Anya Ahmed

Structural Narrative Analysis Understanding Experiences of Lifestyle Migration Through Two Plot Typologies

U.K. retirees who move to the Costa Blanca in Spain can be described as “lifestyle migrants.” “Lifestyle migration” has recently been conceptualised as “a quest” for a better life and migrants reflect and construct their experiences through common quest narratives. For many, the quest is fulfilled and they find a new home in a new country. However, for some, the quest is not a success and they return to the United Kingdom. Migrants for whom the quest is not fulfilled also reflect and construct their experiences through shared narratives and these can be understood as narratives of voyage and return. The focus of this article is on how a structural analytical narrative approach centering on the plot typologies, the quest, and voyage and return can illuminate decision making processes and experiences of migration and settlement for a sample of retired British women living in the Costa Blanca in Spain.

Polly’s story : using structural narrative analysis to understand a trans migration journey

There is scant theoretical and empirical research on experiences of trans1 and its significance for social work practice. In this paper, we premise that research on trans identity and practice needs to be located in particular temporal, cultural, spatial/geographical contexts and argue that a structural narrative analytical approach centring on plot, offers the opportunity to unravel the ‘how’ and ‘why’ stories are told. We posit that attending to narrative structure facilitates a deeper understanding of trans people’s situated, lived experiences than thematic narrative analysis alone, since people organise their narratives according to a culturally available repertoire including plots. The paper focuses on the life and narrative of Polly, a male-to-female trans woman, and her gender migration journey using the plot typology ‘the Quest’. We are cognisant of the limitations to structural narrative analysis and Western conventions of storytelling, and acknowledge that our approach is subjective; however, we argue that knowledge itself is contextual and perspective ridden, shaped by researchers and participants. Our position holds that narratives are not – and cannot – be separated from the context in which they are told, and importantly the resources used to tell them, and that analysing narrative structure can contextualise individual unique biographies and give voice to less heard communities.

Interrogating Trans and Sexual Identities Through the Conceptual Lens of Translocational Positionality

This article explores the confluence of trans identity and sexuality drawing on the concept of translocational positionality. In this discussion, a broad spectrum of gendered positionalities incorporates trans identity which, in turn, acknowledges normative male and female identities as well as non-binary ones. It is also recognised, however, that trans identity overlaps with other positionalities (pertaining to sexuality, for example) to shape social location. In seeking to understand subject positions, a translocational lens acknowledges the contextuality and temporality of social categories to offer an analysis which recognises the overlaps and differentials of co-existing positionalities. This approach enables an analysis which explores how macro, or structural, contexts shape agency (at the micro-level) and also how both are mediated by trans peoples multiple and shifting positionalities. In this framing, positionality represents a meso layer between structure and agency. Four case studies are presented using data from a qualitative study which explored trans peoples experiences of family, intimacy and domestic abuse. We offer an original contribution to the emerging knowledge-base on trans sexuality by presenting data from four case studies. We do so whilst innovatively applying the conceptual lens of translocational positionality to an analysis which considers macro, meso and micro levels of influence.

Introduction: Why Ethical Educational Placements?

This introductory chapter opens with a discussion of the processes of internationalisation and globalisation that frame the growth in interest in educational placements. It situates student mobility within this wider context before examining the meaning of the term ‘elective’ and examining the ethical issues that such placements raise.

Managing Reciprocity: No Harm Approaches to International Educational Placements

This final chapter summarises some of the key messages discussed in previous chapters to consider the meaning of ethics in the context of educational placements. It identifies some of the challenges associated with the commodification of placements through volunteer tourism distinguishing these from ‘Fair Trade Learning’ founded on reciprocity.

The Ethical Educational Placement Project

This chapter introduces the reader to the Ethical Educational Placement (EEP) project, beginning with the background and its development. We then outline the project concept and detail its operation in terms of: how risk was assessed; how student recruitment and selection was organised; placement locations and student cohorts; placement structures and activities in Uganda and India; placement costs and student contributions; and project evaluation.

Student Learning on Ethical Educational Placements

This chapter focuses on what students learn from educational placements in low resource settings. The term ‘learning’ is used quite fluidly to embrace wider experiential learning – what students often describe as ‘life changing’ or ‘transformational’ impacts (Hudson and Inkson 2006) and more specific curriculum or employment relevant skills. We draw on reviewed literature, and qualitative data generated before, during and after placements, with students, placement leads at sending universities, long-term volunteer supervisors and educationalists/health workers in the host settings. The qualitative findings are supplemented with quantitative data gathered via an online student survey.

The ethics of educational healthcare placements in low and middle income countries : first do no harm?

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Ethical Placements? Under What Conditions Can Educational Placements Support Sustainable Development?

price are net prices, subject to local VAT. Prices indicated with * include VAT for books; the €(D) includes 7% for Germany, the €(A) includes 10% for Austria. Prices indicated with ** include VAT for electronic products; 19% for Germany, 20% for Austria. All prices exclusive of carriage charges. Prices and other details are subject to change without notice. All errors and omissions excepted. A. Ahmed, J. Ackers-Johnson, L. Ackers The Ethics of Educational Healthcare Placements in Low and Middle Income Countries

Negotiating the Challenges of Aging as a British Migrant in Spain

Chapter 4 focuses on the ethical aspects of the EEPs concept to ask how and under what circumstances hosting undergraduate students from high resource settings can be of benefit to hosting locations in low resource settings. To the extent that there is a literature on this aspect – and there is little – there is some suggestion that electives may be of no direct benefit and, indeed, may have a negative impact on already resource-constrained contexts. Why should low resource settings subsidise the burden of training healthcare students in resource rich countries? There may be alternative ways of mitigating this potential imbalance through cash payments (income) or by restricting students to observational-only opportunities. The chapter reviews the EEP intervention from the perspective of hosts identifying approaches which may be of reciprocal benefit.