891 results
Search Results
2. 'I believe in building people up': A call for attention to asset‐based community development in geographical framings of poverty in the global North.
- Author
-
Denning, Stephanie
- Subjects
COMMUNITY development ,PLANNED communities ,VOLUNTEERS ,COMMUNITIES ,POVERTY ,GIFT shops ,RURAL poor - Abstract
This paper calls for human geographers examining poverty in the global North to attend more to asset‐based community development (ABCD) poverty interventions in order to complement geographers' current foci on how people experience and respond to poverty. ABCD is a community movement that originated in the USA that emphasises principles of focusing on gifts and assets rather than deficits, and on relationships at the neighbourhood level. In doing so, ABCD starts from what is 'strong' rather than 'wrong' in order to work towards community transformation. This paper's focus on ABCD emerges from an ethnography with a community following ABCD on an estate in Birmingham, UK. The housing estate in which the ethnography was conducted is an area of relatively high UK deprivation. However, the ethnography drew out how, through ABCD intertwined with a Christian ethos, local volunteers and community workers endeavoured to reframe the questions being asked of and by the community in order to focus on people's gifts, foster neighbour‐to‐neighbour support, and shun stigma. In conclusion, the paper argues that giving more attention to ABCD poverty interventions will complement human geographers' existing attention to poverty in the global North by broadening our foci, including to question whether ABCD interventions could be used more widely to combat both the existence and experience of poverty. However, this comes with a warning: in giving more attention to assets, we must be careful to avoid romanticising poverty, and so this must be alongside existing geographical attention to austerity and welfare provision. This paper calls for human geographers examining poverty in the global North to attend more to asset‐based community development (ABCD) poverty interventions in order to complement geographers' current foci on how people experience and respond to poverty. ABCD is a community movement that originated in the USA that emphasises principles of focusing on gifts and assets rather than deficits, and on relationships at the neighbourhood level. This paper's focus on ABCD emerges from an ethnography with a community following ABCD on an estate in Birmingham, UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Cuts to arts in Birmingham.
- Subjects
DANCE festivals ,DANCE music ,DANCE companies ,CONCERT halls ,PAPER arts ,BANDS (Musical groups) - Abstract
Birmingham City Council has announced plans to cut all arts funding, including support for theaters, art galleries, dance companies, and music groups. The council issued a "section 114 notice" in September 2023, indicating a financial shortfall and the need for government-appointed commissioners to help manage the council for the next five years. The cuts will affect various services, including statutory ones like road repairs and waste collection, as well as libraries and leisure centers. Arts organizations and projects will need to find alternative funding sources, with some facing immediate funding cuts and others losing 50% in the next financial year before a complete cut. The decision has been criticized by figures such as Carlos Acosta, director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, while comedian Joe Lycett praised Birmingham's creative scene and resilience. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2024
4. Delivering sustainable, resilient and liveable cities via transformed governance.
- Author
-
Rogers, Christopher D. F., Grayson, Nick, Sadler, Jonathan P., Chapman, Lee, Bouch, Christopher J., Cavada, Marianna, and Leach, Joanne M.
- Subjects
CITIES & towns ,EMPLOYMENT portfolios ,GOVERNMENT agencies ,NATURAL capital ,CHANGE theory ,BUSINESS models - Abstract
In the context of steadily declining Natural Capital and universal recognition of the imperative to reverse this trend before we get to the point that nature is not able to restore itself, cities have a crucial role to play. The UK Government commissioned a comprehensive study into the value of biodiversity, and by extension nature, reinforcing “why we should change our ways”—yet what is missing is the “how?”. This paper uniquely describes both the “how?” and a conclusive demonstration of the remarkable benefits of implementing it in a city. Critical to this process, it took a UK Parliamentary Inquiry to reveal that nature has become invisible within the economy, yet the ecological ecosystem services nature provides have enormous benefits to both people and the economy. Therefore integration—or seamless weaving—of urban greenspace and nature into people's lives and the places where they live, work, and spend their leisure time is vital. Moreover, what nature does not provide must be provided by engineered systems, and these have an economic cost; put another way, there are enormous cost savings to be made by taking advantage of what nature provides. In addressing these issues, this paper is the definitive paper from a 20-year portfolio of research on how to bring about transformative change in the complex system-of-systems that make up our cities, providing as it does the crucial in-depth research into the many diverse strands of governance—the last link in a chain of the creation, testing and proof of efficacy of methodologies underpinning a theory and practice of change for infrastructure and cities. The impact of this portfolio of research on Birmingham is two-fold: the Star Framework that placed natural environment considerations at the heart of all decision-making in the city, and the successful bid for the largest of the UK Future Parks Accelerator awards. While both are transformative in their different ways, yet mutually supportive, the latter enabled the design of a suite of system interventions from which the value of Birmingham's greenspaces is estimated to rise from £11.0 billion to £14.4 billion—a remarkable return on investment from the research's conceptualization of Birmingham's urban greenspace as a “business” (with its associated business models). In achieving this, the necessary enablers of thinking and practicing systemically, seamlessly working across disciplinary boundaries, an unusually strong focus on both the aspirations of all stakeholders and the context in question to define “the problem,” and the testing of proposed system intervention(s) both now and in the future have been iteratively combined. However, it is the critical enabling steps of identifying the complete range of value-generating opportunities that the interventions offer, formulating them into alternative business models to underpin the case for change and ensuring that they are synergistic with all the dimensions of governance that yielded the profound outcomes sought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Advanced Engineering introduces new sustainability practices: Advanced Engineering Exhibition is taking significant steps to make this year's show more sustainable, which is taking place between November 1 to 2 at the NEC, Birmingham.
- Subjects
ENGINEERING ,SUSTAINABILITY ,WASTE paper ,EXHIBITIONS ,FLOOR plans ,SUSTAINABLE construction - Published
- 2023
6. Virtual Baroque in Birmingham.
- Author
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Buckle, Lizzy, Lesemann-Elliott, Caroline, Norman, Alexander, and So, Adrian
- Subjects
ITALIAN music ,MECHANICAL musical instruments ,FRENCH music ,EARLY music ,MUSICAL performance ,JAZZ ,BAROQUE music - Abstract
Saturday's session on female musical connections identified ways in which music could be used as a means of promoting or mediating between different social and devotional practices. In this last paper and the discussion that followed, it was noted that modern "chamber organs" often do not accurately reflect the timbre of the larger organs often originally used for continuo accompaniment in the Baroque era. On 15 July 2021, delegates logged on to the 19th Biennial International Conference on Baroque Music, which was hosted online by the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Papers presented at the meeting of The Society for Experimental Optometry, at Birmingham on 15--16 July 1991.
