Automobility in Manchester Fiction

Abstract

This article contributes to recent debates concerning automobility and ‘mobile, embodied practices’ (Cresswell & Merriman, 2011 Cresswell, T. and Merriman, P., eds. 2011. Geographies of Mobilities: Practices, Spaces, Subjects, Farnham: Ashgate.  [Google Scholar]) by considering how various ‘driving events’ entail modes of perception that are of interest from an ontological perspective; that is, how drivers and passengers see the world through the windows of a moving car and how the driving ‘sensorium’ (Gilroy, 2001 Gilroy, P. 2001. “Driving while black”. In Car Cultures, Edited by: Miller, D. 81–104. Oxford: Berg.  [Google Scholar]; Sheller, 2004 Sheller, M. 2004. Automotive emotions: Feeling the car. Theory, Culture & Society, 21(4–5): 221–242. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) may be associated with emotional states (such as ‘escape’, ‘frustration’, ‘nostalgia’) that arguably characterize the everyday life of late modernity. In addition, the discussion speculates on what this altered perception means for how we see and conceptualize the contemporary urban landscape, concurring with Doel (1996 Doel, M. 1996. A hundred thousand lines of flight: A machinic introduction to the nomad thought and scrumpled geography of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 14(4): 421–439. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) that such space has effectively become a ‘scrumpled geography’ that can no longer be accounted for in traditional cartographical terms. These reflections are explored through close readings of a selection of literary texts (principally, crime fiction novels) emanating from Greater Manchester (England) and thus the article also contributes to recent work (both cultural and sociological) on the re-imagining of this particular urban landscape in recent times (Haslam, 2000 Haslam, D. 2000. Manchester, England: The Story of a Pop Cult City, London: Fourth Estate.  [Google Scholar]; Pearce et al., forthcoming Pearce, L., Crawshaw, R. and Fowler, C. forthcoming. Postcolonial Manchester: Writing, Migration, Place, Manchester: Manchester University Press.  [Google Scholar]).     

Lost in Transnational Space? Migrant Farm Workers in Rural Districts

Abstract

In recent decades, theories of transnationalism have emerged as key perspectives for analysis of international migration. Drawing on Glorius and Friedrich’s (2006 Glorius, B. and Friedrich, K. 2006. Transnational social spaces of Polish migrants in Leipzig. Migracijske i enticke teme, 22(1–2): 163–180.  [Google Scholar]) model of transnationalism, the paper analyses the case of migrant farm labour in rural Norway and demonstrates how the social context of migrants’ work influences their building of various kinds of social-capital resources which are crucial for development of transnational space. The paper argues that circularity of migration is not sufficient to instigate full-fledged transculturation and hybrid identity-formation processes. In conclusion, the paper recommends that transnational theory should pay greater attention to the social contexts of migration and observe the limits of the theory’s application.     

Mobile Phones as Network Capital: Facilitating Connections

Mobile phones enable interaction at times and in places where it was previously impossible, facilitating social networks. This paper identifies and explores the ways in which mobile phones increase the social support afforded by a network, improving access to contacts and promoting the development and maintenance of personal relationships. Mobile phones are ‘network capital’ (Larsen et al., 2006a Larsen, J., Axhausen, K. W. and Urry, J. 2006a. Geographies of social networks: meetings, travel and communications. Mobilities, 1(9): 261–283. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) because they expedite the availability of social support in a network. The exploratory research involved 32 UK mobile phone users, and combined several different qualitative research techniques: communication diaries; text message analysis; and interviews. The paper concludes that mobile phones increase access to networks and facilitate the development and maintenance of network ties; this highlights the catalytic role of communication technology in social networks.     

Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Bill C-150: A Rational Approach to Homosexual Acts, 1968–69

Between 1968 and 1969, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau sparked a controversy surrounding his liberal government's passage of Bill C-150, which not only decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting adults in private, but also polarized supporters of natural law and positive law. What tipped the balance in favor of a more secular analysis of homosexuality? In the post-World War II era, three events were particularly relevant to the successful passage of Bill C-150: the Kinsey (1948 Kinsey, A. C. 1948. Sexual behavior in the human male, Philadelphia: W.B. Sanders.  [Google Scholar]) studies, Britain's Wolfenden Report (1957), and the Supreme Court of Canada case Klippert v. The Queen (des Rivieres & Shipley, 1967 des Rivieres, F. and Shipley, M. 1967. “Canada law reports: The Supreme Court of Canada”. In Klippert v. The Queen, Ottawa: King's Printer.  [Google Scholar]). However, the Liberals, Conservatives, Social Credit Party, and the Ralliement Créditistes were all influenced by the social construction of inversion, openly expressing a Judeo-Christian natural law bias during Debates of the House of Commons (1968-69). Nonetheless, it was the Liberals that were identified as forces within Canadian politics that could separate legalism from moralism, even while retaining personal moral stances against homosexuals. It is this paradox that is often forgotten when discussing liberal policy in Canada during the late 1960s.     

