A political-ethical approach to disability in a Zimbabwean Theatre for Development context

Con el presente trabajo se pretende exponer una serie de experiencias a/r/tográfica  ligadas a la acción de andar como práctica artística, educativa y de investigación al mismo tiempo con la intención de poner en práctica formas de hacer que favorezcan dinámicas de relación con el entorno como espacio social y de intercambio. Para ello, doy cuenta del recorrido que me lleva a exponer la acción de andar como práctica artística, propuesta de intervención e investigación educativa al mismo tiempo. En este sentido, entiendo la acción de andar desde un posicionamiento crítico, artístico y pedagógico, y por tanto político, con la intención de generar conocimiento basado en procesos artísticos y abrir ese medio a nuevos recorridos por explorar en ámbitos de educación formal y no formal. De esta manera, a lo largo de la investigación surgen espacios intermedios muy enriquecedores al vincular ambas prácticas en una misma acción, desde la mirada relacional y en continuo movimiento que propone la a/r/tografía.

This paper will discuss the theoretical design considerations and the practical integration of quantitative and qualitative methods in disability and rehabilitation research, which have gained recent popularity among researchers of various disciplines. Whereas quantitative experimental and survey approaches allow researchers to draw generalizable conclusions that apply to a particular population as a whole, qualitative methods capture the depth of respondents' experiences in their own words. Qualitative methods may be used to explore new topical areas prior to implementing a population-based survey, or they may follow quantitative approaches to explain findings in greater detail. We will discuss research findings from two recent studies of rehabilitation industry professionals and people with physical disabilities to exemplify the utility of mixed-method designs in disability and rehabilitation research. The article will conclude with recommendations for rehabilitation nursing researchers to apply both qualitative and quantitative methods in their research practice.

Feminist theory and methodology have much to offer in understanding how disability research has been experienced as alienated research by disabled people. However, feminist research has failed to apply its principles to disability and disabled women's subjective reality has found no place in mainstream feminist work. The paper identifies the challenges for feminism in addressing the interests and reality of disabled women, asserting that it is not helpful to focus on ‘double disadvantage’. Disability research itself has much to learn from feminist methodology, in particular the principle of making the personal political. The role of non-disabled researchers as allies of disabled people is discussed, and the importance of research which turns the spotlight on the way in which non-disabled society oppresses disabled people. Finally, it is asserted that disability research and politics are of general relevance because the experience of disability is an integral part of a society characterised by fun...

<p>自1990年代後期以來，臺灣當代藝術發展出社會參與式藝術實踐的趨勢，亦即走出美術館展覽的藩籬並企求與公眾面對面、與社群連結的藝術創作。此一歷程發展適逢後解嚴時代，在地文化認同與本土意識抬頭，反映在文化政策上的則是1990年代的社區總體營造運動乃至於近年來倡議的地方創生。此後，各地的藝術祭更是持續不斷地帶來參與者對地方人文與環境的新感受，發展出在獨特的臺灣文化脈絡與社會變遷的背景下所帶動的「環境美學」復興——對自然與人文環境的重新發現，以及對地方文化歷史脈絡的重思與再建構。對環境與地方的自然和人文關懷是目前亞洲地區正歷時與共的境況，本文以臺灣的社會參與式藝術和地方藝術祭為主要探討對象，自其所帶來的環境美學復興，延伸思考社會參與式藝術暨地方藝術祭的亞洲觀點所帶來的啟示，並以更全觀的視角來思辨藝術的社會實踐，啟發藝術工作者，面對此一全球共同的環境議題。</p> <p> </p><p>Since the late 1990s, Taiwanese contemporary art has developed a trend of socially-engaged art practice that goes beyond the usual framework of museum exhibition and with the aim of reaching public audiences. Moreover, such progress involves a degree of community engagement. The post-Martial law era saw the emergence of issues of local cultural identity and the rise of ideologies of the vernacular. Equally, socially-engaged art practice in Taiwan addressed throughout the 1990s issues of cultural policies for community reconstruction and ideas of “creative placemaking”. The result of such trend has also brought the prevalence of local art festivals. Such a socially art practice and local art festival has since developed into a genuine environmental aesthetics that has led to the rediscovery of human landscape, the natural environment, and to the reconstruction of local culture and history. This latter specificity, though, differs from its Western counterpart model of social art practice.This paper will explore the socially-engaged art and local art festival in Taiwan, their process of development, content and approach through surveys and fieldwork. Their relations to each other, differences, similarities, and sustainability will be also discussed in this research. However, the impacts that they triggered for the revival of environmental aesthetics, has significances to what are related to ecological and environmental issues in the whole world. Attending for local environment, people, history and culture is currently experienced in the Asia is also a common issue. This research takes socially-engaged art practice and local art festivals as a subject, as well as addressing their implications on revival of environmental aesthetics in Taiwan. Moreover, this research not only intends to expound socially-engaged art practice and local art festival from the local perspectives of Taiwan; it also seeks to enrich how we understand such practice in a broader Asian and even global contexts. </p> <p> </p>

Ensuring equal citizenship for disabled people: A matter of rights or a matter of costs?

