scholarly journals The Power of Discourse: Reflections on the Obstacles to Social Inclusion of Roma in Serbia

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 137-147
Author(s):  
Jelena Vidojević ◽  
Natalija Perišić

The authors explore the discourses around the exclusion of the Roma in Serbia in two dimensions: social welfare sector and media reports. The paper is structured around the presentation of dimensions contributing to multiple deprivation of Roma in society (from education to labor market participation, social welfare and health care, as well as housing); a review of public policies directed toward the improvement of their position; and analysis of the discourses on Roma within the contexts of the social welfare sector and media reporting. A review of related literature and public policy documents was followed by a qualitative analysis of media reports as well as a review of the secondary sources regarding media discourses on the Roma. This was followed by evidence gathered from semi-structured interviews and discussions with stakeholders in the social welfare sector. The main conclusions of the paper point to the mutual reinforcement of the discourses on the Roma in the social welfare sector and media reports, with their subsequent mutual contribution to social exclusion.

Author(s):  
Marco Antonio Cruz-Morato ◽  
Carmen Dueñas-Zambrana ◽  
Josefa García-Mestanza

The situation of labour inclusion of people with disabilities in Spain is still too negative, in spite of the different efforts carried out by public and private sector. Previous research points to social discrimination as one of the main causes of the situation. Ilunion Hotels is one of the most important hotel companies in Spain focused on labour inclusion of people with disabilities. The objective of this paper is to explore the social inclusion case of Ilunion Hotels of the Costa del Sol, the actions that they have developed to improve the labour integration of this collective, based on a behavioral economics theoretical model (with a high relevance of the influence of social stigma, stress theories and coping to stress responses). We look into the specific situation of two of the three hotels developed as Special Employment Centres (sheltered employment contexts defined by Spanish legislation) and the possible impact of their Support Units for Professional Activity. Case study methodology is considered the most appropriate, according to the research objective, supported by semi-structured interviews with the hotel managers. The results show that, although Special Employment Centres are effective in improving labour integration in the short term and could contribute to change the long-term social perspectives about workers with disabilities, they could be also reinforcing the social stigma existing in the ordinary market.


Author(s):  
Lida Holtzhausen

Present-day South Africa is characterised by many societal and developmental issues, such as HIV awareness and prevention, child-headed households, environmental protection, poverty alleviation, violence and victim aid. However, it is widely acknowledged that government alone cannot address these issues effectively. The role of non-profit organisations (NPOs) in addressing social and development issues is increasingly emphasised. NPOs work at grass-roots level and they can therefore, on the whole, identify societal vulnerabilities and risks earlier than the government sector. However, due to the economic recession, NPOs operate in a competitive environment where an increasing number of NPOs rely on a small number of donors and other resources. NPOs should therefore differentiate themselves from the competition in order to obtain public legitimacy and funding. Corporate identity management is important for NPOs to fulfil their role in social welfare and thus contribute to disaster risk reduction. The exploratory nature of this study dictates a qualitative research approach. Semi-structured interviews with management of five NPOs in the social welfare sector were conducted in order to provide an answer to the study’s research question: ‘To what extent do NPOs in the social welfare sector practise corporate identity management, in order to prevent and address social welfare risks?’ The research found that NPOs do not realise the full potential of managing their corporate identities. NPOs therefore do not take advantage of a strong and distinct corporate identity which would allow them to ensure their ability to assess, address, reduce and/or alleviate vulnerabilities and disaster risks.


2009 ◽  
Vol 43 (01) ◽  
pp. 31-42
Author(s):  
細清 蘇

本文通過對歐洲社會福利政策研究中社會排斥和社會融合取向的作用進行簡要的歷史回顧,並反思社會排斥為主的福利政策研究取向對中國福利政策研究的影響。通過對有關農民工社會福利制度現狀的研究文獻綜述,筆者發現,大多數的研究實際上都是取自社會排斥角度,在探討社會排斥研究模式可能在中國社會福利研究體系中可能存在的困難和不足,筆者提出重新整合社會排斥和社會融合的必要性。第一,整合社會融合的研究模式與中國政府提出的社會和諧目的相一致;第二,整合社會融合的研究模式凸顯社會資本在幫助農民工融入城市的重要作用,有利於減少社會因福利支出而增加的經濟負擔,容易為政府所接受;第三,整合社會融合的研究模式可以進一步促進福利主體間的合作,包括與政府的合作,市民社會之間的協作和融合等;第四,整合社會融合的研究模式有助於政策研究者有技巧和彈性地與政府溝通,有助於政策的落實與實現;最後,整合社會融合的研究模式有助於發展農民工在城市中的代言人,如社會工作者隊伍和 NGO 機構等。 This article begins with historical review on the roles of social exclusion and social inclusion in social welfare policy research in European area. And then critical reflect on the difficulties of social-exclusion-focused research model which domains the Chinese social welfare policy area. Basing on the literature review, through discussing on the current difficulties and insufficiencies of peasant workers' social welfare in China, the integrated model which should view social inclusion and social exclusion as one whole to be social welfare policy research model was proposed to meet the ultimate goal of social welfare policy. The importance of the integrated model was also discussed in the article as: First, integrating social inclusion perspective is consistent with the social harmony tenet which is highlighted by government; Second, integrating social inclusion perspective pays more attention on the functions of social capitals which may play an important role in facilitating peasant workers to adapt to urban cities, at the same time, social capitals may reduce the social welfare economic burden which can be easily accepted by government and facilitate the collaboration with government. Third, integrating social inclusion into social welfare policy research may facilitate the collaboration with government and reduce the tension between urban and rural. Forth, under the integrated model, social welfare policy researches may communicate with government flexibly and get more government support to make the policy realized; and finally, the agencies who can stand for the voices of peasant workers, such as social work team, NGO institutions can be developed rapidly.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Embiricos

