EXPLORING VISUAL MEDIA IN THE PROCESS OF ETHNOGRAPHIC FIELDWORK

This paper discusses the benefits of using film in ethnographic fieldwork. During the fieldwork for Kamilla’s Ph.D. project about elderly people’s health and social relations, we have experimented with the use of video. In this paper we focus on the results of and reactions to using self-produced film material in focus group discussions conducted in an activity centre for retired people in Copenhagen. The method applied turned out to be beneficial in expected but also positively surprising ways that enabled us to gain insights beyond those of solely word-based approaches. Please view our short film clip Bodil in the Snow (http://vimeo.com/59180448) which we used for accessing knowledge about health issues among the elderly in Copenhagen, as discussed in the article

Nybygger på Brandbjerg.

Elna Nørtoft er født i 1914. Hun voksede op på en gård i Thyregod sogn. Fra hun var 11 år gammel havde hun flere tjenestepladser, først hos familie, senere på andre gårde. I 1935 blev hun gift med Gudmund Nørtoft, der stammede fra Kollemorten. I 1936 købte de et husmandsbrug på Brandbjerg ved Jelling. Godsets avlsbygninger brændte samme år, og godsejeren solgte jorden til Statens Jordlovsudvalg

The pedagogisation of old age: National economy, health and individualised pedagogical relations

Denne artikel handler om pædagogisering af alderdommen og ældre mennesker. Pædagogik forekommer på mange forskellige niveauer, og ofte giver ordet associationer til opdragelse, dannelse og uddannelse af børn og institutionaliserede unge og voksne. Det danske samfunds pædagogiske tiltag overfor ældre mennesker handler oftest om sundhed på den ene eller den anden måde. Ældrepædagogik bliver således til sundhedspædagogik. Det handler om at få folk til at arbejde aktivt på at holde sig sunde og friske for at modvirke den såkaldte ældrebyrde, som ifølge visse diskurser om den demografiske udvikling er som en bombe under vores samfund. Denne diskurs tager udgangspunkt i forestillingen om den naturlige aldring og en medicinsk forståelse af cellernes uundgåelige degenerering. Mens ældre mennesker således fra forskellige sider opfordres til at holde sig sunde og aktive for at udsætte det forestillede forfald så længe som muligt, bliver yngre ældre mennesker også opfordret til at forholde sig til den dag, hvor udsættelsen ikke længere er aktuel, men forfaldet er indtrådt. Dette kan f.eks. ske ved at fremtidssikre deres bolig med fysiske foranstaltninger, dergør den tilgængelig og håndterbar – selv for folk med fysiske funktionsnedsættelser. I artiklen vil jeg kaste lys over ældrepædagogikken på to niveauer; et politiko-økonomisk niveau repræsenteret ved forskellige former for politiske mål og retningslinjer og et relationsniveau repræsenteret af de medarbejdere, som møder ældre borgere i deres kontakt med velfærdssamfundet. De to niveauer er ikke isoleret fra hinanden, og særligt det relationelle niveau er i forskellige grader rammesat af det politiko-økonomiske niveau, som dog alligevel efterlader et vist manøvrerum for mellemmenneskelige relationer i den pædagogiske praksis. Efter en kort introduktion til ældrepædagogik som felt, der bevæger sig mod sundhedspædagogik, og til eksempler på politikudvikling inden for ældreomsorgen, vil jeg præsentere tre forskellige ældrepædagogiske perspektiver: a) vellykket aldring, b) selvstændig læring og udvikling under vejledning og uddannelse og c) bæredygtig aldring. Jeg vil illustrere de treperspektiver med eksempler fra forskellige ældrepædagogiske praksis- og fagfelter og vise, hvordan de kan forstås ud fra det politiko-økonomiske og/eller det relationelle pædagogiskeniveau. Perspektiverne er baseret på etnografiske studier af ældrepædagogiske sammenhænge, politikker og tværfaglige personaleteams’ forståelser af professionelles opgaver og roller i forhold til deres målgrupper. Analysen viser, hvordan pædagogiske tilgange baseres på forskellige værdisæt og måder at at identificere ældre mennesker på

