Participant Interviews Research Articles

Touching at a distance: the elaboration of communicative functions from the perspective of the interactants

Touch is an inherent part of human social interactions and the diversity of its functions has been highlighted in numerous works. Given the varied roles of touch, with technology-mediated communication being a big part of our everyday lives, research has been interested in enabling and enhancing distant social interactions with mediated touch over networks. Due to the complexity of the sense of touch and technological limitations, multimodal devices have been developed and investigated. In this article, we explore the use of mediated visual touch in distant social interaction. Adopting an interactionist and collaborative approach to human communication, we focus on the communicative functions of distant touch behaviours which interactants co-elaborate throughout their mediated interactions. For this purpose, we conducted an exploratory study placing five romantically involved couples in interaction, where each discussed shared biographical events via a video call, using mediated touch devices (producing vibration and coloured lights). Their interactions were recorded, and excerpts were presented to participants in interviews using a collective confrontation technique (participants are confronted with a recording of their activity and encouraged to comment on it). This technique allows a better understanding of the participants’ points of view on their use of the touch devices in context. Through analysis of the interviews, our results highlight: (1) a variety of visual-touch functions with a redistribution of functions mostly supported by other modalities of communication in face-to-face interactions, such as illustrating aspects of the ongoing conversation; (2) the visual-touch characteristics as well as the verbal, paraverbal and non-verbal indicators of the interactional context considered by the participants to make sense of the stimuli and; (3) the multifactorial and dynamic aspects of the co-elaboration process of the visual-touch functions, reaffirming the role of interactional context, combined with cultural and biographical knowledge, in the meaning making.

Security, and gender: NATO’s advising program in Afghanistan

ABSTRACT This research critically questioned NATO’s security force advising in Afghanistan, focusing on the security notions promoted through its discourses and narratives, particularly regarding gender. Using NATO’s advising programme in Afghanistan 2016–2019 as a case study, a feminist poststructuralist framework analysed security narratives. Participant interviews, advising observations, and feminist critical discourse analysis of advising curriculum and Afghan National Army (ANA) doctrine supported this examination. Guided theory revealed contradictory themes that promoted gender and women’s empowerment and reinforced patriarchal dynamics. While NATO attempts to empower women through its programmes, it often reinforces patriarchal structures, negatively impacting women and men within NATO and the advised nation. NATO’s advising programmes and their gendered and hierarchical security notions can affect current and future conflicts. 1

Innovations to the ECHO model to enhance reach and network-building among addiction clinicians in Western Canada

BackgroundBuilding capacity for evidence-based treatment and support for people with substance use disorders (SUD) is an urgent priority in the context of the toxic drug poisoning crisis. We implemented the first substance use-focused Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) in Western Canada for health care providers, to enhance their clinical addiction skills and knowledge, facilitate practice change, and foster a supportive community of practice. The aims of this article are to describe our innovations to the Project ECHO model in British Columbia (BC) and Yukon, and present key program outcomes.MethodsA pragmatic multi-methods program evaluation employed observational records of BC ECHO on Substance Use session attendance, cross-sectional and longitudinal participant surveys, and qualitative interviews with participants to assess satisfaction, relevance, and preparation to use evidence-based approaches, practice change intentions, and actual behaviours.ResultsThe 52 ECHO sessions (from June 2019 to July 2022) attracted 2134 unique registrants with 5089 attendances (mean 124/session), 2132 newsletter subscribers, and 5842 podcast downloads. The evaluation included 844 post-session survey respondents and 53 interview participants. The program included ECHO sessions with rolling attendance; widely accessed supplemental formats (e.g., newsletter, podcast, clinical tools, archived presentation recordings); variable, regional hub representation; and evidence-based content developed by medical writers. These features contributed to broad geographic and discipline reach, high-quality program content, and high mean session satisfaction ratings (4.2/5). Key qualitative themes emerged, related to knowledge and skill acquisition, gaining confidence in providing SUD care, facilitating shared decision-making, increasing compassion for patients, consolidating learning and applying it to practice, and reducing isolation through expanded networks.ConclusionsThe ECHO model is an effective way to improve capacity in SUD care for physicians and nurse practitioners, while offering benefits for interprofessional attendees. Our findings can inform innovations in other ECHO programs to enhance reach, engagement, and impact.

