Covid-19: a sobrecarga de trabalhona luta pela vida. Representações sociaisde profissionais de enfermagem / Covid-19: work overload in the fight for life. Social representations of nursing professionals

Conhecer as representações sociais de profissionais de enfermagem que atuaram no atendimento aos pacientes acometidos pela COVID-19 diante da sobrecarga de trabalho. Método: Estudo de natureza descritiva com abordagem qualitativa utilizando como referencial a Teoria das Representações Sociais. O cenário foi um hospital que atendeu pacientes acometidos pela COVID-19. Os participantes foram profissionais de enfermagem. Os dados se deram através de entrevistas semiestruturadas. A análise ocorreu conforme a perspectiva de Bardin. Resultados: As representações retrataram condições de trabalho identificando desgaste mental diante em um cenário de inúmeras incertezas, de modo a suprir as necessidades exigida pela crise sanitária, impactando diretamente na sua saúde mental. Conclusão: Possibilidade da construção de um modelo de assistência que reestruture no processo de trabalho da enfermagem, minimizando possíveis sobrecarga de trabalho associados à sua saúde mental, otimizando assim a melhoria das suas condições de trabalho, fortalecendo respostas rápidas e precisas quando necessárias.(AU)

Objective: To learn about the social representations of nursing professionals who worked in the care of patients affected by COVID-19 in the face of work overload. Method: A descriptive study with a qualitative approach, using the Theory of Social Representations as a reference. The setting was a hospital that treated patients affected by COVID-19. The participants were nursing professionals. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The analysis took place according to Bardin's perspective. Results: The representations portrayed working conditions identifying mental exhaustion faced in a scenario of countless uncertainties, in order to meet the needs demanded by the health crisis, directly impacting on their mental health. Conclusion: The possibility of building a care model that restructures the nursing work process, minimizing possible work overload associated with their mental health, thus optimizing the improvement of their working conditions, strengthening quick and precise responses when necessary.(AU)

Objetivo: Conocer las representaciones sociales de los profesionales de enfermería que han trabajado en el cuidado de pacientes afectados por COVID-19 ante la sobrecarga de trabajo. Método: Estudio descriptivo con enfoque cualitativo, tomando como referencia la Teoría de las Representaciones Sociales. El escenario fue un hospital que atendía a pacientes afectados por COVID-19. Los participantes fueron profesionales de enfermería. Los datos se recogieron mediante entrevistas semiestructuradas. El análisis se realizó según la perspectiva de Bardin. Resultados: Las representaciones retrataron condiciones de trabajo que identifican agotamiento mental enfrentado en un escenario de innumerables incertidumbres, para atender a las necesidades demandadas por la crisis de salud, impactando directamente en su salud mental. Conclusión: Es posible construir un modelo de atención que reestructure el proceso de trabajo de enfermería, minimizando la posible sobrecarga de trabajo asociada a su salud mental, optimizando así la mejora de sus condiciones de trabajo, fortaleciendo respuestas rápidas y precisas cuando sea necesario.(AU)

How do people with physical disabilities want to construct virtual identities with avatars?

In the virtual world, people can reconstruct their identity the way they want with avatars. Many expect the high degree of freedom in avatar customization will give new chances to socially marginalized people experiencing discrimination against their physical traits. Accordingly, research on a virtual embodiment of marginalized people has been steady with increased interest in equity and inclusion. However, even discourse alienates people with disabilities. In addition, there are few studies on the virtual representations of people with disabilities. Therefore, this paper explores the shared perception of avatar-based disability representations among people with disability to help understand how they want to construct their disability with avatars. The study also gives direction for a barrier-free virtual world. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with people with physical impairments who used virtual world services and performed a core-periphery analysis of social representations. This study expands the range of academic adoption of the social representations theory and provides insights for stakeholders such as service providers to design an inclusive virtual world.

How the home features in young adults' representations of loneliness: The impact of COVID-19.

