Laurence Cox, (2018) Why Social Movements Matter: An Introduction

Why do social movements matter? Cox draws on his own extensive experience as an activist and academic to argue for the enduring importance of social movements in our lives. This accessible book urges us to build alliances across the particularisms of specific movements and learn from the 'struggles of others' to help us to 'keep stepping out' into the streets and, ultimately, to help us keep going

ACT at Work: Feasibility study of an acceptance based intervention to promote mental health well-being and work engagement in mental health service staff

Background: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aids individuals to accept difficult experiences that may be beyond their control and commit to behaviour that is consistent with their values. Previous research highlights that ACT interventions can: improve mental health, reduce worker stress and engender effective learning and performance. Work engagement has been defined as having an energetic and effective connection to work activity. As yet, no studies have investigated whether ACT interventions lead to improvements in work engagement. Aim: To investigate the feasibility of using ACT at Work Training (ACTw) to improve mental well-being and foster work engagement in staff working in mental health services. Method: A prospective, non-randomised, cohort controlled, repeated measures design was utilised. The parameters of this feasibility trial were formulated around the PICO (population, intervention, control, outcome) framework. 25 staff were recruited to take part in ACTw. 20 staff were recruited separately to a control group. The control group did not receive any input. ACTw was implemented over three sessions. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, General Health Questionnaire, Michigan Job Satisfaction Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered as outcome measures, while the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire - measuring psychological flexibility - and the Valuing Questionnaire - measuring value based living - were administered as therapy-specific measures. Following the completion of baseline assessments, measures were conducted 6 and 10 weeks post-baseline. Results: Despite initial recruitment problems, ACTw and control group participants were successfully recruited. Positive feedback from those who completed ACTw, suggested the intervention was acceptable. However, a third of ACTw participants missed training sessions, which was related to work and personal stress factors. The lack of significant differences between ACTw and control participants’ in scores on outcome and therapy-specific measures across the time points does not provide support for treatment signal changes in these measures. However, the lack of significant differences in outcome measures may be due to the low number of individuals presenting with high stress and low work engagement levels. For the group as a whole, changes in stress, anxiety, depression and work engagement were significantly correlated with changes in therapy-specific measures i.e. measures of psychological flexibility and value based living. Conclusions: Results of this study highlight factors that will help inform a larger trial of ACTw for health professional staff. Suggestions for future implementation include considering a larger sample and catchment area, staff stress level, potential barriers to participation and implementation of change at an organisation level

Style and media in Chimú art: researching the British Museum’s collections

This research examines changes in craft production on the North Coast of Peru between c.AD1000 and 1550, under first Chimú and then Inka state control. It aims to assess the extent to which North Coast craft production was appropriated and deployed by the Chimú and Inka elites to disseminate state-sponsored iconography. Previous studies of craft production and the role of prestige goods in the political economy are reviewed. From this basis I develop a methodology to identify and compare the technical and aesthetic qualities of Chimú objects made using different craft media (primarily textiles and pottery). The British Museum’s collections provide the primary database for this research, complemented by Peruvian collections from more secure archaeological contexts. The production sequence for each artefact is systematically recorded in order to pinpoint how the iconography is incorporated into the object and to compare the steps involved. This allows me to investigate the extent to which technical principles and artisanal attitudes (or agency) interact in the production of goods. My goal is to discern those Chimú traits which result from engrained North Coast craft-working traditions from those that are influenced by state-imposed demands. The focus on Chimú-Inka material permits an evaluation of Chimú artisanal agencies under Inka rulership. In fact ‘Chimú’ iconographies and technical traits were spread widely during the Inka period, reaching far beyond the boundaries of the former Chimú Empire. The Chimú visual vocabulary was adapted, in some cases merging with highland canons and occasionally with the overt imposition of Inka forms on Chimú vessels and garments, as well as a more subtle rendering of Inka imagery in Chimú techniques. I argue that particular combinations of materials, techniques, imagery and colour characterise ‘lines’ of goods which played different roles in North Coast society. Chimú and Inka influences were in some sense reciprocal, and require a more nuanced understanding of ‘state control’

