scholarly journals Relevance of social capital and its implications for children: Study in three Belgrade urban settings

Sociologija ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Smiljka Tomanovic
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Theoretical Concept ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Social Constraints ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Local Identity ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Urban Settings ◽  
Group Interviews

The paper aims at questioning some theoretical and methodological issues of relevance of social capital concept for children and its policy implications. The evidence for the analysis comes from the small-scale survey and eight focus group interviews with 13 - 14 year old schoolchildren in three Belgrade urban settings. By using the operationalisation developed by V. Morrow (2003), the author explores the validity in the case of children of social networks, sense of belonging and local identity community, and civic engagement as features and components of social capital. The evidence shows that each of these features has its particularity when children and young people are concerned, which has to be kept in mind when using social capital as theoretical concept and methodological tool. The validity of the concept of social capital in its broader terms for children is questioned in the paper. Considering different kinds of social constraints, one could ask whether it would be more helpful to think about the defined components as "social resources" than as "capital" when we consider children as a social group. This argument has also specific policy implications.

Individual pastime or focused social interaction: Gendered gaming practices among Danish youth

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 1444-1464
Author(s):  
Anne Mette Thorhauge ◽  
Andreas Gregersen
Keyword(s):  
Social Play ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Social Patterns ◽  
Everyday Practices ◽  
The Social ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Depth Interviews

This article outlines how gaming and video gameplay among Danish youth can be integral parts of everyday practices. The article is based on a mixed-methods study of video gameplay patterns among Danish children and young people aged 10–18 years. The study included a survey with a stratified random sample ( N = 1560), follow-up in-depth interviews using purposive sampling from the survey respondents ( N = 19) and focus group interviews with boys and girls ( N = 2). We argue that pronounced differences in boys’ and girls’ gameplay patterns and preferences can be explained by the different ways in which gameplay is embedded into the social patterns of everyday life with family and friends. We identify two predominant gaming practices, one organised around competitive social play in teams and another around non-competitive solo play. These findings are discussed in the context of practice theory and existing work on gender and video games.

Teachers' Experiences, Attitudes, and Perceptions Towards Early Inclusion in Urban Settings

Inclusion ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 222-240
Author(s):  
Sunyoung Kim ◽  
Elizabeth Cambray-Engstrom ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Veronica Y. Kang ◽  
Youn-Jeng Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Special Education Teachers ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Urban Settings ◽  
Teachers Experiences ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Method Approach

Abstract Given that inclusion benefits all children, it is important to understand why there are discrepancies in its implementation. Understanding teachers' views on inclusion may help identify ways to improve its implementation and prevent disparities. Although teachers' beliefs about inclusion have been widely explored, the beliefs and experiences of early childhood general and special education teachers in urban settings remain relatively understudied. This study explored early childhood educators' perceptions of inclusion in urban schools, using a mixed-method approach. The results from the qualitative focus group interviews (n = 13) reveal that most teachers have positive beliefs about inclusion and that there are specific benefits, challenges, and needs concerning early inclusion in urban settings. The analysis of the survey data (n = 36) shows differences in beliefs about inclusion among teachers of different ages and/or years of experience. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Using, spending, wasting and killing time in airports

