This week, we looked at how we can extend an art activity by reducing our Windows in the West print, and creating a black and white photocopy, which we then used to create a pen drawing extending from the print image. The importance of continuation in art was emphasised, as all too often art is treated as a stand-alone, one-off activity and this can be discouraging to children. By using past work as a stimulus, pupils can see how art can be a progressive activity and this encourages them to develop their imaginative capabilities and allows them to increase their skills (McAuliffe, 2007).
Progression
We looked at this in practice, through the Room 13 initiative in Fort William. Room 13 is an extraordinary example of the brilliance that can emerge from children being taken seriously and allowed autonomy and independence as artists (Gibb, 2012). This aligns with my belief that we can get the best from our pupils, not by trying to hold power over them, but by treating them respectfully as equals in their education.
Music
I found the music seminar really informative today. To begin with, as usual in the music inputs, I felt extremely apprehensive and out of my depth when the lecturer explained the task. Music terminology is something I have tried to increase my knowledge in, but each time it still confuses me and causes much anxiety. However, as the workshop progressed, my determination to at least try proved fruitful and I found my confidence increasing as I navigated the GarageBand app to create a very short backing track. This enabled me to put myself in a child’s shoes, although I would say most school children are much more digitally literate than I am.
We discussed the possibilities of this resource and how easy it is for children to use and create their own tracks, the opportunities for enterprise, literacy, citizenship and arts. We also had a go at creating a sound effect track for a short video clip. I was really engaged in this task and found it thoroughly enjoyable, feeling extremely proud of my end result. This is certainly an activity I will use in the classroom. This was the first time I truly considered that music in the classroom does not necessarily need to be just learning do-ray-me and wishing you were talented enough to play an instrument. The digital nature of our modern world extends into the music business too, and it is important to remember that as teachers, we will be educating the workforce of tomorrow. Introducing this type of software to pupils also gives those children who do not like to be in the limelight, a chance to be actively involved in the sound engineering aspect of music production, so digital music is definitely something I would like to make use of within my future classroom.
Both of today’s inputs focused on using prior learning and work to expand skills and repertoire, and thinking about the importance of giving children “experience of more specialised equipment” to further their skills (McAuliffe, 2007 p.28)
REFERENCES
Gibb, C. (2012) Room 13: The Movement and International Network. Oxford:Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
McAuliffe, D. (2007) Foundation and Primary Settings In: Cox, S., Watts, R., Grahame, J., Herne, S. and McAuliffe, D. (eds) Teaching Art and Design 3-11 London: Continuum pp.31-83
Climate Change is a controversial topic most of the time. The term Global Warming, often used synonymously with climate change, can bring out a range of strong opinions; is it really happening? Is it a natural phenomenon that happens repeatedly throughout history, or is it a man-made issue? Regardless of where you stand on this, the evidence is there to show that since the Industrial Revolution, the Earth’s temperature has risen immensely compared to patterns throughout history (Met Office, 2015). Whether we have caused climate change or not, there is no denying that we are exacerbating the problem.
It is easy for us here in Scotland, to say that climate change is not a problem, where is the evidence of global warming when we only get one day of summer a year?! However, in the short film Antarctica on the Edge (2017), it is obvious that the effects of climate change are most clearly seen in the more remote biomes of our planet. The Antarctic and southern oceans influence the whole world’s weather systems and ocean currents. This means that we are all affected by the melting ice from the region, whether we want to believe it or not.
When a piece of the Mertz Glacier measuring over 26 square kilometres broke away in 2010, it had massive repercussions. Enabling scientists to explore the large area of the ocean floor now exposed for the first time, they discovered vast holes and caverns in the underwater ice. Referring to the ice as “rotten”, the scientists explain this as the result of warmer ocean currents causing the core of the glacier to melt. The presence of air bubbles seven metres down in the ice show signs of salt water infiltrating the glacier and weakening the ice.
I found the film very informative. Although I was aware that the remains of dead marine creatures contained carbon and were fossilised or ground into tiny particles in the sea bed, I had not made the connection between this and the role nature plays in the removal of carbon in the ocean to beneath the sea floor until I witnessed the brittle starfish immobilise and devour the fish on the ocean floor.
