People In London Research Articles

Reproducing Middle-Class Subjectivities: Educational Migration, Transnationalism, and British Nigerian Youth

Drawing on research with British Nigerian youth who were sent to boarding school in Nigeria, I argue that such movement, and the transnational practices that it engenders, serve as a family accumulation strategy and are central to reproducing middle-class subjectivities. Their transnational practices lead to the accumulation of cultural capital, in the form of educational qualifications and particular dispositions, and social capital, in the form of extended friendship networks. Parents endeavor to give their children the best educational and networking opportunities and, in so doing, distance them from places and people in London that they devalue and see as morally degenerate, yet paradoxically, it is their children's performance of Britishness that serves as a form of cultural capital and endows them with status in the eyes of their contemporaries at boarding school in Nigeria.

Live Video Analytics

The articles in this special section focus on video analytics. According to a January 2013 report published by the National Public Radio, the Chinese government has installed more than 20 million cameras across the country. Similarly, a recent BBC report stated, there is one camera for every 14 people in London. Other large cities including New York, Paris, and Tokyo are also deploying cameras in large numbers, so it is reasonable to claim that networked cameras are everywhere. These cameras are deployed for a wide variety of commercial and security reasons. Further, consumer devices themselves have cameras with users interested in streaming videos live from these devices.

The Other Diasporas: Western and Southern European Migrants in Charles Booth’s Life and Labour of the People in London

This article analyses the discourse surrounding diaspora in Charles Booth’s Life and Labour of the People in London, drawing upon the published volumes of that project and the unpublished notebooks used to record observations and interviews. It examines how Western and Southern European migrant groups in London were depicted in Charles Booth’s work at the turn of the twentieth century, comparing these depictions with those of the Irish Catholic and Jewish Diasporas. It focuses on four areas through which the concept of diaspora was interrogated in Life and Labour – through ideas of territory, economic roles, criminality, and the nature of transnational institutions. It will examine patterns of settlement, interactions with the host society, ideas of belonging, and why between 1890 and 1914 Western and Southern European diasporas failed to attract the attention or the opprobrium so apparent in the discourse on Irish and Jewish migrants.

Interdependent temporalities and the everyday mobilities of visually impaired young people

This article examines the everyday mobilities of a group of visually impaired (VI) young people in London. We do so through a critical engagement with the notion of independent mobility central to the work of UK charities, campaign groups and professional bodies aiming to improve accessibility for people with VI. Drawing upon data emerging from self-directed videos and go-alongs with participants across London transport, we call for greater account to be taken of the politics of discourses around independence and how they intersect with disability and visual impairment. We make two interrelated arguments. First, that notions of interdependence are a more appropriate framework than independent mobility for engaging with the complexities of the everyday mobilities of young people with VI. Second, that considering the everyday temporalities emerging from the mobilities of VI young people provides alternative engagements with the contested term of independence. We conclude by stressing the significance of the politics emerging from the interwoven, compromised, and negotiated speeds and rhythms of VI young people’s engagement with in(ter)dependent mobilities.

Evaluation of Sub-National Population Projections: a Case Study for London and the Thames Valley

Sub-national population projections help allocate national funding to local areas for planning local services. For example, water utilities prepare plans to meet future water demand over long-term horizons. Future demand depends on projected populations and households and forecasts of per household and per capita domestic water consumption in supply zones. This paper reports on population projections prepared for a water utility, Thames Water, which supplies water to over nine million people in London and the Thames Valley. Thames Water required an evaluation of the accuracy of the delivered projections against alternatives and estimates of uncertainty. The paper reviews how such evaluations have been made by researchers. The factors leading to variation in sub-national projections are identified. The methods, assumptions and results for English sub-national areas, used in five sets of projections, are compared. There is a consensus across projections about the future fertility and mortality but varying views about the future impact of internal and international migration flows. However, the greatest differences were between projections using ethnic populations and those using homogeneous populations. Areas with high populations of ethnic minorities were projected to grow faster when an ethnic-specific model was used. This result is important for assessing projections for countries housing diverse populations with different demographic profiles. Historic empirical prediction intervals are used to assess the uncertainty of the London and the Thames Valley projections. By 2101 the preferred projection suggests that the population of the Thames Water region will have grown by 85% within an 80% empirical prediction interval between 45 and 125%.

