BU Research Blog

30 May 2016

New paper BU PhD student Sheetal Sharma

open access, PG research, Publishing, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to FHSS PhD student Sheetal Sharma on her latest paper [1]. The paper ‘Measuring What Works: An impact evaluation of women’s groups on maternal health uptake in rural Nepal’ appeared this week in the journal PLOS One. Sheetal’s innovative mixed-methods approach was applied to a long-running maternity intervention in rural Nepal. The paper concludes that community-based health promotion in Sheetal’s study had a greater affect on the uptake of antenatal care and less so on delivery care. Other factors not easily resolved through health promotion interventions may influence these outcomes, such as costs or geographical constraints. The evaluation has implications for policy and practice in public health, especially maternal health promotion.

Reference:

Sharma, S., van Teijlingen, E., Belizán, J.M., Hundley, V., Simkhada, P., Sicuri, E. (2016) Measuring What Works: An impact evaluation of women’s groups on maternal health uptake in rural Nepal, PLOS One 11(5): e0155144 http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0155144

26 May 2016

Accessible Gaming for Stroke Rehab

PG research djohn

We would like to invite you to the last research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre for this academic year. Techstroke

Title: Insights into the use of technology for upper limb stroke rehabilitation

Speaker: Owen O’Neil (Bournemouth University PhD student, funded by the Centre for Digital Entertainment)

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 1^st June 2016

Room: P302 LT, Poole House, Talbot Campus

Abstract: Stroke is a global pandemic and the largest cause of severe adult disability in the world. Incidence rates in the UK suggest that over 150,000 suffer a first time stroke, and over 80% of survivors will suffer some form of motor disability. Rehabilitation typically consists of high volumes of motor practice to engage the mechanism of neural plasticity, a form of cortical rewiring that allows the brain to adapt after damage. Meeting the rehabilitation needs for this population through one-to-one physiotherapy care is currently not possible. There is a growing impetus on research institutions to explore cost-effective methods for increasing access to rehabilitation that may promote improved functional recovery for patients at home and in the clinic. Recent approaches include the use of video game technology as a method of increasing patient engagement and upkeep to rehabilitation programs. Of particular interest is the emergence of low cost commercial off-the-shelf devices such as the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect.

In this presentation we offer some insights and opportunities to introduce low cost off the shelf media technology as a modality of stroke therapy. Provide an overview of the current project, including some preliminary data and discuss what might come next.

We hope to see you there.

26 May 2016

Hat-trick of new diabetes papers

international, Publishing, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to Katharine Barnard and Janet James in FHSS and their colleagues in the USA and Sweden on their latest publication on the ‘Impact of Chronic Sleep Disturbance for People Living with T1 Diabetes’ [1]. Recently Dr. Barnard also co-authored an editorial in the international journal Diabetes under the title ‘Psychosocial Aspects and Diabetes Technology – Head to Head or Hand in Hand?’ [2]. Finally, the third recent paper by Dr. Barnard and colleagues from across the UK was published in Diabetes Care, the journal of the American Diabetes Association [3].

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

References

Barnard, K., James, J., et al. Impact of Chronic Sleep Disturbance for People Living With T1 Diabetes J Diabetes Sci Technol 2016; 10: 762-767.
Barnard K.D., Weissberg-Benchell, J., Psychosocial Aspects and Diabetes Technology – Head to Head or Hand in Hand? Diabetes 2016; 12(1): 35-36. DOI: http://doi.org/10.17925/EE.2016.12.01.35
Barnard K.D, Holt, R.I. et al. ,Could the Discrepancy in Perceived Emotional Care Received and Provided Be a Barrier to Active Diabetes Self-management? Insights From the Second Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs (DAWN2) Study. Diabetes Care 2016; 39(2): e20-e21. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2337/dc15-0674

25 May 2016

New nutrition paper FHSS

international, open access, PG research, Publishing, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Today saw the publication of a paper analysing the long-term development of Nepal [1]. It offers insight into Nepal’s position in the country’s demographic transition in relation to its nutrition transition. In traditional societies both fertility and mortality are high and in modern post-industrial society both are low.