- Subjects
OPTOMETRY ,CONFERENCES & conventions ,OPTIC nerve ,BIOMETRY - Abstract
The article presents abstracts of various research papers that were presented at the meeting of The Society for Experimental Optometry at Birmingham, England on July 15-16, 1991. Some of the papers presents are "Effects of Different Ocular Fixation Conditions on A-Scan Ultrasound Biometry Measurements," by C.F. Steel, D.P. Crabb and D.F. Edgar, "The Accuracy of Pallor Boundary Tracking in a Computerized Optic Nerve Head Assessment System," by Michael J. Cox and Ivan C.J. Wood, and "Topography of Visual Evoked Magnetic Responses to Pattern Shift, Pattern Onset and Flash Stimuli," by A. Slaven, C. Degg and R.A. Armstrong.
- Published
- 1991
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Transforming paradise: Neoliberal regeneration and more-than-human urbanism in Birmingham.
- Author
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Oliver, Catherine
- Subjects
URBAN ecology ,CITIES & towns ,NEOLIBERALISM ,PARADISE ,URBAN studies ,URBAN life ,CITY dwellers - Abstract
Copyright of Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Full Service.
- Author
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Hodges, Grace Collins
- Subjects
ART museums ,PROFIT ,PAPER products - Abstract
Focuses on the different collections featured at the Gallery Terrence Denley in Birmingham, England. Information on the architecture structure of the building; Uses of the profits earned by the gallery; Types of paper objects featured in the gallery.
- Published
- 2003
10. Government's lack of coordination has unintended consequences: The impact of Birmingham's cuts on the arts and cultural sector is worrying - and not unique.
- Author
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Travers, Tony
- Subjects
REAL economy ,COPYRIGHT infringement ,GOVERNMENT policy ,PUBLIC administration ,PERFORMING arts ,PAPER arts - Abstract
The article focuses on the significant spending cuts by Birmingham City Council affecting vital arts organizations, highlighting the unintended consequences of prioritizing equal pay claims over cultural support, underscoring the importance of the arts sector in the economy and societal cohesion amidst ongoing cultural debates.
- Published
- 2024
11. CtP Plates from Both Ends of the Spectrum.
- Author
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Wolf, Kurt K.
- Subjects
TRADE shows ,PRODUCT demonstrations ,PRINTING plates ,PRINTING machinery & supplies ,PLATE-printing ,PAPER converting machinery ,ELECTRONICS in printing - Abstract
The article focuses on the presentation of digital platesetting or plates by the proponents of thermal technology at Ipex in Birmingham, England. Agfa Corp. showed its three new Energy plates that will replace the Thermostar 970 which include the Energy Marathon and the Energy Elite. The company has also demonstrated its chemistry-free violet polymer plate for the first time. Basysprint GmbH has showed its well-known flatbed platesetters for conventional ultraviolet-sensitive diazo plates. Escher Grad and ECRM Imaging Systems has offered two new models for commercial printers.
- Published
- 2006
12. 22nd International Conference on Digital Audio Effects DAFx 2019 (2–6 September 2019, Birmingham, United Kingdom).
- Author
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Stables, Ryan, Hockman, Jason, Välimäki, Vesa, and Fontana, Federico
- Subjects
CONFERENCES & conventions ,POSTER presentations ,DIGITAL audio - Abstract
This meeting report gives an overview of the DAFx 2019 conference held in September 2019 at Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK. The conference had the same theme as this special issue: digital audio effects. In total, 51 papers were presented at DAFx 2019 either in oral or in poster sessions. The conference had 157 delegates, almost half from industry and the rest from universities around the world. As the number of submissions and participants remains sufficiently high, it is planned that the DAFx conference series will be continued every autumn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Towards a History of Recording Technologies: The Damp-press Copying Process.
- Author
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Cook, Michael
- Subjects
COPYING ,MANUSCRIPT reproduction ,PRINTING presses ,TECHNOLOGICAL innovations ,INVENTIONS ,PRINTING ink ,INDUSTRIAL revolution - Abstract
This paper offers an examination of the invention and development of James Watt's system for copying documents. This was the first technological innovation in the reproduction of documents in the industrial revolution. It spread rapidly and became used in all parts of the world and by all types of administration. It was replaced eventually by new copying technologies and by new systems of filing. This study examines the technical difficulties faced by Watt (paper standards, the chemistry of the ink, making and distributing the presses). It is based primarily on Watt's correspondence in the Birmingham City Archives, and refers to the proceedings of the Lunar Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Editorial.
- Subjects
CONFERENCES & conventions ,CORPORATE governance ,CORPORATE directors ,INDUSTRIAL management - Abstract
Information about the papers discussed at the 4th International Corporate Governance Conference of the Centre for Corporate Governance Research that was held at the Birmingham Business School in England in July 2006 is presented. The event was titled "Global Developments in Corporate Governance." Interest in corporate governance and corporate responsibility continues to grow across the globe. The countries from which the delegates came were enumerated.
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Special issue for the Logistics Research Network Conference (LRN2002).
- Author
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Griffiths, John, Ireland, Paul, Hewitt, Fred, and Traill, Alasdair
- Subjects
BUSINESS logistics ,PERIODICALS ,CONFERENCES & conventions ,SUPPLY chains ,INDUSTRIAL management - Abstract
Provides an overview of the special issue of "International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications" dated December, 2003. Papers presented at the Logistics Research Conference held 2003 in Birmingham, England; Theme of collaboration for innovative supply chain solutions; Preview of articles.
- Published
- 2003
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Libraries in women's lives: everyday rhythms and public time.
