The embodied use of the material home: an affordance approach

This paper examines the relationship between embodied individuals and the home that they inhabit. Although there has been some work on both the embodied practices in the home and on the material nature of the home itself, this has not been integrated with the majority of research on home which has focused on meaning. It is argued that there is a lack of a unifying framework that can incorporate both use and meaning elements of home. A way of incorporating these elements through adoption of the concept of affordances is put forward. However, the affordance approach needs to be developed to achieve this. The paper does this first by incorporating the concept of intentionality of actions and then through the use of the concept of well���being. Debates about housing for people with a physical disability and the practical help provided to this group of people are used to illustrate how the approach could work.

Post-occupancy evaluation studies in recently refurbished office building: energy performance and employees' satisfaction

Existing buildings contribute greatly to global energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. In the UK, about 18% of carbon emissions are generated by non-domestic buildings; sustainable building refurbishment can play an important role in reducing carbon emissions. This paper looks at the performance of a recently refurbished 5-storey office building in London, in terms of energy consumption as well as occupants��� satisfaction. Pre- and post-occupancy evaluation studies were conducted using online questionnaire surveys and energy consumption evaluation. Results from pre-occupancy and post-occupancy evaluation studies showed that employees, in general, were more satisfied with their work environment at the refurbished building than with that of their previous office. Employees��� self-reported productivity improved after the move to Elms House. These surveys showed a positive relationship between employees��� satisfaction with their work environment and their self-reported productivity, well-being and enjoyment at work. The factor that contributed to increasing employee satisfaction the most was: better use of interior space. Although the refurbishment was a success in terms of reducing energy consumption per m2, the performance gap was almost 3 times greater than that estimated. Unregulated loads, problems with building control, ineffective use of space and occupants��� behaviour are argued to be reasons for this gap.

Post-occupancy studies of an office environment: Energy performance and occupants��� satisfaction

It is generally accepted that the physical workplace environment affects employees��� satisfaction and, consequently, their perceived productivity and well-being. This study investigated whether employee ���satisfaction��� variables can predict perceived productivity, well-being and enjoyment at work, and if so, to what extent. The study also explored whether limiting employees��� control over their environment could save energy without compromising employees��� satisfaction and perceived productivity. Preoccupancy and post-occupancy evaluation studies were conducted, in terms of both energy consumption and employee perceptions, to make comparisons between a company���s old and current headquarters buildings, both located in the same area of London. The results showed that employees were more satisfied with their work environment at their new HQ, in general, than with that of their previous office. Also, employees��� self-reported productivity, well-being and enjoyment at work improved after the move. It was revealed that the combination of employees��� level of satisfaction with ���interior use of space��� and ���physical conditions��� was the best predictor of their perceived productivity, while satisfaction with ���indoor facilities��� was not a good predictor. In terms of energy performance, although the new HQ���s energy consumption per m2 was significantly less than that of the previous building, there was still a gap between the refurbishment design target and the actual performance of the building. The findings suggest that this gap could be due to a number of factors, including an ineffective use of interior space, and occupants��� behaviour.

Children as caregivers

Caregiving is usually associated with adults��� responsibilities. Official statistics and research have demonstrated, however, that many children and young people in the global North and South have substantial, regular caring responsibilities for family members with chronic illnesses, impairments or other care needs. This chapter conceptualises children���s roles as ���caregivers��� and the care work they do. It then analyses the available evidence on outcomes of children���s caregiving and the factors and processes influencing their involvement. While research reveals that caregiving may have positive as well as negative outcomes for children���s well-being, formal and informal safety nets are needed, especially in resource-limited settings, to alleviate children���s care work. Children���s and families��� experiences suggest that social protection measures and support for those being cared for as well as those providing care would help to ensure that caregiving does not have long-term negative impacts on children���s personal development, education, health, family relations, peer interactions, social participation, employment opportunities and socially expected transitions to adulthood.

Children���s perspectives on their working lives and on public action against child labour in Burkina Faso

The majority of children in Burkina Faso undertake work and, compared to other West African countries, it has the highest rate of children involved in hazardous work (Diallo 2008; NISD 2008), which is one working child out of two. Based on a qualitative survey, this chapter presents the perspectives of Burkinabe children working in two of the hazardous sectors: a quarry and an artisanal mine. The findings show that children acknowledge very difficult working conditions in these sites. However a variety of reasons maintain them in work, which they perceive as a solution and thus challenging action against child labour in Burkina Faso.

