BU Research Blog

Category / Communities, Cultures and Conflicts

26 March 2015

Supporting agencies and practitioners to meet the needs of older LGBT people

Dr. Lee-Ann Fenge

I was interested to read an article in the Guardian yesterday about LGBT older people with dementia and concerns about them being forced back into the closet.

Supporting the ageing LGBT Community

In particular the article raises concerns about how the social care workforce supports the ageing LGBT community, and more specifically the growing numbers of individuals who will require care and support as a result of dementia.

This topic is particularly important given the dignity in care agenda and the core values of respect and compassion which underpin practice with older people. At Bournemouth University we have been undertaking research in this area for over 10 years, working collaboratively with older LGBT people to develop knowledge and understanding of their experiences and needs, and helping to develop tools to support practice development.

What have we done?

We have developed a range of ‘co-produced’ resources, and we are using this opportunity to draw these resources to the attention of those working in this area. These resources include a ‘co-produced’ text book, academic papers, a learning tool in the form of a Method Deck of Cards and the film ‘RUFUS STONE’ whose executive producer Dr Kip Jones works alongside me at Bournemouth University. The film is now available to download free on the attached link.

How have we used our research?

We have used both the Method Deck of Cards and the film RUFUS STONE to raise awareness of the needs of older LGBT for those who provide services to them. RUFUS STONE is based on three years of a Research Council UK funded study of the lives of older lesbians and gay men in south west England and Wales, a part of the national New Dynamics of Ageing Programme of research. Winner of two awards at the prestigious Rhode Island International Film Festival in 2012, the film has gone on to be screened at film festivals, other universities in the UK, USA and Canada and by organisations such as Alzheimer’s Society UK, LGBT groups, and health, social and ageing support networks. Author and Executive Producer of RUFUS STONE, Dr, Kip Jones, has written widely in the academic press and elsewhere on the process of collecting the biographic material and subsequently his writing the story for the film.

The Method Deck of Cards was developed with funding from the Big Lottery fund and in partnership with a steering group of older LGBT people. Limited copies are still available on request from Dr. Lee-Ann Fenge

We hope that our work and the resources developed as a result of it can go some way to promote the dignity in care agenda for older LGBT people.

Other Useful Resources

Fannin, A., Hicks, T., Fenge, L., and Lavin, N. 2008 Social Work Practice with Older Lesbians and Gay Men, Learning Matters

Fenge, L. (2013) Developing understanding of same sex partner bereavement for older lesbian and gay people: implications for social work practice, Journal of Gerontological Social Work, online access DOI: 10.1080/01634372.2013.825360

Jones, K., Fenge, L., Read, R. and Cash, M. (2013) Collecting Older Lesbians’ and Gay Men’s Stories of Rural Life in South West England and Wales: “We Were Obviously Gay Girls … (So) He Removed His Cow From Our Field”, FQS Forum: Qualitative Social Research Sozialforschung, Volume 14, No. 2, Art. 7

Jones K. and Fenge, L. 2013 ‘Involving older gay men in research: the lure of group experience’ In B. Pini and B. Pease (Eds.) Men, Masculinities and Methodologies, New York and London Palgrave.

Fenge, L. and Hicks, C. (2011) Hidden lives: the importance of recognizing the needs and experiences of older lesbians and gay men within healthcare practice, Diversity in Health and Care, 8, 147-154

Fenge, L. and Jones, K. (2011) Gay and Pleasant Land? Exploring sexuality, ageing and rurality in a multi-method performative project, British Journal of Social Work, Advanced Access May 4th 2011, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcr058

Fenge, L., Jones, K., and Read, R. (2010) ‘Connecting participatory methods in a study of older lesbian and gay citizens in rural areas’ International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 9(4), 320-333

Fenge, L. (2010). Striving towards Inclusive Research: An Example of Participatory Action Research with Older Lesbians and Gay Men, British Journal of Social Work, 40, 878-894

Fenge, L., Fannin, A., Hicks, T., Armstrong, A., & Taylor, V. (2009). Lifting the Lid on sexuality and ageing: the voices of volunteer researchers, Qualitative Social Work: Research Practice,8,4, 509-524

Fenge, L. & Fannin, A. (2009) Sexuality and Bereavement: Implications for Practice with Older Lesbians and Gay Men, Practice, 21, 1, 35-46

25 March 2015

PR History conference abstracts online

Tom Watson

The 46 abstracts of papers chosen for presentation at the International History of Public Relations Conference 2015 are now available online at: https://microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk/historyofpr/files/2010/11/IHPRC-2105-Abstracts.pdf

This is the largest selection of papers chosen for IHPRC since it started in 2010 and, says IHPRC Chair Professor Tom Watson, “it is indicative of the increasing quality of research and scholarship from around the world in the field of public relations history.”

Authors come from 21 countries and include first-time contributions from Mauritius, Norway, Portugal and Switzerland. The largest group of papers is from the U.S. (10), followed by UK (8), Germany (4) and Turkey (4).

