scholarly journals More than a Game: Racecraft and the Adaptation of “Race” in Live Action Role Play

Humanities ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 124
Author(s):  
Samantha Eddy

Live action role players make the imaginative worlds of tabletop games manifest through collaborative storytelling and embodied play. Escaping the everyday, these communities could radically reimagine culture and challenge oppressive ideologies. Instead, they are deeply invested in essentializing “race”. I conducted a three-year ethnographic study alongside 20 semi-structured interviews to explore racecraft in live action role play. Supporting the groundbreaking work of Karen and Barbara Fields, I find that racecraft is a social process—continually negotiated and maintained through intimate interactions and community exchanges. Through this process, the definition of “race” is continually adapted while belief in this category remains entrenched. When participants confront racist stereotypes, practitioners coerce marginalized members into a false exchange. These members are encouraged to share experiences detailing the damage of problematic representations. Practitioners then reduce these experiences to monolithic understandings of “race”. In this insidious manner, anti-racist confrontations become fodder for racecraft. Complicating this further, patterned racism is characterized as an inborn quality of whiteness, minimizing practitioners’ accountability. Responsibility is then shifted onto marginalized participants and their willingness to engage in “racial” education. This trap is ingrained in the double standard of racism, adapting “race” such that whiteness is unrestricted by the monolithic definitions applied to those outside this category.

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Dias

This paper addresses the relations between migrants, mobility, tactics, negotiation, and the contemporary definition of borders in the aftermath of 9/11.The empirical focus of this paper is how Brazilians from Alto Paranaiba journey through airports located in the Schengen area and in the British territory to London. As a main research orientation, I use the notion of journey as approached by mobility studies, where actions and skills remain an important link between the wayfarer and the social space in which s/he moves through, the embodied practice to how we grasp the world. Migrants deal and struggle against border regime, but they are not powerless social actors. They rather produce creative resistance to reinvent their journey through the surveillance apparatus, which manage and delimit places with targets and threats. In this process, I explore the notion of border crossing movement as a tactical mobility developed by migrants to overcome the border control imposed by governments in airports. The article was drawn through fieldwork conducted initially in London, between 2009 and 2013, and afterwards in Alto Paranaiba, during 2013. The ethnographic study consisted in semi-structured interviews, participant observation through snowball technique, which enabled me to access a considerable number of participants in these two regions explored. The argument that I develop is that migrants as social actors are part important in the dialogue produced between border crossing and border reinforcement.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1353-1362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise Diba ◽  
Ana Flavia d'Oliveira

There has been much discussion on promotion of the health of young people in vulnerable situations; but little work has been done analyzing its actual operation - and this is especially true in relation to programs and projects that are outside the health services. This article aims to analyze the relationship of an experience in Community Theater with the promotion of health. It is a qualitative, ethnographic study made at the Pombas Urbanas Institute, in the Cidade Tiradentes district of the municipality of São Paulo, and is coordinated by a theater group with a history that is relevant to the objective of the study. Participatory observation was carried out for one year, with semi-structured interviews with young people, and with actors of the Pombas Urbanas group, and analysis of documents. The theoretical framework that was used is made up of concepts from the fields of collective health, Community Theater, and liberation pedagogy. The results are presented in two interlinked sub-categories which have arisen from the empiric material and from the references adopted: (i) 'True friends', and (ii) 'Dialog'. The analysis clearly shows the importance of this type of theatrical joint experience for the promotion of health by transforming the quality of relationships between people. Concepts of health, culture and education were used in analysis of the results.


2022 ◽  
Vol 6 (GROUP) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Kalle Kusk ◽  
Claus Bossen

