Everyday Practice Research Articles

‘Changing the Course of a Super Tanker’: A Study of Senior and Junior Managers’ Enactments of a Transition Narrative

ABSTRACT This paper investigates how a mnemonic community of a senior and junior generation of frontline managers, respectively with first-hand and second-hand memories of the organizational past, enact a shared historical transition narrative as part of their everyday practice of change management in a Scandinavian telecommunications company. The study shows the importance of actors’ individual trajectories and generational memberships for the understanding of collective memory in organizations. Based on the construct narrative habitus, the paper offers, as its primary theoretical contribution, a practice-theoretical framework for the study of mnemonic socialization and cross-generational dynamics of organizational mnemonic communities.

Rise in complications of acute otitis media during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the lifting of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical observation showed an increase in complications of acute otitis, followed by a rise in the number of mastoidectomies performed. The aim of this study was to record the number of mastoidectomies performed before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic as an indicator for complications of acute otitis media. Data were collected from a tertiary hospital in a university setting, as well as from four major public health insurance companies in Germany. The data of 24,824,763 German citizens during a period from 2014 until 2023 were analyzed. According to the data, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of mastoidectomies performed dropped by 54% for children aged 0-6 and by 62% for children aged 7-18. For adults, there were 30% fewer mastoidectomies performed between 2020 and 2022. After the lifting of most NPI's in the season from July 2022 to June 2023, there was a sharp increase in the number of mastoidectomies performed on patients of all ages. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a decrease in the number of mastoidectomies performed was seen, suggesting a lower incidence of complicated acute otitis, most likely linked to the general decrease of upper airway infections due to NPI's. In contrast, a sharp increase in the incidence of complicated otitis occurred after the hygiene measures were lifted. The current development causes a more frequent performance of mastoidectomies, thus entailing a change in the challenges for everyday clinical practice.

Good Muslims, good citizens? An intersectional approach to Muslims’ everyday (hidden) resistance tactics in Belgium

ABSTRACT This paper explores Muslim participants’ political endeavours, aiming to tackle their marginalization in a secular racialized environment. Drawing on critical race scholarship (Du Bois), resistance studies (de Certeau, Scott) and lived experiences captured by in-depth interviews with Muslims in Belgium, I focus on everyday hidden resistance tactics enacted by my research subjects to challenge the status quo. I find my research participants aiming to counter racialization through everyday (hidden) practices such as reversing the Muslim gaze, modelling their religious behaviour as a form of da’wa and building up a counterpower to achieve recognition as citizen. Second, this study shows the salience of Du Bois’ notion of double consciousness – or Muslim participants seeing themselves through the eyes of the dominant group – shaping subordinate forms of political resistance.

Rural Women’s Response to Climate Change: An Exploratory Study of Women’s Grassroot Network in Odisha

The emergence of Feminist Political Ecological (FPE) position allows to rethink about social institutions like Self Help Groups (SHGs) as foundations for building green movements through everyday practice. The collective voice that has helped them emerge economically self-sufficient is reflected in their decision making, when the larger cause of climate change or environmental decision-making are involved. It is time that their actions permeating the ecology and environment gains credence and such coalitions provide ground as movements for achieving the larger collective agenda.   Idea of SHGs as social capital helped the marginalized women create different ‘gendered subjectivities’ and endowed them with a collective voice, be it conservation of their own ecological settings or confronting the social system. The case of Climate Credit Pilot Project and/or conservation of indigenous seed varieties in remote villages of Odisha bear testimony to women’s consciousness regarding climate mitigation initiatives and the meaningful actions associated with environmental justice. Such interventions show that the embedment of economic, social and cultural values of SHG groups align with their instinct for attaining a larger goal of environment protection through household and community level actions.   The gendered subjectivities including increased social consciousness among women, better access to new information, up-skilling has made them better and enlightened decision makers. The practice of joint or consensual action by SHG collectives enable them to address multi-scalar issues like climate change. However, the broader agenda of social and economic empowerment has to align with their decision making power relating to their immediate ecology and environment. In this context, the proposed study will probe emerging social consciousness of women on climate change issues, while examining their larger environmental responsibility in local situation, wherein the women remain at the receiving end. This is a field-based exploratory study of women from subsistence and indigenous communities of three districts in Odisha which interrogates the role of SHGs in creating a social space for women to engage with the question of environmental decision making. The study intends to analyse the field data in relation to environmental rights, responsibilities and knowledge of rural and Adivasi women within the institution of SHGs. It aims to formulate the concept, i.e., can SHGs be seen as co-linear spaces which needs to be strengthened as bearers of green movements at the local level as a response to the climate crisis.