- Author
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Spencer-Bennett, Kate
- Subjects
LIBRARIES ,LIBRARY users ,WOMEN'S education ,LIBRARIES & women ,RHYTHM ,PUBLIC spaces ,GOVERNMENT libraries - Abstract
This paper asks how libraries have rhythmed women's education and everyday lives. It draws on women's narratives of library use in a multicultural suburb of Birmingham, UK. It shows that women's use of libraries exists in rhythmic relations with other times and places, both public and private. The narratives reveal the value of the library in offering space for women to claim time for themselves in the Lefebvrian "weak time, the stops, silences, blanks". Routines, cycles and continuity of use over various scales are important in women's engagements with libraries. Memorable too are particular moments. Punctuating the quotidian rhythms of library use, these moments are individual stories of rupture; times of great significance in women's lives. Changes to library provision have, therefore, rhythmic consequences, with reduced opening hours and library closure bringing arrhythmia. Through the library, women are linked to particular histories and they enter into shared rhythms, within both the present and the past. Libraries, this paper argues, offer not only an important public space but also public time.
1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Toshiba sponsors prize for proferred papers.
- Subjects
CORPORATE sponsorship ,AWARDS ,DIAGNOSTIC imaging ,CONFERENCES & conventions - Abstract
The article reports on the move of Toshiba Medical Systems Corp. to sponsor the proffered papers award at the meeting of the British Society of Thoracic Imaging held in Birmingham. England. It cites that the winner of the award was the paper, entitled "A comparison of the reliability of CT and echocardiography in predicting pulmonary hypertension and mortality." It adds that the paper was written by Dr. Anand Devaraj of the Royal Brompton Hospital in London.
- Published
- 2009
18. Understanding Organised Crime and Fatal Violence in Birmingham: A Case Study of the 2003 New Year Shootings.
- Author
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Rahman, Mohammed
- Subjects
ORGANIZED crime ,MASCULINITY ,CRIMINOLOGY ,AUTOPSY - Abstract
This paper discusses the relationship between fatal violence and organised crime. It does this by first providing a brief overview of two Birmingham street based organised crime groups, and then considers the 2003 fatal shootings of Letisha Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis. Methodologically this research is qualitative, and the ethnographic strand of the research offers a "criminological autopsy" of the case. By triangulating primary data, secondary sources and criminological theory, it is hoped that this paper will provide an exploratory understanding of the overlooked and under researched correlation between organised crime and fatal violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
19. Offender residence locations: exploring the impact of spatial scale on variability and concentration.
- Author
-
Adepeju, Monsuru, Langton, Samuel, and Steenbeek, Wouter
- Subjects
JUVENILE offenders ,CRIMINALS ,URBAN growth ,CRIMINAL methods ,DWELLINGS ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics - Abstract
In recent decades, the analysis of different geographic scales for studying the spatial patterning of crime has profoundly deepened our theoretical grasp of crime dynamics. However, a similar investigation is lacking when it comes to the patterning of offender residences, despite there being clear theoretical and empirical reasons for doing so, among them, the close relationship between where offenders live and where their corresponding crimes are committed. This paper delves into the concentration and variance of offender residences across different levels of spatial aggregation. The data used contains the locations of residence for known offenders in Birmingham between the years 2006 and 2016. Resident locations are aggregated to Output Areas (OA), nested within Lower Super Output Areas (LSOA), further nested within Middle Super Output Areas (MSOA). Descriptive and model-based statistics are deployed to quantify concentration and variation at each spatial scale. Results suggest that most variance (48%) in offender residence concentrations is attributable to the largest spatial scale (MSOA level). Output Areas capture approximately 38% of the variance. Findings open up discussions on the role of urban development in determining the appropriateness of spatial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. The affective impact of sightseeing bus tour experiences: using Affective Events Theory (AET) to examine length-of-stay and electronic word-of-mouth.
- Author
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Stylos, Nikolaos, Bigné, Enrique, and Bellou, Victoria
- Subjects
AFFECT (Psychology) ,TOURIST attractions ,TOURISM management ,TOURS ,BUSES - Abstract
This study investigates the key components and influences of positive affect and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on tourist visits at two developing urban destinations, namely Birmingham, United Kingdom and Valencia, Spain. These two data collection sites yielded evidence gathered from 615 and 627 sightseeing bus tourists, respectively. Through the analytic lens of Affective Events Theory (AET), data were examined, and results verify the significant mediating role of affect in two regards: (1) tourists' decision to extend their visits and (2) eWOM of sightseeing bus tour experiences. The moderating role of past sightseeing experiences in these relationships was also supported by the data analysis. This paper further strengthens the role of affect in tourism management scholarship as well as expands AET from the work-setting into the tourism context thus marking a new research trail. Practical implications for tourism destination management organizations (DMOs) are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. 'South Kensington is practically as far away as Paris or Munich': the making of industrial collections in Edinburgh, Newcastle and Birmingham.
- Author
-
Little, Kylea, McWilliams, Felicity, and Swinbank, Ellie
- Subjects
SCIENCE museums ,MUSEUM studies ,COLLECTIONS ,NATIONAL museums ,INDUSTRIALIZATION - Abstract
The provocation within the heart of the Congruence Engine leads us to consider not only the connections between our industrial collections, but the differences which shine a light on the gaps that exist nationally as well as institutionally due to the unique ways in which those collections were built. Emerging out of discussions held at the project's launch conference, this paper will compare and contrast the foundation and development of the industrial collections held within our three institutions: National Museums Scotland (NMS), Tyne & Wear Archive & Museums (TWAM) and Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT). The dedicated industrial collections which now sit within these organisations were founded in three quite distinct contexts: the Industrial Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh in 1854, the Municipal Museum of Science and Industry in Newcastle in 1934, and Birmingham's Museum of Science & Industry in 1951. Beyond these founding moments, their deeper roots and ongoing development have been shaped by an array of events, individuals and organisations from the local to the international, including some they hold in common and some that are unique. In charting their stories, we will explore why our collections have acquired their particular strengths and weaknesses, and the implications of this for their contributions to a distributed national collection of science and industry. This will act as the foundation for further collaborative research throughout the project as we investigate how and why particular textiles, energy and communication stories can be explored within and between our collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Contesting urban monuments: future directions for the controversial monumental landscapes of civic grandeur.