In this paper, we present the results of an ethnographic study focusing on food deliveries for the digital platform Wolt. The platform manages food transport ordered by customers to be delivered at home from restaurants, and subcontracts the transport to workers called 'couriers', who act as independent firms or entrepreneurs. The paper is based on six months of participant observation, during which time the first author worked as a courier, as well as on ad-hoc conversations and semi-structured interviews with other couriers. We describe couriers' work for the platform and discuss our findings using Möhlmann and Zalmanson's definition of algorithmic management. We found both similarities and differences. It was noticeable that the couriers were positive about their work that no penalties or wage reductions were enforced, and that human support complemented the platform's algorithmic management. Thus, the algorithmic management we observed is neither harsh (as it has been described on other platforms including Uber), nor like the algorithmic despotism present on Instacart, for example. Hence, we refer to it as 'lenient algorithmic management' and underline the importance of adding new perspectives to our understanding of what algorithmic management can be, as well as looking at the context in which it is practised. To complement this finding of lenient algorithmic management, we present a set of strategies couriers must engage in to be effective on the platform: Thus, couriers must 1) schedule their work for peak hours to limit the amount of time they waste, 2) bundle orders to increase their payment per tour, 3) make use of support to handle customers and cancel orders involving delays, and 4) make use of the ecology of local support structures. The contribution of this paper is to add new perspectives to the way we perceive algorithmic management by presenting a lenient form of algorithmic management and indicating the importance of looking at the context in which it is practised, while describing what it takes to be an effective worker on the Wolt platform.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Hughes ◽  
Mikkel Brok-Kristensen ◽  
Yosha Gargeya ◽  
Anne Mette Worsøe Lottrup ◽  
Ask Bo Larsen ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundHaemophilia treatment has improved life expectancy as well as lowered annual bleed rates and treatment burden for recent generations of people with haemophilia (PwH). However, PwH still face significant disease-related challenges on a day-to-day basis.AimsThe aim of the present study was to explore the everyday life of PwH, including their beliefs and experiences related to their condition, their treatment, the challenges they face, and their ways of managing their condition.Materials and methodsPwH were recruited through patient organisations in five European countries (Italy, Germany, Spain, UK and Ireland). Between 8–12 hours were spent with each person with haemophilia and/or their family, to follow them in their daily lives. Patient consultations with health care professionals (HCPs) were also observed when it was agreed in advance by both parties. In addition, HCPs were interviewed and haemophilia treatment centres (HTCs) were visited. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, written exercises, facilitated group dialogues, and on-site observations of the interactions of PwH with friends, family, and HCPs.ResultsResearch was conducted with 42 people with haemophilia A and 9 people with haemophilia B, between 1.5 and 82 years of age. Interviews often included the wider social ecology of each PwH, including friends, family, and caregivers. In addition, 18 HCPs from seven HTCs were interviewed (on-site observation was carried out at six HTCs). The study found that despite treatment adherence and advances in treatment approaches, many PwH may be suboptimally protected and still experienced regular bleeds, pain and restrictions in their daily life. Moreover, many had built a narrative of normalcy around this way of living with haemophilia, and as such these issues are an expected and neglected reality of living with haemophilia today.ConclusionsThe results of this research indicate the need for more personalised and optimised treatment approaches which are better adapted to personal and life-stage specific challenges of PwH. Such an approach could help reduce challenges for PwH, their families, and the health care system, and further research into such approaches would be valuable.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18138-e18138
Author(s):  
Tom Karagiannis ◽  
Patrick Marquis ◽  
Jenny Petersen ◽  
Oren Meyers ◽  
Stephen Y. Chui ◽  
...  

e18138 Background: Little is known of the changes pts experience in day-to-day function as a consequence of cancer and/or treatment. With ongoing and future oncology drug development, gaining a greater understanding of the functional impact of these agents could help complement assessments of survival and quality of life. We set out to understand “function,” the performance of (and changes in) tasks and roles required for everyday living, and which aspects of function are most meaningful from the pts’ perspective to inform future assessment. Methods: We reviewed literature related to functional assessments used in oncology and conducted 20 1:1 semi-structured interviews to explore how pts describe their daily functioning. Results: There was no consensus on the definition of “function” (N = 40 publications). Interview participants represented a broad spectrum of clinical (e.g. eight cancer types, ECOG status 0–3 [n = 4, 7, 6, and 2, respectively], prior treatment exposure [7/20 received taxanes]) and demographic characteristics. Interview participants had difficulty defining “function;” 7/20 did not provide a definition. Pts referred to 60 unique concepts that were organized into four overarching categories: mobility, cognition, activities (basic activities of daily living, domestic life, social context, and exercise), and roles (e.g. caregiver/parent, employee, spouse/partner) within the research. Functional impairments were described as limitations in mobility and/or cognitive abilities. Interviews also revealed 47 stimuli (e.g. signs/symptoms) that were associated with changes in the aforementioned functional categories as well as 20 different adaptations (e.g. frequency, intensity, precaution/prevention, external aids, proactive behavioral changes) that were used to overcome functional impairment. Conclusions: “Function” is a complex concept; impact on mobility, cognition, and the activities and roles that comprise function are unique and depend on the type of cancer, treatment, and life situation. Results point to the assessment of mobility, cognition, activities, and roles as individual concepts for measuring function comprehensively.


