scholarly journals The Voices of Male Nurses in Kerala: Career Choice and Satisfaction

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-126
Author(s):  
Cinoj George ◽  
Feyza Arman Bhatti

There are more male nurses than ever before in India. While there is a large number of studies that focus on the differences in working conditions between male and female nurses and perceptions towards male nurses in western contexts, these studies are almost non-existent in highly patriarchal contexts like India. Utilising twenty semi-structured interviews with male nurses in three cities of Kerala, geospatially located in South India, this research aims at exploring the reasons why male nurses select the profession and their gendered experiences during their career paths. The research argues that male nurses select the profession for increasing their chances to migrate to industrialised countries like Australia and the United Kingdom. However, they face various social and work-related impediments in their career, which include negative perceptions of families and others towards the profession, the discrimination faced in terms of occupational segregation at the workplace, negative perceptions towards their manhood and the difficulties in finding a bride. Male nurses, if unsuccessful in migrating abroad, are not committed to remaining in the profession, particularly after their “shelf-lives” are over. In this case, they are highly likely to move to other professions or migrate to second-option countries in the Middle East. This emerges as a concern for India which is in dire need of nurses and highlights that Indian and State governments need to take prompt actions that would eliminate the stereotypes concerning male nurses, improve the working conditions and reduce discrimination towards male nurses, and in general to include more men in mainstream nursing.

2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-92
Author(s):  
Beatrice S Harper

This article presents the results of a survey that was carried out among UK and German professional classical musicians between November 2000 and April 2001. The UK Musicians’ Union and the German musicians’ union, the Deutsche Orchester Vereinigung (DOV), assisted greatly with the duplication and distribution of the questionnaires. Selected results have been disseminated to the respondents via the UK Musicians’ Union journal, Musician. A full report will appear in Cultural Trends, to be published in 2002 by the Policy Studies Institute, London. The survey covered many aspects of musicians’ perceptions of occupational health and safety, the provision of appropriate information, their general working conditions, and their health. One of the main aims was to bring to the forefront a discussion of musicians’ working conditions and to raise awareness of the range of problems that exist. Key findings identify areas of concern to the respondents, in particular, regarding the environmental conditions of their workplaces. Additionally, findings indicate the use and effectiveness of the measures used by musicians to ameliorate a range of occupational hazards. This article also reports the respondents’ hearing problems, and which medical and alternative practitioners the sample consulted in cases of work-related ill health. The contrasting structure of the profession determined the choice of the United Kingdom and Germany for this study. The UK classical music workforce is predominantly freelance, whereas in Germany there are relatively few freelance musicians, and most orchestral musicians have the status of local government employees. One of the aims of the survey was to elicit information that might indicate whether such different conditions of employment affect the working lives of musicians. This article is organized in two parts. The first part places this survey in context and discusses the particular range of health problems highlighted by the respondents. The second part presents the survey and its findings.


Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Nora Schröder ◽  
Ann-Christin Kordsmeyer ◽  
Volker Harth ◽  
Stefanie Mache

BACKGROUND: The increasing globalization and the advances in communication technology have expedited the formation of virtual teams. The geographical distribution of virtual team members entails significant changes in working conditions. There is limited knowledge about the demands and resources virtual team members experience and how these can affect their mental health. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify the work-related psychological demands and resources of virtual team members. METHODS: 14 semi-structured interviews with virtual team members were conducted. Study participants were recruited based on the gatekeeper principle and the snowball principle. The interviewees were asked about self-perceived job demands and resources of virtual teamwork. The interviews were analyzed according to Mayring’s structuring content analysis. RESULTS: Based on the qualitative analysis, the following job demands were explored among virtual team members: challenges due to permanent availability, technical conditions, and communication issues with other virtual team members. Job-related resources among virtual team members were also identified and are reflected in increased autonomy, flexibility and improved compatibility of private and professional working life. CONCLUSION: This study contributes to the understanding of the specific working conditions of virtual team members and identified job demands and resources of virtual teamwork. In addition, this study can be used as a basis for further quantitative investigations.


2021 ◽  
pp. 102425892110284
Author(s):  
Mathew Johnson ◽  
Jill Rubery ◽  
Matthew Egan

This article critically analyses a major trade union initiative in the United Kingdom to raise standards in public contracts for domiciliary care, and in turn to improve wages and working conditions for outsourced care workers. The campaign successfully built alliances with national employer representatives, and around 25 per cent of commissioning bodies in England, Scotland and Wales have signed a voluntary charter that guarantees workers an hourly living wage, payment for travel time and regular working hours. The campaign overall, however, has had only limited effects on standards across the sector, in which low wages, zero-hours contracts and weak career paths predominate. Furthermore, the campaign has not yet yielded significant gains in terms of union recruitment, although there are signs of sporadic mobilisations of care workers in response to localised disputes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 943-959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waheed Hammad ◽  
Saeeda Shah