Den fysiska och psykosociala arbetsmilj��n samt arbetstillfredsst��llelse hos egenf��retagande tandhygienister i Sverige : en deskriptiv tv��rsnittstudie

Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva svenska egenf��retagande tandhygienisters (EfTH) arbetsf��rh��llanden f��r att studera om d��r fanns samband mellan fysisk och psykosocial arbetsmilj�� och arbetstillfredsst��llelse i gruppen. Samliga tandhygienister i Sveriges tandhygienistf��renings sektion f��r egna f��retagare (n = 179) inbj��ds att deltaga i studien vilken gjordes med hj��lp av ett fr��geformul��r grundat p�� en f��rkortad version av the General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work, QPSNordic 34+. Sextiofem procent (n=108) svarade p�� enk��ten. Resultaten visade att ��ldre tandhygienister och de som hade fler ��n 19 yrkes��r upplevde h��gre grad av arbetsskicklighet, var s��krare i sin yrkesroll och k��nde sig mindre stressade ��n yngre. Stress var relaterat till fler ��n trettio arbetstimmar per vecka. Alla fr��gor i skalorna om arbetstillfredsst��llelse, arbetsgl��dje och arbetsstolthet skattades h��gt och allra h��gst fr��gan om arbetsstolthet. Fr��gor i skalorna om kontroll i arbetet visade p�� h��g kontroll av arbetstakt, pauser och p��verkan av beslut i det egna arbetet. Ett statistiskt signifikant samband kunde p��visas mellan kontroll av arbetstakt, p��verkansm��jligheter, positiv feedback fr��n patienter och arbetstillfredsst��llelse. Det fanns ocks�� statistiskt signifikanta samband mellan kontroll av arbetstakt, positiv feedback fr��n tandl��kare f��r arbetsresultat, positiv feedback fr��n patienter samt att f�� tillh��ra en (arbets)grupp och arbetsgl��dje. En slutsats fr��n denna studie ��r att det f��refaller finnas ett samband mellan EfTH:s arbetsf��rh��llanden och h��g arbetstillfredsst��llelse.

Acoustic Design in Urban Development : analysis of urban soundscapes and acoustic ecology research in New York City

The world is urbanizing rapidly with more than half of the global population now living in cities. Improving urban environments for the well-being of the increasing number of urban citizens is becoming one of the most important challenges of the 21st century. Even though it is common that city planners have visions of a ���good urban milieu���, those visions are concerning visual aesthetics or practical matters. The qualitative perspective of sound, such as sonic diversity and acoustic ecology are neglected aspects in architectural design. Urban planners and politicians are therefore largely unaware of the importance of sounds for the intrinsic quality of a place. Whenever environmental acoustics is on the agenda, the topic is noise abatement or noise legislation ��� a quantitative attenuation of sounds. Some architects may involve acoustical aspects in their work but sound design or acoustic design has yet to develop to a distinct discipline and be incorporated in urban planning.My aim was to investigate to what extent the urban soundscape is likely to improve if modern architectural techniques merge with principles of acoustics. This is an important, yet unexplored, research area. My study explores and analyses the acoustical aspects in urban development and includes interviews with practitioners in the field of urban acoustics, situated in New York City. My conclusion is that to achieve a better understanding of the human living conditions in mega-cities, there is a need to include sonic components into the holistic sense of urban development.

H��lsofr��mjande friskv��rdsarbete : En fallstudie om friskv��rdsarbete inom kommunal v��rd- och omsorgsf��rvaltning

