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 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 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 “Saying yes to everything”: Slung Low’s mission in a time of rapid change

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-218
Author(s):  
Rachel Perry
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Interpretive Study ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose This study explores what it means to be a mission-driven arts organisation (MDAO) in the UK. Drawing on literature relating to artistic risk and rupture, mission and vision, and arts participation, the purpose of this paper is to shed light on how Slung Low, a theatre organisation with a core staff of five, creates large and complex initiatives and seeks to make a difference to its local community. Design/methodology/approach Using a case study approach, this interpretive study makes use of qualitative data to offer context-specific knowledge about how MDAOs create new initiatives including: interviews with members of the Slung Low team; attendance at company meetings; analysis of internal organisational documents, company website and artistic director’s blog; and articles about Slung Low from the local, national and theatre industry press. Data was gathered through a research collaboration with Slung Low which is supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Findings The results offer fresh insight into how MDAOs take a positive approach to rupture and rapid change. The study finds that by embracing risk and committing to an ambitious and provocative mission, small-scale arts organisations can achieve artistic, cultural and social objectives which far exceed their size. Research limitations/implications This paper offers an organisational perspective on the research questions and so participants were not interviewed on this occasion. However, the participant view will be the subject of further research with Slung Low. Originality/value This research paper provides insight into one of the UK’s most innovative theatre companies during a period of monumental change, and advances knowledge on mission-driven organisations by offering reflections on what it means to be an arts organisation which places rupture, risk and usefulness at the heart of its mission.

scholarly journals Transition or Translation?: Thinking Through Media and Cultural Studies Students’ Experiences after Graduation

1970 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Studies ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Work Place ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Educational Transitions ◽  
University System ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Uk

This article uses Kevin Robins and Frank Webster’s notion of ‘instrumental progressivism’ as a way of understanding the tensions between discipline-based academic staff and educational policy makers and developers within universities.  Robins and Webster argue that contemporary educational orthodoxies bring together two disparate philosophies: progressive understandings of education as student-centred and lifelong and the view that higher education should serve the economy.  While these writers see instrumental progressivism as a symptom of an ailing university system, this article argues that cultural studies as an interdiscipline with historical ties to progressivism cannot entirely step aside from the logic of these reforms.  The article interrogates Robins and Webster’s argument drawing on two small-scale qualitative research projects which traced the experiences of graduates from media and cultural studies programs, one in the UK and one in Australia.  While there are formidable political problems with progressivism and real challenges in smoothing educational transitions, the article argues that cultural studies programs can help students translate the categories, research questions, and disciplinary concentrations of their field into the languages and taxonomies of the work place.

Developing Enterprising People through an Innovative Enterprise Degree

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-241
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Brodie ◽  
Susan Laing ◽  
Maggie Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Research Study ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Mature Students ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Enterprise Education ◽  
Longitudinal Approach ◽  
Innovative Enterprise ◽  
One Year ◽  
Research Students ◽  
Insight Into

This paper examines the perceptions and attitudes of mature students in relation to a ground-breaking one-year ‘top-up’ degree in business and enterprise, exploring how those perceptions and attitudes evolve during the students' studies. It concludes with a discussion of how entrepreneurship educators can best support the development of these novel students as enterprising individuals in businesses and organizations. A longitudinal approach has been adopted for the research. Students on the programme complete questionnaires at the beginning, halfway through, and at the end of the programme, enabling the researchers to identify changes in perceptions and attitudes over time. This paper is concerned with the first and second questionnaires in the research study, which indicate positive changes in the students' perceptions of themselves as enterprising and creative individuals. Additional benefits of the programme have also been identified, such as the development of students' networking skills, the raising of their confidence in expressing their ideas, and an improvement in their ability to motivate others to express their ideas. The implications for policy makers relate to how novel enterprise education schemes can support the development of an enterprising society. Similarly, entrepreneurship educators can gain insight into how innovative workplace-based learning, linked to organizations as well as personal objectives, can be delivered.

Growing and Developing Old Economy Firms

2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-160
Author(s):  
Anne Smith ◽  
Bryan Temple
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Business Development ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Deep Insight ◽  
Old Economy ◽  
Research Frameworks ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Political Decisions ◽  
Insight Into

This paper paints a textual picture of two old economy firms in Scotland over a five-year period. It offers a longitudinal qualitative analysis into the processes and functions of the firms. The study draws on business development and knowledge transfer literature to provide research frameworks and underpin the analysis. The fundamental aim of the study was to understand how these businesses operate. The results give a narrow but essentially deep insight into important current issues affecting the development of such firms. Small and medium-sized, “old economy” firms, mainly family-owned, represent the vast majority of business organizations in the UK and are particularly vulnerable to economic events, political decisions, policy change and natural disasters. Their ability to adapt and transform will hold the key to economic growth and competitiveness. This paper shows clearly the challenges facing the small or medium-sized “old economy” firms, which are restructuring for growth and development in the 21st Century.

