92 research outputs found
Exploring parentsâ understandings of their childâs journey into offending behaviours:a narrative analysis
Parents are perhaps the best placed individuals to comment upon their childâs life story, including early life experiences, transitions and their childâs needs. However, research has rarely focussed on the views of parents of young people who have committed serious offences. This research aimed to explore parentsâ opinions of which factors may have led to their child becoming involved with the criminal justice system. Interviews were undertaken with six parents who were asked to narrate their childâs life journey into offending behaviours. The data were then analysed using narrative analysis techniques, and a shared story was created which incorporated the main transitional stages in the childrenâs journeys, as seen by the parents. The findings suggest that it is not just the child, but the whole family who have been in a state of distress throughout the childâs life. Systemic and environmental factors are argued to contribute to this distress, and the use of diagnosis for this population is critically evaluated. The research highlights a life story in which the childâs and familyâs distress remains unheard and therefore unresolved. Clinical implications for working with this population are discussed
A study of the impact of individual thermal control on user comfort in the workplace: Norwegian cellular vs. British open plan offices
In modern offices, user control is being replaced by centrally operated thermal systems, and in Scandinavia, personal offices by open plan layouts. This study examined the impact of user control on thermal comfort and satisfaction. It compared a workplace, which was designed entirely based on individual control over the thermal environment, to an environment that limited thermal control was provided as a secondary option for fine-tuning: Norwegian cellular and British open plan offices. The Norwegian approach provided each user with control over a window, door, blinds, heating and cooling as the main thermal control system. In contrast, the British practice provided a uniform thermal environment with limited openable windows and blinds to refine the thermal environment for occupants seated around the perimeter of the building. Field studies of thermal comfort were applied to measure usersâ perception of thermal environment, empirical building performance and thermal control. The results showed a 30% higher satisfaction and 18% higher comfort level in the Norwegian offices compared to the British practices. However, the energy consumption of the Norwegian case studies was much higher compared to the British ones. A balance is required between energy efficiency and user thermal comfort in the workplace
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