This article examines nomadism through the conceptual framework of philosopher Rosi Braidotti, analyzing its implications for contemporary artistic practices. By focusing on case studies, including Italian artist Mario Merz’s igloos and Peruvian artist Jimena Kato’s perilous constructions, this article explores material precariousness and material agency as a means of engaging politically with topics such as migration, diasporic cultures, and the contested notion of home. It seeks to elucidate the dynamic interplay between balance and imbalance, revealing the transformative essence of being. Central to this discussion are three key concepts drawn from Braidotti’s work: (1) the nomadic subject, (2) performativity, and (3) potentiality. These categories are crucial for understanding how nomadism, as both a theoretical and practical approach, redefines subjectivity and materiality in art. The analysis suggests that these artistic practices embody a nomadic ontology, where movement and instability become generative forces for creation, challenging traditional notions of fixed identity and static form. The article contributes to the ongoing discourse concerning the intersection of philosophy and contemporary art, proposing that nomadism offers a valuable lens through which to view the evolving relationship between the artist, their materials, and the broader socio-cultural context.

In this article I explore how generic disability conferences can become more inclusive of participants with intellectual disability. Increased inclusivity entails adapting to the support needs of people with intellectual disability, in line with the principles and practice of inclusive research. In the article I consider three specific areas where there can be more inclusion – access to information related to the conference, access to knowledge imparted during the conference, and financial issues. While many good practices have been developed in these areas, it is important to ensure that inclusion is catered for in a systematic and pro-active manner, so that people with intellectual disability have increasingly more meaningful and active roles within disability studies and disability research.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate interactions among members of self-managed teams (SMTs). The authors were interested in how leader emergence, group potency, and opinion compliance were related to team cohesion and member well-being.Design/methodology/approach– In a simulated business environment, the authors surveyed 236 students working in 54 SMTs. Participants reported their interactions and experiences at several points of time during class. Individual responses about team cohesion and group potency were aggregated for the purposes of the analysis.Findings– The paper found that leader emergence was associated with reduced cohesion among members and diminished individual well-being. Group potency was modestly associated with better cohesion among team members. Participants of more cohesive groups reported higher individual well-being. Opposite to the predictions, opinion compliance was not significantly related to individual well-being.Research limitations/implications– Within the limitations of the study design, the results suggest that leader emergence may have adverse effect on team interactions. Future research should investigate the positive and negative implications of an emerging leader in SMTs.Practical implications– The broad application of SMTs in organizations necessitates a critical examination of team dynamics and individual experiences of members. Along with team productivity, managers should consider the effects of team interactions on employees’ well-being. Employees who are drawn to more discretionary work such as SMTs may not favor leader emergence.Originality/value– The findings suggest that leader emergence may have negative implications for other team members and the overall team functioning.

This article provides empirical evidence about the patterns of competitive employment among individuals with serious mental illness who are in vocational recovery. The findings are based on a 5-year longitudinal study on sustained employment, conducted with a national sample of 529 individuals with serious mental illness who were in vocational recovery at the time of study enrollment. Data analysis from the 328 participants who completed the study-from baseline through all five annual follow-up assessments-revealed three different postrecovery employment patterns: continuous, stable, and fluctuating. Although many participants demonstrated the capacity to sustain competitive employment during prolonged periods of time, others experienced employment interruptions. Work interruptions were most frequently attributed to exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms. Schizophrenia spectrum disorder, difficulties with daily functioning, and current receipt of disability benefits predicted the psychiatric-based work interruptions in this sample. Implications for clinical practice are also discussed.

Since the 1990s, working-class regions in Australia’s major cities have undergone urban and socioeconomic development in the form of gentrifying processes that have induced negative social implications such as housing scarcity, rising living costs, and the displacement of low-socioeconomic residents. Informed by broader artistic, activist, and research practices concerned with the sonics of gentrification, ‘(under)scoring the commons’ is a creative research project I established in 2020 that aims to poetically and aurally understand how the changing soundscapes of urban environments, associated with working-class histories and memories, can index shifting social attitudes, perspectives and socialities. UTC’s main output comprises a sonic counter-archive informed by a socially-engaged compositional approach predicated on conversation and collaboration with community-ensembles and residents – alongside adequately contextualised field-recordings. With a focus on a recent iteration entitled UTC:2250 (concerned with Gosford, a low-socioeconomic area in NSW) this paper will discuss the ethical implications and creative outcomes of ‘working’ with sound in a socially situated way - framed by a critical reading of acoustic ecology.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to offer a picture of the relationship the researchers perceive between the art and research practices, unravelling the ways the authors shape and inform enactment of a purposeful nexus between art making and research.Design/methodology/approach– A hybridised methodology is adopted, where methods integral to narrative inquiry and a/r/tography are drawn together to generate a series of “pictures” of the interplay between research and artistry. Through exploration of critical events, creative prose and artefacts, the paper unfolds the parallels perceived and tensions encountered between the approaches to making art and conducting research.Findings– Borders can create a sense of calm and safety in allowing us to organise and contain information or matter, but they are also provocative in their potential to be crossed. Through this work, the authors chart the borders of the art making and research, and how, why and when these borders might be traversed to augment the integrity of both practices. In unfolding and examining the experiences and the perceptions thereof, the authors articulate ways in which the authors find arts practice to enrich and inhibit the research, and vice versa.Originality/value– Of particular value in this paper is the way in which the authors not only tell of the experiences as artists and researchers, but also show these experiences through a/r/tographic methods. As such this paper presents an approach to research that is generative, suggesting rather than concluding and challenging rather than resolving, and ultimately offering multiple avenues for artistic and analytic insight.

