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This article explores the influence of English Catholic group, The Union of Catholic Mothers (UCM), in moulding Irish women's consciousness in post-World War II Birmingham. Taking as its starting point the theory that a hyphenated 'Irish-British' identity was discouraged by the mid-twentieth century Anglo and Irish Catholic Church, the paper engages with the UCM and post-World War II attitudes to feminine movements in Britain to establish the specific norms and values to which Irish women were exposed after migrating to Britain, and to, thereafter, identify the ways in which these influences reconditioned their sense of self, gender, Catholicism, ethnicity, and class. Informed by recorded oral narrative, the article illuminates, in human detail, the process of acquiring a gendered migrant identity in mid-twentieth century Birmingham, via the microcosm of the local Catholic parish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will examine the views and experiences of Black youths living in socially deprived areas of London in order to examine the way in which they recognise the term ‘Black neighbourhood’ as a resource for ethnic identity formation and collective mobilisation. Despite the apparent problems that are typically associated with ‘Black neighbourhoods’ for many Black youths, these neighbourhoods also represent urban spaces through which a range of bonding social capital resources are generated including ties of reciprocal trust, solidarity and civic participation. These spaces hold intrinsic value for these young people providing them with a sense of wellbeing and belonging. However, the analysis will also show that the young people’s experiences of the neighbourhood are not always positive ones, and such spaces create negative outcomes for Black youths residing there. In particular, the data will highlight the restrictive capacity of ‘Black neighbourhoods’ and the various ways in which they limit Black youths’ opportunities to ‘get on’ in terms of social mobility and their ability to move beyond neighbourhood boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the literature on work-family balance, role and boundary issues are commonly discussed in relation to parents who work outside of the home. Work and family are considered as two different spheres of activity, with different role identities and cultural meanings. For foster carers, however, in very significant ways, their family is their work and their work is their family - so roles are not so clearly separated and boundaries are not so clearly defined. This paper reviews theoretical approaches to the work-family interface and draws on qualitative data from 40 interviews with long-term foster carers. It provides an analysis of their accounts of their roles as professional carers and/or committed parents to explore how they manage different and potentially contradictory role identities. The study found that foster carers primarily identified as carers or as parents, but that some foster carers could move flexibly between these roles while others could not. For foster carers who could be flexible, the two roles enriched each other rather than causing stress and role conflict. Implications for supporting professional foster carers who can also meet the parenting needs of long-term foster children are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of community cohesion as a British policy priority has represented a discursive shift in approaches to race relations, the emphasis on ethnic diversity downplayed in favour of commonality, shared values and the promotion of national identity. Central to community cohesion has been a focus on ‘contact’ as a way of overcoming ‘parallel lives’, and the need for communities to take responsibility within processes of contact and dialogue. The political focus, echoing past assimilationist discourses, has been on an alleged lack of integration on the part of Muslims; by contrast little attention is paid to how white working class young people view the contact central to cohesion strategies. This paper draws on case study evidence from Oldham and Rochdale, Greater Manchester to interpret the limited support the young white respondents have for cross-ethnic contact, and the relevance of class experience to these views. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background The speech and language therapy/pathology (SLT/SLP) profession is characterized by extreme 'occupational sex segregation', a term used to refer to persistently male- or female-dominated professions. Men make up only 2.5% of all SLTs in the UK, and a similar imbalance is found in other countries. Despite calls to increase diversity in the allied health professions more generally, research into the reasons for occupational sex segregation and gender as a potential key factor remains scarce. Aims This study aims to explore the potential role of gender/gendered discourses in people's decision to pursue a career in SLT/SLP. It seeks to illustrate how gendered assumptions/expectations/discourses continue to construct SLT as a 'gendered' profession, and to make some recommendations in this area for SLT recruitment and practice. Methods & Procedures The study adopted a qualitative design which elicited research participants' views, knowledge and experiences (in their own words) in relation to the research questions. Data collection involved two iterative phases: a preliminary data phase-which involved semi-structured interviews with newly qualified SLT graduates and practising SLTs, and the completion of questionnaires by undergraduate SLTs-and a main/focus group phase. In the focus group phase reported in this paper, six focus groups in total were held with SLTs, teachers of SLT, and careers advisors in London, UK. The data were analysed qualitatively using grounded theory principles, thematic analysis and discourse analysis. Outcomes & Results The findings extend our knowledge and understanding of gender as a parameter of people's motivations and perceptions, which can influence their choice of career (e.g. as regards pay and flexibility). The findings also show that discourses around women as carers, nurturers and communicators constitute key ways through which the SLT profession continues to be constructed as 'women's work'. The topic of structural gender inequalities in the profession was also discussed in the data. Some recommendations for change, with implications for SLT recruitment and practice, were made by the participants themselves. Conclusions & Implications Gender imbalance in SLT needs to be researched further in order to help address inequalities, re-evaluate professional practices and develop service delivery in the profession. This area also needs to be researched via analysis that goes beyond gender distribution in numerical terms to consider the complex perceptions or discourses around gender and work. Cross-disciplinary and comparative perspectives in future research would also be fruitful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until recently, older lesbians and gay men were largely invisible within ageing research and, where it has been undertaken, a bias towards urban samples has occurred. As a result, less is known about the experience of living in a rural community as an older lesbian or gay man. This paper presents a discussion of a current research project that is taking place as one part a programme of research in the south-west of England and Wales under the umbrella of the UK's New Dynamics of Ageing Programme. The research projects in the south-west and Wales are broadly aimed at exploring how older people living in rural areas interact with their local communities. The Gay and Pleasant Land? project is focused on exploring sexuality, ageing and rurality in the south-west of England and Wales. The project uses multi-methods to explore connections between place, space and