The ‘What’, ‘Why’ and ‘How’ of Employee Well-Being: A New Model

This paper examines the ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ of employee well-being. Beginning with the ‘what’ of well-being, the construct of mental health was explored with the aim of building a model of employee well-being. It was proposed that employee well-being consists of three core components: (1) subjective well-being; (2) workplace well-being and (3) psychological well-being. Following this, the ‘why’ of employee well-being was investigated; that is, why employee well-being should be an important matter for organisations. It was argued that employee well-being is an important precursor to organisational well-being, as indicated by its links to employee turnover and performance. The next section was concerned with the ‘how’ of employee well-being; that is, how well-being can be reliably enhanced. Drawing on two models of strengths and a practice model of psychological assessment, it was asserted that strength-based development can reliably enhance employee well-being. A solid framework for understanding and measuring employee well-being is offered in the hope that it will foster a more integrated approach to assessing and optimising employee well-being.

Negotiating the ground: ‘mobilizing’ a divided field site in the ‘post-conflict’ city

ABSTRACT

While an exploration of mobility patterns in ‘post-conflict’ societies has much to tell us about how division is produced through ordinary activities, less work has considered the practical application of a mobilities ‘lens’ during fieldwork in such contexts. Negotiating the ground in highly polarized contexts presents a unique array of challenges, but also offers opportunities to make use of mobile methodologies. This paper discusses the advantages of GPS-based technologies and walking interviews to a recent activity-space segregation study in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and reflects on methodological issues posed by the ‘post-conflict’ field site.     

‘Walking out’: the mobilities of love

ABSTRACT

In this article, I propose that mobility performs a crucial role in the production and sustenance of intimate relationships and focus, in particular, on courtship practices and their modern-day equivalents. I pursue this discussion through close readings of literary and autobiographical texts from the nineteenth century through to the millennium, and by means of a framework that triangulates the work of Tim Ingold, David Seamon and Henri Bergson. My focus here is on how the mobilities we practice during the everyday routines of courtship – i.e. the paths we make, the routes we take, the roads we travel, the journeys we repeat, the transport we use – come to characterise the relationship concerned and impact upon its progress. Both Ingold’s work on ‘lines’ and Seamon’s on ‘place-ballet’ are conceptually suggestive in this regard and speak to recent work in mobilities/cultural geography on the significance of patterns of movement in the praxis of relationships.     

“Whatsapping” the continuity of postpartum care in Switzerland: A socio-anthropological study

BackgroundDigital media such as Apps, Internet and social networks have become integral parts of the maternity experience for more than a decade. These media can support or undermine women’s experiences as has been shown in digital sociology research. Using Immediate Messaging Applications to provide information and support to women during the perinatal period is an emerging practice.AimThis article analyses how health and social care professionals – with a focus on community midwives – and women communicate between postpartum home visits through Immediate Message Applications in Switzerland.MethodsA socio-anthropological study that relied on qualitative methods including semi-directed interviews with midwives and health and social care professionals (n = 30) and immigrant women (n = 20).FindingsSince the introduction of Immediate Messaging Applications, women and their carer converse more regularly between post-partum home visits. Women send questions, pictures and videos to them, often allowing swift responses to their concerns. Midwives encounter difficulties answering women’s questions when they cannot be solved through quick communication (e.g. infant crying). To them, texting frequency forms a clinical clue to women’s mental health. Not all women contact their carer through digital messages; immigrant women are less likely to know and use this service.Discussion and conclusionImmediate Messaging Applications form a promising communication tool, complementary to home visits, and contribute to woman-centered care and continuity of care. As an emergent practice, it has not been framed by a guideline yet. Policy makers and practitioners should ensure that its use does not contribute to unequal access to care.     