- Author
-
Adams, David and Larkham, Peter
- Subjects
MONUMENTS ,CITIES & towns ,PUBLIC opinion - Abstract
Decision makers are being increasingly called on to confront controversial urban histories to create more inclusive, diverse monumental landscapes. Although many prominent and officially 'authorised' public monuments radiate troublesome heritage, the monumental landscape is also richly complex, and demands an evaluation of the shifting relationship between design intention and public reception, as social, political and local contexts alter the heritage-making process. Based on documentary research, secondary analysis of qualitative interviews and an evaluation of media discourse associated with two examples of monumentality in Birmingham, UK, this paper argues that examining these forces is a necessary and urgent step for actors involved in creating sustainable urban environments. This paper concludes by considering how urban actors might effectively deal with those competing historical and political narratives and generate more contextualised and community-oriented responses to the shaping of the heritage landscape during times of economic uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Credit crunching.
- Subjects
PACKAGING industry ,PACKAGING ,WASTE recycling ,SEMINARS - Abstract
The article discusses how packaging companies and converters are addressing the issue on environmental sustainability. Denmaur Independent Papers showed how paper can be sustainable and recyclable during a seminar at the Publishing Expo 2009 where it showed how paper can be sustainable and recyclable. The environmental systems product range which includes thermal and pollution abatement equipment will be presented by British-based Spooner Industries during the Environmental Technology exhibit on sustainability in Birmingham on May 19-21, 2009.
- Published
- 2009
24. Urban infrastructure patching: Citizen-led solutions to infrastructure ruptures.
- Author
-
Bryson, John R, Billing, Chloe, and Tewdwr-Jones, Mark
- Subjects
CITIZENS ,COMMUNITIES ,CITIES & towns ,ARTIST collectives ,LOCAL government ,POLITICAL participation - Abstract
Copyright of Urban Studies (Sage Publications, Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications, Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Scout Rally at Birmingham and Imperial Scout Exhibition 1913: Polish scouts.
- Author
-
Stępnik, Krzysztof
- Subjects
SCOUTING (Youth activity) ,BOY Scouts ,SCOUTS (Youth organization members) ,BRITISH colonies ,IMPERIALISM ,PATRIOTISM ,POLISH people - Abstract
Scout Rally at Birmingham and Imperial Scout Exhibition organised in July of 1913 by the Boy Scouts Association constituted educational propaganda of the British Empire. The term "imperial", which was used in the British press, reflects the ideological meaning of this outsized event which gathered scouts from the United Kingdom and its dominions, and much smaller groups of scouts from Europe, including quite numerous groups from Poland. In the eyes of Poles, British "imperialism" or "patriotism" confronted as an ideal compared to Russian and German rule, and their attitudes were enthusiastically Anglomaniacal. This is the psychological key to understand the attractiveness of performing on the British arena for the representation of the young generation of Poles who were invited. For Polish scouts, the Scout Rally in Birmingham was an opportunity to demonstrate not only their skills but also patriotism as a function of political presence. This is how the Polish press understood these things, and which after the British – what needs to be emphasised – paid the most attention to the events in Birmingham. The most important Polish dailies publishing in Cracow, Warsaw, Poznań, and Lvov (now Lviv) closely followed the course of the rally, which was given the rank of success by a two-sentence depeche from London and a lengthy letter published in the Czas daily paper. The object of interest for the author of the article is the book written by the founder of Polish scouting, Andrzej Małkowski, which constitutes a noteworthy record of observations made by him during the Scout Rally as well as those made by other organisers of the Polish delegation's trip and of letters from journalists who accompanied this delegation and sent their correspondence to the Polish press from Birmingham, London, and Paris. Only one journalist broke out from apologetic opinions about the excellent performance of Polish scouts, who noticed shortcomings in performance and wrote about them. The article introduces the content of these letters and interprets and compares them. The opinion about the triumphant rally in Birmingham rooted firmly in Polish public opinion, constituting an important element of the founding myth of Polish scouting, which in the history of this movement is worth noting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. The Liveable Cities Method: establishing the case for transformative change for a UK metro.
- Author
-
Leach, Joanne M, Rogers, Chris D F, Ortegon-Sanchez, Adriana, and Tyler, Nick
- Subjects
CARBON dioxide ,CIVIL engineers ,URBAN planning ,SUSTAINABILITY - Abstract
There is currently great interest in the creation of sustainable and liveable cities, both in the UK and globally. While it can be argued that good progress is being made in thinking about the needs of future cities, meeting these needs and aspirations in practice poses major challenges of understanding and measurement (what is meant by these terms and how can progress towards their achievement be measured?), complexity (cities are complex systems of systems with many interacting parts) and resilience (will interventions made today be relevant and effective in the future?). The Liveable Cities research programme created a systematic decision-making method for improving urban sustainability and liveability: the Liveable Cities Method (LCM). The LCM prioritises four criteria – individual and societal well-being, resource security, resource efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions as a proxy for environmental harm – in an interconnected framework and assesses the need for, and the resilience of, interventions designed to move cities towards improved sustainability and liveability. This paper illustrates the LCM through an example intervention made to the city of Birmingham, UK, and highlights how addressing sustainability and liveability in this way offers unique opportunities for the UK civil engineering profession to lead thinking among urban professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Urban development, city planning, and hosting major events: the cases of Birmingham and Guangzhou.
- Author
-
Chen, Shushu, Yu, Yonghui, and Baker, Emma
- Subjects
URBAN planning ,CITIES & towns ,ASIAN Games ,MUNICIPAL government ,URBANIZATION - Abstract
This paper examines the influence of major events on urban development and change across two city contexts (i.e. Guangzhou and Birmingham). Considering cities as new international actors, a theoretical modal was proposed, and qualitative evidence was gathered to examine the cities' decision to bid for the hosting of the 2010 Asian Games and the 2022 Commonwealth Games respectively, the urban development–related pressures faced, and the ways in which urban development occurred as a result of event production. In response to intercity competition and globalisation, both cities fought for development opportunities and actively sought international and national attention through major events. However, urban governance becomes complicated, in terms of managing city–market–society relations; as such, particularly for Guangzhou, it led the city government to adopt an entrepreneurial approach to urban governance. This study suggests future research interrogating whether major events provide a sustainable means to achieve urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. More‐than‐therapeutic landscapes.