identity, which include visual ethnography, focus groups and interviews using the Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method (BNIM). The development and production of a short, professionally made film as the key dissemination tool are outlined. Performative Social Science and its philosophical grounding in Relational Aesthetics as the bedrock of the project are deliberated. Implications for research with marginalised groups in rural communities are discussed, alongside a consideration of multi-methods and the use of tools from the within social work research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Scientific-bureaucratic medicine (SBM) has been the dominant discourse on evidence-based medicine in the English National Health System (NHS). It has being claimed that SBM has led to new forms of medical professionalism with an emphasis on organisational values and the control of autonomy. This paper explores the medical professions' response to SBM, where SBM is manifested in the form of National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines. Seventy-four face-to-face informal interviews were carried out with clinicians and managers between 2007 and 2009. Three major themes emerged from the analysis each of which was linked to doctors' receptiveness to NICE guidelines implementation. The first emphasised organisational values, which accounted for conditional acceptance of NICE guidelines. The second was proactive professionalism or entrepreneurial professionalism, which was linked to the rejection of NICE guidelines and the emergence of alternative forms of introducing new ideas for the expansion of their clinical practice. The third was related to the prominence of clinical autonomy linked with doctors' resistance to the use of NICE guidelines. It is argued that this evidence does not reflect a significant emergence of new forms of professionalism but the development of multiple occupational identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An association with mothering is viewed as the greatest stumbling block in the path to raising the quality and status of childminding. As a broadly conceived rite de passage, this article suggests, professionalisation offers childminders a symbolic route out. It is a ritual process which demands the production of 'fabrications'; particular artefacts, special words and appropriate modes of behaviour which are produced specifically to meet the regulatory gaze. When childminders engage in performative professionalism, it is proposed, they gain recognition as bona fide members of the children's workforce, but their work is changed in ways which make it less meaningful for them. Presenting a phenomenology of their encounter with a widely diffused 'technology of quality', the paper reveals how childminders' collective identity is both endangered and engendered in struggles over particular cultural forms. Interpreting data gathered through ethnographic fieldwork with childminders in inner London, the article draws on and extends work focused on audit culture and performativity in secondary schools by synthesising it with feminist work on women's knowledge and the ethics of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we argue for a social psychological approach to citizenship which focuses on how social actors define competent and legitimate polity membership, together with the associated rights and responsibilities that this entails. A perspective based on the principles of rhetorical psychology is adopted in order to explore these issues in an analysis of a sample of young people's talk about issues of immigration to the UK. Analysis considers how matters of 'race', national identity and culture were oriented to and constructed during the interviews. We then explore how rights and responsibilities concerning cultural expression, interpersonal civility/courtesy and (implicitly acultural) legal frameworks were articulated as practical criteria for judgements about competent and legitimate polity membership. These findings are discussed in relation to existing social psychological work on issues such as racism and national identity, with a view to situating these matters within an overarching concern for the construction of polity membership. We conclude by briefly considering the implications of these findings for contemporary debates concerning citizenship education in the UK. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factors that contribute to sexual decision-making among young people are varied, and several determinants have been identified as contributing to the process. However, the influential role of music preference has been sidelined both in the literature and by sex and relationships educators. The research outlined in this paper explores the normative impact of music preference, and highlights the importance of influences drawn from teen culture. A preliminary study had indicated that representations of sex and relationships within lyrics were found to be genre specific. The main study comprised six single-sex focus group discussions on music and sex with young people aged between 14 and 19 years. Thematic analysis revealed that preferred genre and artists were found to be associated with all aspects of participants' lives and culture generally, with music functioning specifically as an educational tool for adult relationships. The findings from these studies indicate that the norms portrayed by young people's preferred genres reinforce (oftentimes inappropriate) beliefs about sex and adult relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benevolent, long-term care can threaten older adults' sense of autonomy in a residential home environment. Increasing reliance on a hotel style of living has been seen to erode social identity, life satisfaction and even survival or lifespan. Drawing on evidence from both gerontological and social psychological literature, this paper examines the links between the empowerment of residents and their subsequent quality of life in the context of a move into a new care facility in a medium-sized town in South-West England. A longitudinal experiment was conducted during which 27 residents on one floor of a new facility were involved in decisions surrounding its décor, while those on another floor were not. The residents' attitudes and behaviour were monitored at three points over five months (four weeks pre-move, four weeks post-move, and four months post-move). Consistent with the social identity literature, members of the empowered group reported increased identification with staff and fellow residents in the new home, displayed enhanced citizenship, reported improved wellbeing, and made more use of the communal space. Moreover the staff found the empowered residents to be more engaged with their environment and the people around them, to be generally happier and to have better health. These patterns were observed one month after the move and remained four months later. Some implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the stratification of the curriculum according to parents' education, gender, ethnicity and school sector in England, focusing on year 10 subject choices. Using the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England, we analyse both year 10 subject choices and the factors that may motivate these choices, such as liked and disliked subjects, attitudes to subject choice and the extent to which choices were shaped by parents, teachers or the young people themselves. The social structure of curriculum choice is mapped using Multiple Correspondence Analysis, which reveals the hierarchy of subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

