Developing a context based framework for understanding interpersonal resilience

Taking a pragmatic approach, this research has developed a context based framework to understand how people effectively cope with each other in their relationships at times of stress. Contexts of intractable conflicts – such as Israel and the West Bank region - are fertile ground for such inquiry because the sources of tension on people’s relationships are numerous and accentuated, making any resilient cases worthy of attention. Besides, there is an urgent need for expertise to manage interpersonal relationships effectively and efficiently as the reviewed literature has underlined. A conceptual framework was developed to provide a methodologically robust and philosophically coherent basis for the investigation and analyses were grounded in contemporary literature using a trans-disciplinary approach. From there, a three-tiered analytical framework was built to allow understanding of the emergence of resilience in dyadic co-worker relationships in episodes of tension. The analytical lens employed, grounded in the Maussian gift theory, has allowed for a multi-level and multi-dimensional analysis, thus moving from an individualistic to a relational approach, much advocated for and yet sparsely studied in the literature. The field research was conducted over a phased period of three years in three small-scale enterprises. Following an exploratory phase, data was gathered using semi-structured interviews with individuals close to the businesses and their day-to-day operations. Conversations focused on the stories of how participants dealt with circumstances of stress in their work-life relationships with each other. Findings were then fed back to participants through group interviews which allowed a refinement of the primary work, and further deepened the research findings. Analyses of the three cases revealed three complementary drivers of resilient relationships: 1) A motivated willingness to maintain the relationship; 2) the existence of a physical and emotional space for communication; and 3) a space of recognition, underpinned by feelings of being listened to and understood. All three drivers brought a feeling of belonging to the relationship which further maintained and strengthened the bonds. The analytical framework developed, and methodological approach employed, have proved useful in understanding how interpersonal resilience of co-workers is initiated and maintained in the specific contexts. While focusing at the micro-level, the research has also shed a different light on designing research in intractable conflict environments. Instead of focusing on individual traits or socio-economic factors, the contextualised socio-cognitive approach put forward here opens the gateway to more complex thinking and better understanding of human relationships and the drivers nurturing and maintaining them

Pacing emotional labour of qualitative research in an intractable conflict environment

Qualitative field research in any type of terrain calls for a practice-oriented reflection on the researcher’s emotional labour management in relation to the context of the field before, during and beyond data collection. Intractable conflict environments (ICE) are characterised by long running social crises still unresolved. This particularity makes such contexts risk-prone in terms of unpredictable dangers and unexpected outcomes, hence, the requirement for thorough ethical evaluation of field research designs. Field researchers, often working on their own, are expected to safely make ethically sound decisions while gathering high quality data within complex social realities of which they are often socio-culturally unaware. This inevitably exacerbates the emotional burden on the researchers and makes fieldwork challenging. Although feminist geographers have significantly contributed to highlighting the social dynamics of fieldwork by initiating and deepening discussions of the emotional and ethical challenge, discussions have rarely gone beyond underlining the need for recognition of the field researchers’ emotional labour. Despite academic consensus for reflexive analysis and field diary keeping, little has been discussed on how to systematically manage this effort during the research process. In this paper, building on the first author's PhD fieldwork experience in Israel and the West Bank area, we propose a paced field research organisation method – PFROM – which systematically accommodates time and space for the researcher’s engagement with and detachment from the intensity of the field research. Applying the concept of pacing – intentionally distributing focused attention in such a way that will reduce fatigue prior to the completion of a task – this framework systematically integrates reflexivity within research designs. The PFROM provides researchers with a tool applicable beyond the context of intractable conflict locations which has the potential to enhance their emotional labour management

Building WASH resilience for behavioural change: An interim research brief

With the growing frequency and flows of migration and the ever-increasing negative effects of climate change intensifying the urbanisation pressure on policy makers, service providers and citizens, it is timely to develop efficient and effective methods of building WASH resilience.This interim research brief is designed to help engage discussion for co-analysis and forms an essential part of the research designed in the interest of scientific rigour, practice-driven policy advice and a pragmatic approach to impactful research

SUFISA UK National report (WP2 - Deliverable 2.2)

This report is part of the EU-funded Horizon 2020 project SUFISA (Sustainable finance for sustainable agriculture and fisheries). The purpose of this report is to investigate the nature of policy requirements and market imperfections, and their implications for the sustainability and resilience of inshore fishing in the county of Cornwall, England and dairy farming in Somerset, England respectively. (H2020-SFS-2014-2;Grant agreement 635577

Business models for circular sanitation: lessons from India

Providing safe sanitation in the developing world is still a major hurdle to achieving Sustainable Development Goal number six, with 61% of the global population lacking safely managed sanitation services. Circular economy in the context of sanitation focuses on the whole sanitation chain which includes the provision of toilets, the collection of waste, treatment and transformation into sanitation-derived products including fertiliser, fuel and clean water. As well as potentially reducing the cost of toilet provision, a circular economy approach also has the potential to enable positive environmental and health impacts, unlike other systems where waste may be discharged untreated into the environment. The implementation of a system level transformation is not simple, considering operator capacity, lack of funding, slowly growing acceptance by local communities, and a policy landscape which can be inconsistent in its support for the circular economy. As India invests in long-term infrastructure to improve citizens’ quality of life (e.g., Swachh Bharat Mission), it could incorporate circular economy principles into the design of infrastructure, creating effective urban nutrient and material cycles, enhancing economic development and welfare. This represents a significant opportunity for government and businesses in India to develop circular sanitation infrastructure to recover and valorise biological nutrients. After collecting information from five case studies across India, covering different treatment technologies, waste-derived products, markets and contexts; this research identifies the main barriers and enablers for circular sanitation business models to succeed. Whilst there were many different institutional and technological arrangements, common issues of managing and enforcing incoming waste and competing with chemical fertilisers were found

Business models for circular sanitation: lessons from India

Providing safe sanitation in the developing world is still a major hurdle to achieving Sustainable Development Goal number six, with 61% of the global population lacking safely managed sanitation services. Circular economy in the context of sanitation focuses on the whole sanitation chain which includes the provision of toilets, the collection of waste, treatment and transformation into sanitation-derived products including fertiliser, fuel and clean water. As well as potentially reducing the cost of toilet provision, a circular economy approach also has the potential to enable positive environmental and health impacts, unlike other systems where waste may be discharged untreated into the environment. The implementation of a system level transformation is not simple, considering operator capacity, lack of funding, slowly growing acceptance by local communities, and a policy landscape which can be inconsistent in its support for the circular economy. As India invests in long-term infrastructure to improve citizens’ quality of life (e.g., Swachh Bharat Mission), it could incorporate circular economy principles into the design of infrastructure, creating effective urban nutrient and material cycles, enhancing economic development and welfare. This represents a significant opportunity for government and businesses in India to develop circular sanitation infrastructure to recover and valorise biological nutrients. After collecting information from five case studies across India, covering different treatment technologies, waste-derived products, markets and contexts; this research identifies the main barriers and enablers for circular sanitation business models to succeed. Whilst there were many different institutional and technological arrangements, common issues of managing and enforcing incoming waste and competing with chemical fertilisers were found

Society and Learning Research Priority Area - Research share September 2021

The session, held in September 2021, is an introduction to the work of Society and Leaning Research Priority Area (RPA), in which we examine the nature and role of the RPA as well as the ways in which it supports research in the university. The largest part of the event is an opportunity for staff to share a slide on their research, including the focus of the work, ongoing and potential projects, and opportunities for others to get involved