The lead author Yagya Prasad Subedi is a Ph.D. student at the University of Aberdeen and his co-authors are based at Liverpool John Moores University (Prof. Padam Simkhada, who is also BU Visiting Faculty) and in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinal Health (CMMPH) in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences (Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen).

Reference:

Subedi, Y.P., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E. (2016) Where is Nepal in the Demographic Transition within the wider context of the Nutrition transition? Open Journal of Social Sciences, 4: 155-166. The paper is freely available, click here!

23 May 2016

Scenarios, Murder, Mingling and Twitter

Awarded & submitted bids, conferences, Fusion, Fusion Investment Fund nferdinand

Dr Nicole Ferdinand, Senior Academic in Events Management, recently returned from a week-long Erasmus mobility teaching exchange to BU Erasmus Partner, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Porvoo, Finland. She had the opportunity to share some of her department’s cutting edge research and teaching practice. She led a series of workshops on scenario planning, inter-cultural communication and event evaluation using social media. Two of the sessions were based on research she had conducted whilst at BU. The approach used in the scenario planning workshop was based on Carnival Futures: Notting Hill Carnival 2020, a stakeholder-based approach to scenario planning which was funded by the King’s Cultural Institute. The methodology demonstrated in the event evaluation workshop was based on the Festival Impact Monitor (FestIM), which was funded by BU’s Fusion Fund. Nicole was joined for this workshop by her colleague, Dr Nigel Williams, FestIM’s Principal Investigator. As an added bonus, during her exchange she was allowed free entry to the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Spring Mingle, which was being hosted at Haaga-Helia that week.

Haaga-Helia Events Management students joined by their lectuer, Monika Birkle for the Porvoo Events in 2050 workshop

Haaga-Helia Events Management students joined by their lecturer, Monika Birkle for the Porvoo Events in 2050 workshop

Nicole’s week started with a scenario planning workshop entitled, Porvoo Events in 2050, in which students considered the future of events in Porvoo, given the uncertainties of the event and destination marketing skills of the industry and the yet to be formulated event development policy. Her second workshop, Improving Your Communication Skills by Killing the Russian Mafia, proved especially popular and was requested by three of Haaga-Helia’s lecturers for their student groups. Inter-cultural communication was a key skill that many Finnish students found especially challenging to acquire.

Students participating in the inter-cultural communications skills workshop

Students improving their communication skills by “Killing the Mafia”

Nicole was joined by her colleague Dr. Nigel Williams on the fourth day of her visit for the MPI Spring Mingle. Nigel was the event’s keynote speaker. Prior to the MPI event, Nicole and Nigel hosted a workshop for Haaga-Helia’s students who wanted to learn how to use social media data to undertake business and marketing research for events. Nicole also spent some of her remaining time promoting BU as an Erasmus destination and talking to staff and students planning Erasmus visits to BU next year.

Nicole and colleague Nigel meet Haaga-Helia staff and students and participate in the MPI Spring Mingle

Staff or students wishing to find out about going to Haaga-Helia for an Erasmus visit, please feel free to contact Nicole – nferdinand@bournemouth.ac.uk. She is happy to chat with you and has some helpful advice on preparing for a visit to Finland.

23 May 2016

Seminar today (KG03, 4pm): Perspective, Pride, and Possibility: Narratives of the Political Self

conferences, innovation, international, Knowledge Exchange, PG research, REF Subjects, Research themes Mastoureh Fathi

Speaker: Professor Paul Nesbitt-Larking (Huron University College, Canada)

Discussant: Professor Jonathan Parker (Bournemouth University)

Date: Today (Monday 23rd May 2016)

Time: 4pm – 6pm

Location: KG03, Kimmeridge House

Booking is not required.

Abstract: The stories we tell about our political lives, our personal political narratives, are the outcomes of our encounters with the master narratives of our time and place.

