Practice Theory Research Articles

Photography in Social Work and Social Change: Theory and Applications for Practice and Research. Matthias J. Naleppa, Kristina M. Hash, and Anissa T. Rogers

Photography in Social Work and Social Change: Theory and Applications for Practice and Research. Matthias J. Naleppa, Kristina M. Hash, and Anissa T. Rogers

The hidden work of general practitioners: An ethnography

High quality primary care is a foundational element of effective health services. Internationally, primary care physicians (general practitioners (GPs), family doctors) are experiencing significant workload pressures. How non-patient-facing work contributes to these pressures and what constitutes this work is poorly understood and often unrecognised and undervalued by patients, policy makers, and even clinicians engaged in it. This paper examines non-patient-facing work ethnographically, informed by practice theory, the Listening Guide, and empirical ethics. Ethnographic observations (104 h), in-depth interviews (n = 16; 8 with GPs and 8 with other primary care staff) and reflexive workshops were conducted in two general practices in England. Our analysis shows that ‘hidden work’ was integral to direct patient care, involving diverse clinical practices such as: interpreting test results; crafting referrals; and accepting interruptions from clinical colleagues. We suggest the term ‘hidden care work’ more accurately reflects the care-ful nature of this work, which was laden with ambiguity and clinical uncertainty. Completing hidden care work outside of expected working hours was normalised, creating feelings of inefficiency, and exacerbating workload pressure. Pushing tasks forward into an imagined future (when conditions might allow its completion) commonly led to overspill into GPs' own time. GPs experienced tension between their desire to provide safe, continuous, ‘caring’ care and the desire to work a manageable day, in a context of increasing demand and burgeoning complexity.

Coping strategies of food insecure households with children and adolescents in Uruguay, a high-income Latin American country: A qualitative study through the lens of Bourdieu's theories of capitals and practice

Food insecurity has been associated with negative short, medium, and long-term health consequences, which are more detrimental for children and adolescents. These effects may depend on the coping strategies developed to deal with food shortages. The present research aimed at exploring coping strategies in food insecure households with children and adolescents in Uruguay, incorporating sociological theoretical insights from Bourdieu. A qualitative approach based on individual semi-structured interviews was used. A total of 40 interviews were conducted with adults who had parental responsibilities of children and adolescents and who received different types of food assistance, between July and December 2022, in four cities. Results showed that adults tend to develop a wide range of coping strategies aimed at: reducing food expenditure, increasing the availability of money for purchasing food, increasing food availability and/or rationing the food available in the household. Some of the strategies were implemented regardless of the severity of food insecurity, whereas others were characteristic of the moderate and severe levels of the construct. Evidence to support the mediation effect of coping strategies on health outcomes was found. Discourses suggested that lower accumulation of economic and cultural capital may be aligned with the adoption of less socially accepted mechanisms to access to food. Expressions of a specific habitus aimed at securing food were identified among participants with more deprivations. Taken together, the findings suggest that coping strategies may not be a universal or invariant sequence according to the severity of food insecurity and stress the importance of considering households’ resources and local context for the development of strategies to improve access to food.

Advancing social practice understandings of digital innovation delivery in construction project management

PurposeThe paper aims to apply social practice theory to clarify the process of innovation design and delivery from one successful digital innovation: the building information modelling (BIM) risk library. The paper clarifies the practices surrounding construction innovation and provides a schema useful for practitioners and technology designers through a social practice analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe paper applies Schatzki's “organisation of practice” concepts to a construction project innovation to clarify how the practice of innovation revolves around understandings, rules and teleoaffectivities (emotive behaviours). Sources for the study include notes from meetings, workshops with experts and the shared artefacts of innovation.FindingsThe practice of innovation design and delivery are clarified through a social practice analysis: a distinct “field of practice” and a “schema” of generalisable prescriptions and preferences for innovation delivery being presented.Practical implicationsThe paper informs the practice and process of innovation design and delivery; the insights clarify how collective understandings and rules of use evolve over time, becoming formalised into contracts, agreements and workplans. Practically, processes whereby innovation “sayings” evolve into innovation “doings” are clarified: a schema detailing prescriptions and preferences of practitioners and developers being presented.Originality/valueThe social practice analysis of one successful construction innovation is an original contribution to the body of knowledge, adding a level of detail regarding innovation design and delivery often missing from reported research.

