Articulations of equity: practice, complexity and power in facilitated art projects

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/732 on 28.02.2017 by CS (TIS)This is a practice-based research project which analysis how democracy and facilitation are articulated within two different social contexts. The purpose of this research is to make apparent, through two facilitated art projects- the Elder Flowers project and the Exwick Image Project - the contingency of meanings and methods of making democratic choice with participants. The argument is that my methods of facilitation, which embrace social and cognitive difference by 'attending to' (that is, using methods of empathic listening and responsive action), their outcomes and meanings are contingent to each specific interaction. These acts of creative facilitation ask new questions of how democratic choice can be made between people who are located within multiple (historical, emotional, familial, economic) power dynamics. The thesis uses theories of complexity and difference to articulate: the need to 'frame' meanings in order for facilitator and participants to understand each other's choices and the fluidity of signification and subjectivity that deconstructs the ability to fix meaning and therefore properly understand each other. A conflict is revealed within the objective of facilitating a project in a democratic manner. This is a conflict between acknowledging that choice will emerge through interaction between facilitator and participant, and the facilitator needing to index - make sense of - what is happening in order to develop the facilitation. Additionally, the democracy of representing the complexity of the facilitations, in the 'framed' form of project record within the PhD submission, is questioned. A series of practical experiments, explore how theoretical concepts of presentation can work with project material and how an intuitive approach to the project material can reveal the complexity of choice-making during the facilitations

Documentary Representations of Alterity on Television: Diversity and National Identity in Contemporary France

ABSTRACT Sonia Claire VINCENT-GILL Documentary Representations of Alterity on Television: Diversity and National Identity in Contemporary France Since the turn of the millennium, there is a growing literature concerned with investigating the representation of minorities on French television. This thesis sets out to explore the documentary representation of four types of alterity (non-Western, urban, rural and regional France) in a selection of documentaries broadcast on French television between 1995 and 2010. The originality of this thesis lies in its comparative approach to the question of alterity. This research seeks to contribute to the nascent field of diversity and minority studies, and explore the manner in which these documentaries contribute to the construction of contemporary French identity. The study examines documentaries in a range of styles, from ‘art-house’ films to ‘hybrid’ popular factual entertainment, broadcast on ‘mainstream’ and ‘cultural’ channels. Additionally, the thesis seeks to assess the extent to which the medium of documentary offers an alternative representation of alterity when compared to other forms of visual culture, in particular the news coverage and documentary treatment of recent events. The juxtaposition of ‘mainstream’ and ‘cultural’ channels, and of documentary and news coverage, is designed to provide an analytical framework in which to assess the questions of alterity and national identity, in a manner that is, simultaneously, representative of a range of channels and styles, and different forms of factual representation. From this research emerges a recurrent opposition between a suburban dystopia (epitomised by the banlieue) versus a rural idyll (whether ‘peasant’, regional or non-Western). This shows a correspondence between the documentary representation of alterity and France’s contemporary concerns with questions of national identity and citizenship, which has engendered a ‘turn to nostalgia’ and the idealisation of rural or ‘traditional’ lifestyles

To be ill is human: why normalising illness would make it easier to cope with

First paragraph: Why are we so shocked when we, or someone we know, becomes ill? Why are many people scared of illness and unable to support their loved ones when illness strikes? And why do so many people still think “it won’t happen to me”

Electronic aids to daily living: be able to do what you want

Purpose. This study explores the experiences of Irish people with high cervical spinal cord injuries living with electronic aids to daily living (EADL) and the meaning attributed to such systems in the context of participation in everyday life. Method. Qualitative methodology using a phenomenological approach was used to explore the phenomenon of living with EADL. Data were collected using four focus groups of users and nonusers of EADL (n = 15). All participants had high cervical spinal cord injuries (C3-5). Groups were video recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using descriptive phenomenological analysis. Findings. Findings revealed key elements of the meaning of living with EADL. Two key themes, time alone and changed relationships are described. These contribute to the super ordinate theme of autonomy. Findings suggest that participants perceived improvements in both anticipated and actual lived experiences with EADL. Themes are interrelated and together represent a summary of the experience of living with environmental controls. The themes described are similar to those found in other spinal injury studies relating to quality of life. Conclusions. Findings highlight differences in life experiences for those with and without EADL and provides motivation to address this difference. Such insights are valuable for both users and providers of EADL

Experiences and desires of people with tetraplegia living with and without electronic aids to daily living: an Irish focus group study

