| 1. |
- Persson, Marcus, Universitetslektor, 1975-, et al.
(författare)
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Caregivers' use of robots and their effect on work environment : a scoping review
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of technology in human services. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1522-8835 .- 1522-8991. ; 40:3, s. 251-277
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the lively discussion on the pros and cons of using robots in health care, little is still known about how caregivers are affected when robots are introduced in their work environment. The present scoping review fills this research gap by mapping previous studies about the relation between robots in care and caregivers’ working life. The paper is based on searches in four databases for peer-reviewed articles about robots in care settings, published 2000 to 2020. The 27 included papers were examined with the questions of 1) how robots are used by caregivers, and 2) how robots affect caregivers’ work environment. The analysis shows that the use of robots can affect both the physical and the psychosocial work environment, in positive as well as in negative ways. Robots are used in care settings to reduce physical and mental demands of the caregivers, but they can, in fact, increase caregivers’ workload. Thus, the review indicates that robots can improve the quality of work, but that they seldom work as a shortcut to increased efficiency or time effectiveness.
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| 2. |
- Persson, Marcus, 1975-, et al.
(författare)
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Working with Robotic Animals in Dementia Care : The Significance of Caregivers' Competences
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies. - : VIA University College. - 2245-0157. ; 13:3, s. 49-69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Robotic animals are increasingly discussed as a solution to challenges connected to the aging population and limited resources in care. While previous research focuses on the robots’ effect on the patients’ well-being, there is a general lack of knowledge regarding the hands-on experience of caregivers’ use of robots. Therefore, the aim of the study is to explore the competences that caregivers draw upon when facilitating interaction between residents and robots. The study was conducted through ethnographic observations and interviews with caregivers at dementia care homes in Sweden. The notion of ‘competence’ is understood as knowledge about the ways of working and social norms that are valued within a community of practice, which members develop through engagement in the community. The findings show that caregivers’ use of robotic animals as caregiving tools rests on embodied, social, and ethical competences.
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| 3. |
- Redmalm, David, Docent, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Robotic animals in dementia care : Conceptions of animality and humanity in care organizations
- 2022
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Ingår i: The Oxford Handbook of Animal Organization Studies. - Oxford : Oxford University Press. - 9780192848185 - 9780191943485 ; , s. 409-C27.P103
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Robotic animals in the shape of cats, dogs, and seals are increasingly used in dementia care. The robots are built to respond to users’ touch and talk for various purposes such as calming, activating, or entertaining patients. Drawing on media representations, marketing materials, reports of experts, and interviews with care workers we take a closer look at the ideas of animality that shape the robots and their application in care organizations. We find that the robots’ animality is described as connecting with a fundamental mammal aspect of our humanity. At the same time, concerns are raised that patients risk being dehumanized when robots replace human-to-human interaction, and the robots are thus treated as a threat to patients’ human dignity. The chapter discusses how notions of animality and a biopolitical understanding of the human as mammal play an integral role in robotized care organizations.
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| 4. |
- Persson, Marcus, et al.
(författare)
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Making robots matter in dementia care : Conceptualising the triadic interaction between caregiver, resident and robot animal
- 2024
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Ingår i: Sociology of Health and Illness. - : WILEY. - 0141-9889 .- 1467-9566.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While previous research studies have focused on either caregivers' or residents' perception and use of social robots, this article offers an empirical and theoretical examination of joint activities in triadic human-robot interaction. The symptomatology of dementia creates an asymmetrical relation wherein the impetus to employ a robot often originates from the caregiver. Drawing on field work and video recorded interactions in dementia care homes, the article investigates how caregivers draw on embodied resources to involve residents and robot animals in interaction. The analysis demonstrates how caregivers promote commitment and encounter resistance with residents. We draw on the theory of sociomaterial interactionism to study situated interaction between bodies in a meaning-generating process. By re-conceptualising the theoretical notions of manipulation and recruitment, the article offers an approach for studying orientations that distinguish between reciprocity of agential objects. We show that caregivers usually distinguish between interactions with people and machines by anticipating a specific response from the robots (manipulation), while they invite participation in a broader sense from residents (recruitment). Social friction arises, however, if caregivers act upon the residents as embodied objects in manipulative ways.