User perceptions and experiences of complementary education are neglected in the research literature, yet they are important in providing understanding concerning complementary schools and their impact on educational and social identities. This paper explores the constructions of parents of pupils attending these schools, and of teachers at these schools, regarding the purposes and benefits of Chinese complementary schools. Data is drawn from an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-funded study of six Chinese schools in England, including interviews with 24 parents and 21 teachers. Findings demonstrate that in contrast to complementary school pupils, Chinese adult participants see a diverse range of purposes of these schools besides perpetuating heritage language. Many of these purposes related to 'identity' and 'culture', were often produced in reified terms. In interrogating these themes we focus particularly on the productions of 'culture' generated and the implication of both Chinese and Western bodies in these constructions in relations of power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theory and research deriving from social identity or self-categorization perspectives often starts out with the presumption that social actors necessarily view societal objects such as nations or states as human categories. However, recent work suggests that this may be only one of a number of forms that societal representation may take. For example, nations may be understood variously as peoples, places, or institutions. This paper presents findings from a qualitative interview study conducted in England, in which soldiers and civilians talked about nationhood in relation to military service. Analysis indicated that, in this context, speakers were often inclined to use the terms `Britain', `nation', and `country' as references to a political institution as opposed to a category of people. In addition, there were systematic differences between the ways in which the two samples construed their nation in institutional terms. The civilians were inclined to treat military service as a matter of obedience to the dictates of the Government of the day. In contrast, the soldiers were more inclined to frame military service as a matter of loyalty to state as symbolically instantiated in the body of the sovereign. Implications for work adopting a social identity perspective are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is based on interviews with young urban dalits in the Indian Punjab and Wolverhampton, UK, and aims to chart their experience of caste border crossings in personal relationships. It links their narratives to the larger political economic context of their respective locations. It suggests that, perhaps due to their preoccupation with economic independence, dalit youth in Punjab are less concerned about maintaining caste borders in marriage than their counterparts in Wolverhampton. Dalit youth in Wolverhampton have experienced caste-related bullying during their schooling that is inexplicable to them given their location in a supposedly casteless society in the United Kingdom, and as a result they seem to be pessimistic about the erosion of caste through crossing caste borders in marriage. Whilst showing reluctance in risking further insult by crossing caste borders in marriage, in their friendships, including sexual relationships, they are willing and able to cross these borders. The paper concludes with a comparison of different explanations and remedies for dealing with caste prejudice in personal relations. It offers the suggestion that the negotiations of dalit identity are best understood by locating them in larger religious, immigrant, national contexts on the one hand and within the intra-personal on the other: radical positioning in the overt political domain may go hand in hand with the embracing of fluidity in the personal domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motorists and others coming into Coventry, a medium-sized city in the center of the U.K., find themselves greeted by boundary markers that read “ Welcome to the City of Coventry: City of Peace and Reconciliation.” The sign points to a local collective and municipal identity that is grounded in a particular interpretation of the history of the city. This representation constitutes an example of the manner in which a city's experience of the barbarism of war has been used to create a “peace message.” The aim of this paper is to explain how this particular mode of memorializing past suffering for peaceful purposes came about and how the particular interpretation and narrative associated with the peace identity of the city was reproduced throughout the latter half of the last century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the findings from a survey of over 400 young people in metropolitan areas in the Netherlands and England concerning their views on identity and school history. The research explored pupils’ ideas about which facets of history were of interest to them, what history they believed should be taught in schools, and their views on the purposes of school history and history in general. The coding of the data made it possible to delineate between those from different ethnic minority backgrounds, boys and girls, age and level of education and first or second generation of migration. The study revealed significant differences between young people's ideas about history and identity, and those advanced by politicians and policy makers in the Netherlands, England and elsewhere. The concluding section of the paper considers the implications of the findings for policy makers in the field of history education in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with how people involved in 'local' protest might come to see themselves as part of wider social groupings and even global forces of resistance. An ethnographic study of the No M11 Link Road Campaign in London examines participants' definitions of their collective identity boundaries at different stages of involvement. Cross-sectional material from the beginning and later in the campaign shows that there was a transformation in collective identity boundaries towards a more inclusive definition of 'community'. Analysis of participants' accounts before and after involvement in the eviction of a tree suggests the role of conflict with the police in producing an oppositional definition of the collective identity, facilitating links to other groups in resistance to illegitimate authority. Finally, biographical material indicates the implications of transformed identity boundaries for co-action with wider social groups. It is argued that the same intra- and inter-group processes that determine how identity boundaries extend to include a broader community might account for how people come to see themselves as part of a global social movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents evidence from two studies which bears upon a social psychological approach to schisms. The two studies both relate to the split in the Church of England over the ordination of women and were conducted over the period when the first women became priests. The first is a qualitative study of leading proponents and opponents of the change. It is shown that, first, the Pros and Antis have differing constructions of the nature of the Church and of women's ordination. Second, all the Pros see the measure as affirming the essence of Church identity while all the Antis see ordination as subverting the essence of the Church and turning it into a sect. Third, the divisions are confirmed rather than attenuated over time and the sense that the essence has changed is used by Antis to justify the possibility of schism. The second study is quantitative and analyzes the way in which 185 activists (138 Pros and 47 Antis) construe the position of the Church in relation to other categories through the application of Multi-Dimensional Scaling. The findings corroborate those of the first study. Together, the studies both suggest the necessity to include a rhetorical and argumentative dimension to our understanding of social categorization and also support the contention that, when group members differ as to whether developments affirm or subvert group identity, discussion may not bring about consensus but rather can lead to further division and schism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dementia leads to multiple issues including difficulty in communication and increased need for care and support. Discussions about the future often happen late or never, partly due to reluctance or fear. In a sample of people living with dementia and carers, we explored their views and perceptions of living with the condition and their future. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2018-19 with 11 people living with dementia and six family members in England. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Findings were explored critically within the theory of social death and three themes were developed: (1) loss of physical and cognitive functions, (2) loss of social identity, and (3) social connectedness. Most participants living with dementia and carers wanted to discuss the present, rather than the future, believing a healthy lifestyle would prevent the condition from worsening. Those with dementia wanted to maintain control of their lives and demonstrated this by illustrating their independence. Care homes were often associated with death and loss of social identity. Participants used a range of metaphors to describe their dementia and the impact on their relationships and social networks. Conclusion: Focusing on maintaining social identity and connectedness as part of living well with dementia may assist professionals in undertaking advance care planning discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Nurse leaders influence workplace culture; however, little is known about ethnic cultural influences on nurse leader development. This research aims to identify personal strategies promoting effective leadership by nurse leaders from European small island countries. Design: Descriptive qualitative study. Methods: In 2017, nineteen semi‐structured interviews with nurse leaders from England, Greece, Republic of Ireland and Malta explored leadership journeys, strategies employed to support their growth and development, and how cultural identity played a role. Transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Four main themes and 12 subthemes captured the strategies and approaches of the nurse leaders: (1) Influences, (2) Communication, (3) Process and (4) Relationships. These findings reflect and validate the five transformational leadership practices of the Exemplary Leadership Model. While cultural island identity was discussed, there was a shared cultural identity within the role of "nurse leader" that spanned all islands. Patient or Public Contributions: Nineteen nurse leaders contributed to this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inequities in mental health service use (MHSU) and treatment are influenced by social stratification processes linked to socially contextualised interactions between individuals, organisations and institutions. These complex relations underpin observed inequities and their experience by people at the intersections of social statuses. Discrimination is one important mechanism influencing such differences. We compared inequities in MHSU/treatment through single and intersectional status analyses, accounting for need. We assessed whether past-year discrimination differentially influences MHSU/treatment across single and intersecting statuses. Data came from a population survey (collected 2014–2015) nationally representative of English households (N = 7546). We used a theory and datadriven approach (latent class analysis) which identified five intersectional groups in the population comprising common combinations of social statuses. Single status analyses identified characteristics associated with MHSU/treatment (being a sexual minority (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.65 95% CI:1.09-2.50), female (AOR 1.71, 95% CI:1.45–2.02), economically inactive (AOR 2.02, 95% CI:1.05–3.90), in the most deprived quintile (AOR 1.33, 95% CI:1.02–1.74), and Black (AOR 0.36 95% CI:0.20–0.66)). Intersectional analyses detected patterns not apparent from single status analyses. Compared to the most privileged group ("White British, highly educated, employed, high social class"), "Retired White British" had greater odds of MHSU/treatment (AOR 1.88, 95% CI:1.53-2.32) while "Employed migrants" had lower odds (AOR 0.39, 95% CI:0.27–0.55). Past-year discrimination was associated with certain disadvantaged social statuses and greater MHSU/treatment but—except for sexual minorities—adjusting for discrimination had little influence using either analytic approach. Observing patterns only by single social statuses masks potentially unanticipated and contextually varying inequities. The latent class approach offers policy-relevant insights into patterns and mechanisms of inequity but may mask other key intersectional patterns by statuses less common or under represented in surveys (e.g. UK-born ethnic minority groups). We propose multiple, context-relevant, theory-driven approaches to intersectional understanding of mental health inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: School students who are eligible for reduced or free school meals (FSM) – an indicator of economic disadvantage – have lower academic attainment than their peers. Aims: We investigated whether identity compatibility – the perceived compatibility between one's social identities and the stereotype of a high‐achieving student – contributes to this socioeconomic attainment gap, and whether the association between socioeconomic status and identity compatibility is moderated by school context. Sample: Our sample was 4,629 students aged 15–16 years old across 29 schools in England. Method: We assessed students' perceptions of identity compatibility via self‐report questionnaires 8 months prior to them taking national, standardized exams. Results: Multilevel regression analyses revealed a negative indirect effect from eligibility for FSM to exam results via identity compatibility. These effects existed even while accounting for students' gender and language status, other psychological variables known to predict academic attainment, and their previous exam results. Furthermore, school context moderated the relationship between FSM eligibility and identity compatibility. In line with the identities in context model of educational inequalities, there was a significant negative association between FSM and identity compatibility only for students attending schools in which there was previously a relatively large socioeconomic attainment gap. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the importance of social psychological variables in explaining educational inequalities, and of the local educational context in determining the educational experience of students from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports interviews conducted with twenty children and young people adopted from the care system in England, exploring their experiences and views of their life storybooks and examines the role of life storybooks as a form of narrative that contributes to identity development. Despite being a widely used intervention in direct social work practice in England and enshrined as a requirement in law for all looked after children placed for adoption there is little known about how children experience their life storybooks. The data revealed three core themes related to the child ' s story , identity and communicative openness . These themes provide insights from the children about the levels of honesty in the narrative conveyed, concerns about gaps in their biographies, the importance of treasured material possessions alongside their book, their adoptive identity and the importance of different levels of openness in discussions about their adoptive