What do we mean by 'wellbeing'? : and why might it matter?

There is significant ambiguity around the definition, usage and function of the word ‘wellbeing’, not only within DCSF but in the public policy realm, and in the wider world. This has implications for DCSF. Essentially, wellbeing is a cultural construct and represents a shifting set of meanings - wellbeing is no less than what a group or groups of people collectively agree makes ‘a good life’. The meaning and function of a term like ‘wellbeing’ not only changes through time, but is open to both overt and subtle dispute and contest. There is evidence that the discourse of ‘wellbeing’ - how, for what purposes, and with what effects the term is being used - is at present particularly unstable in the UK. Given the importance of the term to DCSF’s policy and communications, we recommend a low key but deliberate strategy to manage the DCSF position within this ambiguity and instability

Autopilot? A reflexive review of the piloting process in qualitative e-research

Purpose: This paper examines an oft-neglected aspect of qualitative research practice – conducting a pilot – using the innovative approach of ‘e-research’ to generate both practical and methodological insights. Approach: Using the authors’ ‘e-research’ pilot as a reflexive case study, key methodological issues are critically reviewed. This review is set in a broader context of the qualitative methods literature in which piloting appears largely as an implicit practice. Using a new and emerging approach (‘e-research’) provides a prompt to review our ‘autopilot’ tendencies and offers a new lens for analysing research practice. Findings: We find that despite an initial focus on ‘practical’ aspects of data collection within our ‘e-research’, the pilot opened up a range of areas for further consideration. We review research ethics, collaborative research practices and data management issues specifically for e-research but also reflect more broadly on potential implications for piloting within other research designs. Practical implications: We aim to offer both practical and methodological insights for qualitative researchers, whatever their methodological orientation, so that they might develop approaches for piloting that are appropriate to their own research endeavours. More specifically, we offer tentative guidance to those venturing into the emerging area of ‘e-research’. Value: This paper offers insight into an oft-ignored aspect of qualitative research, whilst also engaging in emerging area of methodological interest

Exploring boundaries in the hybrid environment

Event synopsis: The theme for the WORK2015 Conference, New Meanings of Work sought its justification not only from the changes in work itself but from the global shifts both in the divisions and in the contents of the work. The ongoing turbulences of the post-recession economies at the global, regional and national levels shake also the work and its meanings. The on-going economic and societal changes are connected to forms and boundaries of work and to modes of working and ways of living that are yet to thoroughly mapped and explored. The recent transformations touch the very definition of what is work and call for rigorous explorations and new analyses

Digi-housekeeping: a new form of digital labour?

Event synopsis: The theme for the WORK2015 Conference, New Meanings of Work sought its justification not only from the changes in work itself but from the global shifts both in the divisions and in the contents of the work. The ongoing turbulences of the post-recession economies at the global, regional and national levels shake also the work and its meanings. The on-going economic and societal changes are connected to forms and boundaries of work and to modes of working and ways of living that are yet to thoroughly mapped and explored. The recent transformations touch the very definition of what is work and call for rigorous explorations and new analyses

Transitions across work-life boundaries in a connected world: the case of social entrepreneurs

Information and communication technologies (ICTs), including mobile technologies, have significant implications for the management of work-life balance (WLB) (e.g. Perrons, 2003) and thus for sustainable work practices within organizations and society at large. Boundary theory (Clark, 2000) argues that individuals maintain boundaries between role identities (e.g. parent, worker) within different social domains (e.g. family, work), and that they regularly have to transition between these domains. WLB may reflect the effectiveness of this transitioning. ICTs have significant implications for the management of these boundaries, particularly as they open up new areas for interaction through mobility and through the potential provision of a variety of easily available connections. In this paper, we report on the findings of 15 social entrepreneurs’ video and interview data. In particular, we explore and advance understanding of the individual experience of switching between roles and domains in relation to ICT use and connectivity

Pupillary Light Reflex Deficits in a Canine Model of Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis and the Effects of Enzyme Replacement Therapy

Pupil size is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, and iris behavior reflects a balance of input from both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The pupillary light reflex (PLR) occurs in response to light entering the eye and requires functional integrity of the retina and specific nuclei of the midbrain. Recently, pupillography or quantitative analysis of the PLR has been developed as a non-invasive, objective technique capable of detecting subtle changes associated with the complex network of neuronal circuitry involved in modulating pupil size. This makes the PLR a useful biomarker that can be used to monitor disease progression in neurological disorders. The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) are a group of lysosomal storage disorders that are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. A late-infantile onset form of NCL (CLN2) is caused by a mutation in the CLN2 gene which codes for tripeptidyl peptidase-1 (TPP1), a soluble, lysosomal enzyme that aids degradation of peptides in cells throughout the body. A Dachshund model of CLN2 was developed and is currently being maintained at the University of Missouri. Dogs affected by CLN2 lack functional TPP1 and present with xvi progressive ataxia, cognitive and behavioral changes, and myoclonic seizures starting at approximately 7-8 months of age and progressing to a terminal state requiring euthanasia at 10 to 11 months of age. In addition, affected dogs exhibit vision loss and marked deficits in ERG b-wave amplitude and significant thinning of the inner retina by disease end-stage. The strong resemblance to the human CLN2 makes these dogs an excellent model in which to test possible treatment options prior to beginning human clinical trials. In the effort to make optimal use of the canine model of CLN2, studies were undertaken to develop a reliable protocol for the quantitative assessment of the canine PLR. Using the developed equipment and methodology, we thoroughly evaluated the PLR in response to short flashes of white light of incre

