Applied social sciences
Recent Submissions
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Career motivation of 1st year nursing and midwifery students: a cross-sectional studyAim/objective: This paper presents findings from a cross-sectional study into the motivational factors of students who chose nursing and midwifery as a career. Background: 189 students from the University of Bedfordshire (UoB) and 223 students from Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) completed a questionnaire at the start of their studies in 2018. The findings were generated from the first stage of the Placement, Impact, Experience and Destination (PIED) study into student belongingness on placement and the influence of practice on the first career destination of newly qualified nurses and midwives. Design: An in-class questionnaire was administered to 1st year pre-registration adult, child and mental health nursing and midwifery students to identify the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influenced their motivation to choose nursing or midwifery as a career. Methods: A mix methods study design was adopted for the PIED study where participants completed a survey that collected quantitative and qualit
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Which MPs get elevated to the House of Lords?Using logistic regression and a dataset of 816 MPs who sat in the UK House of Commons between 1997 and 2019, we analyse which MPs get elevated to the upper chamber. Drawing on literatures concerning progressive political ambition, the UK Parliament and the wider nature of the British state, we test hypotheses concerning loyalty, expertise and nepotism. We find evidence to support all three but expertise in the form of frontbench experience and, for those MPs without such experience, loyalty appear to be the most important factors driving elevation. Our research has implications for debates surrounding House of Lords reform.
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The acceptability of alcohol screening and brief intervention for older adults in community venuesEvidence supports the effectiveness of alcohol brief interventions (ABI) in health-care settings but the acceptability of conducting ABIs in wider community venues such as supermarkets, hospital atriums and train stations remains unclear. This study examines the acceptability of conducting ABIs for older adults in community settings. ABIs were conducted in community venues in five sites across the United Kingdom as part of the Drink Wise, Age Well program. ABIs used the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption to measure alcohol use, with personalised feedback delivered in relation to alcohol intake. Data on age, gender, ethnicity, alcohol use and intention to change drinking was collected. Qualitative interviews to explore the acceptability of delivering ABIs within community venues were conducted with a sub-set of ABI recipients (n = 16) and practitioners (n = 12). Data were analysed using Framework Analysis. A total of 3999 people received an ABI. Fifty-eight percent of ABI recipients were female. The largest age group was 50-54 years (28%). Almost 80% (n = 3180) of ABI recipients were drinking at hazardous levels. Of hazardous drinkers that were asked (n = 2726), 40% reported intentions to change their drinking. Qualitative analysis indicted that ABIs conducted in community venues were acceptable and considered to be valuable in raising awareness of alcohol-related risks. Community venues represent a promising context to engage older people in alcohol intervention, with the potential to lead to reductions in alcohol consumption.
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Sharing stories, food and passports: forced migration, museum and nemory activism in contemporary GermanyThis article uses the online exhibition ‘Arriving: Life after Forced Migration’ by the Marienfelde Refugee Center Museum in Berlin as a case study to investigate how museum activism can contribute to creating and disseminating memories about contemporary forced migration. Employing a close visual and textual analysis of the online exhibition combined with insights from recent discourses on museum activism, migration and memory studies, the article explores which forms of memory the exhibition creates, how these memories emerge and to which end they are used. The analysis firstly illustrates how the exhibition creates a space for communicative memory to surface within the portrayed refugee families through the sharing of stories, objects and food from ‘home’. Secondly, it goes on to argue that the exhibition engages in memory activism by humanizing the portrayed individuals, exposing discriminatory state practices and challenging the audience through provocative questions. Thirdly, the article submits that this online exhibition contributes to a growing transnational archive of forced migration memories. Comprised of a multitude of online platforms dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing forced migration stories, this archive stimulates multidirectional memory making and allows counter narratives to surface within an increasingly divided Europe.
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How to extend pilot innovation in public services: a case of children's social care innovationThere is considerable investment by government policymakers in supporting pilot innovation in public services, following which pilots prove difficult to sustain. Our 4-year longitudinal study of three pilot innovations in England, which seek to support the transition of care leavers into adulthood, provides insight into how such pilots can be sustained. Conceiving innovation as a journey, our study first identifies the dynamics of innovation around five key ingredients: the role of senior managers in cultivating a receptive context for innovation, distributed leadership, user co-production, measurement of outcomes, and innovation adaption. Second, our study highlights some ingredients are more important as implementation of innovation is initiated and may fade in importance as the innovation journey proceeds. Third, our study shows innovation ingredients are shaped by organizational contingencies of performance and financial pressures. Finally, we suggest a need for a contextualized implementation science framework to examine innovation in social care.