status. There are a number of important practice implications outlined, as well as an identified need for more research on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The label of ‘intellectual disability’ can be a very blurred concept, because for those on the borders their label often arises from the interaction of the individual with their environment, from their socio-economic status, and from the social role which they choose to undertake. This paper explores the contested notion of intellectual disability in the context of people who have been in trouble with the law in England, and contrasts their situation with that of people who have been protected by best interests decisions under the Mental Capacity Act (England and Wales). People who are on the ‘borderline’ of having an intellectual disability, like any citizens, have a range of intersecting identities. Drawing on the notions of ‘interactional’ disability theory, we reflect on the shifting, relative nature of intellectual disability, and the need for the law to focus on support needs, rather than on impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored how employed university students experience their relationships with their work colleagues and with non‐employed students. Two research questions (RQs) were considered: RQ1: What experiences and conditions do employed students identify as contributing to a sense that they are a distinct and separate group from (1) their work colleagues and (2) non‐employed students? RQ2: What experiences and conditions do employed students feel facilitate and/or inhibit their social adaptation and integration at work and university? We interviewed 21 part‐time employed students in England, and analyzed the transcripts using reflexive thematic analysis. We adopted a deductive approach, using the Social Identity Approach as a theoretical framework. In relation to work colleagues, employed students identified a lack of empathy, being looked down upon, and experiencing hostility at the workplace as making them feel distinct from their work colleagues. In relation to non‐employed students, employed students identified differences in experiences and values as increasing intergroup differentiation, which then resulted in feelings of not fitting in at university or social exclusion. Identified conditions, which supported social integration in the workplace, were working with colleagues who held positive attitudes toward students, experiencing similar workplace circumstances and a sense of common fate. Employed students felt socially integrated when non‐workers had positive regard for them or by discussing their employment with other employed students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-sided deafness presents communication challenges for adults. There are a range of care options, including CROS hearing aids, available but little is known about patient preferences for these interventions. The objective of this study was to understand the viewpoints of patients making decisions about audiological interventions they use. A constructivist worldview using thematic analysis to undertake a constant comparative analysis of 8 semi-structured interviews. Participants were recruited from Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust audiology service in England. The results of the study describe ongoing iterative judgements being made by participants, informed by their access to information, effectiveness of audiological interventions, stigma, barriers to accessing care, and constant cost-benefit analyses being made. The key factors involved in decision-making by individuals with Single-sided deafness (SSD) are discussed. This study represents the first in-depth exploration of the individual's lifeworld related to which factors influence use of different audiological interventions by individuals with SSD. It highlights the complex and ongoing nature of how decisions are made by these individuals and identifies the need for greater information provision by clinicians, such as through use of a decision aid tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A range of studies suggest that singing activities with young children can have a beneficial impact on other aspects of their development. However, there is little research examining the relationship between young children's singing and their developing social identity. In the current study, data were captured of young children's singing and social identity as part of a larger-scale, longitudinal evaluation of the nationwide Sing Up programme in England. Participants were 720 children aged 5-8 years old. The assessment of young children's singing ability employed an established measure and was undertaken individually. With adult support, the children were also asked to complete a simple questionnaire that focused on selected aspects of their social identity, both in general terms and also related to singing. Key themes embraced their attitudes to singing (at home, in school and in informal settings), singer identity (emotional engagement with singing and self-concept), and perceptions of self (self-efficacy, self-esteem, social integration). Comparative data were collected from young children of a similar age outside the programme. Findings suggested that the programme had a positive impact on children's singing ability, both overall and including the youngest children. The data analyses suggest that children could be identified as either "pupils with positive singing identity" or "pupils with less positive, or still developing singing identity." Overall, pupils with a more positive singer identity—irrespective of Sing Up -related experience—tended to report more positive attitudes toward singing at school and other settings, had higher perceived levels of self-esteem and social integration, as well as more positive evaluations of their singing ability. Furthermore, the research suggests that successful participation in high-quality singing activities is likely to have a positive impact on young children's singing ability and, by implication, such positive singing development will also be associated with aspects of self that are related to contexualised singer identity and their sense of social inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government exhortations for full community involvement in their locales in England and Wales have particular significance for rural elders as the literature suggests that they are amongst the most active in this sphere. But different people have different propensities to ‘join in’. A taxonomy of different degrees of involvement in community is derived: antagonising, absenting, being, belonging, bestowing and communing. Being, belonging and bestowing are explored empirically, because they are the elements of principal concern to policy, making use of surveys of rural elders in six locations in England and Wales. A minority of respondents undertook bestowing activity (actively assisting others or taking part in voluntary activity) but most felt there were benefits from being (just living in a place) or belonging (having an identity with place) to a community. Of those who did not join in, most claimed that this was because they did not want to. Education and qualifications had the strongest association with ‘joining in’, although income and wealth per se had little impact. Two lessons for government community policy are important. First, many older people do not wish to ‘join in’, and second, the variables that tended to be associated with participation may not be that easy to influence through community policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many coastal communities have strong links to fishing that span generations where fishing is a way of life that goes beyond the means to earning a living. Fishing''s influence is not confined to those activities that take place at sea, but spills over onto land to create a