Mosaics of Meaning Handbook : a guide for health improvement practitioners to tackle stigma of mental health with BME communities

Mosaics of Meaning was launched in 2005 to research and address the stigma associated with mental health problems in partnership with Scotland’s largest black and ethnic minority communities. Its unique programme of research and community action has involved training community workers in research skills and mental health issues, and using community development principles to address stigma and raise awareness at ground level. In the process, a powerful, evidence-based model of community engagement has been developed, a model which can be confidently applied in many other community settings

Thinking About Five Strategies for Making Diversity Work

Greater diversity in the workplace introduces the possibility for increased misunderstanding and conflict at the same time as it holds out the promise of creativity and innovation. Workplace diversity change leaders have learned that making diversity work cannot be taken for granted. We cannot automatically assume that people will engage well with others across differences. Our history with bias, inequity and exclusion remains too much a part of how we understand one another. Making diversity work represents a mindset shift in the way people interact and engage. Organizations that are serious about creating inclusive work environments—where everyone feels welcomed, respected, and valued for who they are—recognize the importance of how people work together. Relationship building across differences needs to be developed and nurtured. Inclusive organizations focus on creating internal culture change to build people skills and promote shared expectations for mutual respect— an evolving endeavor. I’d like to add to the conversation by offering several observations for what this mindset shift might entail

"Implicature-Laden" Elicitations in Talk Radio Shows

Indirect elicitations in talk radio programmes on BBC Radio are not uncommon, notwithstanding, misunderstanding between the host and his conversational partner is not frequent. Investigating some of the reasons this paper focuses on how the socio-cultural and cognitive factors of the context interweave in discourse. The author suggests that valid interpretation and appropriate response to inferred elicitations can be best explained within the framework of Relevance Theory, and more specifically, with the presumption of accessibility of schemas obtained from the cognitive environment of the discourse partners. Through examples of empirical research the paper aims to reveal how the mutual knowledge of the participants controls discourse via the mental processes occurring in the interaction of two minds

Argument, Determing Factor in Trade Negotiations

The paper presents pragmatic guidance on current trends, the argument is a set of techniques that highlight the benefits they offer is a negotiator for the needs of others. The study focuses on rational arguments, by evidence and demonstration and practice of negotiations develop, characterized by a constant interaction of the elements which contribute to the possibilities offered to both partners. It stresses that the success of negotiations is determined by the negotiator's ability to define the steps, strategies, plan and ways of reasoning argument. Given that negotiations can occur during many different points of view, the paper presents techniques of counter-arguments and factors that may influence the success during the argument. The study highlights the fact that a negotiator can control the power dynamics of a negotiation of power through the use of traditional elements such as control of resources, time or information.trade negotiations, control resources.

Men and infant feeding: Perceptions of embarrassment, sexuality, and social conduct in white low-income British men

Copyright @ 2010 The Authors. This is the accepted version of the following article: Henderson, L., McMillan, B., Green, J. M. and Renfrew, M. J. (2011), Men and Infant Feeding: Perceptions of Embarrassment, Sexuality, and Social Conduct in White Low-Income British Men. Birth, 38: 61–70, which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1523-536X.2010.00442.x/abstract.Background:  The views of fathers have been shown to be important determinants of infant feeding decisions, but men’s perceptions of breastfeeding and formula feeding are rarely explored. Our objectives were to address this gap and examine cultural associations and beliefs concerning infant feeding practices among men. Methods:  Five focus groups were conducted with low-income men (n = 28) living in areas of social deprivation in Leeds, northeast of England, and low-income areas of Glasgow, west of Scotland. Participants were white British men, aged between 16 and 45 years, and included fathers, expectant fathers, and potential fathers. Results:  Overarching themes concerning sexuality, embarrassment, and social conduct were identified across all groups. Participants perceived breastfeeding as “natural” but problematic, whereas formula feeding was mainly considered as convenient and safe. Participants without direct experience of breastfeeding assumed that it involved excessive public exposure and attracted unwanted male attention. Underpinning these fears were strong cultural associations between breasts and sexuality and anxieties concerning appropriate gender roles. Conclusions:  In some communities few opportunities may occur to witness breastfeeding, and thus existing fears concerning the activity as attracting predatory male attention remain unchallenged. Perceptions of breastfeeding as a sexual activity and the dominant mass media emphasis on breasts as a sexual site may present additional obstacles to breastfeeding. Antenatal or perinatal education with men should address not only practical issues but also provide advice on tackling problems generated by wider sociocultural issues of sexuality and masculinity

Book Review: \u3ci\u3eVernacular Catholicism, Vernacular Saints: Selva J. Raj on “Being Catholic the Tamil Way”\u3c/i\u3e

Book review of Vernacular Catholicism, Vernacular Saints: Selva J. Raj on “Being Catholic the Tamil Way.” Edited by Reid B. Locklin. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press, 2017, xvii + 290 pages

Gender equality and violence against women: what’s the connection?