“Life Without Line Dancing and the Other Activities Would be Too Dreadful to Imagine”: An Increase in Social Activity for Older Women

ABSTRACT

The literature on aging is replete with the positive effects of physical exercise on the well-being of older adults. Some Glass, T. A., de Leon, C. M., Marottoli, R. A. and Berkman, L. F. 1999. Population based study of social and productive activities as predictors of survival among elderly Americans. British Medical Journal, 319: 478–483. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] suggest, however, that the potential impact of social activities has not received adequate attention, and others Lennartsson, C. and Silverstein, M. 2001. Does engagement with life enhance survival of elderly people in Sweden? The role of social and leisure activities. The Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 56B(6): S335–S342. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] note the importance of distinguishing between the physical and nonphysical impact of these activities. This study investigated whether line dancing, a physical activity, led to an increase in social activity. Thirty women over the age of 60 were interviewed to discover how line dancing affected them. Content analysis of the interviews helped identify various themes indicating that line dancing enabled these women to expand their repertoire of social activity, leading to positive reinforcements such as further community involvement, charitable work, inclusion in national sports events, self-expression, and personal development. The impact of line dancing plainly goes beyond the perceived physical benefits.     

Patterns of Career and Identity Interference for Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Young Adults

Researchers have hypothesized about the potentially competing demands of sexual identity development and career development (e.g., Chen, Stracuzzi, & Ruckdeschel, 2004 Chen, E. C., Stracuzzi, T. I. and Ruckdeschel, D. E. 2004. “Affirmative counseling with gay men”. In Counseling diverse populations, Edited by: Atkinson, D. R. and Hackett, G. 388–411. Boston: McGraw Hill.  [Google Scholar]; Fassinger, 1996 Fassinger, R. E. 1996. Notes from the margins: Integrating lesbian experience into the vocational psychology of women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 48: 160–175. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Morrow, 1997 Morrow, S. L. 1997. Career development of lesbian and gay youth: Effects of sexual orientation, coming out, and homophobia. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 7: 1–15. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Schmidt, 2004 Schmidt, C. K. 2004. The effects of simultaneous developmental processes: The prediction of career development outcomes for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth, Kansas City: Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Missouri.  [Google Scholar]). In the present study, we explored these hypotheses focusing specifically on career decision making. Using cluster analysis, we identified three groups of lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who differed in terms of the conflict experienced between sexual identity and career development: career conflict group (n?=?11), sexual identity conflict group (n?=?45), and those who experienced low levels of conflict between the two domains (n?=?71). Differences were found between the clusters in levels of career decision making supports, career decision making barriers, and career decision making self-efficacy. Results tentatively suggest the importance of considering within-group differences when using Social Cognitive Career Theory to understand the career decision making of this population.     

Impact of Family Environment on Future Mental Health Professionals' Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men

This study explored the relationship between dimensions of functioning in the family of origin of graduate students in helping profession programs and their attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. One hundred forty-three participants completed the Family Environment Scale (FES-R: Moos & Moos, 1986 Moos, R. H. and Moos, B. S. 1986. Family Environment Scale, 2nd, Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.  [Google Scholar]), the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men scale (ATLG: Herek, 1994 Herek, G. M. 1994. “Assessing attitudes toward lesbians and gay men: A review of empirical research with the ATLG scale”. In Lesbian and gay psychology: Theory, research, and clinical applications, Edited by: Greene, B. and Herek, G.M. 206–224. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), and demographic questions. Results suggest that three family dimensions (conflict, intellectual-cultural orientation, and moral-religious emphasis) significantly predicted attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. The results also revealed that younger students held more negative attitudes toward lesbians and gay men than their older peers. Implications for educators, researchers, and practitioners are discussed.     