The influencer in the age of climate change: the authentic role model for sustainability

ABSTRACT In the age of climate change, the Instagram influencer is still a popular role model for ways to navigate the modern world, and they present us with their visual practices of self-presentation as well as their activism, lifestyle, and business model. However, conspicuous consumption – once a hallmark of success – is now being challenged, and perhaps a paradigm shift is building with the new breed of climate influencers with engaged expertise and ethical vigilance. The aim of this paper is first to identify climate celebrities and then to focus specifically on macro influencers, such as activists or actors, and on micro-influencers, such as entrepreneurs. The article examines how they communicate climate change applying different strategies on Instagram while remaining authentic, using concepts from research on social media within studies of celebrity culture and in climate celebrity communication Second, we demonstrate a shift taking place in the way climate change is communicated: from traditional legacy-media advocacy by celebrities to activists and entrepreneurs performing sustainable everyday practices on social media. This work will contribute directly to how we analyse both the macro and micro-climate influencer as a role model in the age of climate change, providing solutions for coping, engaging and taking action.

Situated belonging as everyday practice in a semi-public Youth Living Room for undocumented young city dwellers

ABSTRACT This article discusses how everyday practices in a day shelter for undocumented youth interfere with binary narratives of belonging versus non-belonging. Tapping into scholarship on a home in the face of displacement and marginalization, this article draws on ethnographic fieldwork in the so-called ‘Youth Living Room’ in Amsterdam. Caught up in migration management, the undocumented young people present here experience structural exclusion and are cut off from welfare arrangements in the Netherlands. But while their precarious situation was reinforced even further under COVID-19 measures, in the Youth Living Room, undocumented youths engaged in mundane practices that incited feelings of belonging. In the absence of a house and faced with the closure of public space, the Youth Living Room as a semi-public place accommodated ‘homemaking practices’. These homemaking practices, I argue, attest to the complexities of belonging and rather suggest alternative orderings to a dichotomized politics of belonging; this paper shows that homemaking practices in this semi-public shelter alert us to the inherent situatedness of being at home in society. Situated belonging then challenges our political imagination to ask what collective practices of homemaking we want to engage in.

A narrative review on the current uses of artificial intelligence in endodontics

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely introduced to dentistry in the past decade. Its application in endodontics is limited to different areas such as working length determination, morphological assessment, detection of vertical root fracture, and the detection of periapical lesion. Therefore, this study aims to highlight the available evidence for the uses of AI in endodontics. It also presents the current status as well as the future perspectives on the uses of AI and its potential application in everyday practice. A literature search was conducted from January 2000 to January 2023 using PubMed and Google Scholar for the terms AI and endodontics. Thirty-one studies were evaluated and summarized, highlighting the potential use of different AI models in endodontics. The evaluation of the studies indicated that the use of AI is promising and could aid in tailored endodontics therapy. It would help the clinician in the detection of periapical radiolucency, root fractures, and determination of working length. However, well-designed, high-quality research is required to assess the possible implementation of AI into day-to-day practice in endodontics.

