Risky Business: Codifying Embodied Experience in the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows

Abstract Foucault's theorising on power/ knowledge is combined with recent feminist work on the importance of analysing embodied experience in order to re-examine the conventional interpretation of nineteenth century 'friendly society' insurance history. In contrast to conventional accounts which interpret the eventual adoption of life insurance tables as the belated acceptance of sound, scientific principles, this article argues that such a transformation also represented the destruction of a prior cultural organization of health care via the imposition of the mundane 'disciplinary' technique of 'counting.'     

TECHNOLOGIES OF THE SELF AND THE AESTHETIC PROJECT OF ALTERNATIVE HEALTH

Utilizing ethnographic materials and data from thirty-eight interviews, this article investigates the relevance of alternative health bodily regimes as a source of involvement in public life. These regimes, we argue, have an aesthetic core, a quest for perfect harmony and balance, that step by step makes people available for participation in public life. The article seeks to overcome the neglect of aesthetic sources of participation in public life as well as the neglect of the body as a symbol of risk and a source of resistance to dominant institutional arrangements. Foucault's later writings on "technologies of the self"are used to interpret alternative health regimes and open up their politicizing potential.     

Responsibility,Mobility, and Power: Translocal Carework Negotiations of Nicaraguan Families

Recently, carework has emerged as a key area for exploring the gendered connections between migrants and their families “home,” providing insight into family‐level consequences of migration. However, the way carework shapes migration itself has not received due attention. Based on field research among Nicaraguan migrant families, this article explores the links between translocal carework and family migration decision‐making by connecting the concepts of transnational caregiving and power‐geometry of mobility to interpret fathers’ and female relatives’ carework involvement. In conclusion, the article highlights how translocal carework shapes family members’ access to mobility through ongoing negotiations of a wide range of responsibilities, indicating a possible direction for future explorations of migration.     

Reproductive genetics,gender and the body: 'please doctor,may I have a normal baby?'

This paper's purpose is to highlight key sociological issues, that come to light when 'the body' becomes a theoretical site in reproductive genetics. By positioning the body as a central feature in this analysis, the paper: (1) describes how a mechanistic view of the body continues to be privileged in this discourse and the effects of this view; (2) examines how reproductive limits are practised on the gendered body through a feminised regime of reproductive asceticism and the discourse on shame; and (3) explores the social effects and limitations of reproductive genetics in relation to disability as a cultural representation of impaired bodies. The central assumption concerning reproductive genetics are that it appears within surveillance medicine as a part of a disciplinary process in society's creation of a genetic moral order, that it is mobilised by experts for the management of reproductive bodies and that it constructs a limited view of the body. Thus, the way reproductive genetics operatives tends to hide the fact that what may appear as 'defective genes' is a result of a body's interaction not only with the environment but also gendered social practices valorised by difference as well as rigid definitions of health and illness. The research is from a 1995-96 European study of experts interviewed in four countries.     

The sensorium at work: the sensory phenomenology of the working body

The sociology of the body and the sociology of work and occupations have both neglected to some extent the study of the 'working body' in paid employment, particularly with regard to empirical research into the sensory aspects of working practices. This gap is perhaps surprising given how strongly the sensory dimension features in much of working life. This article is very much a first step in calling for a more phenomenological, embodied and 'fleshy' perspective on the body in employment, and examines some of the theoretical and conceptual resources available to researchers wishing to focus on the lived working-body experiences of the sensorium. We also consider some possible representational forms for a more evocative, phenomenologically-inspired portrayal of sensory, lived-working-body experiences, and offer suggestions for future avenues of research.     

The evolution of the self through optimal gratification

In an attempt to more accurately grasp how the psychotherapeutic process heals self pathology, this paper explores the Self Psychological construct of transmuting internalization which has always assumed a climate of attunement, but has emphasized the frustration inherent in the therapeutic process. An alternative way of conceptualizing the process is offered in an attempt to refine theory to better reflect current research, clinical observations, and therapeutic experience. Specifically, the primacy of optimal frustration as the curative factor is challenged. Gratification of basic needs through an attuned environment is proposed as the fundamental foundation for the process of self structuralization. It is argued that first one must be able to express, identify and interpret affect, and that these abilities are acquired through the activation and gratification of the fundamental needs as delineated by Kohut's concepts of mirroring, idealizing, and twinship. One must have sufficient experiences in feeling valued, confirmed, comforted, affiliated, etc. by a selfobject milieu before she or he can develop self-regulating behaviors.     

A Foucauldian analysis of old age and the power of social welfare

It is argued that the question of social welfare is a key, if often overlooked, component in the construction of power relations and identities in later life that can take its place next to debates on bioethics and consumer lifestyle. Foucault's (1977) claim, that identities are kept in place through the deployment of integrated systems of power and knowledge and a routine operation of surveillance and assessment, is critically examined in this context. Trends in social welfare in the United Kingdom are used as a case example that sheds light on wider contemporary issues associated with old age. Finally, implications for the creation of particular narratives about later life are discussed and grounded through Foucault's (1988) notion of "technologies of self."     

