Using biographical narrative and life story methods to research women's movements: FEMCIT

This paper discusses the use of the biographical narrative interpretative method (BNIM) in a research project that investigated the ways in which intimate life and intimate citizenship have changed in the wake of the cultural and political interventions of women's movements and other movements for gender and sexual equality and change. It outlines the research design of the study, which was the “Intimate Citizenship” work package of the FEMCIT research project, and describes how the biographical narrative interpretative method enabled the project's central research questions to be addressed

Negotiating professional and social voices in research principles and practice

This paper draws on work conducted for a qualitative interview based study which explores the gendered racialised and professional identifications of health and social care professionals. Participants for the project were drawn from the professional executive committees of recently formed Primary Care Trusts. The paper discusses how the feminist psychosocial methodological approach developed for the project is theoretically, practically and ethically useful in exploring the voices of those in positions of relative power in relation to both health and social care services and the social relations of gender and ethnicity. The approach draws on psychodynamic accounts of (defended) subjectivity and the feminist work of Carol Gilligan on a voice-centred relational methodology. Coupling the feminist with the psychosocial facilitates an emphasis on voice and dialogic communication between participant and researcher not always captured in psychosocial approaches which tend towards favouring the interviewer as ‘good listener’. This emphasis on dialogue is important in research contexts where prior and ongoing relationships with professional participants make it difficult and indeed undesirable for researchers to maintain silence

A pedagogic appraisal of the Priority Heuristic

We have explored how science and mathematics teachers made decisions when confronted with a dilemma in which a fictitious young woman, Deborah, may choose to have an operation that might address a painful spinal condition. We sought to explore the extent to which psychological heuristic models, in particular the Priority Heuristic, might successfully describe the decision-making process of these teachers and how an analysis of the role of personal and emotional factors in shaping the decision-making process might inform pedagogical design. A novel aspect of this study is that the setting in which the decision-making process is examined contrasts sharply with those used in psychological experiments. We found that to some extent, even in this contrasting setting, the Priority Heuristic could describe these teachers' decision-making. Further analysis of the transcripts yielded some insights into limitations on scope as well the richness and complexity in how personal factors were brought to bear. We see these limitations as design opportunities for educational intervention

Stigma narratives: LGBT transitions and identities in Malta

This article is available open access through the publisher’s website at the link below. Copyright @ 2011 A B Academic Publishers.This article considers narratives of transition experiences of a group of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) young people in Malta. The article draws on Goffman's concept of stigma and uses this to explore transitions in a society that retains some traditional characteristics, particularly the code of honour and shame, although mediated by aspects of modernity. Interviews were undertaken with 15 young people with the goal of producing narratives. The article analyses the experience of stigma, its effects and how young people manage its consequences. It concludes by drawing attention to the pervasive nature of stigma and the importance of structure, agency and reflexivity in youth transitions. In particular stigma remains an important feature of societies in which hetero-normative sexuality remains dominant

Die Mitglieder der catilinarischen Verschwörung

Motivation: Wegen meiner bisherigen Studienschwerpunkte auf den Gebieten der Alte Geschichte und dem Lehramtsstudium Geschichte und Latein widmete ich mich der Problembehandlung der Catilinarischen Verschwörung. Dieses Thema ist für mich umso interessanter, da es in der Forschung zu diesem Punkt keine opinio communis gibt, sondern viele kontroversielle Meinungen. Fragestellung und Ziele der Diplomarbeit: Über die Motive und Hintergründe der Verschwörer wird schon seit Jahrhunderten teilweise kontrovers diskutiert. Festzuhalten ist, dass es sich bei der Verschwörung des Catilina nicht um eine homogene Gruppierung, sondern um eine Interessensgemeinschaft aus allen Schichten (Senatoren, Ritter und sullanische Veteranen) der römischen Bevölkerung handelte. Ein Ziel ist es daher, wenn nach den Motiven und Hintergründen gefragt wird, darauf hinzuweisen, dass auch diese keineswegs einheitlich waren. Daher ergibt sich folgende Fragestellung: War es ein Aufstand wegen verlorener dignitas? Inwiefern spielten Habgier und Schuldenstreichung eine Rolle? War es eine soziale Revolution? Gab es überhaupt ein grundlegendes Programm oder war es einfach nur ein anarchistisches Komplott? Oder war es gar der simple Zusammenschluss einer Camorra, deren einzige Ziele Machterhaltung und Bereicherung lauteten? Neben den Motiven der Verschwörer muss auch nach den Hintermännern (Caius Iulius Caesar und Marcus Licinius Crassus) und Finanziers der Verschwörung gefragt werden. Ein Ziel wird es sein, herauszufinden wie sehr diese die Verschwörer und deren Anhänger kontrollieren konnten, bzw. ob dies überhaupt möglich war. Natürlich müssen daher auch die Ziele und Motive der Hintermänner geklärt werden und die Frage, wie sehr sich diese mit den Zielen der Verschwörer selbst gedeckt haben. Natürlich soll ebenfalls beleuchtet werden, in welchem Ausmaß soziale Unruhen gewissen Politikern (Crassus und Pompeius) der späten römischen Republik zweckdienlich gewesen wären. Neben den Hintermännern sollen auch sämtliche uns bekannte Anhänger der Verschwörung sowie auch deren Schicksale näher erfasst und beleuchtet werden. Dieser Punkt führt uns natürlich direkt zu deren Verhaftung, zur Verhandlung und zu deren Untergang. Auch hier muss die äußerst umstrittene Frage geklärt werden, ob es sich hierbei um eine berechtigte Notwehr des Staates oder um einen Justizmord gehandelt hat! Ein weiterer Punkt, der näher hinterfragt wird, ist das subversive Auftreten des Caius Iulius Caesar am 5. Dezember 63. v. Chr. Handelt es sich hier um den Versuch, seine politischen Spießgesellen zu retten oder handelt es sich doch darum, die res publica libera selbst zu unterwandern und zu unterminieren

