191 research outputs found
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My life after death: connecting the field, the findings and the feelings
This paper is an account of an emotional journey that took place alongside an ethnographic study of the contemporary cemetery landscape. It seeks to highlight the importance of conducting empirical research as a 'rite of passage', leading to the role of a researcher, by examining the connection between data, the human researcher, and the analysis. Furthermore, this paper argues that the emotionality of the research process needs to be incorporated into discussions of methodology and analysis to enable researchers to produce high-quality social research
Investigating mortuary services in hospital settings
Changes to the retention of human tissues and Department of Health guidance on good practice have resulted in the extension of the role of Anatomical Pathology Technologists (APTs).
In the twenty-first century the APT role demands a wide variety of abilities, including an adroit blend of clinical knowledge and communication skills. The APT role is framed by a blurred occupational past. The need for clarity and a distinct professional identity is one of the driving forces behind the Association of Anatomical Pathology Technologists calls for standardisation of education, training and regulation. Currently, there are two qualifications for APTs provided through the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH): the Certificate in Anatomical Pathology Technology and the Diploma in Anatomical Pathology Technology. These have been developed and accredited by the RSPH since 1962. APTs in teaching hospitals or with high-risk facilities - although not usually part of the formal education process for any clinical staff beyond pathologists - are in a position to establish best practice as they are involved in ‘lifting the lid’ on what goes on in the mortuary. In this hospital, APTs promoted the work of the mortuary by going ‘out’ into the hospital and participating in different forums, including formal and informal meetings. They also invited colleagues into the mortuary. Identifying the deceased person as a patient rather than a body was a highly symbolic effort to ‘join up’ the work of the mortuary with the rest of the hospital, ensuring that the deceased person remained a patient of the hospital until they left the premises. An association with death was a potential barrier to communicating with colleagues outside of the mortuary, as the APTs found themselves stigmatised by what they perceived to be and what would be called sociologically their literal ‘embodiment’ of medical failure. This could be isolating for the APTs, to the point that when they went to other hospital departments, they were treated with caution. There is a strong case to be made for national regulation as part of the professionalisation of the APT role, in order to align individual’s responsibilities with accountability at the level of the regulating professional body itself
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Introducing TU100 ‘My Digital Life’: Ubiquitous computing in a distance learning environment
In this paper we describe the Open University’s progress towards delivering an introduction to ubiquitous computing within a distance-learning environment. Our work is strongly influenced by the philosophy of learning-through-play and we have taken technologies originally designed for children’s education and adapted them for adult learners, many of whom will have no formal experience of computer science or information technology.
We will introduce two novel technologies; Sense, a drag-and-drop programming language based on Scratch; and the SenseBoard, an inexpensive hardware device that can be connected to the student’s computer, through which they can sense their environment and display outputs.
This paper is not intended as a detailed discussion of individual technologies (they will follow in time), rather it should serve as an introduction to the Open University’s method of teaching and how we hope to continue to recruit new computer scientists and engineers using novel technologies
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The Material Presence of Absence: a dialogue between museums and cemeteries
This is an exploratory paper that aims to stimulate a dialogue between those interested in two particular spaces in society: the museum and the cemetery. Using empirical evidence from two research projects, the paper considers similarities and differences between the two sites, which are further explored through theoretical ideas about the social life of things and the agency of absence. Examining the materiality of these spaces, the paper addresses the role of objects in these two spaces and their respective associations with death, either through the dead themselves or the representation of those who have once lived. In particular, it explores the 'presence of absence' through three key points: its spatiality, its materiality, and its agency. Museums and cemeteries are, in this sense, directly comparable, as both spaces are shaped by and built upon the practice of making the absent present. Called 'heterotopic' by Foucault (1986) in that they are layered with multiple meanings, this paper will also argue for an understanding of museums and cemeteries as being able to transcend absence. Underpinning this is the belief that there remains much scope for future connections to be made between these two sites, theoretically, politically and practically
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E-learning for Networked Living
Networked Living is a Level 1 course in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) offered by the UK Open University. The first two presentation of the course, in 2005 and 2006, attracted over 3000 students between them. Networked Living introduces students to ICT concepts and issues in a range of contexts. The course adopts a blended learning approach, using printed texts, web resources, DVD and computer conferencing.
All the above media are used where appropriate to support students' learning. About 60% of the material is print-based – teaching texts, together with selected third-party articles. About 20% is web-based – using a comprehensive course web site, but also requiring students to find and use third-party sites. The remaining 20% is based on offline computer resources (e.g. spreadsheets) and collaborative activities using computer conferencing.
The course web site contains short animations, quizzes and several interactive activities where students contribute information and commentaries, and can then see the collated contributions of other students. The DVD contains longer animations, simulations and software. Computer conferencing is used for tutor-group and whole-cohort conferences, and for online tutorials, with both asynchronous and synchronous discussion. The course web site provides a new, shareable 'online journal' facility, where students can record their work for the course.
This paper discusses the various e-learning elements of Networked Living, based on the first two presentations of the course. The paper considers how e-learning can be combined with printed resources to create a successful blended learning experience for students
Family and funerals:taking a relational perspective
This article explores a number of relational features of a contemporary funeral: content, participation, and commercial choice. In so doing, it uses Finch and Mason’s concept of reflexive relationalism to show that the contemporary funeral is an event when familial relationships can be (re)affirmed and rejected. This “doing” of family has methodological implications for the future study of funerals and, it is argued here, this necessarily requires the inclusion of class culture.<br/
Death, Dying and Devolution
This brief reviews policy areas associated with death, dying and bereavement within the context of devolution. It focuses on the national and regional delegation of power, resources and authority across the UK and the implications of this for those who are dying, dead, or bereaved – as well as those tasked with organising and running the services that support these groups of people.The brief aims to set the policy scene and agenda for the immediate future, addressing and demonstrating both where there are risks but also the potential for better policy and services associated with death
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