scholarly journals Military Veterans and Welfare Reform: Bridging Two Policy Worlds through Qualitative Longitudinal Research

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Lisa Scullion ◽  
Katy Jones ◽  
Peter Dwyer ◽  
Celia Hynes ◽  
Philip Martin
Keyword(s):  
Welfare Reform ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Veterans Affairs ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Uk

There has been an increasing focus in the UK on the support provided to the Armed Forces community, with the publication of the Armed Forces Covenant (2011), the Strategy for our Veterans (2018) and the first ever Office for Veterans’ Affairs (2019). There is also an important body of research – including longitudinal research – focusing on transitions from military to civilian life, much of which is quantitative. At the same time, the UK has witnessed a period of unprecedented welfare reform. However, research focused on veterans’ interactions with the social security system has been largely absent. This article draws on the authors’ experiences of undertaking qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) to address this knowledge gap. We reflect on how QLR was essential in engaging policy makers enabling the research to bridge the two parallel policy worlds of veterans’ support and welfare reform, leading to significant policy and practice impact.

scholarly journals Charting the Rough Journey to ‘Home’: The Contribution of Qualitative Longitudinal Research to Understandings of Homelessness in Austerity

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Emma Davidson ◽  
Briege Nugent ◽  
Sarah Johnsen
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Deep Insight ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Analytical Potential ◽  
Longitudinal Approach ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into

This article reflects on the contribution of qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) to understandings of homeless peoples’ experiences of support service interventions in an era of austerity in the UK. It brings into ‘analytic conversation’ data from qualitative longitudinal evaluations of homeless support projects operated by voluntary sector organisations in Scotland. With fieldwork spanning 2014-2019, the analysis expands the analytical potential of pooling small-scale studies through an interrogation of individuals’ ‘journeys’ through homelessness services and their rough path to ‘home’. By reflecting on our substantive findings, the article explores the added value and challenges of a longitudinal approach. It concludes that while QLR can deliver deep insight into lives lived by vulnerable populations and potentially reduce the distance between policy makers and those affected, its benefits must be balanced against pragmatism and the ethical responsibilities associated with the method.

scholarly journals Social Inclusion, Participation and Citizenship in Contexts of Neoliberalism: Examples of Adult Education Policy and Practice with Young People in the UK, The Netherlands and Ireland

2021 ◽  
pp. 57-78
Author(s):  
Nathalie Huegler ◽  
Natasha Kersh
Keyword(s):  
Adult Education ◽  
Young People ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Economic Perspectives ◽  
The Uk

AbstractThis chapter focuses on contexts where public discourses regarding the education of young adults have been dominated by socio-economic perspectives, with a focus on the role of employment-related learning, skills and chances and with active participation in the labour market as a key concern for policy makers. A focus on ‘employability’ alone has been linked to narrow conceptualisations of participation, inclusion and citizenship, arising in the context of discourse shifts through neoliberalism which emphasise workfare over welfare and responsibilities over rights. A key critique of such contexts is that the focus moves from addressing barriers to participation to framing social inclusion predominantly as related to expectations of ‘activation’ and sometimes, assimilation. Key target groups for discourses of activation include young people not in education, employment or training (‘NEET’), while in- and exclusion of migrant and ethnic minority young people are often framed within the complex and contradictory interplay between discourses of assimilation and experiences of discrimination. These developments influence the field of adult education aimed at young people vulnerable to social exclusion. An alternative discourse to ‘activation’ is the promotion of young people’s skills and capabilities that enables them to engage in forms of citizenship activism, challenging structural barriers that lead to exclusion. Our chapter considers selected examples from EduMAP research in the UK, the Netherlands and Ireland which indicate that as well as framing the participation of young people as discourses of ‘activation’, adult education can also enable and facilitate skills related to more activist forms of citizenship participation.

Not Enough Money: The Resources and Choices of the Motoring Poor

2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Froud ◽  
Sukhdev Johal ◽  
Adam Leaver ◽  
Karel Williams
Keyword(s):  
Public Transport ◽  
Car Ownership ◽  
Social Aspect ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Road ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Labour Market Participation ◽  
The Social ◽  
On The Road ◽  
The Uk

This paper helps to develop the social aspect of a new agenda for automobile research through focusing on motoring expenditure in the UK by poor households. It moves the social exclusion debate on by going back to Rowntree's 1901 survey, which established that poverty entailed not having enough resources to meet the needs of the household. Rowntree's analysis of primary and secondary poverty is updated here through the focus on the resources and choices of poor households, which incur significant motoring costs as the price of participation. Statistical sources and interviews in Inner and Outer London are used to explore these issues and the analysis shows that the story is one of constraint, sacrifice and precariousness. Car ownership imposes large costs on poor households, which limit other consumption opportunities. Labour market participation may depend on such sacrifices where public transport and local employment opportunities are limited. This locks poor households into a precarious cycle whereby the car is necessary to get to work and the job is necessary to keep the car on the road. Using Rowntree by analogy, the paper argues that, as well as improving public transport provision policy makers must also recognise the problem of poverty.