Loneliness is a rapidly growing problem globally and has attracted a great deal of attention in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Young adults, and in particular, those residing in deprived areas are currently the loneliest group in the United Kingdom. Utilizing a novel-free association technique, young adults' experiences of loneliness were explored both prior to (n = 48) and during (n = 35) the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on social representations theory, a thematic analysis revealed that many young adults associated the experience of loneliness with their homes. Therefore, this comparative study aims to investigate how the home features in young adults' representations of loneliness, prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic using a systematic qualitative methodology. Three salient themes emerged from the data in both periods: 'The Lonely Home,' 'The Socially Connected Home' and 'The Safe, Peaceful, Authentic Home'. 'The Lonely Home' and 'The Socially Connected Home' emerged as a dialogical antimony. Representations of home were similar across the two periods; however, there were some notable differences. In particular, the themes 'The Socially Connected Home' and 'The Safe, Peaceful, Authentic Home' were less frequently mentioned by the during-COVID-19 sample where the 'The Lonely Home' was more frequently mentioned by the during-COVID-19 sample. Overall, discussion of the home was more negatively valenced in the during-COVID-19 sample compared to the pre-COVID-19 sample. This comparative, exploratory study alerts us to the nature of the role that home plays in exacerbating or ameliorating loneliness both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

HIV stigma in UK press reporting of a case of intentional HIV transmission.

The UK has set itself the ambitious target of zero new HIV transmissions by 2030. HIV stigma is a significant barrier to achieving this target. Media reporting plays an important role in shaping social representations of HIV and of stigma. Between 2016 and 2018, the media in the UK reported on the Daryll Rowe case - the first criminal prosecution for intentional transmission of HIV in the UK. This article examines the way that UK newspapers reported this case, which may have exacerbated HIV stigma. Using Nexis, 178 UK newspaper articles were extracted and subjected to qualitative thematic analysis through a social constructionist lens. Informed by social representations theory, the analysis yielded three discursive themes: (1) Representing the perpetrator through HIV-focussed metaphors; (2) Constructing volitional ambiguity; and (3) Anchoring the lived experience of HIV to misery and death. UK newspapers constructed an 'evil vs victimhood' dichotomy in relation to Rowe and the men infected with HIV, respectively. This article argues that news coverage of the Rowe story constructs HIV in ways that are inconsistent with public health messaging. Reporting failed to note innovations in HIV treatment and prevention but instead disseminated stigmatising social representations of HIV. This is important because stigma impedes effective HIV prevention, engagement with HIV care and ultimately our ability to achieve the zero-infections target.

Social Representations Theory and Young Africans' Creative Narratives about HIV/AIDS, 1997-2014.

Research on social representations (SRs) has often focused more on categorical than narrative-based representations. However, narratives are considered to play a key role in the organization of social representations. This paper describes an empirical study of some 2,000 creative narratives about HIV written by young Africans from five countries between 1997 and 2014 and examines the theoretical, methodological and applied relevance of SRT for this study and the implications of the study for the intersection between narrative and SRT. The study is unusual within the SR paradigm: it is temporal and cross-national; addresses a subject whose science has evolved over time; and uses creative narratives as its data source. A narrative perspective foregrounds holistic understandings of SRs as systems of thought. Creative narratives fit well within an SR framework. Our triangulating methodologies foreground categorical or narrative dimensions depending on the objectives of specific sub-studies. Central Core Theory provides a framework to articulate stability and change within narrative representations. In creative narrative, objectification also happens at the level of plot and characters, such that dominant cultural narratives can be viewed as a form of hegemonic SR. We link with health communication and embrace more critical streams within SR research.

A Social Marketing Intervention to Improve Treatment Adherence in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes.

This research explores if a social marketing intervention model based on social representations theory and the health belief model can generate changes regarding treatment adherence and improve patient self-efficacy. As a pilot, a test-retest field quasi-experiment was designed to evaluate the intervention model with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) patients of families with 8- to 17-year-old children. The intervention model was designed to clarify misconceptions, increase awareness of the benefits of following doctors' treatments and improve patients' self-efficacy. In-depth interviews were carried out to gain a richer understanding of the intervention's effect. The pilot intervention generated a favourable change in shared misconceptions, individual health beliefs, glycaemic control and declared treatment adherence. This paper contributes to the social marketing literature and public health by providing early support for the theoretical assumptions regarding the role of shared misconceptions in physiological and behavioural outcomes for patients with T1DM. Contrary to previous studies, instead of only focusing on individual beliefs, this study incorporates shared beliefs between patients and caregivers, generating more comprehensive behavioural change.