Impact of Various Cavity-Preparation Designs on Fracture Resistance and Failure Mode of CAD/CAM Fabricated Ceramic Inlays and Onlays

In recent years, CAD/CAM technology has allowed indirect ceramic restorations to become a part of everyday chairside clinical practice. Therefore, the impact of different cavity-preparation designs on the fracture resistance of CAD/CAM fabricated ceramics was assessed in this study. Three designs of cuspal covering (none, palatal, and entire) and two widths of the occlusal isthmus (75% and 100% of the intercuspal distance) were used for the preparation of inlays and onlays to form six groups (n = 10/group). Moreover, thermomechanical cyclic loading was applied to every tooth under a chewing simulator. A universal testing machine was used to measure each group’s fracture resistance. The tested specimens were inspected for any signs of fractures and cracks to categorize failure patterns. Thereby, the values of fracture strength showed that there were statistically nonsignificant differences between the tested groups (p < 0.05). However, a significant difference (p = 0.01) was found between group 1 (inlays) (1950 ± 405) and group 6 (onlays) (3900 ± 770). Type III or type IV fracture modes were seen in the majority of the specimens. In conclusion, inlays and onlays made of zirconia using CAD/CAM technology were deemed reliable for restoring premolars, irrespective of the cavity-preparation design, except for inlays with a 75% intercuspal distance.

Improving health and well-being through over-the-counter counselling – an observation study

Abstract Introduction The use of over-the-counter (OTC) medication in self-care gives patients empowerment in their healthcare. However, if the patients do not know enough about the medication, it may lead to misuse.[1] Pharmacies are easily accessible, low threshold first-line health providers, where these products are sold. Considering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),[2] pharmacy personnel are in an excellent position to educate the public on correct self-care, increasing good health and well-being (3rd goal). By ensuring that the customer buys the correct product and does not self-treat unnecessarily, pharmacies may contribute to responsible consumption (12th goal).[2] Aim Assessing the impact of OTC medication counselling in the 3rd and 12th SDG context: which aspects help promote good health and well-being, and how can counselling influence responsible consumption of OTC medication? Methods Observations with detailed notes of encounters on OTC medications were performed by two observers, for validity, in 7 pharmacies in and around a Nordic capital city. Pharmacies were recruited through convenient sampling, aiming to include pharmacies of different sizes and locations. The study population consisted of 253 observations. Results were analysed using thematic analysis focusing on evidence-based advice concerning the 3rd and 12th SDGs. Results The theme “customer autonomy” shows that most customers come to the pharmacy with a known product in mind. Employees rarely address the appropriateness of the customers’ chosen product, and only correct the customer if they clearly found the wrong one. Responsible consumption is not addressed. Considering good health and well-being, the theme “Presumed Knowledge” contains how employees most often ensure that the customer has previous experience, taking this as proof of the customer´s health literacy. When the employee informs about the product, they rarely give explanations for the advice, as described in the theme “Coaching opportunity”. Conclusion Pharmacy employees rarely take advantage of the opportunity to educate the public on proper OTC medication use, and thus do not contribute sufficiently to increase knowledge of good health. There is a lot of potential for pharmacies to utilise evidence-based advice in everyday practice, and ways of promoting good health knowledge in pharmacy practice need to be explored. Pharmacy employees do not contribute substantially to reducing consumption, as they most often sell the product the customer asks for without considering the necessity. Tailored OTC counselling could shape consumer behavior towards responsible OTC medication use, ultimately contributing to improved health outcomes, reduced waste, and a more sustainable healthcare landscape. A strength of using the observation method is that it is possible to examine how pharmacy personnel work in everyday situations. One limitation might be that since both the customer and employee were informed that observers were present, the employee might be inclined to improve their performance. However, the observers could clearly see the instances where the employee changed their conduct, and in most instances, the extra effort did not improve the information exchange.

Health and lifestyle advice in community pharmacy for musculoskeletal conditions: a focused ethnography