Contribution of mental ill health during military service to postservice benefit claims in the UK

2021 ◽  
pp. oemed-2020-107050
Author(s):  
Howard Burdett ◽  
Nicola T Fear ◽  
Simon Wessely ◽  
Neil Greenberg ◽  
Roberto J Rona
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Common Mental Disorder ◽  
Population Attributable Fraction ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
Carry Over ◽  
The Uk

ObjectivesWhile most UK military personnel transition successfully into civilian life, some experience unemployment and disability, which may be partly attributable to in-service factors. This study aims to determine the degree to which in-service mental health problems impact on postservice benefit claims.MethodsUsing data from a cohort of 5598 recent leavers from regular service in the UK Armed Forces linked with data from the Department for Work and Pensions, we assessed associations between in-service mental health and postservice benefit claims, and the population attributable fraction (PAF) of benefit claims related to in-service mental health. An analysis with postservice mental ill health as mediator was performed to determine the degree to which the observed effects were a consequence of persistent illness, as opposed to remitted.ResultsMental illness occurring in-service predicted both unemployment and disability claims, partly mediated by postservice health (23%–52% total effects mediated), but alcohol misuse did not. Common mental disorder (CMD) (PAF 0.07, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.11) and probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (PAF 0.05, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.09) contributed to unemployment claims. Probable PTSD was the largest contributor to disability claims (PAF 0.25, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.36), with a smaller contribution from CMD (PAF 0.16, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.27).ConclusionsIn-service mental ill health gives rise to benefit claims. These effects are only partly mediated by postservice mental health, implying that in-service (or pre-service) mental issues have carry-over effects into civilian life even if remitted. Better prevention and treatment of in-service PTSD symptoms may well reduce postservice disability claims.

scholarly journals Exploring the Victimization of British Veterans: Comparing British Beliefs About Veterans With Beliefs About Soldiers

2020 ◽  
pp. 0095327X2094224
Author(s):  
Rita Helena Phillips ◽  
Vincent Connelly ◽  
Mark Burgess
Keyword(s):  
Word Association ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Core Element ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Association Task ◽  
The Social ◽  
Principal Component Analyses ◽  
The Uk

Evidence suggests that most of the UK public appreciate currently serving UK Armed Forces personnel but are less positive in their beliefs about veterans. This research examined the social representations held by civilian participants of UK veterans and serving soldiers to understand why veterans may be seen more negatively. An open-ended word association task was completed by 234 UK participants where they were asked to provide three initial responses to the words “veteran” and “soldier” and to evaluate their responses in accordance to prototypicality. The 1,404 resultant associations were grouped into 14 thematic clusters. Using the hierarchical evocation method, the results suggest “heroizing associations” to be a defining core element for “soldier” and “veteran” but “victimizing associations” to be an element only for “veteran.” Principal component analyses suggest victimizing associations are related to war and deindividuated associations; “heroizing associations” are related to characterizations of the veteran’s personality. Implications and future directions are discussed.

scholarly journals The Social Union after the Coalition: Devolution, Divergence and Convergence

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARK SIMPSON
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Social Security ◽  
Welfare Reform ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Coalition Government ◽  
Reform Agenda ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Future ◽  
Scottish Independence ◽  
The Uk

AbstractIn 2009, the UK government emphasised that it was ‘deeply committed’ to the maintenance of the state's social union, embodied in a single social security system. Five years later, the future of this social union appeared less certain than at any time since the 1920s. Dissatisfaction with the ‘welfare reform’ agenda of the coalition government was a driver of support for Scottish independence in the 2014 referendum campaign. Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Assembly failed to pass legislation to mirror the Welfare Reform Act 2012, normally a formality due to the convention of parity in social security. Despite Westminster's subsequent extension of the 2012 reforms to the region, divergence in secondary legislation and practice remains likely. This article draws on the findings of qualitative interviews with politicians and civil servants in both regions during a period covering the conclusion of the Smith Commission's work on the future of Scottish devolution and the height of a political impasse over Northern Ireland's Welfare Reform Bill that threatened a constitutional crisis. It considers the extent to which steps towards divergence in the two devolved regions have altered the UK's social union and to which the two processes have influenced one another.