This article explores the use of portraiture as a research method in organisation studies using the case example of Anita Roddick and the Body Shop International. The author makes a series of portraits in order to explore what this art practice can contribute to our understanding of both the identity of the contemporary organisational leader and the practice of organisational research itself. It explores the nature and purpose of portraiture and then goes on to work with two original sets of portraits. For the purposes of the article, Anita Roddick is compared and contrasted with Elizabeth I of England in order to give a full account of the former's personality by juxtaposing it with the latter. The article argues that portraiture allows us to give a fuller and rounder and more nuanced account of identity than conventional written accounts, and that it allows for a tactful criticism of public figures which is necessary for any attempt at complete and truthful biography.

Assessment of the family environment of adolescents with eating disorders is a standard part of clinical and research practice. It can identify factors that maintain symptoms or that have the potential to impede treatment progress. It can also be important for evaluating and monitoring the impact of the illness on the family and changes in family dynamics over the course of treatment. A comprehensive assessment will typically take a multi-informant approach by obtaining reports from a number of family members. However, reports may differ markedly between informants and be difficult to interpret. Further, discrepancies can be indicative of disturbances in the family or its members. We administered the Family Environment Scale (Cohesion, Expressiveness, Conflict) to families presenting to a specialist eating disorder program (94 adolescent-mother, 71 adolescent-father, 76 mother-father pairs). Mean scores were similar across informants, aside from slightly lower levels of cohesion and expression for adolescents than mothers and fathers respectively. Within families, however, many dyads held discrepant perspectives. Up to half of adolescent-parent dyads and a third of mother-father dyads reported significantly different scores. This presentation will further describe these discrepancies, their relation to other factors including parent and adolescent psychopathology, and implications for research and clinical practice. This abstract was presented in the Children and Youth Treatment and Service Development stream of the 2013 ANZAED Conference.

Conversation-as-material is a language-based artistic research practice for attempting to speak from within the experience of collaborative artistic exploration, a linguistic practice attentive to the lived experience of aesthetic co-creation. The practice of conversation-as-material, which forms the basis of this article, has evolved through tentative exploration of the questions: How can the shared act of conversation bring into reflective awareness the live and lived, yet often hidden or undisclosed, experience of artistic practice and process, especially within collaboration? How can the event of conversation be developed as an artistic research practice for attempting to give tangibility, whilst also remaining in fidelity, to the pre-reflective aspects of this lived experience? Considered less as a means for talking about, conversation-as-material may be understood as a practice for inviting immanent, inter-subjective modes of verbal-linguistic sense-making emerging through different voices enmeshed in live exchange. Conversation — from con- meaning ‘with, together’ and versare, ‘to turn, bend’; or else, from conversare — ‘to turn about, to turn about with’. Conversation-as-material has emerged as a practice of collaborative writing, which unfolds through the interplay of different voices ‘turning about’ together in conversation. In this sense, the practice can be differentiated from that of interview — for in the practice of conversation-as-material there is no researcher/researched dichotomy. Within the practice, an attempt is made to develop an approach to writing that finds expression first through verbal conversation, which is then subsequently distilled, even densified, towards poetic text. Conversation-as-material involves the gradual revelation of an artistic-poetic, perhaps even phenomenological, mode of emergent writing for speaking from the experience of collaborative co-creation, where linguistic content is not already known in advance, but rather emerges in and through the lived working-with of language. The practice of conversation-as-material thus comprises a quadripartite process of conversation, transcription, distillation, and presentation, where each part involves the activation of a particular aesthetic or poetic mode of attention, perhaps even a specific phenomenological attitude or disposition.

The archive has been one of the most persistent buzz-words in the international artworld since the turn of the twenty-first century. While some claim that it has been used with such abandon that its usefulness is questionable at best, others view it as indicative of an important theoretical framework, necessary to make sense of some of the most important contemporary artworks and artistic practices. Several decades after the proposed “turn” to the archive, it is now possible to examine the phenomenon with the benefit of some historical distance, and ask: what was the archival turn, and is it still turning? The first part of this essay argues that an important explanation for the ubiquity of references to archives in the artworld was that elements of the notion theorized by philosophers, historians, and others lined up with a number of issues already of interest to artists and art writers. Two such intersecting interests are considered: first, the focus on institutional structures and a break with traditional forms of history, and second, a concern with critical research practices. In the essay’s second part, the author takes stock of how the archive has been rearticulated in artistic practices that deal with some of the most pressing concerns of the present moment such as the socio-political climate of post-truth; engagement with microhistories and local knowledges; looming environmental catastrophe; and current conditions of AI assisted online surveillance.