Pelestarian Adat Istiadat Masyarakat Baduy di Era Modernisasi

The Baduy community located in Lebak Regency, Banten, is an ethnic group that still maintains its customs even today amidst the wave of modernization. This research aims to explore how the Baduy people preserve their customs and traditions as well as the challenges they face in facing changing times. In the era of globalization and modernization which has brought advances in technology and foreign culture, the Baduy people continue to maintain their cultural identity, especially through the principles of simple and sustainable living. This research uses qualitative methods combined with interview techniques and participant observation to understand their practices in preserving customs and traditions. The research results show that the preservation of Baduy customs is not only achieved through religious rituals but also the way they organize their socio-economic life, for example in an agricultural system that respects the environment and a lifestyle that prioritizes simplicity. However, big challenges come from technological developments, economic changes and increasingly strong external cultural influences.

Invisible and Replaced: The Female Ghost Workers in the History of Information Technology From the Perspective of Media Archaeology

Drawing on Marxist feminism, this article provides general literature analyses and conducts interviews of Chinese participants to explore woman's historical roles as telephone operators, punched card operators, and artificial intelligence (AI) trainers. This article highlights women's significant but marginalized technical labor across different stages of technological revolutions. It examines how patriarchal and capitalist systems confine women to low-end technical roles, perpetuating their invisibility and vulnerability to technological unemployment. In the end, the study advocates that the state should intervene into platform capitalism and promote gender equity through technical education and long-term opportunities.

Clinical characteristics and diagnostic accuracy of preliminary diagnoses in adults with infections in Danish emergency departments: a multicentre combined cross-sectional and diagnostic study

ObjectiveRapid and accurate infection diagnosis is a prerequisite for appropriate antibiotic prescriptions in an ED. Accurately diagnosing acute infections can be difficult due to nonspecific symptoms and limitations of diagnostic...

A Stratified Cross Section of Resilience in Older Taiwanese Men and Women.

To determine if gender impacts associations between social relationships, socioeconomic, health, and behavioral factors with resilience among older Taiwanese adults. The data were obtained from a National Mental Health Survey conducted in Taiwan. The sample was created using multistage proportional probability. A questionnaire was used to interview participants at their homes. Study participants were ≥65 years. Predictor variables and the outcome, resilience, were clearly defined followed by statistical analysis. High- and low-resilience outcomes of older adults were determined based on the median value of the Friborg's Resilience Scale. An independent-sample t test, χ2, and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine predictors for resilience which were then stratified by gender. Older women were less likely to be resilient than older men. Social relationships, socioeconomic, health, and behavioral factors had both similar and differential impacts on resilience when stratified for gender. The relationships between gender, socioeconomics, health, and social and behavioral factors with resilience provide unique insights into how culture shapes trends in data.

Islamic fintech: navigating the regulatory framework and promoting financial inclusion in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries

Purpose This study undertakes a comparative analysis of the regulatory framework for sharia-compliant financial technology (fintech) in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations. The purpose of this study is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of this regulatory framework as well as enhance opportunities and best practices. This study also investigates the potential impact of Islamic fintech on financial inclusion in the GCC nations. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative research methodology, including semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in the Islamic fintech industry, such as entrepreneurs, investors, regulators and policymakers. This study recruited interview participants from the Islamic fintech industry in GCC countries, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. Findings This study’s main finding is that Islamic fintech has the potential to promote financial inclusion in GCC countries. According to this study’s findings, Islamic fintech provides a more ethical and accessible alternative to traditional banking services, particularly for individuals and businesses that are underserved or excluded from mainstream financial services. Practical implications This study has practical implications for policymakers and regulators in GCC countries, providing valuable insights for promoting the growth and development of the Islamic fintech industry while ensuring that the regulatory framework is conducive to its growth. This study contributes to the broader literature on regulatory frameworks for fintech by highlighting the need for regulatory frameworks to adapt to technological advances in the rapidly evolving fintech field. Originality/value This study derives originality and value from a comparative analysis of the regulatory framework for Islamic fintech in GCC nations and its prospective impact on financial inclusion.

