A sociolinguistic analysis of participants co-constructing the learning context in a graduate-level seminar.

This dissertation describes and analyzes how participants in one gender-informed graduate-level seminar socialized each other through joint construction of the learning environment and the learning. The research was conducted in two phases. First an ethnographic approach was used for collecting data over the course of the year in a graduate-level women\u27s history seminar. Using ethnographic methods, I worked out an analysis of the learning environment--in particular the expectations of the professor, the motivations of participants, subject matter, and organization of space and activities. The second phase of the research used sociolinguistic methodology to arrive at an analysis of how the participants co-constructed the learning in a gender-informed collaborative classroom. Reviews of research on gender and graduate-level teaching and learning, constructivist and social constructivist learning theory, and learning processes in gender-informed classrooms formed the theoretical framework for the dissertation. Particularly relevant were studies which examined gender-balancing processes and constructivist perspectives in graduate-level learning. The study contributes to our understanding of how participants in a gender-informed seminar socialized each other and jointly constructed meanings. When the professor provided gender-informed subject matter to men and women who were willing to learn, then men and women became more conscious of the workings of gender in their own lives. In addition, the social context in the classroom became more supportive across gender lines. Through discussions alone, consciousness can be raised, but it is through collaborative work and group dialogue on individual projects that new understandings are integrated and demonstrated in written work and in social behavior

Understanding unusual sensory experiences: a randomised experimental study of a school-based intervention for adolescents

Background: One in ten young people experience unusual sensory experiences (USE), such as hallucinations. From a cognitive perspective, the appraisal of USE determines the impact of these experiences. Negative appraisal, as well as other psychological processes (e.g. thinking flexibility, maladaptive schemas, anxiety/depression), is associated with more distress. Our aim was to (a) develop a universal single-session school-based intervention on USE for adolescents and (b) evaluate the effect of the intervention on appraisals of and help seeking intentions for USE. Methods: A randomised controlled experimental design with a one-month follow-up was used to test the effectiveness of the intervention in one school. Students (n = 223) aged 12–13 were randomised by class to a single-session intervention on USE or a control intervention (generic mental wellbeing). Participants completed measures of appraisals of and help-seeking intentions for USE at pre- and postintervention and at one-month follow-up. They also completed measures of schemas, thinking flexibility and anxiety/depression at preintervention. Results: Overall, 190 adolescents completed the main outcome measures at all three points. The intervention on USE led to a significant (p < .05) increase of positive appraisals of USE compared with the control, with effects sustained at one-month follow-up. The intervention on USE did not lead to significantly greater help-seeking intentions for USE (p = .26). Adolescents' schemas were associated with appraisals and slow thinking and anxiety/depressive symptoms with help-seeking behaviour for USE. Conclusions: A single-session universal school-based intervention shows promise by improving appraisals of USE. Further research is required across different school populations

Precarious Lives

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence This ground breaking book presents the first evidence of forced labour among displaced migrants who seek refuge in the UK. Through a critical engagement with contemporary debates about precarity, unfreedom and socio-legal status, the book explores how asylum and forced labour are linked, and enmeshed in a broader picture of modern slavery produced through globalised working conditions. Drawing on original evidence generated in fieldwork with refugees and asylum seekers, this is important reading for students and academics in social policy, social geography, sociology, politics, refugee, labour and migration studies, and policy makers and practitioners working to support migrants and tackle forced labour

Precarious Lives

Presents the first evidence of forced labour among displaced migrants who seek refuge in the UK. Through a critical engagement with contemporary debates about precarity, unfreedom and socio-legal status, the book explores how asylum and forced labour are linked, and enmeshed in a broader picture of modern slavery produced through globalised working conditions

The experience of seeking and accessing help from mental health services among young people of Eastern European backgrounds: A qualitative interview study

Objectives: Most lifetime mental health problems (MHP) start before the age of 25. Yet young people—particularly those of minority backgrounds—often do not seek or access professional help. In the UK, young people of Eastern European (EE) backgrounds represent a large minority group; however, little is known about their experiences of MHP and help‐seeking. In this study, we aim to understand the help‐seeking process from the perspectives of EE young people. Design: We used a qualitative study design with semi‐structured individual interviews. The results were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Method: Twelve young people (18–25 years) of EE backgrounds, living in Oxfordshire, UK, took part. All participants had experienced a severe MHP and were identified in the community. Results: EE young people's experiences of MHP and help‐seeking were driven by a sense of being caught between different cultures and simultaneously needing to navigate the potentially contrasting expectations of both cultures. This process was reinforced or tempered by the perceived continuing influence of young people's families, that is, families with more open views about MHP made it easier for young people to navigate through the process of help‐seeking. Young people's internalised cultural and familial beliefs about MHP affected their decision‐making when experiencing difficulties, their levels of trust in services, and perceived sense of resourcefulness and ability to cope. Conclusions: Recognising and responding to the cultural tension that young people of EE backgrounds may experience can help us to develop more accessible and inclusive mental health services

