Toward an analytical and methodological understanding of actor-network theory

Actor-Network theory (ANT) is well developed within social studies of science and technology. The last two decades have seen an increasing awareness and interest in ANT within the social sciences and it has increasingly been invoked to theorise the role of ‘nonhumans’ in social life.  In this respect the conceptual repertoire of ANT has been increasingly drawn upon to examine the relational dimensions between artefacts and people. Despite this the use of ANT as an analytical and/or methodological approach occupies a peripheral within social science research.  In part, the reticence towards ANT may be explained by its lack of theoretical unity. Analytically and methodologically the application of ANT and thought which is closely associated with the approach is considerably varied. ANT informed research often differs quite considerably in terms of methodological approach and style of analyses. This is further complicated by the disparate emphases of ANT proponents and the proliferation of different versions of ANT. Thus, there is no generic way to ‘apply’ actor-network theory and it lacks methodological prescription. This article intends to articulate the analytical and methodological possibilities of ANT. For those who are encountering ANT for the first time or for whom ANT has been regarded as a somewhat left field and inaccessible theory obscured by its own vocabularies and heterogeneity this article may provide a useful conceptual map through which the key elements of ANT can be navigated

Book review: AIDS doesn’t show its face: inequality, morality, and social change in Nigeria by Daniel Jordan Smith

Sharon Jackson finds that Daniel Jordan Smith’s AIDS Doesn’t Show Its Face should draw readers from anthropology, sociology, international development, global health, social psychology, cultural studies, human geography and African studies. The book convincingly relates AIDS to broader inequalities and transformations in modern society

An analysis of the impact of IT software architecture on business transformation strategy.

This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Commerce in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.Managers are increasingly aware that they need to leverage their company's resources in order to deal with the challenges of the changing business world in the 90' s and the coming millennium. The aim of this research is to evaluate how organisations are utilising enterprise wide packaged software applications in order to achieve strategic and transformational benefits for their organisations. The relentless change in the business landscape has meant that organisations have needed to respond in increasingly innovative ways to stay in business. This has been more so for South African organisations which have now been accepted back into the world community after years of isolation due the country's political policy of apartheid. The watershed years of the early 1990's opened up once forbidden markets to South African organisations and in doing so launched these organisations into a global competitive environment. To compete effectively in these newly opened and changed markets, companies have sought to reposition themselves. Since information technology is clearly embedded in many of these organisations they are increasingly turning to infonnetion technology to underpin their new businesses strategies. The relevance of the information architecture an organisation chooses will also be explored in this research, as the flexibility and structure of the architecture will determine what strategic options are available to the company. Many organisations are implementing software packages as opposed to writing their own software to fit unique processes. This trend is strengthened by advancements on the technological front, the disappointment of cost overruns with previously in-house written applications, and the critical shortage of experienced IT (information technology) skills ill the country. Business can no longer wait years for a system to be developed. The implementation of enterprise wide packaged software applications facilitates integration and process transformation which many organisations see as fundamental to their new strategies to remain competitive. This research showed that the implementation of enterprise wide packaged software applications forces change on an organisation in that a number of domains within the organisation are challenged. Processes need revisiting, human resources undergo a change and teamwork is facilitated. There is a new sharing of knowledge and information within the organisation, and such information systems are deployed rapidly and with the business objectives firmly in place. Whilst there were strategic and transformational benefits, there were also a number of unexpected benefits. The changes brought about by such implementations were largely underestimated by managers within these organisations.Andrew Chakane 201

Investigation of Artistic Creative Processes: A Case Study Comparison Between Professionally Trained Artists, Self-Taught Artists, and Laypersons

Through the process of interviews, oral history recordings, and surveys, this research study had the goal of rendering a better understanding of the differences between the work and processes of professionally trained artists, self-taught artists and laypersons, and lay groundwork for further investigations on the subject. A secondary goal was to get a better idea of how creativity and artistic process are influenced by different individual’s life experiences, for example, how much training they had, how the opinions of those around them influenced their views, and other factors that may lead to the observable differences in the study. A tertiary goal is a possibility for participants to become more aware of their own creative processes. Do they know how they create? Do they know what they spend the most time doing in the creative process? Participation in the study could allow them to discover more about their own processes. The results of the study are complied into quantitative results based on a Sondra Perl study, and then examined from a qualitative perspective, to see what the author found to be similarities and differences between the three case study examples