The Role of TVET Colleges in Addressing the Needs of NEET Youth in a South African Province

ABSTRACT This study is justified by the ever-rising poverty, unemployment, and inequality that South African youth experience, particularly not in education or employment and training (NEET) youth. It explored and evaluated the functions of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the National Development Plan (NDP) with a focus on the requirements of NEET youth in a province of South Africa using theories of human capital and empowerment. The methods and mitigating measures that TVET are implementing to address the needs of NEET youths were captured using a phenomenological and explorative research technique to achieve this purpose. Convenience and purposive sampling were used to choose participants for the semi-structured interviews with TVET managers (N = 2) and focus groups for educators (N = 20). Following thematic data analysis, these four themes were identified: (i) Unlocking Youth Potential through TVET, (ii) Relationship between TVET curriculum and economic development, (iii) TVET’s Contribution to National Development and Youth Empowerment, (iv) Constraints faced by the youth in implementing the national development plan. The themes illustrated the government’s obligation to eradicate youth inactivity by providing them with a variety of skills through TVET frameworks. Young people are therefore advised to actively participate in TVET initiatives designed to end poverty and youth unemployment. Additionally, it is recommended that the South African government, TVET colleges, and industry work together to ensure that national development programs, particularly those that focus on the economic empowerment and development of youths, may be accomplished to attain the NDP 2030 target on schedule.

Pengaruh Sujud Sumarah Dalam Meningkatkan Kesalehan Sosial Masyarakat Paguyuban Sumarah di Desa Somoroto, Kauman, Ponorogo

Sumarah prostration is a sacred ritual in the sumarah community which is often considered to be occult, namely a mystical activity that involves the help of a shaman or ancestral spirits. Especially among the majority of society who believe in heavenly religions, it is difficult to justify it. Sometimes this phenomenon becomes a big topic of discussion and a big question among communities adhering to the divine religion in particular, so that the question arises as to why the prostration of sumarah is done and what the benefits and purpose of doing the prostration of sumarah are. This research focuses on fundamental questions regarding the influence of prostration sumarah itself on its adherents. The aim of this research is to understand and examine the influence of the sumarah prostration ritual so that it is considered to have an impact on the social life of the perpetrators. Descriptive analysis methods were carried out to explore research on this view, using interview techniques and participant observation. In the results found, there are two prominent effects, first, in terms of taste, the impact of prostration sumarah is improving character, being able to control attitudes that can harm other people, gaining calm and peace of mind. Second, in terms of outlook and mindset, prostration sumarah makes its adherents only judge someone based on their morals without looking at other worldly advantages.

“If I don’t do it, it feels wrong”: embodying environmental ethical reflexivity through cultivation and enactment of practices

Second-generation practice theoretical research on sustainable consumption has largely overlooked the role of environmental ethics. This is likely due to associations of “ethics” with culture and symbolic understandings of consumption. This article investigates how some environmentally aware and engaged consumers actively try to cultivate ethical and sustainable practices in order to develop ways of living more sustainably. By combining a practice theoretical framework with Michel Foucault’s work on ethical self-cultivation, I combine the ethical – understood as emerging in specific places and time as part of cultural formations – with processes of embodiment and ethical reflexivity to understand how environmental ethical reflexivity can play a role in the sustainable change of practices. The article argues that changing consumption practices based on changed environmental ethics requires an ongoing reflexive and bodily process of training the bodymind to embody skills and mold sensory, affective, and perceptual dispositions. This is a processual change requiring time and effort, in which research participants nevertheless experience meaning and hope as they are able to create sustainable change in their own lives and, over time and to some degree, live up to their ethical ideals. The analysis is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in two locations using audio-visual methods in participant observation and interviews with research participants who are actively engaged in changing their everyday practices.

Understanding the Meaning of Loneliness and Social Engagement for the Workings of a Social Network Intervention Connecting People to Resources and Valued Activities.

