Ethnicity and Impressions of Personality Using the Five-Factor Model: Stereotyping or Cultural Sensitivity?

The current research investigates whether communities use ethnicity as a cue when forming personality impressions of others. Past research has shown that dress, smiling, hairstyle, and even facial symmetry of targets produce systematic differences in personality impressions across the domains of the Five Factor model of personality. We investigated whether the stated or apparent ethnicity of groups and individuals also produce stereotypic impressions of personality. This study compared impressions across members and non-members of the target groups and examined cue utility i.e. whether impressions of the groups agreed with aggregated self-impressions by group members. In all, the results clearly suggest that people utilize ethnicity as a cue when forming impressions of the personalities of groups and individuals, and although those impressions are exaggerated consistent with stereotype theory, they confer some utility in interpersonal perceptions across cultures. Stereotypes are a strategy used to interpret the complex social environment in the absence of more specific information. When that information is available, perceptions of others become more refined and accurate. Keywords: stereotyping, ethnicity, Five Factor model, Native Americans, cultural sensitivity, personalit

Accounting for human rights : doxic health and safety practices - the accounting lesson from ICL

This paper is concerned with a specific human right - the right to work in a safe environment. It sets out a case for developing a new form of account of health and safety in any organisational setting. It draws upon the theoretical insights of Pierre Bourdieu taking inspiration from his assertion that in order to understand the "logic" of the worlds we live in we need to immerse ourselves into the particularity of an empirical reality. In this case the paper, analyses a preventable industrial disaster which occurred in Glasgow, Scotland which killed nine people and injured 33 others. From this special case of what is possible, the paper unearths the underlying structures of symbolic violence of the UK State, the Health and Safety Executive and capital with respect to health and safety at work. While dealing with one specific country (Scotland), the analysis can be used to question health and safety regimes and other forms of symbolic violence across the globe

PTSD – an update for general practitioners

Provides up-to-date guidance for general practitioners (GPs) in the recognition of PTSD and the current best practice recommendations for pharmacological and psychological treatment. Background Australians are commonly exposed to traumatic events, which can lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Several recent developments in the trauma field have led to significant changes in how PTSD is diagnosed and treated. Objective This article provides up-to-date guidance for general practitioners (GPs) in the recognition of PTSD and the current best practice recommendations for pharmacological and psychological treatment. Discussion Often the first port-of-call, GPs are well placed to help patients who have recently experienced a potentially traumatic event and are at risk of developing PTSD. The role of the GP can include initial support, assessment, treatment and, where indicated, appropriate spe-cialist referral. There are recent clinical practice guidelines that GPs can use to assess and determine appropriate treatment for their patients with PTSD. &nbsp

An investigation into communication studies to improve the designer's understanding of the virtues and constraints of the three dimensional graphical user interface

This research set out to understand the role of design in Virtual Reality (VR) interfaces. The hypothesis was that: Virtual Reality is an emerging medium and does not currently fulfil its full design potential as a medium for communication. Existing research and practice in VR is dominated by Human-Computer Interface (HCI) developers and typically lacks a design approach. The result of this is that many VR projects are developed to mirror reality (mimesis) without considering the potential for the medium to portray ideas in novel or user-led ways. Many designers working in this field take an empirical approach without reference to guidelines or theory, relying on previous experience with other media. The proposition of this research was that there may be more value in a theoretical and holistic approach that combines knowledge from different disciplines to reveal new insights. The research therefore used a qualitative approach to understand the contribution designers, and the design process, could make to this subject. Information was gathered through a two stage series of case studies and semi-structured expert interviews. This research documented in detail a design approach to the development of VR undertaken at BT and in design consultancy. In particular, the investigation looked at the design characteristics of state-of-the-art Virtual Reality projects, highlighting the different attributes (virtues and constraints) of the Virtual Reality medium. These virtues were found to be: interactive, fun and intuitive, illustrates relationships, spatial arrangement of data, navigation and landmarks, use of scale, multiple viewpoints and visualisation of complex information. The constraints were found particularly to affect representational issues (choice of sign) and technological determinism. Although technological determinism was not found to play a significant role, it did impact on the presentation of ideas due to inconsistent interfaces and poorly designed VR software tools. However, the research concluded that.until sufficient examples of practice broaden the subject matter, the generalisation of virtues and constraints of VR offers limited insight beyond the immediate context. In order to improve the practice of VR design, a strategic approach was felt to be necessary to align VR projects to users' communication needs. The primary output of this research has been the mapping of the relationship between the more widely employed iconic (mimetic) interface and the symbolic (abstract) interface in relation to different dimensionality (2D/3D/VR). This matrix was formulated from issues identified in the literature review and refined through expert panels relating to communication theories. The framework demonstrates different representations, virtues and constraints, as well as the relationship between different media types. The benefit of this framework is that it links communication theory with the pragmatics of the designer, thereby integrating broader communication concepts through a visual mapping process. This integration of theory and practice was critical to testing the model with real examples, as well as to presenting the findings to design practitioners. Additionally, this matrix provides a framework to identify future design opportunities. A further output of the research has been the development of two models to illustrate alternative approaches to the design of VR environments by understanding the process of deconstruction and construction of signs. One outcome of the case studies was the discovery that the design approach undertaken at BT allowed the development of representations which were not merely transposed to VR but rather designed for the purpose and for users. It was recommended that for the design of Virtual Environments, signs be deconstructed and transformed to enable creative solutions to be developed. This was felt to add significant benefits over transposing signs, as is typically the approa..