The conference will be held in the EBC on 8-9 July this year. Registration is at: https://microsites.bournemouth.ac.uk/historyofpr/registration/

20 March 2015

‘And the walls came tumbling down’ – BU involved in Palestinian-Israeli peace and reconciliation dialogues

Women's Academic Network Sara Ashencaen Crabtree

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict represents one of the most protracted and volatile in contemporary global politics. In Europe, we witness events from the outside through the shock and glare of television newsflashes. We are uncomfortably aware of the huge gulf between the world we inhabit of quotidian demands and trivial, micro conflicts – and that other world that vibrates terrifyingly with the devastating and cataclysmic, horrifyingly symbolised by the bodies of the killed, so many of them young children.

Given my academic interests I was therefore deeply honoured to be invited on an all-expenses paid trip to Israel recently, by our Visiting Professor to the currently named Centre of Social Work, Sociology & Social Policy (CSWSSP) in FHSS – Professor Alean Al-Krenawi – a world renowned social work scholar of Bedouin heritage. The invitation was to give a keynote lecture in Jerusalem at the final conference/workshop under the ‘Building Peace Through Knowledge Program’, a Palestinian-Israeli project, under the auspices of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and generously funded by the USAID Conflict Mitigation and Reconciliation Program. This three-year project was developed by Professor Al-Krenawi and his impressive colleague, Dr Tawfiq Salman, the General Director of the Palestinian Neuropsychiatric Rehabilitation Center (PNRC) Bethlehem and President of the Palestinian Association for Child & Adolescence Mental Health (PACAMH). The aims of the project have been to bring together participant dialogue groups in conference workshops – and this final event would seek to embed, encapsulate and take forward the good work developed so far.

The invitation therefore was both a great privilege and honour – and an undeniably challenging one, replete with huge, raw sensitivities to acknowledge and yawning pits for the vigilant, let alone unwary, to carefully negotiate. Here, to a large mixed audience of Israeli and Palestinian professionals working across the domains of human services, education and health disciplines, I presented a paper entitled ‘Chaos and coalescence in the narratives of hardship: a new pedagogy for human services’. The aim was to begin to create a meta-narrative of hardship and suffering in order to recognise fully the humanity and the pain of the ‘other’; and to find a universal commonality transcending the barriers of ethnicity, religion and years of violent oppression and conflict.

A highly ambitious undertaking therefore, which could only be attempted with great humility to be open to truly hearing and acknowledging the stories and accounts from participants – often exceedingly painful and occasionally inflammatory to others. The potential for offence was extremely high, but so too were the stakes for greater understanding and accord together with individual commitment to working towards a more peaceful and equitable future.

Following my talk the audience were then encouraged to break into small, mixed ethnic discussion groups to discuss narratives of hardship and suffering that they had encountered, engaged in or witnessed – and to reflect on these in terms of the impact upon individuals at the personal and professional levels. An excellent omen, I wryly noticed, was that one of the conference rooms where I was helping to facilitate discussion groups was called ‘Jericho’ – and thus together we began to bring down the walls.

I was deeply impressed by the willingness of the audience to engage in these difficult discussions. A few Palestinian and Israeli participants had already been able to develop close friendships through these dialogue encounters, maintained even across the worst of the fighting of the Intifadas. Yet, as we learn, there have been more peace and reconciliation dialogue groups taking place in Israel than in any other country globally – and sadly to little overall effect. Worse still such dialogues by the very act of breaking down personal-political barriers can exacerbate the huge of sense of (now) personal betrayal felt by participants in ensuing violence.

A key component of success we heard about is to ‘scale up’: in other words to increase the social impact of the good will developed in dialogue groups by expanding their influence externally. Accordingly, the aim is to expand both horizontally by creating meta-networks and vertically to reach government levels for necessary policy change. At the moment extremely aggressive hawks have been in the ascendance but the Israeli general elections are being held very soon. Accordingly many Israeli participants at the workshop expressed the hope that the political landscape would soon be changed by a more moderate government through democratic processes. Sadly, however, some of the Palestinian colleagues at the workshop had no voting rights despite being life-long Jerusalem residents. There is clearly still much work to do in such a troubled and unequal region of the world.

Dr Tawfiq Salman & Prof Alean Al-Krenawi

Bringing down the walls in Jericho

On a final constructive note, BU Sociology+ academics are able to continue some of this important work in Israel. Via these connections BU is now the British partner for a Palestinian-Israeli, USA and UK conference on diversity and multiculturalism (a key research theme within CSWSSP) to be held in 2016 under the auspices of the Achva Academic College, whose President is our much-esteemed colleague and friend, Alean Al-Krenawi.

Professor Sara Ashencaen Crabtree

19 March 2015

Policy brief on Obesity

Knowledge Transfer, Public engagement, Publishing Edwin van Teijlingen

Today my colleagues at the University of Aberdeen’s Health Economics Research Unit (HERU) published their latest HERU Policy Brief on ‘Gaining pounds by losing pounds: research finds financial incentives could help reduce obesity’. The policy brief is now available on line. These policy briefs are concise summaries of the findings of research projects, presented with a focus on policy implications. Linking research findings to possible policy improvements increase the chance that our research has an impact on the wider society. Furthermore, that our research has an impact in REF terms.