Youth and social movements on the move: political engagement among young Spanish migrants in London

ABSTRACTSince the beginning of the economic crisis in Spain young people have migrated abroad looking for job opportunities. In the meantime, after the 15-M movement in 2011, Spanish society created various social movements hoping to make change happen, as well as the pro-independence movement in Catalonia that gathered strength as a response to the Spanish economic and political crisis. This paper analyses how Spanish young people in London, as transmigrants rooted in two different countries, engage with the politics of their home country through two transnational social movements in London: ANC England and the Maroon Wave London. The article describes both local movements (comparing their goals, structure and activities), showing the reasons that young Spanish migrants get involved and their experiences within them. It also rethinks the nature and modalities of young diasporic identities and political engagement in the global age through the experiences of the young people interviewed.

High prevalence of latent tuberculosis and bloodborne virus infection in a homeless population

IntroductionUrban homeless populations in the UK have been shown to have high rates of active tuberculosis, but less is known about the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). This study...

The Crisis at Christmas Dental Service: a review of an annual volunteer-led dental service for homeless and vulnerably housed people in London.

Background The UK charity Crisis originated in 1967 as a response to the increasing numbers of homeless people in London, and the first Crisis at Christmas event for rough sleepers was established in 1971. Since then, Crisis has provided numerous services over the Christmas period to the most vulnerable members of society. One of these is the Crisis at Christmas Dental Service (CCDS) which provides emergency and routine dental care from 23-29 of December each year. The charity is entirely dependent on voluntary staffing and industry donations including materials and facilities. This paper aims to assess the impact of the service over the last six years of clinical activity from 2011-2016.Method Anonymised data were collected from the annual CCDS delivered over the last six consecutive years. Services included: dental consultations; oral hygiene instruction; scale and polishes; permanent fillings; extractions; and fluoride varnish applications. In addition, anonymised patient feedback was collected after each dental attendance.Results On average, 80-85% of the patients were male and the majority were between 21 and 60 years of age. The most common nationality was British (46%). Over the six-year data collection period intervention treatments (restorations and extractions) remained fairly consistent, while the number of fluoride varnish applications and oral hygiene instruction have increased. The majority of patients reported positive satisfaction with their treatment and would have recommended the service to others. Approximately 75% of patients did not regularly attend a dentist outside of Crisis and a similar proportion were given information on where to access year round dental services for homeless people in London. The majority of dental volunteers felt that they enjoyed the experience and would consider volunteering again for Crisis in the future.Conclusion The Crisis at Christmas Dental Service has emerged as a valuable asset to the portfolio of resources accessible to vulnerable, marginalised people over the Christmas period and exposes the high dental need of the homeless population of London.

Smartphone app will help young people in London manage their asthma symptoms

Smartphone app will help young people in London manage their asthma symptoms

You Care More for the Gear Than the Geezer? Care Relationships of Homeless Substance Users in London

AbstractCare for homeless people in general and homeless substance abusers in particular has been well explored as a research topic (Fisher and Collins ; Seal ; Desjarlais ; Pleace and Quilgars ; Bevan ; Briggs ). Historically, academics have been interested in care in settings as diverse as families, hospitals, asylums, poorhouses, the criminal justice system and more recently what has been called the ‘community’. In this paper, I want to look at two different dimensions of care in a particular social world of substance using homeless people in London where the people are not always the likely recipients but active providers of care. I understand care in Mol's and Winance's sense as a process of tinkering (Mol ; Winance ). The most dominant form of care is produced by many homeless substance users themselves: they care for drugs. The relationship to ‘their’ substance is often highly intimate and characterized by physical and emotional closeness, commitment and accord. Drugs develop person‐like characteristics and ‘demand’ care, promising intimacy and a sense of self. Dominated by the need to care for drugs in this way, other (human‐to‐human) relationships can become increasingly fragmented and the social net can become hollowed out, instrumental and even violent. Geographies split apart with different logics between public and intimate; sub‐cities emerge. But at the same time as the drug develops into the object of care demanding attention, the responsibility to care can develop a shared dimension. Friendships and love relationships grow based on intimate care which still centre on drugs but go far beyond it in their carefulness and interconnection. This is where geographies merge, connections are made and futures are built.