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The necropolitics of drone bases and use in the African contextThis paper critically evaluates the establishment of drone bases and the use of drones in several African countries and territories. Despite the significant financial commitments needed, external forces continue to invest heavily in drone bases and operations across the continent, often promoted for the security of the countries in Africa. Using secondary sources, this paper employs the concept of “necropolitics” to argue that these drone bases, along with the technologies emanating from them – ostensibly for counter-insurgencies or counter-piracy – represent the deployment of “aerial technologies of domination”. It posits that such technologies enable external forces to control the airspaces of several African countries and determine who lives and dies, thereby ensuring their acquiescence and subjugation under aerial colonialism. This paper challenges the prevailing discourse that drone operations primarily serve the interests of those under its surveillance and advocates for the establishment of pan-African security partnerships to guide against aerial colonialism across the countries of Africa.
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Preserving the future through the past: collective memory and immobility in adversityWhile prevailing research on migration predominantly concentrates on individuals fleeing adversities, this approach results in an underrepresentation of communities that exhibit a desire for immobility even in adversity. Thus, the decision of some community members to resist displacement and stay put in communities exposed to adversity, such as violent conflict—eco-violence, is underexplored; this article addresses this gap. In this article, grounded in the concept of collective memory, a reflexive thematic approach is used to analyze data collected in May 2022 from focus group participants in Benue and Nasarawa states in the North Central region of Nigeria. Among other things, the findings highlight the role of collective and materialized memories in shaping the attachments of community members to their ancestral land and their subsequent voluntary adoption of immobility. This article enriches the literature by presenting a perspective on how people’s memories shape the dynamics that support their quest for immobility within their conflict-affected communities, in this case, in the Nigerian context.
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Navigating credibility and approachability in conflict zones: insights from fieldwork in Nigerian communities facing ecoviolenceThis article contributes to the literature by proposing an expanded “framework for credibility and approachability,” extending the framework’s applicability in conflict-affected societies. The credibility and approachability framework aids researchers in comprehending and evaluating their fieldwork experiences, enabling them to articulate their experiences clearly and insightfully. Drawing on the reflexive experiences of a diaspora-based researcher who used this framework to prepare for fieldwork in Nigeria, the article illustrates the framework’s components plus the added “bearability” component. The experiences were borne out of a study with 54 participants across focus groups in communities affected by eco-violence in the Nigerian Middle Belt. The researcher’s positionality of “betweenness” is also discussed, highlighting the complexities of conducting research as an academic “homecomer” in communities located in conflict-affected areas.
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Participation for protection: new perspectives on valuing young people’s involvement in research addressing sexual violenceWithin our research to address sexual violence, we have developed an approach supporting collaboration between young people and academic staff called YRAP (Young Researchers Advisory Panel). YRAP exists to support young people’s influence in research addressing sexual violence – both in our university and beyond. In this article, current and former YRAP members, as well as current and former academic supporting staff, reflect on our experiences and learning. We also highlight the importance of finding new ways to explain the value and contribution of our work through the development of an infographic and model called Participation as Protection.
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'They wanted us out': young masculinities and school exclusion in EnglandSchool exclusion in England is highly gendered, racialised and classed, boys are three times more likely than girls to be excluded from school and certain groups, including Black Caribbean boys are subject to disproportionate levels of exclusion. Against this backdrop, I explore the context and consequences of exclusion from English mainstream schooling for young masculinities. The arguments presented also have broader international significance due to a global tendency towards punitive measures in schooling. Through bringing masculinities scholarship into conversation with childhood studies, the chapter aims to present a nuanced theorisation of young masculinities which foregrounds lived experience and is located within the interdisciplinary field of childhood studies. It examines ways in which exclusion and schooling in alternative settings, such as a Pupil Referral school, can shape the identities of boys and their subjectivities. The empirical data demonstrates that excluded boys face severe constraints arising from ways in which they are positioned. Drawing on original qualitative data it is argued that boys who are categorised in this way demonstrate highly agentic ways of ‘doing boy’. The chapter is underpinned by two questions, firstly, how can we theorise boyhood and school exclusion in ways that recognise excluded boys as agentic and constrained subjects? Secondly, what possibilities for change might our theorisation reveal? The chapter concludes by arguing for intersectional masculinities and strengthened theorisation of childhood studies which explicitly recognises lived experience. Through this discussion, I seek to illuminate the emotional costs of school exclusion and insights into ways to achieve change.
