Search Results (150)

Background/Objectives: Senior nurses in Taiwan shoulder layered responsibilities shaped by professional roles, gendered expectations, and family duty. Although Taiwan faces a persistent shortage of experienced clinical nurses, limited research has explored how long-serving nurses sustain identity and commitment across decades of caregiving. This study examines how senior staff nurses understand their journeys of becoming—and remaining—nurses within a culturally and emotionally complex landscape. Methods: Interviews were conducted between May 2019 and September 2023 in locations chosen by participants, with most sessions face-to-face and others undertaken via video conferencing during COVID-19. This narrative inquiry involved in-depth, multi-session interviews with five female senior staff nurses born in the 1970s to early 1980s. Each participant reflected on her life and career, supported by co-constructed “nursing life lines.” Thematic narrative analysis was conducted using McCormack’s five-lens framework and Riessman’s model, with ethical rigor ensured through reflexive journaling and participant validation. Results: Three overarching themes emerged: (1) inner strength and endurance, highlighting silent resilience and the ethical weight of caregiving; (2) support and responsibility in relationships, revealing the influence of family, faith, and relational duty; and (3) role navigation and professional identity, showing how nurses revisit meaning, self-understanding, and tensions across time. Participants described emotionally powerful moments, identity re-connection, and cultural values that shaped their paths. Conclusions: These narratives offer a relational and culturally embedded understanding of what it means to sustain a career in nursing. Narrative inquiry created space for reflection, meaning-making, and voice in a system where such voices are often unheard. Identity was not static—it was lived, reshaped, and held in story. Full article

Coach development is typically considered to consist of a complex mix of experiences, including formal, informal and non-formal. Elements of the early research in this area led to the production of a model of long-term coach development (LTCD) over a decade ago, consisting of three core categories of experience: athletic, coaching and education, later published in a number of significant coaching documents. Whilst this model has clearly been of benefit in providing a framework to consider long-term coach development, it can also be considered to have its limitations in focusing on a somewhat narrow coaching context (typically Olympic sports in North America) and lacking currency. This study therefore attempted to consider and update this model to a professional team sport context away from North America by investigating the life stories of head coaches in English rugby league. Data collection consisted of a novel life story approach, whilst analysis utilised elements of constructivist grounded theory. Though supporting elements of the original LTCD model, results here provide an additional category of experience occurring prior to athletic experience, childhood, consisting of a number of sub-themes, alongside several other novel elements with implications for both research and practice. This work points towards a need to further understand coaches’ lifelong developmental journeys across a range of sports and contexts. Full article

Background/Objectives: This article addresses an exploratory design study in the framework of the REMIND research study, which is focused on the importance of cultural and biographical components for the cognitive and sensory stimulation of persons with dementia. Through a case study conducted at a Day Centre from the Alzheimer Portugal association, it aims to demonstrate the relevance of including cultural elements in sensory stimulation artefacts for persons with dementia. It is hypothesised that the inclusion of cultural elements central to the biographical stories of these persons will have greater potential to stimulate their senses and reminiscences. In the context of this study, this hypothesis was explored through textile artefacts. Methods: Methods included participant observation, sensory and visual ethnography, interviews, focus groups, and a participatory design approach involving women with moderate and advanced Alzheimer’s disease and health professionals. Due to the severely compromised verbal communication abilities of some of the women, beyond-verbal communication strategies were adopted. Results: The results showed that textiles with a cultural presence tended to elicit greater reactions and reminiscences of events associated with the women’s life stories. Crochet artefacts were of particular relevance: women’s involvement in activities with crochet artefacts was substantially higher and, in certain cases of women with moderate dementia, these artefacts activated positive memories of the person, suggesting the potential of crochet for sensory stimulation. Conclusions: The results support the hypothesis; however, further research exploring other cultural elements and involving a broader demographic is needed. Based on the results obtained, a sensory blanket was developed, which is already in use at the Centre. Full article