Magnetophonon oscillations in graphene with a large applied DC bias voltage

Magnetophonon resonance (MPR) oscillations are a valuable spectroscopic tool for studying electron interactions in solids. This type of spectroscopy is performed by applying a magnetic field to the solid, to quantise the energy of the charge carriers, and inter-Landau level scattering transitions are observed as oscillations in magnetoresistance. Since the transition energy is known, these oscillations can be used to identify phonons responsible for the inter-Landau level scattering. These oscillations, which arise due to scattering of Dirac fermions by transverse and longitudinal acoustic phonons, appear only in large graphene Hall bars with dimensions in excess of 10 um (greater than the phonon scattering mean free path). Here we apply large current-induced bias voltages (up to 1 mA) through a large graphene Hall bar and study the effect on the MPR oscillations. We observe a splitting of these oscillations due to a spatial tilting of the Landau levels induced by a strong Hall electric field. At sufficiently large Hall fields we also observe `phonon-less' inter-Landau level scattering transitions which arise when the Landau level states become parallel in energy. Finally, we observe an additional scattering process when the drift velocity approaches the speed of the transverse acoustic phonon

Depressed patients’ experiences with and perspectives on treatment provided by homeopaths. A qualitative interview study embedded in a trial

Introduction Depression is one of the clinical conditions patients most commonly consult homeopaths. This study therefore aimed to learn about patients’ experiences having this intervention. Methods A semi-structured qualitative interview study was nested within a randomised controlled trial to learn about depressed patients’ experiences with treatment provided by homeopaths. A purposive selection of adults with moderate to severe self-reported depression were included. Interviews were conducted post initial consultation and six months post-randomisation. Thematic analysis was used to develop themes describing participants’ experiences, thoughts and understandings. Results Forty-six interviews were carried out with 33 adults. Sixteen themes were developed and have been categorised under three main headings: 1) changed understanding of the intervention, with themes such as understanding the intervention as being adapted; 2) experiences with the consultation and the medication, such as caring support, trust and optimism arising from consultations with homeopaths; and 3) changes in state of health, such as improvement in mood, wellbeing and ability to cope, or little or no change, or transient adverse events. Conclusion This is the first qualitative study of depressed patients’ experiences with treatment provided by homeopaths. Results provide an insight into their experiences with consultations and homeopathic and antidepressant medication, their understanding of the intervention, and the changes in their state of health over time

The role of the family in attributing meaning to living with HIV and its stigma in Turkey

Stigma attached to HIV/AIDS remains a global problem, with severe negative consequences for people living with HIV (PLHIV). Family support is fundamental for PLHIV’s psychological and physical well-being. HIV-related stigma is high in Turkey, where HIV/AIDS prevalence is low and the epidemic is not considered a priority. Based on qualitative data generated with HIV-positive women and men, this article explores the process of stigmatization, as experienced and perceived by PLHIV in Turkey, focusing on the institution of the family. Results indicated that enacted stigma from family members is lower than anticipated. While most participants’ narratives showed patterns of support rather than rejection from families, the strong expectations around the cultural value attributed to “the family” are found to be the main facilitators of internalized stigma. The article critically discusses the meaning and implications of family support, addressing the role of patriarchal values attributed to womanhood, manhood, and sexuality in Turkey