I also increased my knowledge of the role of aerosol particles in the air, and the implications on our water cycle of the air quality. It was interesting to hear how knowledge of how clouds are formed and the variations of this from before the Industrial Revolution can impact climate change, as this was not something I had ever considered. I did however have some concerns about the impact this scientific voyage would have on the environment of the Antarctic, particularly observing the blasé way the ship seemed to crunch through the sea ice. It seemed slightly ironic that they would break the ice up even further, in their quest to prevent the ice breaking up!
Climate Change Scotland Act
In terms of how this has affected my own life, I would say that it has not had much of an effect as I almost feel as if I am one step ahead of the government on this issue. Having been a teenager in Ireland when the plastic bag levy was introduced there in 2002, it quickly became habit to bring your own bag. I incurred strange looks for a few years when producing my own reusable bags in supermarkets in Scotland. However, I have not once paid for a plastic bag since the levy was enforced here, as it was already second nature to me. Similarly, I had been separating my waste for recycling in Ireland, long before it was rolled out in Scotland and so my family were already in the habit of separating waste before municipal refuse was recycled in Scotland.
I was delighted to see that the Scottish Government’s initial interim target of reducing CO2 emissions by 42% of the 1990 baseline by 2020 was exceeded six years early in 2014 (Scottish Government, 2017).
One issue I would really like to see the government tackle, is the amount of plastic used by our supermarkets. The human race managed to survive for thousands of years before the invention of plastic, so there is no reason why we couldn’t cope without it again. With 9 out of 10 people calling for a plastic free aisle in UK supermarkets, it wouldn’t take long for big businesses to see that a complete overhaul of the way we shop would be a welcome change for most people (A Plastic Planet, 2017). There is provision in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 for this to happen (section 83 ), however my search for any information on any proposals towards this came to nothing.
Carbon Footprint:
I was very satisfied with the results of my carbon footprint test, however I do feel that some questions were quite vague and made assumptions that may not be accurate, for example my monthly spend on cosmetic products is quite high, and this is obviously taken to equate to overconsumption by the diagnostic test. It doesn’t take into consideration that the reason I spend so much, is that I only buy cosmetic products that have been made using all natural, ethically and sustainably sourced materials and ingredients, using only recycled/biodegradable containers and packaging. This is something I am quite zealous about, as I try very hard to avoid the ethical and moral consequences of purchasing popular branded products using palm oil, animal testing etc.
Although the test results indicate I am saving 5% of my carbon share, the implications of my travel are quite high. This is due to the fact that travelling to university is a 68 mile round trip, four days a week by car. Unfortunately, this is due to the excessive costs of travelling by train: the price of a weekly train ticket to university is £15 more than my weekly petrol costs, and this includes my husband using the car at the weekends, along with taking children to afterschool activities etc. I definitely feel that the government could do more to improve public transport for people, for example improving reliability and lowering costs.
During this week’s lecture we were introduced to Scottish artist Avril Paton’s 1993 painting ‘Window’s in the West’, currently on display at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Gallery. As Paton is a modern artist, we were able to view a video of her talking about the painting online. This is something that I will keep in mind in the classroom; there is a higher chance of discovering video or audio clips of a living modern artist talking about their work than a classical artist who is now deceased. This gives pupils a greater understanding of the artist and their work, and helps them to utilise Taylor’s Model of Assessment (1987) to interpret a piece of art. Using this method, we discussed our interpretations of the painting, and it was interesting to note the variety of emotions and ideas the painting evoked in each of us.
Diarmuid also encouraged us to consider the gender of the artists we select to look at in the classroom. When you think about it, female artists have essentially been written out of history, and it is conventionally male artists that are usually looked at in the classroom, from Da Vinci and Van Gough, to Steve Brown. Choosing female artists to investigate in school makes some attempt to balance the gender bias.
During the lecture, we also discussed the possibilities for interdisciplinary learning by considering the links to literacy and drama that could be forged through this painting. Pupils could take a room or scene from the painting, for example the two people in the doorway, and come up with a back story for these characters. They could develop a drama based around the lives of these people and create a script to go with it. The pupils could then act this out, and it could also pull in elements of a Scottish culture topic.