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| 5. |
- Petersson Troije, Charlotte, 1971-
(författare)
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Turning Work Inside Out : Exploring Outdoor Office Work
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Why don't we usually work outdoors? While some professions require it, most white-collar workers remain indoors, sedentary, and screen-bound. Yet, the potential benefits of outdoor work on health, well-being, learning, and creativity are significant and underexplored, especially given the demands of today's knowledge-intensive work life. The aim of this thesis is to explore the potential of integrating the outdoors into everyday work life by bringing office work outdoors. To accomplish this, the thesis identifies ways by which the potential of outdoor office work may be enabled, in this case through an interactive research approach. This exploration was conducted through the ‘StickUt Malmö’ interactive research project, the Danish ‘Pop Out!’ project, and an interview study within the project ‘Concepts for the Sustainable Office of the Future’, culminating in four papers and a final discussion. In ‘Outdoor Office Work – An Interactive Research Project Showing the Way Out’ (Paper I) it was shown that a range of work activities could be brought outdoors, both individually and collaboratively, and that outdoor office work (OOW) was associated with experiences of well-being, recovery, autonomy, enhanced cognition, better communication, and social relations, but also with feelings of guilt and illegitimacy. Conditions of importance were found in the physical environment, and in the organizational culture, and not the least concerned managers’ attitudes towards OOW, and to autonomy and trust in general. In ‘Greenspace as Workplace – Benefits, Challenges and Essentialities in the Physical Environment’ (Paper II) insights into key aspects of the physical environment relevant for the experienced benefits and challenges of workers exploring OOW were captured through the themes of Simplicity, Safeness, Comfort and Contact with Nature, whereas Sociality, Well-being, and Functioning stood out as the main experienced benefits, and Digital dependency and Illegitimacy as challenges to overcome. Based on an interview study with white-collar workers practicing OOW on a regular basis, a conceptual framework was developed and presented in ‘Unlocking the Transformative Potential of Outdoor Office Work – A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study’ (Paper III). The categories practicing outdoor office work, challenging the taken-for-granted, enjoying freedom and disconnection, feeling connected and interdependent, promoting health and well-being, enhancing performance, and finally, adding a dimension, make up ‘The Lotus of Outdoor Office Work’; a model visualizing the experienced benefits and challenges of OOW, highlighting the dynamic relationship between the practice of working outdoors on one hand, and how this challenges the system in which white-collar work traditionally takes place, on the other.Through a combined theoretical and case discussion in ‘Critical Interaction – Challenging Dualisms by Bringing Office Work Outdoors’ (Paper IV), the possibilities and circumstances under which an interactive research approach may be critical and contribute to learning and knowledge development in the context of exploring OOW was elaborated upon. It was concluded that an interactive research approach can do so by challenging taken-for-granted dualisms, being critical with support from closeness as well as distance, engaging in both action and reflection, and by encompassing both practical and academic interests and outcomes. In conclusion, exploring OOW is a relevant and sustainable way to enhance work life. However, challenges exist, such as the need for a supportive outdoor environment and an organizational culture that values trust and autonomy. The primary challenge lies in societal norms that separate mind and body, perpetuating the belief that white-collar work is incompatible with physical activity. The exploration of OOW turns ideas about work inside out, revealing that only certain activities are traditionally recognized as ‘work’.
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| 6. |
- Redmalm, David, Docent, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Black Cats and White Lies : Human-Robot Interactions in Dementia Care
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Robotic animals in the shape of cats, dogs and seals have become increasingly popular in dementia care during the last two decades. These robots are used both to make the user calm and passive and to engage users in interactions. Based on ethnography at four nursing homes and in-depth interviews with caregivers, the present study explores the use of white lies in interactions between robots, care recipients and caregivers. Findings suggest that the robots have the greatest impact on users when they believe the animal robots to be real animals. However, according to The Swedish National Council on Medical Ethics, caregivers should not lead users to believe that the robots have capacities that they do not in fact have, and that caregivers should avoid any misconceptions by giving users information about the nature and functions of the robots. We identify three different strategies that caregivers use when using the robots in care practice. First, caregivers make sure to be fully transparent about the robots, and give users straightforward information about the robots’ limited capacities. Second, caregivers can adhere to users’ own misconceptions about the robots. Third, some caregivers simply tell users with severe dementia that the robots are real, and act as if they wore. All approaches involve challenges: when caregivers tell ‘the truth’, users often forget this information, or choose to ignore it and approach the robots as animals. When caregivers follow or support the idea of the robot ‘as real’, this often leads to amplified misconceptions, potentially disproved by relatives. In conclusion, all three strategies risk nourishing white lies, but a special kind of “caring lie” that many interviewed caregivers support.