Green colonialism in the Nordic context: Exploring Southern Saami representations of wind energy development.

This paper explores social representations of wind energy development within reindeer herding lands among the Indigenous Southern Saami living within Norwegian borders. For this matter, the paper combines Social Representations Theory (SRT) with the analytical framework of "circuits of dispossession and privilege" and decolonial approaches within community psychology. Data consisted of seven individual semi-structured open-ended interviews, three collective interviews, and observation in three lawsuits, public meetings, protest actions, and reindeer herding activities. The findings suggest that for the subjects in this study, the onset of wind power represents the renewal of historical processes of dispossession through accumulation and colonialism, enabled by harmful knowledge gaps in Norwegian society and institutions, contrasting Southern Saami's values of responsibility and ecological practices. The implication of these findings suggests an urgent need of rethinking renewable energy and including indigenous knowledge in climate change agendas.

Connecting with strangers in the city: A mattering approach.

The evidence that social relationships are associated with well-being is so strong that it is taken as a 'fact' (Kushlev et al., 2018, Journal of Research in Personality, 74, 124). The bulk of the existing evidence derives from research examining social relationships with close others, such as family, romantic partners, and friends (Dolan et al., 2008, Journal Economic Psychology, 29, 94; Li & Kanazawa, 2016, British Journal of Psychology, 107, 675). However, less is known about how connecting with strangers is associated with well-being, how such connections are represented by people, and what motivates people's desire to connect with strangers. This study aims to examine representations and motivations for social connectedness with strangers in contemporary British cities. To do this, an interview study of 52 city-dwellers living in Britain's two largest cities, London and Birmingham, was conducted. The Grid Elaboration Method (GEM) (Joffe & Elsey, 2014, Review of General Psychology, 18, 173), a free association and interview technique, was applied. Thematic analysis revealed that representations of strangers vacillate between 'good' and 'bad', are built upon the 'self/other' thema, are shaped by the contextual factors place, time, and technology, and are motivated by a desire to 'matter'. This work makes a key contribution to the study of social connectedness in cities and can inform effective urban policy.

Representações sociais sobre uso de cannabis entre jovens: estudo comparativo / Social representações of cannabis use among youngsters: comparative study / Representaciones sociales de la cannabis entre los jóvenes: estudio comparativo

Buscou-se identificar e comparar as representações sociais sobre o consumo da maconha na perspectiva de dois grupos de jovens: frequentadores de uma universidade pública, e participantes não-universitários de um projeto social com oriundos de bairros periféricos. Os dados foram coletados em grupos focais, cada um com seis participantes, sendo a análise fundamentada na teoria das representações sociais e operacionalizada pela análise temática. Foram delimitadas categorias a posteriori: imagens da maconha, visão dos familiares, papel/lugar da maconha, motivação/influência para o uso, contexto de uso, posicionamento da escola/universidade e consequências. Observaram-se aproximações entre os grupos sobre a percepção de inocuidade da maconha por ser produto natural e a dificuldade de dialogar a respeito com os familiares, mas também diferenças, por exemplo, quanto a ser ou não a maconha porta de entrada para outras drogas. Discutir sobre a maconha ainda gera resistências e traz tabus, acentuando a necessidade de promoção de diálogos (AU).

We sought to identify and compare the social representations of marijuana use from the perspective of two groups of young people: those attending a public university, and non-university participants attending a social project with people from suburbs. Data were collected in focus groups, each with six participants, and the analysis was based upon the theory of social representations and carried out through thematic analysis. A posteriori categories were delimited: images of marijuana, family members' view, marijuana's role/place, motivation/influence for use, context of use, school/university positioning and consequences. There were similarities between the groups regarding the perception of the safety of marijuana as a natural product and the difficulty of talking about it within the family, but also differences, for example, as to whether or not marijuana is the gateway to other drugs. Discussing marijuana still generates resistance and brings taboos, accentuating the need to promote dialogues (AU).