A lack of gender equality is consistently cited as an underlying determinant of violence against women. The United Nations General Assembly, in its 1993 Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, noted that this violence is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women. Gender inequality as a cause of violence against women also underpins approaches to prevention by organisations such as the World Health Organization, and, in Australia, VicHealth, as well as much of the research on the topic. So it has long been understood that gender inequality is a problem, yet the evidence of the link between gender inequality and violence against women is rarely laid out clearly to illustrate this connection. With whole frameworks based on the premise that prevention of violence against women requires improved gender equality, it is important to summarise and examine the evidence on this correlation. Achieving gender equality is a key goal in the prevention of violence against women by those aiming to reduce gendered violence (WHO, 2005, 2010; VicHealth, 2007). However, without an existing model of gender equality to demonstrate the end product, and a lack of research and data around whether some aspects of gender equality are more important than others in preventing violence, it is difficult to pin down the impact that gender inequality actually has as a determinant of violence against women, despite the obvious logic in the connection. It appears that the vital element to consider is the gender norms and beliefs surrounding male dominance and male superiority, created by power hierarchies that accord men greater status. However, acknowledging social norms as a key factor means that issues of measurement and definition become more complex. How then do we determine exactly when we have reached or come closer to a position of gender equality? How do we incorporate or measure other sources of disadvantatge that compound inequality? A key focus of this paper will be to trace the path of research on violence against women to the conclusion that gender inequality is an underlying determinant in the factors that cause it. This research summary will look at the relationship between gender inequality and gendered violence and the evidence that is out there to support this connection. In summarising the literature about gender equality, this paper will consider what is actually meant by gender equality, how it is defined and how it is measured. What does become clearer in summarising the research on gender equality and violence against women is the importance of using an ecological model of prevention that enables influencing factors at various levels - societal, community and individual - to give greater contextual meaning to how gender inequality plays out in reality. This paper focuses on the societal factors that link to violence against women, rather than community and individual factors that are more easily identified within particular settings. The acknowledgement of gender inequality as an underlying determinant of violence against women has seen the implementation of gender equality become a strategic policy goal in many countries and international organisations such as the World Health Organization. This is sometimes termed "gender mainstreaming" - a process of updating key concepts to enable an understanding of the world through a gendered lens (Walby, 2005). Though the benefits of this approach are quite obvious in acknowledging the effects of gender disadvantage, there has also been some criticism that it fails to acknowledge other sources of and intersections of disadvantage such as class and race, which may compound gender disadvantage

Male partners' involvement in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa : a systematic review

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), male partners are rarely present during prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services. This systematic review aims to synthesize, from a male perspective, male partners' perceived roles, barriers and enablers of their involvement in PMTCT, and highlights persisting gaps. We carried out a systematic search of papers published between 2002 and 2013 in English on Google Scholar and PubMed using the following terms: men, male partners, husbands, couples, involvement, participation, Antenatal Care (ANC), PMTCT, SSA countries, HIV Voluntary Counseling and Testing and disclosure. A total of 28 qualitative and quantitative original studies from 10 SSA countries were included. Men's perceived role was addressed in 28% (8/28) of the studies. Their role to provide money for ANC/PMTCT fees was stated in 62.5% (5/8) of the studies. For other men, the financial responsibilities seemed to be used as an excuse for not participating. Barriers were cited in 85.7% (24/28) of the studies and included socioeconomic factors, gender role, cultural beliefs, male unfriendly ANC/PMTCT services and providers' abusive attitudes toward men. About 64% (18/28) of the studies reported enablers such as: older age, higher education, being employed, trustful monogamous marriages and providers' politeness. In conclusion, comprehensive PMTCT policies that are socially and culturally sensitive to both women and men need to be developed