EN BØN TIL KROPPEN: Når medarbejdere mærker efter med mindfulnessmeditation

I denne artikel tager jeg udgangspunkt i mit feltarbejde i to danske virksomheder i årene 2016-2019, hvor mindfulness implementeredes som et sekulært stresshåndteringstilbud. Bønsteorier i den antropologiske faghistorie er oftest udviklet med baggrund i religiøse praksisser og med fokus på monoteistiske traditioner. Mindfulness, derimod, betragtes og beskrives i en dansk sammenhæng oftest som sekulært eller spirituelt og tilbyder en interessant indgang til studier af grænserne mellem det religiøse og det sekulære i bønsarbejde, da mindfulness samtidig har sit grundlag i religiøse buddhistiske praksisser. Artiklen viser, at mindfulnessmeditationer ikke blot forsøger at afstresse, men at indstille kroppen på en særlig etisk-affektiv måde, som tillader mindfulnessudøvere at skabe forbindelse med sig selv og omverdenen på en hensigtsmæssig måde. Kursisterne træner en sensibilitet, som gør dem i stand til at mærke efter uden at lade sig mærke for meget med det, de mærker. Kroppen er både medium og mål i meditationen, som ikke er et arbejde, der skal rette deltagere mod en transcendental sfære eller guddom. Meditationerne skal derimod hjælpe deltagere med at være til stede på en nærværende måde i deres profane hverdag. Den mindfulde krop er således ideelt set i kontakt med sin egen skrøbelighed uden at blive for påvirket af den, hvilket har særlige implikationer i en arbejdssammenhæng, hvor kroppens duelighed er tæt koblet til produktivitet og bundlinje. Jeg argumenterer derfor for, at arbejdet med at afstresse kroppen gennem mindfulnessmeditation har som formål at skabe en sekulær sensibilitet, hvor den ansatte kan selvregulere og holde sygdom nede selv i et accelereret og stresset arbejdsmiljø. Søgeord: mindfulness, meditation, sekulær sensibilitet, etisk-affektiv disciplinering, arbejdsli

UTOPIA. Kort, kollektivt feltarbejde i stor skala

Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, causal agent of potato late blight is considered the main limiting pathogen for the production of this crop in Colombia. The usual control of the disease has been performed with systemic fungicides which increase production costs, can induce pathogen resistance and have a negative impact on the environment. Therefore, this study was carried out in order to find effective and environmentally friendly control alternatives for potato late blight. Two Pseudomonas fluorescens native strains (039T and 021V) isolated from potato crops were evaluated against P. infestans. Bacterial suspensions (obtained from minimal salts medium added with kerosene) and partially purified biosurfactants (BPP) were applied on detached leaflets for in vitro assays and on potato plants in greenhouse, for in vivo assays and the measure of inhibitory effect of the disease was assessed. The results showed the ability of P. fluorescens biosurfactants and bacterial suspensions to control the pathogen. BPP 039T was able to reduce the level of severity disease by 79.9% in vitro and 38.5% in vivo, whereas BPP 021V decreased 78.7% in vitro and 30.2% in vivo. Bacterial suspensions reduced the severity level in 72.4% (039T) and 66.1% (021V) in vitro assessments and 35% in the in vivo experiment. These results show the potential of P. fluorescens biosurfactants to control the potato late blight in Colombia. Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, agente causal de la gota de la papa, es considerado la principal limitante de la producción de este cultivo en Colombia. El control habitual del patógeno se realiza con fungicidas de tipo sistémico, que incrementan los costos de producción, pueden inducir la resistencia del patógeno y tiene un impacto negativo en el ambiente. Por tanto, se llevó a cabo este estudio con el propósito de buscar alternativas amigables con el ambiente, que hagan parte de un paquete tecnológico eficaz de control. Dos cepas nativas de Psedomonas fluorescens (039T y 021V), provenientes de cultivos de papa, fueron evaluadas contra P. infestans. Las suspensiones bacterianas y los biosurfactantes parcialmente purificados (BPP), producidos por éstas (obtenidos en medio mínimo de sales con querosén), fueron aplicados sobre foliolos desprendidos en ensayos in vitro y experimentos in vivo en plantas de papa, en condiciones controladas en casa de malla. Los resultados demostraron la capacidad que tienen los biosurfactantes y las suspensiones bacterianas para controlar al patógeno, ya que el BPP 039T logró reducir el nivel de severidad de la enfermedad en 79,9% in vitro y 38,5% in vivo, mientras que el BPP 021V redujo en 78,7% in vitro y 30,2% in vivo. Las suspensiones bacterianas redujeron el nivel de severidad en 72,4% (039T) y 66,1% (021V) en las evaluaciones in vitro y 35% en los experimentos in vivo. Los resultados de esta investigación muestran el potencial que tienen los biosurfactantes para el control de la gota en Colombia. 