Se buscó identificar y comparar representaciones sociales del consumo de marihuana desde dos grupos de jóvenes: los que asisten a una universidad pública y los participantes no universitarios en un proyecto social con personas de los barrios periféricos. Los datos se recolectaron en grupos focales, cada uno con seis participantes, y el análisis se basó en la teoría de las representaciones sociales mediante análisis temático. Se delimitaron categorías a posteriori: imágenes de la marihuana, visión de los familiares, rol/lugar de la marihuana, motivación/influencia para el uso, contexto de uso, posicionamiento de la escuela/universidad y consecuencias. Hubo similitudes en cuanto a la percepción de la seguridad de la marihuana y la dificultad de hablar con los familiares, pero también diferencias, por ejemplo, si la marihuana es o no la puerta de entrada. Hablar de la marihuana aún genera resistencias y trae tabúes, lo que acentúa la necesidad del diálogo (AU).

The Anthropological and Ethnographic Approaches to Social Representations Theory - an Empirical Meta-Theoretical Analysis.

Part of a larger project aimed at performing an empirical meta-theoretical analysis of the entire corpus of scientific literature on Social Representations Theory (SRT), this research presents the state of the art of the anthropological and ethnographic approaches to SRT. Applying the Grid for Meta-Theoretical Analysis on 295 publications selected from the So.Re.Com"A.S. de Rosa"@-library, we compiled a rich set of meta-data and data illustrative of how SRT was conceptualized and operationalized within the anthropological and ethnographic approaches, as well as its positioning among other theoretical and disciplinary frameworks. The data was submitted to textual analysis, followed by a Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components analysis. The empirical results suggest that from a theoretical standpoint, the anthropological and ethnographic approaches - inspired by its main exponents Jodelet (1991, 2016) and Duveen and Lloyd, (1986, 1993) - are consistent with the dynamic conceptualization of social representations set out by Moscovici (1961/1976, 1984/2003, 1988, 2000, 2013), as revolutionary paradigm that has shifted the emphasis of social psychology from looking at isolated variables in individuals in the abstract, towards a supra-disciplinary integrative vision of a social science, that investigates the genesis, transformation and negotiation of social representations in the communicative actual contexts (Billig 1991; de Rosa 2013a, b; Sammut et al. 2015a). From an empirical perspective, the variety of qualitative methods employed were open to investigate socio-cultural dimensions and symbolic universes, reflecting the integrative tradition of SRT that bridges diverse neighbouring disciplines in an effort towards a multifaceted perspective on the object of study.

What's in a name? Consumer perceptions of in vitro meat under different names.

In vitro meat (IVM) grown from animal cells is approaching commercial viability. This technology could enable consumers to circumvent the ethical and environmental issues associated with meat-eating. However, consumer acceptance of IVM is uncertain, and is partly dependent on how the product is framed. This study investigated the effect of different names for IVM on measures of consumer acceptance. Participants (N = 185) were allocated to one of four conditions in an experimental design in which the product name was manipulated to be 'clean meat', 'cultured meat', 'animal free meat', or 'lab grown meat'. Participants gave word associations and measures of their attitudes and behavioural intentions towards the product. The results indicated that those in the 'clean meat' and 'animal free meat' conditions had significantly more positive attitudes towards IVM than those in the 'lab grown meat' condition, and those in the 'clean meat' condition had significantly more positive behavioural intentions towards IVM compared to those in the 'lab grown meat' condition. Mediation analyses indicated that the valence of associations accounted for a significant amount of the observed differences, suggesting that anchoring can explain these differences. We discuss these results in the context of social representations theory and give recommendations for future research.

Dialoguing the difference: A reply to Batel and Castro's 'Re-opening the dialogue between the Theory of Social Representations and Discursive Psychology'.

Batel and Castro's call for reopening the dialogue between the theory of social representations and discursive psychology is to be welcomed and indeed, somewhat long overdue. Despite the case that many scholars are engaging in the kind of rapprochement being advocated for by Batel and Castro, I argue here that the intellectual trajectory discursive psychology has taken during the last thirty years makes it less amenable to the kind of reconciliation called for by Batel and Castro. Two enduring tensions between the two theories that require resolution remain: (1) how we define discursive psychology as it is practised today and (2) the epistemological and ontological status of cognition.

