Wounded-healer healing: a first-person narrative inquiry into wounds as places of learning

This thesis is a first person narrative inquiry into my life as a woman in midlife, leaning into and learning from my ‘woundedness’—with a focus on relational-wounds. Making wounds ‘useful’ and the idea of providing ‘hospitality’ as a healer is explored as part of my professional practice as a coach. In this capacity, I identify myself as a wounded-healer. I also explore such wounded-healer moments in my role as a friend, family member and partner in my personal life. As such, this research is based on two key premises: that human beings are storied creatures and meaning-makers, and that emotional wounding is an inevitable human condition. Grounded in the methodology of narrative inquiry, the research is a consideration of wounded stories, and the influences of place, sociality and temporality for the purposes of the following: identifying dominant narratives and stuck-stories, storying and re-storying restorative meanings and generating different action choices. This is enriched with the reflective practices and action imperative of first person action research. A feminist position is taken in exploring the importance of the human need for relationality, connection and love. Dominant patriarchal structures of thought that legitimise what is valid as academic research are disrupted through the perspective and writing practice of making the personal political, sharing intimate, personal and professional stories of relational wounding and positing the need for women writing women’s stories. Empirical evidence is demonstrated through vignettes, and inquiry and the analyses of these are presented through a written dialogue of the researcher’s internal conversations in three different voices as a way of being evocative and creative in contributing to experimental ways of writing and presenting doctoral research. This research hopes to contribute to what seems to be limited research into the importance of and practices of healing professionals attending to their own healing. Primacy is given to emotional wounds identified as ‘life interrupted wounds’, along with a brief exploration of ‘everyday wounds’ and ‘primary wounds’. Specific ideas of my wounded-healer practices of conscious vulnerability, boundaried openness, self-compassion, emotional agility and hospitality are inquired into, along with how Buddhism (as a philosophical awareness) has influenced these practices. A Foucauldian lens is applied to examine how therapy and the therapeutic field is potentially a site for power, using the concepts of technology of the self, dividing practices and docile bodies and bio-power. Ideas of space, place and liminality are explored to expand the ideas around hospitality in wounded-healer work

Casuarina coastal forest shelterbelts in Hambantota City, Sri Lanka: Assessment of impacts

The definition of coastal forest shelterbelts in urban landscapes is highly complex. Growing of Casuarina equisetifolia as a small shelterbelt on the beach in Hambantotota City was implemented to protect the beautiful natural sand dunes, preserve visual amenity and be a barrier to seawater salt spray. The casuarina shelterbelt has become popular because it was the only undamaged area in Hambantota City after the devastating 2004 tsunami. The objective of the study was to assess the impacts of the casuarina shelterbelt in economic, social and environmental terms. The city dwellers close to the shelterbelt were interviewed and information collected based on their observations and experiences. According to them, the casuarina shelterbelt has not been able to reduce the wind speed. Although the belt has increased the size of the sand dunes, the casuarina trees have suppressed the growth of native species as an under-storey. The belt has improved the aesthetic value of the beach. No impact of the shelterbelt has been identified in protecting agricultural crops and reducing the corrosion of household goods from seawater salt spay. The city dwellers have not recognized the economic importance of casuarina timber but are impressed with the increase of fuelwood supply from the shelterbelt. The shelterbelt has prevented illegal settlement, but facilitated anti-social and illegal activities of the poor city dwellers. The attractiveness of the beach for tourism has been enhanced. Empirical evidence reveals that the casuarina belt in Hambantota City has greater environmental and social impacts than economic impacts

Analysis of Textual and Non-Textual Sources of Sentiment in Github

Github is a collaborative platform that is used primarily for the development of software. In order to gain more insight into how teams work on Github, we wish to analyze the sentiment content available via communication on the platform. In order to do so, we first use existing sentiment analysis classifiers and compare the Github data to other social networks, Twitter and Reddit. By identifying that users are able to provide reactions to other users posts on Github, we use this as an indicator or label of sentiment information. Using this we first investigate whether repeated user interaction has an impact on sentiment and find that it is positively correlated to the amount of prior interaction as well as the directness of interaction. We also investigate if metrics corresponding to a user's status or power in a project correlate with positive sentiment received and find that it does. We then build sentiment classifiers using both textual and non textual information, both which outperform the generic sentiment scorer systems. In addition we show that a sentiment classifier built using only non-textual information can perform at a comparable level to that of a text-based classifier, indicating that there is significant sentiment information contained in non-textual information in the Github network

