scholarly journals Risk and the Midwife: a Descriptive and Interpretive Examination of the Referral for Obstetric Consultation Practices and Attitudes of New Zealand Midwives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Joan Pius Skinner
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Critical Realism ◽  
Western Society ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Philosophical Approach ◽  
Complex Concept ◽  
The Social ◽  
Probabilistic Nature ◽  
The Relationship

<p><b>Risk is a dominant discourse in current formations of Western society. This thesisexamines how risk is expressed in New Zealand midwifery by investigating bothmidwives’ actions and midwives’ attitudes. Risk is a complex concept and theoreticalapproaches to it come from a variety of perspectives. The techno rational approachstresses the quantifiable and probabilistic nature of risk; the social and culturalapproaches are varied and stress the cultural embeddedness and valueladennature ofrisk and its expression. Midwives must deal with risk from multiple and sometimesconflicting perspectives.</b></p> <p>The philosophical approach of critical realism, which proposes that knowledge shouldbe explored through multiple lenses and that knowledge is both fallible andemancipatory, provides the ontological and methodological support for the study. Anational survey of midwives’ practices and attitudes was undertaken in 2001,followed by six focus group discussions with midwives in a variety of settings.</p> <p>The findings of the research reveal that midwives are both constrained by and act inresistance to risk. A model of midwifery is developed which illustrates the findings.</p> <p>The model is a threeleggedbirth stool, a birth stool for the midwife to sit on, ratherthan for the mother. The seat of the stool is called ‘being with women’. This conceptis central for New Zealand midwives, as they do not exclude women with risk factorsfrom their care. They continue to provide care when risk is identified and whenobstetricians need to be involved. The relationship they have with women is pivotal.</p> <p>The legs of the birth stool, which help give support to ‘being with women’, are:‘being a professional’, ‘working the system’ and ‘working with complexity’. Thestruts of the stool are ‘storytelling’, which help to keep the stool secure and stable.</p> <p>Midwives can use the stool as a tool to reflect on practice and to keep them connectedto women. The stool can assist them in putting risk and its management into actionand into perspective. Educators can use the stool to develop integrated and competentnew midwives; managers can use it to provide systems that support the midwife;researchers can attend to areas of the birth stool that are less well understood.</p>

scholarly journals Risk and the Midwife: a Descriptive and Interpretive Examination of the Referral for Obstetric Consultation Practices and Attitudes of New Zealand Midwives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Joan Pius Skinner
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Critical Realism ◽  
Western Society ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Philosophical Approach ◽  
Complex Concept ◽  
The Social ◽  
Probabilistic Nature ◽  
The Relationship

<p><b>Risk is a dominant discourse in current formations of Western society. This thesisexamines how risk is expressed in New Zealand midwifery by investigating bothmidwives’ actions and midwives’ attitudes. Risk is a complex concept and theoreticalapproaches to it come from a variety of perspectives. The techno rational approachstresses the quantifiable and probabilistic nature of risk; the social and culturalapproaches are varied and stress the cultural embeddedness and valueladennature ofrisk and its expression. Midwives must deal with risk from multiple and sometimesconflicting perspectives.</b></p> <p>The philosophical approach of critical realism, which proposes that knowledge shouldbe explored through multiple lenses and that knowledge is both fallible andemancipatory, provides the ontological and methodological support for the study. Anational survey of midwives’ practices and attitudes was undertaken in 2001,followed by six focus group discussions with midwives in a variety of settings.</p> <p>The findings of the research reveal that midwives are both constrained by and act inresistance to risk. A model of midwifery is developed which illustrates the findings.</p> <p>The model is a threeleggedbirth stool, a birth stool for the midwife to sit on, ratherthan for the mother. The seat of the stool is called ‘being with women’. This conceptis central for New Zealand midwives, as they do not exclude women with risk factorsfrom their care. They continue to provide care when risk is identified and whenobstetricians need to be involved. The relationship they have with women is pivotal.</p> <p>The legs of the birth stool, which help give support to ‘being with women’, are:‘being a professional’, ‘working the system’ and ‘working with complexity’. Thestruts of the stool are ‘storytelling’, which help to keep the stool secure and stable.</p> <p>Midwives can use the stool as a tool to reflect on practice and to keep them connectedto women. The stool can assist them in putting risk and its management into actionand into perspective. Educators can use the stool to develop integrated and competentnew midwives; managers can use it to provide systems that support the midwife;researchers can attend to areas of the birth stool that are less well understood.</p>

Nomadic Migration and Rural Violence in Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-95
Author(s):  
Nsemba Edward Lenshie ◽  
Patience Kondu Jacob
Keyword(s):  
State Government ◽  
Migration Pattern ◽  
Land Resources ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Security Governance ◽  
North East ◽  
Descriptive Approach ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Depth Interviews

The relationship between Fulani herdsmen and farmers has in recent years become hot-tempered motivated by competitive control of land resources, particularly in central and north-east Nigeria. In Taraba State, the ongoing nomadic migration pattern from the Sahel in quest of pastures has led to violent confrontation between Fulani herdsmen and farming indigenous natives. Using a descriptive approach consisting of documented evidence, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions, the analysis revealed that conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and indigenous native farmers have culminated in population displacement and destruction of life and property in numerous rural enclaves in Taraba State. Despite the consequences of the conflicts, the Taraba State government was unable to act proactively because of the centralization of command over Nigerian security agencies. Accordingly, the study suggests decentralization of security agencies in Nigeria, especially the police, as the way forward for effective security governance in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Political Vigilante Groups in Ghana: Violence or Democracy?