Abstract Introduction Musculoskeletal health conditions are common, painful, and disabling, and often occur alongside other long-term conditions. Around a third of the UK population live with a musculoskeletal condition placing a huge burden on health and social care resources, accounting for 1 in 7 general practitioner consultations.[1] Primary care often focuses on using safe but less effective pharmacological approaches (e.g., paracetamol) despite evidence-based recommendations for self-management and lifestyle support being more effective, particularly in the context of pain management. However, access to such support is not always available or adequate. Community pharmacy is recognised for its important and well positioned setting for the delivery of public health promotion, supporting people to improve their health and live well through the Healthy Living Pharmacy Framework. Despite policy recommendations for an extended role in supporting people to self-manage long-term conditions and to adopt healthier behaviours, we currently do not know how community pharmacy manages and supports lifestyle advice in practice, particularly in relation to musculoskeletal health. Aim To gain an in-depth insight into community pharmacy daily practice in relation to the delivery of health and lifestyle advice, in order to examine community pharmacy’s current and future potential for supporting musculoskeletal health conditions. Methods An in-depth multi-site ethnographic approach was used across four community pharmacies differing in geographical and socioeconomic areas in England (April 2023 – October 2023). Data included 92 hours of observations within community pharmacies observing everyday practice and customer interactions, and 19 in-person semi-structured interviews (participants included counter assistants, dispensers, technicians and pharmacists). Results were analysed iteratively using analytic induction.[2] Results The provision of lifestyle advice was seen as awkward by staff members and problematic in consultations where advice was deemed unsolicited by customers, particularly in relation to sensitive topics such as weight or alcohol use. Pharmacists were generally more confident including lifestyle advice within appointments in the consultation room, and embedding behaviour change messages within an overall health check. Nevertheless, they lacked knowledge and training with regards to support and lifestyle advice specific for musculoskeletal health conditions. Observed over-the-counter interactions with customers were often complicated in terms of opportunities for staff to offer lifestyle advice, with encounters concerning pain relief medication at times resulting in tense and arduous consultations. Staff often found the experience of trying to offer lifestyle advice uncomfortable and challenging, leaving many feeling demotivated and lacking in confidence and as a result avoid introducing lifestyle advice into conversations. Conclusion Community pharmacy staff recognised the importance of the provision of lifestyle advice but experienced many barriers to its delivery. Increasing demands on community pharmacy with new services have implications with regards to capacity, time and skills development to effectively imbed lifestyle advice into everyday practice. Pharmacy staff may benefit from enhanced support and training to increase confidence and motivation in providing lifestyle advice, particularly relating to understanding musculoskeletal health and effective self-management strategies.

Development and Validation of an Examination Protocol for Arthroscopic Evaluation of the Temporomandibular Joint in Dogs

Due to the previously limited intra-articular diagnostic possibilities of the canine temporomandibular joint, an examination protocol for the canine temporomandibular joint (TMJ) was developed and tested in this study using a needle arthroscope. In total, the discotemporal (DTJ) and discomandibular (DMJ) joint compartments of 32 animals (64 TMJs) were examined arthroscopically. During the examinations, 15 anatomical landmarks per joint side were evaluated in regard to their visibility and accessibility. All arthroscopies were performed by the same examiner and the same assistant to ensure standard methods were applied. The examination procedure which was developed here proved to be a reliable tool for examining this joint. The 15 anatomical landmarks that were to be examined could be reliably visualised and assessed in all TMJs with a certainty of 86% to 100% by both observers. This tool provides clinicians with a reliable examination aid for everyday practice and ensures the comparability of results. In the future, this could provide an opportunity to better diagnose and treat TMJ pathologies.

“Aves de toda especie”: representaciones sociales de la homosexualidad en la prensa en Antioquia, Colombia, 1960-2000

Objective/Context: This article explores, from the perspective of cultural history, the social representations produced by the press about homosexuality in Antioquia (Colombia) during the second half of the twentieth century. In doing so, it aims to approach the figure of the sexual monster, the ridiculous homosexual, the infectious “faggot”, the individual explainable by science, and the subject who conquers its citizenship and disputes its rights. Methodology: The discourses and representations of homosexuality in the newspapers Sucesos Sensacionales, El Colombiano and the radio newspaper El Clarín were identified; an interpretative matrix was constructed by cross-referencing cultural elements of the context with journalistic representations. Originality: The period 1960-2000 corresponds to an unexplored period on the subject. Its revision is articulated with the observation of previous and parallel representations of the processes of homosexual liberation and the conquest of rights: the decades of 1960-1970, the emergence of hiv/aids in 1980, and the appearance of a series of social organizations around the anti-aids struggle in the 1990s accompanied by the juridical-political path traced by social movements. Conclusion: During this period, a homosexual subject emerges who, in addition to being outlined by the media, begins to postulate an image of himself that tensions the field of representations. Despite pointing to changes associated with freedoms and rights, the novelties in the press - influenced by international and local contexts and contested by everyday practices that claimed sex/gender dissidence - also pose a conservative counter-response that reinstates old ghosts and prejudices. Thus, this is not a linear and progressive history that moves from darkness to light, that is, from a dark past of violence and denial to the conquest of rights, but reflects diverse continuities and simultaneities in the representation of homosexuality.