particular identity and sense of place in coastal towns inherently linked to fishing. Using Hastings in south-east England, with Britain''s largest beach-launched fleet, as a case study, this paper considers how marine fishing contributes to place-making. Through an examination of the physical environment and semi-structured interviews, the study found that fishers have deep attachments to the fishing beach, called the Stade, which also defines their identity as individuals and as a fishing community. Non-fishers also value the contribution that fishing makes to the character of the town and its importance for related industries such as tourism. A deeper understanding of the attachments that fishers and non-fishers form with fishing places is needed to inform both local planning and regeneration strategies and, more broadly, fisheries and marine policy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As a form of ‘active transport’, cycling has been encouraged as a route to improving population health. However, in many high-income countries, despite being widely seen as a ‘healthy’ choice, few people do cycle for transport. Further, where cycling is rare, it is not a choice made equally across the population. In London, for instance, cycling is disproportionately an activity of affluent, White, men. This paper takes London as a case study to explore why the meanings of cycling might resonate differently across urban, gendered, ethnic and class identities. Drawing on qualitative interview data with 78 individuals, we suggest first that the relative visibility of cycling when few do it means that it is publicly gendered in a way that more normalised modes of transport are not; conversely, the very invisibility of Black and Asian cyclists reduces their opportunities to see cycling as a candidate mode of transport. Second, following Bourdieu, we argue that the affinities different population groups have for cycling may reflect the locally constituted ‘accomplishments’ contained in cycling. In London, cycling represents the archetypal efficient mode for autonomous individuals to travel in ways that maximise their future-health gain, and minimise wasted time and dependence on others. However, it relies on the cultivation of a particular ‘assertive’ style to defend against the risks of road danger and aggression. While the identities of some professional (largely White) men and women could be bolstered by cycling, the aesthetic and symbolic goals of cycling were less appealing to those with other class, gendered and ethnic identities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Research into young people and healthy eating has focused on identifying the ‘barriers’ to healthy eating and on developing interventions to address them. However, it has tended to neglect the emotional, social and symbolic aspects of food for young people, and the roles food might play in adolescence. This paper explores these issues, reporting findings from a qualitative study which explored the meanings and values young people attached to food choices, particularly in school and peer contexts. As part of a larger study into young people’s relationships with food brands, 12 focus groups were conducted with young people aged 13–15 in the North East of England. The focus groups found that young people used food choices to help construct a desired image, as a means of judging others, and to signal their conformity with acceptable friendship and peer norms. Importantly, the findings suggested that the social and symbolic meanings associated with healthy eating conflicted with processes and values which are of crucial importance in adolescence, such as self-image and fitting in with the peer group. In other words, it was emotionally and socially risky to be seen to be interested in healthy eating. Interventions need not only to make healthy eating easier and more available, but also to address young people’s emotional needs for identity and belonging. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There is a growing body of research in racial and ethnic studies on the processes of identity construction within minority ethnic populations. This article seeks to build on this work by analysing emerging collective identity formations in an 'invisible' minority ethnic group. Based upon focus groups and in-depth interviews with Irish people in Sheffield, the article aims to advance three key arguments. First, the concept of community is central to an Irish collective identity, but is negotiated in a multiplicity of ways. Second, Irish collective identity has been shaped not only by demographic differences but by shared experiences of non-recognition and stereotyping. Third, there is a simultaneous assertion of an Irish identity running parallel with a perception that the 'traditional' Irish community may have to re-invent itself in response to changing demographics at the local level. The paper concludes by considering the implications of these arguments for an understanding of Irish ethnicity in multicultural Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present findings from the second stage of a three year longitudinal study involving 3,570 students aged 13-18 in a London Borough looking at the impact of Widening Participation (WP) on the attitudes of students. We outline findings from a previous stage and then focus specifically on two cohorts of Year 10 students (aged 14-15) in two consecutive years. The students completed the specially designed Attitudes to Higher Education Questionnaire (AHEQ) and provided information on WP activities in which they had participated. Data on the students' academic attainment and social backgrounds were also included. There were significant sex and cohort differences and interactions which were found to be related to WP activities specifically aimed at increasing the participation of socially disadvantaged students in higher education. The implications of findings are discussed in relation to theories of social identity and self concept and the implementation of strategies to increase participation in Higher Education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1977 Elizabeth Hyde edited the medieval cartulary of Nun Cotham priory for her PhD thesis at the University of Manitoba1. The thesis remains unpublished -- although now accessible electronically -- and its contents, and the contents of the cartulary, have not received the attention they deserve. Much can be learnt about Nun Cotham's economy from the cartulary2, but I will focus here on what the cartulary can tell us about the use of documents at Nun Cotham priory and the monastic community's participation in what we may call networks of information sharing. As will become clear, the cartulary contains many interesting examples of Cistercian nuns' use of documents in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and, especially, examples of nuns using such documents in order to argue for their rightful place as members of the Cistercian Order. Given the vexed question of whether or not England's houses of Cistercian nuns were recognised by all their medieval contemporaries as Cistercian, it is useful and timely to examine what the cartulary can tell us on this matter. Many medieval Cistercian nuns' houses elsewhere in Europe are famed for their active scriptoria and production of liturgical and devotional manuscripts, but the sur viving libraries from England's Cistercian nunneries lack such texts. On the other hand, detailed examination of Nun Cotham's cartulary will reveal that administrative documents can also provide valuable insights into the collective priorities and sense of identity of female Cistercian communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we examine the ways transitions are constructed and represented within healthcare settings vis-à-vis lived experiences. Drawing on in-depth interviews with transgender people and data from a document