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-338
Author(s):  
Justice Richard Kwabena Owusu Kyei ◽  
Lidewyde H. Berckmoes
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Governance ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Political Field ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Electoral Campaigns ◽  
The Social ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Organisational Structures ◽  
Depth Interviews

Literature on political vigilante groups has centred on the violence and conflict that emanate from their activities. This article approaches political vigilante groups as political actors who engage in political mobilisation and participation and therewith also contribute to nation state building. It explores how such groups participate in Ghana’s democratic governance and asks whether violence is an inevitable characteristic. The article builds on individual in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with political vigilante group members in Kumasi and Tamale in 2019. Findings show that political vigilante “youth” appeared to refer primarily to the social position attributed to non-elite groups in the political field. Political vigilante groups are multi-faceted in their organisational structures, membership, and activities both during electoral campaigns and during governing periods. While some groups revert to violence occasionally, the study concludes that political vigilante groups, in enabling different voices to be heard, are also contributing to democratic governance.

Incidental specialised vocabulary acquisition: a case of incidental medical terms acquisition from students’ perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elham Abdullah Ghobain ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Medical Terms ◽  
Significant Negative Relationship ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Technical Terms

This study observes a particular group of students learning medical terms (MT) implicitly through studying medical subjects. That is, based on the policy followed in the context of the study, students shall not receive any deliberate terms instruction. This paper investigates their experiences and attitudes towards acquiring MT in such a situation. Students’ acquisition and proficiency, hypothesizing a positive relationship between the two constructs, are self-assessed through pre- and post-test surveys. The surveys included 114 and 95 students in each phase, respectively. Prior to the surveys, focus group discussions were conducted, according to which the questionnaire was developed. A statistical correlational Pearson test was done to examine the relationship between students’ proficiency and incidental terms acquisition. The results indicated a significant negative relationship between the two constructs tested. The study also tested the effect of time on increasing acquisition through conducting a paired independent t-test between the two sets of data. The results found that a more extended period was significant to incidental acquisition. Overall, through comparing the means, modes, and medians in the two phases (pre- and post-test), the findings reveal an increase in the students’ terms acquisition volume. However, students seem not to favour the approach and still advocate explicit instruction for technical terms.

Navigating Theory and Practice Through Evaluation Fieldwork

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 493-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Anne Chouinard ◽  
Ayesha S. Boyce ◽  
Juanita Hicks ◽  
Jennie Jones ◽  
Justin Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Cultural Dynamics ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Evaluation Theory ◽  
Evaluation Practice ◽  
Reflective Journals ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
The Relationship

To explore the relationship between theory and practice in evaluation, we focus on the perspectives and experiences of student evaluators, as they move from the classroom to an engagement with the social, political, and cultural dynamics of evaluation in the field. Through reflective journals, postcourse interviews, and facilitated group discussions, we involve students in critical thinking around the relationship between evaluation theory and practice, which for many was unexpectedly tumultuous and contextually dynamic and complex. In our exploration, we are guided by the following questions: How do novice practitioners navigate between the world of the classroom and the world of practice? What informs their evaluation practice? More specifically, how can we understand the relationship between theory and practice in evaluation? A thematic analysis leads to three interconnected themes. We conclude with implications for thinking about the relationship between theory and practice in evaluation.

scholarly journals Youth perspective on social media discourse on “Lazy Nigerian Youths” conversations

INFORMASI ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-122
Author(s):  
Nkiru Comfort Ezeh ◽  
Augustine Godwin Mboso
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Political Communication ◽  
Freedom Of Expression ◽  
Media Discourse ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
The Social ◽  
Youth Perspective

The Social Media has emerged as a new platform for discourses. It has no doubt provided people with easier and faster accessibility to information and has become an outlet for them to share their views on socio-political issues. It has also been observed that negative and hate comments seem to dominate on social networks used for social and political communication. Anchored on Public Sphere Theory, focus group discussions were conducted with undergraduate youths in South-east Nigeria examined on the issue of President Mohammadu Buhari’s referring to Nigerian youths as lazy, while speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on 18th April 2018. This article, therefore, explored the opinions advanced in the discourse based on the principles of freedom of expression and responsibility. The study suggests that while Twitter platform was more objective in the discussion of the issue of the day because it allows the use of filters to ensure that contents posted on the platform adhere strictly to rules and fair usage; Facebook and Whatsapp trailed with abuses and hate comments. The study recommended that owners of blogs and media houses who now post their contents on the social media should coordinate comments on such platforms and continue developing mechanisms that work to regulate the quality of posted content.

