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There has been much talk in sociological circles of bodies as 'projects' or 'choices,' but surprisingly little examination of how these projects and choices are experienced. Consumer culture has been described as heralding a new era in body-self relations, but few have explored the experience of body-self relations. Body-self relations emerged as central to understanding in this study of the experience of the body at different ages (20-30, 45-55 and 70+ years), demonstrating the utility of empirical investigations in this area. This paper describes an orientation to the body that was common to the sample of 20 young people (aged 20-30 years) interviewed as part of this study. This orientation informed their health-related behaviours such as diet and exercise, but some participants found it to be problematic. Their voices demonstrate that bodily 'choices' may actually be experienced as irrational and even psychopathological compulsions. This experiential perspective suggests that normality may be continuous with pathology, and that differences are of degree rather than kind. The findings have implications for the treatment and prevention of eating disorders and obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a tendency for researchers and practitioners to overlook the needs and experiences of children and young people in relation to disasters. In this paper, we report on our exploration of the question of whether to involve children and young people in post-bushfire research, and if so how? In considering children's rights in this context we were guided by a number of conceptions of the child (reflecting research debates within the Sociology of Childhood): The citizen child; the child at risk; and the developing child. We engaged in formal, progressive consultations with experts internationally and with bushfire affected community partners. This study determined that research with children post-bushfires was an important, ethical and appropriate activity, provided the methodology was sensitive and allowed children to provide informed consent and to have a sense of control over the issues being discussed. We conclude that carefully considering a rights approach materially changed the final methodology that includes the perspectives of children and young people in research about recovery from traumatic disasters, while still respecting their right to be safe and supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the medical literature on patient compliance explores why patients fail to follow practitioners' instructions. This paper explores perspectives on 'compliance' expressed in online discussion groups for kidney patients. Discourse analysis was used to investigate how contributors conceptualise knowledge and the role of the renal patient. In the discussion groups, patients were sometimes seen to have better understanding of the details of their illness than some practitioners, a focus born of inhabiting their situation and therefore having more at stake. Some patients set themselves the task of supervising their own care, double checking the work of practitioners. This did not threaten biomedical knowledge, but these counter-discourses challenge professional boundaries by making it the prerogative of patients to obtain biomedical knowledge. I explore issues of surveillance and frustration, and the potential usefulness of patients' overseeing their own safety, while flagging the potential plight of less 'empowered' or motivated patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite almost two decades of reform under Australia's National Mental Health Strategy, the life circumstances of many people with mental illness seem little improved. While lack of rehabilitation, housing and community support services have been blamed for policy shortfalls, there is also concern that mental health services may impede rather than facilitate recovery from mental illness. To explore this particular concern, this paper reports data from a project which evaluated a group mentorship programme for new graduate nurses working in an Australian public mental health service. Prominent among the problems raised in mentorship group discussions were: the arduous nature of mental health work; the uncaring attitudes and practices of many veteran nursing staff; and the maltreatment and neglect of service users. These participants characterised mental health facilities as tough security-minded places, where staff act more as risk-managers rather than therapists, and all service users are treated as if they might be dangerous. They also perceived a connection between the dismissive ways in which they were often treated by veteran colleagues and the widespread mistreatment of service users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]