Local Settlement or Global Metropolis? Imagining Québec as a Glocal City on the 400th Anniversary of its Founding

Abstract

Situated within the Critical Discourse Analysis paradigm, this transdisciplinary study looks at the two official websites promoting the 400th founding anniversary of Québec City in 2008, in order to uncover how the Société du 400^e de Québec and the Canadian government represent Québec’s identity and how they respectively relate it to a regional and a federal entity. Focusing on the semiotic strategies that both protagonists propose in order to construct Québec’s identity, it is demonstrated that different conceptions of region, nation, and State – which have given rise to many a predicament throughout Canada’s history – are at the heart of these diverging local and global constructions of one single city. Whilst the Société du 400^e attributes a crucial historical role to the city when it describes Québec as ‘the cradle of French civilisation in the Americas’, the federal government simply salutes its status as the ‘oldest of Canadian cities’. Drawing on social theories (Smith, 1991 Smith, A. 1991. National identity, Reno: University of Nevada Press.  [Google Scholar]; Anderson, 2006 Anderson, B. 2006. Imagined Communities. Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, 2nd revised ed., New York: Verso.  [Google Scholar]) and sociohistoric context, the analysis which follows seeks to contribute from a linguistic point of view to the grand debate on identity that persists throughout Canada.     

The Social,Political, and Legal Construction of the Concept of Child Pornography

This article examines the construction of the concept of child pornography, developed in several Supreme Court decisions. New York v. Ferber (1982) New York v.Ferber. 102 S.Ct. 2248. Also 458 U.S. 747. 1982.  [Google Scholar] separated child pornography from adult obscenity, and soon thereafter almost all pictures of nude children became illegal. These images had been common in art and usually signified innocence, although they often had an erotic component. The assumption that images of nude youths can only be viewed erotically is a significant change. The justification—that children were hurt in producing child pornography, and that distribution (even no-cost distribution) and private possession contributed to that harm—does not hold up under analysis. It is statistically flawed and inconsistent with other Court decisions. Justice Kennedy's decision in Ashcroft v. The Free Speech Coalition supports the argument that the images are forbidden because they challenge the ideology of the innocent child. Since erotic images of adults are common, understanding the different treatment of youths is important for understanding contemporary sexual politics.     

High Levels of Same-Sex Experiences in the Netherlands: Prevalences of Same-Sex Experiences in Historical and International Perspective

Some authors suggest that the public stance toward homosexuality can influence the prevalence of same-sex experiences (e.g., Butler, 2005 Butler, A. C. 2005. Gender differences in the prevalence of same-sex partnering: 1988–2002. Social Forces,, 84(1): 421–449. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Since the Dutch stance toward homosexuality has become more positive during the last decades, it was hypothesized that the current Dutch prevalences of same-sex experiences are higher than in other times and countries. This hypothesis was investigated using the data of a recent Dutch population study, and comparing these results to those from previous and international studies. The current Dutch figures were indeed higher than recent figures from other countries. Among women, the recent figures were also higher than those found in previous Dutch studies. The prevalence of same-sex experiences among Dutch males stayed the same. These results and the methodological aspects of the study are discussed.     

An Exploration of the Experience of Lesbians with Chronic Illness

An exploration of the challenges facing lesbians with chronic conditions and their coping strategies was investigated by examining the experiences of participants who were clients of a volunteer organization serving chronically ill lesbians. This article reports the results associated with those challenges, with its ultimate goal being and to assess the effectiveness of current services. Using the participant observation method, as employed by O'Toole (2000 O'Toole, C. J. 2000. The view from below: Developing a knowledge base about an unknown population. Sexuality and Disability, 18(3): 207–224. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), the analysis was based on multiple data sources and 10 years experience within the volunteer organization, including 3 years in direct client support. A qualitative method served as the primary focus for the study. The quantitative method preceded the qualitative method and provided limited supporting data. The total number of participants included all past and current clients, but the number participating in each data source varied. Qualitative sources included archival structured interviews (n = 69), taped interviews (n = 5-6), and extensive comments written in response to the quantitative surveys (n = 14). The quantitative measures (n = 14) included the researcher-developed Chronic Conditions Challenges Checklist (C4) and the Short Form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire ([SF-MPQ]; Melzack, 1998 Melzack, R. 1998. “The short-form McGill pain questionnaire”. In The compendium of quality of life instruments, Edited by: Salek, S. 2J:3–2J:3C. New York: Wiley. (Compiler) [Google Scholar] ). A content analysis of all data sources found a number of challenges that met the criteria of being identified in at least two data sources and across multiple participants. Challenges included those related to the disease process (i.e., pain, fatigue, and decreases in mobility) to impacts of the condition (financial security, ability to participate, support from family of origin and independence, loneliness, and issues related to mental health). Challenges were discussed in terms of those that are similar to and different from other women suffering from chronic illness, as well as their relevance to related literature.     