As we encounter significant others, enter into dialogue, and engage in social practice, we construct and reconstruct accounts of ourselves in political relationship with others.

In so doing, we give shape to our political identities. In the light of narrative research data, the paper is an exploration of encounters between personal and master narratives as they relate to three core elements of ideology: The cognitive construction of the political world (perspective); the affective orientation to the political world (pride); and imaginative deconstructions and reconstructions of the political world (possibility).

About the speaker:

Paul Nesbitt-Larking is Professor of Political Science at Huron University College in Canada and Visiting Professor, School of Health and Human Sciences, University of Huddersfield, UK. A scholar in political identities, citizenship, multiculturalism, and political communications, his recent publications include The Political Psychology of Globalization: Muslims in the West (Oxford University Press, 2011) and the Palgrave Handbook of Global Political Psychology (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014) as well as numerous academic articles and chapters. He is currently Past President of the International Society of Political Psychology.

For futher information on this event please contact: mfathi@bournemouth.ac.uk

Parking information: Please note that there is no parking available on campus, please refer to the “how to get to BU” section to plan your journey.

20 May 2016

Congratulations to Dr. Pramod Regmi and BU PhD student Folashade Alloh

international, PG research, Publishing, student research Edwin van Teijlingen

Diabetes prevention and management in South Asia: A call for action

Today the International Journal of Food, Nutrition and Public Health accepted our paper Diabetes prevention and management in South Asia: A call for action for publication [1]. The Public Health paper argues that is an urgent need to reduce the diabetes prevalence in South Asia through evidence-based interventions ranging from prevention and early detection to appropriate treatment and care. The authors suggest that a multi-sectorial collaboration across all stakeholders is necessary to raise awareness about diabetes, its prevention, treatment and care in the region. The paper, with Dr. Pramod Regmi as lead author, is co-authored with colleagues at the University of Oxford, the University of Otago (NZ), University of the West of England, and, Bournemouth University, including BU PhD student Folashade Alloh.

Reference:

Regmi, P.R., Kurmi, O., Aryal, N., Pant P.R., Banstola, A., Alloh, F., van Teijlingen, E. Diabetes prevention and management in South Asia: A call for action International Journal of Food Nutrition and Public Health (forthcoming).

20 May 2016

FHSS PhD student awarded prestigious Churchill Medallion in London

Funding opportunities, student research Edwin van Teijlingen

129 Fellows awarded a prestigious new Churchill Medallion at a London award ceremony

Anita Immanuel, PhD student in FHSS was presented with a newly designed Churchill medallion at a prestigious biennial award ceremony in London this week (Wednesday, 18^th May), after successfully completing her Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship.

Anite was presented with the stunning blue cloisonné enamelled silver Churchill medallion by its designer and Guest of Honour, Professor Brian Clarke, who is a world renowned architectural artist. Professor Clarke presented 129 Fellows with their medallions at a ceremony in Church House, in Central London. Church House has significant Churchillian associations as during the Blitz, Winston Churchill requisitioned Church House as a makeshift Houses of Parliament after the originals had been damaged by bombing.

As part of her Fellowship and linked to her PhD research, Anita travelled to Australia and Canada. Her PhD reserach examines the quality of lives of adults who have survived cancer of the blood or lymphatic system. Patients with haematological cancers have frequently reported lack of care-coordination as an unmet need following their intensive treatment. Anita’s Fellowship has been outlined in a previosu BR Research Blog (click here!).

Speaking about the Fellowship, Prof. Stephen Tee (Executive Dean FHSS) said: “These Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships provide opportunities for UK citizens to go abroad on a worthwhile project, enriching their lives through their global experiences. We are proud of Anita’s PhD research focusing on the quality of life in people who have survived cancer. This Fellowship has also benefited Anita and her colleagues at the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trustwhere she works as specialist nurse in this field”.

Anita’s PhD is supervised by: Dr. Jane Hunt and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen (both FHSS) and Dr. Helen McCarthy, Anita’s clinical Ph.D. supervisor.