Can free-view media processing technology improve classroom performance?

ABSTRACT This study discusses whether free-view media processing technology impacts individual student learning in everyday dance teaching practice in different ways. This study was conducted empirically by creating three groups: a traditional face-to-face group, a completely digital media online learning group and a blended model group. Results indicated that the blended learning model group achieved better results than the traditional face-to-face model group and the completely online group. In other words, this indicates that free-view media processing technology plays a positive role in dance teaching. It encourages students to reflect and think critically. With blended learning, students can embrace new technologies, learn and teach together, and avoid disruptions caused by removing technology from the classroom.

Organisational practices and social inclusion: Inclusionary place‐making in the library

AbstractSocial psychology has long been concerned with social exclusion. Much of this interest has focused on people's negative intergroup attitudes and how these may be changed through individual‐level interventions. In this paper we explore a different level of intervention – one that targets the routine organisational practices that communicate who is welcome and able to draw on the organisation's services. Specifically, we investigate how a public‐facing organisation—a library service—engaged in a process of self‐reflection on its routine social practices with the aim of making people experiencing various forms of exclusion (e.g., job seekers, benefit claimants, ethnic minorities) more welcome. Our data arise from interviews (N = 19) with staff concerning their attempts to transform the practices that constitute the library as a distinctive public place. Throughout, we explore how they reflected on their everyday organisational practices, how these may unintentionally exclude, and how they could be modified to facilitate social inclusion. Moreover, we pay particular attention to our participants' understanding of the challenges involved in changing organisational culture and creating a social space in which diversity is accepted.

Мedia preferences of the population of the Republic of Belarus in the sociological dimension (based on sociological research materials)

Мedia preferences of the population of the Republic of Belarus in the sociological dimension (based on sociological research materials)

Psychoactive and other ceremonial plants from a 2,000-year-old Maya ritual deposit at Yaxnohcah, Mexico.

For millennia, healing and psychoactive plants have been part of the medicinal and ceremonial fabric of elaborate rituals and everyday religious practices throughout Mesoamerica. Despite the essential nature of these ritual practices to the societal framework of past cultures, a clear understanding of the ceremonial life of the ancient Maya remains stubbornly elusive. Here we record the discovery of a special ritual deposit, likely wrapped in a bundle, located beneath the end field of a Late Preclassic ballcourt in the Helena complex of the Maya city of Yaxnohcah. This discovery was made possible by the application of environmental DNA technology. Plants identified through this analytical process included Ipomoea corymbosa (xtabentun in Mayan), Capsicum sp. (chili pepper or ic in Mayan), Hampea trilobata (jool), and Oxandra lanceolata (chilcahuite). All four plants have recognized medicinal properties. Two of the plants, jool and chilcahuite, are involved in artifact manufacture that have ceremonial connections while chili peppers and xtabentun have been associated with divination rituals. Xtabentun (known to the Aztecs as ololiuhqui) produces highly efficacious hallucinogenic compounds and is reported here from Maya archaeological contexts for the first time.

