Producing and Using Video Data in the Early Years: Ethical Questions and Practical Consequences in Research with Young Children

This article considers ethical questions and practical challenges arising from the production of video data with young children, and suggests that such considerations are reciprocal and that video data should be seen as constructed collaboratively by all participants. Video data can be a valuable means of eliciting children’s perspectives, but it raises particular issues of consent and confidentiality. Opportunities for young children to use video cameras are helpful in supporting informed consent and active participation, whilst the visual nature of video renders anonymity and confidentiality more difficult, and anonymisation of images may impact upon data quality. Video, like all research data, is influenced by the actions and biases of participants, and young children’s experiences as consumers of television will influence their reading of, and responses to, video data. An advantage of video is that it can provide participants with feedback about their participation. Challenges remain with regard to ownership.     

One of a Kind,or All of One Kind? Groups of Political Participants and Their Distinctive Outlook on Society

Political participation can take shape in many types of participation, between which the overlap is low. However, the similarities and differences between various types of participants are surprisingly understudied. In this article, I propose to differentiate between four types of participants: institutional political participants, non-institutional political participants, civic participants, and political consumers. These types differ from each other on two dimensions: whether they are political or publicly oriented and whether they are formally or informally organized. Building on the matching hypothesis, I argue that we should differentiate those four types of participants by their outlook on society (societal pessimism, political trust, and social trust). Using data from the European Social Survey 2006, including participants from 19 countries, logistic regressions show that institutional political participants trust politics rather than people, non-institutional political participants are societal pessimists who trust other people, civic participants are societal optimists who trust other people, and political consumers are pessimists who do not trust politics.     

Physical activity, exercise, and sedentary behavior in college students

The authors examined the relationship between physical activity, exercise, and sedentary behaviors in 493 college students who were enrolled in 10 conditioning activity classes and had completed questionnaires at the beginning of the course. They analyzed sedentary activities and indicators of participation in exercise and physical activity by demographic variables. Surveyed men reported greater participation in physical activity and exercise than did women, and they also spent more time watching television/videos and using the computer. Older students were more likely to report more computer use, whereas younger students scored higher on several physical activity indicators. Of the sedentary behaviors, only computer use for men and television watching for women were negatively correlated with exercise and physical activity. In addition to accessibility and reinforcing properties of sedentary activities, the gender-related relationships between sedentary and active behaviors should be considered in designing interventions to promote exercise in this population.     

The Medium Is the Danger: Discourse about Television among Amish and Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Women

This study shows how Old Order Amish and ultra-Orthodox women’s discourse about television can help develop a better understanding of the creation, construction, and strengthening of limits and boundaries separating enclave cultures from the world. Based on questionnaires containing both closed- and open-ended questions completed by 82 participants, approximately half from each community, I argue that both communities can be understood as interpretive communities that negatively interpret not only television content, like other religious communities, but also the medium itself. Their various negative interpretive strategies is discussed and the article shows how they are part of an “us-versus-them” attitude created to mark the boundaries and walls that enclave cultures build around themselves. The comparison between the two communities found only a few small differences but one marked similarity: The communities perceive avoidance of a tool for communication, in this case television, as part of the communities’ sharing, participation, and common culture.     

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: DOES REPRESENTATIVENESS MATTER?

ABSTRACT

The main focus of this research is on the changing role of citizen participation in natural resource management. Evidence suggests that citizens who participate in the management of natural resources are not representative of stakeholders who are impacted by the decisions being made. In an effort to assess the representativeness of citizen participation, we conducted telephone surveys of “residents” who live in the watershed of Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Norris Reservoir and “participants” in TVA's Norris Public Lands Plan. As hypothesized, we found participants to be older, disproportionately male, more educated, and more affluent, and as having higher levels of political efficacy and trust in government than residents. Exploratory analyses revealed many other significant differences between participants and residents. We conclude by suggesting that increased and representative citizen participation is necessary for the successful implementation of an ecosystem-based approach and to address problems associated with non-point source pollution.