This article investigates the employment conditions of Syrian refugee workers in the clothing industry in Istanbul, as well as its consequences on their socio-emotional well-being and life plans. 62 interviews in the form of life stories were conducted with these workers from workspaces of varying sizes. The research identifies ambiguity, hyper-precarity, institutional violence, and segregation (refugees mostly work in small workshops) as the main concepts for understanding these conditions. The dimensions of socio-emotional well-being are dominated by depression and loss of control over life. However, the personal (self) dimension (proud, optimistic, and staying positive with oneself) remains high. As a result, migration outside of Turkey emerges as as ongoing hope in the pursuit of stability and control over the future. Full article

This study aims to change the negative attitudes towards individuals with ASD, to analyse the news published about their success. The news reports published in The New York Times and The Washington Post newspapers, which were only about the success stories of individuals with ASD, were analysed by document analysis and content analysis, which are qualitative research methods. In this study, 40 news from the two international newspapers were analysed. It was revealed that success stories in the area of art were published more than other areas. In this study, it is noteworthy that the role of teachers, who are important sources of inspiration in the educational life of individuals with ASD, in success stories is quite low. In this respect, it may be suggested that in future studies, newspapers in the international newspapers may publish news in which the effect of teachers on the success stories of individuals with ASD is mentioned more. Full article

This article showcases Syrian refugees’ narratives of trauma and survival, through a phenomenological approach to in-depth research, with refugees who have resettled in Australia. It explores their journey towards resettlement, highlighting the nexus between displacement in the home–transit–host countries and the biopsychosocial determinants of mental health. Since the 2011 uprising, over 12 million Syrians have been displaced, both internally and worldwide. A refugee’s journey to safety often involves multiple displacements and exposure to dangerous, life-threatening, and dehumanising experiences. We have therefore adopted a qualitative approach that counters this dehumanisation by honouring the unique humanity in the voice of each of our research participants. This article aims to portray the nuanced interdependence between the individual, social, and political contexts of seven Syrian refugees’ lived experiences through an in-depth consideration of what they have told us, how they narrate their stories, and the meanings they ascribe to what they have experienced. The findings of this small yet eloquent study reinforce the insight that the journey to resettlement is far from linear and that resettlement itself is a process marked by recurrent and persistent complexities. The article suggests that the resilience of these refugees is best understood as an ethical and altruistic commitment to collective well-being, transcending notions of individual fortitude. Full article

This article compares the similar texts in historiography, legend, poetry, and law between the Hebrew Bible and Chinese classic works, emphasizing the mutual reflection and illumination of the two in terms of culture. This article holds that a literary work, just like an object, will release a certain form of energy, which will have an impact on other works and, at the same time, be influenced by other works. This article examines Chinese classic works from the perspective of the Hebrew Bible to gain new insights. By discussing the traditional comparative methods in biblical studies, the article emphasizes the possibility of comparison between different cultures. It is believed that, for similar stories and texts, it is important to analyze their specific cultural backgrounds and writing environments and to reveal the deep-seated reasons in terms of philosophy, history, society, culture, personal life experiences, etc., behind the phenomena of similarities and differences. Using this method, the article deeply analyzes the similarities and differences between the two kinds of texts in specific literary genres such as historiography, poetry, and law and gives examples to illustrate the similarities and differences between these two types of literary works. The study of these narratives within a comparative framework enables people to have a deeper understanding of these texts and the societies that produced them, while also respecting the unique backgrounds and meanings of each work. The article underlines the significance of cross-cultural comparison in the studies of the Bible and Chinese classic works. This research approach, as proposed, enriches the comprehension of these two literary traditions and their profound influence on the shaping of human history and culture. Full article