Evaluating Social Work: Progress and Prospects

1997 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliet Cheetham
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Social Worlds ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
The Social ◽  
Evaluative Research ◽  
Evidence Of Impact

Within the past decade, evaluative research has achieved an established and well-regarded place within the repertoire of social work inquiry. Although increasingly wide-ranging and methodologically sophisticated, social work evaluation still has to contend with important challenges. These include taking greater account of the several audiences of research, namely, service users, practitioners, and policy makers; developing, through a variety of research methods, the range and quality of evidence of impact; and drawing research, policy, and practice into closer union. To reach its full potential, social work research must focus both on individuals and their social worlds and must therefore be firmly rooted in the social sciences.

scholarly journals Impact of parents' substance misuse on children: an update

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Velleman ◽  
Lorna J. Templeton
Keyword(s):  
Protective Factors ◽  
Substance Misuse ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Past ◽  
Protective Processes ◽  
Poor Outcomes ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Over Time

SummaryWe review how research over the past decade both supports existing knowledge about the risk factors that children in the UK affected by parental substance misuse face, and adds to our knowledge about the protective factors, protective processes and evidence of resilience which can reduce the likelihood that children will experience poor outcomes. Further research is needed to understand what areas of resilience are most important to target and how other variables, such as gender or age, may influence how protective factors affect the development of resilience. Longitudinal research is also needed to better understand how an individual's resilience may change over time. Finally, there remain many considerable challenges which practitioners, service providers, commissioners and policy makers face in better meeting the needs of this population of children.

scholarly journals Entrepreneurship in the Colombia-Ecuador Border Integration Zone in the Post-Conflict Setting

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 1182-1190
Keyword(s):  
Social Institutions ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Empirical Method ◽  
Peace Treaty ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
Conflict Setting ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
The Social ◽  
Colombian Government ◽  
Development Alternatives

This article is about the urgency of creating and proposing development alternatives to reintegrate former members who belonged to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) into civilian life. On the occasion of the signing of the peace treaty between this group and the Colombian government in 2016; also for the victims and territories with the highest incidence of the conflict in the Colombia-Ecuador border. The general objective was to analyze the forms of productive entrepreneurship as facilitators in the process of reintegration into the post-agreement period in Colombia taking into account the successful experiences in the creation of Ecuadorian companies. The methodology used a quantitative approach, analytical empirical method and descriptive research. The tools to collect information were a survey and an interview; with a sample of 128 reinserted FARC members and 47 Ecuadorian social and solidarity-based economy organizations. The results come from reinserted FARC members located in the Municipality of Tallambí (Colombia) and the social and solidarity-based economy organizations in the Canton of Carchi (Ecuador). The information obtained about directing and entrepreneurship policies came from the two governments (Ecuador and Colombia), and models of creating companies according to the characteristics found. It can be concluded that the majority of reinserted people are youngsters between the ages of 26 and 30, that is, in a productive age, willing to train and assume entrepreneurship proposals to continue their reintegration process and improve their quality of life. This can be possible with the help of the two governments, the social institutions and the international community.

scholarly journals ‘You’re Just Chopped Off at the End’: Retired Servicemen’s Identity Work Struggles in the Military to Civilian Transition

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 812-829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Williams ◽  
Jacquelyn Allen-Collinson ◽  
John Hockey ◽  
Adam Evans
Keyword(s):  
Social Science Research ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Support Network ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
Service Personnel ◽  
Cultural Adaption ◽  
Transition To Retirement ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Military

Promoting positive transition to retirement and cultural adaption for ex-service personnel has been identified as a priority for both social-science research and for public health policy in the UK. The Royal British Legion aims to provide support to service and retired service personnel, but to date the transition to retirement experiences of older (60-plus) ex-service personnel remain under-researched. In this article, we employ a symbolic interactionist theoretical framework to examine older servicemen’s experiences and identity challenges post-retirement from the British armed forces. Data were collected primarily through semi-structured, focus-group interviews with 20 former servicemen. Here, we focus specifically upon the challenges encountered by these ex-servicemen in the retirement transition from military to civilian life, a time of identity flux of sociological interest. To navigate this period of identity change and challenge, many participants constructed a ‘modified military self’ through involvement with the Royal British Legion as a key social support network. For many retired personnel the Royal British Legion offered a form of identification and group identity that resonated strongly with earlier experiences of comradeship in the military.

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