Threat orientation in small and medium-sized enterprises

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 583-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brahim Herbane
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Recent Experience ◽  
Firm Age ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regression Techniques ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the experience, impact and likelihood of an acute business interruption, along with the perceived ability to intervene, influences the “threat orientation” of owner-managers in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. The concept of “threat orientation” is introduced in this study as a way to eschew the binary view of whether an organisation does or does not have processes and capabilities to respond to acute interruptions. Design/methodology/approach – “Threat orientation” is operationalised and survey data are collected from 215 SMEs in the UK. Data from owner-managers are analysed using multiple regression techniques. Findings – The results of this study provide empirical evidence to highlight the importance of firm age rather than size as a determinant of the propensity to formalise activities to deal with acute interruptions. Recent experience and the ability to intervene were statistically significant predictors of threat orientation but the likelihood and concern about specific types of threat was not found to positively influence threat orientation. Research limitations/implications – Although the data are self-report in nature, the respondents in the study are the chief decision and policy makers in their organisations and thus it is essential to understand the influences on their threat orientation. Results are generalisable only to UK SMEs. Originality/value – The findings of the paper contribute to a nascent understanding of planning for acute interruptions in SMEs and (despite the cross-sectional nature of the study), the findings clearly reinforce the need for continuing longitudinal research into how resilience develops in smaller organisations.

Guiding Informed Choices on Participation Tools in Spatial Planning

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 38-61
Author(s):  
Giorgos Somarakis ◽  
Anastasia Stratigea
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Planning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Participatory Planning ◽  
Deep Insight ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Exhaustive List ◽  
Research And Policy

Participatory Planning (PP), as a streamline approach in coping with sustainability concerns, is nowadays largely acknowledged in research and policy makers' community as a ‘bridge' between decision-making processes and society. Its implementation implies substantial preparation, ending up with certain choices on participation tools, relevant for use at the different stages of the planning process. However, lack of planners' deep insight into such tools leads them to either follow well established traditional planning paths, discouraged by a possible failure of participatory attempts; or join PP processes that lead to unsuccessful planning outcomes and frustrating participation results. The contribution of this article lies on increasing capacity of planners towards more informed PP tools' selection by: providing an exhaustive list/explanation of factors affecting such choices in each single PP context; and sketching the architecture/functioning of an e-Decision Support System (e-DSS) as a tool supporting planners towards the design of more effective PP processes.

scholarly journals Uncovering the potential of urban culture for creative placemaking

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-237
Author(s):  
Banoyi Zuma ◽  
Margo Rooijackers
Keyword(s):  
Youth Culture ◽  
Urban Culture ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Creative Placemaking ◽  
Urban Scene ◽  
Personal Insight ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The authors provide a personal insight into how they see the potential of urban culture as a vehicle for creative placemaking. The purpose of this study is to highlight the opportunities for the tourism industry to embrace this global youth culture now that one of its pillars, breakdance, is on the brink of becoming an Olympic discipline in 2024, thus nudging this youth culture from underground to mainstream. Design/methodology/approach The authors interviewed two Dutch pioneers in the field of urban culture: Tyrone van der Meer, founder of The Notorious IBE (IBE), an international breaking event, and Angelo Martinus, founder of the urban scene in Eindhoven and initiator of EMOVES, an urban culture and sports event. Findings The authors illustrate the added value of urban culture to creative placemaking by addressing the initiatives of previously mentioned Dutch pioneers. Their urban culture events on Dutch soil, yearly attract thousands of participants and visitors from the urban scene, covering over 40 nationalities, to the South of The Netherlands. Originality/value This study provides a glimpse into a global youth culture that is primarily invisible to the tourism industry and a foresight in how the tourism industry and other stakeholders (e.g. policy makers, city marketeers, tourism managers and event organisers) can pick up on this evolving trend. The study is meant as a wake-up call.

Tipping the Balance: The Problematic Nature of Work–Life Balance in a Low-Income Neighbourhood

2007 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 519-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
HARTLEY DEAN
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Working Parents ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
Business Interests ◽  
The Uk

AbstractThe article attempts to locate the contested notion of work–life balance within the context of global trends and recent policy developments. It describes a small-scale qualitative study of work–life balance as it is experienced within a low-income neighbourhood in the UK. The study findings are used to inform reflections on the powerlessness experienced by many working parents seeking to accommodate family life with paid employment; and on the nature of the calculative responsibilities that are imposed upon working parents by recent shifts in social and labour market policy. It is contended that policy makers should tip the balance of the work–life equation from the current preoccupation with business interests in favour of wider social responsibility concerns.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document