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a prevalent form of violence against children, associated with profound negative impacts on survivors’ health and well-being. In Bangladesh, sociocultural and economic barriers hinder CSA prevention and intervention, particularly for vulnerable populations such as transgender individuals. This study explores the experiences of CSA among Bangladeshi transgender individuals, focusing on their coping mechanisms and resilience-building strategies. A qualitative narrative approach was employed, using life story-telling interviews with four transgender CSA survivors, and data were analyzed thematically. The findings reveal significant challenges, including social exclusion, humiliation, and lack of family support. Participants reported experiencing physical injuries, mental trauma, and loss of trust due to CSA, while the conservative nature of Bangladeshi society often prevented them from disclosing their abuse or seeking healthcare. These barriers exacerbate health inequalities among gender-minority children. Despite these adversities, participants described engaging in resilience-building strategies such as self-care, personal development, advocacy, and efforts to derive meaning from their experiences, while highlighting the perceived importance of family support. This study provides insights into the unique experiences of transgender CSA survivors in Bangladesh and calls for efforts towards gender-inclusive education, mental health support, and further research to address CSA-related adversity, encourage disclosure, and promote health equity for gender-minority groups. Full article

The process of building personal identity can be interpreted in a narrative sense: each person is the author and protagonist of their own story. Educators use multiple narratives, some of which have a suggestive power and will become “structuring” for the narrative construction of the self. Here, we present some results from a research study that explored the knowledge and meaning a sample of young people attributed to biblical stories and some “fantasy” stories, focusing on biblical texts. The analysis of the data reveals a limited knowledge of the Bible, which is often vague and superficial, stemming from readings that took place during childhood. Three possible types of relationships between the process of constructing personal identity and biblical texts emerge. There are people who link reading the Bible to their personal faith life and consider these texts a source of inspiration for their life choices. There are people who had a superficial encounter with the Bible in childhood, and their relationship with the biblical texts is not particularly significant or structuring. Finally, there are people who have had significant engagement with biblical texts but, at some point in life, distanced themselves from faith, still considering those texts as a point of reference. Full article

This paper reimagines the study of suicide as a critical, relational practice rooted in solidarity and transformative possibilities. Moving beyond the limitations of conventional suicidology, this work emphasizes the importance of attending to the broader social, political, and structural contexts that shape experiences of suicidality. By framing this work as a collection of “notes,” this paper calls for an approach that notices, marks, and responds to both the violence and resistance inherent in these experiences. This paper introduces witnessing, dreaming, and prefiguration as key methodologies for Critical Suicide Studies. Witnessing is conceptualized as an active and relational practice that centers on the lived realities of those affected by suicide, making their stories and the systems of harm that often go unaddressed, visible. Dreaming involves imagining futures beyond survival, where care and justice guide collective responses. Prefiguration focuses on enacting these futures in the present, embedding relational and community-based approaches in the everyday practices of suicide care and research. Through these practices, this paper explores how Critical Suicide Studies can move from critique to action, creating conditions in which responses to suicide are life-affirming, relational, and grounded in mutual care. This work aspires to cultivate spaces for collective healing, dignity and transformative change. Full article

When landscapes tell stories about people, the physical context, and how they become part of the identity of the inhabitants, the land acquires meaning for tourists due to their authenticity. Monument Valley and Alentejo are places where identity and landscape are crucial for touristic activity. It remains to be seen whether the future is massification or whether it will be able to maintain a balance between landscapes, culture, and sustainable tourism. From a Humanistic Geography point of view, we have conducted research based on in-depth interviews that show an unstable balance between a way of life and having economic income. Full article

The present work aims to investigate the religious beliefs and ways of believing of two generations of people born in the decades of 1940–1950 and 1965–1975 in the Portuguese region of Braga. We assume that people from both generations share common experiences and values that connect them—experiences they have built in relation to specific life situations and through the bonds they have established with other generations. To carry out this research, we have used a qualitative methodology based on the techniques of Life Stories and Focus Groups. The results of our research show that the ways of believing and relating to the world of religion are quite common among people of the same generation, and substantially different between people of both generations. However, this difference does not necessarily manifest itself in a rupture or opposition between the members of these generations, but above all in the reworking of what they have received and experienced in the light of new experiences and new values. Full article