- Author
-
Emmerson, Phil
- Subjects
MEDICAL care ,WELL-being ,NURSING care facilities - Abstract
Building on geography's ongoing interest in therapeutic landscapes (and assemblages), this article contributes a further dimension to thinking about the spaces and places of health and care. Whilst recognising the value of focusing on the variegated ways in which "improvements" in health, wellness, and well‐being take shape, it suggests there is also something to be gained by addressing these spaces through de‐centring "the therapeutic," and instead adopting a more‐than‐therapeutic approach in which the question of "what‐else happens?" is brought to the fore. Drawing on eight months of ethnographic research within care homes in the UK, it notes that within these spaces many activities and forms of relation can emerge that are not necessarily focused on the maintenance or improvement of health or well‐being. In particular the paper highlights: everyday homemaking by residents, friendships and rivalries between staff members, and major political events as exemplars of ordinary life within care homes that occur beyond "therapy" in its conventional sense. That said, it also notes that the therapeutic and more‐than‐therapeutic are relational, and as such, the paper's conclusion is that a more‐than‐therapeutic approach to landscapes of care can augment existing approaches through encouraging a more holistic attunement to their workings. This article proposes the idea of more‐than‐therapeutic landscapes. This idea looks to advance the therapeutic landscapes concept further by suggesting the value of an approach which de‐centres "the therapeutic" and therefore pays attention to "what else" happens in spaces of health and care and how these matter. It elaborates on this idea through reference to care homes in the UK, noting practices of homemaking, friendships, and rivalries between staff members, and the responses to major political events (in this case Brexit) as exemplary of these more‐than‐therapeutic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Blood, body and belonging: the geographies of halal food consumption in the UK.
- Author
-
Isakjee, Arshad and Carroll, Brídín
- Subjects
HALAL food ,FOOD consumption ,HALAL food industry ,RELIGIOUS ethics ,MUSLIMS - Abstract
Copyright of Social & Cultural Geography is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Public policy for addressing the low-skills low-wage trap: insights from business case studies in the Birmingham city-region, UK.
- Author
-
Green, Anne E., Sissons, Paul, Broughton, Kevin, and Qamar, Amir
- Subjects
JOB skills ,WAGES ,ECONOMIC development ,BUSINESS models ,HOSPITALITY industry ,RETAIL industry - Abstract
The idea that some local areas are characterized by a low-skills equilibrium trap is prominent in academic and policy debates in the Global North. Factors shaping this position and associated implications for local economic development are only partially understood. This paper provides new evidence examining employers' decision-making around investment and workforce management in the hospitality and retail sectors in the Birmingham city-region of the UK, and their experience of the low-skills low-wage trap. The findings highlight intersecting sectoral and place-based factors in the emergence of, and barriers to escape from, this position. Responses require policy actions at firm, local and national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Tolkien the Classicist: Scholar and Thinker.
- Author
-
Williams, Hamish
- Subjects
WORLD War I ,SCHOLARS - Abstract
This paper undertakes a biographic analysis of Tolkien as a Classicist, a study which can be roughly broken up into three parts: (1) his early education in Classics at King Edward's School in Birmingham and his initial undergraduate years at the University of Oxford; (2) his movement away from the prescriptive canon of Classics, especially during the First World War; and (3) his 'return' to Classics later in life as a means of thinking about the world, politics, art, and his own creative works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
32. Review of International Corporate Governance Conference held at the Birmingham Business School, June 2004.
- Author
-
Mallin, Chris
- Subjects
CORPORATE governance ,CONFERENCES & conventions ,INTELLECTUAL cooperation - Abstract
Highlights the International Corporate Governance Conference held at the Birmingham Business School in England on June 29, 2004. International representation; Keynote plenary session; Speakers.
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Transnational shift: marriage, home and belonging for British-Pakistani Muslim women.
- Author
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Mohammad, Robina
- Subjects
MUSLIM women ,MARRIAGE ,EXTENDED families ,MUSLIM identity ,PRENUPTIAL agreements - Abstract
Copyright of Social & Cultural Geography is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2020
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34. Encounters with a future past: navigating the shifting urban atmospheres of place.
- Author
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Adams, David, Smith, Myles, Larkham, Peter, and Abidin, Jannah
- Subjects
ATMOSPHERE ,EDUCATORS ,DESIGNERS ,STAKEHOLDERS - Abstract
There has been recent concern about the destabilizing influence of individuals' everyday encounters with managed atmospheres. This paper draws on autoethnographic data, information relating to the physical fabric, and narratives from stakeholders involved with the design and management of the Eastside area of Birmingham, UK, to demonstrate how urban atmospheres are also shaped by shifting temporal dynamics, the area's historical, cultural and regulatory context, and the prior experiences individuals bring to spaces undergoing regeneration. The paper concludes by suggesting that this analysis has much to offer to designers, educators and stakeholders involved with improving the design and management of place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Developing a Citizen Social Science approach to understand urban stress and promote wellbeing in urban communities.
- Author
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Pykett, Jessica, Chrisinger, Benjamin, Kyriakou, Kalliopi, Osborne, Tess, Resch, Bernd, Stathi, Afroditi, Toth, Eszter, and Whittaker, Anna C.
- Subjects
SOCIAL science research ,CITIZEN science ,PSYCHOLOGICAL stress ,URBAN planning ,URBAN research - Abstract
This paper sets out the future potential and challenges for developing an interdisciplinary, mixed-method Citizen Social Science approach to researching urban emotions. It focuses on urban stress, which is increasingly noted as a global mental health challenge facing both urbanised and rapidly urbanising societies. The paper reviews the existing use of mobile psychophysiological or biosensing within urban environments—as means of 'capturing' the urban geographies of emotions. Methodological reflections are included on primary research using biosensing in a study of workplace and commuter stress for university employees in Birmingham (UK) and Salzburg (Austria) for illustrative purposes. In comparing perspectives on the conceptualisation and measurement of urban stress from psychology, neuroscience and urban planning, the difficulties of defining scientific constructs within Citizen Science are discussed to set out the groundwork for fostering interdisciplinary dialogue. The novel methods, geo-located sensor technologies and data-driven approaches to researching urban stress now available to researchers pose a number of ethical, political and conceptual challenges around defining and measuring emotions, stress, human behaviour and urban space. They also raise issues of rigour, participation and social scientific interpretation. Introducing methods informed by more critical Citizen Social Science perspectives can temper overly individualised forms of data collection to establish more effective ways of addressing urban stress and promoting wellbeing in urban communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Performance Evaluation of the Current Birmingham PEPT Cameras.
