BLESSING OR BS? EXAMINING THE THERAPY EXPERIENCES OF TRANSGENDER AND GENDER NONCONFORMING CLIENTS OBTAINING REFERRAL LETTERS FOR GENDER AFFIRMING MEDICAL TREATMENT

Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people who pursue gender affirming medical interventions, such as hormone therapy and surgery, are required to supply their physicians with referral letters from mental health professionals (Coleman et al., 2012). The process by which TGNC people are required to obtain referral letters before accessing gender affirming care is often referred to as gatekeeping in the TGNC literature (Budge, 2015; Cavanaugh, Hopwood, & Lambert, 2016). Despite implications that the current gatekeeping system may have for the relationship between TGNC clients and their therapists, few studies have examined TGNC individuals’ experiences related to obtaining referral letters in therapy (Bess & Stabb, 2009; Elder, 2016). This study used semi-structured interviews and a grounded theory approach to qualitatively examine the experiences of 15 TGNC individuals who have obtained a referral letter for gender affirming medical intervention from their therapists. Thematic analysis revealed two core themes: (1) “blessings” that TGNC individuals experienced because of the referral letter requirement and (2) “bullsh*t” (or “BS”) participants endured due to this requirement. Implications for psychotherapy practice and training, as well as healthcare policy, are discussed

Judith Butler in Belgium : reflections on public grief and precarity in the wake of the Paris attacks

Judith Butler’s presence in Europe during the Paris attacks provides an opportu- nity to reflect on the contours of her rich, philosophical legacy. Butler’s most recent work can be characterised by way of a shift towards more explicit global and biopolitical concerns, as exemplified in her post 9/11 texts Precarious Life: The Powers of Mourning and Violence (2004) and Frames of War: When Is Life Griev- able? (2009). This paper will explore specific aspects of public discourse in the wake of the Paris massacre through Butler’s concept of grievability. Butler contends that the ability to be mourned within the West illustrates which lives are valued or disposable in our contemporary geopolitical context. Examining the way in which certain social media platforms facilitated and circumscribed displays of public grief enables us to contend with the complex relationship between recog- nition, vulnerability, and the violence of defining “the human”

Quest for balance

This thesis project is documented in two separate parts. The first part consists of the exploratin and execution of six sculptures. The second is in the form of a written thesis, which will discuss the transformation of an idea, my influences, a body of work and the beginning of a visual voice. This project centers on the idea of a visceral state versus an intellectual state as part of the human condition. My interest lies in the interaction between these two states and how we as individuals balance them. For this project I classified an intellectual state to revolve around our ability to think, reason and understand. A visceral state may not need any intellect, but proceeds from instinct rather than rational thoughts

Children’s Literature in the Elementary General Music Classroom

Elementary music teachers are using children’s literature in their music lessons to reinforce music skills and concepts as well as introduce students to biographical and historical information as it relates to music. Using children’s literature in the music classroom is aurally and visually pleasing and with the use of culturally relevant and diverse materials, it can allow students to have a sense of belonging in the classroom. Students are highly engaged in the music lesson through response and participation in the reading of the story. Using children’s literature in the music classroom can also reinforce reading skills, specifically the five building blocks of reading. The purpose of this study was to explore how children’s literature used in the elementary general music classroom reinforces both music skills and pre-reading/reading skills. A survey was emailed to elementary music teachers who were members of the San Juan Music Educators’ Association in Washington State and 50 responses were collected. Survey participants represented a diverse range of teaching experience. The survey was designed to answer the following questions: What grades do teachers use children’s literature in, what genres of children’s literature do teachers use in their lessons, why do teachers use children’s literature intheir lessons, and what makes a book appropriate for use in the elementary general music classroom? Three elementary music teachers were selected from respondents for teaching observation of a music lesson that incorporated children’s literature. They were also interviewed with the attempt to see how teachers in practice used children’s literature, as well as to gain an understanding about their intentions of reinforcing music skills and reading skills in their lessons. Three reading specialists also participated in this study through questionnaires or interviews, to gain a better understanding about how teachers use children’s literature to support pre-reading and reading skills, to understand the history of children’s literature and its use in the elementary school, and to better understand how various genres of children’s literature could be used in a music classroom. Results of the study revealed that children’s literature is being used in a variety of engaging ways including sound stories, vocal exploration, movement exploration, instrument exploration, structure for composition and as an introduction to musical terms, musicians or composers. Some teachers purposefully focus on reinforcing both reading and music skills during lessons that integrate children’s literature, while others focus on reinforcing music concepts or skills. Regardless of their intentions of reinforcement, both reading skills and music skills are reinforced with the use of children’s literature in the elementary music classroom. Through investigation of the literature, questionnaires and interviews, characteristics that make a book appropriate for use in the music classroom were revealed. From the survey results, a list of quality books for the music classroom was created that lists specific ways to use them in the music classroom

Control Of Movement Initiation In Humans

The purpose of this study was three-fold: (1) does agonist activity (Ag1) duration remain constant over a wide range of movement amplitudes? (2) can Ag1 be modified by peripheral feedback? and (3) what is the precise relationship between Ag1 and the acceleratory phase of the movement?;In the first set of experiments, subjects performed 5 to 50 degree step-tracking movements about the elbow. In all subjects, small movements (5-20 deg) were initiated by short duration Ag1 bursts (70-80 ms) while large movements (40-50 deg) were initiated by long duration bursts (140-150 ms). The increased Ag1 duration resulted from a second peak (component) of activity which was approximately 70-80 ms in duration. Doubling of Ag1 duration also occurred in movements made by a deafferented patient, suggesting independence of Ag1 duration modulation from afferent feedback.;In a second set of experiments, brief perturbations were randomly applied prior to the onset of elbow flexion movements. In 30 deg movements, perturbations which opposed the movement produced graded increases in the magnitude of both components of Ag1. Perturbations which assisted the movement increased the magnitude of the first component but decreased the magnitude of the second.;The effects of changes in initial joint angle on Ag1 were also examined. Subjects performed flexion movements in which starting joint angle ranged from 65 to 125 deg. The magnitude of Ag1 increased as starting position became more extended. Movement (phase-plane) trajectories associated with different starting positions were not altered despite large differences in Ag1 magnitude. It was hypothesized that these changes in Ag1 activity compensate for angle-dependent changes in limb mechanical properties so as to maintain a prelearned movement trajectory.;Finally, experiments were conducted to examine the relationship between phasic muscle activity and movement trajectory. As movement profiles shifted from short to long acceleration, both Ag1 duration and time of onset of phasic antagonist activity increased. These findings suggest that the timing and magnitude of movement-related muscle activity are not related to a single movement parameter but rather to the profile of the intended movement. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.