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| 7. |
- Redmalm, David, Docent, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Deceptive devices in dementia care : The journal, the camera, and the robot
- 2024
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Caregivers are dissuaded from using deception in dementia care in Swedish policies. However, guidelines in other countries have a more positive approach to deceptive practices when these are used in the best interest of patients. Research also shows that lies and deception are widely used in dementia care. Based on interviews with caregivers and ethnographic visits to nursing homes in Sweden, this paper examines the use of technology in deceptive practices in the care of people with dementia. Three technological devices are in focus: the online patient journal, the security camera, and the robotic animal. The journal allows for a smooth transition of knowledge between caregivers, enabling a person-centered care. However, the patient is often unaware of this circulation of knowledge by which the patient becomes known to everyone without necessarily knowing anyone. The camera makes it possible for caregivers to watch over patients without having to enter their rooms, which means that they do not have to disturb them with unnecessary and inconvenient visits. Paradoxically, the technology thus breaches the patients’ integrity in order to secure it. Last, the robotic animal works particularly well when it is perceived to be a real animal; yet, both policies and previous research caution against using a robot to create an illusion of a living being. The paper argues that to handle these dilemmas, the devices need to be understood in context: deception is not built into healthcare technology but is instead generated in the relationship between caregiver, patient, and technological device.
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| 8. |
- Redmalm, David, Docent, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
-
Robotic animals in dementia care : Conceptions of animality and humanity in care organizations
- 2023
-
Ingår i: The Oxford Handbook of Animal Organization Studies. - Oxford : Oxford University Press. - 9780192848185 - 9780191943485 ; , s. 409-424
-
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Robotic animals in the shape of cats, dogs, and seals are increasingly used in dementia care. The robots are built to respond to users’ touch and talk for various purposes such as calming, activating, or entertaining patients. Drawing on media representations, marketing materials, reports of experts, and interviews with care workers we take a closer look at the ideas of animality that shape the robots and their application in care organizations. We find that the robots’ animality is described as connecting with a fundamental mammal aspect of our humanity. At the same time, concerns are raised that patients risk being dehumanized when robots replace human-to-human interaction, and the robots are thus treated as a threat to patients’ human dignity. The chapter discusses how notions of animality and a biopolitical understanding of the human as mammal play an integral role in robotized care organizations.
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| 9. |
- Redmalm, David, Docent, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Svarta katter och vita lögner : Social robotik i demensvården
- 2022
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Ingår i: Välfärd - för vem? Om arbetsvillkor inom omsorg och gig. ; , s. 15-
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Konferensbidrag (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Katt- och hundrobotar har blivit ett allt vanligare inslag i äldreomsorgen. Robotarna imiterar djurs läten och rörelser och kan användas för att lugna och avleda användare. De kan också användas för att aktivera personer genom att de inbjuder till interaktion mellan vårdtagare, vårdgivare och robot. Robotarna är utvecklade för att skapa en illusion av ett levande djur – en del modeller har ett mekaniskt hjärta som kan kännas genom pälsen, och kattrobotarna kan spinna, med purrande och vibrationer. Det här ställer frågor om transparens och ärlighet på sin spets. Enligt Statens medicinsk-etiska råds riktlinjer ska vårdgivare inte vilseleda patienter om robotarnas egenskaper och kapacitet, eftersom det då gör det omöjligt för patienter att göra ett informerat ställningstagande när de erbjuds att använda robotar. I en pågående studie om sociala robotar i demensvården ser vi dock att det är vanligt att vårdgivare talar om och hanterar robotarna som om de vore verkliga katter och hundar. Genom exempel visar vi hur personalen på detta sätt gör robotarna levande, och hur vårdgivare reflekterar kring sitt sätt att använda robotarna. Ofta är det svårt att dra en skarp gräns mellan sanning och lögn, eftersom personalens agerande ofta handlar om att bekräfta vårdtagares upplevelser. Vi föreslår därför alternativa sätt att förstå det som händer i interaktionen mellan vårdtagare, vårdgivare och robot, för att bidra till en nyanserad diskussion om robotik och vita lögner inom demensvården.
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| 10. |
- Iversen, Clara, Docent, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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En människa bland andra? : Äldre människors begripliggörande av vardagen under covid-19-krisen
- 2021
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Ingår i: Sociologisk forskning. - Huddinge : Sociologisk Forskning, Swedish Sociological Association. - 0038-0342 .- 2002-066X. ; 58:1-2, s. 53-76
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article examines how older people make sense of their situation in calls to a helpline a few months into the Covid-19 pandemic. By drawing on the sociology of everyday life to analyse callers’ various understandings of the crisis, the article nuances current knowledge about older people’s situation. The thematic analysis shows that the callers make sense of the crisis linked to social relations on a personal, anonymous, and abstract level. The callers’ responses to challenges to their everyday routines – adjustment or critical evaluation – are connected to different approaches to trust: basic trust in a shared social reality with someone or regulating trust in a set of norms independent from that other. Whereas the calls demonstrate very few positive adjustments in personal relations, they show that anonymous and abstract relations serve as important resources for both maintaining and re-evaluating everyday life during a crisis. Although older people’s lack of secure personal relations during the pandemic points to vulnerability, their resourcefulness is apparent in their active engagement in important anonymous and abstract relations.
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