Patentable Discovery?

Discoveries are property that people did not create or produce, but that which they obtained through the unearthing of an object or an idea. Finding an object, or being the first to obtain certain knowledge, may allow you to file a patent and gain exclusive rights in your discovery. This Comment addresses the issue of whether such discoveries are patentable. The author argues that despite some decisions and dicta to the contrary, the courts and the Patent Office should explicitly recognize the patentability of discoveries that are not inventions

How we say what we do and why it is important: An idiosyncratic analysis of mental health nursing identity on social media

This paper is the culmination of a qualitative research project into mental health nursing (MHN) identity via exploration of a social media campaign organized in 2018 by the UK Mental Health Nurses Association. Through engagement with this campaign and a multimethod approach, this paper proposes a new and novel heuristic framework for exploring MHN identity holistically, through what is termed the 6Ps of MHN identity. The 6Ps – encompassing the professional, personal, practical, proximal, philosophical, and political aspects of identity – were previously shared with members of the MHN research community at both the 2019 and 2020 proceedings of the International Mental Health Nursing Research Conference. To examine the identity expressed in the social media campaign, all contributions by nurses were amalgamated into one ‘text’ for analysis. When this text was examined, the focus was the particular language used by MHNs. This granular analysis concentrated on word choice, form, and frequency as the constituent aspects of meaning. Even when it was necessary to examine larger grammatical units, the key nouns – grammatical objects and subjects – were the primary focus of analysis. Following this, the author – a mental health nurse themselves – applied their personal understanding of the field of practice to the text to arrive at an understanding of its contents. This approach is the first in the field of MHN identity research to examine the profession’s identity as expressed by members on social media, as well as the linguistic form of that expression

The feminisation of clerical work 1870-1914

The following thesis has five main objectives: - 1. To describe the role and position of women in clerical work in the period circa 1870 to 1914. 2. To understand the origins of the role and position of women in clerical work hierarchies and to offer reasons for this role and position. 3. To use and link theoretical perspectives which are useful in helping us to understand the origins of the role and position of women in clerical work. 4. To consider the impact of wider social structure upon the roles and position of women in clerical work. 5. To develop an overall framework for understanding the role and position of women in society and in work. These objectives will now be briefly expanded. 1. To describe the role and position of women in clerical work in the period circa 1870 to 1914. Throughout the thesis considerable space is given to describing the actual work, status and market situations of female clerks. This descriptive element is the background against which the theoretical framework is developed and tested. It also offers us some appreciation of what work was actually like for female clerks in the 1870 to 1914 period, and allows us to compare their conditions with late twentieth century clerks. 2. To understand the origins of the role and position of women, in clerical work hierarchies and to offer reasons for this role and position The thesis seeks to investigate the historical process through which females entered clerical work over the period 1870 to 1914. It seeks to assess the role of economic environment in drawing women into clerical work, and the changing 'status' of those women who become clerks. The thesis notes the 'status' of clerical work in the 1870-1914 period and how the perception of such work was changing. 3. To utilise and link theoretical perspectives which are useful in helping us to understand the origins of the role and position of women in clerical work The central objective of the thesis is to offer a theoretical framework for the analysis and comprehension of women's role and position within clerical work. In order to achieve this two approaches to the study of historical development are drawn on. Firstly, the concept of patriarchy; secondly elements of the labour process debate. It is argued throughout the thesis, but particularly in chapters six to eight, that within the context of clerical work, the 'gender dimension' is of crucial significance in determining the nature of female office work; their pay and conditions of work; their job prospects and opportunities; the determination of 'skill' in the office; control within the office. In short, the existence of a Patriarchal frame of reference has contributed to the structuration of and divisions within the clerical labour force. 4. To consider the impact of wider social structure upon the role and position of women in clerical work Intimately linked to objective three, the thesis aims to consider the impact of wider social structure and values on the role and position of women in clerical work. The importance of wider social values concerning the role and position of women within society is considered and related to the structuration of employment. The thesis argues that wider social structure and values are of crucial importance in determining the role and position of women within clerical work. 5. To develop an overall framework for understanding the role and position of women in society and in work The overall objective of this thesis is to contribute to the body of literature which seeks to understand the manner in which female employment patternsare determined, in part, by patriarchal social relations; that is, relations between men and women. It offers no assessment of how to overcome this problem, but, through recognition of the interrelationship between economic or capitalist development and patriarchal social relations in the clerical work context, the thesis aims to inform and educate on the subtlety and insidiousness of this relationship