The visual arts input was a practical lesson on printing. We recreated a section of Windows in the West on a polystyrene tile, rolled tempera paint onto it then printed this onto a folded A4 piece of paper. After a short time, we repeated the print process with one or two additional colours, creating a total of four images. This was an interesting activity which produced aesthetically pleasing results, and could easily be used in the classroom, with some adaptations. I would ideally spread the process over a few lessons and perhaps have relatively small groups of pupils completing the activity at a time as things did get a bit chaotic in the art studio. The tempera paint is permanent and will stain clothing, so whilst it is necessary to have a tolerance for mess in order to fully engage in the arts, consideration must still be given to the implications concerning children’s clothing, school property and furniture, and I feel that smaller groups would allow for more precautions which in turn will ensure activities like this can continue without issue from management or parents. This activity could lead smoothly from a research project into the invention of the printing press within a topic on inventions and industry. If done at the right time of year, the results of the activity could be used as an enterprise venture for the pupils, making the prints into Christmas cards for example.
In the afternoon, we had our first opportunity to experience drama. We considered how drama is conventionally viewed in the classroom. Often, it is pigeon-holed into the nativity, the end of year show, and in some religious schools, the stations of the cross at Easter. However, today we considered the idea of introducing drama as a regular, non-production based element within the classroom. By using drama conventions such as teacher in role (TIR), we were introduced to the story of “The Lonely Dragon”. Modelling how to perform TIR, the lecturer encouraged us to participate as pupils, suggesting possible reasons and solutions for the problem of the dragon. This allowed us to see how drama can be child-led in the classroom, and doesn’t need a myriad of scenery, props and costumes. Something simple such as a scarf or hat for the teacher to wear to signal to the children that they are in their role is all that is needed. Children have wonderful imaginations and often choose role playing games when given the opportunity. We should capitalise on this to make drama a much more regular experience for children, and doing it in this way allows those who may not feel confident performing on stage, the chance to take part and be involved.
We continued to look at other drama conventions through the story of the dragon. The Freeze Frame technique was fascinating to get a glimpse into how differently we all reacted to the story – this enabled us to see how the teacher can steer the class towards a certain conclusion whilst still allowing the children to lead the direction of the drama and utilise their imagination and creativity. Other techniques we tried were hot seat, improvisation and thought tunnels – these all have a key role to play in truly allowing the children to lead the drama and develop their abilities in some of the key Tallis skills, such as imagination, collaboration and inquisitiveness (Tallis Pedagogy Wheel, 2017).
Thinking about the common theme through the inputs, Eisner’s ‘Ten Lessons the Arts Teach” (2002) comes to mind, particularly the idea that the arts teach us that each of us interpret the world around us in our own individual way, and every interpretation is valid.
REFERENCES:
Eisner, E. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of Mind. London: Yale University Press.
Paton, A. (1993) Windows in the West [Online] Available: https://avrilpaton.co.uk/ [Accessed: 5 October 2017]
Today we looked at the figure notes system of reading music. Julie explained that the system was developed in Finland as an educational tool that creates a more inclusive way of learning to play an instrument. A combination of symbols and colours are used to identify individual notes. Using this simple yet effective system, we each learnt to play Twinkle Twinkle, Frere Jacques and Jingle Bells on the glockenspiel. This enabled me to see how easy this system is, and how it opens up the world of music to everybody. This is a very effective way of boosting an individual’s confidence in music, and the system is designed to make progression to traditional notation easy.
Using our short experience with the figure notes system, Julie then explained how to use a pentatonic scale. By using only five notes, CDEGA, and taking away, quite literally, the F and B notes, we had to improvise a 16-bar section of the song “Hit the Road Jack”. This was quite daunting at first, however once we got into it, it sounded quite good and wasn’t anywhere near as bad as anticipated. This is an effective way to increase learners confidence, as you are taking away any possibility of making a mistake, increasing the likelihood of participation. This shows learners that there is no right or wrong answer or combination of notes, there are infact a mutitude of possible solutions, which Eisner (2002) states is an important lesson we can learn through the arts.
The visual arts input had us begin by creating our own paint brushes to use later in the class. We had a variety of materials to choose from, from an assortment of colours and thickness of wool, string, cotton and polyester fibre stuffing, to feathers, foam shapes, paper and wooden sticks. This in itself was an enjoyable activity that really got our imaginations going, and is something I will definitely be using in the classroom. It served to ensure from the start, that there was no expectation to produce “perfection” in our artwork, but rather emphasised the individuality and uniqueness in our work, with the focus on the process.