Investigating understandings of age in the workplace

Age in the workplace has become a hot topic of debate across different countries and sectors. Yet, to date, age has been one of the least researched aspects of diversity at work. Instead, we tend to assume certain ‘facts’ about how age affects people’s ability to work, usually informed by stereotypes about the talents and capabilities of different age groups and generational categories. In this research, we aimed to scrutinise such stereotypes, exploring how they are constructed and their potential effect on experiences of work and employment across different age groups in the UK

Digital Ethics

We consider digital ethics, the moral principles or rules of behaviour that govern and guide qualitative internet research from its inception to publication and the curation of data. A number of overarching tensions are identified: flux and uncertainty regarding these rules, the type and status of ethical guidance, the lack of transparency around ethics in practice and the ‘problematic’ nature of qualitative research. Four key debates are then explored namely determining human participation, working with the private/public dilemma, seeking informed consent and from whom and deciding on anonymization or attribution. Looking ahead at the future directions, we consider the areas of researcher role and protection. We conclude with how we might channel the reflexivity that qualitative researchers already embrace when engaging with issues of validity, and use this for an ‘ethics as process’ case-based approach which features ongoing reflexive questioning of ethical considerations throughout the research cycle

Analysing Web Images

The visual is fundamental to internet experience which itself is an almost unavoidable feature of our lives as workers, consumers, family members, and as researchers. However, despite the recent interest in the visual in business and management research, web images have yet to become a key focus of analysis. This chapter discusses different forms of image found on the internet and explores ways in which these might be analysed. Imagine for a moment the internet without images. Then consider your own organizational website or one relating to an organization you are researching; look at its coverage in the news or how it promotes its products online. It is likely you may even find more images than text. We suggest that these web images offer potential insights into a wide range contemporary of work-related debates of interest to business and management researchers. Such insights might inform understandings of particular organizational processes or, as in our own research exploring constructions of age and ageing at work, inform an understanding of the internet as a critical communicative context for organizing, organizations and those working in them. In this chapter we examine the potential of these data for informing research and consider key questions to pose when setting out on such a research project. Given the variety and potential of web images we first provide an overview of these data before exploring a specific example in depth to offer further methodological examination

Žene u filozofiji: što učiniti? Propitivanje vrijednosti reprezentacije i intersekcionalnosti

It is clear that philosophy has a “woman problem”. Despite the recent acceptance of this fact, it is less clear what ought to be done about it. In this paper, we argue that philosophy as a discipline is uniquely well-positioned to think through the marginalisation suffered by women and other minorities. We therefore interrogate two values that already undergird conversations about inclusion— representation and intersectionality—in order to think about the path ahead. We argue that, once we have done so, it becomes clear that the slow pace of improvement over the last few decades is unacceptable and more radical steps need to be taken. First, we outline the current state of women in philosophy focusing on three areas: levels of employment, publishing, and sexual harassment. Then we turn to representation and intersectionality respectively. We conclude by arguing that many women and people of colour have been arguing for a more radically diverse philosophy for many years. What we are facing is a lack of ambition on the one hand and problem of attention on the other.Jasno je da filozofija ima “problem sa ženama”. Unatoč nedavnom prihvaćanju ove činjenice, manje je jasno što bi trebalo poduzeti oko toga. U ovom radu tvrdimo da je filozofija kao disciplina u jedinstveno dobroj poziciji da promisli o marginalizaciji koju trpe žene i druge manjine. Stoga, propitujemo dvije vrijednosti koje već podupiru razgovore o uključivanju – reprezentaciju i intersekcionalnost – kako bismo razmišljali o putu koji je pred nama. Tvrdimo da, kada to učinimo, postaje jasno da je spori tempo poboljšanja u posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća neprihvatljiv i da je potrebno poduzeti radikalnije korake. Prvo, ocrtavamo trenutno stanje žena u filozofiji fokusirajući se na tri područja: razine zaposlenosti, izdavaštvo i seksualno uznemiravanje. Zatim se osvrćemo na reprezentaciju odnosno intersekcionalnost. Zaključujemo tvrdnjom da se mnoge žene i ljudi druge boje kože godinama zalažu za radikalniju i raznolikiju filozofiju. Ono s čim se suočavamo je manjak ambicija s jedne te problem pažnje s druge strane