The construction field is one of the largest sectors and industries worldwide. This industry is the main industry accused of contributing to greenhouse gases and increasing the effects of climate change. However, the construction industry is indispensable, accordingly in an attempt to decrease the greenhouse gas effects of construction this research presents the manuscript for building a one-story building with all components including waste products. The building model used a strip foundation with a concrete mix design incorporating recycled concrete as a partial replacement for aggregates, cement hollow blocks containing granite waste instead of conventional cement blocks, and sandwiched insulated panels made of wood-plastic composites for the roof. The structural soundness of the system was tested by loading it with a load surpassing its design load in addition to measuring the deflection and checking its abidance to the code limitations. The thermal efficiency was tested by measuring the temperatures in comparison with the outside of the building for a span of 7 days with data recorded every 1 h. Analysis of both the short-term and long-term costs and carbon emissions was performed by acquiring the carbon emissions per unit of material from literature and multiplying it by the quantities of the materials used within the different building alternatives. That study showed that the roofs made of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) using Wood-Plastic Composite (WPC) facings when used with hollow-block cement block walls have shown enduring cost efficiency and improved thermal insulation, leading to diminished energy usage, life-cycle expenses, and carbon emissions. Furthermore, the proposed system is more environmentally friendly than conventional reinforced concrete technologies due to their lower costs and emissions in addition to improving sustainability through utilizing recycled materials. Full article

As the Middle East experiences rapid growth due to its oil wealth, there is a pressing need to balance contemporary development with the preservation of its rich cultural heritage. This study focuses on Ushaiger Village in Saudi Arabia, an example of traditional Najid architecture that was once abandoned and has now been brought back to life through restoration. This research tracks the restoration steps, looks at how old buildings are being reused today, and assesses the effectiveness of these efforts through a survey of 80 local residents and tourists. The results show significant improvements in preserving the village, with over 100 buildings restored using traditional, environmentally friendly materials like mud and limestone. This restoration has won strong support from the community and has boosted the local economy by increasing tourism and supporting local businesses, aligning well with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals. This study illustrates that caring for heritage sites can promote economic and environmental health, providing a model for integrating cultural heritage into national development plans. Ushaiger Village’s story highlights the benefits of thoughtful conservation, showing that it can enhance community life and keep cultural identities alive within the Saudi Vision 2030. Full article

Background: In response to the rising mental health concerns and cognitive decline associated with the human brain’s neurogenesis, which continues until the tenth decade of life but declines with age and is suppressed by poor environments, this pilot study investigates how physical environments may influence public health proxy measures of neurogenesis in humans. This pilot study focuses on the residential environment where people spend most of their time and age in place, exploring the dependency of depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment variations on spatial and lifestyle variables. Methods: A total of 142 healthy adults in England completed a survey consisting of PHQ-8, GAD-7, and CFI questionnaires and other questions developed to capture the variance in spatial and lifestyle factors such as time spent at home, house type layout complexity, spaciousness, physical activity, routine and spatial novelty, and perceived loneliness. Results: Extensive time spent at home has adverse effects on all measures, while multi-storey houses perform better than single-story houses with positive correlations with physical activity and spatial novelty. Separate regression models on the variance in depression, as the most salient dependent variable and reliably associated with neurogenesis, reveal that getting out of the house explains 20.5% of the variance in depression symptoms. At the scale of the house, multi-storey houses explain 16.5% of the variance. Both percentages are closer to the effect of loneliness, which we found to explain 26.6% of the variance in depression. Conclusions: The built environment appears to be significantly associated with changes in cognitive function and mental health symptoms associated with neurogenesis. This pilot study shows the equally important effect of physical and social enrichment, offering critically needed insights for neuroarchitecture and brain health research that is interested in public health. Full article