This latest policy brief ‘Gaining pounds by losing pounds: research finds financial incentives could help reduce obesity’ is part of a larger project called PROGRESS (Prevent Obesity GRowing Economic Synthesis Study), funded by the National Preventative Research Initiative (NPRI) and the Universities of Aberdeen and Melbourne. The project started when I was still at the University of Aberdeen, before I came down to Bournemouth more than five years ago now. Our research highlights that despite evidence that dietary interventions are the most effective way to lose weight, respondents preferred lifestyle interventions involving physical activity. Also that behaviour-change support improves effectiveness of interventions, but its value to participants was limited. A general preference to maintain current lifestyles, together with the sensitivity of take-up to financial costs, suggests financial incentives could be used to help maximise up-take of healthy lifestyle interventions. Finally, men required more compensation to take up healthier lifestyles.

Full details on methods and results are available in the health economics paper due to be published later this year, currently ‘published ahead of print’ (Ryan et al. 2014).

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Faculty of Health & Social Sciences

Reference:

Ryan, M., Yi, D., Avenell, A., Douglas, F., Aucott, L., van Teijlingen, E. & Vale, L. (2014) Gaining pounds by losing pounds: preferences for lifestyle interventions to reduce obesity, Health Economics, Policy & Law, [Epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1017/s1744133114000413.

18 March 2015

MIDWIFERY: Top five most down-loaded articles for 2014

Publishing Edwin van Teijlingen

Today academic publisher Elsevier sent round an email with the top five most downloaded articles from the international journal Midwifery.

We were pleased to see that the fifth paper on that list is a BU paper jointly written with Dr. Helen Bryers, Consultant Midwife in Scotland.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

18 March 2015

The second fusion funded GeoNet event

Awarded & submitted bids, Fusion, Public engagement pgillingham

For our second GeoNet seminar guest lecturers Paul Sochaczwski and David Hallmark joined us to discuss the work and contributions of scientist and activist Alfred Russell Wallace. Paul recounted Wallace’s heroic journey to Rio Negro and South-Asia where he collected over 125,000 species, including orang-utans, birds of paradise, butterflies and beetles. This epic journey was no mean feat for Wallace, self-financing his travels over a distance of over 22,000km. He had to overcome many obstacles including language barriers, identifying new species without taxonomy books, preserving and protecting his species collection and shipping them safely back to England.

David Hallmark carried on the interesting discoveries of Wallace by discussing the extent of his role in the development of the Theory of Selection from a legal perspective. The question of whether Charles Darwin outright stole Wallace’s idea or whether he ‘developed’ and ‘adapted’ it was discussed. Darwin became obsessed with losing priority after Wallace sent him his Ternate Paper in 1858 and thus published his own work (on the origin of species) a year later without acknowledging Wallace. David suggests that Darwin deliberately omitted Wallace, claiming the 600+ page book as an abstract to avoid having to provide attribution. After hearing the evidence provided by David from witnesses, Darwin’s personal quotes, diary edits, and the timeframe of each scientists published papers it appears that Darwin did commit plagiarism rather than just the mistaken performance of an academic.

I personally found it interesting that David considered how many academics felt that Darwin deserved to have priority due to classist attitudes at the time. However, Wallace may have agreed, and thus stepped aside in order for the more influential and powerful Darwin to establish the Theory of Natural Selection and to contradict religious beliefs at the time.

The controversial topic sparked up an interesting discussion amongst the audience, with Darwin’s integrity as a scientist and a man coming under critique. Interestingly the audience still felt empathy towards Darwin despite the evidence suggesting that he had ‘stolen’ Wallace’s idea. The conclusion seemed to be that Wallace was regarded as a ‘reluctant hero’ who himself accepted Darwinism as an ‘adopted’ idea.

However, perhaps the real question is whether the world could handle or accept Wallace as the originator of the Theory of Selection and what effects this would have on current attitudes towards scientists and societies already present mistrust.

So the next time you have a lecture in Bournemouth University’s Wallace lecture theatre you’ll know it’s named after Alfred Russel Wallace!

Charlotte Unwin (intern to GeoNet)

10 March 2015

News from the Learning Research Group

Fusion, Publishing, REF Subjects jmcdougall

BU’s new Learning Research Group held its second workshop last week, so here is a quick update on activities so far since the group formed.

The group is convened by the Centre for Excellence in Learning and CEMP and meets in the CEL space with two objectives –

1. To bring people together for research into learning, pedagogy and education, related to the broader work of CEL;

2. To develop research strategically for a submission to the Unit of Assessment for Education in REF 2020.

Researchers in the group are working on projects and towards outputs in three related areas – Media and Digital Literacies; Practitioner Enquiry and (Higher) Education Dynamics. Impact case studies are in development in each of these areas and a strategy for capacity building, demonstrating impact and research environment has been produced.

In the first workshop, Professor Alex Kendall from Birmingham City University talked to the group about REF 2014 and gave advice for working across disciplines and faculty structures. In the second workshop, Julian shared sub-panel feedback with a focus on how BU’s research can be distinctive in the changing landscape, Isabella Rega ran a workshop activity to bring us together around research themes, methods and beneficiaries, and the group worked together to refine the plans for the group’s direction of travel, discussing development needs and targets for outputs and impact. The next time we meet, we will be guided by Professor Becky Francis from KCL.

