This article presents a sociological study of sleep issues in the British print news media, with ... more This article presents a sociological study of sleep issues in the British print news media, with particular focus on the relationship between sleep, work and the changing demands of `flexible capitalism'. Drawing on over 1000 newspaper articles from 1984 to 2005, we explore how and why sleep is framed or constructed in terms of continuity and change (in British working life and work cultures) and, equally, viewed as a neglected component of our social lives which is too easily sacrificed to the demands of the 24/7 society, long hours culture and the struggle to create a harmonious work-life balance. This is particularly the case for certain British work cultures in which sleep has conflicting and contrasting associations. Finally, we reflect on the broader class-based discourses and debates that arise from certain workers having their sleep patterns increasingly scrutinized and regulated, and the role of the media in any ensuing sleep/work `crisis'.
This article analyzes the ways in which rights-based arguments are utilized by anti-abortion acti... more This article analyzes the ways in which rights-based arguments are utilized by anti-abortion activists in the UK. Drawing on an ethnographic study featuring 30 abortion clinic sites, anti-abortion marches, and other campaigns, we argue that rights-based claims form an important part of their arguments. In contrast to the way in which human rights law has been interpreted to support abortion provision, anti-abortion activists seek to undermine this connection through a number of mechanisms. First, they align their arguments with scientific discourse and attempt to downplay the religious motivation for their action. While this is an attempt to generate greater credibility for their campaign, ultimately, the coopting of scientific arguments actually becomes embedded in their religious practice, rather than being separate from it. Second, they reconfigure who should be awarded human rights, arguing not only that fetuses should be accorded human rights but also that providing abortion to...
This report sets out findings of a rapid-ethnographic research project commissioned by The Childr... more This report sets out findings of a rapid-ethnographic research project commissioned by The Children’s Society and conducted by a research team from Aston University into the experiences of families living in Kingshurst – a neighbourhood within the metropolitan borough of Solihull in the West Midlands.
Throughout the book, I have illustrated how ideas about the women’s roles as bearers and carers w... more Throughout the book, I have illustrated how ideas about the women’s roles as bearers and carers who naturally put their children first are used to justify a range of different ideological frameworks, policies and practices in the area of reproductive health. Whilst women are often offered a choice, the idea of maternal sacrifice is deployed to make it clear which option is the ‘right’ choice. This is not to suggest that women always accept or comply with these norms; however, the framing is important as it shapes the way that rejection and acceptance can be articulated and practiced. Whilst the sacrifices that women should make will vary depending on factors such as social class, ethnicity, sexuality, disability and age, the fact that they should make sacrifices is a uniting factor. The concepts of ‘intensive motherhood’ (Hays 1996) and ‘total motherhood’ (Wolf 2011) have usefully outlined the expectations on women in relation to motherhood. These concepts clearly illustrate the idea that motherhood is supposed to be all-consuming with a distinct hierarchy in which the normative expectation is that women should be the ones to change their lives, even if these changes have an adverse impact. This book has built on these concepts to illustrate how the idea of maternal sacrifice is a powerful tool in disciplining women across fertility and motherhood issues, and how it can support diverse and ever-changing expectations of child welfare.
Abstract In the UK, narratives about saved women and babies have been a significant feature in an... more Abstract In the UK, narratives about saved women and babies have been a significant feature in anti-abortion campaigns to oppose bufferzones, which seek to prevent anti-abortion activists from being directly outside abortion clinics. Anti-abortion activists argue that without their presence, the ‘abortion industry’ will fail to seek ‘informed’ consent and coerce women into abortions. These presumptions are based on positioning abortion, and service providers, as inherently ‘evil’, whilst saving is rooted in Christian beliefs aimed at ensuring that souls go to heaven. This paper emerges from ethnographic research in Britain on anti-abortion activism and pro-choice counter-demonstrations. Highlighting the importance of saving in many of the anti-abortion campaigns, it will argue that as they have a different conceptualisations of harm to pro-choice activists, this leads to a lack of understanding of each other's saving narrative. Yet to some extent they both draw on a positioning of women as potentially vulnerable and at risk from the actions of others.