The Other Side of Chronic Venous Disorder: Gaining Insights from Patients’ Questions and Perspectives

Venous disorders encompass a diverse range of manifestations and diseases, impacting a significant portion of the population. While life-threatening conditions are uncommon in non-thrombotic disorders, like telangiectasias or uncomplicated varicose veins (VVs), these conditions still have a substantial impact on affected individuals. Ensuring that patients are well informed about their venous disorder is a crucial step in their treatment journey. Providing them with valuable information regarding the disease’s natural progression and available therapeutic options plays a pivotal role in optimizing their care. When patients are diagnosed with venous disorders, they often have numerous questions and concerns they want to discuss with their healthcare providers. Addressing these inquiries not only improves patients’ knowledge and understanding but also influences their treatment compliance and overall outcomes. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to provide comprehensive explanations that address any doubts, uncertainties, and areas of confusion that patients may have. This report aims to present a concise, practical, and informative guide to venous disorders, focusing specifically on the common questions frequently raised by patients in everyday clinical practice. By serving as a valuable resource for healthcare professionals working in the field of venous diseases, this guide equips them with the necessary tools to effectively address patients’ concerns and provide optimal care. By bridging the gap between patients’ inquiries and medical expertise, this guide strives to enhance therapeutic outcomes and improve the overall management of venous disorders, ultimately empowering patients in their treatment journey.

Interpreting Europe: Sonic politics and the affective foundation of multilingual negotiations

ABSTRACT The European Union employs the largest number of interpreters globally, surpassing even the United Nations. This analysis delves into the interpreted world of international politics and works towards appreciating sonic politics in conference and diplomatic interpretation. Drawing on testimonies of Portuguese interpreters of the European Union, the present paper examines the everyday practicality of institutional operations, what happens on the ground and what constitutes everyday diplomatic life – in other words, in other voices – so as to locate new sites of political activation, meaningful enactment of power and ideological encounters. The research shows that interpreters supply affective foundation to multilingual negotiations and that their emotive rendition gives form to inter-state understanding. The research explains how interpretation is politics emerging from visual and audible performance of the interpreters.

Non-energy feedback: The unseen impacts of sensory, social, material and systemic feedback on household energy demand

Energy feedback is a central plank in demand management interventions aiming to reduce the quantity or shift the timing of domestic energy use – changes to patterns of consumption widely seen as necessary in energy systems powered by intermittent renewable generation. Despite significant resources and attention, however, the changes in consumption achieved to date through energy feedback have been relatively limited in both extent and duration. At the same time, the energy sector has largely overlooked the role of broader forms of everyday feedback that observably shape when and how energy-using practices are performed. Drawing on ethnographic research with 30 Australian households, this article argues that in order for the sector to both understand and better guide patterns of domestic energy use we need to decentre energy feedback, and instead refocus attention on the non-energy data that informs everyday practices. We bring this empirical material together with social science literature on energy policy, feedback and consumption to propose the concept of non-energy feedback. Specifically, we explore how sensory, social, material and systemic forms of feedback inform the way that people use and think about energy, and consider how conventional and non-energy forms of feedback are used in combination in the course of everyday life. We conclude by exploring both novel and potential feedback concepts that engage households on the basis of their existing interests and capacities, and consider how non-energy feedback can help to address the challenges posed by a decarbonising and decentralising grid in which demand-side participation is increasingly vital.

Evaluation of magnetic resonance imaging to detect cholesteatoma in clinical healthcare

Background Non-Echo-Planar Diffusion Weighed Magnetic Resonance Imaging (non-EPI DW MRI) plays a role in the planning of cholesteatoma surgery. Objectives To outline the usage of Non-EPI DW MRI in cholesteatoma diagnostics and to determine its accuracy, using otosurgery diagnostics as reference standard. Material and Methods A retrospective descriptive study. All subjects operated, with suspicion of cholesteatoma as indication, that had a preceding examination with non-EPI DW MRI, between October 2010 and March 2019. Calculating sensitivity, specificity, predicative values, and likelihood ratios, using non-EPI DW MRI as index test and diagnosis from otosurgery as reference standard. Results Fifty-two subject episodes were included. Non-EPI DW MRI had a sensitivity of 0.50, specificity of 0.75, positive and negative predictive values of 0.74 and 0.52 and, positive and negative likelihood ratios of 2.0 and 0.67 respectively. Conclusions and Significance There is a clear annual trend with increased numbers of executed examinations during the study period. The diagnostic accuracy of non-EPI DW MRI does not reach acceptable levels in the existing everyday routine practice conditions. The accuracy of the examination increases when interpreted by an experienced radiologist and when using the definition of cholesteatoma recommended by EAONO/JOS.