The early modem licensed ridotto : an attempt to 'domesticate gambling'? (1650-1798)

During the early modern period gambling assumes a greater importance in the everyday life of the Maltese urban dweller. Strict anti-gambling legislation promulgated by the Knights of St.John (1530-1798) was not enough to curb what was seen as a profligate practice. For the authorities gambling was associated with violence, usury, fornication, excessive spending, blasphemy, voluntary poverty, or any attempts to win the favours of fortune or divine assistance through magic. Nevertheless, the pervasive behaviour of the urban dweller supported by the exigencies of a maritime centre soon thwarted the Order s view on the extent of effective anti-gambling control. Gambling gradually developed from simple backroom activities into licensed public games rooms known as ridotti.peer-reviewe

Neuropsychomotricity in water: A new rehabilitative tool for neruodevelop-mental disorders

Neuropsychomotricity in water is a rehabilitative practice that avails itself just of the liquid element, as a mediator of relationships: in water yes they upset all dynamics, be they relational, of equilibrium, of movement and perception, due to the fact that proprioceptive sensations, created by bodily contact with water, they are different than those generated by contact with air

HBSC England National Report: Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) : World Health Organization Collaborative Cross National Study

Findings from the 2014 HBSC study for Englan

"I can decide to use the property I have to make money": HIV vulnerability of bar workers and bar patrons in Kumasi, Ghana

This study was implemented by Boston University in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development under Project SEARCH Task Order No. GHH‐I‐00‐07‐00023‐00, beginning August 27, 2010. The content and views expressed here are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of USAID or the U.S. Government.This report provides the findings from a qualitative study exploring the social, economic and behavioral vulnerability to HIV of women working in bars and restaurants in Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city. This research was conducted by a collaborative team comprised of researchers from Boston University’s Center for Global and Health and Development (CGHD) and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) School of Medical Sciences. It is one of nine studies under the Operations Research on Key Populations project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The study was designed and carried out in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC). Reducing vulnerability to HIV infection among key populations in Ghana is a major goal for the National AIDS Control Program (NACP) and the GAC. While a number of studies have explored HIV risk behaviours among self-identified female sex workers and their partners in Ghana, little is known about the vulnerability of women working in small bars and restaurants who may be involved in transactional sex. Further, we have little information about how best to reach this population with services that will enable them and their clientele to protect themselves from HIV and reduce other vulnerabilities related to their health and well-being. To address this gap, this study aimed to explore behavioural, social, and economic factors that contribute to HIV vulnerability; types and extent of transactional sex; the relationship between alcohol/drug use, unsafe sex and transactional sex; and the health and social service needs of this population. The study findings are meant to inform the development and implementation of HIV prevention programs for bar workers and bar patrons.Support from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Agency for International Development under Project SEARCH Task Order No. GHH‐I‐00‐07‐00023‐00, beginning August 27, 201

Changing positions: The Sexual Politics of A Women’s Field Hockey Team 1986-1996

Despite a huge expansion in the literature on individual aspects of sexual identity and sexuality, and the growth of studies on women in sport, there are still relatively few investigations into women’s sporting and sexual subcultures. In addition, practical difficulties frequently preclude the adoption of longitudinal research designs when studying sport groups. This research describes the micro-dynamics of a particular women’s field hockey team, tracing the shifting composition of the team from predominantly heterosexual to almost entirely lesbian over the ten year period 1986-1996. A retrospective, longitudinal design was used: data from semi-structured interviews with 26 players were matched against data depicting the changing distribution of heterosexual and lesbian players during the ten year period. Two major findings emerge: first, that the women’s sexual identities were more fluid and complex than most of the literature on women in sport implies. Secondly, the status system of the club was more strongly influenced by organisation sexuality than it was by structural tradition. Consequently the status system changed from one based on structure (i.e. years of experience in the club) to one based on culture (i.e. identity as a lesbian organisation) as the number of self-identified lesbians increased beyond 38%

Cultural Differences in Self-Presentation on Social Networking Sites: A Cross-cultural Comparison Between American and Japanese College Students

This dissertation explores cultural and platform differences in self-presentation on social networking sites (SNSs) between Japanese and American college students utilizing Impression Management, Media Ecology, and Uses and Gratifications theories and approaches as theoretical frameworks. While Facebook is popular among American college students, Mixi, a Japanese originated SNS, as well as Facebook are popular among Japanese college students. This dissertation investigates the relationship among social culture, the types of SNSs, and the users\u27 self-presentation on SNSs. Previous studies suggest SNS users employ subtle techniques to improve ones\u27 presentation on SNSs, therefore the present study focused on the number of SNS friends and sensitive picture postings (i.e., partying, drunk, sexy, or illegal picture postings) on SNSs. Five hundred and eighty-three American and 496 Japanese college students participated in the survey, which provided the basis for analyses. The results of the present study demonstrate cultural and SNS platform differences on self-presentation on SNSs. Reflecting regional culture, Japanese Mixi users included limited types of friends on Mixi compared with American and Japanese Facebook users by not including teachers and parents. However, contradict to previous studies, Japanese Facebook users had the largest number of SNS friends followed by Japanese Mixi and American Facebook users after controlling for preexisting conditions (i.e., gender, perception of extraversion, perception of popularity, and the length of membership with the SNS). The similar pattern surfaced in the frequency of sensitive picture postings on SNSs. When the above controlling variables were included in the analyses, Japanese Facebook users posted sensitive pictures the most frequently followed by Japanese Mixi users and Japanese Facebook users. Furthermore, the present study found Facebook and Mixi dual users friended significantly more people and posted significantly more partying and drunk pictures on Facebook than on Mixi. However, the same individuals did not change the frequency of posting sensitive pictures between Facebook and Mixi. The results added evidence to media ecology. The mediation analyses helped to understand underlying mechanisms of sensitive picture postings on SNSs. The present study found that the Japanese SNS dual users posted drunk pictures on Facebook significantly more frequently due to the perception of injunctive norms. Likewise, the present study found American Facebook users posted sensitive pictures because of the perception of disinhibition. Theoretical as well as practical implications are discussed and possible future research is presented

Contextualizing students' alcohol use perceptions and practices within French culture: an analysis of gender and drinking among sport-science college students

Although research has examined alcohol consumption and sport in a variety of contexts, there is a paucity of research on gender and gender dynamics among French college students. The present study addresses this gap in the literature by examining alcohol use practices by men and women among a non-probability sample of French sport science students from five different universities in Northern France. We utilized both survey data (N = 534) and in-depth qualitative interviews (n = 16) to provide empirical and theoretical insight into a relatively ubiquitous health concern: the culture of intoxication. Qualitative data were based on students’ perceptions of their own alcohol use; analysis were framed by theoretical conceptions of gender. Survey results indicate gender differences in alcohol consumption wherein men reported a substantially higher frequency and quantity of alcohol use compared to their female peers. Qualitative findings confirm that male privilege and women’s concern for safety, masculine embodiment via alcohol use, gendering of alcohol type, and gender conformity pressures shape gender disparities in alcohol use behavior. Our findings also suggest that health education policy and educational programs focused on alcohol-related health risks need to be designed to take into account gender category and gender orientation