QUANDO O CAMPO É SUA PRÓPRIA UNIVERSIDADE:: NOTAS SOBRE A ETNOGRAFIA COMO “CATEGORIA DE ACUSAÇÃO”

Este artigo propõe uma reflexão acerca de uma pesquisa realizada entre 2009 e 2011 sobre as relações entre uma instituição de ensino superior e uma parcela da sociedade, a saber, a Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas (FFCH) da UFBA e os bairros situados em seu entorno. Tomo a seguinte questão como guia: como se dá a etnografia em um setor que vislumbra a si mesmo como estando para além dos limites do Estado? Por um lado, na letra oficial das instituições estatais, a universidade pública aparece como que desprovida de poderes executivos e legislativos, estando afiançada apenas de um  poder consultivo, tendo por prerrogativa a tarefa de auxiliar os gestores públicos na arte do bom governo. Por outro, etnografias sobre setores do Estado informam que as suas instituições, não raro, operam extrapolando o seu arcabouço legal/formal. Reside aí toda a questão, pois um relato sobre a vida privada de uma instituição da qual o antropólogo está vinculado inspira dois tipos de reações: aqueles que temem ser “avaliados” negativamente e terem, assim, seu sistema de representações ferido e aqueles que querem ver “o circo pegar fogo”, conquanto não voem faíscas a chamuscar suas reputações. Desta forma, a etnografia é enquadrada como um exercício de antropologia anti-social, nos termos do antropólogo David Mosse. No caso em tela, teme-se que a análise das relações  entre  a  FFCH  e  a sua vizinhança demonstre o quão esta entidade está enredada em condicionamentos e ideologias que, a princípio, seriam vistos como alheias a ela

The JEL Building

This report (ETSU S 1160/3) is one of a series of Energy Performance Assessment full technical reports describing the research results from detailed investigations and long-term (> one year) monitoring of a series of innovative passive buildings in the UK. The JEL building is a headquarters and production facility for a building controls' company in Stockport, Manchester. It is designed to use the sun to displace heating energy through the use of a SW facing 100% glazed façade

Informing new or improved vector control tools for reducing the malaria burden in Tanzania: a qualitative exploration of perceptions of mosquitoes and methods for their control among the residents of Dar es Salaam

Background The effectiveness of malaria prevention with long-lasting insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying is limited by emerging insecticide resistance, evasive mosquito behaviours that include outdoor biting, sub-optimal implementation and inappropriate use. New vector control interventions are required and their potential effectiveness will be enhanced if existing household perceptions and practices are integrated into intervention design. Methods This qualitative descriptive study used focus groups discussions, in-depth interviews and photovoice methods to explore mosquito control perceptions and practices among residents in four study sites in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Results Mosquitoes were perceived as a growing problem, directly attributed to widespread environmental deterioration and lack of effective mosquito control interventions. Malaria and nuisance biting were perceived as the main problem caused by mosquitoes. Breeding sites were clearly distinguished from resting sites but residents did not differentiate between habitats producing malaria vector mosquitoes and others producing mostly nuisance mosquitoes. The most frequently mentioned protection methods in the wealthiest locations were bed nets, aerosol insecticide sprays, window screens, and fumigation, while bed nets were most frequently mentioned and described as ‘part of the culture’ in the least wealthy locations. Mosquito-proofed housing was consistently viewed as desirable, but considered unaffordable outside wealthiest locations. Slapping and covering up with clothing were most commonly used to prevent biting outdoors. Despite their utility outdoors, topical repellents applied to the skin were considered expensive, and viewed with suspicion due to perceived side effects. Improving the local environment was the preferred method for preventing outdoor biting. Affordability, effectiveness, availability, practicality, as well as social influences, such as government recommendations, socialization and internalization (familiarization and habit) were described as key factors influencing uptake. Conclusion Outdoor transmission is widely accepted as an obstacle to malaria elimination. Larval source management, targeting both malaria vectors and nuisance-biting mosquitoes, is the preferred method for mosquito control among the residents of Dar es Salaam and should be prioritized for development alongside new methods for outdoor personal protection. Even if made available, effective and affordable, these additional interventions may require time and user experience to achieve positive reputations and trustworthiness

Theories of behaviour and behaviour change across the social and behavioural sciences: a scoping review

Interventions to change health-related behaviours typically have modest effects and may be more effective if grounded in appropriate theory. Most theories applied to public health interventions tend to emphasise individual capabilities and motivation, with limited reference to context and social factors. Intervention effectiveness may be increased by drawing on a wider range of theories incorporating social, cultural and economic factors that influence behaviour. The primary aim of this paper is to identify theories of behaviour and behaviour change of potential relevance to public health interventions across four scientific disciplines: psychology, sociology, anthropology and economics. We report in detail the methodology of our scoping review used to identify these theories including which involved a systematic search of electronic databases, consultation with a multidisciplinary advisory group, web searching, searching of reference lists and hand searching of key behavioural science journals. Of secondary interest we developed a list of agreed criteria for judging the quality of the theories. We identified 82 theories and 9 criteria for assessing theory quality. The potential relevance of this wide-ranging number of theories to public health interventions and the ease and usefulness of evaluating the theories in terms of the quality criteria are however yet to be determined