Spædbørns sociale udviklingssituation – med fokus på emotionelle relationer og udvikling af intentionel orientering

De sidste 70 år har kognitiv forskning inden for spædbørneområdetført til en opfattelse af, at spædbørn fra fødslen er aktivtorienteret mod omverdenen. Men ikke alle forskningsretningerser børns ”agency” og intentionelle orientering som naturgivent,hvilket forskning i døgninstitutioner efter 2. verdenskrighar dokumenteret. For spædbørn er den emotionelle kommunikationi bred betydning vigtig, hvor den kropslige kommunikationmellem barn og dets omsorgspersoner allerede fra fødslendanner grundlag for dets udvikling af en intentionel orienteringmod omverdenen. Et spædbarns biologiske udvikling,sammen med ændring i institutionelle praksisser, medfører, atomsorgspersonernes kommunikation med barnet ændrer sig.Denne kommunikative interaktion mellem barn og omsorgspersonskaber barnets sociale udviklingssituation. En vurdering afet barns udvikling indebærer således, at barnet må ses i sinrelation til og i samspil med andre mennesker. Hvordan dettesamspil ændrer sig i spædbarnsperioden og medfører udviklingaf barnets ”agency”, illustreres med, hvordan legescenariermellem far og søn ændrer sig i barnets første leveår. I en sådansammenhæng er det barnets udviklingssituation som helhed,der må vurderes, og den, der vurderer, indgår derfor også irelation til barnet og bliver derved også en del af barnets socialesituation. Denne dobbelte relationelle tilgang har dannetgrundlag for den interaktive observationsmetode, hvor målet eren forståelse af barnets udviklingssituation, som inddrager detsintentionelle orientering – barnets perspektiv.Cognitive research on infants’ competencies has, in the last 70 years, led tothe view that infants have agency and are actively oriented towards theworld from birth. However, research since the Second World War in residentialinstitutions has documented that children’s agency and intentional orientationare not present from birth, or developing regardless of the child’sinteractions with its caregivers. For infants, emotional communication in abroad sense is important, where the bodily communication between the childand its caregivers from birth is the basis for its development of an intentionalorientation towards the outside world. An infant’s biological developmentand changes in institutional practices, means that caregivers’ communicationwith the child changes. This communicative interaction between the childand caregiver creates the child’s social situation of development. An assessmentof a child’s development thus implies that the child must be seen inrelationship to and in interaction with other people. How this interactionchanges during the infant period and leads to the development of the child’s agency is illustrated by how play scenarios change between a father and his son during the child’s first years of life. In such a context, it is the child’sdevelopmental situation as a whole that must be assessed. Therefore, theperson doing the assessment is also part of the child’s relationship andbecomes part of the child’s social situation. This dual relational approach hasformed the basis for the interactive observation method, where the goal is anunderstanding of the child’s social situation of development which includesthe child’s intentional orientation

Video feedback promotes relations between infants and vulnerable first-time mothers: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract Background Supporting early mother-infant relationships to ensure infants’ future health has been recommended. The aim of this study was to investigate whether video feedback using the Marte Meo method promotes a healthy early relationship between infants and vulnerable first-time mothers. Video feedback or usual care was delivered by health visitors during home visits in Danish municipalities. Methods This quasi-experimental study included pre- and post-tests of 278 vulnerable families. Mothers were allocated to an intervention group (n = 69), a comparison group (n = 209) and an exactly matched video subsample from the comparison group (n = 63). Data consisted of self-reported questionnaires and video recordings of mother-infant interactions. Outcomes were mother-infant dyadic synchrony (CARE-Index), maternal confidence (KPCS), parental stress (PSS), maternal mood (EPDS) and infant socialemotional behaviours (ASQ:SE). The data were analysed using descriptive and linear multiple regression analysis. Results The levels of dyadic synchrony in the intervention group had significantly improved (p < 0.001) at follow-up with a mean score of 9.51 (95%CI;8.93–10.09) compared with 7.62 (95%CI;7.03–8.21). The intervention group also showed a higher level of maternal sensitivity with a mean score of 9.55 (95%CI;8.96–10.14) compared with 7.83 (95%CI;7.19–8.46) in the matched video subsample (p < 0.001). With respect to infant cooperation, similar improvements were found with a mean score of 9.43 (95% CI;8.88–9.99) in the intervention group compared with 7.73 (95%CI;7.13–8.33) in the matched video subsample from the comparison group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, mothers in the intervention group reported significantly lower levels of parental stress with a mean score of 32.04 (95%CI;30.13–33.94) compared with 35.29 (95%CI;34.07–36.52) in the comparison group (p = 0.03), as well as higher levels of maternal confidence with a mean score of 41.10 (95%CI;40.22–41.98) compared with 40.10 (95%CI;39.65–40.56) in the comparison group (p = 0.04). No significant differences were found in EPDS and ASQ:SE. Conclusion The findings support the assumption that video feedback using the Marte Meo method early after birth may strengthen the relationship between infants and vulnerable firsttime mothers as well as improve maternal psychosocial functioning. Further research applying random assignment is needed to strengthen these conclusions; further research is also needed to assess any long term effects of the video feedback intervention using the Marte Meo method. Trial registration This study was registered on 24 January 2013 in ClinicalTrials.gov with the identifier: NCT01799447