity and stigma. It draws upon ethnographic research in a UK-based supported accommodation hostel for young people and explores how the residents in the hostel related to the labels of ‘homeless,’ ‘drug user’ and ‘youth’ and how these were expressed through their self-identities. Over a period of seven months, in-depth participant-observation, semi-structured interviews and a focus group were conducted involving 22 hostel residents, aged 16 to 21 years old. The data highlight how the residents engaged in processes of ‘distancing’ or ‘othering’ by making disparaging remarks about other people in similar situations based on stereotyping. These processes reinforced spoiled identities while enabling the residents to disassociate from them. However, residents also appeared to embrace and celebrate certain features of each label, indicating an acceptance of these more positive features as forming a part of their self-identities. The article concludes by arguing for a nuanced approach to understanding stigma and identity among homeless people, one that accounts for more than just a person’s housing situation.

scholarly journals Experience of radiotherapy in head and neck

2019 ◽  
Vol 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhiancarlo Rocha MACEDO ◽  
Anna Claúdia Yokoyama dos ANJOS
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Adverse Reactions ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Negative Experience ◽  
Multiprofessional Team ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
The Social

Abstract Objective: The aim of this manuscript was to understand and describe the experience of radiotherapy on the perspective of a woman with oral cancer. Methods: This is a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study, with theoretical reference of medical anthropology and instrumental case study methodology. Data collection was performed in the oncology sector of a public university hospital in the Southeast region of Brazil, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil and at the participant’s residence, during from March to August, 2016. The case selected was of a female patient, diagnosed with Spinocellular Carcinoma in oral cavity, submitted to radiotherapy. Five semi-structured interviews and participant observation were performed and audio-taped. Results: Three thematic units are presented: the radiotherapy trajectory, family support and refuge in God and the importance of the multiprofessional team. The adverse reactions such as odynophagia, dysgeugia and weight loss were the ones that stood out the most, being causes of the social isolation of the participant, nonetheless the patient showed optimism and hope, despite the social isolation. Conclusion: The qualitative methodology allowed the whole trajectory of radiotherapy follow-up which made it possible to understand the treatment experience from the perspective of the participant. Despite the adverse reactions, no negative experience with radiotherapy was found. New studies using the qualitative methodology are suggested with groups presenting similar characteristics of the participant, thus providing a better understanding of the topic addressed, as well as the identification and adoption of strategies that aim at improving care and the quality of life of this population, as well.

Portrait of a Human Smuggler

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriella E. Sanchez
Keyword(s):  
Participant Observation ◽  
Border Crossings ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Empirical Inquiry ◽  
The Us ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Violent Men ◽  
Migration Flows ◽  
And Gender

The hypervisibility of contemporary migration flows has generated significant interest in human smugglers, and reports of their activities are ubiquitous. Smugglers as facilitators of irregular migration are most often characterized as young and violent men from the Global South organized in criminal networks who are responsible for the tragic journeys of migrants around the world. Yet despite their frequent appearance in dramatic migration accounts, smugglers have hardly been the subject of empirical inquiry, which has led to the prevalence of male-centred, racialized, and classist characterizations of their activities. This chapter, drawing from structured interviews and participant observation conducted among twelve women charged with human smuggling offences and twenty-five women who travelled with smuggling facilitators in the US states of Arizona and Utah, situates the narratives of smuggling and its intersections with race, class, and gender in the facilitation of border crossings along the US–Mexico border.

scholarly journals Volunteer street patrols: responsibilised and motivated volunteering in community safety

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Westall
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Community Safety ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supportive Function ◽  
Volunteer Motivations

Purpose This paper aims to contribute towards our knowledge and understanding of volunteer street patrols working within community safety and pluralised policing. Through the increased responsibilisation of communities and individuals, volunteers are taking to the streets to help others in need and support the community safety infrastructure. The example of volunteer street patrols is used to explore the motivations of individuals participating in the local delivery of community safety and policing. Design/methodology/approach This research is drawn from ethnographic research consisting of 170 hours of participant observation on the streets of a northern UK city, Manchester, supported by 24 semi-structured interviews with volunteers and stakeholders who participate in a street patrol and those working alongside them. Findings Using a three-paradigm perspective for volunteer motivations, the themes altruism, civil connection and volunteering for leisure are applied to explore volunteer motivations. Through their actions, volunteers in the street patrol are motivated volunteers who can offer an additional and important resource within the local community safety and pluralised policing infrastructure. Originality/value This paper highlights volunteer street patrols offer a caring and supportive function to people in need on the street, one in support of the police and other agencies. It contributes to the growing understanding of those who volunteer in policing and community safety landscapes. As responsibilised citizens, they have an increased awareness of social problems. They are motivated individuals who wish to create and maintain safety and play an important role in policing the night-time economy.

