Phoenix Ink: Psychodynamic Motivations for Tattoo Attainment by Survivors of Trauma

Tattoos adorn people from all over the world and date back as far as the Stone Age. Tattoos adorn people from all over the world and motivations for tattoo attainment have been studied recently. Still, there remains limited research on the potential therapeutic properties of tattoo attainment, particularly for survivors of sexual trauma. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experience of the tattoo process for survivors of sexual trauma and their motivations for tattoo attainment. This qualitative exploratory study interviewed both survivors of sexual trauma (N=10) and tattoo artists (N=7) to gain a wider perspective on the motivations for tattoo attainment among survivors of sexual trauma. Common themes of tattoo attainment emerged among trauma survivors, with the most prevalent being reclamation, catharsis, and tattoo acts as personal narrative. Among tattoo artists the common themes were that tattoos act as non-normative expression and have therapeutic qualities. Further research should include diversified populations and a larger sample size. Implications for Social work practice include utilizing tattoo for narrative exploration and rapport building

The reconstruction of New Orleans: Post Hurricane Katrina

A synopsis of Hurricane Katrina and the catastrophic damage it caused for the city of New Orleans. The number concern for the city of New Orleans is “reconstruction.” This paper is an examination of the reconstruction efforts and the government’s priorities after the devastating damage created from the cities levee system that was inadequate in function to sustain a storm of Hurricane Katrina’s magnitude. Research, reports, interviews and first-hand accounts create an interesting analysis of the reconstruction efforts. This report will challenge the ideas of bureaucracy, oligarchy, and the theories of ethnic cleansing practices, resulting in the current status of New Orleans reconstruction and reformation within the “Big Easy.

The Commonwealth Games as an Example of Bringing States Closer Through Sport

The aim of the article is to investigate the issue of positive sports diplomacy directed at bringing countries closer and deepening cooperation between them. Generally, sports diplomacy is a broader term and may include various ways of utilizing sport, both negative and positive, even for the sake of nation-branding. Positive sports diplomacy most commonly refers to bringing hostile states closer together, but it may also be used to deepen political alliances or foster friendship and cooperation between states that are not mutually hostile. The research focuses on the latter form of positive sports diplomacy. The investigation is a case study concerning the Commonwealth Games, a sports event that is held once every four years and gathers countries and territories that used to belong to the former British Empire. The research therefore aims to determine whether this event, the second largest multisport event in the world, is significant from political and diplomatic perspectives. A second research question concerns whether the Commonwealth Games should be seen as an attempt by Great Britain to maintain influence in its former colonies. The research attempts to test the hypothesis that the Commonwealth Games are an important contributor to sustaining ties between states of the former British Empire.The research has been financed by the National Science Centre of Poland, project number 2015/19/D/HS5/00513

The Use of Lexical Cohesion Elements in the Writing of ESL Learners

This study investigated the use of lexical elements of cohesion in the essay writing of students of English as a Second Language. Two hundred essays of final year students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka were collated and analyzed by the researchers in order to identify the lexical elements used to achieve cohesion in writing. The result showed that students used three lexical elements as postulated by Gutwinski in varying degrees in their writings. These include: repetition, synonyms, and lexical sets (collocations). Students tended to use more of repetitions and made minimal use of synonyms and lexical sets to achieve cohesion in writing. This has led to poorly written essays by students. It also implies that lexical cohesion elements should be taught in schools to enable students use them appropriately in writing

Sexual Violence Prevention Best Practices for Nebraska RPE

The purpose of this report is to provide sexual violence prevention advocates and practitioners in Nebraska with support in choosing evidence-based or evidence-informed programs for implementation in their communities. The beginning sections of this report will provide you with background information and a foundation for selecting a model. This includes information on the socio-ecological model, CDC strategies and approaches, evidence-based programs, evidence-informed practices, fidelity, appropriate adaptations, and considerations for rural communities. Our hope is for this information to provide you with the resources you need to determine what type of evidence-based or evidence-informed practice will be the best fit for your agency and your community. This report also includes an interactive Evidence-Based Program Selection Tool. The tool begins by asking if you are looking for a program to implement in a school, community, or workplace setting. From there, additional questions are asked related to target audience, program outcomes, and program capacity. This tool will then provide you with suggestions for evidence-based programming grounded in your agency’s unique needs. Finally, this report includes an index of evidence-based programs and evidence-informed practices based on socio-ecological levels, CDC strategies and approaches, dosage, cost, and other program characteristics