Muslim faith schools have been existent in the UK since the 1980s and their number has been rising ever since. These schools are established specifically to provide Muslim children with a learning environment based on Islamic values. However, fulfilling such a mission would not be an easy task in a globalised context characterised by secularism and materialism. The study reported in this paper sought to explore the leadership experiences and challenges as perceived by the head teachers of Muslim schools in the UK. The study employed a qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews with a sample of head teachers from four Muslim schools in London and Nottingham. The findings revealed that although the participating head teachers were proud of their role as leaders of Muslim schools, they faced significant challenges in their practice of leadership within British secular society. While some of these challenges were general in nature such as parental expectations and lack of support from Muslim community, other challenges were more practical and mission related such as negative perceptions among the wider society, issues in developing Muslim identity among students in a secular society, recruitment of qualified Muslim teachers and financial challenges.


2008 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 643-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stella Mills

Integrated electronic marine systems are becoming part of the numerous screens which are to be found on ships' bridges and in wheelhouses of fishing vessels. This paper continues previous work which has focussed on perceived safety aspects of integrated electronic marine systems, in particular, a small study completed within the last two years which showed that some fishing skippers had negative perceptions of integrated electronic marine systems. This present study uses semi-structured interviews with skippers in the United Kingdom fishing fleet to show that integrated electronic marine systems can be perceived as increasing safety as well as being of good value in terms of need and cost. It is possible that such perceptions are dependent on experiencing the use of integrated electronic marine systems within off-shore trawling.


2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232199204
Author(s):  
Hester Hockin-Boyers ◽  
Megan Warin

The appropriate form, regularity, and intensity of exercise for individuals recovering from eating disorders is not agreed upon among health care professionals or researchers. When exercise is permitted, it is that which is mindful, embodied, and non-competitive that is considered normative. Using Canguilhem’s concepts of “the normal and the pathological” as a theoretical frame, we examine the gendered assumptions that shape medical understandings of “healthy” and “dysfunctional” exercise in the context of recovery. The data set for this article comes from longitudinal semi-structured interviews with 19 women in the United Kingdom who engaged in weightlifting during their eating disorder recovery. We argue that women in recovery navigate multiple and conflicting value systems regarding exercise. Faced with aspects of exercise that are pathologized within the eating disorder literature (such as structure/routine, body transformations, and affect regulation), women re-inscribe positive value to these experiences, thus establishing exercise practices that serve them.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 233
Author(s):  
Verónica Iñiguez-Gallardo ◽  
Fabián Reyes-Bueno ◽  
Olga Peñaranda

The perceptions and values that local communities have towards protected areas are of great value for the improvement of these territories’ management. Such perceptions and values are often absent in the conservation planning process, particularly in those privately protected areas that are established in areas where the land tenure system is based not only on ownership but also on customary uses. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and members of communities surrounding a privately protected area in southern Ecuador, we identify that the level of collaboration with the managers, the distance to the protected area, the percentage of untitled land, and the dependence on the resources (customary uses) are among the variables affecting these perceptions and values. Positive perceptions towards protected areas and naturalistic values are developed among those who collaborate with the protected area managers, whereas negative perceptions, and a mix of naturalistic and biospheric values are developed among those who have a sense of a lack of attention to social needs although supporting nature conservation at the same time. The evidence presented shows the importance of matching local peoples’ expectations with conservation goals during the establishment of a protected area.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 193.1-194
Author(s):  
K. Koutsogianni ◽  
F. Asimakopoulou ◽  
E. Repa ◽  
I. Papadakis ◽  
M. Chatziioannou ◽  
...  