The learning research group will continue to do two things in tandem – work towards a REF submission and support the research element of CEL’s work. To get involved, contact julian@cemp.ac.uk or just come along to the next workshop (after Easter, date will be circulated on the research blog).

27 February 2015

BU academic gives invited lecture at University College Leuven-Limburg

Fusion, Public engagement Jonathan Parker

Professor Jonathan Parker was invited to present a lecture on the paradoxical relationship between concepts of civil society and state-sponsored social work, calling for a radical departure from current neoliberal iterations and performances of social work across European societies, especially England, and mimicked elsewhere in the world.

Professor Nol Reverda from the University of Maastricht also presented a lecture concerning the need for critical and analytic thinking in contemporary welfare in the Netherlands as a means of count ring the uncritical acceptance of neoliberal agendas in Europe.

Professor Parker addressed a packed lecture theatre of academics from University of Leuven, University College Leuven-Limburg, student groups and workers from Belgian NGOs. He introduced the concept of the ‘Big Society’ as promoted by the Conservative Party prior to the 2010 election and quietly laid to rest in policy terms following the entrenchment of austerity methods within the Coalition Government. Rescuing some of the core concepts of civil and communitarian action from misguided ideas of ‘Big Society’, Professor Parker contrasted these with the increased surveillance, monitoring and control of social work in England underpinned by a restrictive and stultifying curriculum. He called for a reflexive criticality in which socially-minded academics, social workers and NGOs challenge the power structures that have led to disillusionment, a focus on social policing and a barren dehumanised approach that increasingly pervades European State social work.

The lecture added impetus to the development of a critical and radical challenge to social work education and practice in Belgium, and Professor Parker has ben invited to contribute to the development of analytic and critical thinking on social issues and civil society over future years.

24 February 2015

£4M Protecting Data in Industry

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange jcodling

Innovate UK is to invest up to £4 million in collaborative research and development (R&D) projects that tackle the growing risks of disruption to internet-enabled businesses and their digital supply chains.

With the Internet of Things providing new sources of data and end-users’ ever-increasing digital footprint, it is difficult to adequately protect the interests of a business, industry or sector. There is also a lack of understanding of the effects disruption may have. Desired proposals would address the challenge of protecting a business, industry or sector from digital disruption that could compromise data across the digital supply chain.

A series of briefing events are being run during March and April:

Belfast: 25 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/protecting-data-in-industry-briefing-belfast-registration-15751274486

Cardiff: 30 March 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/protecting-data-in-industry-briefing-cardiff-registration-15751564353

London: 31 March 2015 – https://www.etouches.com/118529

Edinburgh: 01 April 2015 – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/protecting-data-in-industry-briefing-edinburgh-registration-15751602467

23 February 2015

GeoNet climate change event and next seminars

Awarded & submitted bids, Fusion, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, REF Subjects pgillingham

GeoNet, the fusion-funded interdisciplinary seminar project, held our first lunchtime session ‘A conversation about climate change’ recently. We were really pleased to see the Coyne so packed out (come early next time to be sure of getting a cookie!) with a wide range of students, PGRs and staff from across the university. Short talks to introduce the panel members (covering both the impacts of climate change and how these are communicated) were followed by a very interesting discussion. We considered how terms are often used out of context or incorrectly (for example the ‘Anthropocene’ in the geological sense of the word would be classified after the fact). It was also interesting for me personally to discover why there is often false balance in the media when climate change is discussed – the reporters have to use a political template (because climate change is a politicised subject) and this template calls for equal representation of the views of all sides. Of course this results in a poor representation of the state of scientific knowledge.

We also discussed the right of non-scientists to enter the debate – this is based on a democratic right to have an opinion but not necessarily on knowledge. The cult of celebrity was an interesting topic, not something that I expected to be discussing in the context of climate change, but perhaps we need more celebrities to support David Attenborough in representing environmental change. Leading on from this, we discussed whether scientists should have more media coverage. Whilst this might seem an obvious way of increasing public knowledge, it could backfire because scientists have a general lack of media training, lack of experience in delivering ‘soundbites’ and have to acknowledge uncertainty, which can negatively affect the public perception of them as experts. We decided that social media might be the answer, as it is not bound by the politicised template and can provide a platform for scientists to talk about their findings, as well as allowing discussions to enable understanding of what uncertainty actually means.

Our next two events are The Hero’s Journey of Alfred Russel Wallace in Southeast Asia from 18.00-19.30 on the 10^th March in Barnes Lecture Theatre and Low carbon cities: why and how from 12.00-13.00 on the 17^th March in TAG02. Tea, coffee and cookies will be provided at both and active participation is encouraged!

Booking is necessary for the 10^th March via http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-heros-journey-of-alfred-russel-wallace-in-southeast-asia-tickets-13409922439 (free to BU staff and students)

17 February 2015

Serendipitous Impact and the Power of No: lessons from CEMP’s Research Away Day

R & KE Operations, Training afeigenbaum

On Friday February 13, 2015 eighteen researchers across all stages of their careers came together for our CEMP Research Away Day. Hosted at the Old School House By the Sea in Boscombe, the day focused on how we can foster our media & education research culture, from REF strategy to collaboration building, both at BU and beyond.