The ‘fallacy of normalcy’: A content analysis of women's online post-childbirth health-related support

BackgroundOnline forums have changed traditional sources of seeking help because they provide an anonymous and non-judgemental environment particularly suited for women with post-childbirth problems.QuestionWhat support is given to mothers who have posted questions about post-childbirth morbidities?MethodsA total of 333 messages posted on a post-childbirth online forum were loaded into NVIVO 12 Pro and were analysed using content and thematic analysis. Content analysis identified the major health problems, and thematic analysis was used for identifying motivations and the support offered.FindingsSeventeen different health problems were discussed on posts, with a strong emphasis on pelvic problems, followed by mental health concerns. The key motivation for seeking online help identified using ‘typology of advice solicitation’ was request for opinion or information (48.85%). The two main support themes were: peer to peer support (82%) and normalisation (not always appropriate) of post-childbirth problems (18%). Most of the support offered was emotional (56.9%) followed by practical (22.7%) and informational support (20.4%).DiscussionPostpartum adjustment of post-childbirth experiences can be supportive but if ill-informed may provide a barrier to safe and reliable health care.ConclusionWe recommend women have access to online forums moderated by healthcare providers who can notify participants when a problem requires support from a relevant health professional opinion.     

Puts the magic back into life: Fathers’ experience of planned home birth

BackgroundIn Ireland, planned home birth is seen as an alternative but safe choice of maternity care. Women's experience of home birth is reported as positive but little is known about fathers’ thoughts and feelings about planned home birth.AimThe aim of the study was to explore fathers’ experience of planned home birth.MethodHermeneutic phenomenology was selected to explore the experiences of eight fathers whose partners had a recent planned home birth. Data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).ResultsThemes identified were ‘negotiating the decision’, ‘ownership of the birth’ and ‘changed way of being’. Fathers overcame their initial reservations about home birth before the decision to plan a home birth was agreed. They were actively involved with their partner in labour which gave themselves a sense of ownership of the experience and a valued post-birth intimacy. Their belief in natural birth was reaffirmed and the experience gave them a new perspective on life.ConclusionWhen men have a positive experience of childbirth they benefit personally and emotionally. This experience can strengthen their relationship with their partner and the family. Midwives are ideally placed to involve fathers actively in birth either in a home or hospital setting.     

“Doing the month” and postpartum depression among Chinese women: A Shanghai prospective cohort study

BackgroundThe Chinese postpartum custom of “doing the month” characterized by generous social support available through the traditional cultural practices was considered to protect women from postpartum depression in early puerperium.MethodsThis study used data from the Shanghai Birth Cohort, a study of 2615 postpartum women from Shanghai, China, that was conducted between 2013 and 2016. Detailed information on the traditional “doing the month” practices and the on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores was collected from questionnaires administered on the 42nd day after childbirth. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between the adopting traditional puerperium practices and postpartum depression.ResultsThe estimated prevalence of postpartum depression in women from the Shanghai area in China was 11.8% (n = 308) at six weeks postpartum. Women who went outside their homes during the first month postpartum showed higher risks of postpartum depression compared with those who never left the house (1–2 times: OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4–2.4; 3–5 times: OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.5–3.5; ≥6 times: OR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.2–5.1). Women with average sleep of 6 h or less per night were more likely to suffer from postpartum depression compared with those who slept 8 h (6 h: OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.2–2.4; less than 6 h : OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 2.2–5.0). Women who opened the house windows most of the time exhibited decreased risks of postpartum depression compared to those who never or rarely opened the windows (often: OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.4–0.9; always: OR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.3–0.7).ConclusionsOur results suggested that not all the activities of “doing the month” provided protection against developing PPD. This study emphasized the need for flexibility to fit and adjust the ritual into the modern life to enhance the positive effects of traditional practices on maternal health.     

Poverty and Wellbeing at the ‘Grassroots’—How Much is Visible to Researchers?

This paper discusses the grassroots level understanding of poverty and wellbeing. There is rich debate and ever expanding literature on the meaning of wellbeing and poverty and their relationship in developing countries. In recent times wellbeing and poverty have been scrutinised within the discourse on multidimensionality of poverty. Most research outputs though are grounded in quantitative data. Investigations that focus on the perceptions and understandings of poor people about their situations remain sparse in the literature. The current study is an attempt to address this gap. The paper explores the common grounds and the points of departure between the researchers’ views of poverty and wellbeing and the perception at the grassroots. The paper presents findings of primary research conducted by the author in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh and Madhubani district of Bihar in India. Semi-structured survey instruments were deployed to interview a selection of poor, marginal and non-poor households. In addition to identifying the commonalities in grassroots and researchers’ understandings of poverty, the paper draws attention to factors that may be outside the radar of the researchers. It is envisaged that mapping a more holistic understanding of poverty and wellbeing will have important long-term policy implications for poverty reduction.

