Kynlíf og eldra fólk : byggt á fyrirlestri, sem fluttur var á Landakoti 14. nóvember 2002

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenÁ hinum síðari árum hefur umræðan um kynlíf fólks tekið miklum og hröðum breytingum. Kynlíf er til umfjöllunar í öllum helstu fjölmiðlum. Á Netinu er mikið af upplýsingum um allar tegundir kynlífs og í raun má segja að kynlífsumræðu síðustu ára hafi tekist að svala forvitnisþörf margra, þar sem umfjöllunarefnið er aðgengilegt og auðvelt er að verða sér úti um hugmyndir, þekkingu og staðreyndir. Þrátt fyrir þessa miklu útbreiðslu á kynlífsumræðu er einn þáttur hennar sem lítið hefur verið athugaður og skoðaður þrátt fyrir að stór og sífellt stækkandi hópur neytenda tilheyri honum, en það er kynlíf fólks á efri árum. Viðhorf á þann veg að kynlíf tilheyri eingöngu þeim sem yngri eru og að fólk sem komið er yfir fimmtugt sé í raun orðið kynlaust, er því miður nokkuð útbreitt. Afleiðingin er sú, að margt eldra fólk er farið að trúa því að þetta sé satt og efast um að það geti notið kynlífs né upplifað sig sem kynferðislega aðlaðandi vegna aldurs (Grigg, 1999). En staðreyndin er hins vegar sú að kynlífsþörf eldra fólks er lítið frábrugðin kynlífsþörf þeirra sem yngri eru

“Between a rock and a hard place“: Teachers’ experience of professional autonomy for inclusive practice with 14-16 year old students at compulsory school level in Iceland

Hér er fjallað um reynslu kennara á unglingastigi grunnskóla af því að vinna í anda stefnu um skóla án aðgreiningar. Tekin voru eigindleg viðtöl við sex umsjónarkennara í jafnmörgum grunnskólum í fjórum bæjarfélögum á höfuðborgarsvæðinu. Niðurstöður leiddu í ljós að þeir upplifðu miklar skorður af völdum: a) formgerðar grunnskólans á efri stigum sem þeim þótti hafa tekið mun minni breytingum í átt að skóla án aðgreiningar en yngri stig grunnskólans, b) tiltekinna menntastrauma og stefna sem þeim fannst vinna gegn skóla án aðgreiningar og loks c) skorts á faglegum stuðningi í takt við starfsaðstæður þeirra. Það var skoðun kennaranna að jaðarsetning sumra nemenda yrði meira afgerandi eftir því sem á skólagönguna liði. Kennararnir upplifðu sig oft og tíðum eins og milli steins og sleggju þar sem þeim væri gert erfitt um vik að tengja hlutverk sitt sem umsjónarkennarar þekkingu og björgum sem þeir hefðu yfir að ráða. Hjá öllum viðmælendunum kom fram að faglegt sjálfstæði hefði rýrnað og björgum fækkað á síðustu árum, sem rekja mætti til aukinnar markaðs- og stjórnunarvæðingar, og lítið svigrúm gæfist fyrir vangaveltur um siðferðilegt hlutverk og inntak skólans. Kennurunum varð tíðrætt um mikilvægi þess að þeir væru hafðir með í ráðum í hvers kyns stefnumótun í kennslu.Inclusive education is based on core values of human rights, democracy and equality. The research question is inspired by the authors’ experience of how some students move silently closer to the social margins as they draw nearer to the end of compulsory education in spite of the teacher’s full intention and effort that all students feel equally valued and active participants from beginning until the end of compulsory school. In the Icelandic Compulsory Education Act (Lög um grunnskóla nr. 91/2008) it is stated that any form of alienation is rejected and the aim is to protect students who for any reasons are socially vulnerable or in danger of not gaining full access to everyday school life. The aim of this research is to explore teachers’ experience of inclusive teaching of students in secondary classroom settings (14-16 year-old). The macro structures, as well as policy and institutional features are the main focus, and how these shape and influence teachers’ professional autonomy, ideals and values. This is a qualitative interview study. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with teachers in six compulsory schools in four different municipalities which were all part of the metropolitan area of Reykjavík. The schools were located in socially different areas of the Reykjavík metropolitan area. The socio-cultural classroom situation was different for each of the teachers as can be gathered from their narratives. All the teachers shared a long-term professional experience (15 years or more), as well as being positive and proactive towards inclusive education. Results indicate that teachers feel openness to schooling practices and opportunities for inclusivity diminish closer to the end of compulsory schooling. The teachers sometimes felt stuck between a rock and a hard place as it was made difficult for them to balance their role between being a classroom teacher and their working conditions and resources. All participants felt that formal access to resources was delivered and defined by other professions, as for example how much and what kind of assistance or support is needed. Teachers’ ideas of democracy in education with active student participation were clearly defined but had no resonance with the individualization that emphasizes competition and, as a result, often works against the ideology of the inclusive school and its educational principles. Values that do not pertain to rules of the market are marginalized and there is little space for questions on the content and ethical value of schools, teachers and other influences on school work. Teachers mentioned the importance of their direct participation in policy making or agenda pertaining to teaching. There was a clear call for increased flexibility in the school framework, smaller classes and more emphasis on offering art and craftPeer Reviewe