analysis, we examine how transgender peoples' experiences fit within conceptualisations of transition(s) in healthcare guidance documents used in England. We take up Pearce's ([2018]. Understanding trans health. Bristol: Policy Press) suggestion to (re)think trans beyond 'condition', and rather as 'movement', to view being trans as a social identity rather than a defect. Our findings show how trans people and transitions are imagined through often linear narratives of movement in/out of transition. Through this framing, fluidity and gender liminal spaces are made invisible, where health care is imagined for certain transitions but not others. Our analysis attends to tensions that emerge in the complexity of transition(s) as well as the intricate ways in which transgender people are responding to often restrictive ontologies of medical transition. As a conceptual tool, 'trans as movement' can be used to create space for more expansive ontologies of gender that confront the harms and restrictions imposed by the gender binary, and offer alternative ways of (re)imagining multiplicity in transition trajectories and futures for both those in healthcare delivery, and for trans patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While much is known regarding the effects of immigration for objective outcomes, relatively little is known regarding the effects for perceived well-being. By exploiting spatial and temporal variation in the net-inflows of foreign-born individuals across local areas in England, we examine the relationship between immigration and natives' subjective well-being as captured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). We find small negative effects overall but that an analysis of the main effects masks significant differences across subgroups, with relatively older individuals, those with below-average household incomes, the unemployed and finally those without any formal educational qualifications experiencing much more substantive well-being losses than others. These observed well-being differentials are congruent with voting patterns evident in the recent UK referendum on EU membership. We put forward perceived as opposed to actual labour market competition and social identity as two potential explanations for the negative well-being impacts of immigration for natives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The United Kingdom (UK) has seen a decrease in the number of young people drinking alcohol. However, the UK prevalence of underage drinking still ranks amongst the highest in Western Europe. Whilst there is a wealth of evidence reporting on the effectiveness of both primary, and secondary interventions, there are few reports of the experiences of young people who receive them. Methods The present study reports findings from interviews with 33 young people who were involved in an alcohol screening and brief intervention randomized controlled trial in schools in England. All interviews were analysed using inductive applied thematic analysis. Results Three major themes were identified following the analysis process: 1) drinking identities and awareness of risk; 2) access to support and advice in relation to alcohol use; and 3) appraisal of the intervention and potential impact on alcohol use. Conclusions There appeared to be a reluctance from participants to describe themselves as someone who drinks alcohol. Furthermore, those who did drink alcohol often did so with parental permission. There was variation amongst participants as to how comfortable they felt talking about alcohol issues with school staff. Overall participants felt the intervention was useful, but would be better suited to 'heavier' drinkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on volunteering has largely focused on the individual characteristics and experiences of volunteers, or on their relationship with a volunteering organisation, neglecting the group dynamics of volunteering. To address this gap, we apply a social identity and "Social Cure" perspective in a thematic analysis of interviews with 40 volunteers from across the South of England. This analysis highlights that group identities are fundamental to volunteers' motivations and experiences of volunteering. Sharing an identity with other volunteers promoted feelings of belonging, which in turn impacted upon the participants' wellbeing. Identity processes also underpinned interactions with the beneficiaries of help and how volunteers managed the challenges of helping. Finally, shared identity facilitated collective support between volunteers, which was necessary to deal with the challenges of the volunteering role, and this could be facilitated or hindered by the volunteering organisation. We discuss the implications for how volunteering organisations can enhance identity‐mediated helping, as well as for understanding the impact of volunteering on health and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To consider the relationship between professional nursing identity and advanced practice by exploring intra‐professional relationships between advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) and nursing colleagues. Background: Advanced nursing practice continues to develop internationally. Previous studies suggest advanced practice may lack support within nursing, which may lead to underutilisation, retention and patient safety issues. However, the relationship between the wider nursing profession and advanced practice is poorly understood and the theory that professional identity creates cultural barriers to advanced practice has received little empirical attention. Design: Ethnographic methodology was used. Methods: Fieldwork methods were participant observation and semi‐structured interviews. Participants were ANPs (n = 9) and nursing colleagues (n = 5) across two primary care general practice organisations. Data were analysed thematically using framework analysis, underpinned a priori by professional identity theories. Reporting was guided by COREQ. Results: Three themes were identified which indicated how intra‐professional relationships were conducted: Conciliating Nursing, where ANPs took responsibility for developing positive relationships with other nurses; Vertical Discounting, where nursing colleagues were dismissive and undermined ANPs, who themselves behaved similarly towards other nurses; and Lateral Othering, where ANPs undermined other ANPs. Vertical Discounting and Lateral Othering destabilised advanced practice. Conclusion: Intra‐professional relationships, and the broader nursing profession, shape advanced practice. We theorise this is underpinned by threats to professional identity, while weak professional identity amongst even established advanced practitioners exacerbates lack of support. Highlighting these issues allows space to develop alternative strategies to negotiate intra‐professional relationships, informed by professional identity theories, which support rather than inhibit advanced practice. Relevance to clinical practice: As advanced practice expands throughout primary and secondary care, and across allied health professions, the impact of professional identity and relationships on health care will likely increase and the importance of strong advanced practice identity will become increasingly relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Our objective was to understand the factors that determine whether an adult who is eligible for cochlear implantation (CI) choose to take up or not take up the implant. Design: We conducted a qualitative in-depth interview study, informed by grounded theory methods of constant comparison to build a theory to describe why and how people decide to opt for CI or not. Study sample: Our samples were patients from an audiology service in England. Results: Our results describe the key factors in weighing up risks and benefits. These are influenced by living context and support, information