Across the UK, there has been an increase in anti-abortion activism outside abortion clinics. The... more Across the UK, there has been an increase in anti-abortion activism outside abortion clinics. The activism deployed includes explicitly religious activities such as ‘prayerful witnessing’ and ‘pavement counselling’, which aim to discourage women from entering clinics. This article stems from a wider ethnographic study of public activism over abortion to determine what claims about motherhood are being made within these debates. Two arguments are presented. First, how women’s role as mothers is central and essentialised in anti-abortion discourses, with the body of the mother often disappearing as activists seek to erode the distinction between a foetus and a baby by constructing pregnancy as a foetal environment. Motherhood is constructed as ‘natural’ and sacred, therefore abortion must be damaging because it destroys women’s ‘natural’ position. Second, the article argues that although the activists’ arguments are always religiously framed, their activism takes place in a largely se...
The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care
Abstract Objectives: The internet has changed the organisation of sex work. The risk of sexually ... more Abstract Objectives: The internet has changed the organisation of sex work. The risk of sexually transmitted infections has frequently been a research focus, but less is known about sex workers’ use of contraception for pregnancy prevention. The aim of this research was to gain a better understanding of contraceptive preferences and provider interactions of online sex workers. Methods: Data were obtained from a multi-methods study of sex workers in the UK who advertise on the internet and have sexual contact with clients, particularly in the Birmingham and Solihull areas. The study comprised an online survey among 67 participants and eight qualitative interviews. Results: Reported high rates of condom use with clients led to sex workers considering pregnancy prevention to be a personal rather than an occupational issue. Disclosure of sex working to health professionals is often seen as unnecessary and/or undesirable due to concerns about stigma. A clear distinction between contraceptive needs for commercial and non-commercial partners was evident. Conclusion: Service providers need to take account of both personal and commercial needs during contraceptive consultations and avoid making assumptions based on homogeneous understandings of sex work. Encouraging disclosure of sex work to facilitate appropriate discussions may need new approaches to combat privacy and stigma concerns.
This novel paper critically addresses a currently popular sex education resource which compares s... more This novel paper critically addresses a currently popular sex education resource which compares sexual consent to tea drinking. Drawing from a study which considered the meaning of consent through focus groups and interviews with young people and professionals, we argue that the central ‘risk avoidance’ message of such resources individualises the potential risks of non-consensual sex and ignores the gendered social structures which shape interpersonal relationships. We suggest that simplifying and extrapolating sexual consent from broader cultural understandings is problematic. Conversations with young people are important, but they need to address the complexity of sexual consent, coercion and gendered sexual norms.
In the UK, there is evidence of a recent increase in anti-abortion activism outside clinics. In r... more In the UK, there is evidence of a recent increase in anti-abortion activism outside clinics. In response, abortion service providers have called for the introduction of 'buffer' zones to protect women from 'harassment' while accessing abortion services. Drawing on two datasets-extensive ethnographic fieldwork, and a content analysis of clinic client comment forms-we deploy Goffman's concept of 'civil inattention' to further our understanding of the material practice of anti-abortion clinic activism. We find that although anti-abortion activists understand their own actions to be supportive, practices of religious observance outside clinics inescapably draw attention to the site and to the act of accessing healthcare, inherently challenging normative expectations of privacy and confidentiality. Our analysis suggests that anti-abortion activism outside clinics consequently violates social rules governing encounters with strangers in specific places and reinforces gendered hierarchies. As such, they are often experienced as acts of gendered harassment.
Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences, Feb 26, 2013
The idea for this special issue arose through conversations that we had about the challenges of t... more The idea for this special issue arose through conversations that we had about the challenges of teaching sensitive issues. We had been pondering the ethical dilemmas that often emerge when researching such issues and realised there was a gap between the ethical challenges, demands and advice for researchers compared with those teaching these subjects. Advice on researching sensitive issues has been available for a considerable time (eg Lee 1993) with research power relationships being explored in depth particularly in feminist research (eg Letherby 2003). Universities have begun to make evermore demands over social science research with the growth of university research ethics committees and whilst there is still debate over the role that these should or should not play (eg Haggerty 2004), they formally recognise the need to respect and protect the informants involved in research, and set out to ensure that those conducting research are aware of the need to consider the wellbeing of those involved in research.
Postings from an Internet forum were used to explore the ways in which some women try to influenc... more Postings from an Internet forum were used to explore the ways in which some women try to influence the sex of a future child. The extensive reproductive work involved gives an indication of the women's commitment to try to choose a particular sex; in this case a preference for a girl rather than a boy. The findings revealed stereotypical views of masculinity and femininity at the heart of the preference. The presumption of fixed gendered identities helped frame this desire as "natural," lessen the threat to maternal identities, reinforce the logic of "choice," and support the women's reproductive work practices.