Addressing loneliness, which is associated with poor mental and physical health, implicates the need for connectivity to a broad set of situated relationships and activities in the contexts of people's everyday lives. Social engagement has been identified as a relevant psychosocial mechanism mediating health and wellness and is central to addressing loneliness. The aim here is to explore the way in which people identified as lonely conceptualise their experiences of loneliness and social engagement for the purposes of incorporating these into the design and workings of an intervention that allows people to map their social networks and connect them to community-based valued activities. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were undertaken with 20 participants, aged 21-82 years old (mean age 59.7) nested within a pragmatic, community-based randomised controlled trial in the north and south of England. Participants had wide-ranging social network sizes (from 1 to 10 individuals) and reported variable impact of loneliness on their lives. Loneliness consisted as an absence of intimacy in the face of being surrounded by others, a sense of entrapment and boredom, lacking access to meaningful activities and difficulties in relating to others. The analysis highlighted the role that important relationships have in mediating loneliness. Individual readiness, skills and confidence in forming new connections and engaging with new activities are important barriers that exist in overcoming loneliness. For many, wider socio-political factors, such as transport provision, availability of resources and costs associated with social engagement are also important barriers which are difficult to overcome. Exploring the link between feelings, experiences and meaning of loneliness and the way in which a network intervention can be incorporated offers a focus for mediating the richness and opportunities that arise from locality-based connections and collective activities in the broader social environment. However, any intervention seeking to address loneliness requires a further focus on both individual and relational factors which might contribute to addressing loneliness and increasing a sense of wellness. The study team worked closely with community partner organisations in all aspects of this research, including, the submission of the funding proposal, development of the study protocol and procedures, recruitment, intervention deployment and assessment of implementation. PPI representatives provided advice on participant materials and interview schedules, and project management throughout and contributed to management and steering committee meetings.

Nurturing Professional Development in TESOL: A Community of Practice Perspective

The focus of this paper was to explore the challenges facing the effectiveness of teaching the English Language in TESOL and assess the role of communities of practice groups in overcoming challenges facing the effectiveness of teaching the English Language in East and West Africa. The study employed qualitative research through a virtual ethnography approach. Data were collected through participative observation and interviews in communities of practices and platforms online. Findings established that lack of teaching materials, poor teaching environment, and lack of opportunities for a Community of Practice and professional development were among the challenges that have been hindering the effectiveness of teaching the English Language in the field of TESOL in East and West Africa. Online professional development offered by Community of Practice groups, sharing English teaching materials, and opportunities to support school-based teacher education and training were among the strategies revealed by Community of Practice used by teachers to improve their teaching in TESOL. As a result, the study recommends that cultivating communities of practice and sharing professional development opportunities provide a continuous learning support system for updating English teaching strategies and providing effective skill acquisition in a sustainable and inclusive educational system.

다문화가정 소아우울증 아동의 학교생활 적응에 관한 사례연구

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the school adjustment of children with depression from multicultural families by examining their self-perception, perception of their surroundings, and the process of school adjustment. While previous studies have analyzed the developmental characteristics and school adjustment trends of children from multicultural families using statistical methods, this study intends to complement these studies by focusing on the changes in the research subjects' self-perception, perception of their surroundings, and school adjustment. Methods: Based on qualitative research methods such as participant observation, interviews, and analysis of classroom materials, the process of school adjustment of children from multicultural families was analyzed at the sentence and event levels. By categorizing these analyses, the causes of school adjustment difficulties in children with depression from multicultural families were identified. A teacher-action research method was applied, focusing on enabling children to solve problems independently. Results: The findings revealed that the participating children faced significant challenges in school adjustment due to familial stressors, discrimination, and depressive symptoms. Despite these adversities, the children demonstrated resilience and gradually adapted to their school environment with consistent support from teachers and peers. The children's self-perception and social perception evolved through three distinct stages: (1) a gradual shift from isolation to connection; (2) the development of selfexpression through communication; and (3) the resolution of interpersonal conflicts. The process of school adjustment was categorized into two stages: (1) a period of initial challenges followed by proactive efforts towards adaptation; and (2) the attainment of a sense of belonging and the formation of new aspirations. Conclusion: Based on the study findings, it is imperative to create individualized educational environments that acknowledge and leverage the cultural diversity of children from multicultural families. Additionally, fostering collaborative partnerships between schools, healthcare providers, and families is crucial to support the holistic development of these children.

