28,815 research outputs found

    The company she keeps : The social and interpersonal construction of girls same sex friendships

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    This thesis begins a critical analysis of girls' 'private' interpersonal and social relations as they are enacted within two school settings. It is the study of these marginal subordinated worlds productivity of forms of femininity which provides the main narrative of this project. I seek to understand these processes of (best) friendship construction through a feminist multi-disciplinary frame, drawing upon cultural studies, psychoanalysis and accounts of gender politics. I argue that the investments girls bring to their homosocial alliances and boundary drawing narry a psychological compulsion which is complexly connected to their own experiences within the mother/daughter bond as well as reflecting positively an immense social debt to the permissions girls have to be nurturant and ; negatively their own reproduction of oppressive exclusionary practices. Best friendship in particular gives girls therefore, the experience of 'monogamy' continuous of maternal/daughter identification, reminiscent of their positioning inside monopolistic forms of heterosexuality. But these subcultures also represent a subversive discontinuity to the public dominance of boys/teachers/adults in schools and to the ideologies and practices of heterosociality and heterosexuality. By taking seriously their transmission of the values of friendship in their chosen form of notes and diaries for example, I was able to access the means whereby they were able to resist their surveillance and control by those in power over them. I conclude by arguing that it is through a recognition of the valency of these indivisiblly positive and negative aspects to girls cultures that Equal Opportunities practitioners must begin if they are serious about their ambitions. Methods have to be made which enable girls to transfer their 'private' solidarities into the 'public' realm, which unquestionably demands contesting with them the causes and consequences of their implication in the divisions which also contaminate their lives and weaken them

    Self-help/mutual aid groups in mental health : ideology, helping mechanisms and empowerment

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    In the last quarter of the twentieth century, self-help/mutual aid groups for mental health issues started to emerge in growing numbers, mainly in Western societies, offering and/or advocating for alternative non-traditional forms of support, and attracted the attention of many researchers and clinicians for their unique characteristics. Among the subjects of interest are typologies of groups, helping mechanisms and benefits from participation. However, there is lack of systematic research in the area and existing studies have been largely confined to the therapeutic value of these groups instead of acknowledging their socio-political meaning and subsequent psychosocial benefits for their members like personal empowerment. The present study was conducted during the transitional years from a Conservative to a newly elected Labour Government (1996 -1998), with subsequent policy shifts taking place in the welfare sector. The purpose of the study was to explore the potential of self-help groups as part of a broader new social movement, the service user movement, focussing on the English scene. It addressed this issue examining the relevance of a group typology based on political ideology and focus of change. To test the validity of this classification for members, a set of individual characteristics and group mechanisms as well as their change through time were examined. The sample consisted of fourteen mental health selfhelp/mutual aid groups from London and South East England, with a variety of structural and organisational features. The methodology used was a combination of both quantitative (self-completion questionnaires) and qualitative techniques (analysis of written material, participant observation and interviews). Measurements were repeated after a one-year interval (Time 1N=67, Time 2 N=56). Findings showed that, indeed, political ideology of self-help/mutual aid groups provided the basis of a meaningful typology and constitutes a comprehensive way of categorising them. Group ideology was related to specific helping mechanisms and aspects of personal empowerment. Specifically, conservative and combined group members reported more expressive group processes like sharing of feelings and self-disclosure, while radical group members were more empowered and optimistic. Group identification was also associated with specific helping activities and aspects of empowerment in the three group categories. The psychosocial character of group types and the beneficial outcomes for members remained stable through time. In general, prolonged participation was reflected in greater member identification with the group and resulted in improved mental wellbeing, increased social support, companionship and optimism for the future

    Ionic Liquids on Oxide Surfaces

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    Ionic liquids supported on oxide surfaces are being investigated for numerous applications including catalysis, batteries, capacitors, transistors, lubricants, solar cells, corrosion inhibitors, nanoparticle synthesis and biomedical applications. The study of ionic liquids with oxide surfaces presents challenges both experimentally and computationally. The interaction between ionic liquids and oxide surfaces can be rather complex, with defects in the oxide surface playing a key role in the adsorption behaviour and resulting electronic properties. The choice of the cation/anion pair is also important and can influence molecular ordering and electronic properties at the interface. These controllable interfacial behaviours make ionic liquid/oxide systems desirable for a number of different technological applications as well as being utilised for nanoparticle synthesis. This topical review aims to bring together recent experimental and theoretical work on the interaction of ionic liquids with oxide surfaces, including TiO2, ZnO, Al2O3, SnO2 and transition metal oxides. It focusses on the behaviour of ionic liquids at model single crystal surfaces, the interaction between ionic liquids and nanoparticulate oxides, and their performance in prototype devices

    Multi-dimensional barrier identification for wind farm repowering in Spain through an expert judgment approach