- Author
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Parker, David J., Hampel, Dawid M., and Kokalova Wheldon, Tzanka
- Subjects
POSITRON annihilation ,POSITRON emission ,GRANULAR flow ,CAMERAS ,PARTICLE emissions ,GRANULAR materials ,POSITRONIUM - Abstract
Positron emission particle tracking (PEPT), a powerful technique for studying fluid and granular flows, has been developed at Birmingham over the last 30 years. In PEPT, a "positron camera" is used to detect the pairs of back-to-back photons emitted from positron annihilation. Accurate high-speed tracking of small tracer particles requires a positron camera with high sensitivity and data rate. In this paper, we compare the sensitivity and data rates obtained from the three principal cameras currently used at Birmingham. The recently constructed SuperPEPT and MicroPEPT systems have much higher sensitivity than the longstanding ADAC Forte and can generate data at much higher rates, greatly extending the potential for PEPT studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Open-Source Data-Driven Cross-Domain Road Detection From Very High Resolution Remote Sensing Imagery.
- Author
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Lu, Xiaoyan, Zhong, Yanfei, and Zhang, Liangpei
- Subjects
OPTICAL remote sensing ,REMOTE sensing ,GLOBAL Positioning System ,DEEP learning - Abstract
High-precision road detection from very high resolution (VHR) remote sensing images has broad application value. However, the most advanced deep learning based methods often fail to identify roads when there is a distribution discrepancy between the training samples and test samples, due to their limited generalization ability. In this paper, to address this problem, an open-source data-driven domain-specific representation (OSM-DOER) framework is proposed for cross-domain road detection. On the one hand, as the spatial structure information of the source and target domains is similar, but the texture information is different, the domain-specific representation (DOER) framework is proposed, which not only aligns the distributions of the spatial structure information, but also learns the domain-specific texture information. Furthermore, in order to enhance the representation of the target domain data distribution, open-source and freely available OpenStreetMap (OSM) road centerline data are utilized to generate target domain samples, which are then used in the network training as the supervised information for the target domain. Finally, to verify the superiority of the proposed OSM-DOER framework, we conducted extensive experiments with the public SpaceNet and DeepGlobe road datasets, and large-scale road datasets from Birmingham in the UK and Shanghai in China. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed OSM-DOER framework shows obvious advantages over the mainstream road detection methods, and the use of OSM road centerline data has great potential for the road detection task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. The illiberalism of liberalism: schools and fundamental controversial values.
- Author
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Vincent, Carol
- Subjects
SEX education ,LIBERALISM ,MUSLIM children ,PRIMARY schools ,PICTURE books for children ,DEMOCRACY - Abstract
This paper analyses the recent protests by mainly Muslim parents against the use of LGBTQ+-friendly story books in a primary school in Birmingham, England, the associated court case, and the broader issues it highlights about the contradictory and complex relationships between liberalism, faith, and democracy. I discuss the case itself, tensions around Relationships and Sex Education, and the wider social and political context for the protest, considering both the position of 'Muslims' in the UK's civic and political society, and how dominant discourses within liberalism responds to 'others' in this present temporal moment. I conclude by briefly considering the potential of deliberative democracy and agonism as approaches to address emotive value clashes, and to emphasise the importance of primary schools as places of shared investments, where families and teachers might move towards developing mutual understandings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Making a Place in the Global City: The Relevance of Indicators of Integration.
- Author
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Phillimore, Jenny and Goodson, Lisa
- Subjects
IMMIGRANTS ,REFUGEES ,SOCIAL integration ,LIFE change events ,MULTICULTURALISM ,FUNCTIONAL analysis ,RESEARCH - Abstract
This paper builds upon major ongoing work into the experiences of new migrants seeking to construct new lives in the UK (Aldridge and Waddington 2002; Goodson and Phillimore 2005; Goodson et al. 2005; Phillimore et a!. 2003; 2004; Phillimore and Goodson 2002; Robinson et a!. 2003; Zetter et a!. 2003) and focuses upon the experiences of refugees who have arrived in Birmingham since the early 1990s. The paper outlines the indicators of integration proposed by Ager and Strang (2004) for the United Kingdom's Home Office. It then uses data from household surveys, in-depth interviews and focus groups conducted in the West Midlands to explore how useful indicators might be in evaluating progress towards integration within new migrant communities. The paper specifically examines the efficacy of functional indicators, which in Ager and Strang's (2004) framework are represented as 'means and markers' and include employment, housing, education and health. It aims to consider the usefulness of these functional indicators as a measure of integration and the ways in which the indicators might be shaped to help policy makers work towards promoting integration in a multi-cultural global city such as Birmingham. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Call for papers.
- Subjects
ELECTRIC insulators & insulation ,CONFERENCES & conventions - Abstract
The Electrical Insulation Association is holding its 13th International Electrical Insulation Conference (INSUCON) in Birmingham, UK, in May 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Researchers' Work from University of Manchester Focuses on Psychology (Nuha: a Study of the Conduct of Everyday Life of a British Yemeni Young Person).