“Then it is crucial to get some external person with respectability to the meetings”: Mothering practices and collaboration with teachers and professionals to secure their autistic children’s schooling and professional services – Bourdieusian class analysis

Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að skoða reynslu mæðra af samskiptum við kennara og annað fagfólk á menntavettvangi í ljósi ólíkrar stéttarstöðu. Meginefniviður rannsóknarinnar er sex hálfopin einstaklingsviðtöl við mæður grunnskólabarna á einhverfurófi og tvö upplýsingaviðtöl við sérfræðinga á vettvangi stjórnsýslu. Kenningarammi Bourdieu var nýttur til að greina hvernig bakgrunnur mæðranna, með áherslu á efnahags-, menningar- og félagsauð, markaði stöðu þeirra, samskipti og væntingar á vettvangi menntunar. Kerfisbundið aðgengi mæðranna að ráðgjöf og stuðningi varð minna, að eigin mati, eftir því sem barnið varð eldra, en þá fór auður þeirra og óformlegt aðgengi að skipta meira máli, og ljóst varð að mæður í millistétt stóðu þá betur að vígi. Félagsauður skipti sköpum og umbreytti stöðu móður í lægri stétt. Félagsauður barst í gegnum sterk fjölskyldutengsl, vinatengsl, tengsl við vinnufélaga og kunningja, og/eða tengsl við aðra foreldra með börn á einhverfurófi. Ólíkur menningarauður birtist í mismiklu a) sjálfsöryggi í samskiptum, b) þekkingu á leikreglum menntavettvangsins og c) virkni í samskiptum við kennara og sérfræðinga. Það er mat höfunda að nauðsynlegt sé að samhæfa betur kerfið milli skólastiga og tryggja að þar sé þekking á stéttamun og tekið sé tillit til hans. Víkka þarf út skilgreiningar á stéttarhugtakinu þannig að það nái einnig til félags- og menningarauðs og beita eigindlegri nálgun til að ná betur að greina ferli, bjargráð og aðgerðir sem ýta undir eða minnka stéttamun og birtingarmyndir hans í íslensku menntakerfi.In Iceland, social class is an understudied field of research in terms of social justice in education. The theoretical purpose of the research was to explore class disposition of mothers of children with learning disabilities in relation to their experience of schooling by using Pierre Bourdieu‘s theoretical framework. Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus, field and capital are used to explore how mothering practices and resources are shaped by their class position, as well as how the education field of compulsory schooling opens up possibilities to some while closing them to others. The practical purposes of this research were to explore parental experience of the school and professional services concerning the education of their autistic child, as well as communication with their child’s teachers and other professionals at school. This research is a pilot study in preparation for a more extensive research project on Parental practices, choices and responsibilities within the Icelandic education field, designed and led by the first author, financed by The University of Iceland Research Fund and the Icelandic Equality Fund. In this paper the theoretical and methodological framework of the project is introduced and used to analyse a small dataset, collected for the MA-thesis of the second author, comprising a total of eight semi-structured interviews. The main interviewees were six mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder, and supplementary interviews were taken with a project manager of inclusive education at the Reykjavík Municipality