Step OnePaintbrush
The second part of this input was to paint a picture. The method Diarmuid used of ‘reading’ the painting to us, definitely developed my tolerance for ambiguity. Far from just a painting lesson, this was a lesson that required good listening skills, imagination, confidence and a willingness to just give it a go, some skills and abilities that us adults can often lack. This gave us a chance to experience what a primary school pupil may feel when asked to replicate a specific image that they do not possess the skills for. This willingness to have a go, to risk being wrong, is an important attribute in this modern, ideas-driven society, and it is an attribute that is being dismissed and transformed into fear of making mistakes, by our current education system and the hierarchy of subjects putting arts at the bottom (Robinson, 2006).
Blank canvasA work in progressThe finished article
Both of this week’s inputs can be related development of a number of the TALLIS Habits (Tallis Pedagogy Wheel Guide, 2017). They developed my ability to be persistent, to stick with difficulty, tolerate uncertainty and take risks. My imaginative and inquisitive skills were extended, through experimentation with materials and ideas to create my paintbrush, playing with possibilities for the different notes for the improvisation, challenging my own assumptions on what makes a good painting and the notion that there is not one single way to create a painting. I also learnt to be disciplined in my artwork, through refining and developing my painting and finally reflecting critically on my progress in the module so far, in this week’s inputs and the processes involved.
REFERENCES
Eisner, E. (2002) The Arts and the Creation of Mind. London: Yale University Press.
Robinson, K. (2006) Do Schools Kill Creativity? 19.24 mins. [Online] Available: https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity [Accessed: 21 September 2017].
Weeks one and two of the Integrated Arts module focused on music and visual art.
In music, we focused on the emotional aspect of music: how different pieces of music can affect a person’s mood and feelings, but also how a certain piece of music can produce diverse feelings in different individuals. Five different samples of music were used, and although there was a general consensus within the group of how we reacted to each piece, there were also some differences – for example, whilst most people found piece number four to bring about a reflective and thoughtful mood, I found it quite depressing.
The second task in the music input was to discover how music can inspire us to think creatively through literacy and art. We listened to a piece of classical music three times, and devised a story based on the imagery inspired by the music. The piece was Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Our group found the music brought about a sense of excited urgency, putting us in mind of a Christmas film with elves busily preparing for the big night of December 24th. Our storyboard, pictured below, detailed the various blips we imagined these elves running into during the piece of music, from a clogged conveyor belt, chasing a Grinch-like villain, to a thundery snowstorm almost blowing Santa Claus off course before he delivers the presents just in the nick of time:
Christmas Eve!
It was interesting to see a common theme across the whole class, of the idea of a chase of some sort occurring. This is a clear example of how the tone, volume and tempo of a piece of music can be used to convey an idea without any words or pictures. This storyboard activity is definitely something I will take into my teaching practice as it is such a great way to show how music can be used as a form of literacy to convey meaning and tell a story.
The drawing inputs carried over from week one into week two, beginning with the notion of learning to tolerate ambiguity when it comes to the arts, the notion of being ok with not knowing. This is quite an important point, particularly when we consider the drawings and art work produced by very young children, as often to us adults, their productions can seem like nothing more than scribbles. However, when a child is given the chance to talk about their artwork, very often you find that the piece has a very specific meaning, and the child can see quite clearly what they have created.
Looking at through the Primary Art Archive in week two, it was clear to see that there was definite progression in the children’s ability to add detail as they got older, however taking another perspective, I felt there was also a deterioration in the artistic imagination of the children as their age increased. This could be due to children becoming self-conscious of their work as they get older (McAuliffe, 2007). The middle primary portion of the archive felt very prescriptive to me; I felt that the majority of the artwork seemed to be the result of a task related to topical work, specified by the teacher – for example, the collection of partner portraits, and the numerous Scotland flags made with scrunched up tissue paper. Comparing this to the youngest section of the archive, there was a lot more freedom of expression and imagination present in the younger children’s artwork.
Partner PortraitsFlag from scrunched tissue paper
A common theme through each of the stages in the archive, was the presence of the child’s environment in their artwork. It was clear to see that children draw what is around them – they use drawing and painting as a way to make sense of the world around them. There was a lot of pictures of people and important items such as teddy bears and pets present in the youngest section, lots of football games and extended families in the middle section, whilst the older primary section contained a lot of pop culture artworks, alongside historical representations such as world war two.