Critically interrogating classroom constructions of \u27community\u27 and \u27difference\u27 : a case study

Within educational literature, the concept of \u27community\u27 has been problematised over the last decade, particularly as regards how constructs of \u27community\u27 that aim to provide \u27a sense of belonging&hellip; of collective concern for each individual\u27 (Nodding 1996: 258) can also operate to exclude, devalue or homogenise diverse groups of students.The tensions that exist between desirable features of a learning community that provides a sense of belonging and at the same time recognises and celebrates difference and diversity are suggested by Fines, et al (1997: 252) who argue that \u27(t)he process of sustaining a community must include a critical interrogation of difference as the rich substance of community life&hellip;\u27This paper reports on an aspect of an empirical research project that examined relations of power between teachers and students as these operate through explicit processes used to create classroom communities. Through a case study of one composite grade primary classroom with children of diverse cultural heritage, we critically analyse constructs of \u27community\u27 in light of current literature on difference and diversity. Specifically we address the question: what pedagogical processes create a learning community where acceptance of difference is reworked to better address unequal relations of power? <br /

Nous Accusons - Revisiting Foucault's comments on the role of the 'specific intellectual' in the context of increasing processes of Gleichschaltung in Britain

In the late nineteenth century, Emile Zola felt the urge and intellectual responsibility to challenge the unethical, unjust and oppressive operation of the French Republic, and wrote an open letter to the President of the Republic entitled ‘J’accuse’. The publication of this open letter led to the formulation of the Manifeste des intellectuals (1897) that demands a non-party space for the expression of an ethically guided politics. ‘J’accuse’ has become a generic symbol for the voicing of resistance against governmental forms of oppression. On the basis of a re-reading of Foucault’s understanding of the ‘specific intellectual’ (Foucault, 1977 and 1980), this article suggests that we need a non-party space for the public expression of ethically governed politics. The article explores some parallels that can be drawn between the historical phenomenon of Gleichschaltung in Nazi Germany and contemporary politics in Britain. While it is aknowledged that the ultimate goals and the ‘legitimating’ ideological frameworks operating in both regimes are very different, various elements of the processes involved in the establishment, maintenance and extension of control over the populace as well as the increasing muting of resistance show remarkable similarities. Paying particular attention to policy and practice in relation to housing, education and “crime control,” contemporary Britain is revealed as characterized by  processes that have so far resulted in opportunistic conformity being the reigning norm of a societal life in which former notions of freedom, civil rights and self-government have become increasingly undermined

WA health practitioners and cooking: How well do they mix?

Aim:  The aim of the present study was to assess the views and experiences of WA practitioners on the use of cooking as a public health nutrition intervention. Methods:  A 39-point online questionnaire was constructed using Survey Monkey. The questionnaire was distributed via email distribution lists targeting practitioners working in public health nutrition. Questions were focused around four objectives relating to: the value of cooking skills in public health, practitioner cooking skills and training, practitioner views on cooking as a health intervention and practitioner experiences in conducting cooking demonstrations. Results:  A total of 84 practitioners completed the questionnaire, of which over half (58%) were employed in dietetic specific positions at the time of the survey. There was overwhelming agreement that cooking skills are an important factor in the prevention of nutrition-related disease, and that cooking skill interventions have the potential to change dietary intakes. However, only one quarter of practitioners indicated that cooking skill interventions were a significant part of their current role. Over half (58%) of the practitioners surveyed had either conducted or assisted in a cooking demonstration or cooking class in the last 12 months. Conclusions:  WA practitioners place a high value on the use of cooking as a public health nutrition intervention. Practitioners felt they have good knowledge and skills in cooking but indicated the need to know more about conducting cooking skill interventions. The findings suggest the need to improve outcome evaluation as a component of cooking skill interventions to assess long-term behaviour change

Redesigning design education: the next Bauhaus?

This chapter, following an invitation to deliver a keynote address at the inaugural ICSID Educational Seminar 2001 Seongnam, Korea, examines the theme of emerging service design thinking for education. This was also the subject of Young’s collaborative student learning project; ‘Review of a Design Practice Learning Project to Pilot Heightened Social Responsibility and Engagement,’ (with Hilton K). This was presented at EAD, Barcelona in 2003, and further developed in keynote addresses by Young at International Service Design Northumbria conference (ISDn1) at the Sage, Gateshead, March 2006 and ISDn2 at the Centre for Life, Newcastle, November 2006. The subject of new design paradigms and emerging methods is now a co-sponsored PhD between the Design Council and Northumbria’s CfDR (Young & Siodmok supervisors – research funding £32k to support the studentship). This includes a review of the Dott 07 public commission projects. Young’s service design research led to a commission with the ONE NorthEast; Design Innovation Education Centre project in 2003, to develop service design expertise and resources within NE England. Also, to join the AHRC/EPSRC Designing for the 21st Century project; Service Design for Science and Technology SMEs, 2006, based in SAID Business School, Oxford University. Practice-based research using service design methods were deployed to improve the experience of patients of the NHS; this led to Dott 07 sponsoring the Design and Sexual Health project developed by Young with Gateshead PCT and the Strategic Health Authority. Related Northumbria-funded PhD student Lauren Tan working on the future development of design thinking in area of service design and linking to Dott07