ABSTRACT

This article focused on behavioral changes in street-level drug trafficking organizations and drug price fluctuations at the retail level during the COVID-19 in Germany, specifically in North Rhine-Westphalia. This study's primary purpose was to understand how the pandemic affected low-level drug markets and whether precautions taken to prevent the spread of disease caused any changes in their operations. Moreover, drug prices were compared before and during the Corona-19 pandemic. This study used a narrative analysis. Thirteen participants, some of whom used multiple drugs and all of whom are regular users, were interviewed from March 2020 to September 2020. Study results showed no significant change either in open or closed markets except for curfew times. Moreover, no shortages existed in the drug supply chain. Nevertheless, there were slight changes in drug distribution methods. Furthermore, contrary to the assumptions, the demand for using the Internet drug market did not increase during the pandemic.

ABSTRACT

Reflexivity is a concept that is pivotal in understanding and conducting qualitative inquiry but can be relevant to the teacher identities as they shuttle between what they do as teachers and how they engage with participants in conducting research). In the Notes from the Field article, the authors, Maribel Greene and Gloria Park (a doctoral student working on a research project with doctoral program peers and a graduate  faculty member teaching the qualitative research course, respectively) focus on a research-oriented concept of reflexivity to bring about more awareness around their roles and responsibilities as an emerging qualitative researcher (Greene) and a graduate  faculty member (Park) working with individuals from diverse contexts. In addition to highlighting reflexivity in their respective roles and responsibilities, the authors document the unprecedented influence the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their work. In this collaborative reflective piece, they discuss their positionalities and reflect on the role of reflexivity not just in their research but as a tool to navigate their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors highlight the importance of (1) being vulnerable; (2) looking more inward in what they do as a researcher and a graduate faculty member; and (3) taking risks in being reflexive to better understand their respective roles. The authors conclude with a list of critical questions and insights inviting readers to find ways to carry on the commitment to integrate reflexivity in working with individuals from diverse backgrounds in both teaching and research contexts.

Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic, Emerging Researcher, Qualitative Research, Reflexivity.

ABSTRACT

From a discursive perspective, identities fall to be understood not as inherent properties of individuals but rather as matters that are negotiated within and emerge from social interactions with others. Adopting this perspective, we examine how mothers who breastfeed their infants in public negotiate issues of identity. The activity of public breastfeeding presents problems for identity in that it is often seen by others, and sometimes by breastfeeding mothers themselves, as socially inappropriate in that by engaging in public breastfeeding women are partly exposing their bodies. The aim of this study was to investigate how mothers who breastfeed their infants in public seek to address identity problems that can arise from engaging in this activity. We examine discussions from a focus group conducted with five members of a drop-in support group for breastfeeding mothers. Discourse analysis of group discussions shows that group members provide descriptions of difficulties that they have experienced when breastfeeding in public, and partly exposing their bodies to co-present others. These descriptions, however, rely on detail that allows the participants or other group members to undermine them and to ward off the potentially negative identities with which they are associated. The descriptions, then, are designed to attend to social concerns surrounding public breastfeeding and thereby to allow participants to construct identities that are not associated with problems.

Keywords: Describing Actions, Discourse Analysis, Identities, Mothers, Public Breastfeeding.