Kicking us off with REF and Impact, Rebecca Edwards from RKEO spoke about key issues including the new Open Access Guidelines and how we can work to evidence our impact. She summed up 8 key points to takeaway:

1. Know your Open Access
2. Go Gold when possible – use RKEO fund
3. Collaborate with other institutions and international colleagues
4. Identify and developing Impact Case Studies
5. Evidencing your Impact as you go along (testimonials, visitor counts, etc)
6. Promote your research on the BU research website
7. Aim to increase research income
8. Focus on PhD registrations and completions

Sound like a gigantic task for just one person? These goals are not for individuals to accomplish alone. Working in teams and groups is key for doing innovative research, producing outputs and building successful bids. Making connections between our work is a necessary beginning.

Isabella Rega’s Making Connections session got the group talking about where our interests intersect. Using three different coloured post-it notes, we wrote down the issues (green), methods (pink) and stakeholders (yellow) that we work with. Participatory research methods, HE teaching and learning, and Education and Social Change emerged as key overlaps.

Out of these connections some concrete plans emerged, including turning fusion project output into educational resources and a participatory methods workshop day.

From project plans to project afterlife, we shifted to speak about documenting and evidencing impact. We looked at four case studies of research projects including ETAG and Copyrightuser.org, their significance and who they reached. Rebecca Edwards provided advice on how we evidence, measure and track our project’s impact. Sometimes these impacts can be anticipated, but more often there is serendipity and surprise.

Tracking Impact

-Tiers of influence
-Is influencing an organisation enough? How do we understand what this was?
-Testimonials
-Formal letters from key institutions
-If you’ve done research at another institution it doesn’t count at our institution. Impact stays at institution. Reason is because it is usually about groups.
-Entire groups can be rewarded for impact
-Demonstrate the evidence of impact on policy —> Following the story
-Distinct contribution of the University
-Can’t always see the impact from the outset —> serendipity involved, not always
-visitors counts and the result of them

After a tasty, if unidentifiable food-filled lunch from Bosconova, we ran a reflection session on barriers to research bidding and publishing. Designed to get us thinking about the personal and structural constraints on our research, the session helped us room-source practical solutions to common challenges.

Richard Wallis got us back up on our feet with a enthusiastic round of Research Speed Dating. Partnering up with colleagues for short bursts of time, we quickly exchanged project ideas offering feedback and fostering more research connections. Julian McDougall and Richard Berger rounded out the afternoon with a go-around. Everyone shared their upcoming plans and outlined the support they would need to achieve them.

Described by participants as a “fantastic day,” we left feeling the best kind of inspired: more excited and less exhausted about the research plans that lay ahead for CEMP’s growing educational research community.

Anna Feigenbaum is a CEMP Fellow. To find out more about CEMP and how to get involved, check out the website: http://www.cemp.ac.uk/

11 February 2015

BU Faculty of Health & Social Sciences’ academics on Andalusian scientific committee

Women's Academic Network Jonathan Parker

BU Faculty of Health & Social Sciences academics, Dr Sara Ashencaen Crabtree and Prof Jonathan Parker, have been invited to join the scientific committee of Universidad de Málaga’s Project PASOS (Proposals for actions and sustainability parameters in the access and housing rehabilitation in Andalusia) led by the Centre for Social Work, Sociology and Social Policy’s visiting fellow Prof Dr Maria Luisa Gomez-Jimenez. This important project seeks to relieve housing distress and improve accessibility in Andalusia at a time of continued austerity.

A description of the project follows and the full web-site can be found at: http://www.pasosvivienda.uma.es.

Social exclusion increases as evictions do, and the right to housing, established in Statute, is now in question. Thus, in synergy with policies that have been developed by the Andalusian Autonomous Government in defense of the right to housing the project brings to the fore debate and research for enhancing housing policies through various cognate areas: legal, economic, geographical, social, architectural and in the sustainable and green economy.

The PASOS project seeks to:

Promote studies and research for the development of accessibility policies in the field of housing that contribute to social cohesion and provide the improvement of life quality for citizens.
Develop studies and research related to “sustainable building” as strategic line define by the PAIDI (Andalusian Plan of research and development and innovation) in the area of competencies of the Building and Housing Counselling.
Improve the processes of building and preservation applying new technologies to building.
Improve efficiency in energy consumption in building processes and the production of renewable energy in building.

11 February 2015

CEMP Bulletin February 2015

Funding opportunities, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, PG research jmcdougall

Here is the new CEMP Research Bulletin. CEMP bulletin FEB 15 Isa

As always, talk to the CEMP Fellow in your academic group, Milena in CEL, Richard Berger or Julian McDougall to follow up any of the opportunities listed or to get involved in research with CEMP.

