Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Older People In A Community Gospel Choir: Musical Engagement And Social Connection, Dawn Joseph, Jane Southcott

The Qualitative Report

This research explores the role of community music in the lives of older Australians. This qualitative case study investigated the meanings and understandings ascribed by participants to their musical engagement in the South of the River Community Gospel Choir. This mixed a cappella SATB choir was formed in 2002 in Melbourne. The choir began with a repertoire of African-American Gospel music and South African Freedom Songs. With time their musical choices have transitioned to include more contemporary Australian composed works. The choir sings in diverse community settings such as high security prisons, palliative care, hospitals and the more common range …

Material Forms: What Is Really Going On? Shaping Who We Are And What We Do, Vicky J. Grube

The Qualitative Report

Using visual and ethnographic methods the author forms a connection between materiality and the memories of childhood. The researcher begins by asking the question, “Can a studio environment create encounters between a researcher and preschool children that deepen understanding of culture?” To this end, the researcher engaged in sensory research practices through ethnographic methods in a preschool art studio. Through free choice art making, children were found expressing their emotions and demonstrating an awareness of adult culture. In particular, the researcher’s encounter with four-year old George was enriched through sensory participation and triggered embodied and empathetic knowing. As it happens, …

Writing With The ‘Other’: Combining Poetry And Participation To Study Leaders With Disabilities, Rama Cousik, Paresh Mishra, Mariesa K. Rang

The Qualitative Report

In this paper, we describe the process of transformative co-authorship between researchers and a participant with disabilities. The researchers were conducting a larger study that aimed to identify different factors that shaped individuals with disabilities to assume leadership roles. Drawing from interview data obtained from the participant, one researcher wrote a poem that provided a stage for the researchers and the participant to engage in reflexive process that transformed the researchers-participant relationship to that of co-authors. This paper describes this transformative process and what everyone learned from this enriching experience.

The "Native" As Ethnographer: Doing Social Research In Globalizing Nsukka, Chidi Ugwu

The Qualitative Report

Researchers have noted how local attitudes that connect research to the external world could affect findings differently in different contexts. How this played out for an indigenous researcher is the new perspective presented in this paper. Although an indigene of the study area, I became an outsider of sorts as soon as I began to show interest in malaria in a way that suggested to locals that the results of my investigation could eventually get to the government or the Western world – locals saw those two entities as embodying power and material abundance. Although I worked as an insider, …

Facing History In The Aftermath Of Gukurahundi Atrocities: New Media, Memory And The Discourses On Forgiveness On Selected Zimbabwean News Websites, Mphathisi Ndlovu

Peace and Conflict Studies

In 1983, the Robert Mugabe-led government deployed a military unit to the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces under the guise of quelling a “dissident” movement. This army unit went on to commit atrocities on the civilians in these south-western parts of Zimbabwe. By the time this violence ended in 1987, at least 20 000 Ndebele people had been killed. This violence is known as Gukurahundi, and remains a dark chapter in the national memory. Given that the regime that committed these atrocities is still in power and the perpetrators have not been brought to justice, it is timely to probe how …

“If You Want Peace, Work For Justice:” Assessing Pope Paul Vi As A Peacebuilder On The Levels Of Insight And Action, Christopher W. Hrynkow

Peace and Conflict Studies

Paul VI was the first reigning pope to travel via airplane. On one such trip, he addressed the UN General Assembly, emphatically declaring “War never again! Never again war!” During the same period, Paul VI also saw the Second Vatican Council through to its completion. Vatican II produced an articulation of substantive peace in one of its final documents, Gaudium et Spes. This article employs an analytical yardstick through reading Gaudium et Spes in conversation with a Peace and Conflict Studies perspective, as a means to assess Paul VI’s peacemaking efforts on the levels of insight and action. Specifically, …

Toward A Buddhist Theory Of Conflict Transformation: From Simple Actor-Oriented Conflict To Complex Structural Conflict, Tatsushi Arai

Peace and Conflict Studies

This paper presents a working theory of conflict transformation informed by Buddhist teachings. It argues that a Buddhist approach to conflict transformation consists of an integrated process of self-reflection on the roots and transformation of suffering (dukkha), on the one hand, and active relationship-building between parties, on the other. To overcome a deeply structural conflict in which parties are unaware of the very existence of the conflict-generating system in which they are embedded, however, Buddhist-inspired practice of conflict transformation requires building structural awareness, which is defined as educated consciousness capable of perceiving a complex web of cause and effect relationships …