Exploring systemic design practices in public sector innovation

Many societal challenges need to be resolved through innovative solutions at system level. Previous scholars have argued that it may be wise to combine design practice and system theory to form a management method for public sector innovation. However, it appears that few scholars have developed innovation management methods based on that combination. The aim of this article is therefore to contribute with new knowledge about how design practice and system theory can be combined in order to drive public sector innovation. The article proposes the development of a previously proposed systemic design management model and presents a toolbox with twelve innovation management tools. Although there is a logic in using the tools in a certain order, this article emphasizes the need for a flexible use of the tools and to be open to moving back and forth between different tools. The results also indicate that an initial key tool is to ensure that the right people become involved in the different phases of the innovation process. It is more important to involve the right people in different phases than to follow a specific pre-designed process model. In order to successfully create and implement innovative solutions at system level, the innovation processes need to engage different human resources for different tools. Different resources that understand the needs can contribute with new perspectives and also possess the mandate to make systemic changes.

TSDT vs CPT and FSDT for Free Vibration Analysis of Functionally Graded Incompressible Plates

This article studies vibrational behavior of incompressible functionally graded plates through utilizing classical, first-order shear, and third-order shear deformation plate theories. Plate material properties are presumed to differ continuously in the thickness direction concurringto a power law function. The motion and continuity equations are produced using three different plate theories, and then they are analytically solved for rectangular plates with simple supports utilizingNavier's method. The results are verified by obtaining the plate natural frequency for the power law index value equals zero and comparing them to those reported in previous works. It is shown that transverse vibrational analysis of the classical and first-order shear deformationplate theories for incompressible plates are not as precise as thecompressible ones. It is shown that this issue is due to the fact that according to those theories, unlike the higher order theories, the hydrostatic pressure cannot participate in carrying the bending loads. Consequently, the equivalent flexural stiffness and as a result flexural frequencies decrease. So, to analyze the vibrational behavior of functionally graded incompressibleplates, whether the plate is either thin or thick, higher order theories should be adopted. Also, it is demonstrated that TSDT is the simplest shear deformation plate theory for which the hydrostatic pressure can contribute to withstandig the bending moments. So, it can be a practical theory for free vibration analysis of functionally graded incompressible plates. Finally, this theory has been taken into consideration to analyze the vibrational behavior of rectangular plates made of functionally graded incompressible materials Also detailed parametric studies have been carried out.

Hosting and the normative presence of Christmas in older people’s lives

AbstractDespite the economic and cultural significance of Christmas in many nations, there has been relatively little geographical research on how it shapes people’s socialities, spatialities, and subjectivities. In this paper, practice theory was used to reflect on the materials, meanings, and competencies associated with older people who host the celebration at home, and thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with 20 individuals aged 65+ explored participants’ experiences of doing so. Findings reveal that homes’ material forms affect older people’s ability to host, while the ‘stuff’ of Christmas such as decorations, special foods, or gifts shape those homes as festive and welcoming places. Food sourcing and preparation were critical competencies for female participants, and shifting capacities to be a host influenced participants’ sense of autonomy and identity. Regardless of the extent to which participants celebrated Christmas, the meanings of hosting centred on social connection, contribution, and shoring up family. Choosing not to host or being unable to contribute in expected ways at Christmas could signify failure, exclusion, or incapability as an older person, parent, or citizen. Examining these issues in the case study, based in Aotearoa/New Zealand, reveals the existence and effects of the social expectations, norms, and obligations that typify Christmas. More broadly, the study highlights the need for geographers to attend to the ways in which celebrations shape and are shaped by diverse practices, places, and peoples and are assembled, reproduced, and resisted.

Physician educators' perceptions of experiences contributing to teaching.

Physician educators are essential in training the next generation of physicians. However, physician educators' perspectives about what experiences they find beneficial to their teaching and the prevalence of these experiences remain unknown. Guided by social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and communities of practice (CoP), we explored what experiences physician educators perceive as beneficial in preparing them to teach. In 2019, the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine in the United States surveyed its physician alumni to understand their education experiences during medical school, their current career path and what has contributed to their teaching role. Content analysis was applied to extract themes across the text response. Chi-square analysis was applied to examine if perceived contributing factors vary based on physician educators' gender, specialty and academic ranks. The five most prevalent contributing factors participants (n = 781) identified are (1) experiences gained during residency and fellowship (29.8%), (2) teaching as faculty member (28.9%) and (3) class experiences and peer interaction during medical school (26%). We organised three themes that reflected major avenues of how physician educators acquire teaching skills: reflection about quality teaching, journey as learners and learning by doing. Gender and clinical specialty were differentially associated with contributing factors such as faculty development and meta-reflection. The results are in line with theories of SCCT and CoP, in which we identified self-directed learning and regulation in shaping physician educators' teaching. The findings also revealed gaps and potential contexts for more formalised teaching practices to develop physician educators.

