Raewyn Connell: Hegemonic Masculinities and Men’s Health

This handbook offers a new perspective on the sociology of health, illness and medicine by stressing the importance of social theory, and giving due attention to theorists often overlooked in the healthcare field including Harriet Martineau and Raewyn Connell, as well as more widely known theorists such as Michel Foucault and Max Weber. This is a compendium of both male and female social theorists from the turn of the 19th century to the present day. Leading international sociologists from Europe, America, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada investigate the key concepts and theories of a single theorist, looking at the way their ideas such as medicalisation, reflexivity, capitalism, hegemonic masculinity, the biomedical model and social stigma can be used to understand specific health issues including men's health, Indigenous health, disability, the health professions and chronic illness.

Public Art Commission, Where is Heidenheim? Tina O'Connell and Neal White

Research undertaken through significant public art commission. The researchers were both artists were selected separately by Dr Penelope Curtis of Tate and then the shortlist was awarded through competition (peer reviewed by Critics and Artist in Germany) part of the Heidenheim Sculpture Biennial, Germany (€18K). The work was realised by two companies in Heidenheim. Where is Heidenheim? was based within the Heidenheim Zietung newspaper[HZ] and drew together a site of a local paper in a small town in Germany with other local International papers; Wendover Times – Utah, USA;, Limerick Leader, Ireland; Free Imphal Press, Manipur, India; Hibr, Lebanon; Namibia Times, Namibia and The Countryman, Tasmania, Australia. Each of these papers ran a story showing a sign erected onto HZ in Heidenheim, which was subsequently printed inside HZ itself – linking together sites and local voices. Project research identifying global partners was conducted through the management of a PhD research student from the BU Media School - Venkata Vermuri. The work for both artists expands the context of their research into the impact of global networks on public art, and the traditions and norms of public art being confined to single ‘geographical’ sites. This research indicates the potential for media as a common public space that can also be used.

Public Art Commission Rung by Rung, Tina O'Connell

Research based on a significant public art commissions awarded through competition (peer reviewed) – Pearse Street Clinic Public Art Commission (€20K). Research was examining issues of the relationship between sculpture, exchange and communication, health and well-being. The research used an approach to question the aspirations and dreams of those who were visiting the health centre as part of a routine of daily life. Based on the aspirational concerns of individual visitors, and secondary research of positive effects of light, the final output draws on ideas based around the language of physical signage to occupy a space concerned with visitor health and wellbeing – a Health Clinic. The output has had an impact both at the site and more broadly in the context of examining sculpture and fine art as a social catalyst - based on work of socially-engaged historical practices. The installation at Pearse Street work in Dublin in Nov 09 has received critical and local acclaim. Further commissions within the public arena have been forthcoming despite difficult local economic landscape.

Public Art Commission, 1x1 project, Tina O'Connell and Neal White

A significant development in the Washington DC arts and Humanities Commission programme, the 5x5 project represented the first publicly funded arts project of this type in the US Capital. Following an International call a panel selected 20 curators who in turn selected 5 artists. All curators programmes and research were presented and 5 curators projects selected. Research into control issues surrounding the import and export of water from Japan were used to set up a project in which public were invited to put one of one thousand small droplets of this imported water onto Cherry Blossom Trees. Many of the interactions were recorded onto the database that also included documentation of sites which have vested political or national interests in the Earthquake and Fukushima Diaichi disaster in Washington DC itself. Hundreds of participants took part in the project over one week.

Testando o modelo de Janzen-Connell para o jerivá, Syagrus romanzoffiana, em três fragmentos florestais de Mata Atlântica em São Paulo

A predação de sementes é um importante processo ecológico que pode afetar a estrutura e dinâmica das comunidades vegetais bem como o recrutamento de plantas tropicais. Entretanto, a fragmentação de habitats e a consequente defaunação diferencial que afeta principalmente os grandes frugívoros, dispersores potenciais, tem trazido consequências para tal interação biótica, podendo afetar inclusive as palmeiras como o jerivá, Syagrus romanzoffiana, que representa um importante recurso alimentar para diversos frugívoros tropicais devido ao seu longo período de frutificação. Seguindo o modelo de Janzen-Connell que prediz que a probabilidade de sobrevivência de uma planta está diretamente associada à distância de dispersão da planta parental, este projeto comparou a predação das sementes do jerivá e verificou o seu destino (se predadas ou dispersadas) em duas distâncias: embaixo da planta parental e longe da planta parental (10 metros) em três fragmentos florestais de Mata Atlântica com diferentes graus de defaunação. Nos dois fragmentos mais defaunados observou-se que a predação de sementes do jerivá foi maior embaixo da planta parental que longe; já no maior fragmento, a predação não seguiu o modelo de Janzen-Connell. Comparando-se a predação entre as três áreas, um maior número de sementes predadas foi encontrado nos dois fragmentos mais defaunados cujos principais predadores foram os invertebrados. Neste estudo, a defaunação aparentemente alterou a composição dos agentes responsáveis pela predação, sendo que, devido a grande predação por invertebrados nas duas áreas mais defaunadas, houve uma compensação na predação de sementes de jerivá em áreas com ausência de frugívoros de médio e grande porte o que pode trazer implicações para a dinâmica e manutenção da espécie em estudo