Under senare ��r har fr��gan om ett h��llbart arbetsliv blivit allt viktigare. Det inneb��r att goda arbetsf��rh��llanden kommer att bidra till att m��nniskor orkar arbeta fram till pensionen. Friskv��rd har g��tt fr��n att enbart vara en f��rm��n till att bli en investering f��r att fr��mja h��lsa. Anst��lldas h��lsa och arbetsmilj�� ��r en del av personalfunktionens ��vergripande arbete f��r att beh��lla personal. Fysiskt kr��vande yrken som omsorgsarbete ��r ett stort arbetsmilj��problem som kr��ver att organisationer f��rs��ker f��rhindra att arbetsrelaterad sjukdom intr��ffar. Syftet med detta examensarbete ��r att unders��ka vilka f��ruts��ttningarna, ur ett medarbetarperspektiv, organisationer b��r ta i beaktande f��r att skapa ett framg��ngsrikt arbete med h��lsofr��mjande friskv��rdsaktiviteter inom kommunal v��rd- och omsorgsf��rvaltning. Arbetet ��r begr��nsat till personal inom Ludvika kommun. Friskv��rd kan f��rebygga sjukdom, men det kan ocks�� ��ka individens v��lbefinnande och kan d��rmed utg��ra en framg��ngsrik strategi f��r att skapa h��lsosammare arbetsplatser. En kombination av metoder anv��ndes f��r datainsamling, i form av en kvantitativ enk��tunders��kning och en kvalitativ fokusgruppintervju. Resultaten visade bland annat att majoriteten av de anst��llda ��r positiva till friskv��rd p�� arbetstid och att det ��r ett f��rdelaktigt s��tt att ��ka deltagandet, ��ven f��r dem som ��r mindre fysiskt aktiva. Tidsbrist och socialt st��d ��r sk��l till varf��r fysisk aktivitet ��r l��gre eller uteblir. F��rutom att de anst��llda som har ett individuellt ansvar ��r det chefer, i samr��d med organisationen, som har det ��vergripande ansvaret f��r att skapa goda f��ruts��ttningar f��r att fr��mja h��lsan.

Tha contribution of home-based technology to older people's quality of life in extra care housing

Background: British government policy for older people focuses on a vision of active ageing and independent living. In the face of diminishing personal capacities, the use of appropriate home-based technology (HBT) devices could potentially meet a wide range of needs and consequently improve many aspects of older people's quality of life such as physical health, psychosocial well-being, social relationships, and their physical or living environment. This study aimed to examine the use of HBT devices and the correlation between use of such devices and quality of life among older people living in extra-care housing (ECH).�� Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered for this study. Using purposive sampling 160 older people living in extra-care housing schemes were selected from 23 schemes in England. A face-to-face interview was conducted in each participant's living unit. In order to measure quality of life, the SEIQoL-Adapted and CASP-19 were used.�� Results: Although most basic appliances and emergency call systems were used in the living units, communally provided facilities such as personal computers, washing machines, and assisted bathing equipment in the schemes were not well utilised. Multiple regression analysis adjusted for confounders including age, sex, marital status, living arrangement and mobility use indicated a coefficient of 1.17 with 95% CI (0.05, 2.29) and p = 0.04 [SEIQoL-Adapted] and 2.83 with 95% CI (1.17, 4.50) and p = 0.001 [CASP-19].�� Conclusions: The findings of the present study will be value to those who are developing new form of specialised housing for older people with functional limitations and, in particular, guiding investments in technological aids. The results of the present study also indicate that the home is an essential site for developing residential technologies.

Friskfaktorer p�� en enhet : Identifiera & fortsatt bevara

Detta ��r en kvalitativ studie med syftet att inom en enhet p�� Stockholms Stad identifiera friskfaktorer och unders��ka vad som kr��vs f��r att fortsatt bevara dessa. Vidare ��r syftet att unders��ka vilket st��d som ��r n��dv��ndigt f��r bevarandet samt HR-funktionens roll i detta avseende. Enheten ��r, sett till sjukfr��nvaro, en v��lm��ende grupp som st��r inf��r f��r��ndringar inom marknaden och m��ls��ttning d�� de p��verkas av det nyligen genomf��rda regeringsskiftet. Ett fr��geverktyg anv��ndes f��r att framst��lla de ��tta viktigaste dimensionerna av det attraktiva arbetet och en f��rdjupad diskussion kring dessa f��rdes sedan under en fokusgruppsintervju tillsammans med enhetens medarbetare. Resultatet visade att de viktigaste dimensionerna var bland annat arbetstid och relationer. Vidare p��visades att en balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv ��r av stor vikt f��r medarbetarnas h��lsa och v��lm��ende. F��r att fortsatt bevara det attraktiva i arbetet visade empirin att gruppens relationer och ledaren var nyckelfaktorer och att HR-funktionen, den personalstrategiska avdelningen, enbart bidrar med en administrativ och v��gledande roll i fr��gan om st��d. Arbetets slutsatser innefattar att bevarandet av friskfaktorer kr��ver att tillvaron m��ste vara begriplig, hanterlig och meningsfull men ��ven att medarbetarna beh��ver rimliga krav i relation till deras handlingsutrymme. En vidare slutsats ��r behovet av en f��r��ndring i ledarskapsbeteendet i kommande stadier d�� gruppen eventuellt kommer att hamna i en ny mognadsfas p�� grund f��r��ndrade omst��ndigheter. F��rfattarna drar ��ven slutsatsen att friskfaktorer ��r till viss del individuellt beroende p�� livssituation men att balansen mellan arbetsliv och privatliv ��r betydande f��r de flesta. HR-funktionen, den personalstrategiska avdelningen, har en informativ och administrativ roll i fr��gan om st��d och f��rfattarna anser att det ligger en logik i denna roll. Sett till organisationens storlek ��r det l��ttare att v��nda psykosociala fr��gor till f��retagsh��lsov��rd eller en psykologgrupp och f�� det arbetsr��ttsliga st��det eller information fr��n HR-funktionen.