Asylum Seekers and the Labour Market: Spaces of Discomfort and Hostility

This article examines the relationship in the UK between asylum-seeking and the labour market. Since 2002, asylum-seekers have not been allowed to work unless they have waited over twelve months for an initial decision on their asylum claim. This policy change occurred as employment was considered a ‘pull factor’ encouraging unfounded asylum claims. Despite not having the right to work, asylum-seekers – and especially those whose applications for refugee status have been refused by the UK government – interact with the labour market in manifold ways. Drawing on an ESRC-funded study in the UK's Yorkshire and Humber region and related studies, this article argues that both asylum-seekers and refused asylum-seekers form a hyper-exploitable pool of ‘illegalised’ and unprotected workers. As a vital part of their survival terrain, work is largely experienced as for-cash labouring in low-paid labour market sectors where the spectre of exploitation and even ‘modern slavery’ are perpetual threats. Recent policy shifts are deepening such threats through creating increasingly ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘hostile’ environments for certain categories of migrants

Precarious Lives : Refugees and Asylum Seekers’ Resistance within Unfree Labouring

This paper is concerned with the interplay between vulnerability, resistance and agency for forced migrants. Such concepts are yoked together as soon as the vulnerability inherent in the life-worlds of many migrants is seen to align not solely with victimhood, but also potentially to act as a springboard for agentic resistance, mobilisation and activism. As such, this paper is oriented towards a critical theoretical, and empirically insightful, engagement with the concept of resistance. Most particularly, we ponder the possibilities for resistance in situations of subjugated unfreedom within realms of forced labour. The backdrop for this paper is a broader research project that aims to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of severe labour exploitation and unfree labour among asylum seekers and refugees living in the UK (see http://precariouslives.org.uk/). The lives of many refugees and asylum seekers are widely recognised as characterised by poverty, social exclusion and destitution (Crawley 2001; Phillips 2006), yet there is little research documenting their experiences of exploitation and unfree labour and the reasons why they may be engaged in it. It was such a research gap that spurred our broader project, together with concern that government policy is potentially influential in propelling asylum seekers and refugees into severely exploitative working conditions including unfree elements (see fuller discussion in Lewis et al 2014a). This paper homes in on the particular issue of whether, and how, resistance may manifest for asylum seekers and refugees in landscapes of extreme labour precarity

Behavioural and physiological indicators of anxiety reflect shared and distinct profiles across individuals with neurogenetic syndromes

Anxiety is heightened in individuals with intellectual disability, particularly in those with specific neurogenetic syndromes. Assessment of anxiety for these individuals is hampered by a lack of appropriate measures that cater for communication impairment, differences in presentation, and overlapping features with co-occurring conditions. Here, we adopt a multi-method approach to identify fine-grained behavioural and physiological (via salivary cortisol) responses to anxiety presses in people with fragile X (FXS; n=27; Mage=20.11y; range 6.32-47.04y) and Cornelia de Lange syndromes (CdLS; n=27; Mage=18.42y; range 4.28–41.08y), two neurogenetic groups at high risk for anxiety, compared to neurotypical children (NT; n=21; Mage=5.97y, range 4.34–7.30y). Results indicate that physical avoidance of feared stimuli and proximity seeking to a familiar adult are prominent behavioural indicators of anxiety/stress in FXS and CdLS. Heightened pervasive physiological arousal was identified in these groups via salivary cortisol. An association between autistic characteristics and anxiety was evident in the FXS group but not in the CdLS group pointing to syndrome-specific nuances in the association between anxiety and autism. This study furthers understanding of the behavioural and physiological presentation of anxiety in individuals with intellectual disability and progresses theoretical developments regarding the development and maintenance of anxiety at the intersection of autism

Sleep and schizophrenia: From epiphenomenon to treatable causal target

Background: Sleep disturbance is a common clinical issue for patients with psychosis. It has been identified as a putative causal factor in the onset and persistence of psychotic experiences (paranoia and hallucinations). Hence sleep disruption may be a potential treatment target to prevent the onset of psychosis and reduce persistent psychotic experiences. The aim of this review is to describe developments in understanding the nature, causal role, and treatment of sleep disruption in psychosis. Method: A systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies, published in the last five years, investigating subjective sleep disruption and psychotic experiences. Results: Fifty-eight papers were identified: 37 clinical and 21 non-clinical studies. The studies were correlational (n = 38; 20 clinical, 18 non-clinical), treatment (n = 7; 1 non-clinical), qualitative accounts (n = 6 clinical), prevalence estimates (n = 5 clinical), and experimental tests (n = 2 non-clinical). Insomnia (50%) and nightmare disorder (48%) are the most prevalent sleep problems found in patients. Sleep disruption predicts the onset and persistence of psychotic experiences such as paranoia and hallucinations, with negative affect identified as a partial mediator of this relationship. Patients recognise the detrimental effects of disrupted sleep and are keen for treatment. All psychological intervention studies reported large effect size improvements in sleep and there may be modest resultant improvements in psychotic experiences. Conclusions: Sleep disruption is a treatable clinical problem in patients with psychosis. It is important to treat in its own right but may also lessen psychotic experiences. Research is required on how this knowledge can be implemented in clinical services

Developing a community of digital nurse and midwife researchers

Despite nurses and midwives taking on digital leadership roles and influencing the future of healthcare, there is a scarcity of research in the United Kingdom on the development of their roles and processes.  In this workshop, we will discuss digital nursing leaders and their roles within academic communities. We will also consider the strategies to adopt to link into existing research networks and how to investigate the paradigm shift in nursing and midwifery catalysed by information technology.   In our discussion, we will increase awareness of the research capabilities of the digital nursing and midwifery workforce. Hosting the workshop will help support a proposal for an ongoing project that enhances digital nursing and midwifery research skills and networks. The workshop will provide a platform for a digital nursing and midwifery research community of practice.