In 2017 The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust will be awarding 150 Travelling Fellowships. This will directly support British citizens who want to travel overseas to gain knowledge, experience and best practice to benefit others in their UK professions and communities, and society as a whole. The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust was established shortly after Sir Winston’s death in 1965, as his national memorial and living legacy. Since then it has awarded over 5,250 Travelling Fellowships. The application process for travel in 2017 is now open! Visit www.wcmt.org.uk for more details, or to apply before 5pm on 20^th September 2016, for travel in 2017.

19 May 2016

There’s no ‘I’ in Team: My experience as a URA

Centre for Excellence in Learning, conferences, Fusion jbranney

Blog post by Pippa Empson, Undergraduate Research Assistant (Innovative Pedagogy)

Following my application and interview earlier this year I was accepted for the Undergraduate Research Assistant (URA) position on an ‘Innovative Pedagogy’ research project. Being part of the URA programme gave me an insight into the world of primary research which involved transcribing conversations from focus groups, collating data into spreadsheets and statistically analysing data using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), and getting the opportunity to present our findings in the Bournemouth University conference SURE (Showcasing Undergraduate Research Excellence). It was a pleasure to work alongside academic staff Dr Jacqueline Priego and Dr Jonathan Branney who welcomed me and Jade Offer, the other URA, to the team and supported me in my position.

I learnt many new skills including analysing quantitative and qualitative data which the academic staff was happy to guide me in. I was initially daunted by the work I would be expected to do and whether I would be able to fit it around my undergraduate studies as a second year adult nursing student. However as I was able to fulfill some of the URA work at home on my own computer it meant I was able to be flexible with when I worked, so I could keep my other commitments. Being a URA was a great opportunity which I would recommend it to anyone interested in research or furthering their skills, be it computer skills or communication skills.

Pippa Empson, BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing, year two

18 May 2016

BUCRU and the Blustery Day

Public engagement Lisa Andrews

To celebrate International Clinical Trials Day Helen Allen, Lisa Gale-Andrews, Louise Ward and Sharon Docherty from the BU Clinical Research Unit (BUCRU) were at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital yesterday to take part in their event hosted by the Research & Development department.

The BUCRU team

International Clinical Trials Day is celebrated on or near 20^th May each year, to commemorate James Lind’s famous scurvy trial. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of research in healthcare, and how involving the patients and public is essential in ensuring high-quality, relevant research. On International Clinical Trials Day, the National Institute for Health Research promotes its ‘OK to ask’ campaign to encourage patients to ask about clinical research.

Sharon explaining how we perceive vertical

It was a fun-packed day that highlighted some of the exciting research being done at, and in association with, the Trust. The Alzheimer’s Society, Stroke Association, Cancer Research UK, and BUCRU set up camp next to the lake to welcome members of the public and staff from the hospital. In addition to talking to staff members about how we can help them with their research, we highlighted how members of the public can get involved with research at all levels. Sharon got people involved by offering a simple task to show how different people perceive upright… things got a bit competitive!

We have a winner!

Helen Allen, Vanora Hundley and Yolanda Barrado-Martin also gave talks about BU research and how to get involved.

It was a lovely day, albeit a bit blustery by early afternoon which saw some of the other gazebos take flight. We managed to hang on (not without effort and thanks to the substantial gazebo borrowed from the BU public engagement team) at least until our visit from the Mayor of Bournemouth.

At least it didn’t rain…

Sharon and Louise holding down the fort!

17 May 2016

Pramod Regmi in today’s The Himalayan Times

international, Public engagement, Publishing Edwin van Teijlingen

Today the English-language daily newspaper The Himalayan Times published an article by Dr. Pramod Regmi (BU’s Faculty of Health & Social Sciences) and Dr. Nirmal Aryal (University of Otago, New Zealand) on the growing diabetes problem in South Asia. Dr. Regmi is post-doctoral researcher who focuses, among other topics, on diabetes research in the UK. The Himalayan Times is published in Nepal and has a wide readership in Kathmandu. The article can be accessed online by clicking here!

