A qualitative exploration of the media's influence on UK women's views of breastfeeding

Background In the UK, rates of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months are at 1%, highlighting the need to encourage and improve the support provided to women to initiate and continue breastfeeding and to improve infant and maternal health. This study aimed to qualitatively explore the influence of media on the intention to initiate and continue breastfeeding. Methods This ethnographic study recruited 40 women; 31 with children and nine of childbearing age (19–28 years), with the intention to have children. Data were collected with semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Results Five themes associated with sociocultural influences on breastfeeding perceptions and behaviour were identified: family influence, privacy, media as a double-edged sword, negative exposure to breastfeeding and planned behaviour versus experience. Conclusions Media influences strengthened preconceived notions of breastfeeding. Social media can play an important role in maintaining breastfeeding though support but can also put undue negative pressure on mothers who struggle to breastfeed.

Influencias socioculturales que enfrenta la mujer futbolista en el departamento de Puno (Sociocultural influences faced by female soccer players in the department of Puno)

La mujer en el fútbol en las últimas décadas ha tenido grandes avances por su práctica deportiva y apoyo familiar, lo que le ha permitido ganar espacio en el fútbol. La investigación asumió el paradigma cualitativo, con diseño etnográfico mediante 31 entrevistas y dos grupos focales, se ha analizado las influencias socioculturales que enfrenta la mujer futbolista en la liga amateur de Puno-Perú. Algunos resultados de esta investigación señalan que existen influencias socioculturales que enfrenta la mujer futbolista y está asociada con las barreras sociales de desigualdad social y provienen de condiciones económicas media y baja, refieren no recibir apoyo por parte de los directivos y medios de comunicación, además reflejan haber recibido actitudes machistas y estigmas por su género y jugar al fútbol, siendo catalogadas como marimachos y que todos estos aspectos no les limita su práctica del fútbol. Se concluye que en la autoidentificación la mujer puneña muestra su propia personalidad, tiene confianza y maneja su propia vida y se resalta el papel de los padres de familia en la iniciación, práctica y permanencia del fútbol femenino. Abstract. Women in soccer in recent decades have made great strides due to their sports practice and family support, which has allowed them to gain space in soccer. The research assumed the qualitative paradigm, with an ethnographic design through 31 interviews and two focus groups, the sociocultural influences faced by the female soccer player in the amateur league of Puno-Peru have been analyzed. Some results of this research indicate that there are sociocultural influences faced by the female soccer player and is associated with social barriers of social inequality and come from medium and low economic conditions, they refer not receiving support from managers and the media, they also reflect having received macho attitudes and stigmas due to their gender and playing soccer, being classified as tomboys and that all these aspects do not limit their practice of soccer. It is concluded that in self-identification the woman from Puno shows her own personality, has confidence and manages her own life and the role of parents in the initiation, practice and permanence of women's football is highlighted.

Intimate Partner Violence Stories of Appalachian Women

The purpose of this study was to explore past intimate partner violence as it occurred in Appalachian women residing in rural and non-urbanized areas. The methodology was qualitative description. Twelve former intimate partner violence female victims shared their experiences through the socioculturally appropriate tradition of story-telling. The meta-theme, Turning Points, reflecting the perceived non-linearity of intimate partner violence was supported by three themes: (1) The Process of Abuse: (2) Learn from my Story; Don’t Let it be Your Story; and (3) Does Where I Live Make a Difference? All participants experienced patterns of abuse that cycled in frequency and severity, similar injuries and health problems, fear, helplessness, and, at times, hopelessness. Application of knowledge gained through naturalistic methods can advance our understanding of intimate partner violence as it occurs in vulnerable populations and the depth and breadth of sociocultural influences which may affect the public health threat of this type of violence.

Creativity, Learning and Technology: Lights and Insights for New Worldmaking Possibilities in Education

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, creativity, learning, and technology became guiding lights for the debate on transforming conceptions and practices within education systems around the world. Given creativity’s intersubjective and agentic nature, it can work as an invaluable resource when promoting learning in formal and informal educational settings. Notwithstanding, these same features make it a challenge to know the conditions under which creativity development can be propelled through technology in educational contexts. Moreover, the technological revolution seems to have accelerated the pace of contemporary societies, often demanding rapid responses to creative challenges. Yet, from a developmental and constructivist standpoint, creativity is embedded in an intricate matrix where individual and sociocultural influences interact to help construct new ways of “worldmaking”. Thus, it can be envisioned as an attribute of the complexity of a psychological subject’s sociocognitive-emotional structures, whose development occurs in the interstitial space between self, others and the world, requiring time to manifest. Considering that technology modifies the person’s relation, action, construction of world(s), of others and self, we intend to discuss the mode and extent to which it can effectively be inscribed into education to promote the development of creativity. In this conceptual paper, we explore the impact on the continuous process of worldmaking (from where creativity blooms) of moving towards an ever-growing technological society, capable of innovative answers to the pandemic (e.g., distance learning) and other unpredictable challenges. We conclude by discussing how the so-called (re)constructive exploration pedagogies can be aligned with technology-based educational programs – capitalizing on their potential to transform human thinking, (inter)acting, and experiencing-, to nurture the development of creativity in education.