- Subjects
YOUNG adults ,CONDUCT of life ,RESEARCH personnel ,ATTENTION ,EVERYDAY life - Abstract
A study conducted by researchers from the University of Manchester focuses on the experiences of British Yemeni young people in the UK, specifically looking at the case of Nuha, an 18-year-old British Yemeni young woman. The study aims to bridge the gap in research by exploring Nuha's everyday life and how it relates to her learning and development. The researchers advocate for a subjectively focused, practice-oriented, and culturally sensitive approach to understanding human behavior. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding the conduct of everyday life for British Yemeni young people in order to gain insight into their evolving sense of being and doing. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2023
42. Building learning communities: foundations for good practice.
- Author
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Davies, Alison, Ramsay, Jill, Lindfield, Helen, and Couperthwaite, John
- Subjects
LEARNING communities ,MEDICAL logic ,STUDENTS - Abstract
The School of Health Sciences at the University of Birmingham provided opportunities for the development of student learning communities and online resources within the neurological module of the BSc Physiotherapy degree programme. These learning communities were designed to facilitate peer and independent learning in core aspects underpinning clinical practice, thus laying the foundation for the development of effective clinical reasoning. This paper examines some of the problems that staff encountered, including the lessons that they learnt through the design, development, and implementation processes of the module, and the subsequent modifications that were made. Student experiences of this course are also included, as they provided staff with further insights into the ways in which these problems impacted upon their preparation for clinical practice and how the module might be improved for future cohorts. From an analysis of the problems that staff encountered and then sought to resolve, and of student experiences of the course, this paper identifies foundations for good practice in the development and delivery of innovative learning and teaching methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. Involving and engaging pregnant women in maternity-related research: reflections on an innovative approach.
- Author
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Goodwin, Laura, Skrybant, Magdalena, and Kenyon, Sara
- Subjects
PREGNANT women ,YOGA ,UNPLANNED pregnancy ,WOMEN'S health ,MATERNAL health services ,CHILDREN'S health - Abstract
Background: Meaningful public involvement in maternity research remains challenging, partly due to the transient nature of pregnancy. This paper reflects on the development, implementation and simple evaluation of an innovative and inclusive approach to engaging and involving pregnant and early postnatal women in research. Methods: Between January and February 2018, a Research Fellow in Maternity Care, a Professor of Evidence Based Maternity Care, and a Patient and Public Involvement Lead convened for a number of meetings to discuss how public involvement and engagement might be improved for pregnancy-related research. A stakeholder group was created, including a local community matron, a community engagement officer at a local children's centre, public contributors, and senior members of the Maternal and Child Health theme of the West Midlands Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC WM). The team worked together to develop a format for Yoga for Bump sessions: a free 90-min session, offered weekly, which included research involvement/engagement, pregnancy yoga, and a 'question and answer' session with a midwife. Results: A total of 67 women from two local communities in Birmingham attended Yoga for Bump sessions, which ran between May and December of 2018. Evaluation of the sessions suggested benefits to both women and researchers: it created mutually beneficial relationships between contributors and researchers, provided opportunities for women to engage and get involved in research that was directly relevant to them, and provided a convenient and efficient way for researchers to involve and engage pregnant women from diverse backgrounds in their research. Unintended benefits included self-reported improvements in women's health and wellbeing. Conclusions: Yoga for Bump demonstrates an innovative approach to engaging and involving pregnant and early postnatal women; combining a free exercise class with healthcare advice and opportunities to engage with and be involved in research, and demonstrating mutual benefits for those involved. This model has the potential to be replicated elsewhere to support inclusive public involvement in pregnancy-related research. Further work is needed to design and evaluate similar approaches to involvement/engagement and explore potential funding avenues to enhance sustainability. Plain English summary: Making sure that the public are involved in research is really important. It can sometimes be hard for pregnant women to get involved with research because they are only pregnant for a short amount of time and they are often busy with other things. This means that the research might only feel directly relevant and important to them for a short time. We designed a new way to encourage pregnant women to get involved and engaged in research. We did this by offering a free pregnancy yoga class to women. This class included a 'question and answer' session with a midwife and a discussion with a researcher about some research to do with pregnancy. We ran two classes a week, in two different parts of Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK). The classes took place between May and December 2018 and 67 different women attended the classes. We wanted to see if this was a good way to involve and engage pregnant women in research, so we did a simple evaluation. We used some questionnaires and notes that we had made. We found that the sessions were helpful for both women and researchers. Women enjoyed being involved in the research and told us they had felt healthier and less stressed from the yoga. Researchers found it really useful to be able to talk to women from lots of different backgrounds and experiences. There were some difficult parts of running the sessions, like the costs, and the time needed from us to make sure sessions ran smoothly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Walking with the ghosts of the past: Unearthing the value of residents’ urban nostalgias.
- Author
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Adams, David and Larkham, Peter
- Subjects
NOSTALGIA ,URBAN life ,SOCIAL acceptance ,BUILT environment ,URBAN planning ,HISTORY ,SOCIAL history - Abstract
Nostalgia has historically been negatively characterised by desire to reconnect with an idealised past lost to the ‘destructive’ forces of modernity, but studies across the social sciences have recently sought to re-appraise the creative and embodied significance of individuals’ recollections. This paper contributes to this developing debate by empirically exploring the value of individual remembering in relation to the urban material landscape. First, drawing on recently collected go-along data from long-term residents of two UK cities, Birmingham and Coventry, it is argued that nostalgia could be considered a more progressive force in urban life, especially amongst residents in cities that have undergone and are undergoing physical change as a consequence of ‘official’ attempts to reconstruct, regenerate and/or repackage particular urban spaces; developing a richer understanding of the interplay between official and unofficial nostalgias can better inform planning decisions that are more likely to be socially acceptable and supported by local communities. Second, though there are clear advantages of developing a fuller theoretical and methodological consideration of urban nostalgia, this paper then uses go-along data to demonstrate that much remains to be learnt from exploring how the material urban environment can encourage and/or limit individual efforts to keep potentially distressing aspects of their past concealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. Collaborative working in primary care groups: a case of incommensurable paradigms?
- Author
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MacDonald, Glenn and Smith, Paula
- Subjects
PRIMARY care ,HEALTH promotion ,PUBLIC health - Abstract
The aim of this paper is to examine the role of health promotion in locality commissioning teams—as pre-cursors of Primary Care Groups—drawing on the experiences of a project in the West Midlands. Wider implications for the workings of the new Primary Care Groups will be drawn. The paper will consider some fundamental differences between health promotion and other public health approaches. Using a model of health promotion practice, it will show how the practice of different stakeholders in locality commissioning can be made sense of by these different and in some cases incommensurable paradigms. Our argument is that being able to model practice so as to make these paradigmatic differences explicit and to acknowledge diversity and inconsistency is a prerequisite for healthy collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2001
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. What the papers say.
