CARL Research Reports 2020
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Item An analysis of Youth Work Ireland, Cork’s ‘Mind Your Head’ programme(Community-Academic Research Links, University College Cork, 2020-10-02) Koyce, Colin; Leahy, Patrick; Youth Work Ireland, Cork; Civil Society OrganizationThis is a thesis surrounding Youth Work Ireland, Cork and the HSE Health Action Zone’s young people’s mental health programme ‘Mind Your Head’. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the effectiveness of the programme in its intention to educate young people around mental health and highlight ways to develop positive mental health skills and coping mechanisms. The researcher chose to do this research project as they believe young people’s mental health to be of the utmost importance in the ever-evolving society in which we find ourselves in. The development of worthwhile mental health programmes are key in creating a future society where in which there is a lack of stigmatisation around those who suffer from mental health issues and a more open minded and understanding environment for young people to grow up. There is no shame in mental ill-health. Mental health issues do not discriminate.Item How has supranational (EU) policy shaped the local in Ireland? A case study of South East Cork Area Development (SECAD)(Community-Academic Research Links, University College Cork, 2020-10) Williamson, Matt; O’Connor, Ray; SECAD; Civil Society OrganizationThis research sets out to investigate how the process of implementing EU rural development policies in Ireland has led to the creation of new and highly dynamic territorial entities. Since 1987, Local Action Groups (LAG’s) that crossed established bureaucratic, administrative, community and territorial structures such as the Catholic parish, Electoral Districts (ED’s), Rural Districts (RD’s) and county boundaries have become the key ‘shapers’ of these new territorial entities. Much of the scope of this dissertation is predominantly historical, dealing with the period 1997 – 2007, so a context outside of the literature review is set out into which the main body of research will be presented. Concepts such as ‘rural’, ‘community’ and ‘rural and community development’ will be briefly explored before examining the issues and politics involved in rural restructuring.Item Exploring the impact of community crime and violence on the welfare of children in Moneymore, North Drogheda, Co. Louth(Community-Academic Research Links, University College Cork, 2020-04-22) Walsh, Laura; O’Súilleabháin, Fiachra; Moneymore Community Consortium; Civil Society OrganizationGangland crime and its associated violence has been on the rise across the island of Ireland for the past two decades. Irish based research on this social phenomenon is in its infancy with the majority of existing studies focusing on the organised crime aspect of this societal problem. The impact that community crime and violence has on the welfare of children has not been examined in Irish research to date. International research tells us that exposure to community crime and violence has profound short-term and long-term consequences for a child’s welfare and future outcomes. This study aims to bridge this knowledge gap by exploring with professionals their perspectives on how the socio-environmental conditions of neighbourhoods impact the welfare and well-being of children growing up in high crime communities. The current study was undertaken through a CARL collaboration with professionals and community members located in the Moneymore housing estate in Drogheda. Data was gathered from seventeen participants using The World Café research method. Findings from the research indicate that for children growing up in this community their exposure to gang-related crime and violence has adverse outcomes for their welfare and well-being. The importance of a cohesive community response that includes all stakeholders to address these adverse outcomes was also highlighted in the research.Item "It's not all negative like": exploring adolescent girls' perceptions of their social media use(Community-Academic Research Links, University College Cork, 2020-04-20) Flynn, Lauren; Shore, Caroline; The Shona Project; Civil Society OrganizationThis dissertation was completed as part of the UCC CARL initiative in conjunction with The Shona Project. This research explores the social media habits of 14-17 year old girls in Ireland, as well as their perception of how social media affects their lives. The existing research in the area is largely concerned with the negative implications of social media use on mental health, body image and social comparison, and cyberbullying; this is addressed in the literature review. The epistemological positioning applied to this research is social constructivism; this was underpinned by interpretivism as the theoretical perspective. Community-based participatory research is a core component of this dissertation. Primary research was carried out and data was collected from 98 participants via questionnaire. Quantitative data was analysed using the IBM statistical analysis software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics relating to social media habits were extracted and outlined in the research findings. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. The themes highlighted in the findings include: using social media to keep in contact with friends and family, adult misperceptions of social media, responsible social media use, social media as a positive influence, and concerns regarding social media. The majority of participants reported positive experiences of social media, including using it as a tool for communication and source of inspiration, motivation and education. Participants reported feeling that adults have an unduly negative view of adolescent social media use as well as a lack of understanding of the logistics of social media. A number of concerns relating to social media were also reported, including cyberbullying and anonymity online, fake content, addictive potential, digital footprint, and social pressure of social media. A number of recommendations informed by the findings are also outlined.Item An exploration into employers’ experiences and perspectives on working with people with intellectual disabilities and complex needs(Community-Academic Research Links, University College Cork, 2020-04-22) Callaghan, Emma; O’Gorman, Fiona; COPE foundation; Civil Society OrganizationPeople with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) are largely underrepresented in the labour force according to Ireland’s 2016 census figures. Yet studies have proven there is a strong desire to work among people with ID. Dedicated supported employment services such as COPE Foundation’s Ability@Work programme work with young adults with ID to integrate them into the labour market, however, they face a variety of barriers. This dissertation strives to explore the holistic needs of employers who have experience employing people with ID and examine the barriers and supports to maintaining continuous employment within their companies. As part of this qualitative study, a focus group and semi-structured interviews were undertaken with five managers/supervisors who employ people with ID through the Ability@Work programme. The research found that people with ID make a substantially positive contribution to the workplace as they have a great work ethic and help boost morale. The main barrier perceived by participants was a lack of understanding and knowledge of disability which influenced their ambiguous assumptions to employing people with ID. The three main supports revealed in the findings were the essential role of job coaches provided by COPE Foundation, engaging in initiatives such as Job Shadowing and adjusting workplace practices. Promoting an inclusive work environment was seen as essential to all participants. This research is underpinned by an anti-discriminatory perspective which acknowledges a person with ID’s right to seek meaningful employment on an equal basis to others. The research concludes with the recommendations to increase awareness of disability though employer education, staff training and building public awareness of inclusive workplaces.