scholarly journals The Potential of Human–Horse Attachment in Creating Favorable Settings for Professional Care: A Study of Adolescents’ Visit to a Farm

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1707
Author(s):  
Erna Törmälehto ◽  
Riikka Korkiamäki
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Learning Session ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Youth Worker ◽  
Separation Distress ◽  
Short Term Exposure ◽  
Professional Care

Previous research has shown features of an attachment bond to be fulfilled in, for instance, human–dog dyads; however, there is a considerable lack of research on the potential attachment in human–horse relationships. Employing Bowlby’s criteria of an attachment bond and Pierce’s model of therapeutically powerful activity, this article studies whether short-term exposure to horses brings about elements of emerging attachment for adolescents and if this interaction holds potential in creating a favorable early-stage setting for professional care. It draws from group discussions carried out with nine 16–17-year-old adolescents who participated in an EASEL (Equine-Assisted Social and Emotional Learning) session when visiting a farm with a youth worker. A qualitative content analysis of the discussions revealed that some characteristics of the four principal criteria of an attachment bond—proximity maintenance, safe haven, secure base, and separation distress—were identifiable in the adolescents’ expressed experiences of observing and interacting with horses. Moreover, the three main sources of therapeutic power—appeal, accuracy, and intactness—intersected with the emerging development of the adolescents’ attachment to horses. Additionally, space for self-reflection was enhanced by the presence of the horses. The study offers insights into the potential of human–horse attachment in dealing with adolescents with and without special needs for various therapy and care purposes.

scholarly journals Taking a step into the unknown: facilitators’ role and experiences after attending the Foundation Practice Development School

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Therese Hirsbrunner ◽  
◽  
Esther Siegrist ◽  
Horst Rettke ◽  
Irena Anna Frei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Knowledge Mapping ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
German Speaking ◽  
Practice Development

Background: Skilled practice development facilitators are a key factor in practice development. Facilitators not only need technical skills, but also the ability to establish trustful relationships and an environment in which team members feel safe to explore their practice. Aims: The aim of the study was to explore how participants at the International Practice Development Collaborative’s Foundation Practice Development School in German-speaking Switzerland succeed in developing their roles as facilitators in their clinical settings, and which factors support or impede their path towards becoming experienced facilitators. The secondary aim was to identify factors that could inform future practice development foundation schools. Methods: A qualitative approach was chosen, using the structured dialogue technique in the context of group discussions. Data analysis was performed by means of knowledge mapping, following Mayring’s qualitative content analysis. Findings/results: A total of 30 participants of the foundation practice development schools held between 2015 and 2018 attended the group discussions. As novice facilitators, they were highly motivated after the school, but they needed courage to critically analyse their practice within their busy day-to-day work and to take a leading role as facilitators. The study participants are clear that time and space for reflection, support from managers and learning opportunities are preconditions for a successful journey as practice developers. Conclusions and implications for practice: A special focus is needed on the reflective skills of novice facilitators to enable them to take time for self-reflection in busy workplaces The implementation of a mentoring programme for foundation school participants in German-speaking Switzerland has to be considered The involvement of the managers of school attendees needs to be considered from the outset, hence refocusing the preparation work of participants More practical guides and basics in German should be made available

scholarly journals A visual and creative approach to exploring people with dementia’s experiences of being students at a school in Denmark

Dementia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 786-804
Author(s):  
Alison Ward ◽  
Diana Schack Thoft ◽  
Helen Lomax ◽  
Jacqueline Parkes
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Home Life ◽  
Life Long Learning ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Dementia Research

In dementia research, there is limited knowledge about how people with dementia experience their daily life including how they experience the services they attend. This means a lack of knowledge about how people with dementia judge the quality of services provided for them. In this study visual and creative methods were used to understand the experience of people with early stage dementia who attend an adult school, Voksenskolen for Undervisning og Kommunikation (VUK) in Denmark. The study explored the students’ experience of being a student at VUK and what it means to engage in life-long learning. Alongside the aim to evaluate the service provided for them, seen from their perspective. Photo-elicitation was used, with cameras provided to each student, who took photographs of their school and home life. Students’ photographs were used to support focus group discussions, with the images integral to the process of talking about and recalling stories. Ten students were recruited to participate in four weekly sessions. Two groups were run with five students in each group. Each session was video recorded, these sessions were then transcribed and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Visual images were found to support the students’ memory of current experiences and prompted reminiscences about the past, leading to rich descriptions about being a student at VUK and their experiences of living with dementia. Being able to attend VUK was found to be important for these students with dementia, providing them with a sense of purpose, a way to support their cognitive function and also to develop new friendships. The method provided a way for people with dementia to be active in the research process and provide their perspective about a novel service, which promotes an ethos of learning and development.

