Miranda Thurston

Involvement and Detachment in Researching Sexuality: Reflections on the Process of Semistructured Interviewing

In this article, the authors reflect on the utility of the concept of involvement-detachment for researchers involved in a study of the lifeworlds of gay, lesbian, and bisexual young people where one of the researchers was lesbian. They focus in particular on the process of semistructured interviewing in qualitative research and the analysis of material generated by the interviews, noting that complete detachment from the subject of study is neither achievable nor desirable. They discuss the benefit of teamwork in supporting researchers and enhancing the integrity of the research, particularly when the subject is sensitive, the importance of researchers’ active management of their own ideological leanings, and the understanding of project management as a conceptual and cognitive process that is fundamental to enhancing research rigor.

Young people's participation in National Curriculum Physical Education: A study of 15—16 year olds in North-West England and North-East Wales

Drawing on data from a broader study which investigated the place of spor t and physical activity in the lives of 15—16 year olds in England and Wales, this paper examines a relatively neglected dimension of research in physical education, namely, young peoples par ticipation in spor t and physical activity through National Curriculum Physical Education (NCPE). The paper repor ts upon data generated by questionnaires completed by 1010 15—16 year olds who attended six secondar y schools in the Nor th-West of England and one secondar y school in the Nor th-East of Wales during 2003 and 2004. The study revealed strong inter-school variations in the mixes of spor ts that pupils experienced within NCPE. More specifically, the findings revealed that NCPE was largely dominated by competitive team-based spor ts that tend to be gender-stereotyped, alongside more individualized and less-competitive physical activities. It was also clear, however, that the repor ted levels and forms of participation in different spor ts and physical activities in NCPE during Years 10 and 11 varied significantly and differentially according to gender, social class, the school which young people attended, specialist spor ts college status and whether youngsters studied GCSE PE. The paper concludes by suggesting that inter-school variations are probably explainable in terms of a combination of traditions, facilities and the enthusiasms and perceptions of PE teachers.

Activity choice and physical education in England and Wales

This paper draws on data from a broader study, the central object of which was to explore the place of sport and physical activity in young peoples lives. More particularly, the paper reports the findings of 24 focus groups conducted with 153 15–16 year olds in north-west England and north-east Wales in order to examine young peoples views towards activity choice in physical education (PE). In this regard, it is suggested that despite their deep-seated preferences for ‘traditional’, games-dominated PE curricula and the constraints imposed upon them from the existence of a national curriculum for PE and government policy over the past two decades, PE teachers continue to provide young people with a degree of activity choice in the later secondary school years. The 15–16 year olds in this study considered activity choice to be a very positive feature of their experience of PE at key stage 4 and viewed it as a vehicle for greater enjoyment of and engagement with PE. It was also the case that the 15–16 year olds appeared to attach a great deal of importance to the ways in which the activities provided them with the opportunity to engage in activities within PE that they also do in their leisure-time, and which they are likely to do in the future. At the same time, however, many young people expressed dissatisfaction with what they perceived as unnecessary and undesirable limitations on the number and range of activities made available to them. Restrictions on choice were particularly felt among girls and those from lower social class backgrounds who were evidently dissatisfied with what they saw as the over-representation of a small number of traditional team sports and activities in PE. It is concluded that if PE teachers and policy-makers want to increase their impact upon young peoples participation in PE and ‘modernise’ further the curricula provided for pupils, then they need to appreciate more adequately the significance of the twin processes of democratisation and informalisation, since both processes help explain young peoples growing preference for choice in PE and in other social contexts.

Physical education and health promotion: a qualitative study of teachers’ perceptions

Presents the findings from semi‐structured interviews with 35 physical education (PE) teachers in secondary schools in the Northwest of England. A principal aim of the study was to examine the extent to which health promotion had become a central feature of PE teachers’ ‘’philosophies” and practices. The findings indicated that the views of many teachers were heavily tinted with health‐related ideological justifications for PE. Teachers not only viewed sport as a central aspect of the subject but also as the main vehicle for health promotion. The paper concludes that an ideology of sport has penetrated deeply into the core assumptions of both PE teachers and government in relation to the promotion of health through PE. Gaps between “policy” and “practice” in relation to health promotion in PE remain and these appear likely to become hardened rather than diminished by recent government policy.

‘It’s not the government’s responsibility to get me out running 10 km four times a week’ - Norwegian men’s understandings of responsibility for health

Abstract The individualization of health has been extensively discussed in the last few decades. Empirical work, however, has mainly had its origins within neoliberal societies. Norway, as a social democratic welfare state based on universal social rights and egalitarianism is thus of interest in understanding how people’s talk reflects national policies. Through a series of 18 in-depth interviews with a heterogeneous group of middle-aged and elderly men in rural Norway, this paper explores lay men’s understandings of individuals’ responsibility for health vis-à-vis the state’s. The men in this study expressed complex but shared notions of the state’s and the individual’s responsibility for health. The individual’s main responsibility was to act in specific ways in order to maintain good health. However, little blame was placed on those who did not act in the expected way. The state’s main responsibilities were to facilitate the healthy lifestyle of individuals and act as a safety net for those in need. The state was also viewed as being responsible for providing universal health care free of charge, regardless of the reason for the need. We argue that the political and societal values of Norway are reflected in the men’s talk about responsibility for health, alongside neoliberal ideas found in other Western societies. Importantly, however, we conclude that a social democratic welfare state system supports and facilitates agency with regard to health, lifestyle and one’s life more broadly.