Abstract The years following the so-called ‘refugee crisis’ of 2015 saw unprecedented efforts to promote the social and economic inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers. Entrepreneurship has been praised as a promising route to refugee self-reliance, but its viability remains contested and under-researched in developed economies such as Germany. Limited literature on the topic suggests entrepreneurship is a useful route to self-sufficiency, although refugees face more barriers than other immigrant entrepreneurs, such as language barriers and bureaucratic processes. This article uses semi-structured interviews with refugee entrepreneurs, civil society, social enterprises and the public sector to identify the main challenges for refugee entrepreneurs and to examine whether entrepreneurship is effective for achieving self-reliance in one of the most important centres for creating innovative projects supporting refugee inclusion and entrepreneurship, namely Berlin. Though it is too early to demonstrate whether entrepreneurship has long-term economic gains, this research shows that entrepreneurship is not a ‘fast track’ to economic self-reliance, but has several benefits for social inclusion. It also demonstrates the importance of holistic support systems for refugee entrepreneurs and the difficulty of refugee entrepreneurial success even in the most developed economies.


Author(s):  
Jucieli Bertoncello ◽  
Michelle Tatiane Jaber da Silva ◽  
Regina Aparecida da Silva

This article results and dismembered the master's research on "environmental conflict and climate change under the gaze of peasant youths Poconé, Mato Grosso," aimed at understanding perceptions of youths on environmental conflicts and existing climate change on our traditional community Lady of Lourdes (known as Zé Alves) and the Remnant Quilombo community Orangery, both located in the municipality of Poconé, MT. In this plot also articulate reflections to understand the dilemmas of "getting in and out" experienced by youths since the peasant youths of both communities are being made invisible by agribusiness advances that transform natural goods resources, to meet the economic perspective, making it impossible to remain in the territories. The investigative proposition relied on the qualitative method, with the methodological tactics the Social Map. For information were conducted seven field work, two mapping seminars, twelve semi-structured interviews with the youths, besides secondary sources (reports, articles and census) of the surveyed communities. We understand that the rural-urban migration are mainly related to lack of education and job opportunities and income, as well as non-execution of public policies thought to this reality.


Author(s):  
Laura Oso ◽  
Pablo Dalle

AbstractThis chapter analyses the relationship between migration and social mobility in Argentina and Spain from a transnational perspective focusing on two dimensions: the patterns of intergenerational social mobility of immigrants and natives in both countries; the social mobility strategies and trajectories of Galicians families in Buenos Aires and Argentinians, of Galician origin, who migrated to Galicia after the 2001 crisis. The chapter begins by contextualizing the migratory trends in Europe and Latin America. This is followed by a comparative study of how immigration impacts on the class structure and social mobility patterns in Argentina and Spain. Quantitative analysis techniques are used to study the intergenerational social mobility rates. The statistical analysis of stratification and social mobility surveys have been benchmarked against previous studies conducted in Argentina (Germani, G., Movilidad social en la sociedad industrial. EUDEBA, Buenos Aires, 1963; Dalle, P., Movilidad social desde las clases populares. Un estudio sociológico en el Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (1960–2013). CLACSO/Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani-UBA/CICCUS, Buenos Aires, 2016) and Spain (Fachelli, S., & López-Roldán, P., Revista Española de Sociología 26:1–20, 2017). Secondly, qualitative research methods are used to consider the social mobility strategies and class trajectories of migrant families. We analyse two fieldworks, developed in the framework of other research projects (based on 44 biographical and semi-structured interviews). These case studies were carried out with Galicians that migrated to Argentina between 1940 and 1960 and Argentinians, of Galician origin, who migrated to Galicia after the 2001 crisis.


