Introduction: Queer Convivialist Perspectives for Sustainable Futures

Abstract

The special issue of World Futures on “queer convivialist perspectives for sustainable futures” focuses its attention on the potential insights that queer approaches may bring to sustainability research and to the search for sustainable futures. It suggests a queering of conviviality, reaching beyond the anthroponormative limitation of the Convivialist Manifesto and its lack of attention to bodies, while taking up its focus on humans as desiring beings and its implicit invitation to queer good lives. The contributed articles share transdisciplinary (academic and arts-based) research that offers analyses and interpretations opening up new perspectives for transformation of individuals and society.     

Incorporation of a successful community-based mammography intervention: dissemination beyond a community trial.

Although a variety of interventions to increase breast cancer screening have been found to be effective in community-based trials, their ultimate contribution depends on the extent to which they are incorporated (i.e., adopted and adapted) by community organizations. From 1990 to 1995, the authors conducted a National Cancer Institute-funded community-based trial that increased screening mammography among women ages 40 and older living in Minneapolis public housing. This study describes the processes by which this intervention, called Friend to Friend, was successfully adopted by the American Cancer Society, Midwest Division, and adapted for use by women throughout the state. The authors offer insights from experience with this translational effort and make recommendations to facilitate collaboration between research and community organizations.     

Arts for the blues – a new creative psychological therapy for depression

ABSTRACT

Routinely prescribed psychological therapies for depression are not always effective. Arts therapies, particularly Dance Movement Psychotherapy, may offer additional therapeutic mechanisms for depression. Therefore, client-reported helpful factors from various therapy types, along with client preferences, are key in devising new therapeutic interventions. We present a framework for a new pluralistic “meta-approach” of therapy for depression, based on an interdisciplinary thematic synthesis (Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008). Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8[1], 45) of active ingredients from both talking therapies and creative approaches. Lastly, we offer an illustrative group therapy workshop based on this approach, to be piloted with clients and practitioners within an NHS mental health service. Further research is required to evaluate this pilot and to devise a full treatment for trialling within the service.