Coalition Building and Community Mobilization Measurement Tools for Sexual Violence Prevention with Nebraska RPE

The purpose of this report is to provide sexual violence advocates and practitioners in Nebraska with measurement tools for evaluating sexual violence prevention at the community and societal levels. The beginning sections of this report will provide you with an overview of how to use the report. It includes the definitions we used to provide additional information about each of the measurement tools. There are also examples of the types of outcomes the tools may measure. The beginning section ends with important tips on how to use the measurement tools. The majority of the report is dedicated to the measurement tools. We would also like to note while all of these tools are appropriate in certain situations, not every tool is appropriate for every situation. It is important to choose a measurement tool with your specific organization in mind. Our hope is that this report provides you with the measurement tools you need to begin evaluating your sexual violence prevention efforts at the community and societal levels

A Gathering of Native American Healers: Exploring the Interface of Indigenous Tradition and Professional Practice

This article reports insights from a 4‐day Gathering of Native American Healers at the University of Michigan in October of 2010. This event convened 18 traditional healers, clinically trained service providers, and cross‐cultural mental health researchers for a structured group dialogue to advance professional knowledge about the integration of Indigenous healing practices and conventional mental health treatments in community‐based mental health services for Native Americans. Our thematic analysis of transcripts from five Roundtable sessions afforded several key insights and understandings pertaining to the integration of Indigenous healing and conventional mental health services. First, with reference to traditional healing, the importance of a rampant relationality, various personal qualities, Indigenous spirituality, and maintenance of traditional life and culture were accentuated by Roundtable participants. Second, for traditional healers to practice effectively, Roundtable participants posited that these individuals must maintain personal wellness, cultivate profound knowledge of healing practices, recognize the intrinsic healing potential within all human beings, and work for the community rather than themselves. In speaking to the possibilities and challenges of collaboration between Indigenous and conventional biomedical therapeutic approaches, Roundtable participants recommended the implementation of cultural programming, the observance of mutuality and respect, the importance of clear and honest communication, and the need for awareness of cultural differences as unique challenges that must be collaboratively overcome.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/116300/1/ajcp9747.pd

'n Ondersoek na die uitbeelding van Khoisan-karakters deur wit Afrikaanse prosateurs: 1994-2014

This dissertation offers a literary-thematic investigation based on a postcolonial approach to the representation of the Khoisan and their descendants. I restricted my scope to selected Afrikaans novels at the centre of critical attention between between 1994 and 2014. Earlier novels in this period under discussion are Dolf van Niekerk’s Koms van die hyreën (1994), Willem Kotze’s Tsats van die Kalahari (1994), Die spoorsnyer (1994), Olifantjagters (1997) and Gif (2001) by Piet van Rooyen, plus Karel Schoeman’s Verkenning (1996). Later texts in the focus are Duiwelskloof (1998) and Bidsprinkaan (2005) by André P. Brink, Dalene Matthee’s Pieternella van die Kaap (2000), Eben Venter’s Santa Gamka (2009) and most recently, the Hertzog prize winner of 2015, Buys by Willem Anker (2014). Themes central to South African literature will form the focus of the research, namely intercultural interaction between the first inhabitants of South Africa and missionaries, the question of land ownership, the language motif, and the role of religion (indigenous versus Western belief systems). Attention will also be on more specific issues such as the nature of the relationship between the Khoisan and the colonisers, the characterization of the Khoisan by the selected white authors, as well as other contemporary debates. The secondary objective of the study is to review the historical presence of the Khoisan and their descendants as reflected through the fictional lense of these authors writing over the last two decades, since democratization of the regime in 1994. My focus is particularly on the substantial cultural contribution of the Khoi and the San, as reflected through their representation in fictional works. The question will be posed whether the portrayal of Khoisan characters in novels after 1994 is different from the portrayal in fiction before 1994? My hypothesis is that in the fictional representation one finds a move towards restoration of their human dignity, yet the fact remains that all the authors are white. A different study of fictional works by coloured writers (whose numbers as Afrikaans authors grew substantially after 1994), investigating their representation of the descendants of the Khoi and the San, would in all probability yield radically different results, as the white authors imagine the characters and their consciousness from outside the community and the racial group, whereas the coloured writers belong to the community and the group that they portray