This qualitative descriptive study explores the lived experience for persons with a high cervical spinal cord injury who have Electronic Aids to Daily Living (EADLs), and for persons who have no EADLs. Fifteen people with cervical spinal cord injuries attended four focus groups. Data analysis uncovered a novel framework of several themes that were organised into three categories: experiences, desires and meanings of living with EADL. Users’ and non users’ groups revealed homogenous themes. Experiences and desires are explored further in this paper. Themes within the category of experiences included: EADL devices, supply support and training, abandonment, mouthsticks and powered wheelchairs. Desires included: simple stuff, reliability, aesthetics and voice activation. Findings offer valuable personal insights about life with EADL to be considered by all involved with EADL

Inside Online Charter Schools

Online charter schools -- also known as virtual charters or cyber charters -- are publicly funded schools of choice that deliver student instruction via telecommunications. Today, about 200 online charter schools are operating in the United States, serving about 200,000 students at the elementary, middle, and high school grade levels. Although online instruction is increasing rapidly, there have been few studies of their operations and effects. In innovative new research funded by the Walton Family Foundation, the National Study of Online Charter Schools offers a rigorous analysis of online charter schools and their effects. Mathematica Policy Research's report provides the first nationwide data and analysis of the operations and instructional approaches of online charter schools, based on data collected in a survey completed by 127 principals of online charter schools across the country and public data from the U.S. Department of Education

Irish occupational therapists' views of electronic assistive technology

Introduction: Electronic assistive technology (EAT) includes computers, environmental control systems and information technology systems and is widely considered to be an important part of present-day life. Method: Fifty-six Irish community occupational therapists completed a questionnaire on EAT. All surveyed were able to identify the benefits of EAT. Results: While respondents reported that they should be able to assess for and prescribe EATs, only a third (19) were able to do so, and half (28) had not been able to do so in the past. Community occupational therapists identified themselves as havinga role in a multidisciplinary team to assess for and prescribe EAT. Conclusion: Results suggest that it is important for occupational therapists to have up-to-date knowledge and training in assistive and computer technologies in order to respond to the occupational needs of clients

Variation in Visual Outcomes and Quality of Life in Patients with Neovascular Age- Related Macular Degeneration: what does any variation mean?

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) represents one of the leading causes of blindness in both developed and developing countries. This thesis examines inequalities and variations in visual outcomes for people being treated for nAMD, the reasons behind any variation, and how this variation relates to self-reported quality of life. nAMD began to be treated via intraocular injections with anti-vascular endothelial growth factors (anti-VEGF) after 2006. This thesis drew on the landmark trials that first established the safety and efficacy of anti-VEGF therapy for nAMD. Using a systematic review, this thesis then investigated whether there were factors that could be identified from the literature that influenced how effective anti-VEGF therapy is in reducing visual loss in patients with nAMD. This thesis highlights the importance of being able to identify modifiable factors, such as number of anti-VEGF injections received, that could lead to better visual outcomes for these patients. This thesis then goes on to examine levels of variation in visual outcome in nAMD nationally in the UK, as well as further investigating any influencing factors that could not be identified in the systematic review. This was done using a large real-world dataset of over 26,00 patients from seven hospitals. This highlighted significant levels of variation, but struggled to identify definitively further influencing factors, such as ethnicity or social deprivation. This could be because there genuinely was not an associated relationship between these factors and visual outcomes, but certainly in the case of ethnicity, it is particularly apparent that there was an overwhelmingly white population, so there may have not been enough ethnic variation to detect any effect of ethnicity. This thesis then investigates the link between visual acuity and quality of life, in a prospective study of patients from a teaching hospital in York. However, due to a much-reduced sample size, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this thesis was unable to meaningfully link the two outcomes. The focus of this thesis was that of identifying and understanding variation in patients being treated for nAMD, within a wider picture of variation and inequality in healthcare in general. It showed variation in visual outcomes, but apart from visual acuity at baseline and number of injections, it was unable to identify other influencing factors. It is therefore concluded that further work with larger sample sizes needs to be undertaken to definitively address the overall aims of this thesis. Along with this, further attention needs to be given to the role of intersectionality of possible influencing factors in visual outcomes. Some of the methodology used in this thesis also need to reconsidered, such as if further prospective work is done, considering using telephone follow-up. There also needs to be consideration of taking into account the effect of the better seeing eye on quality of life