educational office and a worker from a grassroots consultancy centre (Icel. Sjónarhóll) for parents of children with special needs. This research is a pilot study in preparation for a more extensive research project on Parental practices, choices and responsibilities within the Icelandic education field, designed and led by the first author, financed by The University of Iceland Research Fund and the Icelandic Equality Fund. In this paper the theoretical and methodological framework of the project is introduced and used to analyse a small dataset, collected for the MA-thesis of the second author, comprising a total of eight semi-structured interviews. The main interviewees were six mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder, and supplementary interviews were taken with a project manager of inclusive education at the Reykjavík Municipality educational office and a worker from a grassroots consultancy centre (Icel. Sjónarhóll) for parents of children with special needs. The mothers who participated in the research belonged to two distinctive class groups in terms of education and occupation. Three counted as middle-class. They had tertiary education degrees, worked as professionals and were married to their children’s fathers who had a similar class position. The lower-class mothers had GCSE or A level equivalent education; two of them struggled with health issues and were not participating in the labour market. None of the three lived with the child´s father and he took no part in the upbringing of the child. Two of them were single mothers and one was co-habiting with a new partner. In a Bourdieusian class analysis the data indicated a clear division between the mothers in terms of economic, cultural and social capital. The SEN-industry in Iceland has intensified and in the compulsory schools access to resources is not guaranteed, resulting in growing insecurity among the mothers with regard to obtaining the services of a paraprofessional to conduct a personalized special-ed programme for their child. This was especially the case after they joined secondary school. Subsequently, parental class resources and capital turned out to be more important. Overall, the middle-class mothers exhibited more confidence in their communication with the school. However, the culture of intensive parenting is rather young in Icelandic education, so all of the mothers were quite afraid of being seen as too pushy and demanding for their children. One of the main contributions of this research is exhibited in the title of this paper. The title is a quote from a middle-class mother, who felt strongly about the importance of having someone with respectability alongside her in the school- and at professional-meetings, in order to obtain needed services and interventions for her child. The middle-class mothers perceived that acquaintance with people who had high enough symbolic capital was helpful in moving things forward for their child. One of the lower-class mothers boosted her social capital by starting to work in her children’s school which gave her invaluable insight into the rules of the game in the field of education and had ground-breaking effects for her child. However, such knowledge and overview was easily accessible to the middle class mothers as they enjoyed more valuable connections through relatives, friends, acquaintances and parent associations.Peer Reviewe

