The Ethics of Netnography

Ethnographic and phenomenological research is commonly used to understand the motivations behind, and consequences of, people’s participation in online spaces; and such qualitative methods are arguably essential to understanding the role that virtual spaces might play in areas of mental well-being, personal health and self-help. Such techniques clearly require consideration of the ethical dimension of research practices. This presentation examines the ethical guidelines for Internet-based studies published by the British Psychological Association and examples of their implementation in research projects, and suggests that such guidelines inappropriately apply models of public space to the web, and that their application often obscures an underlying misunderstanding of Internet practices. This presentation represents a key stage in the author's research into the use of online spaces by people who are bereaved, and is based on preliminary surveys prior to undertaking ethnographic and phenomenological research

The Machine Starts: Computers as Collaborators in Writing

The penetration of digital technologies into the process of creating and disseminating narratives is no longer a new phenomenon, but perhaps what does still seem strange and far-fetched is the suggestion that machines are collaborators and authors in their own right. This paper examines an example of a computer-mediated narrative and suggests that not only does the machine exert its own agency in the process of writing, but this process has a long provenance from the ancient world, through the 20th century avant garde, and into contemporary technological futurism

Narrative Approaches to Wellbeing

The importance of narratives in therapeutic processes such as convalescence, psychotherapy and counselling is well-established. Such narrative-based approaches highlight the benefit of sense-making, coping and positive affect in circumstances of illness or psychological distress. These phenomena are consistent with theories of narrative which emphasise contextualisation and the restoration of equilibrium. This paper proposes to open up further areas of enquiry by examining a range of theoretical models of narrative as an imaginative space. It will examine a selection of established models of narrative in literary and media disciplines, and identify some themes and categories which recur in the practice of story-telling – such as inevitability and agency, community and individuality, freedom and destiny, absurdity and purpose. The paper will conclude by articulating some of the major themes that narrative suggests as a discipline, and which therefore might prove fruitful in understanding not only how story-telling plays a part in therapeutic processes, but how narrative might help to formulate a more generalised notion of wellbeing

Parallel Landscapes: A Spatial and critical study of militarised sites in the United Kingdom

There are currently 548 declared military facilities in the United Kingdom, located on 372,000 hectares of military-owned or used land. Collectively known as the defence estate, this land is used for defence and training, and constitutes approximately 1.5% of the UK surface area. The research presented here interprets this landscape and its accompanying airspaces, infrastructures and processes as a spatial phenomenon, one which is in an almost constant state of flux. This thesis is, therefore, a study of militarised space in the UK as defined by recent developments in technology, mobility and communication. It analyses the processes by which land and space become militarised within different environments and the residual effects of this on the wider fabric of civil society. This thesis addresses issues of land appropriation, weapons testing, airspace design and notions of temporary, flexible, invisible boundaries. A multidisciplinary approach is adopted to analyse the histories, geographies and technologies evident at three case study sites. These are MoD Shoeburyness (Essex), Salisbury Plain Training Area (Wiltshire) and the city of Portsmouth (Hampshire). The first outcome of this research is a spatial interpretation of the defence estate, its transformation over the 20th century and its fluctuating control of the British landscape and skies. The second outcome is an analysis of the current military environment and its use of complex assemblages of land, sea, infrastructure and airspace to contain military activities. These localised, three-dimensional forms are not only becoming more refined to accommodate new weapons and technologies but they are also increasingly connected to each other. The third outcome is a speculative interpretation of the defence estate as a complex, connected totality, a parallel landscape of military spaces, activities and processes. Together, these outcomes demonstrate that the Armed Services of the UK preside over an increasingly complex and interconnected environment. They continue to engage with UK territory and space in unique and diverse ways but are increasingly influenced by external forces such as the commercial and civil sectors, public interest pressure groups and the conflicted governance of the state