Observing the Elections in Central Nepal

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Unexpected consequences of everyday life during the Maoist insurgency in Nepal

This article examines gendered aspects of women’s lives in a hill village in central Nepal during the decade-long civil war (1996-2006). The predominantly middle aged and elderly women discussed in the paper were not directly influenced by Maoist equality agendas, nor have they been – as yet - significantly empowered by the recent post-conflict gender reservations. Rather, the paper argues that it was via the unintended consequences of the conflict - their unexpected leadership of a village development project – that these women forged an alternative path towards gender transformation

Fear and everyday life in rural Nepal

This paper analyses fear in a village in central Nepal during the ‘People’s War’. Spanning the years from 1999 to 2008, the paper illustrates how the different phases of the insurgency and individual circumstances resulted in people’s rela- tionship with fear changing over time. By presenting a chronological analysis of fear, the authors draw attention to the interrelationship between fear, temporality and sociality and show that fear is always contextually situated, differently experienced through time and related to personal circumstances. Villagers had strongly developed coping strategies which they drew upon to support themselves and decrease their fear. Some people, however, suffered such a degree of structural violence that experiencing fear was seen as a privilege. Others denied their fear as part of their performance of manliness while others coped by ridiculing fear. Although a certain amount of suspicion and mistrust lingered, most people recovered from the impact of chronic fear. They fully returned to their field and forest work as well as their previous social activities following the peace agreement of 2006

The development of occupational therapy in Grangegorman Hospital, Dublin: 1934 - 1954. .

Purpose – In the early to mid-twentieth century, psychiatrist-led occupational therapy departments emerged in Irish psychiatric hospitals. This marked a transition towards establishing rehabilitative services in institutional settings. This paper aims to examine the development of occupational therapy in Grangegorman Mental Hospital and its auxiliary hospital, Portrane Mental Hospital from 1934-1954. Design/methodology/approach – Historical documentary research methods were used to analyse primary source data from Grangegorman Committee Minutes, Inspector of Mental Hospital Reports, Boroughs of Mental Hospitals, Department of Foreign Affairs documents and newspaper archives. The archival data was analysed using both a chronological and thematic approach. Findings – The main key event emerged in 1935 when four Grangegorman nursing staff were sent to Cardiff Mental Hospital to undergo a six month training course in occupational therapy. The following themes emerged – “establishing occupational therapy in Grangegorman and Portrane”; “the role of shortcourse trained nursing staff in providing occupational therapy services” and “therapeutic rationales vs hospital management rationales”. Originality/value – This study throws light on the early practitioners of occupational therapy in Grangegorman and highlights the complexities of occupational therapy’s role origins in mid-twentieth century Ireland. In line with contemporaneous psychiatric hospitals, the occupational therapy activities promoted in Grangegorman were mainly handicraft or productivity based. The absence of patients’ voices means there are limitations to determining the therapeutic nature of this early occupational therapy service

Windows into a revolution: ethnographies of Maoism in South Asia

A red corridor stretching from Nepal in the North, to the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, in the South, grips the public imagination in South Asia. Despite the collapse of socialism and the demise of communist governments across the world, in South Asia, Maoist movements have (re)emerged as a significant force in the region. India and Nepal have had people across the country mobilised in protracted guerrilla war aimed at annihilating class enemies, creating liberated zones and seizing state power through the barrel of the gun

Dr Eamon O’Sullivan: psychiatrist and forgotten pioneer of occupational therapy

Objectives: This paper provides a brief overview of the history of occupational therapy in psychiatry in Ireland and explores why the contri?bution of an early Irish psychiatrist and proponent of occupational therapy, Dr Eamon O’Sullivan (1897–1966), was not fully recognised in the decades after his retirement in 1962. Methods: A review of selected key reports, papers and publications related to the history of occupational therapy was undertaken. Results: Eamon O’Sullivan was appointed Resident Medical Superintendent at Killarney Mental Hospital Co. Kerry in 1933 and developed an occupational therapy department at the hospital from the 1930s until his retirement in 1962. He wrote one of the first textbooks of occupational therapy published in 1955. His occupational therapy philosophy reflects the early decades after the formalisation of the profession in 1917 when beliefs about the curative properties of occupation flourished and professional education programmes were scarce. By the time O’Sullivan’s textbook was published it received a lukewarm reception within occupational therapy as it did not reflect 1950s practice and professional philosophy. The professionalisation of occupational therapy in Ireland in the 1960s was also a factor in the lack of acknowledgement of O’Sullivan’s contribution to the profession. Conclusion: Practice and professional philosophy change and the paper concludes by considering O’Sullivan’s work in light of contemporary occupational therapy which once again places occupation at its centre and emphasises the importance of balance, health and wellbeing.</p