Effects of changes in staff mix in a specialized dementia ward

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenTilgangur rannsóknarinnar var að skoða áhrif breytinga á samsetningu mönnunar á gæði hjúkrunar, starfsánægju og upplifun starfsmanna. Rannsóknin fór fram á annarri af tveimur deildum fyrir sjúklinga með heilabilun á öldrunarsviði Landspítalans. Sjúkraliðar með framhaldsnám og hjúkrunarfræðingar á tilraunadeildinni fengu breytt starfssvið. Þátttakendur voru sjúklingar og starfsmenn á rannsóknardeildinni og einnig hjúkrunarfræðingar af báðum deildum. Rannsóknin var unnin samkvæmt hugmyndafræði starfendarannsókna og fjórar rannsóknaraðferðir notaðar til að fá fram mismunandi sjónarhorn á viðfangsefnið. Gögnum um gæði hjúkrunar var safnað með stöðluðu megindlegu mælitæki (RAI) og innbyggðir gæðavísar skoðaðir. Gögnum um starfsánægju var safnað með skriflegum spurningalista og gögnum um upplifun starfsmanna af breytingunum var safnað með viðtölum við rýnihópa og dagbókarskrifum. Gagnasöfnun fór fram fyrir og við upphaf breytinga og svo aftur þegar breyting var vel á veg komin. Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar gáfu vísbendingar um að gæði hjúkrunar og starfsánægja hefðu haldist stöðug. Í rýnihópum og dagbókum komu fram þrjú meginþemu: Breytt hlutverk, togstreita og ný tækifæri. Það tók á fyrir alla að skilgreina ný hlutverk og breytt fagleg samskipti. Einnig var átak að breyta viðteknum vinnuvenjum á deildinni og togstreita kom fram á milli stétta. Sjúkraliðar með framhaldsnám í öldrunarhjúkrun fundu fyrir ákveðinni fyrirstöðu en jafnframt að hjúkrunarfræðingarnir vildu styðja við bakið á þeim og leiðbeina inn í þetta nýja hlutverk sem hafði í för með sér ný tækifæri. Niðurstöður þessa rannsóknarverkefnis varpa ljósi á hvernig hægt er að nýta betur menntun sjúkraliða með framhaldsnám í öldrunarhjúkrun og um leið þróa nýjar leiðir í starfi hjúkrunarfræðinga. Rannsóknin er því mikilvægt innlegg í umræðu um hvernig starfskraftar sjúkraliða með framhaldsnám verða nýttir í öldrunarþjónustu í framtíðinni.The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of changes in staff mix model on quality of care, staff satisfaction, and staff perception of this change. The study was conducted in one of two specialized dementia wards at the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the Landspitali University Hospital. Geriatric-Licensed Practical Nurses (G-LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs) gained different roles on the ward. Patients and staff from the study ward and RNs from the other specialized dementia ward participated in the study. The theoretical framework of the study was Action Research and four methods were used to obtain different views on the issue. Data on quality of care were collected using a quantitative instrument (RAI) and inherent quality indicators observed. Data on job satisfaction were collected using a questionnaire and data regarding staff experience were obtained by discussions in focus-groups and diaries. Data were gathered before and after changes and finally after changes had been in place for awhile. Findings indicated that the quality of care as well as staff satisfaction remained constant. In focus groups and diaries three main themes emerged: Role change; conflict and new opportunities. It required a great effort for everyone to define new roles and changes of professional interaction. Changing the usual way of working in the ward was stressful as well because of conflicts between professions. The G-LPNs encountered certain barriers but also realized that the RNs were ready to provide support and guidance into their new role. The altered role had also the potential for new opportunities. The study results illuminate how the G-LPNs´ further education can be utilized as well as how new roles for RNs can be developed. The study findings are important for the discussion on the role G-LPNs will have in care of the elderly in the future

Even in Iceland? Exploring mothers’ narratives on neighbourhood choice in a perceived classless and feminist utopia

The study explores how mothers in Iceland, a relatively new nation state that is perceived as being gender equal, classless and homogeneous, adapt and respond to international trends of consumer cultures. Building on studies about parental neighbourhood choice, parental practices and reproduction of social class, the study’s aim is to examine the local manifestations of those in an international context. To reach this aim, nine interviews with middle-class mothers who live in either disadvantaged or privileged neighbourhoods in terms of income, education level and ethnicity were analysed. Our findings on middle-class anxiety over class reproduction being mediated by neighbourhood and school choice are in accord with international literature. Our findings depart from the literature in the way that social capital reproduction plays out in the most affluent neighbourhood and the importance the most affluent middle-class mothers put on geographical closeness to their extended families.Icelandic Centre for Research [184857-052]Peer Reviewe