Hospital readmissions for COPD: a retrospective longitudinal study

Prevention of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospital readmissions is an international priority aimed to slow disease progression and limit costs. Evidence of the risk of readmission and of interventions that might prevent it is lacking. We aimed to determine readmission risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, factors influencing that risk, and variation in readmission risk between hospitals across 7.5 million people in London. This retrospective longitudinal observational study included all chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admissions to any hospital in the United Kingdom among patients registered at London general practices who had emergency National Health Service chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospital admissions between April 2006 and March 2010. Influence of patient characteristics, geographical deprivation score, length of stay, day of week of admission or of discharge, and admitting hospital, were assessed using multiple logistic regression. 38,894 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admissions of 20,932 patients aged ≥ 45 years registered with London general practices were recorded. 6295 patients (32.2%) had at least one chronic obstructive pulmonary disease readmission within 1 year. 1993 patients (10.2%) were readmitted within 30 days and 3471 patients (17.8%) were readmitted within 90 days. Age and patient geographical deprivation score were very weak predictors of readmission. Rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease readmissions within 30 days and within 90 days did not vary among the majority of hospitals. The finding of lower chronic obstructive pulmonary disease readmission rates than was previously estimated and the limited variation in these rates between hospitals suggests that the opportunity to reduce chronic obstructive pulmonary disease readmission risk is small.

“There is still a perception that homelessness is a housing problem”: devolution, homelessness and health in the UK

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an exploratory account of the links between devolution, homelessness and health in the UK. Specifically, it focusses on the policy context and governance structures that shape the systems of healthcare for homeless people in London, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Design/methodology/approach Empirically the paper draws on semi-structured interviews with a small sample of policy and practice actors from the devolved territories. Qualitative interviews were supplemented by a comparative policy analysis of the homelessness and health agenda within the devolved regions. Theoretically, it takes inspiration from Chaney’s concept of the “issue salience of homelessness” and explores the comparative character of healthcare as pertains to homeless people across the devolved territories. Findings The paper provides clear evidence of areas of divergence and convergence in policy and practice between the devolved regions. These features are shown to be strongly mediated by the interplay of two factors: first, the scope and scale of national and local homelessness prevention strategies; and second, intra-national variation in public health responses to homelessness. Originality/value The paper offers considerable insight from a comparative policy perspective into the nature of healthcare provision for homeless people in the devolved regions.

Where’s Wally? In Search of Citizen Perspectives on the Smart City

This paper builds upon an earlier conference publication by the authors, offering contributions based on a systematic literature review and qualitative study. The paper begins by drawing attention to the paucity of “citizen”—more appropriately, “situated”—perspectives on what a smart city should and could be. The paper then addresses that absence by detailing a research project that explored how people in London, Manchester, and Glasgow responded to the smart city concept. Participants were asked questions regarding their prior familiarity with the phrase “smart city”, their thoughts relating to what it means for a city to be smart, and what a “true” smart city might mean to them. The paper analyses and offers a synthesis of the responses collected throughout the research with the dominant rhetoric about smart cities, as identified through a recent systematic literature review, thereby providing a critical assessment of the values underlying the smart city. It aims to explore and present some of the expectations that citizens hold for their cities’ politicians, policy makers, planners, academics, and technology companies. We believe that these perspectives from citizens can be used to inform responsible development, spatially and socially inclusive technologies, and ultimately more resilient cities.

