Suchergebnisse

Art therapy and other art-for-health initiatives are part of UK health and social care policy, as well as international humanitarian services for people fleeing persecution. There are currently unprecedented numbers of refugees and high levels of mental distress have been identified in this population. The non-verbal and symbolic potential for expression within art-making may provide a unique form of beneficial initiative. Through a critical realist perspective this thesis adds to the body of knowledge about art-based projects for refugee well-being. A mixed-methods systematic review was conducted in 2018. The quantitative data (k=2) showed that group art therapy is an effective intervention for reducing symptoms of mental distress in refugee children. The qualitative synthesis (k=24) presents a way to conceptualise the kinds of outcomes people experience from different modes of art-based engagement. Themes were developed through the qualitative data synthesis, including Beautifully handmade, Seeing with fresh eyes, Honour the past: forget the past, Telling the story and Being part of the world and Learning and working together. Accordingly, an interplay of creative, personal and social elements is proposed to occur is such activities. While different art-based approaches are identified: art therapy, facilitated art-making and independent art practice, these are shown to engender similar human experiences. This thesis builds on previous research on the use of colouring books for well-being. A mixed-methods randomised controlled study demonstrates their efficacy as a selfsustained well-being activity over one week. This study compared the effect of colouring pre-drawn mandala patterns with free-form drawing and a control group. The study included 69 university students and staff. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) were used. A large and significant effect size was found for WEMWBS and a dose response was demonstrated in the colouring condition. A feasibility project was then run at a refugee drop-in centre, where colouring books and colouring pages were provided on a weekly basis for seven weeks. While colouring books have been provided to refugees previously, this thesis demonstrates the potential well-being value of such provision, and the likely uptake of colouring books by this population. Data are presented from four refugees and four staff members. Accordingly, this thesis shows that colouring books are acceptable to refugees. Thematic analysis and qualitative content analysis were used to explore the qualitative data from both primary research studies. Colouring was found to be a relaxing activity by participants in both studies. Participants valued both the process of colouring and the final product. Both reflection and distraction are presented as potential mechanisms involved in improving well-being through colouring. Some participants found the colouring evoked memories, some used the process to express emotions and others found the colouring gave them a welcome diversion from other thoughts. Colouring at the refugee centres also provided an impetus for inter-personal relationships, such as colouring with friends. Art-based approaches are explored as a range of useful and acceptable interventions to improve the well-being of refugees. Consideration is given to the variety of contextual factors that influence the creative and relational elements that are considered central to these interventions. Art-based projects operate within complex social and political systems. Identifying cultural norms and exploring power dynamics can contribute to the understanding and development of initiatives seeking to improve individual well-being, and effect wider collective social and political change. ; N/A

Water power : creativity and the unlocking of community knowledge / Lorraine Leeson -- This long river / Luci Gorrell Barnes -- Sunless waters of forgetfulness (a geopoetic assemblage) / Antony Lyons -- From gallura to the fens : communities performing stories of water / Lyndsey Bakewell, Antonia Liguori and Michael Wilson -- Mapping a blue trace : an intermittent swimming life / Ronan Foley -- Creative compulsions : performing surfing as art / Jon Anderso -- Waves as emblemata for knowledge / John Hartley -- Re-envisioning the hydro cycle : the hydrosocial spiral as a participatory toolbox for water education and management / Rebecca L. Farnum, Ruth Macdougall, and Charlie Thompson -- Fluid-sound / Rob St John -- And all at once the clouds descend, shed tears that never seem to end : looking from the early modern age at water in the anthropocene / Simon Meisch -- "Water mafia" politics and unruly informality in Delhi's unauthorised colonies / Matt Birkinshaw -- Encountering water : sensitivities and practices for moving beyond "big water" interventions / Claire Hoolohan and Alison L. Browne -- Thinking like water moves : living with climate change in Tarawa, Kiribati / Maria Louise Bønnelykke -- Narratives that travel : anxiety, affect and water politics in the Deschutes Watershed of Central Oregon / Kirsten Rudestam -- Conclusion / Liz Roberts and Katherine Phillips -- Afterword : interview with Matthew Gandy

We propose that even-sized small groups often experience lower cohesion than odd-sized small groups. Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate this effect within three- to six-person groups of freshman roommates and sibling groups, respectively. Study 3 replicates the basic even/odd effect among three- to five-person groups in a laboratory experiment that examines underlying mechanisms. To account for the even/odd effect, Study 3 focuses on the group's ability to provide members with certainty and identifies majority influence as the key instrument. We argue that groups struggle to provide certainty when they lack majorities (e.g., deadlocked coalitions) or contain unstable majorities (i.e., where small changes in opinion readily overturn existing power arrangements). Member uncertainty mediated the effects of coalition structure on cohesion. The results link structural variables (i.e., even/odd size and coalition structure) to psychological outcomes (i.e., member uncertainty and relational outcomes).

We examined how surface-level diversity (based on race) and deep-level similarities influenced three-person decision-making groups on a hidden-profile task. Surface-level homogeneous groups perceived their information to be less unique and spent less time on the task than surface-level diverse groups. When the groups were given the opportunity to learn about their deep-level similarities prior to the task, group members felt more similar to one another and reported greater perceived attraction, but this was more true for surface-level homogeneous than surface-level diverse groups. Surface-level homogeneous groups performed slightly better after discovering deep-level similarities, but discovering deep-level similarities was not helpful for surface-level diverse groups, who otherwise outperformed surface-level homogeneous groups. We discuss the implications of this research for managing diversity in the workplace.