William Wingard Mude, Christopher M. Fisher, Roslyn Le Gautier, Jack Wallace and Jacqueline A. Richmond
South Sudanese people form the largest number of resettled refugees in Australia between 2003 and 2004. This study aims to explore how this community understands and responds to…
Abstract
Purpose
South Sudanese people form the largest number of resettled refugees in Australia between 2003 and 2004. This study aims to explore how this community understands and responds to health and illness. No study has specifically examined the concept of health and illness in the broader socio-cultural context of the South Sudanese people in Australia.
Design/methodology/approach
The design was a qualitative study using interviews and focus group discussions with 33 South Sudanese people in Adelaide, South Australia. Participants were asked to reflect on their understanding of health and illness and influences on their access and use of health and other services. Data were electronically audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.
Findings
Three main themes emerged from the analysis demonstrating complex and multifaceted views on health and illness. Participants described health as both a lack of disease and wider issues involving social belonging and participation, cultural well-being, living conditions and harmony in the society. They revealed that illnesses are predetermined by God or caused by a curse, breaking a cultural taboo, disharmony with the environment, community and ancestral spirits. Participants deeply tied their beliefs about illness causation and treatment to their historical, social and cultural lived realities, shaping their responses and health-care-seeking decisions.
Originality/value
The current study revealed a complex understanding of health and health-care-seeking practices amongst South Sudanese Australians. The multifaceted views of health and health-care-seeking practices underscore the importance of person-centred care for culturally and linguistically diverse people.
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Jacqueline Burgess, Saskia de Klerk, Jacqueline Blake and Dawn Birch
This research explores the skills, attitudes and knowledge of micro and small businesses in the peripheral high growth region of Moreton Bay in southeast Queensland that would…
Abstract
Purpose
This research explores the skills, attitudes and knowledge of micro and small businesses in the peripheral high growth region of Moreton Bay in southeast Queensland that would enable these businesses to adopt and use new business technology.
Design/methodology/approach
Sixteen in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants recruited via snowball sampling and utilised in conjunction with the Queensland government’s Digital Scorecard survey data. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, NVivo 12 and a phenomenographic approach.
Findings
All micro and small business owners understood the value of new business technology and expressed a positive attitude towards its uptake but felt constrained by a lack of knowledge, time and resources. Thus, they require targeted and local guidance and tools to minimize the demands on their time of implementation, which has implications for policymakers, governments and educators.
Originality/value
Past studies on micro and small businesses adopting new technology have either looked at large regions or specific types of technology leaving the technological skills, attitudes and knowledge gaps of micro and small businesses in peripheral regions unexamined. This research aims to fill that gap by studying a specific high growth peripheral region, Moreton Bay, on the edge of the greater Brisbane city area. We recommend a phased approach to developing digital skills, adopting technology and appropriate support programs for each stage.
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Sarah Copfer and Jacqueline Specht
This chapter will provide an overview of the types of concerns that are evident in the research literature regarding how well teachers are prepared to teach in inclusive…
Abstract
This chapter will provide an overview of the types of concerns that are evident in the research literature regarding how well teachers are prepared to teach in inclusive classrooms citing both preservice education and in-service professional development/learning. It will present an overview of the measurements that have been used to measure teachers’ perceptions of preparedness for inclusive environments and the use of surveys to assess attitudes, beliefs, and values. The chapter will conclude with a discussion regarding measuring teachers’ perceptions to inform/improve teacher preparation efforts/policies/practices and what needs to be done to improve teacher preparation for inclusive education.
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This chapter conceptualizes computational methods across three related, yet distinct approaches: (1) Social Simulation, (2) Data Science, and (3) Big Data. Group communication…
Abstract
This chapter conceptualizes computational methods across three related, yet distinct approaches: (1) Social Simulation, (2) Data Science, and (3) Big Data. Group communication research is then situated and reviewed along these three lines of research. Although some areas have considerable visibility (e.g., network analysis, text mining), some areas are less visible in group communication research (e.g., Social Simulation, Big Data designs). The chapter concludes with suggestions for issues regarding reliability, validity, and ethics.