Author(s):  
Arne Bergfeld ◽  
Carolin Plagmann ◽  
Eva Lutz

Abstract Social enterprises pursue a dual mission: on the one hand, they strive for social purpose, while on the other, they try to achieve economic stability despite scarce resources. To achieve the dual mission, social enterprises avail themselves of both for-profit and non-profit institutional logics. Due to this combination of multiple institutional logics, such enterprises can be classified as hybrid organizations. This study focuses on these organizations and investigates tensions between social enterprises and various stakeholder groups caused by the use of commercial logics within the social sector. In particular, we examine the perception of commercial versus social welfare logics by various stakeholder groups, and investigate the effects on organizational communication. Our study is centered on social franchise enterprises. We use an exploratory qualitative research approach based on semi-structured interviews with 21 social franchisors and social franchisees of seven social franchise enterprises. Our main results suggest that the use of commercial logics in the social sector tends to decrease the legitimacy of social franchise enterprises in the eyes of internal stakeholders, the general public, and various (but not all) external stakeholder groups. Many stakeholders of social franchise enterprises show a strong aversion to commercial logics, and particularly to commercial terminology. Overall, we conclude that social franchise enterprises very consciously apply commercial and social welfare logics and use alternative terminology where necessary to retain legitimacy and prevent tensions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-309
Author(s):  
Jorge Alexandre Costa ◽  
Ana Isabel Cruz ◽  
Graça Mota

In this article, we present part of the results from a wide-ranging research study addressing Orquestra Geração (OG), a Sistema-like project set up in Portugal in 2007. Orquestra Geração strives to bring about, through collective musical practices, the social inclusion and social mobility of children and teenagers experiencing educational and social vulnerability. The data collected include semi-structured interviews with three OG mentors, one of whom currently serves as the OG director, the OG sub-director, former national coordinators, the current national coordinator, and school coordinators, as well as observations of music classes, orchestra rehearsals and intensive summer internships. We briefly describe the project before detailing the organization’s identity and the profile of its music teachers in a narrative highlighted by the actors’ own words. Finally, we analyse the OG through the lenses of two different and yet complementary conceptual frameworks: Mintzberg’s organizational typology, and Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, as expanded and applied by Engeström. Findings suggest an underlying tension between adopting El Sistema’s methodology, as implemented in Venezuela, and adapting this to the Portuguese context. Moreover, a concentration of power in a few key figures may possibly prevent Orquestra Geração from prospering within a framework where its identity stands out as an autonomous project from El Sistema.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 901-916
Author(s):  
Maria Moberg Stephenson ◽  
Åsa Källström

Young migrants defined as ‘unaccompanied’ tend to be constructed as a homogeneous group with specific vulnerabilities and strengths in social work practice. ‘Unaccompanied’ young migrants placed in kinship care in Sweden are constructed with further vulnerabilities. Such constructions of these young people and their situations may have consequences for how social support for them is designed. The aim of this study is to explore how the social workers employed at a non-governmental organisation mentoring programme construct young migrants’ situations in kinship care in a Swedish suburb, and if and how these constructions change during the course of the programme. Methods used are semi-structured interviews with the social workers at the youth centre where the mentoring work takes place and analysis of the non-governmental organisation’s policy documents. The results consist of three constructions of situations the young people are in: (1) loneliness and (a lack of) support in the kinship homes; (2) alienation in the local neighbourhood and the kinship home and (3) social, cultural and family contexts creating a sense of safety. The results show variation in how the mentors describe each situation with both vulnerabilities and strengths. This highlights a complexity in the constructions that contests the image of young migrants in kinship care as merely vulnerable. These results reveal consideration of individual differences and contexts, and are used to discuss how people’s struggles and resources can be dealt with in social work.


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Lindsay ◽  
Joanne Leck ◽  
Winny Shen ◽  
Elaine Cagliostro ◽  
Jennifer Stinson

PurposeMany employers lack disability confidence regarding how to include people with disabilities in the workforce, which can lead to stigma and discrimination. The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of disability confidence from two perspectives, employers who hire people with a disability and employees with a disability.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative thematic analysis was conducted using 35 semi-structured interviews (18 employers who hire people with disabilities; 17 employees with a disability).FindingsThemes included the following categories: disability discomfort (i.e. lack of experience, stigma and discrimination); reaching beyond comfort zone (i.e. disability awareness training, business case, shared lived experiences); broadened perspectives (i.e. challenging stigma and stereotypes, minimizing bias and focusing on abilities); and disability confidence (i.e. supportive and inclusive culture and leading and modeling social change). The results highlight that disability confidence among employers is critical for enhancing the social inclusion of people with disabilities.Originality/valueThe study addresses an important gap in the literature by developing a better understanding of the concept of disability from the perspectives of employers who hire people with disabilities and also employees with a disability.


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