Intersecting Autoethnographies: Two Academics Reflect On Being Parent-Researchers, Rosemary G. Bennett 086385, Peter De Vries Dr

The Qualitative Report

This article presents two intersecting autoethnographies generated by two academics working in the same university, who were both parent-researchers. We researched aspects of our own children’s lives, primarily in the home focusing on their engagement with dance and music. As autoethnographers we engaged in shared and individual systematic sociological introspection. In this inquiry we employed observation, copious field notes, video and photographic recording to gather longitudinal data about often unpredictable moments of creative arts engagement that occurred in the home setting. Our research provided a unique window into child directed dance and music behaviours which are rarely seen and which …

Examining Participation Among Persons With Spinal Cord Injuries And Disorders Using Photovoice, Salva Balbale, Keshonna Lones, Jennifer N. Hill, Sherri L. Lavela Phd, Mph, Mba

The Qualitative Report

Participation is a significant rehabilitation outcome for individuals with spinal cord injury and/or disorder (SCI/D), yet few qualitative studies have described the social aspect of disability and community participation. We used the photovoice methodology to explore perceptions and experiences related to participation among Veterans with SCI/D. We recruited a convenience sample of individuals with SCI/D at the Hines Veterans Affairs (VA) SCI/D Unit. Participants were asked to take photographs exemplifying their experiences and activities regarding participation. Within four weeks, participants returned their photographs and completed semi-structured interviews to discuss their photographs. Interview transcripts were analyzed using an inductive coding approach …

Role Of Civil Society Organizations In Conflict Resolution And Peacebuilding In Ghana, Abdul Karim Issifu Mr

Journal of Interdisciplinary Conflict Science

Ghana is both locally and internationally described as an oasis of peace and stability on a continent circumvented by conflicts. The country has not experienced any form of large-scale violence or civil war since independence in March 1957. Nevertheless, it is faced with pockets of relative violence, including chieftaincy conflict and land dispute, killing several people and destroying many properties. In an effort to help resolve these conflicts, the Ghanaian government ends up prolonging it due to its position in some of the conflicts. However, the review of secondary data revealed that many of the conflicts in Ghana have often …

The “Bitter Sweetness” Of Hybridity: Being A Bicultural Greek Australian Musician, Renee Georgoulas, Jane E. Southcott

The Qualitative Report

“Calista” is a bilingual, bicultural Greek-Australian musician in Melbourne, Victoria who explores and enacts her bicultural identity by musicking (making music). This single case study explores the formation and development of hybridized identity which is a complex lifelong process that may generate tensions for an individual that changes across the lifespan. There are strengths and challenges for those traversing different cultures. This study focuses on a bicultural identity formed by personal, musical and cultural contexts. Calista enacts her bimusicality in different musical genres and in different modes of musical engagement. Data were collected by semi-structured interview and by reference to …

Letter From The Editor

JADARA

A note from your new Senior Editor, Caroline M. Kobek Pezzarossi, Ph.D and Denise Thew Hackett, Ph.D., MSCI, CRC.

Folding Time, Places That Linger And Other “Queer” Modes Of Representing Sense Of Place, Karen A. Lambert

The Qualitative Report

The notion that place and identity are mutually constitutive suggests that attachments to place forge attachments to self that linger over time. In order to consider the ways in which sexual identities and places influence the development of a “queer sense of place” over time I returned to an autoethnographical experience from 2002 to write about it in 2015. Then something unusual happened - time showed itself and folded to reveal the lingering affect of place, loss and identity. By drawing upon insights from then (2002) and now (2015), with sense making in between, I create an assemblage of moments …

Exploring The Role Of Culture In Communication Conflicts: A Qualitative Study, Sadia Deep, Berhannudin Mohd Salleh, Hussain Othman

The Qualitative Report

This research article as a part of larger study intends to explore the role of culture in triggering communication conflicts among employees at the workplace. It also explores the role of Problem-based learning in resolving these culture based conflicts. Being a part of human life, conflict is a pervasive aspect of the socio-cultural and professional environment, especially at the workplace. The role of culture has one of the aspects that have played a pivotal role in initiating conflicts in the past. Using a qualitative research approach, this descriptive phenomenology study gathered data from semi-structured interviews from eighteen selected employees belonging …

