Familiarity or Not: Children’s Choice of Interviewer in a Study of Substitute Care

This article is based on a study of children's experiences of being in care in which children were given the opportunity to choose either their own social worker or an outside researcher to interview them for the purposes of the research. We examine here how the children (N?=?15) describe their choice of interviewer and also explore how the social workers (N?=?8) experience their role as research interviewers. The findings highlight that there is no single reason for children to choose either a social worker or a researcher to be the interviewer. Familiarity, in particular, can either be a motivation or an obstacle. The dual positions of children as research interviewees and as clients as well as the dual positions of social workers both supported and hindered the interviews. Social workers reported new insights into their knowledge about children’s views as a result of the research interview experience. It is argued that the choice of the interviewer may be an option for some children to have their voice heard in research. Ethical balancing and critical dialogue are also suggested as having a role.     

Premature ejaculation: therapist perspectives

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common sexual dysfunction affecting approximately 20%–30% of men. Despite important issues relating to PE definition, diagnosis, and therapy, there is a paucity of research investigating the experiences of practitioners delivering PE treatment. For the present study, interviews were conducted with eight psychosexual therapists and subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Four master themes emerged from the analysis. These were Romantic Relationships, Vulnerability, Culture, and Diagnosis and Assessment. The Romantic Relationships theme included three sub-themes: Intimacy; Involvement; and Distress. Two sub-themes formed the Vulnerability theme: Self-Esteem; and Anxiety. The Culture theme contained three sub-themes: Religion and Ethnicity; Pornography; and Masculinity. The Diagnosis and Assessment theme included two sub-themes: Referral and Definitions. Findings have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of PE. Future research should investigate therapist perceptions further, including those factors which impact on engagement with clients and PE treatment success.     

Reflections on fertility and postponed parenthood—interviews with highly educated women and men without children in Sweden

Background Different reasons influence the current low birth-rate and the postponement of the birth of the first child throughout Europe. The aim of this study was to explore how highly educated women and men in Sweden reflect on fertility and postponed parenthood.Methods We interviewed women (n = 22) and men (n = 18) who had started their professional careers and still had no children. Data were analysed with qualitative content analysis.Results Fertility was perceived as an unconsidered capacity, sometimes unpredictable, and different for women and men, but nevertheless taken for granted. The participants were of the opinion that fertility could be restored by assisted reproductive technologies or replaced by alternatives to a biological child. Postponed parenthood was described as an adaptation to societal changes and current discourses about parenthood as well as a consequence of a contemporary lifestyle with many competing priorities.Conclusion Highly educated young women and men in contemporary Sweden have competing priorities when planning and setting goals for their lives, and having children is one of them. They describe fertility as an imperceptible and retrievable capacity and postponed parenthood as a rational adaptation to changes in society. These findings suggest that increased information about the limitations of human reproduction is needed, but also that societal support for younger parents is of utmost importance.