High-yielding seeds in unyielding environments: Examining the learning process of maize and bean producers in eastern and midwestern Uganda

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claris Riungu ◽  
Harro Maat ◽  
Marrit Van Den Berg
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Environmental Learning ◽  
The Social ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Selection Of

This paper examines the learning process by which farmers come to a decision to use newly introduced seeds which were promoted through demonstration plots in midwestern and eastern regions of Uganda. Framed as social and material interactions, we investigated the learning process of the demonstration plots using data from focus group discussions, interviews and a survey amongst 983 individuals. The results reveal several constraints that impede learning, resulting in an overall low awareness and adoption of the introduced seeds. Some of the most prominent constraints resulted from the selection of location and demonstration plot host, the distance of agro-dealers, at district headquarters, limited interactions amongst farmers and irregular involvement of farmers in the demonstrations. Moreover, the prominent role of agro-dealers at field days suggests that informing farmers about where to buy seeds was considered more important than explaining farmers how to grow these seeds profitably. This commercial focus of field days and demonstrations plots had negative consequences for the social learning. This paper contributes to the learning and adoption literature by showing that interactions amongst actors can improve or reduce the balance between didactic, social and environmental learning.

Exploring the “Social” in Social Media: Adolescent Relatedness—Thwarted and Supported

2021 ◽  
pp. 074355842110621
Author(s):  
Monique West ◽  
Simon Rice ◽  
Dianne Vella-Brodrick
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Rich Picture ◽  
Relational Experiences ◽  
The Social ◽  
Media Research

The pervasiveness of social media in adolescents’ lives has important implications for their relationships. Considering today’s adolescents have grown up with social media, research capturing their unique perspectives of how social media impacts their relationships is needed to increase understanding and help guide behaviors that nurture social-connectedness. Utilizing multiple qualitative methods, this study explores adolescents’ perspectives of how their social media use impacts their relationships. The sample comprised 36, Year 9 students aged 15 years from four metropolitan schools in Melbourne, Australia. All participants completed a rich picture mapping activity and focus group discussions. To gain deeper understandings, a sub-sample of 11 adolescents participated in subsequent one-on-one interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis generated two overarching themes (1) developing and strengthening relationships and (2) diminishing relationships. Sub-themes included; making new friends, maintaining relationships, deepening connections, enhancing belonging, rifts and strains, and anti-social behavior. Findings revealed nuanced insights into “how” and “why” adolescents believe social media impacts relationships. Adolescents explained that social media transforms interactions through amplifying and intensifying relational experiences resulting in both beneficial and detrimental outcomes for their relationships. Cultivating the positive aspects of adolescents’ social media use whilst mitigating the negative is important toward supporting relatedness and fostering wellbeing.

scholarly journals Developing a critical realist informed framework to explain how the human rights and social determinants of health relationship works

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Haigh ◽  
Lynn Kemp ◽  
Patricia Bazeley ◽  
Neil Haigh
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Determinants Of Health ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Critical Realism ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Construction Of Knowledge ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Significant Relationships ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background That there is a relationship between human rights and health is well established and frequently discussed. However, actions intended to take account of the relationship between human rights and social determinants of health have often been limited by lack of clarity and ambiguity concerning how these rights and determinants may interact and affect each other. It is difficult to know what to do when you do not understand how things work. As our own understanding of this consideration is founded on perspectives provided by the critical realist paradigm, we present an account of and commentary on our application of these perspectives in an investigation of this relationship. Findings We define the concept of paradigm and review critical realism and related implications for construction of knowledge concerning this relationship. Those implications include the need to theorise possible entities involved in the relationship together with their distinctive properties and consequential power to affect one another through exercise of their respective mechanisms (ways of working). This theorising work enabled us identify a complex, multi-layered assembly of entities involved in the relationship and some of the array of causal mechanisms that may be in play. These are presented in a summary framework. Conclusion Researchers’ views about the nature of knowledge and its construction inevitably influence their research aims, approaches and outcomes. We demonstrate that by attending to these views, which are founded in their paradigm positioning, researchers can make more progress in understanding the relationship between human rights and the social determinants of health, in particular when engaged in theorizing work. The same approaches could be drawn on when other significant relationships in health environments are investigated.

scholarly journals Children’s rights, participatory research and the co-construction of national belonging

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Bivand Erdal ◽  
Mette Strømsø
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
National Belonging ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
Diverse Classrooms ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Pedagogical Interventions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

This article contributes to the debate on human rights education in diverse societies. It is concerned with the relationship between participation and the co-construction of national belonging. Our data consists of 289 pupil texts and 33 focus group discussions in 6 upper secondary schools in Norway. The role of the school in nation-building is well-known, often emphasizing policy documents or curricula. However, it is in the interaction between pupils and their teachers that the production and re-production of the nation occurs. Participatory exercises in our focus groups functioned as pedagogical interventions, helping pupils to reflect on how they understand, discuss and co-construct national belonging. We find that the potential for co-construction of national belonging, through pedagogical interventions, depends on who is acknowledged as a legitimate participant. Notwithstanding power hierarchies, it can be argued that group discussions are concrete ways to help young people in diverse classrooms co-construct national belonging.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document