Gerda Reith | University of Glasgow (original) (raw)

Papers by Gerda Reith

Harm Reduction Journal, Dec 1, 2019

Background: Gambling is now a well-recognised public health issue and forms the focus of extensiv... more Background: Gambling is now a well-recognised public health issue and forms the focus of extensive harm reduction initiatives. Recent developments in policy, practice and technology, such relaxation of regulations, the increasing influence of global gambling corporations, and the development of devices such as mobile phone apps and fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) mean that the landscape is a complex, dynamic, and fast moving one. Gambling is now practiced using new technologies, in various spaces and places, and features in a range of social surroundings. Therefore, research is needed to inform appropriate gambling harm reduction strategies that can respond to this complex domain. Yet, research and policy approaches to the reduction of gambling harm are predominantly framed through psychological and economic models of individual behaviour, addiction, and 'rational' action. This is beginning to change, with a growing corpus of socio-cultural approaches to gambling research now emerging. Method: In this article, we argue the case of recognising gambling as a social practice, the performance of which draws upon multiple elements such as technology and materials, spaces and places, language and discourse, and structures and agency. We call for a practice theory approach to gambling research that joins efforts to move beyond individual gamblers and their behaviour, to also acknowledge the interaction of multiple elements shaping gambling practices. To achieve this, we suggest that research methods such as visual ethnography can be helpful. Conclusion: We set out how a social practice perspective to gambling research can generate different insights and help inform more nuanced and appropriate gambling harm reduction initiatives.

Progress in Human Geography

This paper reviews the progress of geographical research on the gambling industry and presents a ... more This paper reviews the progress of geographical research on the gambling industry and presents a framework to comprehend the role of space in gambling consumption and harm. It covers two themes: the casino’s place in urban governance and the agency of gamblers, and how space impacts gambling consumption and harm. The paper introduces a conceptual framework of orientation, affective atmosphere, and intimacy to better comprehend how gambling practices can increase or decrease risk. Finally, the paper suggests that this framework can help to better understand online sports gambling consumption and harm in the context of market growth.

Routledge eBooks, Aug 5, 2005

Brill | Nijhoff eBooks, 2008

This chapter examines some social and cultural perspectives on gambling in Great Britain. It trac... more This chapter examines some social and cultural perspectives on gambling in Great Britain. It traces the changing culture of gambling in Britain between two landmark pieces of legislation: the 1968 Gaming Act and the 2005 Gambling Act, the latter of which came into force in September 2007. The chapter examines the introduction of a National Lottery in 1994 initiated a process of piecemeal market deregulation. It examines the hostile public reception to the proposed legislation, and the way that this forced the government to change certain aspects of it: most notably, the plans for Regional casino developments. In the past fifteen years, the culture of gambling in Britain has been characterised by change: by a proliferation of gambling opportunities and a gradual expansion of the market. Keywords: 1968 Gaming Act; 2005 Gambling Act; gambling; Great Britain; National Lottery

PLOS ONE, May 3, 2016

Online bingo has seen significant growth in recent years. This study sought to increase understan... more Online bingo has seen significant growth in recent years. This study sought to increase understanding of this growth by exploring the appeal of online bingo. Our aim was to examine the content of ten online bingo websites in the UK and analyse a qualitative secondary dataset of 12 female bingo players to investigate the appeal of online bingo. Using two distinct data sources allowed us to assess how the key messages online websites are trying to convey compare with actual players' motivation to play bingo. Our analysis of bingo websites found a common theme where websites were easy to navigate and structured to present a light-hearted, fun, reassuring, social image of gambling. In addition, the design decisions reflected in the bingo sites had the effect of positioning online bingo as a benign, childlike , homely, women-friendly, social activity. Comparison of the website content with our participants' reasons to play bingo showed congruence between the strategies used by the bingo websites and the motivations of bingo players themselves and the benefits which they seek; suggesting that bingo websites strive to replicate and update the sociability of traditional bingo halls. Online bingo differs from traditional forms of bingo in its ability to be played anywhere and at any time, and its capacity to offer a deeply immersive experience. The potential for this type of online immersion in gambling to lead to harm is only just being investigated and further research is required to understand how the industry is regulated, as well as the effects of online bingo on individual gambling 'careers.'