The Effects of Body Image Perceptions and Sociocommunicative Orientations on Self-Esteem,Depression, and Identification and Involvement in the Gay Community

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine how nonverbally communicated messages based on weight and physical appearance related to antifat attitudes, image fixation, and discrimination based on physical appearance and weight on bisexual, gay, and lesbian people. Using an Internet-based sample of 233 participants (88% Anglo/Saxon or Caucasian), the results indicated Richmond and Valencic's (2000) Richmond, V. P. and Valencic, K. M. . Image Fixation Measure. Paper presented at the Eastern Communication Association's Annual Conference. Pittsburgh, PA. April,  [Google Scholar] conceptualization of image fixation negatively related to an individual's self-esteem and positively related to reported levels of depression. Results also indicated people with highly assertive and responsive communicative behaviors were less likely to hold antifat attitudes and less likely to dislike fat people. Differences between gay/bisexual males and lesbian/bisexual females were also analyzed, and gay/bisexual males had significantly higher levels of image fixation, antifat attitudes, dislike of fat people, weight locus of control, perceptions of self physical/weight discrimination, and depression than lesbian/bisexual females. The results also indicated lesbian/bisexual females had significantly higher levels of self-esteem and interaction and involvement within the bisexual and gay and lesbian community than gay/bisexual men.     

Core American Values and the Structure of Antigay Prejudice

This work presents a new scale to measure conflicting attitudes toward sexual minorities. This scale parallels existing measures of conflicting racial attitudes (anti-Black and pro-Black attitudes; Katz & Hass, 1988 Katz, I. and Hass, G. R. 1988. Racial ambivalence and American value conflict: Correlational and priming studies of dual cognitive processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55: 893–905. [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). After constructing and validating measures of antigay and progay attitudes, we tested relationships among core American values with racial and sexual minority attitudes. We examined relations among the Protestant Work Ethic (PWE), Traditional Family Ideology (TFI), and egalitarian values with attitudes toward racial outgroups and sexual minorities. The results revealed that both PWE values and egalitarian values predicted anti-Black attitudes. By contrast, endorsement of egalitarian values, but not PWE values, predicted pro-Black attitudes. Results also revealed a similar but distinct pattern among values and heterosexuals' attitudes toward sexual minorities. TFI, but not egalitarian value endorsement, predicted antigay attitudes, whereas both TFI and egalitarian value endorsement predicted progay attitudes. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Stress and Resilience in the Oral Histories of Rural Older Women

Oral history research has seldom focused on the reflections of rural older women. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify: (a) stresses associated with major historical events that affected the lives of rural older women, and (b) strategies they used to deal with those stresses. Oral histories were gathered from a cross-section of 25 older women living in a small rural Midwestern community and analyzed using the method of constant comparison (Glaser & Straus, 1967 Glaser, B. and Strauss, A. 1967. The discovery of grounded theory, Chicago: Aldine.  [Google Scholar]). Content analysis revealed that economic hardship, disruption of family life, and fears and uncertainties were stressors associated with the Great Depression and world wars of the 20th century. Resilience was demonstrated by frugality, reliance on social supports, and acceptance. Implications for intervention with rural older women are discussed.     

Flexible Queers,Serious Bodies: Transgender Inclusion in Queer Spaces

Queer spaces are significant for understanding transgender inclusion as “queer spaces were places where individuals were expected to be attentive to or aware of alternative possibilities for being, including non-normative formulations of bodies, genders, desires and practices” (Nash, 2011 Nash, C. J. 2011. Trans experiences in lesbian and queer space. Canadian Geographer/Le Géographe Canadien, 55: 192–207. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], p. 203). Indeed, in this interview study of members of a queer leather group called the Club, members described a flexible “sexual landscape” that easily includes transgender members. However, these same queer spaces have been criticized for the way they regulate queer bodies and organize queer subjectivities. In this study, queer members of the Club also contrasted playful queer flexibility with serious transgender bodies. This article argues that, although there is a reiterative relation between transgender inclusion and queer spaces, the idealization of flexibility within queer spaces can also serve to marginalize and regulate transgender bodies.     