This book brings together new and leading scholars, who demonstrate the importance of research wi... more This book brings together new and leading scholars, who demonstrate the importance of research with children and from a child perspective, allowing for a fuller understanding of the meaning and impact of health and illness in children’s lives. •Demonstrates the importance of research with children and research from a child perspective, in order to fully understand the meaning and impact of health and illness in children’s lives •Encourages critical reflection on contemporary health policy and its relationships to culturally specific ways of knowing and understanding children’s health •Brings together new and leading scholars in the field of children’s health and illness •Moves the highly important issue of children’s health into the mainstream sociology of health and illness
Connecting a sociology of childhood perspective with the study of child health, illness and wellb... more Connecting a sociology of childhood perspective with the study of child health, illness and wellbeing: introduction
Despite growing interest in learning and teaching as emotional activities, there is still very li... more Despite growing interest in learning and teaching as emotional activities, there is still very little research on experiences of sensitive issues. Using qualitative data from students from a range of social science disciplines, this study investigates student's experiences. The paper highlights how, although they found it difficult and distressing at times, the students all valued being able to explore sensitive issues during their studies. The paper argues that it is though repeated exposure to sensitive issues within the classroom that the students became more comfortable with the issues. This process of lessening sensitivity is an important part of the emotional journey through higher education. It will argue that good student experiences need not always be positive emotions and that sensitive issues should be seen as an important part of transformational education.
The idea for this special issue arose through conversations that we had about the challenges of t... more The idea for this special issue arose through conversations that we had about the challenges of teaching sensitive issues. We had been pondering the ethical dilemmas that often emerge when researching such issues and realised there was a gap between the ethical challenges, demands and advice for researchers compared with those teaching these subjects. Advice on researching sensitive issues has been available for a considerable time (eg Lee 1993) with research power relationships being explored in depth particularly in feminist research (eg Letherby 2003). Universities have begun to make evermore demands over social science research with the growth of university research ethics committees and whilst there is still debate over the role that these should or should not play (eg Haggerty 2004), they formally recognise the need to respect and protect the informants involved in research, and set out to ensure that those conducting research are aware of the need to consider the wellbeing of those involved in research.
This article presents a sociological study of sleep issues in the British print news media, with ... more This article presents a sociological study of sleep issues in the British print news media, with particular focus on the relationship between sleep, work and the changing demands of `flexible capitalism'. Drawing on over 1000 newspaper articles from 1984 to 2005, we explore how and why sleep is framed or constructed in terms of continuity and change (in British working life and work cultures) and, equally, viewed as a neglected component of our social lives which is too easily sacrificed to the demands of the 24/7 society, long hours culture and the struggle to create a harmonious work-life balance. This is particularly the case for certain British work cultures in which sleep has conflicting and contrasting associations. Finally, we reflect on the broader class-based discourses and debates that arise from certain workers having their sleep patterns increasingly scrutinized and regulated, and the role of the media in any ensuing sleep/work `crisis'.
This article analyzes the ways in which rights-based arguments are utilized by anti-abortion acti... more This article analyzes the ways in which rights-based arguments are utilized by anti-abortion activists in the UK. Drawing on an ethnographic study featuring 30 abortion clinic sites, anti-abortion marches, and other campaigns, we argue that rights-based claims form an important part of their arguments. In contrast to the way in which human rights law has been interpreted to support abortion provision, anti-abortion activists seek to undermine this connection through a number of mechanisms. First, they align their arguments with scientific discourse and attempt to downplay the religious motivation for their action. While this is an attempt to generate greater credibility for their campaign, ultimately, the coopting of scientific arguments actually becomes embedded in their religious practice, rather than being separate from it. Second, they reconfigure who should be awarded human rights, arguing not only that fetuses should be accorded human rights but also that providing abortion to...
This report sets out findings of a rapid-ethnographic research project commissioned by The Childr... more This report sets out findings of a rapid-ethnographic research project commissioned by The Children’s Society and conducted by a research team from Aston University into the experiences of families living in Kingshurst – a neighbourhood within the metropolitan borough of Solihull in the West Midlands.
