• Art therapy with refugee children: a qualitative study explored through the lens of art therapists and their experiences

  Akthar, Zahra; Lovell, Andrew; University of Chester (Taylor and Francis, 2018-11-09)

  This article sets out to explore the use of art therapy with refugee children, from the perspective of art therapists and their experiences. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain insights by capturing experiences and stories. Using thematic analysis, five themes were identified: (1) giving voice; (2) rebuilding trust, opening wounds; (3) sharing stories, healing pain; (4) exploring identity, discovering new-self; and (5) understanding art therapy. Upon reflection, two key aspects of art therapy were established, these were identified as: (1) providing refugee children with a safe space to heal and discover new-self, and (2) giving refugee children a voice to express and share stories. Despite the last of the five themes (understanding art therapy) being established as a factor that limits the use of art therapy, this has created an avenue for further research. From the findings, it was concluded that art therapy can be a useful form of psychotherapy for refugee children. Art therapy can provide these children with a safe space to heal, and give them a voice to be heard.
• Exploring Public Sector Accounting Reforms in an Emerging Economy: A Case of Sri Lanka

  Nagirikandalage, Padmi; Binsardi, Ben; University of Chester, Glyndwr University (Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2015)

  The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges and influential factors experienced in the development of public sector accounting reforms in the emerging economy of Sri Lanka. The reforms aim to improve public governance and transparency while reducing corruption and dishonesty. Qualitative (thematic) analysis has been employed by using both primary and secondary data. Primary data was obtained by interviewing selected respondents from public sector organisations in Sri Lanka. The respondents were selected by using an expert purposive sampling technique. Apart from the primary data, secondary data such as government reports, relevant literature and paper articles was also analysed in order to produce more robust findings. The findings indicate that technological and cultural factors have influenced accounting reforms in the public sector in Sri Lanka. In addition, the politicisation and bureaucracy of the public sector as well as sluggish attitudes towards costs have served as prominent barriers to efficient implementation of the reforms. This study was limited in terms of generalisation because of relatively small sample sizes. A larger sample with more diversity could have enhanced the generalisation of the results which could serve as direction for further research. This paper is intended to fill a gap in the existing literature on public sector accounting reforms in the context of less developed or emerging countries. It is hopefully valuable for both policy makers and practitioners by allowing them to view the development, challenges and influential aspects of the implementation of New Public Management (NPM) in Sri Lanka in order that they will be able to make informed decisions about adopting more efficient NPM practices to enhance the country’s competitive advantages.
• Constructing a Civic Community in Late Medieval London: the Common Profit, Charity and Commemoration

  Harry, David; University of Chester (Boydell and Brewer, 2019)

  In the late fourteenth century, London’s government, through mismanagement and negligence, experienced a series of crises. Relationships with the crown were tested; competing factions sought to wrest power from the hands of the once all-powerful victualling guilds; revolt in the streets in 1381 targeted the institutions of royal as well as civic power; and, between 1392 and 1397, King Richard removed the liberties of the city and appointed his own wardens to govern in place of the mayor of London. This book examines the strategies employed by the generation of London aldermen who governed after 1397 to regain control of their city. By examining a range of interdisciplinary sources, including manuscript and printed books, administrative records, accounts of civic ritual and epitaphs, this book explores how, by carefully constructing the idea of a civic community united by shared political concerns and spiritual ambitions, a small number of men virtually monopolised power in the capital. More generally, this is an exploration of the mentalities of those who sought civic power in the late Middle Ages and provokes the question: why govern, and for whom?
• Creativity and Democracy in Education: practices and politics of learning through the arts.

  Owens, Allan; Adams, Jeff; University of Chester (Routledge, 2015-08-04)

  The struggle to establish more democratic education pedagogies has a long history in the politics of mainstream education. This book argues for the significance of the creative arts in the establishment of social justice in education, using examples drawn from a selection of contemporary case studies including Japanese applied drama, Palestinian teacher education and Room 13 children’s contemporary art. Jeff Adams and Allan Owens use their research in practice to explore creativity conceptually, historically and metaphorically within a variety of UK and international contexts, which are analysed using political and social theories of democratic and relational education. Each chapter discusses the relationship between models of democratic creativity and the cultural conditions in which they are practised, with a focus on new critical pedagogies that have developed in response to neoliberalism and marketization in education. The book is structured throughout by the theories, practices and the ideals that were once considered to be foundational for education: democratic citizenship and a just society. Creativity and Democracy in Education will be of key interest to postgraduate students, researchers, and academics in the field of education, especially those interested in the arts and creativity, democratic learning, teacher education, cultural and organisational studies, and political theories of education.
• Ecosystem health as the basis for human health

  Barker, Tom; Fisher, Jane; Centre for Alternative Technology; University of Chester (John Wiley and Sons, 2018-11-08)

  Ecosystem processes and the biodiversity that supports them are the basis for all ecological functions. All of human society makes use of ecological functions that regulate resources such as air, water, temperature, and flows of materials that we take for granted; provide food and natural resources that we use in building, clothes, and the basis for chemistry and medicines; and make life meaningful in terms of education, health, emotional connection, and aesthetics. It is well known now that ecological damage through the impacts of human activity has very serious consequences for our well‐being, health, and survival. Imbalances in natural systems due to disturbance, degradation, or destruction of natural ecosystems have impacts on predators and prey species, including disease organisms and the capacity of ecological systems to recover from damage. This chapter discusses the intimate and multifaceted connections between species, ecosystem integrity, nature's contributions to human survival and flourishing, and the increasingly important problem of matching policy decisions to both economic and ecological survival. If civilization is to sustainably meet the multiple pressures of climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing global population while also ensuring quality of life and health for all, we will need to find a way of replacing profitability with sustainability as the bottom line of our economic existence.

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