Prometheus Books, 2003

This book provides a comprehensive and thought-provoking collection of articles by internationall... more This book provides a comprehensive and thought-provoking collection of articles by internationally recognised experts in the study of gambling - doctors and lawyers, journalists and academics. It presents a diverse range of perspectives on the issue of gambling: from legal, political, and economic, to social, psychological, and ethical. Although many of the essays are strongly argued, the collection as a whole offers a balanced range of viewpoints and arguments, allowing readers to decide for themselves what role gambling should play in our society. The stimulating, jargon-free articles in this entertaining and informative volume will help clarify one of the most important debates of our time.

Frontiers in Psychiatry, May 17, 2022

Background: Health-related research on women who use drugs (WWUD) tends to focus on reproductive ... more Background: Health-related research on women who use drugs (WWUD) tends to focus on reproductive and sexual health and treatment. Missing from the picture is an exploration of mid-life and older women's bodily experiences of transitioning from long-term substance use into recovery. While there are a growing number of studies that explore the intersection of drug use and ageing, the gaps in analysis lie in the intersections between drug use, recovery, ageing, gender, and the body. Methods: In-depth qualitative interviews were undertaken with 19 women in the UK who self-identified as "in recovery" from illicit drug use. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis techniques. The study received ethical approval from the University of Glasgow. Results: Key findings from the interviews relate to the women's personal sense of power in relation to current and future health status, the challenges they endured in terms of ageing in recovery and transitioning through the reproductive life cycle, and the somatic effects of trauma on women's recovery. The findings demonstrate that health in recovery involves more than abstinence from drugs. Discussion: Moving from the body in active drug use to the body in recovery is not without its challenges for mid-life and older women. New sensations and feelings-physical and mental-must be re-interpreted in light of their ageing and drug-free bodies. This study reveals some of the substantive sex-based differences that older women in active drug use and recovery experience. This has important implications for healthcare and treatment for women in drug services and women with histories of drug use more generally.

Routledge eBooks, Oct 27, 2022

Encyclopedia of Consumer Culture, May 20, 2014

Routledge eBooks, Oct 9, 2018

Public Health, Jul 1, 2020

Routledge eBooks, Sep 3, 2018

Time & Society, Aug 27, 2004

This article examines the ways in which understandings of uncertainty have evolved during the dev... more This article examines the ways in which understandings of uncertainty have evolved during the development of modernity, and in particular, how they are expressed in the notion of ‘risk’. It demonstrates how this concept is embedded in socio-economic contexts and grounded in particular temporal orientations, specifically as expressed in notions of determinism and indeterminism. It suggests that, although the concept of risk initially embodied an orientation to the future as something that was predictable and open to human intervention, transformations in the structure of capitalism mean that its utility is now to be found in its role as a guide for action in late modern societies, in which the future has ‘collapsed’ into an indeterminate present.

Soccer & Society, Apr 6, 2022

Establishing the English Premier League has resulted in a dramatic rise in commercial activities,... more Establishing the English Premier League has resulted in a dramatic rise in commercial activities, raising public health concerns around unhealthy brand marketing. The present paper deals with three linked case studies analysing the marketing techniques of three of the Premier League's partners in the 2019/20 season: Coca-Cola, Budweiser, and Cadbury. Data from Twitter were triangulated with promotional materials, product promotions in supermarkets and grey literature. An inductive thematic analysis explored the strategies used to engage fans. The studies show sponsors purchasing access to fans and inserting their brands into the emotional and passionate environment of EPL football. Sponsors evoke cultural traditions to align with and engage fans, to encourage consumption. Consumption is 'responsibilised' and positioned as an individual choice. The marketing techniques identified exploit social and cultural dimensions of EPL football to increase consumption of unhealthy brands, with the potential to negatively impact on the health of the EPL's audience.