Using conversation analysis in feminist and critical research

Conversation analysis – the study of talk-in-interaction - is proving a valuable tool for politically-engaged inquiry and social critique. This article illustrates the use of conversation analysis in feminist and critical research, drawing on a range of empirical studies. After introducing conversation analysis – its theoretical assumptions, methodological practices, and empirical findings – it highlights projects based on two key conversation analytic domains: turn-taking and turn-design, and sequence organization and preference structure. The final section examines the key contributions of conversation analysis to feminist and critical work in the areas of categories and gender; LGBT issues; women’s labour; and the politics, ethics and design of the research process

An exploration of how social context and type of living arrangement are linked to alcohol consumption amongst older Australians

Despite the potential public health risks associated with alcohol use among old people, relatively little research in this area has been conducted in Australia. Research shows social connectedness is integral to the health of older people, yet the relationship between social connectedness and alcohol use is complex, with a dearth of research exploring the context in which older people socialise and drink alcohol. The project adopted a mixed-methods design, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, to explore the links between social context and alcohol consumption among 42 Australians, aged 65-74 years inclusive. The research specifically explored: > socialisation and alcohol: the meanings older Australian ascribe to their alcohol consumption practices; > setting and alcohol use: use of alcohol by older people living in private dwellings versus retirement villages; and > risk and restraint: factors that lead to increased use of alcohol and factors that restrain consumption in different settings

The health of older Western Australians: The role of age, gender, geographic location, psychological distress, perceived health, tobacco and alcohol

Purpose: Rates of drinking- and alcohol-related harms among older adults are increasing in most developed nations. The purpose of this paper was to explore the relationship among at-risk alcohol use, smoking, gender, geographical location, self-reported health and psychological well-being among Western Australians aged 65 years and older. Design/methodology/approach: A secondary analysis was conducted of a cross-sectional survey that collected data from 7,804 West Australians aged 65 years and older between 2013 and 2015. Participants were categorised according to the following age groups: young-old (aged 65–74 years), older-old (aged 75–84 years) and oldest-old (aged 85+ years). Findings: Results from a multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that at-risk drinking decreased with increasing age. Current smokers, males and those males and females who perceived their health to be “excellent” were more likely to report at-risk drinking, as were the oldest-old males who lived in remote communities. Psychological well-being was not a predictor of at-risk drinking. Originality/value: This paper examines drinking behaviour among a diverse population of older Western Australians. The way in which the age groups were segmented is unique, as most studies of older Australian drinking patterns aggregate the older adult population. Some of the authors’ findings support existing literature, whereas the remainder provides unique data about the relationship among at-risk drinking, geographic location and psychological well-being

Keeping the family: A socio-ecological perspective on the challenges of child removal and reunification for mothers who have experienced substance-related harms

The challenges and experiences associated with child removal and reunification from the perspective of mothers experiencing substance-related harms is under-researched in Australia. Our qualitative study employed a socio-ecological model to better understand the background to child removal, and perceived barriers and facilitators to achieving reunification of mother and child. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 women, 8 of whom self-identified as Australian First Nations People. At the time of the interviews, these women were either living in substance use rehabilitation facilities, their own home or with relatives. Findings highlighted a history of complex disadvantage and trauma among the women, along with a deep and enduring commitment to their children. Key barriers to reunification included limited social support networks, insecure housing, and challenges in meeting conflicting requirements from the child protection, social welfare and justice systems. An important facilitator to reunification was access to a residential substance use rehabilitation facility that offered holistic wrap-around services with links to community support. This study highlights the inadequacy of individual approaches focused on parents’ substance use and emphasises the need to address significant structural disadvantages that underpin increasing numbers of children being placed in government mandated care in Australia

Biosensing:how citizens’ views illuminate emerging health and social risks

This article explores material from a citizen’s inquiry into the social and ethical implications of health biosensors. In ‘Our Bodies, Our Data’ a space was afforded for members of the public to examine two forms of health biosensing, and for the authors to research what happens when such examination shifts from the domain of experts to that of citizens. Drawing on data from this inquiry, which forms part of a wider research project, ‘Living Data: making sense of health biosensors’, we open up conceptual and methodological questions about how to study innovative health technologies and contribute to debates about the direction of health biosensing by bringing forward the views of a group rarely heard in this domain: the public. The panel of 15 participants was shown examples, handled devices, and heard evidence about the development of home ovulation monitoring and direct-to-consumer genetic testing. Citizens identified key areas of concern around the development, design and marketing of these devices, implicating technology companies, public bodies and civil society organisations. The panel articulated serious concerns relating to ethics, trust, accountability, quality and governance of health biosensors that operate ‘outside the clinic’. Their deliberations reflect concern for what kind of society is being made when genetic testing and home reproductive technologies are promoted and sold directly to the public. The panel process allowed us to re-imagine biosensors, wresting their narratives from the individualising discourses of selfoptimisation and responsibilisation which have dominated their introduction in EuroUS markets

Guidance for research on social isolation, loneliness, and participation among older people: Lessons from a mixed methods study

This article provides methodological guidance to researchers wishing to develop collaborative research projects with local governments and other agencies, by describing the process adopted in a mixed methods study conducted in the City of Wanneroo (the City), a local government area in Perth, Western Australia. The study explored factors related to older people’s (60+ years) participation in community-based activities and links between their participation and levels of social isolation, loneliness, and social connectedness. The research incorporated four interrelated stages: (1) an audit of existing programs in the City and program participant characteristics; (2) focus groups with program participants and interviews with nonparticipants; (3) a cross-sectional survey to assess factors associated with participation and links to social isolation, loneliness, and social connectedness; (4) face-to-face interviews with survey respondents screened at risk for loneliness. Methodological recommendations are provided to guide future collaborative research with local authorities, program developers, and administrators, aimed at minimizing social isolation and loneliness among older people. These include the need for clear communication and documentation of mutually agreed research objectives and responsibilities from project initiation to completion, identifying and working with local agencies to maximize recruitment among “hard to reach” groups, understanding the dimensions of loneliness addressed in the selected instrument used to screen for loneliness, and integrating innovative data collection techniques when working with vulnerable groups such as socially isolated older people

Mapping midwifery and obstetric units in England

Objective: to describe the configuration of midwifery units, both alongside&free-standing, and obstetric units in England.Design: national survey amongst Heads of Midwifery in English Maternity ServicesSetting: National Health Service (NHS) in EnglandParticipants: English Maternity ServicesMeasurements: descriptive statistics of Alongside Midwifery Units and Free-standing Midwifery Units and Obstetric Units and their annual births/year in English Maternity ServicesFindings: alongside midwifery units have nearly doubled since 2010 (n = 53–97); free-standing midwifery units have increased slightly (n = 58–61). There has been a significant reduction in maternity services without either an alongside or free-standing midwifery unit (75–32). The percentage of all births in midwifery units has trebled, now representing 14% of all births in England. This masks significant differences in percentage of all births in midwifery units between different maternity services with a spread of 4% to 31%.Key conclusions: In some areas of England, women have no access to a local midwifery unit, despite the National Institute for Health&Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommending them as an important place of birth option for low risk women. The numbers of midwifery units have increased significantly in England since 2010 but this growth is almost exclusively in alongside midwifery units. The percentage of women giving birth in midwifery units varies significantly between maternity services suggesting that many midwifery units are underutilised.Implications for practice: Both the availability and utilisation of midwifery units in England could be improved