The Impact of Quality Instruction in a School District Head Start Program on Kindergarten Students’ Attendance Rates and Cognitive and Social-Emotional Outcomes

The purpose of this study was to observe Head Start classrooms in public schools to examine differences among instructional practices by teaching staff and whether these practices were related to student outcomes in their kindergarten year. The current study differed from and built upon previous classroom observational research in several major ways. First, the kindergarten teachers rated student outcomes in the areas of (a) social/emotional; (b) behavior; (c) attendance and (d) cognitive. Second, authentic Head Start teacher behaviors as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System® (CLASS®) were examined in relation to the child’s kindergarten outcomes. Overall, the results of this study found that children in the Head Start program were not rated significantly different than similar children who were not in Head Start programs. The scores from the classrooms of highly effective teachers in the domain of Emotional Support were found to have significantly higher social/emotional, behavior and cognitive outcomes. The classrooms of highly effective teachers in the Classroom Organization domain were found to have significantly higher student attendance. A between-subjects ANOVA test on students’ cognitive outcomes found that there were no significant differences by language or race and no significant interaction among the variables. However, there was a statistical difference (p = .031) found for sex. Girls were found to be rated as having higher cognitive outcomes than boys. Finally, the present study did not find that the Head Start program made a significant difference for kindergarten readiness. This finding is similar to other studies which have found that Head Start does not provide readiness skills necessary for success in kindergarten

Palliative Care Referral Behavior Among Nurse Practitioners in Hospital Medicine

Abstract Palliative Care Referral Behavior Among Nurse Practitioners In Hospital Medicine by Sharon Jackson White, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, NP-C Palliative care incorporates holistic care, symptom management, advance care planning, strengthening of patient-family-physician communication, goals of care planning, and improved coordination of care. Healthcare providers practicing in U.S. hospitals do not always refer patients to palliative care who need it. The predominant mode of delivery of palliative care services within hospitals is the consultation service model. In such settings, palliative care services are usually initiated by request that requires a referral for the palliative care team to participate in a patient’s plan of care. Nurse practitioners (NPs) practicing within hospital medicine teams play a significant role in identifying patients who might benefit from palliative care services. The factors that influence their decision to refer patients for palliative care have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among facilitators to referral, barriers to referral, self-efficacy with end of life discussions, history of referral, and referring to palliative care among NPs in hospital medicine. This study was framed by the Theory of Planned Behavior. A cross-sectional, correlational design was used. Hospital medicine NPs were recruited using social media platforms and postal mail. Participants used Survey Monkey and paper surveys to complete questionnaires that measured demographics and the concepts of interest. The study participants (N = 76) consisted of 5 males and 71 females with an age range from 30 to 69 (M = 41.82). The availability of the palliative care teams at their hospitals were 24/7 in person (17.1%), 24/7 hybrid of in person/phone (36.8%), and Monday – Friday day shift only in person (46.1%). Four facilitators (palliative care establishing goals of care, helping with length of stay, spiritual concerns, and when patients have serious illness and/or poor prognoses), two barriers (palliative care not routinely available and unless death is imminent), and two self-efficacy aspects (giving bad news to a patient/family member and discussing DNR orders) influenced palliative care referrals. Referral history did not influence referrals. The findings from this study emphasize the impact of palliative care availability in NPs’ referral behavior and suggest a need for strategies to overcome this barrier

Intimate partner violence in Rwanda: women’s voices

This report examines women’s responses to situations of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Rwanda. We draw on interviews with women who have experienced violence, focus groups with community members, and interviews with service providers. IPV is broadly defined here, consistent with how participants talked about violence in their own lives. Their definition of IPV included physical, economic, sexual and psychological forms of violence perpetrated by their intimate partners, including married and unmarried partners. This report was written by researchers belonging to the Health, Community and Development Group at the London School of Economics. The report is the result of a preliminary set of interviews and focus groups with individuals in Rwanda. It is not a formal research study, but rather an initial investigation carried out for the purposes of strengthening community responses to intimate partner violence and collaboration among non-governmental organisations working in this area