Ledarskap f��r att fr��mja h��lsa hos medarbetare : En fallstudie om h��lsoarbete p�� linjechefsniv��

The author���s common interest for healthy employees, brought reasonto study how line managers can manage and develop this withsupport from HR. Previous research highlights that knowledge ofhow health is promoted is missing. Line managers have a key role inworking with contributors�� health. The aim of the study is toinvestigate how managers are working for the well-being ofemployees and which aid dedicated to line managers from the HRfunction, and how support and the work with employees��� health canbe developed. This study also investigates the approach on healthfrom each party. The method consisted of a case study, includingdata collection through depth interview with HR and focus groupinterview with heads of unit. The result of the HR interview showedoverwhelming support in individual conversations, but lack ofresources for the support function. HR requested additional resourcesand more health promotion work instead of rehabilitation. Heads ofunit are working with a wellness initiative for healthy contributors.Development points were found in increased support, developedwellness options, increased participation and performance appraisalswith a focus on the individual���s health status. The findings showthat heads of units are working with participation, attendance andhealth care but want more focus on the individual���s health status. HRneeds resources in order to support the heads of units in their healthcare. A common approach is missing between HR and heads of unitin their work for health promotion. Education, approach and supportshould be developed on the basis of the organization���s overallcontext.

V��lbefinnande och positiva k��nslor i arbetslivet : En balansakt som kr��ver samspel

Syftet med denna studie var att unders��ka vad som ger medarbetare v��lbefinnande och positiva k��nslor p�� arbetsplatsen. Studien genomf��rdes genom kvalitativa intervjuer med sex medarbetare p�� fyra bank- och f��rs��kringskontor i mellersta Sverige. Resultatet analyserades med hj��lp av tidigare forskning samt teorier. Resultatet visar att det som skapar positiva k��nslor och v��lbefinnande i stor grad ��r relationer, dels med kollegor men ocks�� med kunder. Positiva k��nslor kan ha en v��ldigt h��g spridningsf��rm��ga bland kollegor, kunder och i organisationen. Det visade ocks�� att det ��r viktigt att det finns en balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv samt mellan krav och kontroll. Att se p�� v��lbefinnande p�� arbetet ur ett samspelsperspektiv, d��r man integrerar b��de individ och organisation, visade sig ocks�� vara viktigt f��r att framg��ngsrikt kunna arbeta med dessa fr��gor.

H��lsofr��mjande arbete p�� SSAB i Borl��nge : H��lsofr��mjande processer i arbetslivet och ledarskapets betydelse f��r medarbetarens h��lsa