Throughout the book, I have illustrated how ideas about the women’s roles as bearers and carers w... more Throughout the book, I have illustrated how ideas about the women’s roles as bearers and carers who naturally put their children first are used to justify a range of different ideological frameworks, policies and practices in the area of reproductive health. Whilst women are often offered a choice, the idea of maternal sacrifice is deployed to make it clear which option is the ‘right’ choice. This is not to suggest that women always accept or comply with these norms; however, the framing is important as it shapes the way that rejection and acceptance can be articulated and practiced. Whilst the sacrifices that women should make will vary depending on factors such as social class, ethnicity, sexuality, disability and age, the fact that they should make sacrifices is a uniting factor. The concepts of ‘intensive motherhood’ (Hays 1996) and ‘total motherhood’ (Wolf 2011) have usefully outlined the expectations on women in relation to motherhood. These concepts clearly illustrate the idea that motherhood is supposed to be all-consuming with a distinct hierarchy in which the normative expectation is that women should be the ones to change their lives, even if these changes have an adverse impact. This book has built on these concepts to illustrate how the idea of maternal sacrifice is a powerful tool in disciplining women across fertility and motherhood issues, and how it can support diverse and ever-changing expectations of child welfare.
Abstract In the UK, narratives about saved women and babies have been a significant feature in an... more Abstract In the UK, narratives about saved women and babies have been a significant feature in anti-abortion campaigns to oppose bufferzones, which seek to prevent anti-abortion activists from being directly outside abortion clinics. Anti-abortion activists argue that without their presence, the ‘abortion industry’ will fail to seek ‘informed’ consent and coerce women into abortions. These presumptions are based on positioning abortion, and service providers, as inherently ‘evil’, whilst saving is rooted in Christian beliefs aimed at ensuring that souls go to heaven. This paper emerges from ethnographic research in Britain on anti-abortion activism and pro-choice counter-demonstrations. Highlighting the importance of saving in many of the anti-abortion campaigns, it will argue that as they have a different conceptualisations of harm to pro-choice activists, this leads to a lack of understanding of each other's saving narrative. Yet to some extent they both draw on a positioning of women as potentially vulnerable and at risk from the actions of others.
Across the UK, there has been an increase in anti-abortion activism outside abortion clinics. The... more Across the UK, there has been an increase in anti-abortion activism outside abortion clinics. The activism deployed includes explicitly religious activities such as ‘prayerful witnessing’ and ‘pavement counselling’, which aim to discourage women from entering clinics. This article stems from a wider ethnographic study of public activism over abortion to determine what claims about motherhood are being made within these debates. Two arguments are presented. First, how women’s role as mothers is central and essentialised in anti-abortion discourses, with the body of the mother often disappearing as activists seek to erode the distinction between a foetus and a baby by constructing pregnancy as a foetal environment. Motherhood is constructed as ‘natural’ and sacred, therefore abortion must be damaging because it destroys women’s ‘natural’ position. Second, the article argues that although the activists’ arguments are always religiously framed, their activism takes place in a largely se...
The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care
Abstract Objectives: The internet has changed the organisation of sex work. The risk of sexually ... more Abstract Objectives: The internet has changed the organisation of sex work. The risk of sexually transmitted infections has frequently been a research focus, but less is known about sex workers’ use of contraception for pregnancy prevention. The aim of this research was to gain a better understanding of contraceptive preferences and provider interactions of online sex workers. Methods: Data were obtained from a multi-methods study of sex workers in the UK who advertise on the internet and have sexual contact with clients, particularly in the Birmingham and Solihull areas. The study comprised an online survey among 67 participants and eight qualitative interviews. Results: Reported high rates of condom use with clients led to sex workers considering pregnancy prevention to be a personal rather than an occupational issue. Disclosure of sex working to health professionals is often seen as unnecessary and/or undesirable due to concerns about stigma. A clear distinction between contraceptive needs for commercial and non-commercial partners was evident. Conclusion: Service providers need to take account of both personal and commercial needs during contraceptive consultations and avoid making assumptions based on homogeneous understandings of sex work. Encouraging disclosure of sex work to facilitate appropriate discussions may need new approaches to combat privacy and stigma concerns.
This novel paper critically addresses a currently popular sex education resource which compares s... more This novel paper critically addresses a currently popular sex education resource which compares sexual consent to tea drinking. Drawing from a study which considered the meaning of consent through focus groups and interviews with young people and professionals, we argue that the central ‘risk avoidance’ message of such resources individualises the potential risks of non-consensual sex and ignores the gendered social structures which shape interpersonal relationships. We suggest that simplifying and extrapolating sexual consent from broader cultural understandings is problematic. Conversations with young people are important, but they need to address the complexity of sexual consent, coercion and gendered sexual norms.
