The challenges and complexities of negotiating normative femininities and creating safe spaces in all-girl settings

Contemporary culture is increasingly characterised by postfeminist and neoliberal sentiment, presenting a very complex, and contradictory context for young women to navigate. Schools represent one of the key places in which young people can learn, enact and potentially resist sociocultural norms and inequalities in relation to gender. For young women these spaces provide opportunities to negotiate and challenge essentialist ways of ‘doing’ gender. Informed by social constructionism and feminist poststructuralist understandings, the current paper draws on findings of an ethnographic study conducted within an all-girls secondary school. This study explored the everyday practices and discourses related to normative femininities and successful girlhood embedded within this setting. Data was collected from eleven students (8 semi-structured interviews; one focus group) and three teachers (semi-structured interviews). Field notes and archival data were also collected. The safe space concept was used to interrogate and discuss the opportunities and limitations school settings present for young women in their negotiation of normative femininities. It was found that the girls-only context, the promotion and presence of feminist ideals and the valuing of student voice characterised this school setting as a potential safe space for at least some students. Findings also highlighted that the prevalent reinforcement of normative femininities and the focus on academic achievement had implications for the ways in which students participated within this space. The opportunities, challenges and limitations of educational settings as safe spaces for young women will be interrogated

“More than a diet”: a qualitative investigation of young vegan women's relationship to food

One's relationship to food is an important factor that can contribute to wellbeing but can also lead to eating disturbances. Research in this area has linked vegetarianism and veganism to disordered eating. However, through social media, many young women have recently started to share their vegan experiences with many highlighting the role that veganism may have on promoting a healthier psychosocial relationship to food. The current study aims to qualitatively explore the role that veganism plays in young women's wellbeing and relationship to food. Participants were ten young vegan women aged 18 to 25. Semi-structured interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). These women were found to passionately engage in a vegan lifestyle, as opposed to just a vegan diet, which appeared to have a number of positive effects such as a healthier lifestyle, a stronger sense of control and agency, more meaningful social relationships, and a sense of connection to a vegan sub-culture. Through veganism, many of the women transitioned from social disconnection and a focus on body image, to a stronger emotional (empathic), cognitive (knowledge of animal cruelty and healthy eating), and behavioural (diet and consumption choices, connections with others) investment in their social worlds. We suggest that the healing potential of veganism, is derived from this passionate investment of the self that redefines young women's ways of being in the world. The healing benefits of engaging in a vegan lifestyle may have clinical significance for working with young women who are socially disengaged or who are at risk of disordered eating

Do commencing nursing and paramedicine students differ in interprofessional learning and practice attitudes: evaluating course, socio-demographic and individual personality effects

Background Interprofessional education (IPE) requires health students to learn with, from and about each other in order to develop a modern workforce with client-centred care at its core. Despite the client centred focus of IPE, training programs often utilize standard approaches across student cohorts without consideration of discipline, sociodemographic and personality variability that attract students to different health disciplines. Knowing the students who engage in IPE to tailor training may prove as beneficial as knowing the client to delivered individualized client centred care in interprofessional practice (IPP). This research investigates whether students commencing undergraduate nursing and paramedicine degrees ener training with existing demographic and personality differences and, if these are associated with different attitudes towards health care teams and interprofessional education. Method This online study recruited 160 nursing and 50 paramedicine students in their first week of their undergraduate course. Students completed questionnaires regarding their background, personality (General Perceived Self Esteem Scale, International Mini Markers) and the attitudes towards health care teams scale (ATHCTS) and interprofessional education perception scale (IEPS). Results Results show that commencing nursing and paramedicine students are demographically different on education, gender, speaking a language other than English at home (LOTE) and their own experience with healthcare. The results further demonstrate that LOTE, discipline being studied and personality factors play a role in perceptions regarding interprofessional training whilst discipline being studied impacted on attitudes towards health care teams in the workforce. Conclusion These results highlight a number of existing personal and psychological differences between individuals who choose to train in these selected professions. This suggests a need for tertiary education IPE programs to move towards tailoring their education to value this student diversity in the same client centred manner that students are asked to develop clinically

Emergence of child leadership through play in early childhood

The main purpose of this chapter is to examine how young children aged between 4-5 years old enact leadership during preschool play. Studies that use a case study methodology are reviewed to illustrate the enactment of child leadership in a preschool setting. Thses case studies reflect on how the individual characteristics of a child (such as cognitive and social intelligence) and peer group characteristics (including power dynamics and the play environment) may predict the emergence of leadership during early childhood. The implications for early childhood practice, including strategies to develop leadership potential and manage children's play, will be discussed.16 page(s

Being and becoming leaders through play in early childhood.

17 page(s

Leadership in the hospitality industry: Boadecia vs. Attila - bring it on!

The need for high-quality leaders in the hospitality industry has been readily recognised and is seen as critical to the long-term well-being of the industry. In recent years, the industry has undergone something of a sea change in its gender composition, with increasing numbers of females graduating from hospitality and tourism management courses. This suggests that the gender composition of managerial ranks is likely to change in the medium term, with concurrent changes in the typical leadership style valued in the industry. This article seeks to explore and quantify the differences in gender-based perceptions of leadership styles and outcomes in the hospitality industry. Using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ; Bass & Avelio, 1995), a well-established self-administered instrument, the researchers used a "snowballing" technique to recruit a self-selected sample of 264 hospitality employees. These employees work in a variety of sectors in the hospitality industry, including large international-style hotels, small franchised motels, food and beverage operations and contract catering, and at levels ranging from junior staff to senior property and site managers. The data indicated that despite their similarities, there were a number of subtle but significant differences between males and females in terms of the behaviours used and the extent to which various behaviours contributed to successful leadership outcomes, One potentially confounding result was the high emphasis placed upon the "contingent reward leadership style" by females and may be explained by the female's desire for clear, open and transparent communication. More generally, the differences between males and females were manifested in the form of the males placing greater emphasis on "confronting" and "sporting" leadership styles while the females placed greater emphasis on leadership styles which are built upon clear and concise communication and a greater focus on personal consideration for the team members. However, these subtle differences warrant further investigation--possibly using a more holistic approach-such as a 360 degree assessment or semi-structured interviews

Leadership in the hospitality industries: Do women and men value different leadership styles?

This paper seeks to explore and quantify the differences in gender based perceptions of leadership styles and outcomes in the hospitality industry. Using a well establish self-administered instrument, the MLQ, the researchers used a “snow balling” technique to recruit a self-selected sample of 264 hospitality employees. These employees work in a variety of sectors in the hospitality industry, including large international style hotels, small franchised motels, food and beverage operations and contract catering. Furthermore, the respondents were drawn from all levels ranging from junior staff to senior property and site managers. Overall the results indicated that males and females displayed similar leadership styles. However, there were a number of subtle gender differences. These differences were manifested in the form of the males placing greater emphasis on challenging and motivating team members whilst the females placed greater emphasis on leadership styles which are built upon clear and concise communication and a greater focus on personal consideration for the team members. However, these subtle differences warrant further investigation – possibly using a more holistic approach – such as using a 360 degree assessment or semi structured interviews