Book review: everyday life in British government

Steve Coulter reviews R.A.W. Rhodes’ fascinating and insightful work on the inner workings of the Whitehall machine, which lends truth to many of the rumours about the chaotic nature of New Labour

Book review: the East, the West and the Rest: how and why emerging economies are changing the world

Steve Coulter reviews the latest title by Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo, looking closely at what the West will lose to the emerging economies of the East. How the West was Lost: Fifty Years of Economic Folly – and the Stark Choices Ahead. By Dambisa Moyo. London: Penguin. January 2011

Choice, morality and vulnerability : young women's discourses of cervical screening : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology (endorsement in Health Psychology) at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

Cervical screening is a health surveillance tool used to prevent cervical cancer. In New Zealand, research into cervical screening has largely focused on barriers to participation. This type of research implicitly assumes that cervical screening is a desirable health behaviour for women to engage in, and does not explore how social and political factors are implicated in cervical screening behaviour. This research sought to explore women’s understandings and experiences of cervical screening. Ten women aged 20 to 30 were interviewed, their responses recorded and transcribed, and an interpretive analysis conducted. From the analysis, three broad webs of discourse surrounding cervical screening – choice, morality and vulnerability – were identified and discussed. Each web of discourse was used to construct cervical screening in different ways. For choice, participants constructed cervical screening as an autonomous choice, routine, or an obligation. Morality was drawn upon for its role in cervical screening around ideas of individual and social responsibility, and sexual activity. Finally, vulnerability was explored through the fear of getting cervical cancer, the vulnerability experienced as part of screening, and the protection it was seen to offer. Choice, morality and vulnerability worked together to limit the available ways of experiencing and acting in relation to cervical screening, constructing compliance as the only option for women. Those who do not comply are positioned as problematic, irresponsible and immoral by women, their friends and families, and health professionals. This research highlighted the ways in which discourses produce realities which create and maintain power imbalances which govern and control women’s bodies. Rather than viewing cervical screening as a desirable yet morally neutral act which all women ought to participate in, it is a site where women may choose to comply or resist dominant discourses which exert power over women’s bodies

The SBIRT Method for Alcohol Misuse Screening and Treatment

Heavy episodic drinking, or “binge drinking”, is a significant behavioral health problem on American college campuses. It is associated with numerous physical, social, and legal consequences in this population, including but not limited to intoxicated driving, physical and sexual assault, accidents, alcohol poisoning, compromised academic performance, criminal justice system involvement, exclusion from athletic competition, and expulsion from student housing. The Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment method, or “SBIRT”, has gained increasing recognition in recent years as an effective, validated tool for screening for and intervening in behavioral health problems generally and problematic alcohol use in particular. The purpose of this project was to deliver an educational presentation on the use of SBIRT to staff members, primarily clinicians, of a local college that does not currently use SBIRT as a routine part of patient care. A PowerPoint presentation was created and presented during a staff meeting for healthcare providers at the Bergeron Wellness Center at Saint Michael’s College, and an editable screening tool was created and disseminated to the staff for use in their clinic in the event that they decide to adopt SBIRT. A post-presentation quiz and survey was administered, which demonstrated that respondents had gained knowledge from the presentation and had found it useful for their practice

Deficit reduction is important, but it’s not the end of the story: if we are to achieve real long term growth, government must come up with creative solutions to overcome the institutional and productive constraints on the economy.

An obsession with deficit reduction has diverted attention away from the need to revamp the UK’s industrial base. Steve Coulter argues that the coalition government has belatedly turned its attention towards industrial policy with its ‘growth review’; but there is little sign so far of effective and novel policies. Tomorrow’s Autumn Statement will flag up lower growth and higher borrowing – what it also needed is action to indicate a way out of the UK economy’s malaise.

Book review: saving the ‘Celtic Tiger’ from extinction.

Steve Coulter finds optimism in the latest book by David J Lynch which looks carefully at Ireland’s troubled political and economic history.

Farmer groups enterprises and the marketing of staple food commodities in Africa:

"There are some apparently successful cases of collective marketing with staple food commodities (grains and root crops), but these are less common than cases involving higher value agricultural products. These can be attributed to the benefit/cost ratio to participants being generally higher for collective marketing of the higher-value crops. Some of the costs are ‘hidden', in the sense that they are borne by individuals in time spent in attending meetings, and not shown in the financial statements of the enterprises concerned. Examining a series of cases, the paper advocates an approach to the marketing of staples which involves analyzing the value chain and identifying those activities which on the one hand, best lend themselves to individual initiative, and those where on the other hand, group approaches are more likely to prosper. Dual purpose food marketing involving village storage in anticipation of both external market opportunities and local lean season shortages usually falls into the former category. Collective initiatives have a higher probability of success when they complement agricultural intensification and involve bulking substantial quantities of produce for quality-conscious commercial buyers. Prospects for successful collective marketing are moreover greater where there is a history of collective endeavor, where focused on simple activities like bulking and distribution of inputs, where primary groups are small and homogenous in terms of interests and objectives, where they can establish lasting relationships with strong trade counterparties, where supported by effective training (especially re attitudes, numeracy, and business skills), where they can access effectively managed storage and inventory credit services, and where there is framework of law enforcement. The immediate poverty alleviation and programmatic priorities of funding agencies often undermine the effectiveness of promotional activities in support of collective marketing. This problem may be addressed by instituting systems of independent review and peer review processes, and involving open discussion of pros and cons of individual and collective approaches." authors' abstractCollective marketing, Producer organization, Staple food, Village storage, Inventory credit, Microfinance, Disbursement-driven,

Book review: the East, the West and the Rest: how and why emerging economies are changing the world.

Steve Coulter reviews the latest title by Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo, looking closely at what the West will lose to the emerging economies of the East. How the West was Lost: Fifty Years of Economic Folly – and the Stark Choices Ahead. By Dambisa Moyo. London: Penguin. January 2011.