     

Reflections on doing participatory research in health: participation,method and power

The author has reflected on her experience in facilitating three participatory research (PR) projects to identify key issues surrounding participation, method and power. The three PR projects in health, all undertaken in the same region in southeast Australia, assessed the needs of women who have experienced breast cancer, evaluated an Indigenous healthy lifestyle programme and developed and documented a model of coordinated care by a consumer group. In particular, the three participatory projects suggested that participants do not always want to maximise their own participation and may prefer external researcher involvement – relationships, confidentiality, anonymity and time‐impacted perspectives of participation. In one study, quantitative methods were selected and time and previous knowledge of research shaped participants' selection of method. In the projects, power relations were complex and issues of negotiation, inclusion, quality of research, agendas, roles and integrity are discussed. The lessons learned here are that participatory researchers can be open to differing levels of participation and methods while also comfortable with sharing decision‐making in research, even if it alters the research outcome.     

Bibliography

In this article, we explore how those taking part in an interview about sex and risk reflected on their participation and what, if any, impact it had on them. All 22 individuals who were interviewed in an initial study were invited to document their thoughts and feelings about the research process in a short follow-up exercise. The data relating to the 11 people who shared their reflections on the interview were subjected to a thematic analysis. The themes that emerged describe the value participants placed on honest and open interaction within neutral and non-judgmental environments. They also illustrate how being interviewed about prior behaviour can facilitate a sense-making process and might provide some degree of cathartic benefit. The findings help improve our understanding of how individuals reflect on their interview participation, which can in turn help to inform the development of ethically sensitive qualitative data collection.     

Determinants of workplace health program participation among non,low, and incentive-achieving participants

The authors used a cross-sectional survey and zero-inflated ordered probit modeling to investigate individual psychosocial-, interpersonal-, organizational-, and community-level determinants distinguishing nonparticipants, low-level participants, and incentive-achieving participants in a single, university-based worksite health program (WHP) that uses insurance premium reductions to incentivize participation. Results from 319 employees suggested two nonparticipant groups. Persons without employer-sponsored insurance, those with negative participation perceptions, and men were more likely to be “never” participants; those who had never met the incentive were potential future participants. Increased confidence was related to incentive achievement; stress was associated with low participation. No interpersonal, organizational, or community factors were significant. When structuring incentives, WHPs should consider determinants of participation, vis-à-vis the incentive.     

Mobilization by images: TV screen and mediated instant grievances in the Umbrella Movement

This article discusses the effects of the televised images of the use of tear gas on people participating in the Umbrella Movement. Although the role of the Internet and social media in political mobilization has been widely discussed, the importance of television cannot be overlooked. This article argues that the widely transmitted broadcasts of live images of the police firing tear gas into the protesting crowd generated “mediated instant grievances” in a substantial sector of the viewing public, thus contributing to the size and scale of the Umbrella Movement. The study reported here provides evidence for this argument by analyzing the results of a survey of protesters that were on site during the early stage of the movement (N = 969). The study sought to determine whether and how the television images were related to the participants’ political attitudes, reasons for participation, and views of self-mobilized actions. The findings showed that, in particular, mediated instant grievances motivated the participation of the “amateur protesters” in the movement.     

"You feel like people are looking at you and laughing": Older adults' perceptions of aquatic physical activity

Older adults' participation in Physical Activity (PA) in the United Kingdom remains low. Moreover, although the subjective and narrative elements of aging are increasingly studied, promotion of healthy behaviours such as aquatic PA still frequently reduces older adults to passive recipients who rely on health professionals for their wellbeing. Using a figurational perspective, the relationship between participants' perceptions of the aging body and participation in aquatic activity was investigated. Interviews were completed with 22 adults aged over 50years (7 men, 15 women). Participants highlighted a number of perceptual barriers that were contoured by wider social representations of older adults. Perceptions focussed upon the perceived limitations of the aging body. The need for regular participation in PA was recognised. However the potential for angst when wearing a bathing costume in the presence of 'others' was expressed, particularly amongst those considering themselves overweight. Participants objectified their bodies and compared them with those of other participants. The difficulties of managing physical (e.g. injury and illness) and environmental risk were described. At the same time, participants experienced the development of new webs of interdependence. These webs were both enabling and constraining. Some participants felt empowered. However, the exclusivity of many aquatic activity sessions re-emphasised the status of older adults as outsiders in the wider figuration of physical activity.     

