I am undone by these women: Identity and change in a feminist domestic violence organisation

<p>The six words of the title, ‘I am undone by these women’, embody the interconnected dimensions of this thesis. Simultaneously, this thesis is a personal transformational project (the ‘I am’); a series of theorisations of the relationship between identity and change in the context of the community sector (the ‘undoing’); and a textual space through which I share the working lives of my participants and victims of violence (the ‘these women’). My experiences as a volunteer ethnographer sit at the heart of this thesis. The ethnographic project was undertaken in the community sector, with a feminist domestic violence organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Through this project, I became committed to the social justice cause of my colleagues and participants: ending violence against women. My thesis aims to (re)create the textures of the working lives of my colleagues and participants. To represent these textures, I suffuse emotions and contradictions into this thesis through writing personally and subjectively and through adopting a rhizomatic (non-linear) structure in order to foster affective connections between the reader, the writer, my colleagues, and victims of violence. The ‘undoing’ in this thesis relates to how my theorisations developed over this project through a mixture of my own emerging understandings of identity, reflections on my ethnographic experience, and on issues salient to the working lives of my colleagues. My thesis traces the lines of my thinking about the relationships between identity and change in the context of the community sector, showing how they shifted before, during, and after my ethnographic experience. My thesis is structured into five parts. Each part acts as a semi-independent node of thought; following similar lines about identity and change but flourishing in different intellectual territory. This rhizomatic structure emphasises how feeling identity during my fieldwork changed how I thought about identity for my thesis. Or in other words this structure maps how my thinking became ‘undone’ and the relevance of this undoing for understanding identity and change. Initially, I map my thinking about the concept of identity as situated in the Critical Management Studies literature, particularly in relation to the work of Judith Butler and narrative theory. In the further parts of the thesis, I follow some of these initial lines of thought, but circle away from others. One part contributes to the literature about alternative organisations. In this part, I argue that strong emotions are important for fostering collective responsibility in alternative organising – here for victims of violence. Another part contributes to the literature on the gendered body. Here, I argue that gender identity becomes unsettled through the body in domestic violence work because of repetitive exposure to gender violence. Accordingly, both celebrating and reconsidering gender identity in domestic violence work can help to achieve change for all women subjected to violence. In a further part, I contribute to literature on the micro-politics of identity. I argue that storytelling about feminist identity can help to foster solidarity in the context of the community sector. Ultimately, this thesis puts the emphasis on the different ways identity and change are interlinked; there is no centre point to the argument. In the vein of autoethnography, the ‘undoing’ and ‘these women’ are also understood through an exploration of who ‘I am’ as a scholar. I understand the thesis to be a formative process through which the doctoral student learns what it means to be a researcher in their field. I map how my identity as a researcher was unsettled as I came into contact with domestic violence work and workers. In this way, I also explore what is learnt about identity and change on a personal level.</p>

I am undone by these women: Identity and change in a feminist domestic violence organisation