Community-based postnatal care model: Catalyst for management of mothers and neonates.

Early postnatal discharge is perceived as a factor that contributes to the possibilities of the maternal, neonatal complications and deaths. The implementation of the community-based postnatal care model is crucial to mitigate the morbidity and mortality of postnatal women and neonates during the first weeks of delivery. A community-based postnatal care model was developed for the management of neonates during the postnatal care period in the community. The study aims to share the developed community-based postnatal care model that could assist postnatal women in the management of neonates. Empirical findings from the main study formed the basis for model development. The model development in this study was informed by the work of Walker and Avant; Chinn and Kramer Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach; and Chinn and Jacobs. The results indicated that there was no community-based postnatal care model developed to manage neonates. The model is described using the practice theory of Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach elements of agents, recipients, context, process, dynamics and outcomes within the community context of the postnatal care period. The model was further described by Chinn and Krammer following the assumptions of the model, concept definition, relation statement and nature of structure. The utilisation of the model is critical and facilitates the provision of an enabling and supportive community-based context by primary caregivers for the effective management of neonates.Contribution:This study provides a reference guide in the provision of community-based postnatal care by postnatal women after discharge from healthcare facilities.

Alleviating Depression and Anxiety through Self-Compassion: An Analytical Approach to the Theory, Evidence, and Implications of Self-Compassion Practices

Alleviating Depression and Anxiety through Self-Compassion: An Analytical Approach to the Theory, Evidence, and Implications of Self-Compassion Practices

Network analysis and teaching excellence as a concept of relations

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to foreground network analysis as a statistical lens through which higher education institutions can articulate their own process of striving for teaching excellence, and how it is constituted in their own contexts. The paper offers an approach to analysis that extends the frontiers of methodologies in ‘measurement’ of teaching excellence; one that responds to the shortcomings of the current methodologies, critiqued for being reductive, performative, alienating, and promoting closure and convergence in how they assess teaching excellence. We review epistemological and methodological shifts in conceptualising teaching excellence and measurement that are required to work with our methodology, as well as provide statistical details, for anyone who wishes to reproduce our profiled examples. We thus build in the paper a link between the theory of (teaching) excellence and practice (of measurement) and champion a theory-based approach to the methodology of educational metrics.

English writing instructors' use of theories, genres, and activities: A survey of teachers’ beliefs and practices

In second language (L2) writing, the concept of genre has been an important construct. To date, multiple theories (sometimes referred to as schools or approaches) have driven a considerable amount of genre-based research and pedagogy, including: English for Specific Purposes (ESP), Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), and the New Rhetoric/Rhetorical Genre Studies (RGS) approach. Despite their growing prevalence, studies are needed that investigate the extent to which writing instructors adopt these theories in practice. This study addresses this issue by exploring 1) the genre-based theories that inform writing instructors’ pedagogies; 2) the different genres instructors teach in their classrooms; and 3) the types of pedagogical activities practitioners employ. To understand these phenomena, survey data (N = 141) and semi-structured interviews (n = 7) were collected from L2 English writing instructors. Findings show that ESP was the most well-known and adopted approach, followed by SFL and RGS. For written genres, most instructors reported teaching traditional, monomodal genres (e.g., argumentative essays), while digital multimodal genres were rare. This study discusses the implications of these findings, including developing teacher training, expanding pedagogies to include multimodal genres, and forging links between genres used in the classroom and those students will encounter in their lives.

Kontestasi Keberagamaan Umat Hindu dan Islam Wetu Telu di Pura Lingsar Lombok Barat

Each religion has a different system of theology, beliefs, religious institutions, and religious practices, in addition to having certain values in common. At the ideal level, religion is believed to be able to create order, integration, and social harmony in society. However, at the empirical level, religion often shows paradoxical phenomena as a source of disintegration and conflict triggered by differences in religious ideology and practice. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the dynamics of the contestation between Wetu Telu Muslims and Hindus and its implications. The data collection method is carried out by observation techniques, interviews, and document studies. Data analysis was carried out qualitatively based on the social practice theory and phenomenology. This study found that the dynamics of contestation of Wetu Telu Muslims and Hindus in Lingsar Temple represent the influence of modernization and the articulations of religiosity identity in the realm of ideological superstructure, social structure, as well as economic and demographic infrastructure. The implications of this contestation include the polarization of religious practices, the strengthening of group identities, and the struggle for capital resources belonging to Lingsar Temple.

