Objects in focus groups: Materiality and shaping multicultural research encounters

This paper discusses some opportunities and challenges of using objects in focus groups, to explore multicultural encounters and experiences of living together. Drawing on feminist approaches to human embodiment, it argues that material approaches hold the potential to investigate the embodied and relational experiences of encounters with/across difference of diverse participants in sensitive ways. The materials were touchable objects such as pens and papers that help connect across differences in identity, experience and opinion, share experiences and stories with unknown others, communicate across (non)verbal barriers, misunderstandings and tensions, and accommodate moments of silence and reflection. Originally meant to ease and structure discussion, objects emerged as a central ‘medium’ or ‘instrument’ of research encounters through which participants can capture, express and share complex narratives about encountering others and multicultural living, underscoring the use of objects as an impactful method in feminist and participatory research.

Counselling adolescents and parents about cannabis: A primer for health professionals

While cannabis use among adolescents is frequent in Canada, youth do recognize the potential harms, and increasingly expect knowledgeable health care providers to discuss substance use in everyday practice. This practice point provides sound, evidence-based tools to help health professionals address nonmedical (recreational) cannabis use and its related risks. After highlighting how to make the clinical setting a safe space for youth to talk about psychoactive substances, specific strategies for approaching cannabis use in effective, developmentally appropriate ways are described. Consistent with current literature, screening questionnaires to help structure discussion and identify adolescents who may benefit from more specialized interventions are recommended. Because one in six adolescents who experiments with cannabis goes on to misuse it, appraising their willingness to change risky behaviours is a key aspect of care, along with supportive goal-setting and helping families. Recommended resources for practitioners and parents are included.

EMPATHIC INTERACTION OF ADOLESCENTS: PSYCHOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES AND CORRELATES

The goal of this article is to present the psychological peculiarities and correlates of the empathic interaction of adolescents. Methodology meet the following steps:the first was the diagnosis of empathy of the subjects and the frequency of manifestations of each type of empathy interpersonal interaction was determined; on the second were diagnosed cognitive, emotional, motivational and value-meaning individual-psychological qualities and features of young people , which are important for the situation of interpersonal interaction; in the third stage, the relationships between each type of empathic interpersonal interaction and the personal indicators of the subjects were determined. For this purpose, the Pearson linear correlation method was used. Seven species of the latter are described. An empathogenic situation is required to activate the empathy process. The latter refers to the intense production of emotions, emotions, moods, thoughts, states of personality that resonate with the corresponding mental processes and states of other people. The received signals about the inner state на another person is only information perceived by the individ. The effective response to this information will depend on the needs that dominate in the personality structure. Discussion shows that from the outlined point of view, we believe that depending on different circumstances (the level of empathy as an integrative indicator, as well as actual (situational) needs and states of personality), information about the internal state of another may be perceived by actualizing a certain type of empathic response, or not perceived. The dissonant interaction is characterized by a confronting psychological position, nonconformist cognitive orientation, low level of emotional maturity, manifested in low control of emotions and indistinct manifestation, pessimistic emotional modality, eccentric modality. All these characteristics were accompanied by the lack of need to interact and the depreciation of the Other.

Conceptual Innovation and Environmental Policy

This chapter present a general introduction to the issue of conceptual innovation in environmental policy. It argues that attention to concepts is important for understanding argument and practice in the environmental domain. Over the past half century there has been more or less continuous development in the thought categories used to structure discussion of environmental issues. The chapter offers a basic framework for understanding conceptual change in the environmental sphere and presents the outline of the chapters to follow.

The Evolution and Devolution of 360° Feedback

In the 25+ years that the practice of 360° Feedback has been formally labeled and implemented, it has undergone many changes. Some of these have been positive (evolution) in advancing theory, research, and practice, and others less so (devolution). In this article we offer a new definition of 360° Feedback, summarize its history, discuss significant research and practice trends, and offer suggestions for all user communities (i.e., researchers, practitioners, and end users in organizations) moving forward. Our purpose is to bring new structure, discussion, and some degree of closure to key open issues in this important and enduring area of practice.

Relationship between Types of Question Prompts and Critical Thinking in Online Discussions

This chapter addresses the relationship between types of initial question prompts and the levels of critical thinking demonstrated by students’ responses in online discussions. The chapter is framed around a research study involving discussion prompts that were coded and classified using Andrews’ typology (1980). Students’ responses (n=1132), taken from 27 discussion forums, were coded using the four-stage Practical Inquiry Model (PIM) (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2001). Among the nine question types explored, Critical Incident questions were most effective in generating high levels of student thinking. This was followed by Lower Divergent, Shotgun, and Analytical Convergent question responses that mainly resulted in students achieving the Integration phase of the PIM. Moreover, validation of the discussion prompts provides an updated typology that categorizes question prompts based on the verbal structure of online discussions. This chapter provides important implications for instructors who teach online, especially those looking for general guidelines regarding how to structure discussion prompts to elicit high quality student responses.

Design of Long-Span and Wave-Shaped Steel Canopy Structure of Ningxia Helan Mountain Stadium

Ningxia Helan Mountain stadium the bottom grandstand of which is steel reinforced concrete frame shear wall structure, the top canopy of which is space steel truss structure system. Using SAP2000 (V9.1.6 version) and MIDAS (V7.1.2 version) software, to have an elasticity check analysis to the overrall structure. Discussion the vibration characteristics and seismic performance of the stadium steel canopy; According to computing and analysising the model, taking normative inspect, the consequence show that the structure can meet the bearing capacity, the stress ratio of the majority position are not more than 0.7, and the stress ratio of force greater position are about 0.95. This wave-shaped canopy structure is excellent, is good to the applicability of architectural form, and can be as a reference for the similar stadium.