Congratulations,

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

17 May 2016

Smart Cities Sandpit – One week to go!

BU Challenges, Funding opportunities, Research themes, Training Emily Cieciura

creativity road sign There are still a few places remaining at the RKEO Smart Cities Sandpit on Tuesday, 24 May 2016.

We have a fast-moving and interactive day planned for attendees. Amongst others, we will be joined by Dr Adorkor Bruce-Konuah from Oxford Brooks’ Low Carbon Building Group, who will talk about ERIC – a smart energy system project in Oxford.

So, how do I book onto this event?

To take part in this exciting opportunity, BU staff should complete the Smart-Cities-Sandpit-Application-Form and return this to Dianne Goodman by Thursday, 19th May (extended)

By applying, you agree to attend for the full duration of the event on 24th May (c. 9:30 – 16:30). This event will be held in BU’s Executive Business Centre (EBC).

If you have any queries prior to submitting your application, please contact Emily Cieciura, RKEO Research Facilitator: EU & International.

16 May 2016

BUDI Open Meeting held on 11 May 2016

Public engagement mobrien

Last Wednesday, Bournemouth University Dementia Institute (BUDI) held their fourth annual Open Day. The event marked a new era for BUDI as Dr Jan Wiener and Dr Jane Murphy announced their arrival as the new Head and Co-Head of the Institute, respectively. The event was BUDI’s most successful yet with close to 100 people attending including academics, local practitioners, business, charity and care managers as well as people with dementia and their care partners. This emphasises the great in-roads BUDI continues to make within the local community and the interest that their research is generating.

The event consisted of five presentations delivered by BUDI staff and PhD researchers. Kicking it off, Mary O’Malley, Ramona Grzeschik and Chris Hilton spoke about their project on ‘Wayfinding in Dementia.’ This is fast becoming a specialist area within BUDI after the success of Jan Wiener’s ESRC grant. Following this, Samuel Nyman and Yolanda Barrado-Martin discussed their recently funded NIHR project that aims to use Tai Chi for people with dementia and their care partners. Michelle Heward then outlined the work she has been doing with the local fire service to develop training that enables them to support people with dementia living at home, before Ben Hicks spoke about the innovative ‘Cage Cricket’ project that he is delivering at Hampshire Cricket ground. Finally Rick Fisher concluded the talks by promoting the new BUDI Online Masters Programme that started this academic year. The range of talks highlighted the varied research that BUDI continues to undertake within its remit as a cross-discipline Institute.

The post-presentation activities included a networking and poster session before Michelle Heward closed the event by delivering a Dementia Friends Awareness Session as part of BUDI’s wider aim to ensure Bournemouth becomes a Dementia-Friendly University.

Feedback suggested the event was an enjoyable day out for all those who attended and helped to ensure that BUDI continues to play an integral role in supporting those living with dementia and their care partners within the Dorset County.

‘The event exceeded my expectations – very useful contacts and information about all projects’ (Dementia Practitioner)

‘To see how the university/BUDI is linking with the community and developing ideas to improve things’ (Dementia Practitioner)

14 May 2016

Pedro Zamora, Sexuality and AIDS Education

Fusion Christopher Pullen

After researching the life of AIDS activist Pedro Zamora for some time (since my Phd in 2005 in fact), and having the opportunity more recently to work on an ‘educational biography’ of his life, partly funded by the Fusion Project a couple of years ago, I am delighted that the book is now coming out on 1 June, 2016. Pedro’s life story is inspiring, he was an immigrant from Cuba arriving in the United States in 1980, aged 8. He found out that he was HIV positive aged 17, and went on to become possibly the most well known HIV/AIDS educator who was able to reach youth audiences through his appearance on the reality television series The Real World: San Francisco in 1994. He died not long after the series was broadcast at aged 22, but he reached so many people, and his message is still so relevant, when we consider that HIV/AIDS is more than ever a worldwide concern, devastating in many places. Pedro’s message touches us deeply, and his message is not lost. I must sincerely thank not only John M Clum (Professor Emeritus of Theater Studies and English at Duke University) and Toni Tan at Cambria Press for commissioning the book, when I found it difficult to find anyone interested in an ‘educational biography’, but also to Bill Nichols and Christine Holmlund for such endorsements of the book.