Early stageMiddle stageUpper Stage
The piece that stood out the most for me from the archive was “Dog under the machine”. Given the estimated age of the child from the section the picture was included in, the detail in this picture is amazing. I would imagine that were the child asked to write out the story of this image, it would be beyond the child’s capabilities at that age, yet through the medium of drawing, the child was perfectly able to get the story of this dog under the machine across. For me, this is the perfect example of how art enables an individual to express themselves and get their ideas across in a way that they can make most sense with. The notion that we know more than we can say (Polanyi, 1967, cited in Eisner, 2004) is shown perfectly in this piece.
Dog hiding under machine
The most prominent aspect of this week, for me, has been the task from the lecture input where we were asked to draw on a photocopied page of an article. The criteria was to draw out whatever came to mind upon reading the text, a visual expression of the words if you will. I found this task extremely uncomfortable; I sat staring at the page for a good 4 or 5 minutes, completely out of my comfort zone. In the end, I sketched out my perception of a Matisse painting that was described in the text. I still feel that this was not perhaps the intended outcome of the task, however I reminded myself of the need to tolerate ambiguity, be ok with not knowing if this was the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer, or in fact if there even exists a right or wrong answer to this task. The point of this activity however, only came to me later when I was writing out my notes from the first two weeks of this module. Without really realising it, I began to doodle on my notes. I realised, after drawing some leafy vines extending from the letter of the word “life”, that the intention of the earlier input had not been lost, and that actually using visuals to represent the meaning in my notes was a useful and helpful tool. This activity is another which I will definitely be using in my teaching practice!
Matisse – an interpretation!
References
Eisner, E. (2004) What Can Education Learn form the Arts about the Practice of Education? International Journal of Education & the Arts Vol.5(4) pp.1-13
McAuliffe, D. (2007) Foundation and Primary Settings In: Cox, S., Watts, R., Grahame, J., Herne, S. and McAuliffe, D. (eds) Teaching Art and Design 3-11 London: Continuum pp.31-83
Johnstone is a relatively medium-sized town in the royal burgh of Renfrewshire, in the west of Scotland. Under electoral ward designation, Johnstone is split into two categories: Johnstone North, which is categorised together with the nearby villages of Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch, and Johnstone South, which is teamed up with the village to its immediate east, Elderslie. The combined population of these two electoral wards in 2016 was 30,639 (Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics Guide, 2017).
Johnstone has a variety of different buildings, from the recently refurbished remains of the 16th century castle right in the middle of the Johnstone Castle housing scheme, to the strikingly modern town hall built in 2015.
Johnstone Town Hall – by Paisley Scotland CC BY 2.0Johnstone Castle – by Alex McGregor CC BY-SA 4.0
The town centre has two public squares,Ludovic Square and Houston Square, both named after the family of estate owners who founded the basis of the current town in the late 18th century. Houston square boasts a war memorial and a band stand, both of which are unfortunately given very little attention outwith Remembrance week. The town centre also hosts many retail business, with three supermarkets, numerous restaurants and cafes, hairdressers and beauty salons. Recently opened in the old registry office building is a café/ice cream parlour, with a games room and outdoor space for local teens to hang out.
Originally a mining town in the 16th & 17th centuries, the 18th & 19th centuries saw Johnstone grow as a cotton mill town, with Paton’s Mill and bootlace factory being a cornerstone of the town. The old mill still lies in ruins, a pain in the backside of the local fire service as the local arsonists regularly try to destroy what is left. The Hannah’s sweet factory on Walkinshaw Street is now the most notable manufacturing business in the town, with the firm’s infamous white mice being exported all over Europe.
Within the new town hall, are many community services. Police Scotland and Renfrewshire Council both have access points within the building. There is also a performance area, where a number of local schools took part in a collaborative dance initiative led by YDance, titled “Look Up, Look Out, Look Under” in March of this year. The town library is also located within the town hall building, and is a valued resource for many of the town’s residents.
Residential dwellings are a mixture of terraced and semi-detached houses, maisonettes, flats and some more modern apartment blocks. Two new private housing estates have been built within the last 18 months at the outskirts of the town. There is also one tower block of high flats in the town centre. Most of the properties are council and ex-council houses and flats, which were built to accommodate the overspill from Springburn in the 1950’s and 60s.
Johnstone has four non-denominational primary schools, three Catholic primary schools, four nurseries and pre-5 centres and one high school. Located within the grounds of Johnstone High is the Johnstone Sports Hub, run by Renfrewshire Leisure. It boasts a swimming pool, sports facilities, gym, fitness classes and astro turf pitches. Local schools operate a rota system for pupils to take part in swimming lessons during school term.