Problem: Arbetsmilj��n ��r viktig f��r m��nniskors v��lbefinnande. H��lsofr��mjande faktorer antas inte bara styrka individens fysiska och psykiska h��lsa, utan ��ven f��retagets konkurrenskraft och l��nsamhet. I uppsatsen unders��ker vi hur f��retaget SSAB i Borl��nge arbetar med h��lsa genom att till��mpa ett h��lsofr��mjande perspektiv och utg�� fr��n teorin om K��nslan av sammanhang (KASAM). Ledarskapsv��rderingar har betydelse f��r medarbetares h��lsa (Hanson, 2004) och vi unders��ker vilken uppfattning ett antal chefer har om sina roller i det h��lsofr��mjande arbetet och deras syn p�� medarbetarunders��kningen H��lsoSAM som f��retagsh��lsov��rden p�� SSAB bedriver. Arbetsbelastningen p�� medarbetare och chefer ��kar till f��ljd av sparkrav, samtidigt som resurserna minskar (Gatu, 2003). F��ljden blir en st��rre risk f��r oh��lsa och ett s��tt att minska sjukfr��nvaron ��r att genomf��ra h��lsofr��mjande insatser (Prevent, 2001). Syfte: Syftet med studien ��r att utifr��n ett h��lsofr��mjande perspektiv f��rklara vad chefer har f��r m��jligheter att skapa f��ruts��ttningar f��r att fr��mja medarbetarnas h��lsa p�� SSAB i Borl��nge. Metod: Den metod som ligger till grund f��r uppsatsen baseras p�� ett kvalitativt angreppss��tt d��r semistrukturerade intervjuer samt litteraturstudier genomf��rts f��r att samla information. Analys: Ledarens beteende p��verkar medarbetarna. H��g arbetsbelastning p�� SSABs chefer leder till l��gre n��rvaro bland medarbetarna, vilket i sin tur ger s��mre f��ruts��ttningar f��r att fr��mja h��lsan. H��lsoSAM kartl��gger medarbetarnas h��lsol��ge, b��de v��lbefinnande och arbetskapacitet. Resultaten ��r v��gledande i det h��lsofr��mjande arbetet men ��verbelastning, tidsbrist och kunskapsbrist hos cheferna bidrar till att uppf��ljningen inte blir systematisk. F��r ett v��l fungerande h��lsoarbete kr��vs systematik. Slutsats: H��lsofr��mjande processer i arbetslivet skapas genom balans mellan krav och resurser. P�� SSAB i Borl��nge hindras h��lsoarbetet av tidsbrist och kunskapsbrist hos cheferna. Kostnadsbesparingar p��verkar h��lsoarbetet negativt och systematiken i uppf��ljningsarbetet blir lidande. Ansvaret f��r h��lsoarbetet l��ggs p�� f��retagsh��lsov��rden, men utan st��d fr��n chefer blir inte h��lsoarbetet en naturlig del i verksamheten. Det ��r viktigt att i r��dande situation se vad fr��mjande av h��lsa kan ge tillbaka till f��retaget i b��de ekonomiska och kvalitativa termer. Insikt om detta ��kar chefernas incitament att prioritera h��lsofr��mjande processer och organisera arbetet s�� att m��nniskor har f��ruts��ttningar att hantera, kontrollera och klara av sina uppgifter.

Livskvalitet i familier : n��re relasjoners betydning for ���det gode liv���

Life quality in families: close relations and ���the good life��� The aim of this paper is to explore how aspects and qualities of modern family life influence subjective well-being. Although the patterns of family, work and sexuality have changed dramatically the last four decades, it is here claimed that the family is still an important base of socialization and upbringing. Thus the study of processes within the family can contribute to the understanding of the environment in which many children grow up. In most families, work, partner and family roles are intertwined, and one central hypothesis of this work is that family members influence each other in the individual formation of well-being. The main research question of this study asks: How is life quality affected by the quality of parent-child and the partner relationships and aspects of their shared everyday life? Empirical implications are tested against 2002-data from a representative, Norwegian sample. Analyses conclude that the quality of parent-child and the spousal relationship, and also aspects of families��� everyday life such as work-life balance and time pressure influence the subjective life quality, but mother���s and father���s life quality is affected by differing and partly incompatible conditions.

Shared decision-making in mental health care : a user perspective on decisional needs in community-based services

BACKGROUND: Shared decision-making (SDM) is an emergent research topic in the field of mental health care and is considered to be a central component of a recovery-oriented system. Despite the evidence suggesting the benefits of this change in the power relationship between users and practitioners, the method has not been widely implemented in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate decisional and information needs among users with mental illness as a prerequisite for the development of a decision support tool aimed at supporting SDM in community-based mental health services in Sweden. METHODS: Three semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with 22 adult users with mental illness. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using a directed content analysis. This method was used to develop an in-depth understanding of the decisional process as well as to validate and conceptually extend Elwyn et al.'s model of SDM. RESULTS: The model Elwyn et al. have created for SDM in somatic care fits well for mental health services, both in terms of process and content. However, the results also suggest an extension of the model because decisions related to mental illness are often complex and involve a number of life domains. Issues related to social context and individual recovery point to the need for a preparation phase focused on establishing cooperation and mutual understanding as well as a clear follow-up phase that allows for feedback and adjustments to the decision-making process. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The current study contributes to a deeper understanding of decisional and information needs among users of community-based mental health services that may reduce barriers to participation in decision-making. The results also shed light on attitudinal, relationship-based, and cognitive factors that are important to consider in adapting SDM in the mental health system.