Background:EULAR recommendations emphasize the importance of suitable working conditions for people with Rheumatic diseases (RD). Thus, opportunities and choices at work need to be increased for people with rheumatic diseases. Conversely, the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the working population and particularly those with chronic conditions, such as those with RD. However, there is still a lack of reliable data.Objectives:To depict contemporary real-life data regarding the work-related burden of disease among Greek patients with RD. To develop a White Paper with proposals to the State in order to facilitate people with rheumatic diseases to rejoin or be retained in the work force.Methods:A 24-item quantitative questionnaire was uploaded in the website and social media of REUMAZEIN to capture patients’ responses in respect to work life. The questionnaire was online accessible for a 45-day period (15/8-30/9/2020).Results:The responses of 503 adult people with RD (M/F/NA 94/408/1), were available for analysis. Their age was stratified in decades (18-20 0.6%,21-30 5.99%, 31-40 22.36%, 41-50 38.92%, 51-60 22.16% and over 60 9.58%); totally, 83.44% were in the “work-reproductive” period. The predominant RD types were RA 30.3%, SLE 22.8%, AS 20.2% and PsA 20.2%, respectively. Nearly 90% were on medication, namely 40% on biologics, 33% on methotrexate (as a monotherapy or combined therapy), 16.2% on steroids. A minority were either on alternative therapies (2.8%) or off medication (7.5%), respectively. Most of the people were still employed (72.9%) on a full-time schedule (57.7%) and 4.8% on a part-time one, due to their RD. The rest of them (27.1%) were out of work either due to RD (17%) or retirement (1.7%) or for unrelated to the RD reasons (8.4%). The main source of financial income was personal work (52.4%), followed by a family member support (31.1%), while 11% had either a state pension (8%) or a subsidy (3.2%). In respect to the daily house-keeping, half of them (59.3%) had a varying difficulty (mild 36.3%, severe 23%) and 0.8% considered themselves as “unable”. The diagnosis was mostly established (81%) prior to the work onset. Post-diagnosis, RD had not affected their working schedule in 47.2%, 17% continued to work with respective adaptations but 30% had quitted or resigned from their work 1-7 years later. RD was notified to the work environment by 85%. As for a compassionate work management, 46% reported no change, 28% an improved policy but 28% a worse one. The development of relative adaptations in the work setting (as chairs, devices, flexible schedule) were considered as favorite factors easing the work by 85%. 17% reported an employer’s knowledge on RD related working legislation, 43% the contrary and another 38.7% wished for a future employer’s awareness. Most of the participants (58.9%) had no personal information on this field but were eager to get it. The uneventful impact of RD on finding or keeping a job was registered by 77.4% and 66.9%, respectively. During COVID, most of the participants (53%) have not asked for an RD-related leave and only 24.2% chose to telework, a policy that raised mutual satisfaction in 19%. Of note, the working conditions have not mainly been altered (67%) after the end of the 1st quarantine.Conclusion:This study highlighted that although RD predominate in females, women are more willing to participate in such projects (F 90%). The financial income was mainly based on a personal or a family member work reimbursement (83%), while 11% depended on a state pension or subsidy. The majority has notified the RD to their work environment (85%) while another 85% considered as favorite factors easing the work, several adaptations in the work setting such as chairs, devices, flexible schedule etc. Interestingly, 60% of the participants were unaware of the beneficial legal work rights and nearly 70% of them believe that RD is an obstacle for employment or working maintenance. COVID has not dramatically impaired their work life although the use of teleworking should be strengthened.Disclosure of Interests:None declared.


Ethnicities ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 146879682110018
Author(s):  
Sheymaa Ali Nurein ◽  
Humera Iqbal

Young Black Muslim Women (BMW) have complex, intersectional identities and exist at the margins of various identity groupings. Given this, members of the community can face societal relegation across, not only race and gender lines, but across religious ones, too. This paper explores the lived experiences of intragroup discrimination, identity and belonging in 11 young Black Muslim Women in the United Kingdom. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants and thematically analysed through the lens of intersectionality. The use of an intersectional framework facilitated an understanding of the manner in which the sample was multiply marginalised. Two key themes emerged from the interviews: firstly, around experiences of intragroup and intersectional discrimination and, secondly, around the challenges of responding to and coping with the negative effects of such discrimination. Participants discussed the cross-cutting nature through which they faced discrimination: from within the Black community; from within the Muslim community; and as a result of their gender. The non-exclusivity of these three identities result in constant encounters of discrimination along different dimensions to their personal identity. They also developed diverse means of coping with this marginalisation including drawing from religious beliefs and mobile identifications, i.e. performing different aspects of their identities in different contexts. The present study contributes to existing knowledge in its focus on an under-researched group and emphasises the negative effects of intragroup discrimination. The paper importantly highlights the diversity within the Black community and considers the (in)visibility of Black Muslim Women within society.


Dementia ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 147130122199050
Author(s):  
Elizabeth L Dalgarno ◽  
Vincent Gillan ◽  
Amy Roberts ◽  
Jean Tottie ◽  
David Britt ◽  
...  

Background In the United Kingdom, there is a current priority for high-quality dementia care provided at home. However, home care or domiciliary care is an area where problems have been reported, in terms of a lack of consistency, coordination and appropriate responses to the specific needs of those with dementia. The views of informal carers, who often must respond to these problems when supporting relatives, are crucial in shedding light on the issues and in seeking to promote solutions. Methods This study explored the views of informal carers of those with dementia concerning home care, through a consultation using an electronic survey. The survey questions were designed by informal carers, through a public involvement group within an existing programme of dementia research. The survey elicited responses from 52 informal carers in 2017/18. The data were analysed qualitatively using framework analysis. Findings Carers’ views focused on the need for investment into meaningful personalisation, recognising the value of providing care and valuing formal carers, systemic failings of care coordination and provision and the importance of ongoing collaboration and care planning. Conclusion Based on a framework drawn from the views of informal carers themselves, this study articulated issues of concern for home care and its delivery for people with dementia. Attempts should be made to make dementia home care more consistently personalised, inclusive and collaborative with informal carers and key others involved. Further areas to explore include working conditions of formal carers and current models utilised in homecare provision.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document