<p>The six words of the title, ‘I am undone by these women’, embody the interconnected dimensions of this thesis. Simultaneously, this thesis is a personal transformational project (the ‘I am’); a series of theorisations of the relationship between identity and change in the context of the community sector (the ‘undoing’); and a textual space through which I share the working lives of my participants and victims of violence (the ‘these women’). My experiences as a volunteer ethnographer sit at the heart of this thesis. The ethnographic project was undertaken in the community sector, with a feminist domestic violence organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Through this project, I became committed to the social justice cause of my colleagues and participants: ending violence against women. My thesis aims to (re)create the textures of the working lives of my colleagues and participants. To represent these textures, I suffuse emotions and contradictions into this thesis through writing personally and subjectively and through adopting a rhizomatic (non-linear) structure in order to foster affective connections between the reader, the writer, my colleagues, and victims of violence. The ‘undoing’ in this thesis relates to how my theorisations developed over this project through a mixture of my own emerging understandings of identity, reflections on my ethnographic experience, and on issues salient to the working lives of my colleagues. My thesis traces the lines of my thinking about the relationships between identity and change in the context of the community sector, showing how they shifted before, during, and after my ethnographic experience. My thesis is structured into five parts. Each part acts as a semi-independent node of thought; following similar lines about identity and change but flourishing in different intellectual territory. This rhizomatic structure emphasises how feeling identity during my fieldwork changed how I thought about identity for my thesis. Or in other words this structure maps how my thinking became ‘undone’ and the relevance of this undoing for understanding identity and change. Initially, I map my thinking about the concept of identity as situated in the Critical Management Studies literature, particularly in relation to the work of Judith Butler and narrative theory. In the further parts of the thesis, I follow some of these initial lines of thought, but circle away from others. One part contributes to the literature about alternative organisations. In this part, I argue that strong emotions are important for fostering collective responsibility in alternative organising – here for victims of violence. Another part contributes to the literature on the gendered body. Here, I argue that gender identity becomes unsettled through the body in domestic violence work because of repetitive exposure to gender violence. Accordingly, both celebrating and reconsidering gender identity in domestic violence work can help to achieve change for all women subjected to violence. In a further part, I contribute to literature on the micro-politics of identity. I argue that storytelling about feminist identity can help to foster solidarity in the context of the community sector. Ultimately, this thesis puts the emphasis on the different ways identity and change are interlinked; there is no centre point to the argument. In the vein of autoethnography, the ‘undoing’ and ‘these women’ are also understood through an exploration of who ‘I am’ as a scholar. I understand the thesis to be a formative process through which the doctoral student learns what it means to be a researcher in their field. I map how my identity as a researcher was unsettled as I came into contact with domestic violence work and workers. In this way, I also explore what is learnt about identity and change on a personal level.</p>

Challenges of Water Policy Involvement of the Community in the East Coast River Basin of Thailand

Water policy-making requires the dedicated involvement of all stakeholders, but difficulties remain for the community sector. This study aims to examine the critical challenges of community involvement in water policy decision-making in Thailand. Both qualitative and quantitative methods used in this research project consisted of 39 interviews with informants from a variety of interested parties and 403 community members from around the East Coast River Basin in Thailand completing a survey questionnaire. The results have shown that although mechanisms to enable community involvement in decision-making, such as public consultation and water-related committees, exist, problems remain within the community sector. The critical challenges lie in the opportunities of being consulted and the sharing of power in water policy-making. Although the networks are important, at the same time, they are also obstructing the community sectors in linking their requirements to a final decision, as well as dealing with politics, policy-makers, and staff who organized the process. Therefore, the government should further develop water committee mechanisms by setting up a comprehensive yet practically easy consultation process so that new or inexperienced community members get an opportunity to practice and learn the vital elements necessary in water policy-making. Further research should be conducted in order to compare the opportunities in water decision-making between communities in rural and urban areas. Studies at the local government level should be carried out, with results used as a mechanism to enable community involvement at higher levels of water policy decision-making.

Whakarongo: Listening to the Kāpiti Coast Community Social Services Sector in Challenging Times

<p>This research focuses on the Kāpiti Coast District community social services sector, exploring their experience of the 2008 economic and central government social policy changes. The recession and changing social policies increased pressure on the sector, at the same time as they were responding to increased stress and uncertainty in their communities. The research became an opportunity to give voice to the Kāpiti Coast community social services sector. The research was undertaken from a constructionist perspective, using critical inquiry and case study approaches. The research is presented in an approachable way, as it is hoped that the learning will be used by both the community sector and local government to help improve the way they work together. After setting the scene, the methodology used to listen to the Kāpiti Coast community social services sector is explained. The focus then moves onto the sector. Next, the themes that emerged from the data collected during the research are explored. To increase understanding of these themes, a number of theoretical perspectives are used, which have been selected across a range of disciplines, drawing most strongly on the social work discipline. The voice of the participants has been given primacy at all times; which is in line with the intention of the research, which is to empower the Kāpiti Coast community social services sector. It was helpful to delve into the triangle of relationships: the community social services sector, central and local government, and understand these relationships better. The way that the Kāpiti Coast community social services sector perceives itself, and how it works together and with others, proved a very interesting area of research. The research concludes that listening to the sector on their own terms is a way of addressing the power imbalance and an important step in improving the relationship between the sector and local government. Creating a bridge between the sectors can enable good place-based work to occur to improve social wellbeing in the Kāpiti Coast communities.</p>