Conceptualizing mental health stigma in organizational settings: a sociolinguistic perspective

BackgroundSociolinguistic research on workplace mental health stigma is scarce and consequently, there are a lack of relevant conceptual models. Drawing on Goffman’s notion of stigma as a ‘language of relationships’, and Heller’s concept of ‘discursive space’, this paper offers a conceptual model of how stigma is produced and reinforced in workplace settings. Specifically, the model maps the complex discursive processes of mental health stigmatization through workplace discursive practices.MethodsThe model is empirically grounded and draws on 23 in-depth participant interviews with professional services employees in Hong Kong. Through a meta-discursive analysis of the employees’ experience in the workplace, the paper investigates how mental health stigma is produced in the workplace.ResultsConceiving the workplace as a discursive space, the model demonstrates that mental health stigma unfolds across three discursive layers, namely immediate encounters, organizational practices, and societal ideologies. Mediated by discursive practices, such as identity management, stigma is both produced and perpetuated across the three layers.ConclusionsThe paper provides a model for analyzing the production of mental health stigma through dynamic discursive activities in the workplace. By doing so, it offers a way to systematically map how stigma, brought about through discourse in organizational settings, can regulate both interpersonal relationships and resource allocation (such as career prospects).

Precarity and informal workplace learning: changing employment regulations and professional practices of teachers*

ABSTRACT This research explores how precarious recruitment regulations are reflecting on the experiences and practices of teachers in line with their informal learning experiences. I utilised theoretical sampling to select participants for biographical narrative interviews, which were interpreted using the documentary method. The findings unearth a distinct disparity while precarious hourly-paid teachers perceive their roles as transitory, lacking a sense of belonging, their tenured counterparts exhibit a profound dedication to their educational institutions. Tenured teachers actively engage in informal learning experiences to enhance their teaching prowess. Hourly-paid teachers view teaching as an innate talent, rarely engaging in critical reflection on their professional journey. The results of the study reveal that job security provides an essential foundation for teacher professional development, while in its absence, precarity poses a significant barrier to their growth and progress.

The impact of neoliberalist government reform and regulatory oversight on private training providers in the UK technical education sector

PurposeAdopting the lens of ambidexterity, this paper examines decision-making within private technical education providers as they attempt to meet workforce and UK government training demands against a backdrop of unprecedented pace of global change in technology.Design/methodology/approachQualitative data, drawn from semi-structured interviews of participants within a private training provider, was analysed thematically to investigate common patterns, clarify understanding and identify development areas to inform government bodies and private provider apprenticeship delivery practices.FindingsThe findings reveal the extent to which neoliberalism is potentially undermining technical education reform and increasing regulation whilst decreasing trust and reducing authentic partnerships between key stakeholders, together negatively impacting ambidextrous decision-making.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited by the use of a monolingual, monocultural sample; therefore, a broader cross-section of respondents from a wider range, size and geographical location of training providers may result in a deeper understanding of the varying tensions and challenges associated with technical education reform.Practical implicationsThis work seeks to inform policymakers of the wider consequences of neoliberalism and provide recommendations for government bodies and technical training providers to work collaboratively in seeking solutions to the barriers in delivering vocational training fit for a future-proof workforce.Originality/valueThis paper builds on a limited body of research examining the dual impact of once in a lifetime technological challenges and the consequence of neoliberalism upon ambidextrous decision-making within private providers of post-16 technical education.

Contributing to Organizational Performance Through Digital Human Resource Management

Organizations have embraced digitalization as a way of optimizing their processes, specially the one related to human resource management since it helps ensuring organizations remain effective and competitive. In the Cuban context, digitalization is conceived within the <i>National Development Plan until 2030</i> and the <i>Comprehensive Policy for the Improvement of the Informatization of Society in Cuba </i>facilitating its rapid dissemination and adoption in different sectors<i>.</i> However, little attention has been paid to subject of digital Human Resource Management (HRM) in Cuban institutions. This article aims at providing scientific evidence concerning the implementation of digital HRM in a Cuban institution, specifically at Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas. In order to conduct the study, it was necessary to divide it into two parts: one related to the identification of the theoretical and methodological foundations concerning the digitalization of HRM worldwide and within the Cuban context and the second part was devoted to the software development process. In both cases methods such as literature review, historical-logical, analysis and synthesis, participant observation and interviews were applied. As a result, the software P.R.O.G.R.E.S.S was developed, successfully validated by the Human Resources Directorate personnel who highlighted its contributions to the university´s organizational performance since it helps fostering a culture of mentorship by pairing less experienced instructors with seasoned faculty members; creating initiative programs for faculties that excel in teaching, research or community engagement; and facilitating benchmarking against institutions by providing comprehensive reports on faculty achievements. Some suggestions are given for further research.