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Who deserves help and who is bad? race and class in 'doing' school exclusionThis article presents findings from qualitative research on school exclusion. The study was conducted in a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), part of alternative education provision, in England. Mixed methods used included ethnographic approaches, drama-based group work, focus group discussions and interviews. Research participants were teenage boys (age 14 -16) and professionals including Teachers and Teaching Assistants (TAs). Data were analysed in multiple ways within a post structural framework, this included a participatory Data Sharing workshop with boys at the PRU and psycho social approaches. Intersectionality and post structural theories provide conceptual resources for the study. Key themes are: Situated context, boys’ creative practices through rap music and the phenomenon of parents sending their sons ‘back home’ outside the UK. The article highlights school exclusion as part of a wider global context of inequity and punishment in education. It offers nuanced insights from the raced and classed experience of exclusion.
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Relational epistemic safety: what young people facing harm in their communities want and need from professionals tasked with helping themWhen young people are harmed beyond their families, what kinds of professional relationships help to keep them safe? Contextual Safeguarding is an approach to creating safety in community and school contexts that asks how changes can be made in the environment to create safer contexts. However, (mis)interpretations of the approach have given rise to practice devoid of relationships with the young people affected by professional decisions, and which override their rights and ways of knowing. We draw on consultations with young people about what they need from professional relationships when they experience extra-familial harm – called the Young People's Relationship Framework (YPRF). We then use this to analyse three pilot studies of multi-agency practice aimed at creating safety in extra-familial contexts. The findings show that, for a relational orientation to be achieved, professionals need to be guided by how young people know the world. We argue that this requires professionals to undergo a process of ‘undoing’: giving up privileged ways of knowing and making decisions, leading to what we have termed relational epistemic safety. We offer this to support professionals in developing relationships with young people who experience extra-familial harm that are characterised by equality and respect.
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From 'harmful sexual behaviour' to 'harmful sexual culture': addressing school-related sexual and gender-based violence among young people in England through 'post-digital sexual citizenship'Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in schools in England is a pressing concern, especially since the ‘Everyone’s Invited’ movement laid bare the extent of the problem across the country. This article analyses the national policy context, asserting that SGBV is a systemic problem rooted in young people’s school and online peer cultures that requires transformative solutions, involving active youth participation. We introduce and explore the utility of the concept of postdigital sexual citizenship. We contrast this approach with the prevailing behavioural science ‘nudge’ philosophy of government policy making and societal discussions on youth sexuality and rights currently shaping Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) discourse and policy in England. Challenging adult-centric, top-down methods and instead empowering young people as post-digital sexual citizens entitled to comprehensive RSE is vital. While our focus is on England, the arguments apply globally to jurisdictions tackling SGBV in schools.
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How is theory used to understand and inform practice in the alternative provision sector in England: trends, gaps and implications for practiceThis article examines how theory features in the research literatures concerning the English alternative (education) provision (AP) sector. Despite increasing interest over the past decade in how AP can (re)engage school-aged young people in learning, there has been no comprehensive review of the theoretical ideas used to understand, analyse, and inform practice in the sector. This article presents a framework for categorising the literature on AP, which refer to theory. This framework is of international relevance and can be used by researchers who are seeking to understand the state-of-knowledge on AP in their own contexts. Applied to the English context, this framework demonstrates trends and gaps in the ways theory is used to frame and understand the sector by researchers and practitioners. The framework highlights a shortage of published research which seeks to understand how practitioners in English APs understand, and use, theoretical ideas, concepts, and frameworks to inform their work with young people. We also find that theories drawn from psychological and therapeutic orientations are more common than those drawing on socio-political framings. We reflect on the causes and implications of these trends and gaps and conclude with suggestions for future research to better understand them.
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Safeguarding adults within institutional settings: a narrative overview of the literature focused on the care of people with mental ill-health and learning difficultiesPurpose: Institutional abuse is a worldwide phenomenon with the UK also subject to several high-profile abuse scandals perpetuated on people with learning disabilities and/or mental health conditions living within institutional settings. This study aims to provide a broad perspective of safeguarding practices within institutional care to inform practice and service development in this area. Design/methodology/approach: A narrative overview was undertaken of a range of empirical evidence, discussion papers, enquiry reports, reports from regulatory bodies and professional guidance to explore safeguarding practices within institutional care for individuals with learning disabilities and/or mental health conditions. Findings: A range of literature was identified that exposed and explored abuse in this context. Three key themes were identified: failings within institutional care; safeguarding issues and concerns; and good practice within institutional care. Whilst guidance is available, standards are explicit and protocols facilitate improvement potential in this area, a consistent message was that statutory recommendations for reform have not been effective. Originality/value: This paper provides an important resource for practitioners and service providers involved in institutional care. An accessible overview of both the empirical evidence and grey literature on adult safeguarding within institutional settings is provided, along with a range of standards and resources that specify practice in these settings.
