(under)scoring the commons; Troubling the acoustics of urban renewal

Since the 1990s, working-class regions in Australia’s major cities have undergone urban and socioeconomic development in the form of gentrifying processes that have induced negative social implications such as housing scarcity, rising living costs, and the displacement of low-socioeconomic residents. Informed by broader artistic, activist, and research practices concerned with the sonics of gentrification, ‘(under)scoring the commons’ is a creative research project I established in 2020 that aims to poetically and aurally understand how the changing soundscapes of urban environments, associated with working-class histories and memories, can index shifting social attitudes, perspectives and socialities. UTC’s main output comprises a sonic counter-archive informed by a socially-engaged compositional approach predicated on conversation and collaboration with community-ensembles and residents – alongside adequately contextualised field-recordings. With a focus on a recent iteration entitled UTC:2250 (concerned with Gosford, a low-socioeconomic area in NSW) this paper will discuss the ethical implications and creative outcomes of ‘working’ with sound in a socially situated way - framed by a critical reading of acoustic ecology

Sustainability Strategies for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Located in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are critical business entities, disproportionately challenged, and fail at a high rate. Business owners are concerned with sustainability strategies because they support the operations of their enterprises and mitigate failure. Grounded in the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theories, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective strategies that owner-managers of MSMEs located in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) use to sustain their operations beyond 3 years. The participants were 5 owner-managers of MSMEs located in the OECS who implemented successful strategies that sustained their operations for more than 3 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, publicly available documentation, artifacts, and testimonials, which were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic coding and analysis. The major themes that emerged were strategic approach, managerial competence, leadership effectiveness, and entrepreneurial orientation. A key recommendation is for owner-managers of MSMEs to develop human capital by engaging employees for their input, motivating them with praise and financial rewards, and empowering them through delegation. Implications for positive social change include the potential to generate employment in the OECS and increase disposable income for OECS residents, leading to improved living standards and community wellness in the region

George Bush Doesn\u27t Care about Black People : Hip Hop, Public Discourse and Black Politics in the Early 21st Century

Recently, more scholars are examining hip hop as a powerful cultural, communicative force, yet hip hop\u27s political orientation goes unnoticed. This study highlights the politics found in hip hop culture and in rap music since 2000 by exploring hip hop as a social movement. This study utilizes a critical, cultural approach by applying ideological case study and textual analyses methods. Song lyrics, activist efforts and black politics prove the political orientation of hip hop culture, which revealed that rap music in general is limited by capitalistic, hegemonic restraints juxtaposed to rappers serving as the legitimate voice of the marginalized and as victims of the cultural production of negative stereotypes. The study concludes that hip hop as a social movement has revolutionary potential but has not reached its zenith as a movement because of its multiple shortcomings, including: a) problematic issues of contradiction such as materialism, capitalism and the politics of racism and classism, b) a lack of a movement-specific ideology shared by minority groups, and c) the lack of a single leader unrelated to entertainment as the representative voice of marginalized citizens to advocate for national policy issues and national reform

Ammonia uptake and release in the MnX₂–NH₃ (X = Cl, Br) systems and structure of the Mn(NH₃)nX₂ (n = 6, 2) ammines

Hexa-ammine complexes, Mn(NH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>6</sub>X<sub>2</sub> (X = Cl, Br), have been synthesized by ammoniation of the corresponding transition metal halide and characterized by Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The hexa-ammine complexes are isostructural (Cubic,Fm-3m, Z = 4; a = 10.2742(6) Å and 10.527(1) Å for X = Cl, Br respectively). Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) demonstrated that ammonia release from Mn(NH<sub>3</sub>)<sub>6</sub>X<sub>2</sub> complexes occurred in three stages corresponding to the release of 4, 1 and 1 NH<sub>3</sub> equivalents respectively. The chloride and bromide both exhibit a deammoniation onset temperature below 323 K. The di-ammoniates from the first desorption step were isolated during TPD measurements and their crystal structures determined by Rietveld refinement against PXRD data (X = Cl: orthorhombicCmmm, a = 8.1991(9) Å, b = 8.2498(7) Å, c = 3.8212(4) Å, Z = 2; X = Br: orthorhombic Pbam, a = 6.0109(5) Å, b = 12.022(1) Å, c = 4.0230(2) Å, Z= 2)

Postnatal depression among mothers in the United Arab Emirates: Socio-cultural and physical factors

Postnatal depression (PND) has been found to affect women in cultures around the world. This study sought to further identify the prevalence and related socio-cultural and physical factors in Arab women from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study involved a sample of Emirati women recruited in a government maternity hospital in Abu Dhabi who completed demographic questionnaires soon after giving birth (n=125) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 3 months (n=86) and 6 months postpartum (n=56). Data are presented in three categories of: No Depression (scores of 0-9), Borderline Depression (scores of 10-12) and Depression (scores of 13+). It was found that at 3 months, this sample had 22% of mothers falling into the Depression category and another 22% falling in the Borderline Depression category. At 6 months, this fell to 12.5% Depression category and 19.6% Borderline Depression category. Relationships between higher depression scores and risk factors included; not breastfeeding, giving birth to the first child, poor self body image and view of weight, poor relationship with mother-in-law, and an older age at marriage. Results are discussed in relation to UAE and Islamic culture. © 2006 Taylor & Francis

Young children's narrations of relational recovery: A school-based group for children who have experienced domestic violence

In the UK, domestic violence (DV) is one of the most common safeguarding concerns children and young people report (CAADA, 2014). However, little is known about how children experience participation in interventions that aim to support their recovery if they have been affected by DV. This study aims to understand children’s experiences of participating in a group programme facilitated by a DV organisation in the UK. Interviews were conducted with four children (aged 7–10) using a flexible, creative and child-led approach. A thematic narrative analysis was used, using a small story approach to narrative data. Results indicate that issues of children’s agency, choice and intersecting identities are central to not only how children experience DV but also how they experience recovery. Findings highlight the experiential and relational aspect of therapeutic spaces that can enable children to form relationships and construct meaningful identities. Conclusions suggest that children need to be consulted in inclusive ways in order to contribute to the development and accessibility of services designed to support them when they have been affected by DV