3 February 2015

Publishing Edwin van Teijlingen

Tourism, a global industry, brings with it a number of public health problems, one of which is the spread of sexually transmitted infections transmitted between travellers and hosts.
Previous studies have largely focused on sex workers and sex tourists. This latest paper ‘Nepalese Trekking Guides: A Quantitative Study of Sexual Health Knowledge And Sexual Behaviour’ published yesterday in the Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences assesses sexual behaviour, knowledge and condom use among male trekking guides in Nepal.

A self-administered questionnaire survey (n=324) was conducted using snowball sampling amongst men working as mountain trekking guides in Nepal. Most respondents (59%) had initiated sex before the age of 18. Most (84 %) reported sexual relations with a woman other than their partner, 46% reported foreign partners, 43% had Nepalese partners, and 28% had concurrent foreign and Nepalese partners. Most (70 %) reported ever having sex with a foreign woman and two-thirds had had sexual intercourse with foreign women in the previous 12 months. Participants’ age, education status, age of first sex, smoking and drinking habits and English proficiency were significant predictors of having sex with foreign women.About 60% reported condom use during their most recent occasion of extra-martial sex. A similar proportion had used a condom during last sexual intercourse with a foreign woman. The likelihood of condom use was associated with a guide’s age, educational level, ethnicity, age of first sex and work experience. Most trekking guides reported sexual relations with foreign women as well as irregular use of condoms. Although sexual health knowledge about among trekking guides is high, some misconceptions still result in unsafe sex. Hence there is an urgent need to revise the existing training for trekking guides and implement appropriate health promotion programmes.

Reference:

Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E., Regmi, P., Bhatta, P., Ingham, R., Stone, N. (2015) Sexual health knowledge and risky sexual behaviour of Nepalese trekking guides. Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences 1 (4): 35-42.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

3 February 2015

Study increases understanding of motivational drivers of volunteers and lessons learned.

Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement Joyce Costello

BOURNEMOUTH, UK- Charities and non-profit organizations can face many challenges when recruiting and retaining volunteers. Often, individuals will claim they have work or family commitments that impede them from donating their time. However, once an individual has been recruited to volunteer, the next challenge for the volunteer manager is get the volunteer to exert the highest level of effort possible and to reduce the volunteer’s turnover rates.

As part of the Organizational Analysis Research Cluster, Dr. Fabian Homberg, Dr. Davide Secchi and I addressed these challenged by exploring the relation between Public Service Motivation (PSM) and volunteering intensity. With the help of Community First New Forest, we conducted a survey in November 2014 examining volunteer habits, attitudes and behaviour of individuals who expressed an interest in volunteering. Findings were initially presented at the Bournemouth University Post-Graduate conference in January. However, we then had two public engagement opportunities to present the findings to members of Community First New Forest, local volunteer managers and CSV Centre volunteer coordinators from Hampshire and surrounding areas.

The study investigated predisposition or underlying attitudes towards public service through key attitudes towards civic duty, social justice, self-sacrifice, and compassion, commitment to public interest and attraction to policy. Volunteering intensity, or perceived mental, emotional and physical effort exerted by volunteers, was compared to attitudes towards public service. We found that when there were high levels of public service, New Forest volunteers reported exerting a greater effort.

In order to help volunteer managers to predict turnover rates, the study examined the match between an individual’s goals, skills and values and those of the organization. Those who volunteered monthly had the highest score when asked if their values and goals were similar to the goals of the organization they volunteered with. Whereas, weekly volunteers had a stronger sense of belonging to the volunteer organization and felt strongly that what the volunteer organization stands for is important to them. One respondent said they were made to feel a value team member and it is important to them that they use their talents appropriately. Overall, those who volunteered more frequently reported they felt there was a better match.

While the study provided valuable insights into public service motivation as a driver for volunteer behaviour, the questions and feedback from the volunteer managers and coordinators raised questions that they experienced with their direct contact with volunteers. Issues such as examining if different volunteer roles influenced the relation between motivation and behaviour was brought up as well what factors encourage a one-off volunteer to engage in future volunteering as a result of the experience. Additionally, volunteer managers challenged the academic stances that as baby boomers begin to retire that they will have more time to volunteer.

This study provides volunteer managers with valuable insight into volunteer motivation and how it influences behaviour. Additionally, the lessons learned showed the importance that public engagement opportunities can provide an indispensable two-way flow of information. By understanding the needs of volunteer managers and coordinators, academics can be in a better position to answer their practical needs.

30 January 2015

GeoNet Launch with climate change event

Coffee Morning, Fusion, Knowledge Exchange pgillingham

The fusion funded GeoNet project holds its first event on Tuesday the 3rd of February. The project aims to bring together staff and students from across the university with mutual interests via a series of events, including some lunchtime panel debates and a series of external speakers. GeoNet is very inclusive and anyone with an interest is welcome to come and take part. The events are designed to encourage conversation and interaction, with plenty of audience participation. Our first event is;

A conversation about climate change

Coyne Lecture Theatre

Tues 3^rd February, 1-2pm

Come along to the Coyne on the 3^rd Feb to join in the first of eleven planned GeoNet events. Join panellists who research the science of climate change and its impacts (John Stewart, Andrew Ford and Pippa Gillingham from the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences) and those who research how best to communicate it (Einar Thorsen, Nathan Farrell and David Fevyer from the Media School) in conversation to find out more about their work. We want this session to be as interactive as possible and there will be lots of opportunities to ask questions and help us as we try to learn from each other.