LITTLE WHITE LIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE MODELS CORRELATED RESPONSE ERRORS IN A PANEL STUDY OF VOTING

One interpretation for the common survey finding that the backgroundcharacteristics of vote overreporters resemble those of actualvoters is that misreporters usually vote. This hypothesis—thatmisreporters regularly voted in earlier elections—is testedwith data from the 1972–74–76 Michigan ElectionPanel. It receives no support: the 1972 and 1974 validated turnoutof the 1976 misreporters was very low. Moreover, misreportingwas a fairly stable respondent characteristic: misreportingabout an election in one interview was correlated with misreportingabout the remaining elections in each of the other two interviews.A comparison of regressions predicting turnout using the validatedreports versus the self-reports shows that the respondent errorscan distort conclusions about the correlates of voting. Forexample, controlling for three other variables, education wasrelated to self-reported voting but not to validated voting.Here, as well as in surveys of other socially desirable or undesirableissues, respondent self-reports may bias survey data in favorof commonsense models of the world.     

The Lull of Tradition: A Grounded Theory Study of Television Violence, Children and Social Work

This article results from a study of television violence and social work practice with children. Twenty-one social workers who work primarily with children in schools, in community mental health agencies and in private practice were interviewed. A qualitative analysis using grounded theory indicates that social workers do little to elicit television content or information about children's television viewing. They do not believe that television experiences are central to their work. Although social workers express concern about the influence of television violence on children, their traditional beliefs in cause and effect, values neutrality, and gender lead many to minimize its importance.     

Spectacular Youth Cultures and Ageing: Beyond Refusing to Grow Up

For decades, research on the subject of music and style subcultures has presented participation in such groups as a temporary manifestation of adolescence. More recently, sociologists have begun to examine the lives and identities of those who remain involved in so‐called ‘youth’ subcultures beyond their teens and early twenties. This article examines the ways such work has begun to illuminate the role of enduring subcultural identities as part of the developing lives of older participants. Such work, I suggest, rejects simplistic understandings of older participation as a refusal to grow up in favour of a detailed focus on the relationships between continuing participation and other aspects of developing adult life, including career, family and the ageing body. Identifying core themes and debates while identifying areas for further work, I argue that this developing field of research addresses one of the primary criticisms of youth cultural research in the past, which is that such research has tended to examine leisure related affiliations in a fixed period of time and in isolation from the rest of participants’ lives.     

‘It didn’t come up on my radar’: an examination of students’ orientation toward disability justice in the US

Abstract

While social justice is a well-recognized concept, it is less frequently examined through the lens of disability. In order to address existing gaps within social justice education, this qualitative case study investigates how participation in a semester-long Introduction to Disability Studies (IDS) course affected students’ orientation toward disability justice, or the conception of disability as an issue of social justice. The framework underpinning this research merges Cipolle’s theory of critical consciousness development with disability-based constructs. Findings reveal that participation in IDS allowed participants to develop an awareness of their ability privilege, understand the experiences of peers with disabilities, increase their social awareness of disability, and consider their work as disability allies. This article concludes with recommendations for social justice educators who are interested in applying disability justice practices.     

Examining the Developmental Impact of Youth Participation in Education Governance: The Case of Student Trustees

Youth participation in school governance is on the rise with increased opportunities for student involvement. The objective of this mixed method study was to provide the first analysis of the student trustee role, a relatively new form of participation where high school students represent their peers on local school boards. Specifically, the aim was to gain an understanding of the meaning of student trustee participation from the perspectives of those in the role. Data collection included qualitative interviews with 16 participants, field observations, and questionnaires administered to 39 student trustees. This article focuses primarily on 2 main themes related to developmental processes and outcomes associated with youth participation. One theme identifies possible factors that may elicit or support youth participation while a second theme examines identity formation and transformative learning. Theories derived from human development and adult education comprise the conceptual framework that illuminates the meaning of student trustee participation.     