FRI-386 - Co-Infection with Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, HIV and Latent TB Infection among Homeless People in London

FRI-386 - Co-Infection with Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, HIV and Latent TB Infection among Homeless People in London

Integrating quasi-experimental and inductive designs in evaluation: A case study of the impact of free bus travel on public health

Evaluations of ‘natural experiments’ in public policy are typically considered ‘weak’ evidence. Challenges include: making credible claims for causal inference (internal validity); generalizing beyond the case (external validity); and providing useful evidence for decision makers. In public health, where experimental evidence is encouraged by funders and enjoys a degree of rhetorical favour, in theory if not practice, current guidance for evaluating natural experiments focuses largely on methods for strengthening internal validity. Using a case study of the evaluation of free bus travel for young people in London, UK, we demonstrate a pragmatic approach to strengthening both internal and external validity in evaluations through integrating the logic of quasi-experimental methods with inductive qualitative analysis. Combining theoretical and inductive analysis in this way to address questions of policy interest through evaluations of natural experiments may be fruitful, and have methodological advantages over randomized designs.

“We don’t get taught enough”: an assessment of drug education provision in schools in England

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the provision of drug education in schools in England by exploring the views of young people and teachers. The study synthesises the commonalities between experiences of teaching and learning and, in doing so, offers insight on policy and practice. Design/methodology/approach – The paper incorporates two pieces of research: a survey of 590 secondary school pupils in London that generated insight on the collective experience of drug education; and a survey of 288 teachers in primary and secondary schools throughout England, supplemented by 20 in-depth interviews. The paper also draws on learning from the practical implementation of the Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention Information Service (ADEPIS). Findings – The research provides insight into the current status of drug education provision and outlines key constraints to effective delivery. The paper also presents ADEPIS as a potential framework for supporting schools. Research limitations/implications – The research incorporated a relatively small number of schools and only accessed the views of young people in London; the results therefore require further substantiation. There is also a need for further evaluation of ADEPIS, including comparison with schools that develop drug education practice independent of external guidance. Practical implications – The paper highlights the need for improvement in drug education, with implications for national policy, particularly in relation to subject-specific teacher training, increased central guidance, and the statutory status of PSHE. Originality/value – The research fulfils the need to represent the voices of young people in discussions on drug education, as well as contributing to wider debates around improving the quality of drug education.

Heap House by E. Carey

Carey, Edward. Heap House. Toronto: Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, 2013. Print.This Young Adult gothic mystery novel tells the story of the Iremonger House, also known as Heap House, and its inhabitants Clod Iremonger and Lucy Pennant. The book contains Victorian themes and imagery, and also deals with supernatural elements.Clod Iremonger belongs to one of the most powerful families in England. The Iremongers made their fortune by gathering the trash of other people in London. All of this trash has combined to create the giant, toxic sea known as the Heaps. At the centre of the Heaps is the gigantic Iremonger house, made up of a combination of other houses and castles. The Iremongers live in Heap House.Although the Iremongers are very rich, they are also very reclusive, strict, and cruel. Clod’s grandfather rules over the clan, determining their futures, from career to marriage. A large host of servants run the household, known simply as Iremongers. These servants are distant relatives of the Iremonger clan, and lose all identity when they enter service. The Iremongers, servant and family alike, all share one other strange peculiarity - each member is presented with an object upon birth, which must be kept on their persons at all times. These objects could be anything - from a mantlepiece to a bath plug. Clod is about to turn sixteen, and become a man. However, Clod is also special. A sickly child, he has always been able to hear objects talking - each repeating a unique name, over and over. When his Aunt’s birth object goes missing, and a new servant girl named Lucy Pennant enters the household, Clod’s entire world begins to change. With the help of kindred spirit Lucy, Clod begins to uncover the mysteries of his family, and why he can hear objects speak. He also begins to find his own independence.Heap House is definitely a novel for older readers. The book alternates between the viewpoint of Clod and Lucy. The world set-up is slow to unfold, and complicated, which could leave readers initially confused. Some interactions and descriptions are quite drawn out, and the mystery may not be compelling enough to encourage further reading. The novel also deals with complex issues of social class, sickness, death, corruption, bullying, abuse, incest, environmental destruction, and loss of identity. Edward Carey, the author, has also provided illustrations for readers, in between each chapter. Although this can be helpful in visualizing Heap House itself, it could also be distracting for older readers who do not need visual aids to interpret the story. The novel does not end neatly either, which could frustrate readers at the lack of resolution to introduced stories and characters. The intricacies of the novel, however, do make it a very unique read, full of Victorian imagery and evocative of industrial London.The novel is part of a trilogy, including the sequel Foulsham, and a yet un-named title. The author’s website also features an interactive exploration of the setting of released novels.Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Colette LeungColette Leung is a graduate student at the University of Alberta, working in the fields of Library and Information science and Humanities Computing who loves reading, cats, and tea. Her research interests focus around how digital tools can be used to explore fields such as literature, language, and history in new and innovative ways.