Primary health care, community participation and community-financing: experiences of two middle hill villages in Nepal

Although community involvement in health related activities is generally acknowledged by international and national health planners to be the key to the successful organization of primary health care, comparatively little is known about its potential and limitations. Drawing on the experiences of two middle hill villages in Nepal, this paper reports on research undertaken to compare and contrast the scope and extent of community participation in the delivery of primary health care in a community run and financed health post and a state run and financed health post. Unlike many other health posts in Nepal these facilities do provide effective curative services, and neither of them suffer from chronic shortage of drugs. However, community-financing did not appear to widen the scope and the extent of participation. Villagers in both communities relied on the health post for the treatment of less than one-third of symptoms, and despite the planners' intentions, community involvement outside participation in benefits was found to be very limited

A case study of the development of occupational therapy at St. Patrick's Hospital Dublin, 1935-1969.

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the relationship between psychiatry and occupational therapy in Ireland through a case study of the development of the occupational therapy department in St. Patrick’s Hospital, Dublin, from 1935 to 1969. Patronage by psychiatrists was an important factor in the professionalisation of occupational therapy internationally. Design/methodology/approach – Documentary sources and oral history interviews were analysed to conduct an instrumental case study of occupational therapy at St. Patrick’s Hospital from 1935 to 1969. Findings – The research identified key individuals associated with the development of occupational therapy at St. Patrick’s Hospital, including psychiatrist Norman Moore, occupational therapy worker Olga Gale, occupational therapist Margaret Sinclair, and social therapist Irene Violet Grey. Occupational therapy was considered by the hospital authorities to be “an important part in the treatment of all types of psychiatric illness” (Board Meeting Minutes, 1956). It aimed to develop patient’s self-esteem and facilitate social participation. To achieve these objectives, patients engaged in activities such as dances, arts and crafts, and social activities. Originality/value – This study has highlighted the contributions of key individuals, identified the links between occupational therapy and psychiatry, and provided an insight into the development of the profession in Ireland prior to the establishment of occupational therapy education in 1963. Occupational therapy practice at St. Patrick’s Hospital from 1935 to 1969 was congruent with the prevailing philosophy of occupational therapy internationally, which involved treatment through activities to enhance participation in society

The social fabric of the Jelbang killings, Nepal

Sixty-eight people from the village of Jelbang in western Nepal are documented to have died in the course of the decade-long ‘People’s War’, making it perhaps the village that suffered the highest number of casualties in the entire country. This paper, which is based on empirical research and the analysis of secondary data, examines the circumstances behind the unusually high number of deaths in Jelbang. The analysis shows that the killings were due to a complex interplay of events, personalities and timing as well as particular interrelationships between the central administration and its local representatives and the state security forces. In an atmosphere of impunity, and with the support and facilitation of the administration, the police brutalised the local population

Using historical documentary methods to explore the history of occupational therapy

.Introduction: Historical research can benefit health professions by providing a basis for understanding how current beliefs and practices developed over time. From an occupational therapy perspective, a need for deeper critical understandings of the profession has been identified; historical research can facilitate this process. Documentary research is a significant methodology in historical inquiry, but there is a dearth of guidance for occupational therapists wishing to employ this method. Method: A conceptual literature review was conducted to describe how to use documentary sources to understand the development of the profession, drawing on literature from the disciplines of history and occupational therapy. Results: The stages of historical documentary research are described: choosing a topic, sourcing and selecting evidence, and managing sources. How to consider the authenticity, credibility and representativeness of historical material is discussed. Various means to determine the meaning of historical evidence are considered, with chronological, thematic and theoretical approaches proposed. Conclusion: Methodological transparency is central to the process of historical documentary research. To enhance understanding of the quality of historical source material, adoption of the guidelines outlined is recommended. Adopting a clearly defined questioning perspective promotes more substantial conclusions and professional understanding