2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa da Silva Carvalho Vila ◽  
Lídia Aparecida Rossi

This ethnographic study aimed to understand the meaning of quality of life from the perspective of people with coronary disease submitted to myocardial revascularization surgery. Direct observations and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Data were analyzed through careful reading, identification of units of meaning, thematic groups and themes, and interpreted according to interpretative anthropology and the Centre for Health Promotion conceptual model of quality of life. The identified theme, quality of life being happy as possible, is based on being healthy, having a job and a harmonious family. These were considered dimensions for a "tranquil and happy" life. The meaning of quality of life is complex, subject to new significations throughout life, and related to the socioeconomic and cultural context, including, in the case, the experience of the health-disease process.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-172
Author(s):  
Thomas Hughes ◽  
Mikkel Brok-Kristensen ◽  
Yosha Gargeya ◽  
Anne Mette Worsøe Lottrup ◽  
Ask Bo Larsen ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundRecent improvements in approaches to treatment have opened a window of opportunity to redefine and expand the goals of treatment in haemophilia This article explores treatment culture in light of these improvements and its potential impact on the range of possibilitis in the lived experience of haemophilia.AimsThe aim of this article is to further investigate findings related to how health care professionals (HCPs) approach haemophilia treatment and care, one of the main themes identified in an ethnographic study of the everyday life of people with haemophilia (PwH). This large-scale study investigated PwH's beliefs and experiences related to their condition, their treatment, and their personal ways of managing the condition.MethodsThe study used ethnographic research methods. Five haemophilia experts helped frame the research design by providing historical and disease area context prior to the initation of field research. In the field, study researchers collected data through 8–12 hours of participant observation, semi-structured interviews, written exercises, facilitated group dialogues, and on-site observations of the interactions of PwH with friends, family, and HCPs. Study researchers also conducted on-site observation at haemophilia treatment centres (HTCs) and interviewed HCPs. The study employed a multi-tiered grounded theory approach and combined data were analysed using techniques such as inductive and deductive analysis, cross-case analysis, challenge mapping, and clustering exercises. This article explores findings related specifically to how HCPs approach haemophilia treatment and care, and is thus focused on a subset of the data from the study.ResultsFifty-one PwH in Italy, Germany, Spain, UK, and Ireland were interviewed and followed in their daily lives. Eighteen HCPs from seven HTCs were interviewed, and on-site observation was undertaken at six of the HTCs. Most haematologists in the study ‘treated for stability’, rather than to guide PwH to overcome limitations. ‘Treating for stability’ here refers to an approach to haemophilia care that focuses on measuring success in terms of annual bleed rate, instilling a focus on mitigating risk, rather than an approach that allows PwH to overcome the limitations they face due to their condition. However, some haematologists had moved beyond treating for stability to instead treat for possibilities, enabling a better quality of life for PwH.ConclusionsThese results suggest that a culture of ‘treating for stability’ could be limiting progress in expanding the goals of treatment in haemophilia. Expanded metrics of success, more flexible approaches to treatment, and higher ambitions on behalf of PwH may be needed in treatment and care, in order for PwH to fully benefit from treatment advances and to increase their quality of life.


Author(s):  
K. T. Tokuyasu

During the past investigations of immunoferritin localization of intracellular antigens in ultrathin frozen sections, we found that the degree of negative staining required to delineate u1trastructural details was often too dense for the recognition of ferritin particles. The quality of positive staining of ultrathin frozen sections, on the other hand, has generally been far inferior to that attainable in conventional plastic embedded sections, particularly in the definition of membranes. As we discussed before, a main cause of this difficulty seemed to be the vulnerability of frozen sections to the damaging effects of air-water surface tension at the time of drying of the sections.Indeed, we found that the quality of positive staining is greatly improved when positively stained frozen sections are protected against the effects of surface tension by embedding them in thin layers of mechanically stable materials at the time of drying (unpublished).


2020 ◽  
pp. 89-96
Author(s):  
Sergei S. Kapitonov ◽  
Alexei S. Vinokurov ◽  
Sergei V. Prytkov ◽  
Sergei Yu. Grigorovich ◽  
Anastasia V. Kapitonova ◽  
...  

The article describes the results of comprehensive study aiming at increase of quality of LED luminaires and definition of the nature of changes in their correlated colour temperature (CCT) in the course of operation. Dependences of CCT of LED luminaires with remote and close location of phosphor for 10 thousand hours of operation in different electric modes were obtained; the results of comparison between the initial and final radiation spectra of the luminaires are presented; using mathematical statistics methods, variation of luminaire CCT over the service period claimed by the manufacturer is forecast; the least favourable electric operation modes with the highest CCT variation observed are defined. The obtained results have confirmed availability of the problem of variation of CCT of LED luminaires during their operation. Possible way of its resolution is application of more qualitative and therefore expensive LEDs with close proximity of phosphor or LEDs with remote phosphor. The article may be interesting both for manufacturers and consumers of LED light sources and lighting devices using them.


Author(s):  
Mark Oprenko

The definition of the multimorbidity concept reveals insufficient specificity of the comorbidity and multimorbidity definitions and, as a result, confusion in the use of these terms. Most authors are unanimous that the “core” of multimorbidity is presence of more than one disease in a patient. These coexisting diseases can be pathogenetically interconnected and non-interconnected. Regardless, the degree of multimorbidity always affects prognosis and quality of life.


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