Application and Testing the Reliability and Validity of a Modified Version of Herek's Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale in China

The present study was the first attempt to test the reliability and validity of Herek's Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale (ATLG; Herek, 1988 Herek, G. M. 1988. Heterosexuals' attitudes toward lesbians and gay men: Correlatesand gender differences. The Journal of Sex Research, 25(4): 451–477. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) in the Chinese population. Participants (n = 2,391 for the field trials and n = 200 for test–retest reliability) were asked to complete the translated, slightly modified version of the ATLG. The resulting ATLG has a two-dimensional factor structure as well as good validity and reliability in the Chinese culture. ATLG scores followed distinct patterns according sex and level of education that were consistent with previous studies in other populations. The significance of these findings in Chinese culture is discussed.     

Sexual Orientation Microaggressions and the Experience of Sexual Minorities

This qualitative study sought to confirm and expand on previous research on sexual orientation microaggressions—subtle discrimination in the form of verbal, behavioral, and environmental slights and indignities as defined by Sue (2010 Sue, D. W. 2010. “Microaggressions in everyday life: Race”. In gender, and sexual orientation Hoboken, NJ: Wiley [Google Scholar]). The study had two primary research questions: Does the data from the sample validate Sue's (2010) typology of sexual orientation microaggressions? Beyond Sue's (2010) typology, are other themes/types of sexual orientation microaggressions present in the data? Using a focus group methodology, data was collected from a sample of self-identified non-heterosexual college students (N = 12). Data analysis confirmed five previously identified themes from Sue's (2010) typology (Endorsement of Heteronormative Culture, Sinfulness, Homophobia, Heterosexist Language/Terminology, and Oversexualization) and demonstrated two new themes (Undersexualization and Microaggressions as Humor). The implications of sexual orientation microaggressions, along with limitations and future research directions, are discussed.     

I want my Snooki: MTV’s failed subjects and post-feminist ambivalence in and around the Jersey Shore

As a sexually promiscuous and outrageously flamboyant young woman, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi of MTV’s Jersey Shore (2009–2012) Jersey Shore. 2009–2012. Television Series. Seasons 1–6. USA: MTV. [Google Scholar] could be said to be the ultimate example of Angela McRobbie’s post-feminist subject. However, as pervasive as post-feminist narratives have become in popular culture, the figure of Snooki problematizes its ideal forms of femininity and meritocratic success. In this paper I argue that Snooki’s potential challenges to post-feminist ideology were contained by news reporting on her at the height of her fame. This analysis posits a noteworthy divide in that those most inclined to watch/consume Snooki-as-text (the MTV audience) likely remained beyond the reach of the news media’s attempt to re-inscribe hegemonic ideologies onto her star image/text. I examine the relation between Snooki-as-text (the Snooki presented on Jersey Shore) and the extra-textual attempts to undermine her popularity and legitimacy. I frame this discussion along three axes of transgression and containment: the sexual empowerment/threat paradigm; the physical markings of class and ethnic subjectivity; and the textual boundaries of meritocratic success. Despite efforts to contain her, Snooki’s short-lived success hints at an ambivalence toward post-feminism today that could help chart a revitalized form of feminist politics within youth-driven popular culture.     

Wearing Pink as a Stand Against Bullying: Why We Need To Say More

This article presents a contextual discourse analysis of the media response to a campaign against bullying that was developed in the spring of 2007 in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. As a feature of masculine socialization, male-on-male bullying secures the reproduction of an aggressive and heteronormative hegemonic masculinity (Connell, 1987 Connell, R.W. 1987. Gender and power, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.  [Google Scholar]) for boys and young men in contemporary North American mainstream culture. I argue that the celebration of the “Pink Campaign” is illustrative of the normalizing silences, or “unremarkability,” about the related discourses of sexism and homophobia that motivate everyday practices of male-on-male bullying.     

Minority Stress in Same-Sex Male Relationships: When Does It Impact Relationship Satisfaction?

The minority stress model (Meyer, 2003 Meyer, I. H. 2003. Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129: 674–697. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) has been proposed to explain higher rates of psychopathology in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. However, studies of minority stress have rarely taken into account the interface between minority stress and same-sex relationship processes. In the current study, 142 gay men in romantic relationships completed an online survey assessing minority stress constructs, relationship features, and relationship satisfaction. Minority stress was not directly related to relationship satisfaction, while commitment, trust, and support from one's partner were related to relationship satisfaction. Significant moderation effects emerged between discrimination and trust and between internalized heterosexism and commitment, indicating that trust was related to satisfaction for those who had experienced frequent discrimination, while commitment was related to satisfaction for those low in internalized heterosexism.