scholarly journals Ecosocial Innovations and Their Capacity to Integrate Ecological, Economic and Social Sustainability Transition

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aila-Leena Matthies ◽  
Ingo Stamm ◽  
Tuuli Hirvilammi ◽  
Kati Närhi
Keyword(s):  
Social Work Research ◽  
Ecological Economic ◽  
Urban Gardening ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Sustainability Transition ◽  
Social Innovations ◽  
Transition Research ◽  
Grassroots Innovations ◽  
Integrative Concept ◽  
The Uk

The article contributes to sustainability transition research by indicating the significance of transformative grassroots innovations in the context of social work research. We introduce the integrative concept of ecosocial innovation in order to demonstrate how grassroots innovations can successfully combine social, ecological and economic aspects of a sustainability transition. By ecosocial innovations, we refer to social innovations with a strong ecological orientation (e.g., recycling workshops, urban gardening, participatory unemployment projects and new local economies). The data consists of 50 examples of ecosocial innovations in Finland, Italy, Germany, Belgium and the UK. We investigate how ecosocial innovations interconnect ecological, economic and social goals and study the factors of their integrative crucial capacity. On the basis of qualitative data analysis and thematic categorisation of ecosocial innovations, we identify five integrative practices: diversity of activities, successful networking, addressing new livelihood, focus on food and explicit conceptual work on sustainability. Very often these integrative practices emerge as pragmatic solutions to local needs. For the participants, the ecosocial innovations can be relevant sources for new livelihood and wellbeing beyond the conventional labour market. Foremost, ecosocial innovations are valuable as forerunners for sustainability transition in practice.

Beyond evidence-based policy and practice

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-36
Author(s):  
Mike Fisher
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This paper concerns the impact of social work research, particularly on practice and practitioners. It explores the politics of research and how this affects practice, the way that university-based research understands practice, and some recent developments in establishing practice research as an integral and permanent part of the research landscape. While focusing on implications for the UK, it draws on developments in research across Europe, North America and Australasia to explore how we can improve the relationship between research and practice.

scholarly journals Identifying interventions with Gypsies, Roma and Travellers to promote immunisation uptake: methodological approach and findings

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Dyson ◽  
Helen Bedford ◽  
Louise Condon ◽  
Carol Emslie ◽  
Lana Ireland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Model ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Intervention Mapping ◽  
Intervention Development ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Social Ecological Model ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background In the UK, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities are generally considered to be at risk of low or variable immunisation uptake. Many strategies to increase uptake for the general population are relevant for GRT communities, however additional approaches may also be required, and importantly one cannot assume that “one size fits all”. Robust methods are needed to identify content and methods of delivery that are likely to be acceptable, feasible, effective and cost effective. In this paper, we describe the approach taken to identify potential interventions to increase uptake of immunisations in six GRT communities in four UK cities; and present the list of prioritised interventions that emerged. Methods This work was conducted in three stages: (1) a modified intervention mapping process to identify ideas for potential interventions; (2) a two-step prioritisation activity at workshops with 51 GRTs and 25 Service Providers to agree a prioritised list of potentially feasible and acceptable interventions for each community; (3) cross-community synthesis to produce a final list of interventions. The theoretical framework underpinning the study was the Social Ecological Model. Results Five priority interventions were agreed across communities and Service Providers to improve the uptake of immunisation amongst GRTs who are housed or settled on an authorised site. These interventions are all at the Institutional (e.g. cultural competence training) and Policy (e.g. protected funding) levels of the Social Ecological Model. Conclusions The “upstream” nature of the five interventions reinforces the key role of GP practices, frontline workers and wider NHS systems on improving immunisation uptake. All five interventions have potentially broader applicability than GRTs. We believe that their impact would be enhanced if delivered as a combined package. The robust intervention development and co-production methods described could usefully be applied to other communities where poor uptake of immunisation is a concern. Study registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN20019630, Date of registration 01-08-2013, Prospectively registered.

scholarly journals Come Together—The Development of Swedish Energy Communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dick Magnusson ◽  
Jenny Palm
Keyword(s):  
Rural Community ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Professional Organizations ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Hydroelectric Power ◽  
Solar Photovoltaics ◽  
Grassroots Innovations ◽  
The Uk

Community energy (CE) and grassroots innovations have been widely studied in recent years, especially in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, but very little focus has been placed on Sweden. This paper describes and analyses the development and present state of several types of community energy initiatives in Sweden. The methodology uses interviews, document studies, analysis of previous studies, and website analysis. The results show that fewer initiatives have been taken in Sweden than in other countries, but that even with a rather ‘hostile’ institutional setting CE has emerged as a phenomenon. Wind cooperatives are the most common form of initiative, with solar photovoltaics cooperatives and eco-villages also prominent. The various types of initiatives differ considerably, from well-organized wind cooperatives that have grown into professional organizations to small-scale hydroelectric power plants owned by a rural community. The initiatives may have modest impact on the energy transition in quantitative terms, but they are crucial in knowledge sharing and as inspirations for future initiatives.

scholarly journals Ethics and Governance in Social Work Research in the UK

2006 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 1009-1024 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Dominelli ◽  
M. Holloway
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
The Uk

scholarly journals METHODOLOGICAL BASIS OF DIAGNOSTICS OF THE ENERGY SECTOR ENVIRONMENTALIZATION MANAGEMENT

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4(77)) ◽  
pp. 39-47
Author(s):  
O. L. HETMAN
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Management Process ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Ecological Economic ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
The Social ◽  
Management Diagnostics