and social identity. We identify the key features that impact decision making for adults eligible for cochlear implants. The importance of the patient lifeworld view is discussed. Conclusions: This qualitative study provides the first in depth examination of how and why patients do and do not take up the offer of cochlear implants. It highlights the complex and iterative nature of this decision making and the individualised risks that trade off benefits of implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been suggested that the mental health impacts of living with long‐term conditions are greater in young adulthood compared to older adulthood, due to greater disruption to identity and routine life events. Objectives: To explore the impact of living with long‐term conditions in young adulthood on mental health and identity, and what helps living well with these conditions. Methods: Fifteen in‐depth interviews with young adults with various conditions were conducted and analysed thematically. Results: Themes related to the impacts on mental health and identity include the following: negative mood and depression; anxiety and fear for the future; and identity as 'ill'/abnormal compared to former self and 'normal' others. Themes related to suggestions for addressing negative impacts include the following: promotion of positive thinking; support reaching acceptance with altered identity and limitations (through stages of denial, anger, depression, then acceptance); and more professional mental health support. Discussion: In order to promote mental health and a positive sense of self/identity, young adults with long‐term conditions should be offered advice and support on positive thinking; the long and difficult process of reconstructing identity; and reaching acceptance. This is particularly important for young adults for whom the identity reconstruction process is more complex and psychologically damaging than for older adults, as this life stage is associated with health/vitality and illness represents a shift from a perceived normal trajectory to one that appears and feels abnormal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual methods are a popular way of engaging children and young people in research. Their growth comes out of a desire to make research practice more appropriate and meaningful to them. The auteur approach emphasises the need to explore with young participants why they produce the images they do, so that adult researchers do not impose their own readings. This article, while recognising the value of such visual techniques, argues that their benefit is not that they are more age appropriate, or that they are more authentic. Instead it lies in their capacity to display the social influences on how participants, of any age, represent themselves. The article does so through discussion of an Economic and Social Research Council research project, which made use of visual and other creative methods, undertaken in the UK with disabled young people. The research involved narrative and photo elicitation interviews, the production of photo journals, and creative practice workshops aimed at making representational artefacts. Through analysing the photography, the journals and interviews the article examines what it was research participants sought to capture and also what influenced the types of photographs they gathered and the type of person they wanted to represent. We argue that they aimed to counter negative representations of disability by presenting themselves as happy, active and independent, in doing so they drew from broader visual iconography that values certain kinds of disabled subject, while disvaluing others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social identification and team performance literatures typically focus on the relationship between individual differences in identification and individual‐level performance. By using a longitudinal multilevel approach, involving 369 members of 45 sports teams across England and Italy, we compared how team‐level and individual‐level variance in social identification together predicted team and individual performance outcomes. As hypothesized, team‐level variance in identification significantly predicted subsequent levels of both perceived and actual team performance in cross‐lagged analyses. Conversely, individual‐level variance in identification did not significantly predict subsequent levels of perceived individual performance. These findings support recent calls for social identity to be considered a multilevel construct and highlight the influence of group‐level social identification on group‐level processes and outcomes, over and above its individual‐level effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an innovative project to develop and trial a prototype product called ‘trove’ to start to address challenges identified regarding current practice of life story work with children who are looked after and adopted. trove is a digitally enhanced memory box that utilises raspberry pi (a small single board computer) and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technologies to enable children to record their memories and to attach these to their precious objects using an electronic tag: providing a safe ‘container’ for their mementoes and memories. Located in theories of narrative identity and object attachment and drawing on Brodinsky’s concept of communicative openness, we describe the children’s engagements in the design and report the results of a small trial of 10 troves with adopted children in England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual interviews were conducted with six self-identified Muslim gay men living in London focusing on their experience of health service use. Transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Analysis identified two major themes: the close(d) community and self-management with healthcare professionals, detailing participants' concerns regarding the risks of disclosing sexuality; and the authentic identity - 'you're either a Muslim or you're gay, you can't be both' - which delineated notions of incommensurate identity. Analysis highlights the need for health practitioners to have insight into the complexity of intersectional identities, identity disclosure dynamics and the negative consequences of assumptions made, be these heteronormative or faith-related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Peer supporters are individuals with lived experience and are an integral part of health care systems, providing support to those affected by various phenomena such as homelessness and addictions. However, little is known about the critical elements that underpin peer support interventions. This qualitative study sought to understand the critical elements of intentional peer support with a homeless population, voiced by those who provide and/or receive this support. Twenty‐nine participants from 4 different homeless charities in England were interviewed about their experiences of providing/receiving peer support and what they felt were critical factors to its success. Participants defined peer support as an experience‐based relationship, built upon mutual understanding, empathy, and support. Thematic analysis was utilised to in developing 6 themes. Results identified peers' persistence in developing unique experience‐based relationships, providing social support, role modelling recovery, and peers' motivations were perceived as important factors involved in peer support. It was also found that peers described benefitting from helping, such as, undergoing transformative identity developments that helped them to escape homelessness. Through the retelling of their stories, they create meaning and restructure their autobiography, attributing experiences of homelessness as a catalyst for positive changes in their lives. Limitations and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]