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 392-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bodil Stilling Blichfeldt ◽  
Aurimas Pumputis ◽  
Kiya Ebba
Keyword(s):  
Waiting Time ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Airport Terminals ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Travelers are both surrounded by and perform places, thus making places ambiguous sites that “come alive” when travelers use them and engage in various performances. A place many travelers pass through is the airport. Airports are places where travelers’ performances are restricted in many ways and waiting is a key element of the airport experience. This paper contributes with knowledge on what airport terminals “are”, not as designs or material objects but as places enacted by travelers. In doing so, the paper aims to emphasize on both how travelers “see” airports and how they use them. Design/methodology/approach The study uses different qualitative methods and notions of time and waiting. Sources of data are small-scale netnography, focus group interviews, observations done at airports and qualitative interviews. Findings The study shows that airport terminals are heterogeneously enacted environments that are heavily inscribed with the mundane act of waiting and travelers use a series of different strategies to “use”, “spend” and “kill” time. Furthermore, whereas more affluent travelers spend waiting time using airports’ commercial offerings (shopping, restaurants, bars, etc.), less affluent travelers do not have the same options. Research limitations/implications The research points to airport terminals as not only “places of movement and mobility” but also “places of waiting” inscribed with boredom and travelers actively fight boredom by spending, using and killing time in a variety of ways. Furthermore, the study points to significant differences between affluent travelers and other travelers and differences between people travelling alone and in groups. Therefore, a call is made for research focusing on less affluent travelers, people traveling in groups and on waiting and waiting time. Practical implications The study suggests that airports are more than consumerscapes and places of movement, hereby questioning the current focus on commercial revenues. Social implications The study points to airport space as space “inhabited” not only by travelers willingly taking on the roles as consumers but also by travelers that kill, spend and use waiting time in other ways, hereby questioning the idea that airports are places for the “elite”. Originality/value Travelers associate airports with boredom and inscribe them with waiting. However, travelers “fight” boredom and waiting with performances and acts designed to use, spend, pass and “kill” time. Hereby, travelers not only accept but also construct the seemingly mundane act of waiting as restricted, negotiated and confined, but nevertheless meaningful performances.

scholarly journals The Process of Establishing a Green Climate: Face-To-Face Interaction between Leaders and Employees in the Microsystem

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingeborg Flagstad ◽  
Svein Johnsen ◽  
Leif Rydstedt
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Small Companies ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Systems Model ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Interactional Processes

This study explores the processes of establishing a green organizational climate in small-scale companies. Previous studies have primarily focused on factors associated with pro-environmental behaviour in large organizations. The role of a green organizational climate—specifically, the interactional processes involved in the construction of a green climate—has largely been unexplored. Entrepreneurial small companies constitute an ideal arena in which to study the initial phase of greening processes. The present study examined the process of establishing a green organizational climate in seven small-scale Norwegian companies. This article presents a systems model that was developed to analyse how processes at different levels interact in the shaping of the green climate. The design was a longitudinal mixed-methods approach, consisting of focus-group interviews conducted in the field, a questionnaire and follow-up interviews with the leaders. Findings indicate that the construction of a green climate had a strong practise-based approach. The company founders were driven by environmental values; they sparked the initial green measures, influenced the employees—directly and indirectly—and also invited dialogue around and co-construction of the green climate. Frequent face-to-face interactions within the microsystem of the leaders/employees were decisive to the development of the green climate. The present study contributes to the understanding of the process of greening an organization: specifically, how green practice relates to the construction of a shared green climate. Contrary to previous research and theorizing, this study indicates that it is possible to “go green” without a superordinate green strategy.

scholarly journals Influence of Family Values on Sexual Behaviour: A Qualitative Study of the Perceptions of Pre-Service Student Teachers

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 460-471
Author(s):  
Dechen Tshomo ◽  
Ugyen Tshomo ◽  
Khandu Dorji ◽  
Hari Maya Gurung ◽  
Kezang Sherab
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Sexual Behaviour ◽  
Family Values ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
Group Interviews

Family values and culture play a crucial role in the sexual behaviour of young adults. Due to lack of research, it is difficult to understand how Bhutanese family values and culture impact the sexual behaviour of young adults. Bhutanese are known for taking pride in their family values and culture and this is vividly brought out in this paper as a context to the study being carried out. This study employed a qualitative approach to understand the perceptions of pre-service student teachers (16 Key Informant & 2 Focus Group Interviews) regarding the influence of family values on their sexual behaviour. The findings indicate a presence of strong influence of family values and culture on the sexual behaviour of young adults. However, the findings tentatively suggest that the age of parents, education of parents, region, and religion do not influence their sexual behaviour. This small-scale study sets a foundation for a more expansive study on the role of family values in shaping the sexual behaviour of college students. This paper also presents the implications of the findings.

scholarly journals Animal Welfare and Mountain Products from Traditional Dairy Farms: How Do Consumers Perceive Complexity?