Exploring the Information Context at the Pride Library at the University of Western Ontario

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Participant Observation ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Unique Information ◽  
The University ◽  
Unobtrusive Observation

This poster examines the unique information context fostered at the Pride Library at the University of Western Ontario, focusing on patrons and patron activities. From January to April 2011, the researcher conducted ethnographic research at the Pride Library including: participant observation, unobtrusive observation, semi-structured interviews and photography.Cette affiche examine le contexte d’information unique qu’offre la bibliothèque Pride à l’University of Western Ontario, en se concentrant sur les usagers et leurs activités. De janvier à avril 2011, les chercheurs ont mené une étude ethnographique à la bibliothèque, comprenant l’observation des usagers, l’observation non intrusive, des entrevues semi structurées et des photographies.

scholarly journals MIGRATION, MOBILITY, AND PURSUIT OF GOOD OLD AGES: NARRATIVES OF OLDER PUERTO RICAN ADULTS WHO MIGRATE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S712-S713
Author(s):  
Brooke V Jespersen
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Puerto Ricans ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Late Life ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Migration Patterns ◽  
Migrant Populations ◽  
The Us ◽  
Residential Context ◽  
Alternative Good

Abstract Migration research has articulated “regimes of mobility,” or multi-scalar movements (within and across households, communities, and borders) that are interconnected and embedded in unequal power relations. Research on late-life migration has been limited by: (1) simplistic conceptualizations of mobility as adaptive or traumatic; and (2) a focus on transnationalism. The migration of older adults between Puerto Rico and US mainland presents a new frontier for examining mobility in aging. Puerto Rico’s population is rapidly aging and out-migrating. Moreover, as US citizens, Puerto Ricans experience no legal restrictions on migration typical of transnationalism. Yet little is known about their migration patterns and associated narrated meanings. I conducted semi-structured interviews and participant observation among older Puerto Ricans who migrated to the US mainland in late-life. Preliminary findings suggest that older Puerto Ricans negotiate competing definitions of “good” old ages based on residential context. They report migrating to the mainland to pursue “good” old ages defined in material terms, namely access to social and medical services. Post-migration, however, older Puerto Ricans report experiences of confinement and loneliness, due to language barriers and familial separation. In narrating hopes for the future, they describe an alternative “good” old age in Puerto Rico, emphasizing belonging and familial connection. As older Puerto Ricans negotiate multiple definitions of “good” old ages through circular mobility, the social and economic inequalities which first necessitated migration reproduce disadvantage in the new location. This study highlights the need to conceptualize multi-scalar mobilities that intersect with inequality to shape aging among migrant populations.

scholarly journals Shifting the Gravity of Spending: Assessing the impact of PHE’s Prioritisation Framework

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
G Maniatopoulos ◽  
D J Hunter ◽  
J Gray
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Environment ◽  
Adoption Process ◽  
Early Adopter ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Findings are presented from the evaluation of Public Health England’s (PHE) new Prioritisation Framework (PF) conducted between September 2017 and December 2018 aimed to help local authority commissioners with their public health investment and disinvestment decisions. The study explored the take up of the PF in three early adopter local authority settings. Methods Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews (n = 30) across three local authorities supplemented by participant observation of workshops and data concerning the implementation process as well as spend and outcomes both before and, where possible, after using the PF. Results Participants acknowledged that the PF provided a systematic way to guide prioritisation decisions and one that encouraged transparency over investment and disinvestment decisions. The role performed by PHE and its regional teams in facilitating the process was especially welcomed and considered to be critical to the adoption process. However, uptake of the PF required a significant investment of time and commitment from public health teams at a time when resources were stretched. The impact of the political environment in local government was a major factor determining the likely uptake of the PF. Ensuring committed leadership and engagement from senior politicians and officers was regarded as critical to success. Conclusions The study assessed the value of the PF and the processes surrounding its implementation and use. Further research could further explore the value of the tool in aiding investment and disinvestment decisions and its impact on spending. Key messages The PF provides a platform for engaged and informed deliberation about priorities and does so in an open, structured and transparent manner. Organisational and political context in which prioritisation occur shape the adoption of the PF tool.

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