Tea, coffee and cookies will be provided and all are welcome!

27 January 2015

Cyber Security Seminar: Persuasive Technology for Information Security – Today, 4pm

REF Subjects Shamal Faily

Our next Interdisciplinary Cyber Security Seminar will take place TODAY (Tuesday, 27th January) at 4pm. The seminar will take place at Poole House in P335 LT, and will be free and open to all.

Our speaker will be Marc Busch. Marc is scientist at the AIT – Austrian Institute of Technology and is active at the intersection of persuasive technology and usable privacy and security. Furthermore, he is specialized in advanced quantitative and qualitative usability and user experience methodology, research methods and statistics in Human-computer interaction. Marc is involved in several international and national research and industrial projects, such as MUSES – Multiplatform Usable Endpoint Security. Before joining AIT, Marc was at CURE – Center for Usability Research & Engineering, where he focused on user experience and usability.

Abstract: Persuasive Technology is a vibrant field of research and practice, aiming to change the attitude or behavior of people. Persuasive technology has various different application areas, e.g. games motivating physical activity. An emerging application area is persuasive technology to increase information security and to engage people to protect their privacy. In the seminar, participants will hear about design principles for persuasive technology for promoting information security and also about methods to evaluate persuasive technology. Concrete examples and “best practices” will be given from a recent research project, in which persuasive technology is used in organizations to make employees comply with information security policies.

26 January 2015

31 publications by January 31st!

PG research, Publishing, student research Edwin van Teijlingen

My contribution to the BU Research Blog this year started on 3-1-2015 under the heading First BU publicatio n of 2015. I soon discovered that with loads of journals publishing their first issue of the new year in early January and books being published early in the new year (rather than late in the previous one) the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences had quite a few new publications lined up. It seems a nice idea to write another BU Research Blog under the title ’20/20′ referring in our case to twenty publications by January 20th with wordplay on the 20-20 perfection vision. But before January 20th the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences had already more than 20 publications.

The plan changed to report 25 publications by January 25th. This time the title in my head was ‘In the month 25-25 …’ a poor wordplay of the song ‘In the year 2525’. In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) was a hit in my youth (in the late Sixties by the US duo Denny Zager and Rick Evans). Unfortunately, this plan was short-lived too as I was made aware of several publications by Faculty of Health & Social Sciences colleagues in the space of three days.

Hence the final attempt ’31 publications by January 31st!’ (published today 26th January) before I find out about further publications!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health

Faculty of Health & Social Sciences

The list of 31 Faculty of Health & Social Sciences publication for early 2015, comprising 21 papers and ten book chapter:

Hemingway, A., Norton, L & Aarts, C. (2015) Principles of Lifeworld Led Public Health Practice in the UK and Sweden: Reducing Health Inequalities Nursing Research & Practice, Vol. 2015 Article ID 124591, 4 pages
Jonathan Williams and his colleagues at Cardiff University published: ‘Development of a computation biomechanical model for the investigation of infant head injury by shaking’ Medicine, Science and the Law, http://msl.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/12/30/0025802414564495.abstract
Bernardo G.L., Pacheco da Costa Proença R, Cristin M, Calvo, M., Fiates, G.M.R., Hartwell H. (2015),”Assessment of the healthy dietary diversity of a main meal in a self-service restaurant”, British Food Journal, 117(1): 286 – 301.
Ashencaen Crabtree, S., Parker, J. (2015) Reflections on Social Work and Human Rights, SUHAKAM Malaysian Journal of Human Rights Journal, pp.19-30 (forthcoming)
Ashencaen Crabtree, S., Parker, J., Azman, A., Masu’d, F. (2015) Typologies of learning in international student placements, Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work & Development. Advanced access/online Doi: 10.1080/02185385.2014.1003393
Ashencaen Crabtree, S. and Parker, J. (2015) Being male in female spaces: Perceptions of male students on masculinity on a qualifying course. Revista de Asistenţă Socială, anul XIII, 4/2014, pp. 7-26, www.swreview.ro
Simkhada, P.P., van Teijlingen, E., Marahatta, S.B. Mental health services in Nepal: Is it too late? Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences (accepted).
Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen E., Winter, R.C., Fanning, C., Dhungel, A., Marahatta S.B. Why are so many Nepali women killing themselves? A review of key issues Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences (accepted).
Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E. Wasti, S.P., Sathian B., Mixed-methods approaches in health research in Nepal (Editorial) Nepal Journal of Epidemiology (accepted).
Galvin, K., Todres L (2015) Dignity as honour-wound: An experiential and relational view Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
16. Worswick, L., Little, C., Ryan, K., Carr, E. (2015),Interprofessional learning in primary care: An exploration of the service user experience leads to a new model for co-learning Nurse Education Today
Murphy, J., Pulman, A., Jeffery, J., Worswick, L., Ford, G., 2015. Translating research into practice: Evaluation of an e-learning resource for health care professionals to provide nutrition advice and support for cancer survivors. Nurse Education Today, 35(1), 271-276.
Hundley, V., Luce, A., van Teijlingen Do midwives need to be more media savvy? MIDIRS (accepted).
Rachel Arnold published from her PhD research: Arnold, R., van Teijlingen, E.R., Ryan, K., Holloway, I. (2015) Understanding Afghan health care providers: A qualitative study of the culture of care in a Kabul maternity hospital, BJOG 122: 260-267.
Angell, C., Alexander J, Hunt J (2015) ‘Draw, write and tell’: A literature review and methodological development on the ‘draw and write’ research method, Journal of Early Childhood Research 13(1): 17-28.
Gyawali, B., Keeling, J., van Teijlingen, E., Dhakal. L., Aro, A.R. (2015) Cervical Cancer Screening: Ethical Consideration, Medicolegal & Bioethics 5 :1-6
Grylka-Baeschlin, S., van Teijlingen, E.R., Stoll, K., Gross, M.M. (2015) Translation and validation of the German version of the Mother-Generated Index and its application during the postnatal period. Midwifery 31(1): 47–53.
MacKenzie Bryers, H., van Teijlingen, E. Pitchforth, E., Advocating mixed-methods approaches in health research, Nepal Journal of Epidemiology (accepted).
Hall, J., Hundley, V., van Teijlingen, E. The Journal editor: friend or foe? Women & Birth (accepted).
Marsh, W., Colbourne, D., Way, S., Hundley, V., 2014. Would a student run postnatal clinic make a valuable addition to midwifery education in the UK? A systematic review. Nurse Education Today. (In Press)
Bevan A.L., Hartwell H, Hemingway, A., Rossana Pacheco da Costa Proença (2015) An exploration of the fruit and vegetable “foodscape” in a university setting for staff: A preliminary study British Food Journal, 117(1): 37-49.