Mótun verðuga sjálfsins í menntaskólanum

Í greininni eru greind þau félagslegu og tilfinningalegu átök sem framhaldsskólanemendur upplifa þegar þau ganga í menntaskóla sem þau hafa lært að sé bæði merkilegri og fínni en þeir staðir sem þau hafa fram að því alið manninn á. Þetta eru nemendur sem eiga ekki uppruna sinn í táknrænum heimi borgaralega hvítflibbans heldur koma úr þorpinu eða sveitinni eða eiga sér bláflibbabakgrunn. Nýtt er hugtakalíkan Bourdieu til að greina þá hvata sem verða til þegar veruhátt og vettvang skortir samhljóm og það þykir virðingarvert að laga sig að vettvangi. Gagnasöfnun fór fram á árunum 2017-2019 og voru tekin djúpviðtöl við 48 stúdentsefni í 10 framhaldsskólum, þar af fjórir landsbyggðarskólar. Fjórðungur viðmælenda úr hátt skrifuðum skólum reyndist hafa bláflibbauppruna og eru raddir þeirra leiðarstef í greininni. Nemendurnir hafa gert sér far um að taka upp gildi og viðmið sem tíðkast á skólavettvangnum en verða á sama tíma mjög gagnrýnin á lífsmáta og hugmyndir á upprunavettvangi. Þetta ferli getur verið sársaukafullt og markast af andstæðum tilfinningum eins og skömm, stolti, sektarkennd og létti.In our post-modern societies social mobility is one of the grounding principles of meritocracy along with neo-liberal imaginaries emphasizing individual responsibilities of future possibilities. The education system in the Nordic countries is a field where everyone should enjoy their merits and reach their potential regardless of their origin. As Bourdieu and other critical scholars have pointed out, this elite educational process seems more complicated for the students who have not been raised in a bourgeois middle-class family. The analysis presented here reveals that Iceland is no exemption from that. The article is based on a qualitative dataset of 48 students from 10 upper-secondary schools. Half of the schools are highly selective schools in urban areas and a quarter of the participating students happened to have blue-collar and/or rural backgrounds. The analysis focuses on the interplay between habitus and field, with a focus on the habitus that is not like ‘fish in the water’; how it is transformed in a field of education that is expected to be empowering in terms of access to capitals of the ruling classes. The research shows that this process was full of contradictive emotions, such as shame, guilt, pride and relief, when the students found ways to distance themselves from their roots and form the respectable self.Peer reviewe

Principals’ financial and pedagogical challenges when choosing programs and educational materials : The scope of the private education industry for preschools

Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.The educational services industry has grown internationally, and there has been an explosion in external programmes that teach basics and behavioural control, as well as administrative data programmes. This growth has affected the governance of preschools worldwide and spurred schoolification and marketisation. In this context, this study examines how the growth of the private education industry within the education system has influenced preschool principals’ work in Iceland. Our critical theoretical perspective aims to explore how educational trends grounded in neoliberalism have shaped the work of preschool principals. The data consisted of a questionnaire distributed to all preschool principals in Iceland. The findings showed that schoolification, informed by educational authorities and the private education industry, has shaped pedagogy and preschool principals’ autonomy. However, preschool principals are relieved to have some self-monitored programmes at hand. Thus, these changes go hand in hand with the strengthening of professionalism and external marketisation.The educational services industry has grown internationally, and there has been an explosion in external programmes that teach basics and behavioural control, as well as administrative data programmes. This growth has affected the governance of preschools worldwide and spurred schoolification and marketisation. In this context, this study examines how the growth of the private education industry within the education system has influenced preschool principals’ work in Iceland. Our critical theoretical perspective aims to explore how educational trends grounded in neoliberalism have shaped the work of preschool principals. The data consisted of a questionnaire distributed to all preschool principals in Iceland. The findings showed that schoolification, informed by educational authorities and the private education industry, has shaped pedagogy and preschool principals’ autonomy. However, preschool principals are relieved to have some self-monitored programmes at hand. Thus, these changes go hand in hand with the strengthening of professionalism and external marketisation.Peer reviewe

Inclusive Education in the diversifying environments of Finland, Iceland, and the Netherlands : A multilingual systematic review