13 May 2016

Touch Gesture for Smartphone

PG research djohn

We would like to invite you to the latest research seminar of the Creative Technology Research Centre. Gestures

Title: Touch Gesture for Smartphone

Speaker: Chi Zhang (Bournemouth University PhD student)

Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM

Date: Wednesday 18^th May 2016

Room: P302 LT, Poole House, Talbot Campus

Abstract:

The number of smart device users is over one-quarter of the global population for the first time in 2015 and there will be 2 billion smart device users over the world by 2016. Increasingly the number of intelligent apps available to access is also one reason for its popularity. However, as a result it becomes challenging to locate and launch an app easily and quickly. In this seminar Chi Zhang will talk about her research on how a user defined gesture may enhance user’s experience on locating an app. The talk will present the results of an initial experiment. Participants are first asked to create a gesture for 15 often used apps (such as Chrome, Gmail, Facebook, etc.), based on apps’ function, and their icons’ textural or visual information. Then the next day the participants tried recalling their defined gestures and use a gesture to locate and launch the corresponding app. The experiment aims to find out what information the user applies to create a gesture and how it’s related to the recalling of the gesture.

We hope to see you there.

10 May 2016

Rewilding Dorset

conferences Arjan Gosal

A very successful meeting with 140 delegates from was held in May 2016 at Charlton Down Village Hall, near Dorchester to discuss and explore the application of rewilding concepts to Dorset co-hosted by Bournemouth University and the Dorset Wildlife Trust.

In recent years, rewilding has become a major theme in conservation, stimulated by publications such as George Monbiot’s Feral and the launch of rewilding organisations both in the UK and at the European scale. While a number of rewilding initiatives have been launched in the UK, most of these are predominantly located in upland areas in the north and west of the country. Elsewhere in Europe, many rewilding initiatives are seeking to encourage ecological recovery on agricultural land that has been abandoned. This raises the question of whether rewilding concepts are applicable to intensive agricultural landscapes such as Dorset, and if so, how they might best be implemented.

We were delighted to be able to welcome a number of speakers who presented at the meeting, including leading researchers with expertise in rewilding, and practitioners with experience in implementing rewilding projects. The meeting also involved representatives from a number of conservation organisations in Dorset.

Speakers included:

Dr Paul Jepson, Oxford University – “Rewilding policy: risk and opportunities”

Dr Christopher Sandom, University of Sussex – “Putting rewilding into practice”

Dr Matthew Heard, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology – “Ecological impacts of rewilding using extensive grazing: the case of Knepp Estate”

Fiona Bowles, Poole Harbour Catchment Initiative – “Is there space for Dorset Rivers to run wild?”

Helen Meech, Rewilding Britain – “Why Rewild Britain?”

Professor Richard Brazier, Exeter University – “Quantifying the ecohydrological impacts of reintroducing Eurasian Beaver to intensively managed, lowland agricultural landscapes”

Alison Turnock, Dorset AONB – “The Wild Purbeck Nature Improvement Area – towards bigger, better, more, joined”

The day was rounded off with a lively and positive discussion with Jonathan Spencer (Forestry Commission), Ian Alexander (Natural England), Mark Robbins (RSPB), David Brown (National Trust), Imogen Davenport (Dorset Wildlife Trust) and chaired by Prof. James Bullock (Centre for Ecology & Hydrology).

This meeting was held as part of the Modelling Natural Capital in Dorset Project (funded under the Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) initiative). Any questions can be addressed to Research Assistant Arjan Gosal.