Reconnecting Youth: Promoting emotional competence and social support to improve academic achievement

Previous research indicates that students who drop out of high school are at risk for a number of negative outcomes. Both ecological and individual risk factors contribute to students' propensity for dropout. This study examined the effectiveness of a targeted dropout prevention program at improving academic achievement and investigated whether improved social support and emotional competencies partially mediated the association between intervention participation and student outcomes. A sample of 110 middle and high school students (55 intervention participants and 55 students in a matched control group) completed surveys investigating their social-emotional assets and schools provided academic data for participants. Structural equation modeling revealed that students who participated in the program had higher academic achievement compared to the control group. Prior levels of academic achievement moderated the effectiveness of the program with students with low initial levels of academic achievement benefiting more. Emotional competencies and social support did not mediate the relation between participation and achievement. The intervention was related to improved academic achievement among participants; however, the means by which it was effective was unclear. Given the evidence that the program was more effective for some students than others, targeting interventions to meet specific needs of students may be advantageous.     

Reactions to Participating in Intimate Partner Violence and Minority Stress Research: A Mixed Methodological Study of Self-Identified Lesbian and Gay Emerging Adults

The purpose of this study was to examine lesbian and gay (LG) young adults’ reactions to participating in intimate partner violence (IPV) and minority stress research using a mixed methodological design. Participants were 277 U.S. college students currently involved in same-sex relationships and self-identified cisgender LG who completed an online questionnaire that included closed- and open-ended questions. Results suggested that IPV research was well tolerated by the vast majority of participants; close to one in 10 participants reported being upset by the study questions, yet 75% of upset individuals reported some level of personal benefit. Reasons for upset as identified in the open-ended responses included thinking about personal experiences with IPV, as the perpetrator or friend of a victim, as well as thinking about the uncertainty of their future with their current partner. The correlates of emotional reactions and personal benefits to research participation were also examined, and these varied among gay men and lesbian women. Implications of these findings underscore the importance of accurate reflection of risk and benefits in informed consent documents as well as systematic evaluation of sexual minority participants’ reactions to research participation in an effort to conduct ethically sound sexual science research.     

Beyond Exposure: A Person‐Oriented Approach to Adolescent Media Diets

Research on adolescents' use of sexual media has been dominated by a variable‐oriented perspective, focusing on incremental effects of media exposure on sexual behavior. The present investigation examines the ways in which adolescents select and organize their television viewing. This study used cluster analysis to identify, validate, and describe distinct profiles of adolescent television use. Eight discrete clusters emerged, each with a unique profile of primetime viewing. To validate the cluster solution, participants' television viewing profiles were compared with their music preferences. The study then examined the sexual content consumed by adolescents in different viewing clusters. Content analysis of the most popular programs revealed that participants in all clusters were watching programs that were high in sexual content alongside programs that were low in sexual content. None of the clusters demonstrated an exclusive preference for sexual content.     

Examining Passive and Active Recruitment Methods for Low-Income Couples in Relationship Education

One of the most difficult aspects of studying low-income couples is the effective implementation of recruitment and retention strategies. Low-income couples face environmental stressors that make participation difficult, and research has yet to identify efficacious methods of recruiting and retaining low-income couples into funded studies. Researchers and practitioners targeting low-income participants rely on a “learn-as-they-go” approach. Therefore, we examined passive and active recruitment strategies for 394 married participants with children under age 18 and reporting a total household income within 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines who participated in a federally funded couples and relationship education program. Univariate ANOVAs indicated significant differences between recruitment method and total time spent in couples and relationship education workshops for both women and men. Further, results indicated a relationship exists between recruitment method and the number of follow-up contacts required before participants attended the initial intake appointment. Implications for practice and research are discussed.     

On Rubbing Raw the Sores of Discontent: Competing Theories and Data on the Effects of Participation in a Black Protest Group

Abstract

Predictions concerning the effects of participation in protest activity stimulated by conflict and resentment are derived from two theories of attitude change, sociotherapy and dissonance reduction theory. These predictions are comparted with the measured attitudes of participants in protest activity in terms of two sets—those who are satisfied with the results and those who aren't. The findings sustain neither the sociotherapists nor their critics. Dissonance reduction theory gains some support in the finding that frustrated participants tend to view the protest group itself less favorably than they view the political system. Though not a direct test of attitude change, the study is a test of the predicted outcomes of conflict stimulation as a community organizing technique and suggests that attitudinal effects are neither cause for concern nor promising for reduction of disaffection in the ghetto.