Managing everyday (in)securities: Normative values,emotional security and symbolic recognition in the lives of Russian rural elders

Qualitative studies of ageing have called for attention to be paid to the diverse experiences of older people and to their agency in negotiating opportunities and constraints. A lack of research into the experiences and subjectivities of rural elders has been noted. Yet, the majority of research concerning elderly people in contemporary Russia continues to treat old age as a category and focus on particular practical and material forms of assistance available to pensioners. This article, aims to contribute to the small but growing body of ethnographic studies which shed light on the lives of elderly people in Russia as subjects in their own right. Based on ethnographic fieldwork from rural Siberia, the article explores the ways in which elderly people experience and interpret day-to-day (in)securities, forms of care and social support. In doing so the article explores three key questions: Firstly, how do lived realities, both past and present, and normative values of rural life intersect in elderly people's experiences of (in)security in post-socialist contexts?; Secondly, what forms of assistance do older people view as legitimate in their everyday lives? In particular, how are emotional exchanges and interpersonal connections interpreted and what securities do they bring?; Thirdly, what is the significance of symbolic support and recognition for elderly people and how do these draw on practices and frameworks from the socialist past?     

Are You Truly a Recovering Dope Fiend? Local Interpretive Practices at a Therapeutic Community Drug Treatment Program

Previous qualitative research on treatment programs for drug addiction/alcoholism has primarily focused on those processes whereby participants are expected to construct a new sense of self according to institutional parameters. The present article builds on that research and explores how contemporary programs attempt to resolve the problem that it is almost impossible to tell if someone has engaged in this self‐construction process. Informed by five months of ethnographic fieldwork at an adult residential drug treatment facility, the article asks: under what circumstances do program members call into doubt a client's efforts to create an institutional self, and how do they express this skepticism? The article reveals that staff and clients employ a set of local interpretive practices about community and emotions to assess whether clients are constructing the institutional self of a “recovering dope fiend.” It specifically considers how they interpret a client's emotional displays to represent that client's current self under construction. That is, a client's ability to control anger appropriately or to handle anxiety demonstrates s/he is effectively “doing the program” of self‐construction.     

Web analytics and the functional differentiation of journalism cultures: individual,organizational and platform-specific influences on newswork

A key development in journalism over the past decade has been the rise of web analytics for real-time measurement of how audiences respond to news content. While this has led to concerns that analytics may contribute to a dumbing down of news, our understanding of the impact analytics have on journalism culture is still limited. This study explores individual, organizational and platform-specific influences on ways in which journalists and newsrooms access, use, interpret and apply analytics in their daily work. It argues that, increasingly, analytics are beginning to shape and reshape journalistic roles, values, norms and practices across different types of newsrooms. These developments are contributing to processes of functional differentiation in the journalistic field, which is found particularly in emerging practices of day- and platform-parting. The study argues that this differentiation has important consequences for scholars wanting to study news production, distribution and content in the digital age.     

Service user research in social work and disability studies in the United Kingdom

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the involvement of service users in research as well as in research studies that are led by service users. Although this interest in service users’ roles in research has been evident in both social work and disability studies, the two research disciplines have remained remarkably separate in the United Kingdom. This paper examines the epistemological underpinnings of social work research and disability studies research and explores the tensions, possibilities and power dynamics of collaboration between the two research disciplines in the United Kingdom. It concludes by outlining possibilities for social model approaches to social work research.     

“There Was No Money Left to Save”: Financial Literacy and the Lives of Low-Income People

Despite the popularity of financial literacy programs intended to benefit low-income families, little research explores how families experience and interpret their own participation in these programs. In-depth interviews with participants in one such program revealed participants’ complex analyses of financial literacy and their own poverty. Their analyses simultaneously affirm and challenge hegemonic ideologies and neoliberal practices and, as such, provide an opportunity for social workers to respond in ways that address not only the immediate financial needs of low-income families but also the structures and ideologies that contribute to those needs.     

Governmentality and Lifestyle Studies

In recent years, a research focus on lifestyles has drawn considerable attention from many quarters. Within this area, the influence of several European and continental intellectual currents not widely embraced in American sociology can be detected, some traceable to the work of Michel Foucault. This article will provide a summary and overview of one area of lifestyle sociology that is touched by Foucault's broad influence on the social sciences, particularly his theories on governmentality. Governmentality studies consider the manner in which personal autonomy and self-responsibility is conveyed to individuals as an ongoing life-project. Through the lens of governmentality studies, everyday lifestyle choices of individuals are viewed as elements of larger projects of self-development, implemented by therapeutic discourses of risk management, self-realization, and enhanced personal well-being. After a summary of debates within the sociology of lifestyle informed by governmentality theories, commentary and recommendations will be offered on new directions in governmentality research focusing on subjective well-being or 'happiness' as a feature of contemporary lifestyles and as an object of sociological research. A brief survey of new research comprising the interdisciplinary field of 'happiness studies' suggests a new direction not only for lifestyle research, but for governmentality studies as well.     

