Applied Social Studies - Journal Articles
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item The re-signification of state-funded community development in Ireland: a problem of austerity and neoliberal government(SAGE Publications, 2018) Meade, Rosie R.This article analyses the changing rationalities and techniques through which the Irish state seeks to govern community development; specifically, how the displacement of its flagship Community Development Programme by the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme has been justified and operationalised. Adopting a governmentality perspective, it explains how community development came to be constructed as an anti-poverty strategy and why it should also be understood as a ‘technology of government’. This article argues that the changing governmentalities shaping Irish community development are reflected in a re-problematisation and re-signification of community development’s purposes, rationalities and sources of legitimacy. Under the cover of austerity’s manufactured public spending crisis and new forms of expertise, preoccupations with effectiveness, efficiency and international best practice have intensified, thus demonstrating ongoing incursions by neoliberal ideas and practices in Irish Social Policy.Item Regeneration in vulnerable communities: resident and stakeholder perspectives(Cogitatio Press, 2024) O'Sullivan, Siobhán; O'Connell, Cathal; Cullinane, Mark; Kenny, Lorna; Folan O’Connor, Elizabeth; Gaston, Sadhbh; Cork City CouncilThis article assesses the implementation of a regeneration programme in a disadvantaged area in the south of Ireland, with particular focus on how residents in vulnerable circumstances have been supported in the face of multiple crises including economic recession and austerity, service reductions and cutbacks, risk of poverty and social exclusion, and neighbourhood change. The article draws on longitudinal qualitative and quantitative data generated over the time frame of a decade through research with residents, community organisations, and the municipal authority. Drawing on the principles of sustainable regeneration, i.e., physical, social, economic, and environmental dimensions, the article explores the effectiveness and outcomes of regeneration strategies on improving estate liveability and the quality of life of residents across multiple themes and indicators. The key themes explored include supports across the life course, community safety and public realm, education and opportunity, and well‐being and resilience. Through this analysis, the article aims to better understand the experiences of residents in vulnerable circumstances and the impacts, both positive and negative, of a major regeneration programme on their lives.Item Determinants of receiving child protection and welfare services following initial assessment: A cross-sectional study from the Republic of Ireland(Elsevier Ltd., 2024-05-13) O'Leary, Donna; Christie, Alistair; Perry, Ivan J.; Khashan, Ali S.; Irish Research Council; Child and Family AgencyBackground: Children receive child protection and welfare services when an initial assessment concludes that their needs and care would be significantly compromised without intervention or support. Evidence is lacking on this decision to provide services in the Irish child protection and welfare system. Objective: To identify determinants of receiving services following an Initial Assessment. Participants and Setting: All children (n = 508) whose Initial Assessments were completed during the first quarter of 2016 in one of the four regions (spanning seven social work departments) of Tusla, the national Child and Family Agency. Methods: A cross-sectional study used data manually coded from social workers’ case records. Poisson regression analysis calculated incident rate ratios for receiving ongoing service, adjusting for demographic factors, family level and wider determinants of child welfare to investigate associations between predictor variables and the decision to provide services. Results: 38.5 % of children (n = 185) received ongoing child protection and welfare services. Risk factors for service provision included mother-perpetrated domestic violence (Incident Rate Ratio (IRR) 1.70 (95 % Confidence Interval (CI) 1.33, 2.19)), concerns about guidance and boundaries (IRR 1.66 (95 % CI 1.29, 1.14)), lack of emotional warmth (IRR 1.62 (95 % CI 1.30, 2.02)), prior abuse (IRR 1.59 (95 % CI 1.30, 1.95)), prior involvement (IRR 1.51 (95 % CI 1.15, 1.98)), intergenerational involvement (IRR 1.40 (95 % CI 1.10, 1.76)), health concerns (IRR 1.30 (95 % CI 1.07, 1.57)), and being aged 0–4 years (IRR 1.28 (95 % CI 1.03, 1.59)). Being reported by mandated professionals (IRR 0.71 (95 % CI 0.56, 0.90)), assessed by female social workers (IRR 0.72 (95 % CI 0.59, 0.89)), and, when separately examined, parental cooperation (IRR 0.64 (95 % CI 0.53, 0.77)) reduced the likelihood of receiving service. No differences were noted between departments. Conclusions: Service provision is largely driven by parental factors, prior involvement, and