10 May 2016

Social justice, engaged ethnography and the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia

conferences, Fusion Investment Fund, Women's Academic Network Jonathan Parker

Professor Jonathan Parker and Professor Sara Ashencaen Crabtree were honoured to be invited to the Universidad de Málaga to present their work with the Orang Asli (first peoples) of West Malaysia, undertaken in 2014 with the assistance of a Fusion Investment Fund grant from BU and honorarium from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

The honour was manifold, not only because of our on-going partnership in research, scholarship and education with colleagues in Málaga, in particular Prof Mária Luisa Gomez Jimenez, but also because it expressly allowed us to tell the story of the systemic disadvantages experienced by and deliberate marginalisation of the Orang Asli living in the Tasik (lake) Chini region in the state of Pahang, Malaysia.

When undertaking our ethnography, a study that sought to capture the culture, thoughts, feelings and anger of the people, we were struck by our seeming voyeuristic impotence as researchers, especially as researchers from a high income Western country. We questioned what we could do to assist the people in challenging their disadvantage and marginalisation and being engaged with the communities we asked them, explaining clearly that we could not directly change government policy, the social stigma resulting from commonly assumed myths and perceptions of the Orang Asli. The people, with one voice, entreated us to tell their stories across the world.

We have attempted to stay true to this request since our research ended. Alongside various blogs and academic papers, our book The Death of the Dragon God Lake is now with the printers. Academic outputs can often, however, gather dust and remain unread outside academia. However, having signed with an activist publisher in Malaysia and secured distribution rights for Europe and the US through a British publishing house it is more likely that this will promoted as a social critique.

The best way, having said this, to ensure the socio-economic and environmental plight of the Orang Asli is to speak with faculty, students and members of the general public around the world, to raise awareness, to discuss power relations and to offer critique of global neoliberalism, acknowledging, of course, our own positions in respect of our work. The invitation to Málaga, with a specific request to talk about social justice, allowed us to promote the cause of the Orang Asli, to fulfil our promise and to bring these often hidden issues into the open. We were fortunate in this open lecture in Málaga to be speaking to a broad international audience including Spanish, German, Costa Rican, Canadian and Romanian participants, ensuring the messages would be spread wide.

Ethnographic research can no longer simply illuminate some perceived exotic ‘other’ but must engage directly with the life-worlds of disadvantaged and marginalised peoples, telling their stories and challenging oppressive socio-political and economic structures through research and scholarship.

Jonathan Parker and Sara Ashencaen Crabtree

6 May 2016

BU research on Citizen Science featured on Countryfile

Fusion, Fusion Investment Fund, PG research, Public engagement, student research adiaz

A recently screened and still available episode of the BBC programme Countryfile http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b079ywf9/countryfile-conservation-compilation features BU PhD student Gitte Kragh’s research on what motivates members of the public and students to volunteer as Citizen Scientists for wildlife conservation. The programme showcases the National Trust’s Cyril Diver project, a nationally important project that has measured how the stunning wildlife of Studland, South Haven Peninsula on Purbeck has changed since it was recorded in detail by Cyril Diver in the 1930’s Gitte’s work has shown that the main motivation for people to participate in projects like the Cyril Diver is that they want to do something they feel is worthwhile, in this case help to protect the environment to ensure it is there for future generations. Another important aspect that draws volunteers to the Cyril Diver project is the opportunity for volunteers to learn more about nature, both through specialist workshops and through training in the field with expert naturalists.

Bournemouth University has been a close partner on the Cyril Diver project resulting in the co-creation of research by three BU PhD students, three MSc students, a dozen UG students and over 40 Student Environment Research Team (SERT) students. This work is informing future wildlife conservation management planning for Studland. BU and the NT are building on the success of the FIF-funded SERT co-creation work to develop our partnership model into a long term project for co-creating research of impact for wildlife conservation management that intergrates student and general public citizen scientists. For more information please contact Dr Anita Diaz adiaz@bournemouth.ac.uk

Category / Research themes