A qualitative investigation into the experiences of LGBT workers in the construction sector

A qualitative investigation into the experiences of LGBT workers in the construction secto

Sexual harassment on the London Underground: mobilities, temporalities and knowledges of gendered violence in public transport

This thesis explores women's experiences of sexual harassment on the London Underground network. Taking a qualitative approach, 29 semi-structured interviews with women who have experienced harassment and 15 semi-structured interviews with members of the British Transport Police form the basis of this study. The originality of this thesis is two fold. Firstly, it offers an empirical analysis of women s experiences of sexual harassment in the London Underground, in a situation where sexual harassment in public transport has mainly been studied in the Global South. Secondly, using a novel conceptual framework built around the concepts of space, mobilities and rhythm, temporalities and knowledges, this research opens up a new perspective at the intersections of feminist research on gendered violence and a mobilities perspective. The study demonstrates that: urban space and transport are experienced in a gendered way; mobilities and rhythms intertwine with space, shaping how sexual harassment is perpetrated and how women experience it in public transport; that memories and the impact of sexual harassment are negotiated over time and space, and; that knowledge of sexual harassment is situated, varying from different perspectives (victims, police), depending on how a knowledge base is constructed. This thesis as a whole makes an important contribution to our understanding of a particular form of gendered violence happening within the transitory space of an underground in a major Western metropolis. By using the concepts of mobilities, temporalities and knowledges, this thesis provides insight into how women anticipate, experience, react to and remember sexual harassment in transport. It shows how these incidents impact on their mobilities in the city without reducing their reactions to feelings of fear and vulnerability, highlighting that the way in which women negotiate sexual harassment is often done to minimise and resist the impact of these male intrusions and reclaim space in the city

A qualitative investigation into the experiences of LGBT workers in the construction sector

A qualitative investigation into the experiences of LGBT workers in the construction secto

Conceptualising work as a ‘safe space’ for negotiating LGBT identities: navigating careers in the construction sector

Despite sustained focus in recent years on understanding the experiences of underrepresented groups in construction, there has been a paucity of work that has explored the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workers. Research has shown homophobia is commonplace in the construction industry and very few gay employees feel able to be open about their sexuality. Using qualitative data garnered from 16 in-depth interviews and a focus group with LGBT workers in the UK construction sector, this article analyses how participants negotiate identities at work and navigate their careers. Drawing on the concept of heteronormativity we consider how organizational contexts frame, constrict and liberate identities in the workplace. Significantly, our findings show that despite enduring heteronormative structures, work was described by participants as a ‘safe space’. By demonstrating how workers assess, move between and create ‘safe spaces’, this article contributes novel insights into the challenging of heteronormativity in heteronormative work contexts.</p

Conceptualising work as a ‘safe space’ for negotiating LGBT identities: navigating careers in the construction sector

Despite sustained focus in recent years on understanding the experiences of underrepresented groups in construction, there has been a paucity of work that has explored the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workers. Research has shown homophobia is commonplace in the construction industry and very few gay employees feel able to be open about their sexuality. Using qualitative data garnered from 16 in-depth interviews and a focus group with LGBT workers in the UK construction sector, this article analyses how participants negotiate identities at work and navigate their careers. Drawing on the concept of heteronormativity we consider how organizational contexts frame, constrict and liberate identities in the workplace. Significantly, our findings show that despite enduring heteronormative structures, work was described by participants as a ‘safe space’. By demonstrating how workers assess, move between and create ‘safe spaces’, this article contributes novel insights into the challenging of heteronormativity in heteronormative work contexts

Proxy Molecular Diagnosis from Whole-Exome Sequencing Reveals Papillon-Lefevre Syndrome Caused by a Missense Mutation in <i>CTSC</i>

<div><p>Papillon-Lefevre syndrome (PLS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterised by severe early onset periodontitis and palmoplantar hyperkeratosis. A previously reported missense mutation in the <i>CTSC</i> gene (NM_001814.4:c.899G>A:p.(G300D)) was identified in a homozygous state in two siblings diagnosed with PLS in a consanguineous family of Arabic ancestry. The variant was initially identified in a heterozygous state in a PLS unaffected sibling whose whole exome had been sequenced as part of a previous Primary ciliary dyskinesia study. Using this information, a proxy molecular diagnosis was made on the PLS affected siblings after consent was given to study this second disorder found to be segregating within the family. The prevalence of the mutation was then assayed in the local population using a representative sample of 256 unrelated individuals. The variant was absent in all subjects indicating that the variant is rare in Saudi Arabia. This family study illustrates how whole-exome sequencing can generate findings and inferences beyond its primary goal.</p></div

Validation of NM_001814.4:c.899G>A:p.(G300D) in all family members using ARMS-PCR.

<p>For primers, see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0121351#pone.0121351.s004" target="_blank">S2 Table</a>. L1-L6: using AS primer for wild type. L7-L12: using AS primer for mutant. L1/7: Mother. L2/8: Father. L3/9: PLS Proband. L4/10: PLS Affected brother. L5/11: Unaffected sibling—homozygous for <i>CTSC</i> wild type allele. L6/12: PCD affected sibling who is a carrier for PLS. Ladder’s three bands are 100bp (bottom), 200bp and 300bp (top).</p

Reads (from PCD affected sibling) mapped to the human genome hg19 at the p.(G300D) mutation.

<p>The read depth is 46 (not all shown due to space restrictions) with twenty six of the reads having a G at the loci and twenty having an A. The image was created using IGV [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0121351#pone.0121351.ref020" target="_blank">20</a>]. NB: The <i>CTSC</i> gene is oriented the reverse strand, therefore the codon change p.G300D (GGC>GAC) is exhibiting as C>T.</p