Aerodynamic Modelling and Optimization of Axial Fans

A numerically efficient mathematical model for the aerodynamics oflow speed axial fans of the arbitrary vortex flow type has been developed.The model is based on a blade-element principle, whereby therotor is divided into a number of annular streamtubes.For each of these streamtubes relations for velocity, pressure andradial position are derived from the conservationlaws for mass, tangential momentum and energy.The resulting system of equations is non-linear and, dueto mass conservation and pressure equilibrium far downstream of the rotor,strongly coupled.The equations are solved using the Newton-Raphson method, andsolutions converged to machine accuracy are found at small computing costs.The model has been validated against published measurementson various fan configurations,comprising two rotor-only fan stages, a counter-rotatingfan unit and a stator-rotor-stator stage.Comparisons of local and integrated propertiesshow that the computed results agree well with the measurements.Integrating a rotor-only version of the aerodynamic modelwith an algorithm for numerical designoptimization, enables the finding of an optimum fan rotor.The angular velocity of the rotor, the hub radius and the spanwise distributionsof pitch angle and chord length have been chosen as independent variablesin the optimizations.Besides restricting the geometry of the rotor,constraints have been added to ensure a required pressure rise as well asnon-stalled flow conditions.Optimizations have been performed tomaximize the mean value of fan efficiency in a design interval of flow rates,thus designinga fan which operates well over a range of different flow conditions.The optimization scheme was used to investigate the dependence ofmaximum efficiency on1: the number of blades,2: the width of the design interval and3: the hub radius.The degree of freedom in the choice of design variables andconstraints, combined with the design interval concept, providesa valuable design-tool for axial fans.To further investigate the use of design optimization, a modelfor the vortex shedding noise from the trailing edge of the bladeshas been incorporated into the optimization scheme. The noiseemission from the blades was minimized in a flow ratedesign point.Optimizations were performed to investigate the dependence ofthe noise on1: the number of blades,2: a constraint imposed on efficiency and3: the hub radius.The investigations showed, that a significant reduction ofnoise could be achieved, at the expense ofa small reduction in fan efficiency

Co-designing age-friendly neighborhood spaces in Copenhagen: Starting with an age-friendly co-design process

Age-friendly cities and communities are currently attracting much attention as the ageing population becomes a larger proportion of our societies and their needs and aspirations become more diverse, which needs to be reflected in our cities. This calls for older people to play an active role in the design of suitable environments, e.g., by being involved in the design process. With this paper, we present a study where the methodology of co-design was used to engage 100+ older people in a low-income neighborhood in Copenhagen in designing new neighborhood spaces to reflect their needs and wishes. By focusing on the co-design process, and not the design solution, we investigate and present insights across the entire span of the process—from recruitment to implementation—and seek to extract particular elements that contribute to the age friendliness of the process. Recommendations for future co-design processes with older people include focusing on explicit communication and foreseeable steps to create a process that offers multiple and flexible participation options and to upgrade the latter stages of the co-design process through scale 1:1 prototyping and implementation. The findings contribute to both the professional practice of co-designing with older people on a spatial scale, as well as to policy makers and practice stakeholders when initiating initiatives with age-friendly cities and communities

Aldringsidentitet i spændingsfeltet mellem fangersamfund og velfærdsstat

I Grønland er en dansk velfaerdsstatsmodel siden midten af det20. århundrede blevet udviklet og udbredt. Dette har haft konsekvenserfor befolkningen på mange forskellige niveauer. Idenne artikel undersøger vi, hvordan aeldre mennesker identificeresi politikker, og hvorledes disse identifikationer spillersammen med individuelle og communitybaserede opfattelser afvaerdier og identitet blandt aeldre mennesker i Grønland. Voresudgangspunkt er, at identitet er en proces under fortsat udviklingi samspil mellem individ og kollektiv. Analysen viser, at derbåde i nationale og kommunale politikker og i en undersøgelseaf aeldres vaerdier på individuelt og lokalt niveau er store sammenfald.Derudover spiller de vaerdier, som fremskrives af aeldreselv og i politikker også sammen med identitets- og sundhedsbegrebetpeqqineq. Generelt er der stor respekt for individetsautonomi og for traditioner og familiebånd

The Impact of Analog and Bang-Bang Steering Gear Control on Ship's Fuel Economy

The latest years have shown considerable efforts towards improving steering generated propulsion losses of ships by the introduction of various sophisticated control algorithms in the autopilots. However, little previous attention has been given to the steering gear control loop, although it is found to be at least equally important regarding steering performance and fuel economy. The paper presents a comprehensive survey of steering gear principles commonly used, including relevant details of three analog steering gear servo principles, which have outperformed conventional designs. Control system performance is evaluated from direct measurements of speed and fuel consumption, and results from several ships are given. The results presented should enhance the ability of ship owners and steering gear manufacturers to choose and design systems, which will minimize steering generated propulsion losse