- Subjects
BRITISH education system ,COLLEGE students ,SCHOOLS - Abstract
Outlines education-related issues published by various newspapers in Great Britain. Information on the increasing number of students going to higher education; Problem of bullying Asian governors at schools in Birmingham; Details of the progress of Rowan class.
- Published
- 2002
47. Unlocking inclusive growth by linking micro assets to anchor institutions: The case of skilled overseas migrants and refugees and hospital jobs.
- Author
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Green, Anne, Parke, Conrad, Hoole, Charlotte, and Sevinc, Deniz
- Subjects
REFUGEES ,URBAN growth ,IMMIGRANTS ,ASSETS (Accounting) ,SOCIAL skills ,HOSPITALS - Abstract
This paper contributes to anchor institution, migrant and refugee integration, skills utilisation and inclusive growth debates. Via a pioneering innovative approach to inclusive urban development linking together physical infrastructure development and neighbourhood management approaches to urban regeneration, it explores the potential for micro assets within communities to be linked to macro assets of large spatially immobile anchor institutions. Through a case study, it draws on experience, and identifies transferable learning points, from a skills-matching element of a large European Union funded project in a superdiverse inner-city deprived neighbourhood in Birmingham, UK. In contrast to the typical emphasis of area-based employment initiatives on people with low skills, the skills-matching initiative focuses specifically on connecting skilled overseas migrants and refugees to skilled and highly skilled jobs in a large local hospital. It underlines the central role of local partnership working and highlights the role of skills utilisation, not merely skills development, in inclusive growth. The evidence suggests that three components underlie success in unlocking and catalysing links between micro assets and a macro asset to realise anchor institution potential: (1) institutional entrepreneurship, which provides the strategic buy-in from the anchor institution; (2) innovative entrepreneurship, which provides the delegated responsibility for implementation; and (3) vision and place leadership, which provides the strategy and resources to build the bridge between the macro asset and the local community to help realise inclusive growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Anglo-Saxon bling — a warrior king's Golden Helmet.
- Author
-
Cooper, Frank
- Subjects
ANGLO-Saxons ,HELMETS ,ART pottery ,ARTISTIC style ,CITY councils - Abstract
In 2009, a metal detectorist discovered a hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver in a field in Staffordshire. Hence, it quickly became known as 'The Staffordshire Hoard'. It was, and remains, the biggest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold (4 kg) and silver (1.7 kg) ever discovered and comprised of more than 4000 fragments that equated to over 600 discrete objects and larger pieces. The Staffordshire Hoard is co-owned by Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent City Councils and is cared for on behalf of the nation by Birmingham Museums Trust and The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery. Over the intervening years, most of the larger and recognisably important pieces have now been identified and catalogued. We now also know an exceptional amount about their probable methods of manufacture, artistic styles, date, and function. This paper focuses on what is now known to be one of the most fragmented yet magnificent of its objects, a Helmet that has been declared as being 'fit for a king', but which was found scattered into well over 1000 disparate fragments. Fragments that are now considered to make up around one-third of the Hoard's total of finds and compose this single high-status Golden Helmet. Too damaged and incomplete to be re-joined or displayed in a form that delivers to the casual observer a true sense of the majesty of the original. Thus, the museums responsible for the collection commissioned an experimental reconstruction project to create two of the helmets for display in their shared Hoard collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. An urban laboratory for the multicultural nation?
- Author
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Wilson, Helen F., Antonsich, Marco, and Matejskova, Tatiana
- Subjects
MULTICULTURALISM ,LONDON Riots, 2011 ,RIOTS ,CULTURAL pluralism - Abstract
At a time when urban space is considered central to understanding how multicultural societies cohere, this paper examines how the urban and the nation are related. To do so, the paper focuses upon Birmingham, UK, which has been presented as a testing ground for national responses to difference and as a model for other European cities. Drawing on narratives of city boosterism, urban policy, local and national news articles, academic writing and resident accounts, the paper deals with three inter-related concerns. First, with discussions on how the city responds and adapts to national framings of diversity and its socio-political conditions of possibility, second, with claims that the city might be understood as epitomising the state of the nation and third, with questions concerning how Birmingham might actively work to shape, challenge or re-write understandings of the nation. Drawing on recent work urban experimentation, the paper asks what Birmingham's position as a laboratory for new social imaginaries and ways of belonging might mean, both for the city and its residents, and for national policy on cultural diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. The role of 'persistent resilience' within everyday life and polity: households coping with marginality within the 'Big Society'.
- Author
-
Andres, Lauren and Round, John
- Subjects
PSYCHOLOGICAL adaptation ,AUSTERITY ,COMMUNITY development ,PSYCHOLOGICAL resilience ,ADAPTABILITY (Personality) ,SOCIAL conditions in Great Britain, 1945- ,HOUSEHOLDS ,SOCIAL history - Abstract
As Europe's current economic crisis continues many households are developing new coping strategies in response to the pressures of everyday life. This paper explores such practices within Birmingham's Castle Vale housing estate, drawing on the increasing engagement within the social sciences with notions of resilience. This concept, originating from engineering, psychology, and disaster management, is increasingly used in urban and economic geography, and is becoming influential on state policy. This paper furthers its current usages by proposing the concept of 'persistent resilience', whereby households, and their networks, develop responses not just to 'shocks', but also to more long-term processes, such as the changing nature of employment and/or responses to constantly altering state policies. This form of resilience has significant policy relevance, as it can be seen, albeit under different names, at the heart of the British government's 'Big Society' project, within which communities are to be empowered to steer their development while 'big government' withdraws. This paper argues, however, that there is an inherent tension within such assumptions of community-led development, as they do not consider the spaces in which it takes place. As the paper demonstrates, 'persistent resilience' is often formed in the semiformal/informal spaces of everyday life, which, in many cases, will be destroyed by cuts to government funding to communities. Thus, the paper calls for a more nuanced, everyday understanding of resilience and the spaces within which it is formed and transmitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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