In the UK, there is evidence of a recent increase in anti-abortion activism outside clinics. In r... more In the UK, there is evidence of a recent increase in anti-abortion activism outside clinics. In response, abortion service providers have called for the introduction of 'buffer' zones to protect women from 'harassment' while accessing abortion services. Drawing on two datasets-extensive ethnographic fieldwork, and a content analysis of clinic client comment forms-we deploy Goffman's concept of 'civil inattention' to further our understanding of the material practice of anti-abortion clinic activism. We find that although anti-abortion activists understand their own actions to be supportive, practices of religious observance outside clinics inescapably draw attention to the site and to the act of accessing healthcare, inherently challenging normative expectations of privacy and confidentiality. Our analysis suggests that anti-abortion activism outside clinics consequently violates social rules governing encounters with strangers in specific places and reinforces gendered hierarchies. As such, they are often experienced as acts of gendered harassment.
Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences, Feb 26, 2013
The idea for this special issue arose through conversations that we had about the challenges of t... more The idea for this special issue arose through conversations that we had about the challenges of teaching sensitive issues. We had been pondering the ethical dilemmas that often emerge when researching such issues and realised there was a gap between the ethical challenges, demands and advice for researchers compared with those teaching these subjects. Advice on researching sensitive issues has been available for a considerable time (eg Lee 1993) with research power relationships being explored in depth particularly in feminist research (eg Letherby 2003). Universities have begun to make evermore demands over social science research with the growth of university research ethics committees and whilst there is still debate over the role that these should or should not play (eg Haggerty 2004), they formally recognise the need to respect and protect the informants involved in research, and set out to ensure that those conducting research are aware of the need to consider the wellbeing of those involved in research.
Postings from an Internet forum were used to explore the ways in which some women try to influenc... more Postings from an Internet forum were used to explore the ways in which some women try to influence the sex of a future child. The extensive reproductive work involved gives an indication of the women's commitment to try to choose a particular sex; in this case a preference for a girl rather than a boy. The findings revealed stereotypical views of masculinity and femininity at the heart of the preference. The presumption of fixed gendered identities helped frame this desire as "natural," lessen the threat to maternal identities, reinforce the logic of "choice," and support the women's reproductive work practices.
This book brings together new and leading scholars, who demonstrate the importance of research wi... more This book brings together new and leading scholars, who demonstrate the importance of research with children and from a child perspective, allowing for a fuller understanding of the meaning and impact of health and illness in children’s lives. •Demonstrates the importance of research with children and research from a child perspective, in order to fully understand the meaning and impact of health and illness in children’s lives •Encourages critical reflection on contemporary health policy and its relationships to culturally specific ways of knowing and understanding children’s health •Brings together new and leading scholars in the field of children’s health and illness •Moves the highly important issue of children’s health into the mainstream sociology of health and illness
Connecting a sociology of childhood perspective with the study of child health, illness and wellb... more Connecting a sociology of childhood perspective with the study of child health, illness and wellbeing: introduction
Despite growing interest in learning and teaching as emotional activities, there is still very li... more Despite growing interest in learning and teaching as emotional activities, there is still very little research on experiences of sensitive issues. Using qualitative data from students from a range of social science disciplines, this study investigates student's experiences. The paper highlights how, although they found it difficult and distressing at times, the students all valued being able to explore sensitive issues during their studies. The paper argues that it is though repeated exposure to sensitive issues within the classroom that the students became more comfortable with the issues. This process of lessening sensitivity is an important part of the emotional journey through higher education. It will argue that good student experiences need not always be positive emotions and that sensitive issues should be seen as an important part of transformational education.
The idea for this special issue arose through conversations that we had about the challenges of t... more The idea for this special issue arose through conversations that we had about the challenges of teaching sensitive issues. We had been pondering the ethical dilemmas that often emerge when researching such issues and realised there was a gap between the ethical challenges, demands and advice for researchers compared with those teaching these subjects. Advice on researching sensitive issues has been available for a considerable time (eg Lee 1993) with research power relationships being explored in depth particularly in feminist research (eg Letherby 2003). Universities have begun to make evermore demands over social science research with the growth of university research ethics committees and whilst there is still debate over the role that these should or should not play (eg Haggerty 2004), they formally recognise the need to respect and protect the informants involved in research, and set out to ensure that those conducting research are aware of the need to consider the wellbeing of those involved in research.
Uploads
Papers by Pam Lowe