New: Journal of Critical Anti-Oppressive Social Inquiry (CAOS)

CAOS 

is an interdisciplinary peer reviewed journal that publishes original articles/art work/poetry that foreground critical forms of social inquiry, research and practice.  

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International Women's Day 2014 “Equality for women is progress for all” He for She

8 March is International Women’s Day, #IWD2014! 

This year, the theme is “Equality for women is progress for all”.

In order to achieve gender equality, we have to change what it means to be a man. For International
Women’s Day [@UN Women] highlights in its #HeforShe initiative men leaders who stand up for gender equality.

“Women’s empowerment works for men, too. Where men and women have equal rights and opportunities, societies prosper. I am a He for She.”
-Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General. 

See what other prominent men from around the world have to say:
http://owl.li/ucuvz #IWD2014

A sentence in a word - precarity - and a bad spell of 'whether'

In the past couple of months I've acquired three books to review. One of them is:

Philosophical And Theoretical Perspectives For Advanced Nursing Practic, Cody.

I'm pleased to say that over half the book now has extra notes (in pencil). Within the text and my reflections there are a great many potential posts. In chapter 18 though Doane and Varcoe write:

Subsequently, there has been little discussion about what is required to develop and enact that sensitivity and/or the knowledge, capacities, and skills required for ethical and responsive nursing relationships within the complexities of current health-care milieus. For example, as social inequalities deepen and neoliberal ideologies hold individuals responsible for their own health and well-being regardless of how poverty, disability, remote geographical locations, or other inequalities determine health, notions of obligation, responsibility, accountability, and efficiency are as vital to nursing relationships as are notions of compassion, responsiveness, trust and respect. Thus, nurses require a broader understanding of relationships and their significance to ethical nursing practice. p.204.

The sentence in (my) italics can be summed up in one word - a recently discovered concept for me - that of: precarity.

Here the definition on Wikipedia (c/o the above link):

Precarity is a condition of existence without predictability or security, affecting material or psychological welfare. Specifically, it is applied to the condition of intermittent or underemployment and the resultant precarious existence. The social class defined by this condition has been termed the precariat.

Nursing is bound to be affected by the socio-economic environment. Caution is needed as the weather impacts, puts pressure on nursing's values.

Doane, G.H., Varcoa, C. (2013). Relational Practice and Nursing Obligations. In Philosophical and Theoretical Perspectives for Advanced Nursing Practice (5th ed.), by W. K. Cody (Ed.). (Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

(Extreme) sensitivity to initial conditions: Employment - Sickness

There was an item today on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours on the government's Fit for Work tests.

The new fitness for work assessments have been under review. The discussion featured Professor Malcolm Harrington and his final report on the Work Capability Assessment Review and highlighted the humanistic and mechanistic dimensions of this very complex issue (see also the back-to-work programme?). Points raised include:

• the impact of certain medications and treatments on an individual's ability to partake in an interview;
• the meaningfulness of an appeals process that once won, then sees subsequent recalls;
• 4/10 appeals are won;
• the need to balance decision making and the computer based process, with the former utilising documentary evidence;
• people with mental health and cognitive problems may be less able to advocate for themselves.

What troubled me is (the admittedly) single example were a client attending a review was advised not to bring documentary evidence. What this does is to effectively switch OFF three of four care domains: SOCIAL, INTERPERSONAL and (remarkably) the SCIENTIFIC.

What are the purposes to which clinical assessments, tests, reviews can be put? Why do clinicians and the social care team create records?

Relying primarily upon, or being driven by a computer based algorithm makes this a POLITICAL 'exercise'.

As such it will be seen SPIRITUALLY as cold and uncaring.

POLITICAL neglect reinforcing similar neglect and disinterest in the CITIZENRY.

Virtual International Day of the Midwife - start 10.00 5th May New Zealand

Hello everyone

For those of you who do not know me, I am one of the facilitators of the Virtual International Day of the Midwife. This is a free online conference that runs for:

24 hours starting 10.00 5th May New Zealand. 

The conference is designed for midwives and anyone interested in birth. And if you cannot attend, we'll be recording the conference sessions for you to watch in your own time.

I am delighted to announce that the program for the conference is now confirmed: http://internationaldayofthemidwife.wikispaces.com/

Please go to the website above for all information, including how to access the web conference room that we'll be using, as well as practice sessions where you can get one-to-one help with setting up your technology.

You can also follow us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/VirtualInternationalDayoftheMidwife
and Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/VIDofM

There is also a poster that you can download and print off, in order to advertise this event to your colleagues. Look forward to seeing you at the conference. If you have any queries about the program, or the technology, please let me know or leave a comment on our Facebook page.

regards Sarah
Sarah Stewart
EdD Student and Consultant
http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com
Skype: sarah.m.stewart
Twitter: SarahStewart

h2cm at 7th Annual Social Work Action Network Conference (SWAN)

The final programme is still to be confirmed, but I'll be presenting Hodges' model as a workshop next month at the 7th Annual Social Work Action Network Conference (SWAN). This will be hosted by Liverpool Hope University on 30 and 31 March 2012. This is a 40 minute train journey for me - a nice change.

As the website states: There will be two sessions of the conference made available to people to present their own research or conduct workshops. We are keen to facilitate alternative styles of presentation and would encourage people to consider group presentations, dramas, art-based workshops, social pedagogical based presentations as well, of course, as more traditional research presentations.

For several decades I have worked with many Social Workers: sitting across the desk at a community mental health project; as team members; doing joint home and residential care visits; being chased for assessment reports for 'Panel'. It will be very interesting to take in the activistic fervour at the conference. The other aspect of social work I am aware of is the relentless re-organisation they face - in common with health.

I also relish the opportunity to see how Hodges' model is received. A presentation and workshop will be prepared. Is h2cm the generic, multidisciplinary and universally applicable conceptual framework that I believe it to be?

Carer's Rights Day ('Care' a concept going global)

I do wish I had time to update the intro pages which can be accessed on the h2cm homepage. I've assigned the SOCIOLOGY care (knowledge) domains intro to the public and this includes carers.

Today is Carers Rights Day.

In Hodges' model the carer is closer to the policy maker than the 'patient', 'client' - person they care for. This does not make protecting carer's rights any easier. This conceptual proximity to the powers-that-be does not reduce the need for an amplified voice. The focus for tomorrow is Money Matters.

The significant realization many years ago was that carer's actually span all ages. What I have learned over the past two years in my role is that even when a family member goes into residential care, the worry, the caring does not stop.

This past July I heard last minute (dinner time) about Disability Awareness Day which was held locally in Warrington, Cheshire. It was a great day and for people in the NW - and beyond - make a date for 2012 15th July.

As to 'care' going global more to follow ...