intergenerational abuse but gender disparities exist. Findings can be used to enhance decision strategies to improve outcomes for children and families.Item Mind the gap: Gender disparities in authorship in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences(Elsevier B.V., 2024-08-06) Bolderston, Amanda; McCuaig, Carly; Ghosh, Sunita; McEntee, Mark F.; Kiely, ElizabethIntroduction: Research studies tracking gender and academic publication productivity in healthcare find gender disparities in research activity, publication, and authorship. Article authorship is one of the important metrics to track when seeking to understand gender inequality in academic career advancement. Research on gender disparities in publication productivity in the field of Medical Radiation Science (MRS) is very limited thus this study analyses and explains potential gender differences in article authorship and acceptance for publication in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences (JMIRS) for a 5-year period (2017–2021). Methods: Gender was inferred based on the author's first name or title (e.g., Mr, Mrs or Ms). For those who left the title blank or reported as ‘Dr’ or ‘Prof,’ a series of steps were taken to identify their gender. Where gender was impossible to ascribe, these authors were excluded. Descriptive and inferential statistics are reported for the study population. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used. Percentages of females are reported, and males constitute the other portion. Chi-square, slope analysis and z-tests were used to test hypotheses. Results: Results show that female authorship overall and in all categories of authorship placement (i.e., first, last and corresponding) increased over the timeframe reviewed. The percentage gain in the increase was higher than that for male authorship. However, male authorship started from a higher baseline in 2017 and has also increased year on year and overall, as well as in each placement category examined. More female authors were in the MRS sub-specialism Radiation Therapy (RT) than in the other MRS sub-specialisms. Analysis of the acceptance rate of articles with female authors shows a weak downward trend, and this may be related to higher submission and acceptance rates of articles by male authors during the same period. Conclusion: Male authors are overrepresented in all categories, which raises questions about the persistence of gender disparities in JMIRS authorship and article acceptance. Positive trends in female authorship indicate progress, yet there is the persistence of the significant under-representation of women in the Medical Radiation Sciences workforce in academic publishing. Recruiting more males to address the gender imbalance in the profession should not be at the expense of females’ career progression.Item Positive masculinities and gender-based violence educational interventions among young people: A systematic review(SAGE Publications, 2021-07-20) Pérez-Martínez, Vanesa; Marcos-Marcos, Jorge; Cerdán-Torregrosa, Ariadna; Briones-Vozmediano, Erica; Sanz-Barbero, Belen; Davó-Blanes, M. Carmen; Daoud, Nihaya; Edwards, Clarie; Salazar, Mariano; La Parra-Casado, Daniel; Vives-Cases, Carmen; Horizon 2020; Irish Research Council; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; Vetenskapsrådet; Ministry of Science and Technology, Israel; Instituto de Salud Carlos III; European Regional Development FundBackground: Hegemonic masculinity has been recognized as contributing to the perpetration of different forms of gender-based violence (GBV). Abandoning hegemonic masculinities and promoting positive masculinities are both strategies used by interventions that foreground a “gender-transformative approach.” Preventing GBV among young people could be strengthened by engaging young men. In this article, we aim to systematically review the primary characteristics, methodological quality, and results of published evaluation studies of educational interventions that aim to prevent different forms of GBV through addressing hegemonic masculinities among young people. Main body: We conducted a systematic review of available literature (2008–2019) using Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, PsycInfo, the CINAHL Complete Database, and ERIC as well as Google scholar. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication was used for data extraction, and the quality of the selected studies was analyzed using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool. More than half of the studies were conducted in Africa (n = 10/15) and many were randomized controlled trials (n = 8/15). Most of the studies with quantitative and qualitative methodologies (n = 12/15) reported a decrease in physical GBV and/or sexual violence perpetration/victimization (n = 6/15). Longitudinal studies reported consistent results over time. Conclusions: Our results highlight the importance of using a gender-transformative approach in educational interventions to engage young people in critical thinking about hegemonic masculinity and to prevent GBV.