Die Bahnhofsmission – Ort gelebter Ökumene. Theologische Reflexionen

2021 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 286-296
Author(s):  
Dorothea Sattler
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Individual Case ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Threshold Concept ◽  
The Core ◽  
Low Threshold

Abstract This article examines the questions of why the ›Bahnhofsmission‹ is suitable as a seismograph of social change, how it performs this function, what it can achieve and where its limits lie. This is done with the help of self-reflection of the practice of the ›Bahnhofsmission‹ and by unfolding practical examples. The seismograph function is described as a task of the ›Bahnhofsmission‹ that goes beyond the core of individual case assistance and is of benefit to society as a whole. This involves drawing attention to changes at an early stage in order to identify structures of poverty and injustice as causes of need for help as well as of exclusion and to contribute to the elimination of those structures. Due to their location at the station and their open, low-threshold concept, ›Bahnhofsmissionen‹ have an excellent seismographic potential. Where they succeed in raising this potential, they can become incubators for innovation.

Exploring entrepreneurial-group formation by smallholder Burundian farmers

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-102
Author(s):  
Bélyse Mupfasoni ◽  
Aad Kessler ◽  
Thomas Lans ◽  
Rama Lionel Ngenzebuke
Keyword(s):  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Group Formation ◽  
Top Management Teams ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal States ◽  
Farmer Groups

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of specific internal states (i.e. the set of sustainable values and motivations) that underlie group formation and joint business idea identification of farmer groups in the context of Burundi. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative and qualitative data were combined in this study. Quantitative data were analyzed using basic statistics. Qualitative data were collected in focus group discussions with farmer groups. Findings Findings revealed that groups are not just formed on the basis of homophily (same level of internal states) but also on “compensation” and “committed leadership.” Moreover, prior sustainable behavior of members influences sustainability of new group business ideas and the nature (e.g. focus on farming) of that business idea. Research limitations/implications As this study was done at an early stage of group formation and does not include group dynamics over a longer period of time, further monitoring of the groups is needed to examine if the observed motivation persists. Originality/value Although there is a vast amount of literature on entrepreneurial and top management teams, literature on the (early) mechanisms of entrepreneurial group formation in an emerging economy and rural context is relatively scarce.

scholarly journals How Will We Eat and Produce in the Cities of the Future? From Edible Insects to Vertical Farming—A Study on the Perception and Acceptability of New Approaches

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Specht ◽  
Felix Zoll ◽  
Henrike Schümann ◽  
Julia Bela ◽  
Julia Kachel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Edible Insects ◽  
New Approaches ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
High Investment ◽  
Urban Food Production ◽  
Negative Side Effects ◽  
Legal Constraints

Global challenges such as climate change, increasing urbanization and a lack of transparency of food chains, have led to the development of innovative urban food production approaches, such as rooftop greenhouses, vertical farms, indoor farms, aquaponics as well as production sites for edible insects or micro-algae. Those approaches are still at an early stage of development and partly unknown among the public. The aim of our study was to identify the perception of sustainability, social acceptability and ethical aspects of these new approaches and products in urban food production. We conducted 19 qualitative expert interviews and applied qualitative content analysis. Our results revealed that major perceived benefits are educational effects, revaluation of city districts, efficient resource use, exploitation of new protein sources or strengthening of local economies. Major perceived conflicts concern negative side-effects, legal constraints or high investment costs. The extracted acceptance factors deal significantly with the “unknown”. A lack of understanding of the new approaches, uncertainty about their benefits, concerns about health risks, a lack of familiarity with the food products, and ethical doubts about animal welfare represent possible barriers. We conclude that adaptation of the unsuitable regulatory framework, which discourages investors, is an important first step to foster dissemination of the urban food production approaches.