Origins of ‘the gap’: perspectives on the historical demography of aboriginal victorians

Journal of Population Research - Australia enjoys ninth place out of 190 countries on the United Nations Life Expectancy Index. Aboriginal Australians—as a fourth-world people within a...     

The “smart” body politics of Lena Dunham’s Girls

Since its 2012 debut Girls has received an extraordinary amount of attention and criticism from both academic circles and popular culture critics. It has been critiqued for its depiction of female nudity and its portrayal of female sexual subjecthood. At the center of these debates is how author–star Lena Dunham’s body is positioned and utilized aesthetically and politically. This essay examines the brand of body politics and mode of female sexual subjecthood that the series creates and performs. In order to track how Girls produces this body politics and female sexual subjecthood I position it in relation to earlier feminist television series and indie cinema. This essay argues that Girls’ particular brand of body politics and the mode of female sexual subjecthood it depicts is characterized by emotional intimacy, irony and reflexivity. Furthermore I contend that Girls’ gender politics is enabled by the series’ utilization of a low-key aesthetic and the “smart” tendency, more commonly discussed in relation to American indie cinema.     

‘Don’t Stop Me Now’: Mobility and Cosmopolitanism in the Bourne Saga

This article explores the search for identity of the main character of the Jason Bourne movies in the light of contemporary critical theories on mobility and cosmopolitanism. This theoretical framework is combined with close textual analysis of the films in order to explore the visual and narrative mechanisms that the three Bourne movies starring Matt Damon use in order to, first, capture the protagonist’s lost sense of self and, second, construct a new cosmopolitan hero for the mainstream. As I argue, Bourne’s unrelentless journey across borders encapsulates some of the paradoxes of our highly mobile times, while also calling attention to certain shortcomings and inadequacies of the ‘national paradigm’, to make sense of an individual’s existence within contemporary societies.     

“It’s my body,my future”: Older women’s views of their interactions with physicians

ABSTRACT

Based on data obtained from in-depth, qualitative interviews conducted with 30 older Canadian women, this article examines older women’s experiences with, and views of, physicians. The research participants report a very high level of satisfaction with the patient–physician relationship; however, they also report physician shortcomings. Findings indicate that participants’ satisfaction with the patient–physician relationship was influenced by “stories about other doctors,” rationalizations and justifications, and a high level of patient assertiveness.     

Unveiling the demographic ‘action’ in class-action lawsuits: Two instructional cases

Population Research and Policy Review - Population turnover, cohort survival, and intercohort transmission of effects are concepts widely applicable beyond the customary domains of demographic...     

Scrambled systems: the (im)mobilities of ‘storm Desmond’

This article examines a 3-day blackout, triggered by a ‘1-in-100-year’ rainfall event. Storms and floods account for almost three-quarters of weather-related disasters, and are typically accompanied by cascading infrastructure failures, which pattern and amplify their effects in highly significant ways. Such disruptions reveal aspects of everyday life that ordinarily remain obscure, including capacities for resilience embodied in people, cities and infrastructure. The article proposes that disruption events be understood in terms of ‘scrambles’, as they involve abrupt demobilisation and remobilisation of a range of people and materials. The article firstly examines the astonishing capacity for failure latent in ‘pervasively powered’ arrangements, as well as the many ways in which people and things were ‘scrambled’ in response. The article then proceeds to explore the ways in which vulnerabilities result in part from mobilisation in response to previous disruption events, before examining the ‘circuits’ that link far-flung places in mobile disaster geographies, global patterns of electricity dependence, the rise of data overload in the ‘cloud’ to carbon overload in the atmosphere. The article concludes by presenting further evidence in support of the thesis that disruptions and disasters are part of a ‘new normal’, and what this means for prevailing sociotechnical arrangements reliant on ‘sunk’ infrastructure.