Marginalization and Power in Living with and Researching Living with HIV

This article takes its point of departure in a research project studying the psychosocial problems of living with HIV. The project was intended to participate in changing practices dealing with these problems. It became a project including many differently situated and intersecting personal and generalized perspectives. The article researches the development of the HIV project as a contribution to discussions related to Participatory Action Research and Practice Research. In mainstream approaches methodological indications are often presented as rules to follow in order to ensure the quality of the obtained knowledge. But situated historical and societal processes are involved in the effectuation of the HIV project, like they are in any other project. Researching the project heightens the awareness of the necessity of reflecting on situated and historical issues of power and marginalization and on the positions of the researcher in a given field of research. Methodological flexibility may also be necessary in order to encompass different perspectives. Such reflections and strategies are necessary precisely to ensure the development of knowledge and practice alike

Trauma and Symbolic Violence – a 1st person perspective approach to meanings of sexualised coercion

Our understanding of 'reactions to trauma' is dominated by concepts like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The use of such concepts has been criticised but simultaneously integrated, in folk-psychology. Connecting emotional and cognitive processes as well as acts – such as in gendered practices – to praxis, and drawing on the concept of symbolic violence, this article contributes to their critique. In order to develop the analysis of difficulties victims may experience, they will be reconceptualised using critical psychological concepts such as 1st person perspectives and participation. The analysis seeks to undertake a discussion of personal meanings attributed to 'traumatisation'. It raises questions as to whether concepts of this kind and related practices may constitute symbolic violence and contribute to victimisation through processes of looping. Furthermore it aims to unfold an understanding inclusive of connections between societal practices, aspects of symbolic violence, and the conduct of lives. The analysis is based on an empirical study of victimisation through rape and other forms of sexualised coercion

Trauma and Symbolic Violence:A 1st person perspective approach to meanings of sexualised coercion

Our understanding of 'reactions to trauma' is dominated by concepts like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The use of such concepts has been criticised but simultaneously integrated, in folk-psychology. Connecting emotional and cognitive processes as well as acts – such as in gendered practices – to praxis, and drawing on the concept of symbolic violence, this article contributes to their critique. In order to develop the analysis of difficulties victims may experience, they will be reconceptualised using critical psychological concepts such as 1st person perspectives and participation. The analysis seeks to undertake a discussion of personal meanings attributed to 'traumatisation'. It raises questions as to whether concepts of this kind and related practices may constitute symbolic violence and contribute to victimisation through processes of looping. Furthermore it aims to unfold an understanding inclusive of connections between societal practices, aspects of symbolic violence, and the conduct of lives. The analysis is based on an empirical study of victimisation through rape and other forms of sexualised coercion

Subject subjected - Sexualised coercion, agency and the reorganisation and reformulation of life strategies

When not acting in ways that are recognised as physicalself-defence, women are often – in psychology and inother dominant discourses – generalised as inherentlypassive during subjection to sexualised coercion (rapeand attempted rape). Likewise, in the aftermaths, their(in)actions are frequently pathologised as ‘maladaptivecoping strategies’.We present theoretically and empirically based argumentsfor an agency-oriented approach to women’sperspectives on sexualised coercion. Agency is understoodas intentional, situated and strategic. Sexualisedcoercion is not generalised as a single “traumatic”event, but conceptualised as life events. Meanings ofcoercion are embedded in social activities connectedto discourses on ‘rape’ and ‘trauma’. Thus personalmeanings of subjection are understood as developed inand through participation in trajectories across diversecontexts.Adopted in our study, this approach points to thegreat diversity of personal meanings of sexualised coercion.Moreover, it reveals intimate connections betweensituated, personal and dominant discursive meanings ofcoercion, and women’s strategies of (in)actions duringand in the aftermaths of the events.Our analysis of participants’ perspectives also indicatesan imperative need for reinterpreting conceptssuch as ‘victim’ and ‘passivity’. In a reinterpretationwomen, although subjected to sexualised coercion,emerge as subjects both during subjection and in theaftermaths. Furthermore their seemingly pathologicalbehaviour may be re-conceptualised as personally sense-making strategies of action in reflected attemptsat (re)formulating and (re)organising their lifestrategies