Inculcating Professional Ethics among Employees in the Workplace: A Systematic Literature Review

Professional ethics has become a vital and challenging topic in today's environment. Thus, the goal of this study is to encourage and enhance ethical behaviour among employees, as well as to foster a strong professional ethics culture inside organizations. In this sense, the study's goal is to accomplish three objectives. First, it explains what professional ethics is and how it affects an organisation. Second, the article emphasizes the importance and necessity of cultivating an ethical culture inside a company. Finally, the study investigates how employees’ attitudes influence workplace ethics and some implications are derived from the findings. Secondary data sources such as journals, articles, books, research papers, and websites were used in this study, which was mostly performed using a qualitative research approach. The study's findings indicate that employees' attitudes have an influence on organizations' workplace ethics. According to the findings of this study, professional ethics is essential for any organization to establish and sustain a strong and ethical culture among its employees. Therefore, managers should focus not just on achieving corporate goals while fostering meaningful working relationships, but also on encouraging ethical behaviour among employees.        KEYWORDS: Professional Ethics, Ethical Culture, Employees, Ethical Behaviou

HIV prevention: What have we learned from community experiences in concentrated epidemics?

Drawing on lessons learned from community experiences in concentrated epidemics, this paper explores three imperatives in the effort to reduce the sexual transmission of HIV: combat prevention fatigue, diversify HIV testing and combat stigma and discrimination. The paper argues for a non-judgmental harm reduction approach to the prevention of sexual transmission of HIV that takes into account the interpretation of risk by diverse individuals and communities in the era of antiretroviral therapy. This approach requires greater attention to increasing access to opportunities to know one's serostatus, especially among key populations at greater risk. Novel approaches to diversifying HIV testing approaches at community level are needed. Finally, the paper makes a plea for bold measures to combat stigma and discrimination, which continues to represent a formidable barrier for access to services for affected populations and may contribute to HIV-related risk behaviours. A "triple therapy" approach to address stigma and discrimination is discussed, which includes greater acceptance of people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA), improving relevant laws and policies, and involving prevention users- working with people rather than for people-

The directionality of uncertainty expressions and the foreign language effect

Purpose – This study investigates two issues inherent in accounting judgements: (1) the directional influence of uncertainty expressions and how they might positively or negatively affect accounting judgements and (2) the foreign-language effect (FLE), which refers to the reduction of judgement bias that occurs when an accounting judgement is made in one’s foreign language. This study examines both issues in the context of accounting judgements made in Chinese and English languages. Design/methodology/approach – This study conducts two experiments. The first experiment applies a 2x2 between-subject research design, and the second experiment adopts a 2x2 within-subject approach. Findings – The overall results reveal that directionality biases exist in the exercise of accounting judgement in subjects’ native and foreign languages. However, when switching the language from the subjects’ native tongue to a foreign language, overall directionality biases are reduced. Research limitations/implications – This study suggests that the use of native and non-native languages can have unintended consequences on accounting judgements. However, due to the limitations of using students as proxies for professionals and applying self-assessed language scales, the literature would benefit from future research that extends the subject profile to professional accountants and that assesses language skills more objectively. Originality/value – This study contributes to the literature on cross-lingual accounting, both theoretically and methodologically. It also extends the FLE theory to an accounting context, providing insights on how language is involved in judgements concerning uncertainty expressions

PUBLIC RELATIONS (PR) IN FOREST MANAGEMENT:CONCEPTS AND STRATEGIES FOR SRI LANKA

Public relations have gained much recogrunon in the last three decades assuming anincreasingly important role. as a fbrest management function in most of the developedcountries. However, Public Relations (PI<.)continues to be a less important, less understoodfunction in forestry sector in many developing countries. The PR is considered as a serioustool for damage control and crisis management measures, which is better done under PRthan under other disciplines.The various remedial measures adopted to meet basic needs of the increasing populationhave resulted with rapid degradation and depletion of forest resources in Sri Lanka.However, the Forest Authority have to take a fair share of the blame for the unsuccessfullor failed forestry development activities tor not adequately shouldering the responsibility ofcreating a required environment and facilitative conditions. The public is inadequatelyinformed the economic problems and functions of forestry, and would like moreinformation. Modern PR gives professional status to professional practice in forestry sector.The paper defines the public and the public relations and, accordingly, the environmentrequired for PR is identified. The management objectives, functions and basic elementsrequired for PR functions, and evaluating results of public relations are discussed. Further,promotion of forester as PR officer and the matters needed for analysis are suggested