Understanding the Kurdish conflict through the eyes of Kurds and Turks

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 483-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Özden Melis Uluğ ◽  
Özen Odağ ◽  
J. Christopher Cohrs ◽  
Peter Holtz
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Multiple Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Lay People ◽  
Two Cities ◽  
Kurdish Conflict ◽  
The City

Purpose Conflict understandings of lay people mirror society in miniature. Although lay people and their conflict understandings in society may shape the course of an ongoing conflict, little scholarly attention is so far given to the understandings of everyday discourse in Turkey’s ongoing Kurdish conflict. The present research aims to examine the views of lay Kurds and Turks in two politically polarized cities in Turkey, Mersin and Diyarbakır. Design/methodology/approach To examine these views, the authors used focus group discussions and open-ended questionnaires with a total of 64 lay people from Mersin and Diyarbakır. Findings Qualitative content analysis revealed more conflict understandings than presented in the existing academic literature. Furthermore, multiple correspondence analysis suggested that both ethnic identity and the city in which people live are important factors influencing how people perceive the conflict. Originality/value The meaning of novel themes, differences and similarities within and between ethnic groups and two cities, and the usefulness of qualitative methods to examine lay people’s viewpoints are discussed.

Preschool children’s healthy lifestyles: South African parents’ and preschool staff perceptions

2016 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
pp. 897-910 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Daniels ◽  
Ulla Forinder ◽  
Marina Clarke ◽  
Stefanus Snyman ◽  
Karin C Ringsberg
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Staff Perceptions ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
Health Promoting

Background: The worldwide growth of non-communicable diseases requires important lifestyle adaptations. The earlier a healthy lifestyle is adopted, the better. Enabling a healthy lifestyle for children during the preschool years ideally involves the cooperation of parents and teachers. Health promotion with parents and teachers is most effective if it takes into consideration their views and opinions, as well as context. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of health and healthy lifestyle from the perspective of preschool children’s parents, and the staff caring for children attending preschools in three diverse settings. Design: Qualitative in-depth study. Setting: Preschools in Western Cape Province, South Africa. Method: Data were collected through six focus group discussions and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Parents and staff shared a holistic view of health, agreeing that children and their health were primarily the responsibility of the parents. Informants described their own health and that of children as affected by a variety of interconnected factors, including environmental, economic, social and individual influences. Conclusion: When tailoring a health-promoting education programme, it is important to consider the pre-existing knowledge the participants have and the context in which intervention will take place. There is also a need to structurally address social determinants of health that may be beyond the control of the individuals.

On the Pragmatics of Qualitative Assessment

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Schilling
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Leadership Theories ◽  
Implicit Leadership ◽  
Implicit Leadership Theories ◽  
Textual Data ◽  
Quantitative Analyses

Using the example of a project on the assessment of implicit leadership theories, this article aims to describe qualitative content analysis as a systematic, rule-based process of analyzing verbal and textual data (e.g., interviews, group discussions, documents). Steps and typical problems in the qualitative assessment process are addressed and guidelines for decision and action presented. The steps include transcription of interview tapes into raw data, condensing and structuring the data, building and applying a category system, displaying data and results for concluding analyses and interpretation. Necessary checks for securing the quality of the assessment are shown for each step. Ideas for the combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses are presented, and applications of qualitative content analysis in the field of psychological assessment discussed.

Supporting in an existential crisis: A mixed-methods evaluation of a training model in palliative care

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 470-478
Author(s):  
Lisa Sand ◽  
Mariann Olsson ◽  
Peter Strang
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Training Model ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Existential Crisis

AbstractBackground:Palliative care staff often report that they lack the skills and confidence to provide support during an existential crisis. Consequently, there is a definite need for a training program in this area.Objective:Our aim was to investigate whether a training model could give palliative care staff increased knowledge, awareness, and preparedness—all useful tools for providing support.Methods:A mixed-methods research design was used. Data were collected in four hospital-based palliative homecare teams in the Stockholm area. In total, 34 staff participated, representing different palliative care team professions. Before and after the intervention, a questionnaire with a 9-point Likert-type scale was completed (n = 34). Qualitative focus group discussions were conducted a month after the intervention (25 participants). These were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis with a manifest focus.Results:In the quantitative part of our study, the participants showed significantly increased perceived knowledge, awareness, and preparedness in every aspect (p < 0.001 for all items). The focus group discussions revealed a process that made it possible to apply new knowledge and insight. The process began with theoretical knowledge and, through care-related reflection and self-reflection, the knowledge base gradually developed and provided useful skills and increased job satisfaction.Significance of results:The team-based “TrainingModel Sand/TER” can be performed without excessive effort and contribute to improved competence in providing support during an existential crisis. It is particularly useful for staff working in clinical palliative care.

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