Exploring Perceptions Of Goodness Among The Malaysian And Chinese University Students: A Focus Group Study, Madiha Hashmi, Moniza Waheed, Ezhar Tamam, Steven E. Krauss Dr., Abdul Muati Ahmad

The Qualitative Report

The notion of goodness is implicitly central to the discourse relating to person perception. To date, no empirical research has focused solely upon understanding the notion of goodness and how it’s perceived and discerned in others. Utilizing focus group interviews, this paper explores how people perceive and interpret goodness in collectivist cultures of Malaysia and China. Findings revealed that Malaysian and Chinese participants had somewhat similar notions about goodness. “Concern for others’ welfare” was found to have the most resonance across the two nationalities as a key element in discerning goodness in others. Another category emerging from the findings was …

Transmission Of Araquio Music, Songs, And Movement Conventions: Learning, Experience, And Meaning In Devotional Theatre, Florante P. Ibarra

The Qualitative Report

Araquio, a verse play on the search of the holy cross, is an indigenous folk theatre in the town of Peñaranda, province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines that has survived for over a hundred years. This ethnographic-phenomenological study explores the holistic nature of the transmission and learning processes of araquio music and songs as a theatre-ritual. Its transmission as a social phenomenon is an avenue for music learning that may in fact overshadow its being a diminishing tradition. Using the framework of three modes of enculturation (Merriam, 1964) and interpretation of culture (Geertz, 1973), I investigate the music transmission and learning …

Ethnographic Experiences With Female Plantation And Apparel Workers Of Sri Lanka: A Methodological Reflection, Prajna Seneviratne

The Qualitative Report

Over the years, feminist ethnographers have engaged in a debate critiquing the practice of ethnography in the light of feminist research principles (Enslin, 1994; Patai, 1991; Stacey, 1988; Visweswaran, 1997). However, such literature has left space for further debate on whether ethnographic practices indeed are paradoxical to feminist values in research. Furthermore, while a few writers claim familiarity with conditions outside of the “west” (e.g., Enslin, 1994; Visweswaran, 1997), the majority of these debates and discussions fall outside the boundaries of the third world. As such there exists a gap between “ethnography as a way of feminist research” as prescribed …

“It’S Not A Life Or Death Thing”: A Grounded Theory Study Of Smoking Decisions Among Chinese Americans, Yu Lu

The Qualitative Report

Smoking results in a high mortality rate for Chinese Americans. Little is known, however, about the decisions members of this group make that lead to these unhealthy behaviors. Examining smoking decisions could help us understand these choices as well as develop effective prevention strategies. This grounded theory study was conducted to understand Chinese Americans’ smoking decisions. Fifty-four individual interviews and three focus groups were conducted with Chinese Americans of different smoking statuses. The findings describe five smoking decisions including the trajectory of these behaviors. Optimistic bias is identified as one of the main reasons that regular smokers decide not to …

Life After Nbc’S “The Biggest Loser”: The Experiences And Perspectives Of Former Reality Tv Contestants, Darren D. Moore, Clinton Cooper, Toiya Williams, Kai Zwierstra

The Qualitative Report

Utilizing Qualitative Description influenced by aspects of phenomenology, we conducted fifteen open-ended, semi-structured interviews with former contestants of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” The purpose of the study was to explore experiences of significant weight loss. We focused on challenges, emotional well-being, and relational dynamics of contestants transitioning through their weight loss journeys, which included what happened after the show was completed. Further, we analyzed perspectives regarding the utility of Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) in working with this population. In the study, three themes emerged which included: (1) Living at the ranch: It’s reality TV, not reality; (2) After the …

Frustrations, Fights, And Friendships: The Physical, Emotional, And Behavioural Effects Of High-Density Crowding On Mumbai’S Suburban Rail Passengers, Lily Hirsch, Kirrilly Thompson, Danielle Every

The Qualitative Report

Crammed together in tight folds of humanity, the suburban rail passengers of Mumbai, India, experience the most densely crowded trains in the world (Basu & Hunt, 2012). Whilst the immediate physical descriptors of crowdedness in Mumbai are well understood (Hirsch, 2016), there is little knowledge of the effect this has on the multitude of passengers. This is an important omission, as the effects of crowding on passengers impact their attitudes, travel behavior, and travel decisions. This paper therefore seeks to discern the physical, emotional, and behavioural effects of rail passenger crowding in Mumbai, India. To achieve this, a qualitative methodology, …