Topicality. The issue of the environmentalization management diagnostics in the energy sector becomes increasingly topical due to the necessity to define the achievement or vice versa - leveling the management goal which is the reorientation of the energy sector in conformity to the new environmentally oriented goals conditioned by the internal environmental issues, international demands and national interests of the country. Environmentalization of the energy sector became very topical both from the point of view of the national interests in connection with the existing challenges in front of the country, environmental condition, vectors of the ecological strategic development and socio-economic interests. The man-caused load on the environment results in different types of the social, ecological, economic damage, reduction of the enterprises’ efficiency and potential of their competitiveness under the conditions of the world environmentally oriented challenges. Environmentalization management diagnostics in the energy sector is the possibility to see the condition of the environmental transformation process and improvement of the energy sector which will show the results of adopted management steps or determine their weaknesses for further adaptation of the management process to the existing challenges and searching for the methods of satisfaction of the social, ecological, economic interests of the country which defined the topicality of this research. Aim and tasks. The article is aimed at grounding the methodological approach to the environmentalization management diagnostics in the energy sector. Research results. Methodological approach to the environmentalization management diagnostics in the energy sector is based on the concept of the management process formalization, mainly, on the accentuation of the tough interaction of the management subjects involved in the achievement of the goal of the national interests satisfaction with regard to the environmentalization of the energy sector, management objects adapted to the management decisions passed and the related institutional ground necessary to achieve the management goals. Conclusion. The environmentalization management diagnostics in the energy sector shall reflect the interaction between the separate parts of the management process: Coherence of economic and environmental politics concerning the environmentalization of the energy sector with management of the processes of technical and technological insurance, coherence of the social, ecological, economic processes and coherence of the activity of management subjects of the lower level with the management goals of the higher. Such unified interaction shall result in the synergistic effect of national interests achievement in the environmentalization of the energy sector at different management levels: local, regional, national

scholarly journals Changing identities, changing realities: Social work research in a cold climate

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 128-134
Author(s):  
Andrew Whittaker
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Personal Perspective ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Researcher Development ◽  
Everyday Realities ◽  
The Uk

The potential of a researcher development initiative (RDI) programme to develop capacity within the social work discipline will be explored from my personal perspective as a former participant in one of the earlier RDI programmes. Having undertaken the programme after entering an academic post from practice, I hope to illustrate some of the challenges that new academics face and how such programmes can provide support in the transition from practitioner to academic, both as a lecturer/teacher and a researcher. The strengths and limitations of such programmes will be explored, including measures to address systemic weakness in social science research in the UK. I will argue that, although such programmes cannot change the everyday realities of insufficient time and dwindling research funding, they can provide a genuinely welcoming and supportive introduction to the world of social work research that helps new academics and early career researchers to negotiate these realities with increased knowledge, skills and confidence.

Three Decades of Environmental Values: Some Personal Reflections

2022 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Clive L. Spash
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Economics ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Environmental Values ◽  
Economic Systems ◽  
Human Relations ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Strategic Role ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Personal Reflections

The journal Environmental Values is thirty years old. In this retrospective, as the retiring Editor-in-Chief, I provide a set of personal reflections on the changing landscape of scholarship in the field. This historical overview traces developments from the journal's origins in debates between philosophers, sociologists, and economists in the UK to the conflicts over policy on climate change, biodiversity/non-humans and sustainability. Along the way various negative influences are mentioned, relating to how the values of Nature are considered in policy, including mainstream environmental economics, naïve environmental pragmatism, the strategic role of corporations, neoliberalism and eco-modernism/techno-optimism. At the same time core value debates around intrinsic value in Nature and instrumentalism remain relevant, along with how plural environmental values can be articulated and acted upon. Naturalness, human relations to non-humans, and Nature as other, remain central considerations. The broadening of issues covered by the journal (e.g. covering social psychology, sociology and political science), reflect the need to address both human behaviour and the structure of social and economic systems to confront ongoing social-ecological crises.

scholarly journals The Role of Accountability Arrangements in Social Innovations: Evidence from the UK and Slovakia

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juraj Nemec ◽  
Marta Orviska ◽  
Colin Lawson
Keyword(s):  
Social Innovation ◽  
Slovak Republic ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
The Public ◽  
Social Innovations ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Available Information

AbstractOur research focuses on selected accountability mechanisms in the two countries. In Slovakia these are the Supreme Audit Office (SAO) and the Ombudsman. In the UK, at the national level we chose the Committee of Public Accounts (PAC), the National Audit Office (NAO) and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and on the local level the relatively recently introduced local government system of Scrutiny and Overview.The goal of our article is to assess the potential contribution of these accountability arrangements to the anchoring of social innovation in the public sector. The theory anticipates that accountability institutions such as the SAO and Ombudsman may create feedback loops supporting public innovations. We undertook detailed checks on the concrete situation in the Slovak Republic and in the UK. On the basis of the comprehensive set of data reviewed, including reports, interviews and more generally available information, we can confidently conclude that while in Slovakia such a feedback loop barely functions, in the UK it does function on a limited but still significant scale. In the last part we provide selected arguments why the Slovak situation is less positive.

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