“For us by us”: visibility and politicization of marginalized youth in Salvador

This paper analyzes visibility as a political artefact, since it has been used by young people from the slums in their attempts to guarantee their “right to the city”. Almost always invisible, these young people commonly appear in the public sphere as being associated with violence, even when engaged in activities related to leisure, entertainment and the cultural industry. Through the accompaniment of youth groups in the city of Salvador that has been dedicated to graffiti, rap, among other marginal artistic practices, we argue that there is a process of building visibility of the demands of these segments, during and after the so-called “June 2013 days”, as long as they began to articulate with the more traditional social movements (those centered on racial and social flags). With these articulations, these young people from the slums have created an alternative to “perverse visibility”, which is the projection given to them by the media and police authorities, when they frame them in the terms of disorder and social anomie. Finally, we consider that the politicization of these artistic movements has made it possible for these young people to create another type of youth from the periphery, not linked to drug trafficking, nor to governmental initiatives (young people from social projects).O presente trabalho analisa a visibilidade como artefato político, na medida em que ela tem sido utilizada por jovens da periferia urbana em suas tentativas de garantir o seu “direito à cidade”. Quase sempre invisíveis, comumente, esses jovens aparecem na esfera pública como associados à violência, mesmo quando se dedicam às atividades vinculadas ao lazer, ao entretenimento e à indústria cultural. Por intermédio do acompanhamento de coletivos de jovens da cidade de Salvador que têm se dedicado à pixação, ao grafite, ao rap, dentre outras práticas artísticas marginais, argumentamos que há um processo de construção de visibilidade das demandas desses segmentos, uma vez que, antes, durante e após as chamadas “jornadas de junho de 2013”, eles passaram a se articular com os movimentos sociais mais tradicionais (aqueles centrados em bandeiras de cunho racial e social). Com essas articulações, esses jovens da periferia têm criado uma alternativa à “visibilidade perversa”, que é a projeção a eles conferida pela mídia e pelas autoridades policiais, sobretudo quando os enquadram nos termos da desordem e da anomia social. Por fim, consideramos que a politização desses movimentos artísticos tem possibilitado aos jovens a emergência de um outro tipo de juventude da periferia, nem vinculada ao tráfico de drogas, tampouco às iniciativas governamentais (isto é, os jovens de projetos sociais)

Comparing patient and healthcare worker experiences during a dengue outbreak in Singapore: understanding the patient journey and the introduction of a point-of-care test (POCT) toward better care delivery.

BACKGROUND: In the aftermath of an upsurge in the number of dengue cases in 2013 and 2014, the SD BIOLINE Dengue Duo rapid diagnostic Point-of-Care Test (POCT) kit was introduced in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore in June 2013. It is known that the success of POCT usage is contingent on its implementation within the health system. We evaluated health services delivery and the Dengue Duo rapid diagnostic test kit application in Singapore from healthcare workers' perspectives and patient experiences of dengue at surge times. METHODS: Focus group discussions were conducted with dengue patients, from before and after the POCT implementation period. In-depth interviews with semi-structured components with healthcare workers were carried out. A patient centred process mapping technique was used for evaluation, which mapped the patient's journey and was mirrored from the healthcare worker's perspective. RESULTS: Patients and healthcare workers confirmed a wide range of symptoms in adults, making it challenging to determine diagnosis. There were multiple routes to help seeking, and no 'typical patient journey', with patients either presenting directly to the hospital emergency department, or being referred there by a primary care provider. Patients groups diagnosed before and after POCT implementation expressed some differences between speed of diagnoses and attitudes of doctors, yet shared negative feelings about waiting times and a lack of communication and poor information delivery. However, the POCT did not in its current implementation do much to help waiting times. Healthcare workers expressed that public perceptions of dengue in recent years was a major factor in changing patient management, and that the POCT kit was helpful in improving the speed and accuracy of diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Health service delivery for dengue patients in Singapore was overall perceived to be of an acceptable clinical standard, which was enhanced by the introduction of the POCT. However, improvements can be focused on Adapting to outbreaks by reducing and rendering Waiting experiences more comfortable; Advancing education about symptom recognition, while also Recognising better communication strategies; and Expanding follow-up care options. This is presented as the Dengue AWARE model of care delivery

Examining resilience in Singapore in the face of COVID-19 community restrictions

IntroductionTo curb transmission of COVID-19, Singapore has experienced multiple, ongoing community restrictions. Gaining the ability to adapt and thrive under pressure will be key to addressing effects of these restrictions on mental health. To inform this, we examine the following research questions, (1) What typifies adversity related to living with on–off COVID-19 restrictions? (2) Who are the resilient? (3) How are negative effects of adversity attenuated?MethodsParticipants were a part of the Strengthening Our Community’s Resilience Against Threats from Emerging Infections (SOCRATES) cohort, invited to participate in this survey either via email or text message. Using the community survey data (N = 1,364), analyses including Wilcoxon rank sum test and logistic regression were conducted.ResultsAdversities are identified as circumstances associated with a significant increase in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores. These are typified by having financial worries; experiencing heightened emotions and frequent crying; having “out of body” experiences; having to move frequently or not being able to settle into accommodation; and regularly feeling mistreated by someone close to you. Being resilient in the face of adversity was determined by HADS scores for depression and anxiety (dichotomized at the median) and characterized by overall better social relationships such as having harmonious living situations and solution-driven coping strategies, especially the ability to harness the belief that difficult situations can lead to growth.DiscussionIn accordance with the Loads-Levers-Lifts model, results indicate that initiatives that increase access to identified protection, while minimizing exposure to known adversities where possible, will promote resilience under COVID-19 restrictions