Whakarongo: Listening to the Kāpiti Coast Community Social Services Sector in Challenging Times

<p>This research focuses on the Kāpiti Coast District community social services sector, exploring their experience of the 2008 economic and central government social policy changes. The recession and changing social policies increased pressure on the sector, at the same time as they were responding to increased stress and uncertainty in their communities. The research became an opportunity to give voice to the Kāpiti Coast community social services sector. The research was undertaken from a constructionist perspective, using critical inquiry and case study approaches. The research is presented in an approachable way, as it is hoped that the learning will be used by both the community sector and local government to help improve the way they work together. After setting the scene, the methodology used to listen to the Kāpiti Coast community social services sector is explained. The focus then moves onto the sector. Next, the themes that emerged from the data collected during the research are explored. To increase understanding of these themes, a number of theoretical perspectives are used, which have been selected across a range of disciplines, drawing most strongly on the social work discipline. The voice of the participants has been given primacy at all times; which is in line with the intention of the research, which is to empower the Kāpiti Coast community social services sector. It was helpful to delve into the triangle of relationships: the community social services sector, central and local government, and understand these relationships better. The way that the Kāpiti Coast community social services sector perceives itself, and how it works together and with others, proved a very interesting area of research. The research concludes that listening to the sector on their own terms is a way of addressing the power imbalance and an important step in improving the relationship between the sector and local government. Creating a bridge between the sectors can enable good place-based work to occur to improve social wellbeing in the Kāpiti Coast communities.</p>

From Urban-Scape to Human-Scape: COVID-19 Trends That will Shape Future City Centres

The COVID-19 pandemic did not only impact all spheres of life but came abruptly to redefine our understanding of the urban-scape. With changing user-values and user-needs, there is a renewed realisation of the importance of the human-scape and how human capital, social issues, and liveability considerations will progressively lead urban development discussions. The urban-scape risk is far more complex and fragile than previously anticipated, with the future of the city centre dependent on our ability to successfully manage the transition from an urban-scape to a human-scape. This research employed a narrative review methodology to reflect on COVID-19 trends that will shape future city centres, based on expert contributions pertaining to (1) the community sector, (2) the public sector, and (3) the private sector within the Sydney Metropolitan area of Australia. The research highlighted the changing human-scape needs and associated impacts of (1) changing movement patterns, (2) changing social infrastructure, and (3) increasing multifunctionality, which will be crucial factors in shaping attractive (future) city centres. The research contributes to the notion that future city centres will embrace and prioritise the human-scape in a response to ‘build back better’, and accordingly, identified how the human-scape can be articulated in broader spatial planning approaches to create attractive future city centres.

Trend of antibiotic consumption and its association with influenza-like illnesses in France between 2004 and 2018

Background Antibiotic consumption has been reported to be driven by the treatment of respiratory tract infections. Our objectives were to describe the trend of antibiotic consumption in France compared with that of other European countries; to describe the evolution of each antibiotic class in France; and to explore the relationship between antibiotic consumption and incidence of influenza-like illnesses. Methods In this observational study, antibiotic consumption was reported as defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day in the community and hospital sectors in descriptive and graphical formats, using data from the European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network database. The total consumption and the consumption of different classes of antibiotics in France according to time and influenza-like illnesses were studied using multiple linear regression models. Results The total consumption of antibiotics in France was constant over the 15 years. It was driven by the community sector (92.8%) and was higher than the consumption of other European Union countries (P-value &lt; 0.001). The beta-lactam penicillins were the most consumed antibiotic class and the only class that increased with time. The multiple linear regression models showed a positive correlation between antibiotic consumption in the community sector and incidence of influenza-like illnesses [B = 0.170, 95% CI (0.088–0.252)]. Similar significant results were shown between other antibiotic classes used in the management of influenza-like illnesses (other beta-lactams, and macrolides, lincosamides and streptogramins) and influenza-like illnesses. Conclusion Our results suggest that antibiotics used in the management of respiratory tract infections might be involved in the irrational use of antibiotics.