Animals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Zuliani ◽  
Lars Esbjerg ◽  
Klaus Grunert ◽  
Stefano Bovolenta
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Dairy Production ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Effective Science ◽  
Cow Welfare ◽  
Group Interviews

This qualitative study aims to investigate consumers’ perceptions toward dairy cow welfare in traditional mountain farms. While consumers’ understanding of conventional dairy production and animal welfare has already been investigated, how consumers perceive animal welfare in traditional mountain dairy farming remains still unexplored. Focus group interviews were conducted with consumers having different degrees of geographical proximity to mountains and with an explicit interest in local dairy products. The results of this qualitative study show that participants expect mountain farming to be on a smaller scale when compared to non-mountain farming systems and expect mountain products to be healthier. Similarly, all participants consider origin, locality, and small-scale production as relevant quality attributes of mountain cheese. However, the appreciation of these abstract features did not necessarily result in their recognition when sample pictures of traditional husbandry systems were provided especially in the case of urban participants. This study contributes to reveal the gap between urban consumers’ conception of mountain farming and the actual farming practices. It also indicates the need to promote an effective science-based dialogue on animal welfare that goes beyond an anthropomorphic perspective and tackles the complexity of farming systems in relation to the context in which they are located.

Understanding the role of social capital for mental wellbeing among older adults

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 804-825 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. FORSMAN ◽  
C. HERBERTS ◽  
F. NYQVIST ◽  
K. WAHLBECK ◽  
I. SCHIERENBECK
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Postal Survey ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Group Interviews

ABSTRACTPrevious research applying quantifiable measurements has established significant positive associations between social capital and mental health in older adults. This study aimed to obtain a deeper understanding of the causal mechanisms of social capital affecting mental wellbeing among older people. The study is based on two independent qualitative data materials collected through two focus group interviews and an open-ended question included in a Finnish population-based postal survey. The findings indicate that informal social contacts such as family members and life-long relationships between friends impact the experienced mental wellbeing among older adults due to shared life events, social support, mutual appreciation and trust, as well as a sense of belonging through common social activities. Hence, this study challenges Putnam's idea of social capital as a collective concept focusing on formal contacts and the benefits on a collective level. In addition, the findings highlight the obstacles specific to older adults in maintaining social networks and participation, which should be considered in order to promote mental health in later life.

The Psychology of Green Entrepreneurship: Environmentally Sustainable Organizational Climate in Small-scale Companies in India

2021 ◽  
pp. 097226292110662
Author(s):  
Babin Dhas Devadhasan ◽  
Moon Moon Haque ◽  
Natanya Meyer ◽  
Seetharampalayam Chettiannan Vetrivel
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Green Entrepreneurship ◽  
Environmental Focus ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Different Origins

This study explores the psychology of green entrepreneurship and the role of the founder in establishing a green climate in organizations. The study examined the process of founding an environmentally sustainable organizational climate in small-scale auto ancillary companies in India. Focus group interviews were conducted, and questionnaires were distributed in the field; subsequently, the founders participated in an in-depth follow-up interview to explore the evolving elements of the green climate. Thematic analysis revealed that the founders’ environmental focus had different origins, indicative of four motivational categories: opposition, frugality, activism and idealism. The founders played a crucial role in influencing green employee behaviour through both supervision and direct behavioural instructions. Moreover, the participants frequently mentioned the practical aspects of the environmental focus, while values and strategies were generally tacit. The findings indicate that the founders’ motivational position determined the trajectory of developing a green climate.

Management Strategy for Distributing Questionnaires and Interview Guidelines in the Research Data Collection Process

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-111
Author(s):  
Po. Abas Sunarya ◽  
George Iwan Marantika ◽  
Adam Faturahman
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Good Management ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Data Collection Process ◽  
Group Interviews

Writing can mean lowering or describing graphic symbols that describe a languageunderstood by someone. For a researcher, management of research preparation is a veryimportant step because this step greatly determines the success or failure of all researchactivities. Before a person starts with research activities, he must make a written plan commonlyreferred to as the management of research data collection. In the process of collecting researchdata, of course we can do the management of questionnaires as well as the preparation ofinterview guidelines to disseminate and obtain accurate information. With the arrangement ofplanning and conducting interviews: the ethics of conducting interviews, the advantages anddisadvantages of interviews, the formulation of interview questions, the schedule of interviews,group and focus group interviews, interviews using recording devices, and interview bias.making a questionnaire must be designed with very good management by giving to theinformation needed, in accordance with the problem and all that does not cause problems at thestage of analysis and interpretation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document