Participatory evaluation of co-management in wet tropics country: interim report

This technical report contributes to the December 2013 Milestone for the National Environmental Research Program (NERP) Tropical Ecosystem Hub (TEH) Project 12.1 Indigenous co-management and biodiversity protection. The overall goal of this co-research is to interrogate the capability of Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) and other collaborative planning models and mechanisms to provide the means for effective engagement of Indigenous knowledge and comanagement for biodiversity and cultural protection in the region; and to provide for joint management of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area between governments and Rainforest Aboriginal people, in partnership with communities. Our definition of co-management as a continual solution-building process, not a fixed state, involving extensive talking, negotiating together and jointly learning so it gets better over time, underpins our derived framework of comanagement (see Fig 2). This framework, that includes thirteen separate but related parts that can be grouped into two features of co-management (Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples Keeping Strong; and Keeping Engagement Strong), guides the participatory evaluation shared in this report. The framework was refined from earlier project work (see Maclean et al, 2012), ongoing discussions with the project co-research team and a regional participatory workshop held in October 2012 (Hill et al. 2012). The results reported here are located within the second phase of a three year co-research project, providing an interim participatory evaluation of co-management in wet tropics country, NE Australia1. Both qualitative and a quantitative data contribute to the evaluation which was conducted together with Rainforest Aboriginal peoples in two separate workshops. Workshop one was hosted by Girringun Aboriginal Corporation in Cardwell on 23 November 2013, and brought forward data informed by the nine tribal groups that are represented therein. Workshop two was hosted by the Rainforest Aboriginal People’s Alliance as part of the ‘Warrama: for Rainforest Country, Kin and Culture’ held at Genzanno 28 November-1st December 2013. This workshop brought forward data informed by the wider twenty tribal groups across the region of wet tropics country. A health rating of 1 to 5 (where 1=very sick; 5=excellent health) was given to three indicators (structures, processes and results) for each part of the framework at both workshops, and the reasons for the ratings discussed in small groups. This Interim Report presents a quantitative analysis of data from both the Girringun and RAP Workshops, but qualitative and spatial analysis of only the Girringun data. The short time frame between the regional RAP workshop and the data for report submission did not allow for a full analysis of the data, which will be included in the Final Participatory Evaluation Report in June 2014. This Final Report will also include data from participatory workshops with governments and other partners involved in co-management of wet tropics country Both the Girringun and RAP workshops evaluated the structures, processes and results for the Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples Keeping Strong parts of the framework as in better health than thethose for Keeping Engagement Strong. The results of participatory evaluations reported here resonate with the concept of the creation of an equitable intercultural space as the key means of achieving co-management (Hibbard et al. 2008; Hill 2011). Indigenous Protected Areas were identified as the most useful tool for creating an equitable intercultural space, due to their\adaptability and flexibility, providing opportunities for effective collaboration with government and others

Participatory evaluation of co-management in wet tropics country: interim report

This technical report contributes to the December 2013 Milestone for the National Environmental Research Program (NERP) Tropical Ecosystem Hub (TEH) Project 12.1 Indigenous co-management and biodiversity protection. The overall goal of this co-research is to interrogate the capability of Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) and other collaborative planning models and mechanisms to provide the means for effective engagement of Indigenous knowledge and comanagement for biodiversity and cultural protection in the region; and to provide for joint management of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area between governments and Rainforest Aboriginal people, in partnership with communities. Our definition of co-management as a continual solution-building process, not a fixed state, involving extensive talking, negotiating together and jointly learning so it gets better over time, underpins our derived framework of comanagement (see Fig 2). This framework, that includes thirteen separate but related parts that can be grouped into two features of co-management (Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples Keeping Strong; and Keeping Engagement Strong), guides the participatory evaluation shared in this report. The framework was refined from earlier project work (see Maclean et al, 2012), ongoing discussions with the project co-research team and a regional participatory workshop held in October 2012 (Hill et al. 2012). The results reported here are located within the second phase of a three year co-research project, providing an interim participatory evaluation of co-management in wet tropics country, NE Australia1. Both qualitative and a quantitative data contribute to the evaluation which was conducted together with Rainforest Aboriginal peoples in two separate workshops. Workshop one was hosted by Girringun Aboriginal Corporation in Cardwell on 23 November 2013, and brought forward data informed by the nine tribal groups that are represented therein. Workshop two was hosted by the Rainforest Aboriginal People’s Alliance as part of the ‘Warrama: for Rainforest Country, Kin and Culture’ held at Genzanno 28 November-1st December 2013. This workshop brought forward data informed by the wider twenty tribal groups across the region of wet tropics country. A health rating of 1 to 5 (where 1=very sick; 5=excellent health) was given to three indicators (structures, processes and results) for each part of the framework at both workshops, and the reasons for the ratings discussed in small groups. This Interim Report presents a quantitative analysis of data from both the Girringun and RAP Workshops, but qualitative and spatial analysis of only the Girringun data. The short time frame between the regional RAP workshop and the data for report submission did not allow for a full analysis of the data, which will be included in the Final Participatory Evaluation Report in June 2014. This Final Report will also include data from participatory workshops with governments and other partners involved in co-management of wet tropics country Both the Girringun and RAP workshops evaluated the structures, processes and results for the Rainforest Aboriginal Peoples Keeping Strong parts of the framework as in better health than thethose for Keeping Engagement Strong. The results of participatory evaluations reported here resonate with the concept of the creation of an equitable intercultural space as the key means of achieving co-management (Hibbard et al. 2008; Hill 2011). Indigenous Protected Areas were identified as the most useful tool for creating an equitable intercultural space, due to their\adaptability and flexibility, providing opportunities for effective collaboration with government and others