Johnstone has several green spaces, most notably Thomas Shanks Park, known locally as ‘the public park’. However, most of these areas contain little or no playground equipment for children to use, and those that do are poorly maintained and often unsafe. Corseford, a council housing scheme to the south west of the town, has no facilities whatsoever for young residents. Community centres are few and far between, leaving young people in the area to try and find their own entertainment, meaning the area does experience bouts of anti-social behaviour.
Johnstone has two train stations, Johnstone station to the north-east boundary of the town, and Milliken Park to the south west, both of which are on the Ayr/Largs to Glasgow line. Bus services to Glasgow city centre and nearby towns are run by McGill’s, who have a depot located close to the Milliken Park railway station, and local shuttle bus services by Keycoaches. Johnstone is also located in the flight path for Glasgow Airport, and this causes some noise pollution to the town. By way of compensation, Glasgow Airport Flight Path Fund provide financial assistance in the form of grants to local community groups who are affected (Glasgow Airport, 2017).
For such an urbanised town, Johnstone does have a remarkable natural environment right on its doorstep; the stunning Rannoch and Bluebell woods surrounding the Johnstone Castle estate provide a variety of wildlife, from foxes, squirrels and deer, to owls and bats at night time. The woods lead right up to the Glennifer Braes in the south, and provide beautiful and stimulating walks for dog walkers, children and amateur hikers alike. The numerous streams and burns are rich in pondlife and on a summer’s day, the woods are peppered with the sound of local children playing ‘tig’.
Bluebell Woods – author’s own image
I was pleasantly surprised to find the air pollution of Johnstone rated at level 2 – low, but also quite shocked to find that this was higher than Glasgow city centre’s rating of 1 (Air Quality in Scotland, 2017). I had wrongly assumed that the air quality of the city centre would be worse than a suburban town, however research shows that due to shorter commuting distances, and the close proximity of services in cities, cities residents expend less energy per capita that their more rural counterparts (European Environment Agency, 2013).
To devise a lesson in which a class of primary 5 pupils can investigate their urban environment, I would start with a discussion on the different types of housing that exist both in Scotland and around the world, and the benefits and disadvantages of each (SCO 2-13a). I would then organise a walk for pupils around the local area, to investigate and record the different types of housing present and how prevalent each is. Back in the classroom, I would ask the children to think about and discuss what they think these types of homes were chosen, and what impact this has on the local area. I would then encourage the children to devise a plan for a proposed new housing development in their local area, and get them to research features of houses that they could include, and the impact these would have on the environment (SCO 2-10a, SCO 2-8a, SCO 2-8b). This could be extended across the curriculum to include literacy, art and design, technology and numeracy by creating brochures and advertisements for their proposed development, creating a model of their development and investigating potential costings for the development based on different materials and options.
REFERENCES
Air Quality in Scotland, 2017. [Online] Available: www.scottishairquality.co.uk [Accessed: 22 September 2017]
Curriculum for Excellence: Social Studies Experiences and Outcomes [Online] Available: https://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/social-studies-eo.pdf [Accessed 22 September 2017]
European Environment Agency, 2013. Urban Environment [Online] Available: https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/urban/intro [Accessed: 22 September 2017]
Glasgow Airport, 2017 Flightpath fund [Online] Available: http://www.glasgowairport.com/community/flightpath-fund/ [Accessed : 22 September 2017]
Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics Guide, 2017. [Online] Available: http://statistics.gov.scot/resource?uri=http://statistics.gov.scot/id/statistical-geography/S13003082 and http://statistics.gov.scot/resource?uri=http://statistics.gov.scot/id/statistical-geography/S13003083 [Accessed: 22 September 2017]
I recently took a look at a study by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health as part of the Health input in the Society and Lifestyles module. The Glasgow Effect is a research study that analyses the mortality rates of Glasgow compared to Liverpool and Manchester, two cities that the researchers found to be strikingly similar to Glasgow in terms of socio-economics, population, industry etc. Despite the similar profiles, Glasgow has a significantly higher mortality rate than the other two cities: incidence of premature deaths are more than 30% higher in Glasgow, and 15% higher for overall deaths. The historical data that is available on these three cities shows very little difference between each of the three within the early 20th century, but a widening gap prominent from the 1970s onwards, suggesting that the so-called Glasgow Effect is a relatively modern phenomenon. The study explores the relationship between the three cities, and seeks to find out why this phenomenon occurs.