Demens og personsentrert omsorg. Evaluering av «Kompetansepakke utfordrende atferd»

Tema for studien er demens og utfordrende atferd. Studien belyser et kompetansehevingsprogram i regi av Trondheim kommune, «Kompetansepakke utfordrende atferd». Det har som mål å heve de ansattes kompetanse, slik at de på denne måten kan bedre tilbudet til personer med demens og utfordrende atferd på sykehjem. Studiens siktemål er å evaluere i hvilken grad det deltakerne lærer på kurs blir anvendt i praksis. Videre ønsker jeg å finne ut hvilket læringsutbytte deltakerne har, samt se på hvordan de opplever at det de lærer blir en naturlig del av arbeidshverdagen. Til sist ser jeg på hva deltakerne opplever som fremmende og hemmende faktorer for personsentrert omsorg. Studien er kvantitativ, og ble administrert som en epost basert spørreundersøkelse. Tendensen i studien er at deltakerne opplever høyt læringsutbytte, og at de anser kunnskapen som en naturlig del av praksis. Likevel skårer de lavt på grad av bruk. Av fremmende faktorer for personsentrert omsorg kommer eget/kollegers faglige engasjement og motivasjon ut som den klart betydeligste faktoren. Studiens teoretiske rammeverk hviler på Antonovskys teori om salutogenese og opplevelse av sammenheng. Hans teorier blir satt i sammenheng med Kitwoods teori om personsentrert omsorg. Studien belyser hvordan disse teoriene utfyller hverandre, og kan ses som en del av det sammen paradigmeskiftet innen medisinsk forskning

Marginalization and Power in Living with and Researching Living with HIV

This article takes its point of departure in a research project studying the psychosocial problems of living with HIV. The project was intended to participate in changing practices dealing with these problems. It became a project including many differently situated and intersecting personal and generalized perspectives. The article researches the development of the HIV project as a contribution to discussions related to Participatory Action Research and Practice Research. In mainstream approaches methodological indications are often presented as rules to follow in order to ensure the quality of the obtained knowledge. But situated historical and societal processes are involved in the effectuation of the HIV project, like they are in any other project. Researching the project heightens the awareness of the necessity of reflecting on situated and historical issues of power and marginalization and on the positions of the researcher in a given field of research. Methodological flexibility may also be necessary in order to encompass different perspectives. Such reflections and strategies are necessary precisely to ensure the development of knowledge and practice alike

Subject subjected - Sexualised coercion, agency and the reorganisation and reformulation of life strategies

When not acting in ways that are recognised as physicalself-defence, women are often – in psychology and inother dominant discourses – generalised as inherentlypassive during subjection to sexualised coercion (rapeand attempted rape). Likewise, in the aftermaths, their(in)actions are frequently pathologised as ‘maladaptivecoping strategies’.We present theoretically and empirically based argumentsfor an agency-oriented approach to women’sperspectives on sexualised coercion. Agency is understoodas intentional, situated and strategic. Sexualisedcoercion is not generalised as a single “traumatic”event, but conceptualised as life events. Meanings ofcoercion are embedded in social activities connectedto discourses on ‘rape’ and ‘trauma’. Thus personalmeanings of subjection are understood as developed inand through participation in trajectories across diversecontexts.Adopted in our study, this approach points to thegreat diversity of personal meanings of sexualised coercion.Moreover, it reveals intimate connections betweensituated, personal and dominant discursive meanings ofcoercion, and women’s strategies of (in)actions duringand in the aftermaths of the events.Our analysis of participants’ perspectives also indicatesan imperative need for reinterpreting conceptssuch as ‘victim’ and ‘passivity’. In a reinterpretationwomen, although subjected to sexualised coercion,emerge as subjects both during subjection and in theaftermaths. Furthermore their seemingly pathologicalbehaviour may be re-conceptualised as personally sense-making strategies of action in reflected attemptsat (re)formulating and (re)organising their lifestrategies.</span