Safe environment? Investigating the use of temporary accommodation to house asylum seekers during the Covid-19 outbreak

This report presents interim findings of the research project: Investigating the use of temporary accommodation to house asylum seekers during the Covid-19 outbreak. The project explores the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on asylum seekers living in Glasgow, by focusing on those individuals placed in temporary accommodations. It aims to capture the everyday experiences of asylum seekers living in these accommodations by adopting a digital ethnographic method, which is co-produced with Migrants Organising for Rights and Empowerment (MORE), a grassroots organisation based in Glasgow advocating for human rights and dignity for asylum seekers and refugees.The project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) rapid response to Covid-19

Coronary CT Angiography and 5-Year Risk of Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Although coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) improves diagnostic certainty in the assessment of patients with stable chest pain, its effect on 5-year clinical outcomes is unknown. METHODS: In an open-label, multicenter, parallel-group trial, we randomly assigned 4146 patients with stable chest pain who had been referred to a cardiology clinic for evaluation to standard care plus CTA (2073 patients) or to standard care alone (2073 patients). Investigations, treatments, and clinical outcomes were assessed over 3 to 7 years of follow-up. The primary end point was death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction at 5 years. RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up was 4.8 years, which yielded 20,254 patient-years of follow-up. The 5-year rate of the primary end point was lower in the CTA group than in the standard-care group (2.3% [48 patients] vs. 3.9% [81 patients]; hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41 to 0.84; P=0.004). Although the rates of invasive coronary angiography and coronary revascularization were higher in the CTA group than in the standard-care group in the first few months of follow-up, overall rates were similar at 5 years: invasive coronary angiography was performed in 491 patients in the CTA group and in 502 patients in the standard-care group (hazard ratio, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.13), and coronary revascularization was performed in 279 patients in the CTA group and in 267 in the standard-care group (hazard ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.27). However, more preventive therapies were initiated in patients in the CTA group (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.65), as were more antianginal therapies (odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.54). There were no significant between-group differences in the rates of cardiovascular or noncardiovascular deaths or deaths from any cause. CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, the use of CTA in addition to standard care in patients with stable chest pain resulted in a significantly lower rate of death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction at 5 years than standard care alone, without resulting in a significantly higher rate of coronary angiography or coronary revascularization. (Funded by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office and others; SCOT-HEART ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01149590 .)

From local to central: a network analysis of who manages plant pest and disease outbreaks across scales

One of the key determinants of success in managing natural resources is “institutional fit,” i.e., how well the suite of required actions collectively match the scale of the environmental problem. The effective management of pest and pathogen threats to plants is a natural resource problem of particular economic, social, and environmental importance. Responses to incursions are managed by a network of decision makers and managers acting at different spatial and temporal scales. We applied novel network theoretical methods to assess the propensity of growers, local industry, local state government, and state and national government head offices to foster either within- or across-scale coordination during the successful 2001 Australian response to the outbreak of the fungal pathogen black sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis). We also reconstructed the response network to proxy what that network would look like today under the Australian government’s revised response system. We illustrate a structural move in the plant biosecurity response system from one that was locally driven to the current top-down system, in which the national government leads coordination of a highly partitioned engagement process. For biological incursions that spread widely across regions, nationally rather than locally managed responses may improve coordination of diverse tasks. However, in dealing with such challenges of institutional fit, local engagement will always be critical in deploying flexible and adaptive local responses based on a national system. The methods we propose detect where and how network structures foster cross-scale interactions, which will contribute to stronger empirical studies of cross-scale environmental governance

2017 Scientific Consensus Statement: land use impacts on the Great Barrier Reef water quality and ecosystem condition. Chapter 4: management options and their effectiveness

This chapter seeks to answer the following questions: 1. What are the values of the Great Barrier Reef? 2. How effective are better agricultural practices in improving water quality? 3. How can we improve the uptake of better agricultural practices? 4. What water quality improvement can non-agricultural land uses contribute? 5. How can Great Barrier Reef water quality improvement programs be improved? Each section summarises the currently available peer reviewed literature and comments on implications for management and research gaps. This chapter has a wider scope than previous Scientific Consensus Statements, including, for the first time, the social and governance dimensions of management and the management of non-agricultural land uses. These new sections are constrained by a lack of Great Barrier Reef–specific data and information. The relevance of information from other locations must be carefully considered. In comparison, the agricultural practice change and economics sections provide an update on material compiled as part of the 2013 Scientific Consensus Statement. This report has been confined to peer reviewed literature, which is generally published in books and journals or major reports. There is additional evidence in grey literature, such as project and program reports, that has not been included here. Each section of this chapter has been compiled by a writing team and then revised following a series of review processes