DISCURSIVE FORMATION, LIFE STORIES, AND THE EMERGENCE OF CO-DEPENDENCY:

Following Foucault, this article argues that current research on life stories can be enriched by treating them as "discursive formations." The analysis undertakes a streamlined "archaeology" and "genealogy" to examine the emergence of co-dependency as one such formation. Various co-dependency "theorists" illustrate the ways that rules for true statements in co-dependency discourse contradict those of its psychological and addictive predecessors. These rules produce a unique discursive formation and different life stories. Moreover, Foucault's approach stresses the role of "power/knowledge" in the construction of the co-dependency canon, deepening understanding of life stories as forms of both empowerment and subjection to alternative forms of authority.     

US labour unions and green transitions: depth,breadth, and worker agency

ABSTRACT

The goal of this article is to interpret and analyse two ambitious and prominent cases of labour environmentalism in the USA – the par excellence example of liberal capitalism. In order to capture the nuances, contradictions, and varieties of labour environmentalism, I employ an analytical scheme based on three dimensions. The first dimension (depth) explores the social and environmental commitments manifested in these cases, the second dimension (breadth) explores their spatiality, and the third dimension (agency) explores the degree to which these initiatives reflect a proactive as opposed to a reactive labour environmentalism.     

An Archi-texture of Learning Disability Services: the use of Michel Foucault

The work of Michel Foucault has been widely used in the social sciences to explore relationships of power and knowledge. This paper utilises Foucault's methods in an initial formation of discourse in the problem of care of people with learning disabilities in the twentieth century, and focuses on the problematisation of people with learning disabilities and their care needs. Little has been published regarding the contingencies of past and current practices in any form of systematic way within learning disability services. Neither has literature on disablism been utilised to support these contingencies. In order to establish a basis for the establishment of this discussion, the work and methodologies of Foucault have been utilised to develop ideas and a textual framework, and links are made with disablist literature. This paper is split into two halves; first classification and support structures, and secondly an architexture of learning disability services.     

The effect of format and device on the performance and usability of web-based questionnaires

This article explores the comparability of assessment tools under different format conditions. Prior studies have not considered the interaction of format and device on time to complete an assessment and have instead treated each of them separately with conflicting results. This study assesses, by linear regressions using web-based data, the performance of multiple devices under varying formats while controlling for non-device factors such as demographic information. The results of this study add to the growing literature on the equivalence among devices and formats used to collect and interpret performance in a variety of organizational settings.     

Demographic Responses to Economic Recessions in Latin America Since 1900*

This paper explores the linkages between economic cycles and demographic processes in Latin America since 1900. We identify the mechanisms through which economic conditions have an impact on demographic outcomes and assess the demographic and socioeconomic consequences of the 1980s. Selected historical evidence is reviewed to illustrate the effects of economic cycles in Western Europe and, aided by an heuristic framework, tentative hypotheses are derived to interpret empirical evidence about the effects of the 1929 and 1980 depressions in selected Latin American countries. Results show that the demograhic consequences of the Great Depression were nontrivial. The analyses of demographic and socioeconomic responses of the post-1980 recession, however, reveal only weak linkages for some outcomes. We argue that the weak relationships may mask important transformations currently underway and conclude with a discussion of the implications for future research.     

Intermezzo: play trajectories in mixed reality worlds

Abstract

Drawing on the work of Steve Benford, Gabriella Giannachi, Oliver Grau and Mark Hansen, this article explores the paradigms of mixed reality worlds in order to try to establish how aesthetic illusion is negotiated in the shift from a culture of representation in which art is formed by a fixed gaze and perspective which audiences interpret privately, to a culture of participation that offers audiences multiple opportunities for interaction with the work and each other. This analysis is important because it investigates the interfaces between real and virtual through an analysis of convergence culture and play. It will be argued that the work of Blast Theory and 1927 demonstrate how the development of digital and mobile technology has revived contemporary cultural interest in play as a dynamic that allows societies and communities to communicate and connect, evaluating their realities and imagining new ones, especially through a re-imagined positioning of the body. In this sense, play has become a practice strongly related to processes of social and cultural innovation.     

Stars are not Born: An Interpretive Approach to the Politics of Disability

The politics of disability are usually interpreted as attempts to influence government policy in the direction of reducing the negative effects of impairment. This paper enlarges that conventional notion to include attention to how the disabled subject is produced by the discursive practices within which disability is administered.

A summary of epistemological perspectives represented by contemporary social thought dealing with disability opens the discussion. Foucault's work is presented as the basis for interpreting recent social science literature on disability from a viewpoint which is sensitive to variations in epistemological presuppositions in that literature and to the political implications of each mode of research for the administration and treatment of disability.

A concluding section contains speculation on forms of political action which are relevant to the politics of disability at the constitutive level.