An assessment of the impact of home safety assessments on fires and fire-related injuries: a case study of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

BACKGROUND Deaths and injuries related to fires are largely preventable events. In the UK, a plethora of community-based fire safety initiatives have been introduced over the last 25 years, often led by fire and rescue services, to address this issue. This paper focuses on one such initiative--home safety assessments (HSAs). Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (in England) implemented a uniquely large-scale HSA intervention. This paper assesses its effectiveness. METHODS The impact of HSAs was assessed in relation to three outcomes: accidental dwelling fires (ADFs), ADFs contained and injuries arising from ADFs. A two-period comparison in fire-related rates of incidences in Cheshire between 2002 and 2011 was implemented, using Poisson regression and adjusting for the national temporal trend using a control group comprising the 37 other English non-metropolitan fire-services. RESULTS Significant reductions were observed in rates of ADFs [incidence rate ratios (IRR): 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.74-0.83, P < 0.001, 2002/03-2007/08 versus 2008/09-2010/11] and associated injuries (IRR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.39-0.60, P < 0.001, 2002/03-2006/07 versus 2007/08-2010/11), but not in the proportion of fires contained to room of origin. CONCLUSIONS There is strong evidence to suggest that the intervention was successful in reducing domestic fires and related injuries.

Isn’t it good, Norwegian wood? Lifestyle and adventure sports participation among Norwegian youth

This paper explores Norwegian youngsters’ (and, to a lesser extent, adults’) engagement with conventional and lifestyle sports via an examination of recent trends. In the process, it explores the significance or otherwise of ‘nature-based settings’ and the developing character of lifestyle sports. In terms of changes in youth sport, young Norwegians are the quintessential sporting omnivores. However, the particular mix of conventional and lifestyle sports that Norwegian youngsters favour has shifted within a generation, with the latter more prominent in 2007 than they had been even a decade earlier. The changes appear emblematic of a shift among Norwegian youth towards sports activities that offer alternative forms and styles of participation to those traditionally associated with ‘the outdoors’ as a style of life. In theoretical terms, the findings suggest that, as a generic and popular collective noun, the term lifestyle sport is most useful when it draws attention to the ‘commonalities’ shared by many of the activities often corralled under it.

Propinquity, sociability and excitement: exploring the normalisation of sensible drug use among 15–16-year-olds in north-west England and north-east Wales

This paper explores normalised drug use as an aspect of young peoples leisure careers. Qualitative data generated by 24 single-sex focus groups with 153 (85 males; 68 females) 15–16-year-olds attending seven schools in north-west England and north-east Wales revealed that young peoples drug use tended to be both heterogeneous and situation specific. Indeed, rather than being actively sought out, 15–16-year-olds’ drug use was often characterised by propinquity – either in terms of place (e.g. parties), relationships (in particular, friends and peers), similarities of outlook and style (e.g. engagement in drug-oriented leisure) and time (in the sense of age cohorts) – and by sociability – especially as a means of enhancing friendships – as well as a search for pleasurable excitement in the company of others. Thus, the paper concludes that the illicit use of drugs by 15–16-year-olds can only be meaningfully understood when viewed in light of these leisure preferences that are among the social processes through which drug use can become normalised in some young peoples leisure.

Local status and power in area-based health improvement partnerships

Area-based initiatives have formed an important part of public policy towards more socio-economically deprived areas in many countries. Co-ordinating service provision within and across sectors has been a common feature of these initiatives. Despite sustained policy interest in area-based initiatives, little empirical work has explored relations between area-based initiative providers, and partnership development within this context remains under-theorised. This article addresses both of these gaps by exploring partnerships as a social and developmental process, drawing on concepts from figurational sociology to explain how provider relations develop within an area-based initiative. Qualitative methods were used to explore, prospectively, the development of an area-based initiative targeted at a town in the north west of England. A central finding was that although effective delivery of area-based initiatives is premised on a high level of co-ordination between service providers, the pattern of interdependencies between providers limits the frequency and effectiveness of co-operation. In particular, the interdependency of area-based initiative providers with others in their organisation (what is termed here as ‘organisational pull’) constrained the ways in which they worked with providers outside of their own organisations. ‘Local’ status, which could be earned over time, enabled some providers to exert greater control over the way in which provider relations developed during the course of the initiative. These findings demonstrate how historically constituted social networks, within which all providers are embedded, shape partnership development. The theoretical insight developed here suggests a need for more realistic expectations among policymakers about how and to what extent provider partnerships can be managed.

Establishing a learning mentor service within a cluster of primary schools: Learning from evaluation

This paper describes a learning mentor service commissioned by the Childrens Fund that has been established in a cluster of primary schools, offering a possible model for the provision of pastoral care to support children at risk of underachieving. In particular, it explores issues relevant to the implementation of the service, namely communication, co-ordination and time, and identifies benefits and outcomes of the service, as perceived by the various stakeholders. Evaluation of this service, on which the paper reports, highlights the importance of developing a clear quality care pathway, and putting systems in place to obtain information regarding the outcomes of the service.