The excess mortality rates seen in Glasgow when compared to the two similar cities, are seen across the whole population. All ages, with the exception of the very young, show this consistency in excess mortality rates. Surprisingly, the death rate for Glasgow’s most affluent suburbs is 15% higher than that of the equivalent areas in both Liverpool and Manchester. Around half of all excess deaths are drug or alcohol related. This suggests that there is an element of the Glaswegian population that are in the “extreme” behavioural risk category, and that substance abuse may contribute significantly to the excess mortality rate of Glasgow.
The second part of this task was to consider the question “To what extent are Scottish people healthy?”. In answering this question, I took into account both my own experiences of living in Scotland, particularly compared to my experience of growing up and living in Ireland, and also results from the most recent Scottish Health Survey 2016 (SHeS).
My own experience of being a child and then an adult in Ireland, compared to my and my children’s experiences of living and growing up in Scotland, led me to conclude that Scottish people are not what I would consider healthy. However, I cannot say for certain that this is down to Scottish culture, as it is just as likely to be a generational issue, for example the decrease in the amount of time children spend playing outside nowadays compared to my generation could just as easily be down to the heightened awareness of possible dangers and the fact that the current generation of parents seem to be more risk adverse in the main than their predecessors. Certainly though, the accepted “normal” diet for children in Scotland is unlike anything I have experienced in my own childhood, and certainly less healthy than that of the children in my family who live in Ireland. There is also a much darker drinking culture in Scotland, which is surprising as alcohol-fuelled merriment is the stereotypical characteristic often attributed to the Irish. I have noticed a prevailing tendency to drink for the sake of drinking here, where across the water drinking is most definitely part of a wider experience, and rarely is drinking an activity found as more than an element of a social purpose.
In terms of official statistics, the SHeS results seem to indicate that whilst Scotland could not be mistaken for having high levels of health, the population is showing some signs of becoming healthier, when comparing the results to previous data collected. In considering risky behaviours, almost two thirds of men and 49% of females were in the lowest risk categories. Alcohol consumption has decreased for both men and women, and a reduction in the number of smokers was noted. The number of people diagnosed with COPD however, has not shown any significant change, nor has the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, and high blood pressure (hypertension).
Data on levels of obesity and weight, based on BMI calculations, were also included in the results. However, recent research tells us that contrary to popular belief, people who fall into the overweight or obese categories actually have a higher survival rate in terms of coronary disease, hypertension, and other ailments commonly associated with higher weight (Amundson, Djurkovic and Matwiyoff, 2010), so it is difficult to comment accurately on the significance of this data.
The levels of adults and children meeting the recommended daily guidelines for fruit and vegetables seems to reinforce my stance that the typical Scottish diet is not what I would consider healthy. Only just over one fifth of adults consumed the recommended 5 portions, and even less children at 12%. Put together this, with the findings that less three quarters of Scottish children met the advised 60 minutes of physical activity per day (a decrease from 2013), and only once school activities were included in this, and it makes for a worrying conclusion on the health of the current childhood population. Considering the statistics show a significant drop in the levels of both genders by the age of 13, girls even more than boys, it does not bode well for the future adults of this country.
A notable statistic is the substantial decline in the number of children who experience second hand smoke. This could be down to recent campaigns to highlight the dangers of second hand smoke, a clear example of how society can influence health.
References:
Amundson, D.E., Djurkovic, S. and Matwiyoff, G.N., 2010. The obesity paradox. Critical care clinics, 26(4), pp.583-596.
Scottish Government (2016) The Scottish Health Survey [Online]. The Scottish health survey: 2015 edition: Summary. Available: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00505745.pdf [Accessed 16 Feb 2017].
Walsh, D., Bendel, N., Jones, R. and Hanlon, P., 2010. Investigating a ‘Glasgow Effect’: why do equally deprived UK cities experience different health outcomes. Glasgow: Glasgow Centre for Population Health.
Today’s Society & Lifestyles inputs focused on religion and culture, and how the two are connected. It’s almost a “chicken and egg” concept: throughout history, religion has influenced culture and culture has influenced religion, and the two are so closely interlinked that it is almost impossible to separate the two.
