The UK Gypsy, Traveller and Roma third sector: a Gypsy industry or route to empowerment?

Author(s):  
Andrew Ryder

The chapter analyses the historical and contemporary condition of the Gypsy, Traveller and Roma (GTR) civil society movement, its strengths, achievements, threats and pitfalls and the motivation, dynamism and tensions within its varied manifestations. It explores the struggles against assimilatory and discriminatory policy, the interplay between community bonds and diverse aspects of identity and analyses the transformative potential of inclusive, grassroots and asset based community development, which draws upon the strengths of identity and culture but fuses these with perceptions and strategies which are emancipatory and inclusive.

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Harris

Abstract This paper describes and analyses the response of UK civil society in the early months of the Covid-19 crisis, roughly the period March to July 2020. While focussing primarily on civil society actors, the paper includes an exploration of how civil society and the national government interacted with each other. It considers the extent to which responses to the Covid-19 crisis reflect familiar patterns of behaviour by civil society in the UK, and in the relationship between the government and ‘third sector’. The paper concludes by pointing to emergent issues for civil society as the UK looked towards recovery from the initial wave of crisis.


Author(s):  
Angus McCabe ◽  
Jenny Phillimore

There is a growing body of literature on the voluntary, or third, sector (Milbourne, 2013). Equally, there is a long tradition of research into communities, stretching back in the UK to the series of reports produced by the Community Development Projects in the UK in the early to mid-1970s (...


SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401882308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Harrison ◽  
Christian Blickem ◽  
Jonathan Lamb ◽  
Susan Kirk ◽  
Ivaylo Vassilev

Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) is seen as a way of tackling the social determinants of health and reducing health inequalities. However, a better understanding of the mechanisms through which ABCD operates, and the environmental and relational conditions within which it is likely to be most effective, could increase its effectiveness at improving health and well-being and reducing inequalities. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 25 people working in third sector and voluntary organizations to begin to improve understanding about ABCD approaches, how they are implemented, and how they are meeting the needs of disadvantaged populations. These individuals had local area knowledge of programs that follow an ABCD approach and which are currently running in the North West of England. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Four overarching themes gave insight into the principles and practices of ABCD: Relationships and trust as mechanisms for change, Reciprocity and connectivity: “people not services,” Accountability and reducing dependency, and A socially sustainable model. ABCD focuses on identifying and developing individual capabilities, relationships, engagement within communities, and outcomes that are meaningful to people and consistent with relationships and support that are reciprocal and acceptable. ABCD is likely to be most effective in supporting vulnerable people where building trust is mirrored by an institutional and relational environment that is trustworthy and facilitative of developing people’s capabilities.


Author(s):  
Mark Bovens ◽  
Anchrit Wille

Civil society organizations are, if not schools, at least pools of democracy. In the ‘third sector’, too, active engagement and participation ‘by the people’ have given way to meritocracy, or, in other words, to rule by the well-educated. Many popularly rooted mass organizations have witnessed a decline in membership and political influence. Their role as intermediary between politics and society has been taken over by professionally managed advocacy groups that operate with university educated public affairs consultants. First, the chapter describes the associational revolution, the enormous increase in the number of civil society organizations. Then it in analyses the education gap in membership and the shift from large membership organizations to lean professional advocacy groups, which has occurred over the past three decades. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the net effect of this meritocratization of civil society for political participation and interest representation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarissa Giebel ◽  
Kerry Hanna ◽  
Manoj Rajagopal ◽  
Aravind Komuravelli ◽  
Jacqueline Cannon ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Sudden public health restrictions can be difficult to comprehend for people with cognitive deficits. However, these are even more important for them to adhere to due to their increased levels of vulnerability, particularly to COVID-19. With a lack of previous evidence, we explored the understanding and changes in adherence to COVID-19 public health restrictions over time in people living with dementia (PLWD). Methods Unpaid carers and PLWD were interviewed over the phone in April 2020, shortly after the nationwide UK lockdown, with a proportion followed up from 24th June to 10th July. Participants were recruited via social care and third sector organisations across the UK, and via social media. Findings A total of 70 interviews (50 baseline, 20 follow-up) were completed with unpaid carers and PLWD. Five themes emerged: Confusion and limited comprehension; Frustration and burden; Putting oneself in danger; Adherence to restrictions in wider society; (Un) changed perceptions. Most carers reported limited to no understanding of the public health measures in PLWD, causing distress and frustration for both the carer and the PLWD. Due to the lack of understanding, some PLWD put themselves in dangerous situations without adhering to the restrictions. PLWD with cognitive capacity who participated understood the measures and adhered to these. Discussion In light of the new second wave of the pandemic, public health measures need to be simpler for PLWD to avoid unwilful non-adherence. Society also needs to be more adaptive to the needs of people with cognitive disabilities more widely, as blanket rules cause distress to the lives of those affected by dementia.


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