This review investigates how the scholarly fields, themes and concepts of 'inclusive education' are applied in the research and educational contexts of Finland, Iceland and the Netherlands. It identifies and outlines which thematic areas of research and sub-fields of study are referenced in each country by applying a systematic, multilingual approach. We reviewed literature in the local languages of each of these countries over the past decade, from 2007 to 2018, paying particular attention to (a) micro-level, in-depth, classroom interactions; (b) social and political contexts; and (c) social categories. Results of this review emphasise that across all three countries (a) there are similar conceptualisations of inclusive education dominated by categories of disability and special needs, and (b) there is a similar lack of attention to modes of exclusion based on social class, gender, ethnicity and geography as well as to how these can be addressed by more advanced research on inclusive education in these local spheres.Peer reviewe

Illness severity and risk of mental morbidities among patients recovering from COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in the Icelandic population.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadObjective: To test if patients recovering from COVID-19 are at increased risk of mental morbidities and to what extent such risk is exacerbated by illness severity. Design: Population-based cross-sectional study. Setting: Iceland. Participants: A total of 22 861 individuals were recruited through invitations to existing nationwide cohorts and a social media campaign from 24 April to 22 July 2020, of which 373 were patients recovering from COVID-19. Main outcome measures: Symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder Scale) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; modified Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5) above screening thresholds. Adjusting for multiple covariates and comorbidities, multivariable Poisson regression was used to assess the association between COVID-19 severity and mental morbidities. Results: Compared with individuals without a diagnosis of COVID-19, patients recovering from COVID-19 had increased risk of depression (22.1% vs 16.2%; adjusted relative risk (aRR) 1.48, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.82) and PTSD (19.5% vs 15.6%; aRR 1.38, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.75) but not anxiety (13.1% vs 11.3%; aRR 1.24, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.64). Elevated relative risks were limited to patients recovering from COVID-19 that were 40 years or older and were particularly high among individuals with university education. Among patients recovering from COVID-19, symptoms of depression were particularly common among those in the highest, compared with the lowest tertile of influenza-like symptom burden (47.1% vs 5.8%; aRR 6.42, 95% CI 2.77 to 14.87), among patients confined to bed for 7 days or longer compared with those never confined to bed (33.3% vs 10.9%; aRR 3.67, 95% CI 1.97 to 6.86) and among patients hospitalised for COVID-19 compared with those never admitted to hospital (48.1% vs 19.9%; aRR 2.72, 95% CI 1.67 to 4.44). Conclusions: Severe disease course is associated with increased risk of depression and PTSD among patients recovering from COVID-19. Keywords: COVID-19; epidemiology; mental health; public health.Icelandic government NordFors

Kynlíf og eldra fólk : byggt á fyrirlestri, sem fluttur var á Landakoti 14. nóvember 2002

Neðst á síðunni er hægt að nálgast greinina í heild sinni með því að smella á hlekkinn View/OpenÁ hinum síðari árum hefur umræðan um kynlíf fólks tekið miklum og hröðum breytingum. Kynlíf er til umfjöllunar í öllum helstu fjölmiðlum. Á Netinu er mikið af upplýsingum um allar tegundir kynlífs og í raun má segja að kynlífsumræðu síðustu ára hafi tekist að svala forvitnisþörf margra, þar sem umfjöllunarefnið er aðgengilegt og auðvelt er að verða sér úti um hugmyndir, þekkingu og staðreyndir. Þrátt fyrir þessa miklu útbreiðslu á kynlífsumræðu er einn þáttur hennar sem lítið hefur verið athugaður og skoðaður þrátt fyrir að stór og sífellt stækkandi hópur neytenda tilheyri honum, en það er kynlíf fólks á efri árum. Viðhorf á þann veg að kynlíf tilheyri eingöngu þeim sem yngri eru og að fólk sem komið er yfir fimmtugt sé í raun orðið kynlaust, er því miður nokkuð útbreitt. Afleiðingin er sú, að margt eldra fólk er farið að trúa því að þetta sé satt og efast um að það geti notið kynlífs né upplifað sig sem kynferðislega aðlaðandi vegna aldurs (Grigg, 1999). En staðreyndin er hins vegar sú að kynlífsþörf eldra fólks er lítið frábrugðin kynlífsþörf þeirra sem yngri eru