Home Blood Pressure Measurements Are Not Performed According to Guidelines and Standardized Education Is Urgently Needed.

Patient education is needed to perform home blood pressure measurement (HBPM) according to blood pressure (BP) guidelines. It is not known how BP is measured at home and what education is provided, which was the aim of the study. Mixed-methods study among Australian adults who perform HBPM (June to December 2023). Participants completed a 30-item online survey on whether they followed guideline recommendations and the education they received for HBPM. Phone interviews were conducted among a purposive sample to further explore survey topics. Participants (n=350) were middle-aged (58±16 years; 54% women), and most (n=250, 71%) had hypertension. Guideline recommendations for HBPM were not always followed by survey participants. Most participants measured BP seated (n=316, 90%) with the cuff fitted to a bare arm (n=269, 77%). Only 15% measured BP in the morning and evening (n=54) and 26% averaged the BP readings over 7 days (n=90). Interview participants (n=34) described measuring BP at different times of the day after doing different things. One-third of participants (n=112, 37%) received education for HBPM, which interview participants described as vague verbal instructions from health care practitioners. Participants who received education did not perform high-quality HBPM. Participants who did not receive education mimicked BP measurement methods of health care practitioners, "I do it the way I've seen them do it." HBPM is not performed according to guideline recommendations, and adults who received ad hoc education did not perform high-quality HBPM. These findings highlight a need for effective education to support HBPM for clinical decision-making.

The role of community health workers in re-entry of people with HIV and substance use disorder released from jail: a mixed methods evaluation of a pilot study

BackgroundIncarcerated individuals face high rates of mental illness, substance use disorders and communicable diseases including HIV, with increased health complications and mortality in the early post-release period. Multiple re-entry interventions linking justice-involved individuals to community resources via peer navigation have emerged, though limited data exist on the mechanics and personal impact of these approaches. This paper quantifies and evaluates a pilot study of a combined Community Health Worker (CHW)-re-entry intervention for individuals released from jail who use substances and have HIV to inform future large-scale applications.MethodsA mixed-methods analysis of a CHW-re-entry intervention utilized in a pilot randomized controlled trial involving people with HIV who have a history of substance (stimulant, opioid or alcohol) use in Dallas, TX was conducted using an explanatory sequential design. Quantitative assessments of the intervention measured interaction types, time spent, and topics discussed and explored associations between the “dose” of intervention and patient outcomes. Qualitative analyses of CHW field notes and end-of-study participant interviews were triangulated with quantitative findings to elucidate the intervention’s impact.ResultsOf the 17/31 participants assigned to the intervention, 16 interacted with the CHW on at least one occasion, and 6 successfully completed a visit with the re-entry organization. Most CHW interactions occurred by phone (66%) or in person (28%). Frequently discussed topics included substance use, housing, and physical health. On average, participants spent 7.65 h (range 0-37.18, SD = 9.33) engaged with the intervention over 6 months. Intervention dose was associated with improved HIV control, decreased stimulant use, higher rates of recidivism, and improved clinical appointment show rate. Qualitative analyses revealed key intervention components, paralleling benefits of study participation alone: outreach, nonjudgmental approach, motivation and accountability.ConclusionsA CHW-re-entry intervention, while resource-intensive, shows preliminary promise in improving HIV and some substance use outcomes. Frequent telephone and in-person contact, with an empathetic yet goal-oriented approach, fostered participant support and motivation to address HIV and substance use. Participants reported that engagement in research provided accountability and a sense of purpose. Future studies should focus on optimizing implementation of CHW-based interventions to enhance impact on vulnerable populations.