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From hegemony to Herrschaft? the growth and potential of a reactionary strain of politics on the British RightThis article argues that a reactionary mode of politics is emerging and informing more and more debate on the British Right. It defines reaction as 1) historicist attacks on liberal institutions or proxies, 2) the assertion of an anti-historicist ‘birth-culture’ axiom and 3) a platform of the ‘racialisation’ of welfare and the targeting of welfare in ways which promotes traditionalist values. It then assesses the published works of Nick Timothy, former chief of staff to Theresa May, and Munira Mirza, former political advisor to Boris Johnson, to assess the degree to which a reactionary mode of politics is present within the Party. I argue that both adopt political ontologies consistent with reaction, especially in mounting attacks on liberalism and “identity politics”, and that this ontological starting point allows both Timothy and Mirza to assert visions of society which serve to justify the reassertion of authority and inequality. It concludes by arguing that the Conservative Party’s increasing abandonment of pluralism in favour of Herrschaft, authority, over the British polity is an indication that the reactionary position is influential on the contemporary British Right.
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Social capital and alcohol risks among older adults (50 years and over): analysis from the Drink Wise Age Well SurveyAlthough there has been significant research on the relationship between alcohol consumption and demographic and psychological influences, this does not consider the effect of social influence among older drinkers and if these effects differ between men and women. One aspect of social influence is social capital. The aim of this paper is to examine whether relational and cognitive social capital are associated with higher or lower risk of alcohol use among adults aged 50 years or older and to assess the extent to which this relationship differs between men and women. To investigate this, data were collected from a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of adults over the age of 50 in the United Kingdom who were recruited from general practitioners. The sample consisted of 9,984 individuals whose mean age was 63.87 years. From these data, we developed proxy measures of social capital and associate these with the respondent's level of alcohol consumption as measured on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-10) scale. In the sample, just over 20 per cent reported an increasing risk or dependency on alcohol. Using two expressions of social capital-relational (social relationships) and cognitive (knowledge acquisition and understanding)-we found that greater levels of both are associated with a reduced risk of higher drinking risk. Being female had no significant effect when combined with relational capital but did have a significant effect when combined with cognitive capital. It is argued that interventions to enhance social relations among older people and education to help understand alcohol risks would be helpful to protect older people from the damaging effects of excessive alcohol consumption.
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Policy briefing: wellbeing in the lives of young refugees in ScotlandThe Drawing Together project explored how 53 young refugees experience integration through rebuilding their everyday lives in Scotland, Finland and Norway. This policy briefing focuses on the findings from Scotland. It provides insights for Scottish policy makers and practitioners to better equip them in promoting the wellbeing of young refugees.
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Realising participation and protection rights when working with groups of young survivors of childhood sexual violence: a decade of learningChildhood sexual violence is a global problem that has far-reaching impacts on children, families and communities. Whilst there has been significant commitment and action to tackle this issue, research with young people consistently draws attention to gaps and limitations. Emerging research, and practice-based evidence, tells us that young survivors of childhood sexual violence hold essential knowledge and expertise about the impacts of, and solutions for addressing, this form of violence. Yet, despite widespread recognition that children and young people have a right to ‘be heard’, in practice there are limited examples where young survivors come together collectively to collaborate with professionals to inform and influence research, policy or practice interventions in this field. This discussion paper begins by reflecting on barriers to, and opportunities for, participatory engagement with young survivors. The article draws on a decade long international programme of work and shares three key elements that have helped ‘scaffold’ our participatory work with young survivors: forming the right partnerships; weighing up the potential risks and benefits of engagement; and putting in place support for all involved. In conclusion, we present potential ways forward, underscoring the importance of addressing structural barriers, the need for creativity, and the significance of support and training for those accompanying young people and facilitating their engagement in the future.
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Relational wellbeing in the lives of young refugeesThis book is a Special Issue Reprint. In it we consider the ways in which a relational wellbeing approach can be used to understand the lives and trajectories of refugees in general and young refugees in particular. We mainly focus on the lives of young adults who came to the global North as unaccompanied children—that is, without an adult responsible for them when they claimed asylum. Many of the papers report from the Drawing Together project (see https://www.drawingtogetherproject.org/, accessed on 11 January 2024). The project focus is on ‘relational wellbeing’ for young refugees—that is, wellbeing that is experienced through actions that repair and amplify a sense of responsibility they and other people have to each other. Hospitality and reciprocity emerge through small acts of fellowship. In time, these build patterns of exchanges between young refugees and those important to them, leading to a mutual sense of ‘having enough’, ‘being connected’, and ‘feeling good’ (White and Jha 2020). This is wellbeing as a shared endeavour. Overall, the project and many contributions in this Special Issue stand at the conjunction between fields of research into wellbeing and refugee studies. The papers span contexts and countries, offering a sense of an international array of experiences, joined by an issue of supra-national importance—that is, the ways interaction and relationality mediate the experiences of becoming and being a refugee.