Of Practices and (Micro)politics: Challenges of Organic Waste Segregation in Dschang, Cameroon

Waste generation in Sub-Saharan Africa is increasing rapidly. While biodegradable waste remains predominant, it is rarely treated separately by municipal solid waste management systems, thus foregoing the possibility to reduce the volume going to landfills or dumpsites. This paper discusses the unique case of the small city of Dschang, Cameroon, where the municipality operates two central composting plants that treat about 20% of the city’s household and restaurant waste. Using Urban Political Ecology and Social Practice Theory, this article studies waste flows, waste practices, material arrangements, power relations, social norms, institutional dynamics, and policies to identify opportunities and obstacles for organic waste sorting at the level of households and restaurants. Our analysis draws upon qualitative and quantitative data and points to the importance of the availability of multiple waste bins and monetary compensation for organic waste sorting. These factors have also facilitated the development of an informal waste sector, which might use up to 20% of the city’s waste as animal feed and for home/farm composting. However, complex relations between multiple actors and the national policy framework complicate the emergence of organic waste segregation at source as a common practice. In this way, the study shows that solid waste management is also a matter of power and (micro)politics.

Applying Social Practice Theory to Explore Australian Preschool Children's Oral Health.

Despite substantial research and provision of dental care, significant morbidity remains for children's oral health. Guided by social practice theory (SPT), this research moves away from the often-ineffective focus on changing individual behavior to rethinking the centrality of the social world in promoting or undermining oral health outcomes. We define social practice as a routinized relational activity linking and integrating certain elements (competence, materials, and meanings) into the performance of a practice that is reproduced across time and space. To investigate oral health in preschool children in Perth, Western Australia, using social practice theory. With no definitive methodology for investigating SPT, we chose focused ethnography as a problem-focused, context-specific approach using mainly interviews to investigate participants' experience caring for their children's oral health. The focus of analysis was the practice of oral health care, not individual behavior, where themes identified from participants' transcripts were organized into categories of elements and performance. Eleven parents, all of whom were married or partnered, were interviewed in 2021. Findings identified social practices relevant to oral health within parenting and family relations linked to routine daily activities, including shopping, consumption of food and beverages, and toothbrushing. Oral health literacy was reflected in integrating competence, materials, and meanings into performing oral health care, notably preferences for children to drink water over sugary beverages and information often being sourced from social media and mothers' groups rather than health providers. Focusing on social practices as the unit of analysis offers a more layered understanding of elements in young children's oral health care that can indicate where the problem may lie. Findings provide an opportunity to consider future research and policy directions in children's oral health. Examining social practices related to young children's oral health care identifies parents/carers' knowledge about, for example, toothbrushing, the resources required, and why toothbrushing is important. Analyzing these separate elements can reveal both enablers and barriers to oral health care. This provides researchers, clinicians and policymakers an opportunity to focus on not changing individual behavior but understanding how social context impacts parents/carers' capacity to make optimum decisions around young children's oral health.

Independence and Interdependence: A Comparative Case Study of Individuals From Two Institutions in Mainland China and Hong Kong

<p style="text-align:justify">There has been a clear shift in higher education to prepare and empower the current students for a future quite different and more complex than that faced by previous generations. In particular, it is expected that they will possess comprehensive abilities to deal with challenges arising from new employment demands and beyond. While liberal arts education has a long history in the West, it has been increasingly implemented more recently in East Asia as one response to the need for educational reform. The research reported here is an empirical study of how liberal arts education has affected individuals from two institutions with distinctive interpretations of “liberal arts education” - University N, the first Sino-foreign joint university in mainland China, and University L, the only public liberal arts university in Hong Kong. Drawing on Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice, this study illustrates the interplay and balance among students’ practical concerns, their sense of social obligation fostered through liberal arts education elements and the wider social structure. Semi-structured interviews with senior students, fresh graduates, and educators were conducted to gather in-depth primary data. These reveal that, by providing interdisciplinary knowledge and transferable skill sets, a liberal arts education experience does enhance individuals’ personal agency and intellectual competencies in a professional context - they are trained to become independent thinkers and learners. Moreover, the “humanistic” aspect of liberal arts is also relevant: having engaged in various activities and programs, students in both universities are encouraged to care, cooperate, and make positive differences in their increasingly interconnected communities.</p>

STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY ECONOMY THROUGH ENVIRONMENTALLY BASED TOURISM AND SOCIAL MEDIA IN NAGARI SUNGAI PINANG, WEST SUMATRA PROVINCE

This research aims to identify strategies to improve the community’s economy through environmentally based tourism and social media in Nagari Sungai Pinang, Pesisir Selatan Regency, West Sumatra. This study used qualitative methods with observation, in-depth interviews, utilization of documentation, and FGD. As an analytical tool, this research used Anthony Giddens’ structural theory of observation practice which is not only determined by the agent but also by structure. According to the research findings, the strategy for improving the community’s economy through environmentally based tourism and social media can be seen in the utilization of the community’s diverse tourism business potential, which includes tourism beaches, tourism mangrove forests, tourism nautical (sea), and tour island. Homestay, Manjuto Beach, and attractive islands such as Pamuntusan Island, Pagang, Marrak, Karanggo, and Erong Bay have all contributed to the growth of business tourism. Its development is aided by local institutions and local expertise from an environmental standpoint. There are other opportunities for enterprises that may be established without damaging natural beauty, including tourist firms that involve underprivileged people. The strategy for enhancing the economy of the public is to include all components from the outset, given that the location is common land in line with the customs that apply in the community of Minangkabau West Sumatera. Apart from that, social media is also used as a promotional tool by involving the younger generation.

Learning from the Experts: Stimulating Student Engagement in Small-group Active Learning.

Engaging students in small-group active learning methods is essential for their development. Yet, medical teachers frequently face difficulties in stimulating this engagement, resulting in students remaining passive or detached from the learning process. The aim of this study was to uncover ways in which expert medical teachers, proficient at cultivating high levels of student engagement, stimulate such engagement. This knowledge might inform faculty development initiatives, so that medical teachers can be better equipped to teach in a way that engages students. We conducted an interview study using a constructivist grounded theory approach, integrating elements from appreciative inquiry. The eleven participants were qualified medical teachers who repeatedly received high scores on student engagement. Each interview was transcribed, coded, and analyzed using constant comparison until theoretical saturation was achieved. We constructed a grounded theory of expert teaching practice, describing student engagement as an integrated process consisting of three components: 1) aiming for a supportive learning environment; 2) employing a personal educational approach; and 3) facilitating the active learning process. This study uncovered that there are multiple ways to stimulate high levels of student engagement. Although there was consensus on the importance of a supportive learning environment and the ability to facilitate the active learning process, participants recognized the contextual nature of student engagement and took on a reflective mindset to adapt strategies to their specific situations. These findings highlight the need for faculty development initiatives to adopt a comprehensive, context-sensitive approach that considers the complexity of student engagement.

Tech hub entrepreneurial training to low-income communities: Evidence from Brazil

Global development agencies have funded entrepreneurial projects to alleviate poverty in developing countries. This study discusses an international-sponsored training project delivered by a tech hub to stimulate creative economy entrepreneurship in low-income communities in Brazil. Studies focusing on providing entrepreneurial resources to create value for poor communities have diverging results. There is no clear understanding of resource use and transformation processes to generate entrepreneurial value for poor people. We have used the resourcing perspective from the social practice theory to analyze how project actions transform potential resources into resources used by community participants. Analyzing project entrepreneurship steps through resource-schema-action cycles and resourcing mechanisms allows an understanding of how participants use and transform resources to create valuable outcomes. Also, the technology-oriented hub approach constrains resourcing cycles and community enterprise options over time. As a result, a project developed in hub spaces could risk favoring community groups with better technological backgrounds and more visibility in that environment, limiting the breadth of its social change. Understanding the resourcing elements would help managers get more value from entrepreneurial resources when developing low-income enterprises. An empirical framework and related propositions summarize the paper's contributions.

Coding Competencies across Roles: Computer Programming Practices in News Media Organizations

ABSTRACT Computer programming, or what is commonly known as coding, is an emerging skill supporting the development of digital products in news media organizations. Through the application of practice theory—a hybrid approach that includes elements of field theory, actor–network theory and structuration theory—we examine the ways in which coding competencies are practiced within and across different roles, for different purposes. This exploratory study uses online interviews with 19 news product managers and leaders–or those who are tasked with the management, development, testing, and launching of digital news products–offering unique insight on coding practices across functions. Results highlight the usage, value and nuances of coding skills, providing insight into the activities, materiality, and reflexivity of computer programming as it emerges across roles in a news organization.