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    .Spain was one of the pioneers in the deployment of wind energy systems worldwide and thus since 2014 has a potential for repowering that reaches between 3.3 and 8.7 GW in 2021 (12%–32% of its current installed wind capacity). However, despite the technical and economic advantages, we have observed little interest from promoters in the repowering of already amortized wind farms. The aim of the proposed study is to depict the background framework of barriers for repowering wind farms, which is specially affecting to Spain, but that can also extend to other EU countries. Therefore, we conducted a systematic survey study with academics, promoters, financial experts, manufacturers, operators, maintainers and policymakers to identify and understand the existing real and practical barriers. As a result, we have identified 34 major barriers covering five categories: technical issues, economics, environmental considerations, social concerns, and regulatory and administrative hurdles. We then asked the experts to rate these barriers based on their impact or relevance. We found that the experts agree that regulatory and administrative barriers have the maximum impact, while economic, environmental and technical barriers have only a mid-high impact. Therefore, we can conclude that, in general, the Administration must develop a concise and stable regulatory framework for all RES, especially for repowering projects, and carry out a review of both the technical requirements and the incentives schemes, with a focus on energy efficiency.S

    Viability of patent insurance in Spain

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    M-24609-2013Since 1975 the FUNDACIÓN MAPFRE has involved itself in activities serving the general interests of society in different areas of business and culture along with activities aimed at improving the economic and social conditions of the least advantaged members and sectors of society. Within this framework, the FUNDACIÓN MAPFRE’s Institute of Insurance Science promotes and undertakes educational and research activities in the fields of insurance and risk management. In the area of education, its activities include specialized, post-graduate academic training carried out in association with the Pontifical University of Salamanca and courses and seminars for professionals held in Spain and Latin America. These activities have been expanded into other geographic regions thanks to cooperation with a series of institutions in Spain and other countries and an Internet training programme. The Institute offers grants for research in risk and insurance science and operates a specialized insurance and risk management Documentation Centre as support for its activities. The Institute routinely sponsors and draws up reports and publishes books dealing with insurance and risk management to improve our understanding of these fields. Some are intended as reference materials for those starting out in the study or practice of insurance affairs, while others are intended as information sources for undertaking research into specialized issues in greater depth. One of these activities is the publication of this volume, the outcome of research carried out by Drs. Pérez Carrillo and Cuypers in 2011 and 2012, under the guidance of José Antonio Aventín Arroyo

    Detection of cold chain breaks using partial least squares-class modelling based on biogenic amine profiles in tuna

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    The maintenance of the cold chain is essential to ensure foodstuff conformity and safety. However, gaps in the cold chain may be expected so designing analytical methods capable to detect cold chain breaks is a worthwhile issue. In this paper, the possibility of using the amount of nine biogenic amines (BAs) determined in Thunnus albacares by HPLC-FLD for detecting cold chain breaks is approached. Tuna is stored at 3 different temperature conditions for 8 storage periods. The evolution of the content of BAs is analyzed through parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), in such a way that storage temperature, BAs and storage time profiles are estimated. PARAFAC has made it possible to observe two spoilage routes with different relative evolution of BAs. In addition, it has enabled to estimate the storage time, by considering the three storage temperatures, with errors of 0.5 and 1.0 days in fitting and in prediction, respectively. Furthermore, a class-modelling technique based on partial least squares is sequentially applied to decide, from the amount of BAs, if there has been a cold chain break. Firstly, samples stored at 25 °C are statistically discriminated from those kept at 4 °C and −18 °C; next, frozen samples are distinguished from those refrigerated. In the first case, the probabilities of false non-compliance and false compliance are almost zero, whereas in the second one, both probabilities are 10%. Globally, the results of this work have pointed out the feasibility of using the amount of BAs together with PLS-CM to decide if the cold chain has been maintained or not.Agencia Estatal de Investigación of Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Gobierno de España [project CTQ2017-88894-R] and Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León [project BU012P17] both co-financed with European Regional Development Fun

    Exploring the Impact of Living with Fanconi Anaemia & Diamond-Blackfan Anaemia: A Systemic Consideration

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    Aims: Amidst a growing body of medical research, little is yet known about the psychological impact of living with two rare life-limiting conditions, Fanconi Anaemia (FA) and Diamond Blackfan Anaemia (DBA). One might expect some level of impact on well-being as indicated by wider literature on other childhood illnesses. At present, understanding of this impact is limited in being generalised from other research, as therefore are the supports available. This research seeks to begin a consideration of the psychological impact, and to consider how support has been deemed. Method: Using semi-structured interviews, parents and individuals living with FA or DBA were interviewed regarding their experiences. Thematic analysis was used to achieve an overview of these experiences. Results: Themes identified for individuals included: 1. ‘Knowledge’, which outlined the impact of lack of knowledge and 2. ‘Illness Concept’ relating to one’s relationship to FA/DBA and how this is socially mediated. For parents, themes identified were: 1. ‘Knowledge’, which centered on uncertainty and 2. ‘Social Responses’ which related to areas of support and strain. These themes indicated an impact on individual well-being. Two joint themes were identified: 1. ‘Family Dynamics’ which outlined how relationships and family well-being may be impacted and 2. ‘Mental Health Care as Necessary but Inadequate’. Conclusion: There was a clear impact articulated regarding the well-being of family members, individually and collectively in concerns regarding relational dynamics. There was also clear demand for psychological support which, in its current form, was generally considered inadequate. Research must be responsive in furthering efforts to establish clear and adequate pathways and a standard of care for the well-being of all families living with FA/DBA
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