Aborto e bioética no jornal Folha de São Paulo / Abortion and bioethics in the newspaper Folha de São Paulo

Este trabalho objetivou analisar, à luz da teoria das representações sociais, a construção do aborto como notícia atrelada aos debates bioéticos na imprensa brasileira. Foram selecionadas 46 matérias sobre aborto do acervo do jornal Folha de São Paulo. Os dados foram analisados com ajuda do software ALCESTE, resultando em dois eixos: 1-ampliação das possibilidades legais para o aborto? - jornalistas e opinião pública aquecem a discussão sobre o acesso ao aborto; 2- definição de pessoa e valores - destaque para a discussão ontológica sobre o estatuto da pessoa e do embrião. A questão do aborto aparece aqui investida por preocupações normativas relativas à dimensão axiológica do direito à vida e à clivagem simbólica entre mulher e embrião.

This paper aimed to analyze, based on the theory of social representations, construction abortion as the debates linked news press brazilian bioethics.A total of 46 articles on abortion were canned collection newspaper Folha de São Paulo. Data were analyzed with help ALCESTE software, resulting in two axes: 1- extension of possibilities legal to abortion? - journalist and public opinion, warm a discussion on access to abortion; 2-definition of people and values. Notability to ontological argument on the status of the person and of the embryo. The abortion issue appears here by regulatory concerns another assault to the axiological dimension right to life and symbolic divide between woman and embryo.

Media coverage of the Zika crisis in Brazil: The construction of a 'war' frame that masked social and gender inequalities.

Between 2015 and 2016, Zika became an epidemic of global concern and the focus of intense media coverage. Using a hybrid model of frame and social representations theory, we examine how the Zika outbreak was reported in two major newspapers in Brazil: O Globo and Folha de São Paulo. The analysis of 186 articles published between December 2015 and May 2016 reveals a dominant 'war' frame supported by two sub-frames: one focused on eradicating the vector (mosquito) and another on controlling microcephaly, placing the burden of prevention on women. Scientific uncertainties about the virus and its relationship to microcephaly coupled with political uncertainties in Brazil increased the power of the war frame. This frame gave prominence and legitimacy to certain representations of disease management during the crisis, masking social and gender inequalities. We show how the cartography of the disease overlaps with that of poverty and regional inequality in Brazil to argue that addressing socio-economic aspects is essential, but normally neglected, in media communications during disease outbreaks like Zika.

Talking about sunbed tanning in online discussion forums: Assertions and arguments.

OBJECTIVE: There is increasing evidence of both health and appearance risks associated with sunbed use. At the same time, the sunbed industry promotes the benefits of using sunbeds, and the image of a tanned skin as attractive and healthy arguably remains embedded within contemporary western culture. These tensions are played out in everyday conversations, and this paper reports a study which explored how sunbed users manage them within online discussion forums. DESIGN: A total of 556 posts from 13 sunbed-related threads, taken from six different UK-based online forums, were analysed thematically followed by techniques from discourse analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Informed by social representations theory and discursive-rhetorical psychology, the way social representations of sunbed use are constructed, debated and disputed in online discussion forums were explored. RESULTS: Sunbed users drew upon numerous representations to distance and protect themselves from negativity they were confronted with in the forums, utilising a range of rhetorical, discursive strategies to help them. CONCLUSION: Theoretical contributions and potential practical implications of the findings are discussed. Findings indicate, for example, that those working on campaigns and interventions in this area need to consider the wider negativity and argumentative orientation of sunbed users' responses.

Translation strategies, contradiction, and the theory of social representations: Why discussing needles may improve blood donor retention.

Retaining blood donors is a cost-effective way of ensuring a safe blood supply, yet despite the plethora of research, only 5.1% of the eligible population in Australia donate blood and 40% of these do not make a second donation. We offer an alternative to traditional approaches by conceptualizing blood donation within social representations theory as socially derived symbolic knowledge with a specific focus on cognitive polyphasia and Guimelli's (1998) normative and functional dimensions. An online survey, completed by 703 residents from NSW Australia, comprised a blood donation word association task, Likert-style questions constructed from previous word association data and contextualized blood donation statements. Individual difference scaling analysis revealed all donor groups (including non-donors) associated blood donation with a few central, albeit contradictory ideas/beliefs. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis performed on a split data set of the Likert-style items reiterated this finding. Interpreted through Guimelli's dichotomy, all donor groups were aware of these contradictory normative and functional ideas/beliefs but when explicitly asked, it was the functional aspect that differentiated the groups. We argue the key to retaining donors is understanding the interdependence between how blood donation is socially understood at the societal level of discourse and donor behaviour. Translational strategies for recruitment and retention are discussed.