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Debbie Spain, Jacqueline Sin, Laura Harwood, Maria Andreina Mendez and Francesca Happé
Individuals who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD) commonly experience anxiety about social interaction and social situations. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a recommended…
Abstract
Purpose
Individuals who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD) commonly experience anxiety about social interaction and social situations. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a recommended treatment for social anxiety (SA) in the non-ASD population. Therapy typically comprises cognitive interventions, imagery-based work and for some individuals, behavioural interventions. Whether these are useful for the ASD population is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to undertake a systematic review to summarise research about CBT for SA in ASD.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a priori criteria, the authors searched for English-language peer-reviewed empirical studies in five databases. The search yielded 1,364 results. Titles, abstracts, and relevant publications were independently screened by two reviewers.
Findings
Four single case studies met the review inclusion criteria; data were synthesised narratively. Participants (three adults and one child) were diagnosed with ASD and SA. There were commonalities in interventions and techniques used: participants were encouraged to identify and challenge negative thoughts, enter anxiety-provoking social situations, and develop new ways of coping. Unlike CBT for SA in non-ASD individuals, treatment also included social skills interventions. Outcomes were assessed using self- or informant-reports. Improvements in SA, depressive symptoms, social skills, and activity levels were noted. Generalisability of results is hampered, however, by the small number of studies and participants and lack of randomised controlled trial conditions employed.
Research limitations/implications
Future studies should investigate how beliefs and behaviours indicative of SA can be ameliorated in individuals with ASD.
Originality/value
This is the first review to synthesise empirical data about CBT for SA in ASD.
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Artists operating under a studio model, such as Andy Warhol, have frequently been described as reducing their work to statements of authorship, indicated by the signature finally…
Abstract
Artists operating under a studio model, such as Andy Warhol, have frequently been described as reducing their work to statements of authorship, indicated by the signature finally affixed to the work. By contrast, luxury goods manufacturers decry as inauthentic and counterfeit the handbags produced during off-shift hours using the same materials and craftsmanship as the authorized goods produced hours earlier. The distinction between authentic and inauthentic often turns on nothing more than a statement of authorship. Intellectual property law purports to value such statements of authenticity, but no statement has value unless it is accepted as valid by its audience, a determination that depends on shared notions of what authenticity means as well as a common understanding of what authenticity designates.
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M. Christopher Brown, T. Elon Dancy and Jason E. Lane
In this chapter, the authors interrogate the structures, natures, processes, and variables that shape globalized collegiate desegregation. The authors pay attention to the history…
Abstract
In this chapter, the authors interrogate the structures, natures, processes, and variables that shape globalized collegiate desegregation. The authors pay attention to the history of segregation in South African culture, then proceed to current efforts to dismantle and rebuild the country’s educational enterprise. Drawing parallels with segregation policy in the United States, the authors argue that both nations may draw from global lessons about systemic global anti-Black oppression and its structural forms (e.g., apartheid, inequities in higher education). More specifically, the authors ground arguments in an analysis of the linguistic hegemony that continues to inculcate the college-aspiring students of South Africa. Understanding fundamental desegregation characteristics of racial hegemonic nations (e.g., United States) vis-à-vis racial and linguistic hegemonic nations (e.g., South Africa) is imperative to increase understanding of democratization of educational systems throughout the world.
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The following annotated bibliography of materials on orienting users to the library and on instructing them in the use of reference and other resources covers publications from…
Abstract
The following annotated bibliography of materials on orienting users to the library and on instructing them in the use of reference and other resources covers publications from 1980. Several items from 1979 were included because information about them had not been available in time for the 1980 listing. Some entries were not annotated because the compiler was unable to secure a copy of the item.
Life studies are a rich source for further research on the role of the Afro‐American woman in society. They are especially useful to gain a better understanding of the…
Abstract
Life studies are a rich source for further research on the role of the Afro‐American woman in society. They are especially useful to gain a better understanding of the Afro‐American experience and to show the joys, sorrows, needs, and ideals of the Afro‐American woman as she struggles from day to day.