I was most interested in the concept of unchurched spirituality – this was a new term to me, however the meaning of it was not. The rise of new-age and alternative spirituality has been apparent in our society for quite a while now, and it was interesting to consider the reasons for this. The differing definitions of spirituality within different religions and cultures was also quite interesting. I guess we all have our own idea of what spirituality means, and until now I hadn’t considered that others may have a drastically differing understanding to my own.
I am still a little unclear as to how to link the theory of key scholars into the exam question; I feel that there is still a lot more reading needed to obtain a more well-rounded understanding of the theories. I intend to read more about Max Weber and Bruce Lincoln; I don’t think I can stomach Karl Marx owing to my intense loathing of the man! Fortunately, his is the one theory I know well enough to make those links already.
In the first lecture in the Society and Lifestyles module today, the concept of Religion was introduced. Religion is a complex topic which is not easily defined, however there are a number of common characteristics found within different religions – as detailed in Ninian Smart’s phenomenology of religion; a multi-dimensional approach. Having (begrudgingly!) studied sociology previously, I could relate today’s inputs to my previous knowledge of Functionalist theory, and I was able to build upon this by going deeper into the functions of religion within society. Religion, as an agent of social control, provides a number of functions to society, most, if not all, of which could be considered necessary in order for society to operate cohesively, and diversity of religion in modern society brings both opportunities and challenges that I would like to explore in more depth.
I did find some of the concepts discussed today difficult to comprehend at first; I feel that this is due to the speed at which the issues were presented and the lack of time to explore each topic adequately. This made it quite tough to get my head around each concept/piece of information. It is clear that I will need to do a substantial amount of additional reading in order to fully grasp each concept. In particular, I feel it would be useful to explore the theories of Durkheim, Bourdillon and Malinowski in further detail, specifically in terms of their philosophies on religion and its function in society, and how this relates to current issues in society.
I first read Emma Donoghue’s Room last December, after it was recommended by a friend. Room is typical of one of the genre of books I usually tend to read, along the lines of Jodi Picoult and Martina Cole. I also really enjoy dramatic autobiographies and memoirs such as Angela’s Ashes, Call the Midwife and the Martha Long series, particularly those that are set in the 1960’s and 1970’s inner city areas. I am also an avid reader of books about self-discovery, positive parenting and the power of humanity, such as Constance Hall’s Like a Queen, Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford and Glennon Doyle Melton’s Carry on Warrior and the sequel Love Warrior.
I thoroughly enjoyed Room, as a mother of a five-year-old I could put myself in Ma’s shoes and imagine what was going through her head, and her motives for her behaviour and actions. I could empathise with her throughout the story, and I was drawn into the book through my ability to understand what Ma was going through. The book is very well written, Donoghue teases the background out through the thoughts and interactions of Jack, which keeps the reader engaged and eager to find out more. Telling the story from Jack’s perspective is really effective as it allows the reader to understand the heinous nature of the plot without the author having to put those words into print. I would imagine that telling the story from Ma’s perspective might make it a lot more difficult for some people to read, as it would be much more harrowing. Room was different to most other books in one aspect: the suspenseful climax of the book, the escape scene, is in the middle of the story rather than towards the end. However, this did not hinder the story in any way, in fact it made the rest of the book interesting as the reader is kept wondering if there will be another suspenseful incident.
I have recommended Room to others many times since first reading it, as it is a gripping and suspenseful novel with characters that are easy to relate to. The book was inspired by the Fritzl case, which adds to the appeal of the book, as the reader can get a glimpse into what life must have been like for Elisabeth Fritzl, and this can also be applied to the abduction and captivity of Amanda Berry, along with Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus, another case that received global attention in recent years. Whilst Room is fictional, it is easy to see how the plot is plausible in real life, which enhances the reader’s experience in reading Room.
I would not say that Room has had any impact on my habits as a reader, as I have always been an avid reader previously, and this would have continued regardless. I am generally open to trying new genres, and will at least try to get into any book if it has been recommended to me, so Room has not introduced me to anything new per se. However, I had not expected to find a fictional book on the reading list for university, unless it was to analyse the author’s writing style and use of plot etc., the kind of analysis I would expect to see in a high school curriculum. So I was surprised to learn that Room was a core text for the Literacy for Understanding module, and curious to see how it would relate to the content of the module. I thought it was a very effective way to show the various aspects of language development in children, and also the impact that supportive adults can have on a child’s communication skills.
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