A102 NIHR funded research on transport and health

Abstract Background The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), through the NIHR Public Health Research Programme, funds research intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health. The research serves a variety of key stakeholders including: decision-makers in local government, other local public services and the public. The scope of research funded is multi-disciplinary and broad, covering a wide range of interventions that improve health, including those related to transport. The NIHR has issues several calls for research in this area, this presentation will describe some of the research projects funded, their aims and results. Methods The scope of research projects funded includes investigations of how active and safe travel affects health, and interventions which could be prioritised by local authorities. Examples include: the health effects of a new urban motorway; public transport schemes such as new a busway in Cambridge, and evaluating the impact of introducing free bus travel for young people in London; walking and cycling including cycling infrastructure for reducing cycling injuries in cyclists; active travel and the environment. The methods employed by these studies include: evaluations of natural experiments, randomised controlled trials, and systematic reviews of evidence. Some of the studies have reported others are still in progress. Results Examples of results from some of the studies include: the free bus travel scheme for young people appears to have encouraged their greater use of bus transport for short trips without significant impact on their overall active travel. The scheme also had positive effects on social inclusion. Qualitative data regarding a new guided busway in Cambridge highlighted the varied ways in which people learn to use new public transport and integrate it into their everyday lives. This has implications for the introduction and uptake of other new public transport systems and the effects on physical activity and public health. Conclusions The research studies funded by the NIHR related to transport and health are varied and wide in scope; they have implications for population health both now and in the future.

Learning what high quality compassionate care means for cancer patients and translating that into practice

In 2010, UCLPartners, a partnership of health care providers and universities in North Central London, began a collaboration with local commissioners that aimed to think about cancer care and diagnosis differently. Understanding that a good patient experience can only be delivered by putting patients first and working together along their journey from symptoms to recovery, we brought clinical leaders together with patients to think about how to improve outcomes for patients, outside institutional barriers. From the very beginning this new network, an integrated cancer system, focused on understanding what mattered most to patients and organising how it worked and how it measured success around this. Co-designed by conversations and with contributions from over 1,000 clinicians and over 200 patients, London Cancer’s ten things that matter most to patients are embedded throughout the continuing work of this organisation. In this article our work to develop these ten topics is described alongside how we used this to create a truly patient centred integrated cancer system for a population of 3.5 million people in London and Essex.

What alternatives post-austerity? Importance of targeted employment advice for refugee young people in London, UK

The impact of the UK Coalition government's cuts has catastrophically impacted advisory and support services to refugee young people. Many bespoke refugee services have ceased with the alternative being conventional information sources that lack specialist knowledge of the unique situation of refugees. Taking an autonomy approach, this qualitative research study discusses the benefits of the now obsolete refugee advisory service, the Refugee Integration and Employment Service, with current sources of welfare-to-work programmes. In conclusion, it argues that without targeted sources of information, advice and support refugee young people will struggle to make informed strategic decisions about their future careers.