Book chapters:

Edwin van Teijlingen published a chapter on ‘Sociology of Midwifery’ in: Sociology for Midwives, Deery, R., Denny, E. & Letherby, G. (eds.) published by Polity Pres
PhD student Sheetal Sharma is co-author of a book chapter called ‘Customs and believes surrounding newborn babies in rural areas’ published The Dynamics of Health in Nepalet al. by Himal Books, Nepal.
Benoit, C., Sandall, J., Benoit, C., Murray, S.F., van Teijlingen E., Wrede, S., & Declercq, G. New directions in global policy: maternal health. In: E. Kuhlmann, E., Bourgeault, I. (eds.) Palgrave International Handbook on Health Care Policy & Governance, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan (forthcoming 2015)
Jenny Hall has a chapter forthcoming ‘Spirituality and compassion and maternity care’ in The Roar behind the silence: why kindness, compassion and respect matter in maternity care, S. Byrom & S. Downe (eds.) published by Pinter and Martin: http://www.pinterandmartin.com/the-roar-behind-the-silence.html?
van Teijlingen, E, Simkhada, P., Wasti, P.P. (2015) Nepal is Changing: Modernisation and Diversity in Healthcare. In: Wasti, S.P., Simkhada, P.P. & van Teijlingen, E. (Eds.) The Dynamics of Health in Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal: Social Science Baha & Himal Books: 1-15.
Wasti, S.P., Simkhada, P.P. & van Teijlingen, E. (Eds.) (2015) Socio-Cultural Aspects of HIV/AIDS. In: The Dynamics of Health in Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal: Social Science Baha & Himal Books: 47-62.
Simkhada, B., Sharma, A., van Teijlingen, E., Silwal, R.C., Simkhada, P. (2015) Exploring Maternal Mortality Reduction. In: Wasti, S.P. et al. The Dynamics of Health in Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal: Social Science Baha & Himal Books: 95-121
Devkota, B., van Teijlingen, E. (2015) Exploring Rebel Health Services during the Maoist People’s War. In: Wasti, S.P. et al. (Eds.) The Dynamics of Health in Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal: Social Science Baha & Himal Books: 122-130.
Devkota, S., Maharjan, H.M., van Teijlingen, E. (2015) Media and Health. In: Wasti, S.P., Simkhada, P.P. & van Teijlingen, E. (Eds.) The Dynamics of Health in Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal: Social Science Baha & Himal Books: 169-184.
Parker, J. (2015) Single Shared Assessments in social work. In J.D. Wright (ed.) The International Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2nd edn, Elsevier, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.28105-1 .

Category / Communities, Cultures and Conflicts

PR History conference abstracts online

The second fusion funded GeoNet event

News from the Learning Research Group

£4M Protecting Data in Industry

GeoNet climate change event and next seminars

Serendipitous Impact and the Power of No: lessons from CEMP’s Research Away Day

CEMP Bulletin February 2015

Study increases understanding of motivational drivers of volunteers and lessons learned.

GeoNet Launch with climate change event

Other services

Don’t miss a post!

Recent posts

Search by Category

Research Information Network

UKRI

Category / Communities, Cultures and Conflicts

Dr. Lee-Ann Fenge

Supporting the ageing LGBT Community

What have we done?

How have we used our research?

Other Useful Resources

Other services

Don’t miss a post!

Recent posts

Search by Category

Search by popular post topics