"Challenge Current Practice and Assumptions! Make waves!!” : What Works Scotland Collaborative Learning Event 23 & 24 February 2016 Queens Hotel, Perth

No abstract available

Co-research with older people: a systematic literature review

Interest in co-research with older adults has grown in the past 20 years, yet few published studies have addressed why and how older people have been involved as partners in research. This article presents a systematic review of the literature, examining the aims and challenges of co-research and the ways in which older adults can be involved in research. Systematic searches covering several databases were conducted, yielding a total of 3,293 articles, with 27 papers reviewed which involved older people as co-researchers across more than one stage of the research cycle. We find that co-research with older people offers improved understandings of the issues facing older people; more inclusive and responsive policy, practice and service design; and opportunities for co-researchers to develop new skills whilst giving voice to marginalised groups of older people. The analysis highlights the different ways in which older adults can be involved across phases of research, and identifies ethical, methodological and practical challenges encountered in the process. Involving older adults as co-researchers, while labour intensive and practically challenging, holds promise as an underdeveloped resource for social gerontology, as well as older people themselves. The paper identifies four pathways for improving and extending co-research: developing diversified structures of involvement, supporting co-researchers, embedding research rigour and ensuring co-ownership of change

The gendered construction of risk in asset accumulation for retirement

This work contributes to the political economy literature by elucidating gendered socio-cultural practices germane to everyday financialisation. The financialisation of retirement provision in the UK expects individuals to negotiate risk and reward across diverse investments. Existing quantitative research highlights gender disparities in terms of who saves and how much, often interpreted as inherent behavioural traits which cast female behaviour as irrational. Yet, this ignores the dominance of masculine norms in shaping financial capitalism and the impact of gender-normative roles on everyday behaviours. Building on insights feminist political economy, this paper examines how constructions of gender, meaning socialised gender roles and norms, shape the ways men and women deal with financial risk when accumulating assets for later life. Drawing on 105 semi-structured interviews, we find that men and women understand and respond to risk in different and contradictory ways based on constructions of gender. These distinct approaches lead to divergent investment strategies: men tend to align with the gendered role of the risk-seeking investor, while women tend to feel alienated by models of investment which do not appear to fit feminine norms. This disparity compounds the effect of structural inequalities with implications for long-term welfare under financialisation

The social, cultural and economic influences on retirement saving for young adults in the UK

How young adults in the UK save for their retirement has become more complex due to recent changes to the pension policy, which necessitate greater and continuous private saving (through workplace pension schemes and other savings vehicles). As the importance of active saving during working life grows, it becomes essential to understand young adults’ retirement saving behaviour. In this chapter, we focus on the younger half of the working age population in the UK (adults aged up to 50, hereafter young adults) to fully capture the experiences of becoming an adult in the first part of t working life and how this shapes financial behaviours, acknowledging that patterns of ageing vary across different groups (Baars et al., 2013; Mortimer & Moen, 2016). Our work suggests that young British adults’ approach to retirement saving is not simply a function of income (or the lack of it), or present bias/myopia, but instead concerns how social and economic circumstances coalesce. By combining the findings from two studies on the young adults’ retirement saving, using quantitative and qualitative data, we provide a nuanced picture of how young adults’ social, cultural and economic factors inform retirement saving. Drawing on a social ageing perspective, meaning the ways in which individuals perceive their life-course progression, we demonstrate that young people’s retirement saving is contingent on feeling financially resilient and established in their adult lives, guided by economic, social and cultural norms. We argue that this social ageing perspective is essential to understanding retirement saving activity amongst young adults, and highlight theoretical, methodological and policy implications

Collaborative Action Retreat Report: Summary of Retreat Held in June 2015

No abstract available

Effect of front and back squat techniques on peak loads experienced by the Achilles tendon

Background A primary technique in the discipline of strength and conditioning the squat has two principal ‘back and front’ variants. Despite the physiological and strength benefits of the squat, the propensity for musculoskeletal injury is high. The current investigation examined the influence of the front and back squat variations on the load experienced by the Achilles tendon. Material/Methods Achilles tendon loads were obtained from eighteen experienced male participants as they completed both back and front squats. Differences between squat conditions were examined using Bonferroni adjusted (p = 0.0125) paired t-tests. Results The results showed that the peak Achilles tendon load was significantly greater in the back squat (2.67 ±0.74 B.W) condition compared to the front squat (2.37 ±0.69 B.W). Conclusions Given the proposed relationship between the magnitude of the load experienced by the Achilles tendon and tendon pathology, the back squat appears to place lifters at greater risk from Achilles tendon injury. Therefore, it may be prudent for lifters who are predisposed to Achilles tendon pathology to utilize the front squat in their training

Charismatic authority and the YouTuber:unpacking the new cults of personality

In this article, we draw upon Weber’s concept of charismatic authority to unpack the appeal that YouTube video bloggers have galvanized among their fan communities. We explore how followers interact to articulate the appeal of British YouTube personalities and consequently, how they contribute to the nature of these ‘new cults of personality’. By observing the content of seven of Britain’s most popular ‘YouTubers’ and engaging in a sustained non-participant netnography of responses to these videos, we argue new cults of personality differ from their traditional counterparts through collaborative, co-constructive and communal interdependence between culted figure and follower. While Weber maintained charismatic authority has its source in the innate and exceptional qualities of an individual’s personality, we submit that in consumer culture’s current era of consent, the ‘culting’ of social actors becomes a participatory venture. We shed light on the fading and routinization of charisma and the dissipation of the relationship between the culted figure and followers

Effects of foot orthoses on patellofemoral load in recreational runners

The most common chronic injury in recreational runners is patellofemoral pain. Whilst there is evidence to suggest that orthotic intervention may reduce symptoms in runners who experience patellofemoral pain the mechanism by which their clinical effects are mediated is currently poorly understood. The aim of the current investigation was to determine whether foot orthoses reduce the loads experienced by the patellofemoral joint during running. Patellofemoral loads were obtained from fifteen male runners who ran at 4.0 m·s-1. Patellofemoral loads with and without orthotics were contrasted using paired t-tests. The results showed that patellofemoral joint loads were significantly reduced as a function of running with the orthotic device. The current investigation indicates that through reductions in patellofemoral loads, foot orthoses may serve to reduce the incidence of chronic running injuries at this joint

Charismatic authority and the YouTuber:unpacking the new cults of personality

In this article, we draw upon Weber’s concept of charismatic authority to unpack the appeal that YouTube video bloggers have galvanized among their fan communities. We explore how followers interact to articulate the appeal of British YouTube personalities and consequently, how they contribute to the nature of these ‘new cults of personality’. By observing the content of seven of Britain’s most popular ‘YouTubers’ and engaging in a sustained non-participant netnography of responses to these videos, we argue new cults of personality differ from their traditional counterparts through collaborative, co-constructive and communal interdependence between culted figure and follower. While Weber maintained charismatic authority has its source in the innate and exceptional qualities of an individual’s personality, we submit that in consumer culture’s current era of consent, the ‘culting’ of social actors becomes a participatory venture. We shed light on the fading and routinization of charisma and the dissipation of the relationship between the culted figure and followers