From 'Virgin Births' to 'Octomom': Representations of Single Motherhood via Sperm Donation in the UK News.

The use of sperm donation by single women has provoked public, professional and political debate. Newspapers serve as a critical means of both broadcasting this debate and effecting a representation of this user group within the public sphere. This study uses the theory of social representations to examine how single motherhood by sperm donation has been represented in the UK news over time. The study sampled news coverage on this topic in eight British newspapers during three 4-year periods between the years 1988 and 2012. The dataset of news reports (n = 406) was analysed using a qualitative approach. Findings indicated that UK media reports of single women using donor sperm are underpinned by conventional categories of the 'personal', the 'traditional' and the 'natural' that when paired with their corollaries produce a representation of this user group as the social 'other'. The amount of coverage on this topic over time was found to vary according to the political orientation of different media sources. Using key concepts from social representations theory, this article discusses the relationship between themata and anchoring in the maintenance of representations of the social 'other' in mass mediated communication. Findings are explained in relation to theoretical conceptions of the mass media and its position within the public sphere. It is argued that the use of personal narratives in news reports of single mothers by sperm donation may have significant implications for public understandings of this social group. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Alcohol in the life narratives of women: Commonalities and differences by sexual orientation.

AIM: The aim of this study was to explore social representations of alcohol use among women, with a focus on possible differences between sexual minority and heterosexual women. METHODS: This qualitative study was part of a larger study examining mediators of heavier drinking among sexual minority women (lesbian identified, bisexual identified, and heterosexual identified with same sex partners) compared to heterosexual women based on the National Alcohol Survey. Qualitative in-depth life history interviews were conducted over the telephone with 48 women who had participated in the 2009-2010 National Alcohol Survey, including respondents representing different sexual orientation groups. Questions explored the lives and experiences of women, and how use of alcohol may connect to those experiences. FINDINGS: Representations about normative and risky use included social use, use in relation to community connection, addictive use and self-medication. Other representations common across groups included articulation of boundaries that were defined by negative exemplars, marked by indicators of loss of control, and maintained through selective engagement of social networks. Although representations across groups were similar, some representations, such as alcohol use in fostering community connection, appeared to be more salient for sexual minority women. The findings of the study underscore the importance of considering both commonalities and potential differences among women by sexual orientation in meanings and perceived risks associated with alcohol use in future research and intervention efforts.

Fracking in the UK press: threat dynamics in an unfolding debate.

Shale gas is a novel source of fossil fuel which is extracted by induced hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking". This article examines the socio-political dimension of fracking as manifested in the UK press at three key temporal points in the debate on the practice. Three newspaper corpora were analysed qualitatively using Thematic Analysis and Social Representations Theory. Three overarching themes are discussed: "April-May 2011: from Optimism to Scepticism"; "November 2011: (De-) Constructing and Re-Constructing Risk and Danger"; "April 2012: consolidating Social Representations of Fracking". In this article, we examine the emergence of and inter-relations between competing social representations, discuss the dynamics of threat positioning and show how threat can be re-construed in order to serve particular socio-political ends in the debate on fracking.

How the public engages with global warming: A social representations approach.

The present study utilises social representations theory to explore common sense conceptualisations of global warming risk using an in-depth, qualitative methodology. Fifty-six members of a British, London-based 2008 public were initially asked to draw or write four spontaneous "first thoughts or feelings" about global warming. These were then explored via an open-ended, exploratory interview. The analysis revealed that first thoughts, either drawn or written, often mirrored the images used by the British press to depict global warming visually. Thus in terms of media framings, it was their visual rather than their textual content that was spontaneously available for their audiences. Furthermore, an in-depth exploration of interview data revealed that global warming was structured around three themata: self/other, natural/unnatural and certainty/uncertainty, reflecting the complex and often contradictory nature of common sense thinking in relation to risk issues.