Constructing A Sociological Biography: A Surprisingly Complex Autobiographical Practice, Sara Louise Wheeler

The Qualitative Report

Biographical statements are an important part of impressions management in the academic milieu. These statements provide an online presence, accompany our academic products, and represent us in the academy. This becomes a high stakes activity, which can be quite anxiety provoking. As a qualitative sociologist with a particular interest in auto/ biography, producing such a statement really ought to be easy - putting into words: who I am, what I do, and where I am currently located. However, writing sociological biographies requires a fine balance, particularly during the early career phase, when we may be juggling projects, research directions and …

The Confessions Of A Goat: An Oral History On The Resistances Of An Indigenous Community, Prabhakar Jayaprakash

The Qualitative Report

Betta Kurumba is an indigenous (also known as Adivasi / tribal) community living in the Gudalur block of Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India. This district is part of the Western Ghats mountain range that runs parallel to the Western Coast of India. It is an anthropological research on a hamlet, Koodamoola, located inside a tea and coffee plantation, the Golden Cloud Estate (pseudonym). Few years ago, the owner (under legal contestation) of this plantation attempted to enforce a ban on rearing of livestock arbitrarily. Betta Kurumbas did not agree to this enforcement since they are the ancient inhabitants of this …

Language Teachers’ Evaluation Of Curriculum Change: A Qualitative Study, Seyyed Ali Ostovar-Namaghi

The Qualitative Report

This study aims at theorizing language teachers’ evaluation of a top-down curriculum change by eliciting their perspectives through open-ended qualitative interviews. In line with grounded theory procedures, concepts and categories were theoretically sampled from the perspective of participants who were willing to share their views with the researcher. Iterative data collection and analysis revealed a set of categories which show the conflict of interest between practitioners and policy-makers. Practitioners focus on immediate classroom concerns and reject the syllabus change because of its lack of small-scale try-outs, inappropriate timing, vague methodology, inappropriate in-service program, learner homogeneity fallacy, unrealistic expectations and increased …

Unbroken, Masood Mohammed

be Still

Unbroken is a short, powerful poem describing some of the all too familiar difficulties that students and physicians face in the hospital and medical field as a whole.

The Protector, Anna Kafka

be Still

This drawing aims to portray one of the traditional male roles in our society: that of provider and protector. Though much has changed over the past few years regarding gender equality, many males still feel societal or personal pressure to be equally, if not solely, responsible for the happiness and safety of their loved ones.

Physicians, both male and female, serve this role on a much larger scale. We have the unique opportunity to educate a medically naïve patient population. At times we have to maintain a delicate balance between providing all of the relevant information and trying not to …

My Rescue In A Dark World, Barbara Diana Gilbert

be Still

My Rescue In A Dark World

A NARRATIVE

By Barbara Diana Gilbert

It is with Pride, Honor and Dignity that I salute you. You Gallant Man – Strong Man - Man of High Esteem. You seemed to have been placed strategically in my life at every turn – teaching, molding and preparing me for what was to be my assignment in this life. The roads were long and weary. There was danger on every side but I kept reaching for your guiding hand. You never let me fall; you constantly reached out for me – making sure that I kept …

Upside Down, Bhavik Upadhyay

be Still

Third-year osteopathic medical student and Guinness world record participant AshwinKalandurgdemonstrating his handstand walking skills in the NSU GOT TALENTprogram.

In Bod We Trust, Elliot Montgomery Sklar

be Still

This paper discusses body image and social norms, media and implications on health for men as for women. The important issue of body image is rarely addressed toward men's health and wellness while it is widely recognized for women.

In The Death Of A Phoenix, Vatche J. Melkonian

be Still

The "male form" classically elicits thoughts of certain characteristics, including strength, security, power, all of which lie deep within a hardened outer shell. But on closer inspection there is something much more primal to the nature of a "man". Man tends to fall short of their female counterparts when it comes to understanding and verbalizing their emotions. Thus they are faced with strange tumultuous insecurities, fears, judgements, and expectations, with no way to express the struggles they may face within themselves. Man has many stories to tell, but lacks the language to begin speaking. This poem is the closest I …

Inner Voice, Bhavik Upadhyay

be Still

Third year osteopathic medicine student Michael Stan participating in NSU Got Talentproviding the vocals for the band, “The Heartbeats.”