published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Intensyviai plėtojantis socialinio darbo specialybei, sparčiai kintančioje Lietuvos visuomenėje, neįgaliųjų socialinis dalyvavimas tampa vienu įdomesniu socialinio darbo tyrinėjimo klausimu, nes paliečia kertinius šios profesinės veiklos principus. Darbe yra aptariama konkreti socialinė problema, būtent potencialiai socialiai atskirtų sutrikusio intelekto asmenų socialinis dalyvavimas. Darbo tikslas – atskleisti sutrikusio intelekto asmenų socialinio dalyvavimo raišką ir plėtotės galimybes. / Under conditions of intensive development of the social work speciality and in the rapidly changing Lithuanian society, social involvement of the disabled is becoming an interesting problem of research into social work since it refers to the key principles of this activity. The thesis analyses a specific social problem: social involvement of potentially socially excluded mentally disabled people. The aim of the study is to reveal the forms and development possibilities for social involvement of mentally retarded people.

This thesis examines the role of computer competence in elders’ well-being as they experience a reduced ability to communicate in very old age. My research question was “How do elders over 80 interact with computers? Employing narrative inquiry, I sought stories from 10 elders living in Victoria, B.C. Narrative style open-ended interviews were conducted one on one. Challenging stereotypes, these participants were computer literate people who happen to be very old. Depending on their relationships, learning from their children was a valuable resource. I found no evidence that they required any special senior friendly websites. These elders learned to use what interested them on the computer—no more. The computer is an extension of their ability to communicate their social messages as they age. The denouement of my narrative research is that computers give voice to elders; nevertheless, decision makers need to respect elders’ right to refuse computer uses.

In a small town in a Canadian prairie province where spots, particularly football and basketball, are the chief activities, many young men in school define their self-worth based on their thletic ability. To determine the impact that sports had on the young men in this particular town, 20 boys between the ages of 15 and 19 were selected for interviews. Due to the importance placed upon sports in the school and the small size of the school, all 20 of the boys had some association with football and basketball. They either played on one of the sports teams but spent much of the time sitting on the bench, or they desired to play but failed to qualify for team play. Only one of the boys had never tried to play on one of the teams. The boys were interviewed about how they fit into the circle of sports and how their participation or non-participation has influenced them. It was determined that sports did influence their self-esteem. Many of the boys, both those who were part of the team and those who had been cut from the team, felt left out and began to dought their abilities and their worth. The study confirms much of the current literature. Recommendations include making coaches and administration aware that boys were being negatively influenced by a successful sports program, as well as calling for further research to determine the extent and depth of the negative influence of sports on boys who are not the stars of the team. / viii, 83 leaves ; 28 cm.

German-speaking Mennonite people from Mexico are moving into Southern Alberta. They are mainly employed as farm labourers. Their low level of income makes it difficult to provide for the needs of their large families. Many also encounter difficulties because of their lack of English and literacy, unfamiliarity with Canadian ways and laws, and a lack of understanding and trust in the helping agencies and school system. By using the Participatory Action Research approach and te principles of Community Development, representatives of community health services were able to enter into a unique partnership with the Mennonite people to work toward meeting their identified needs. A family-centred approach was used, with special attention being given to cultural and religious traditions and values. Programs that were developed addressed the needs of the Mennonite people including English as a Second Language, literacy, nutrition, health, safety, dental, socialization, education, and German literacy for the children. A key finding of the research study was that a participatory action research approach did allow the Mennonite people in this study to find more effective ways of making the transition from life in Mexico to life in southern Alberta. Participants did take steps towards their goal of a better quality of life. As well, agency people found new ways of working with the Mennonite people and with each other. Finally, this study shows that as Mennonite people adapt to life in Canada changes do occur in their ways of interacting with each other and with the broader community. / vii, 167 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

Labour stability and strong community organization can be achieved in Northern towns only by fostering among recent arrivals a commitment to permanent settlement in town. Migrational processes associated with the development of commitment are therefore central to the industrialization and urbanization of the North. Exploratory field research in a Northern Quebec mining town was carried out over a 3 1/2 year period, in which commitment was studied through an ethnoscientific study of migrants' social identities. Conceptualization emphasized two theoretical perspectives that have been employed in psychological anthropology, interactionist social psychology and ethnoscience (or cognition). Conceptual relationships between these fields have been noted by many authors, but unfortunately interconnections have not been exploited in most applications of either theoretical base. Research focused on one small sector of the area of overlap, concerned with what Wallerstein has called 'social definition'. The project centers around a concept of 'social identity' which denotes one social psychological factor that (along with others) influences social interaction in a given society. At the same time, 'conceptual systems' of social categories (which are, Stone informs us, social identities) are examined through 'ethnosociology'--the ethnoscientific study of social knowledge as a cultural phenomenon. Migrants and their commitment are scrutinized in migrants' self-definitions and in their social understandings that signal the possession of certain social identities associated with commitment to their new home. The development of commitment, then, is viewed as a change in social identity--a change that is accompanied by changes in 'perspective' bearing on the social make-up of one's social universe. / Formal and conventional anthropological methods were employed in the collection and analysis of data. Formal ethnoscientific eliciting was carried out in interviews with a primary sample of six French-Canadian residents and two Cree Indian residents. Conventional interviewing and ethnography rounded out the final analysis and provided cross-checks by which the use of formal methods could be evaluated. Social terminologies were analyzed in order to discover foci and structuring principles central to informants' constructions of their social worlds. Qualitative analysis of self-attitudes, images of their town, migration experiences, and background factors provided insight into recurrent patterns in migration to this Northern town. A cross-tabulation of various factors permitted an exploration into the operation of migrational and assimilative processes associated with the development of commitment. / Both factors connected with the migrant's background and factors related to his reception in town must be taken into account to make sense of observed patterns of migration. Native townsmen not permitted to assimilate fully into the new community are unlikely to develop commitment because to do so would place them in a position of 'marginality'. French-Canadians who do not feel called upon to assimilate to a new order also do not develop commitment to the town. Other observed patterns may be explained by reference to the same cognitive and social-psychological processes, though the importance of symbolic anchors for identity in such processes must also be recognized. Observations and findings add to our knowledge of Cree Indian culture, French Canada, and Northern towns and also to our understanding of migration and related phenomena.

Syfte: Studiens syfte är att undersöka vilken betydelse sociala aktiviteter har för äldre människor. Metod: En litteraturstudie av elva kvalitativa vetenskapliga artiklar. Studierna artiklarna bygger på har ett urval av socialt aktiva äldre deltagare med fokus på sociala aktiviteter ur ett deltagarperspektiv. I dataanalysen användes kvalitativ innehållsanalys med induktiv ansats. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i följande kategorier: Sociala relationer, vidgade vyer, meningsfullhet, tillhörighet, delaktighet, sociala rutiner, livsberikande, tillföra något till andra, personlig utveckling och välbefinnande. Slutsats: Sociala aktiviteter var betydelsefulla för deltagarna i studierna som utgör underlag för den här studien. De bidrog till sociala relationer och välbefinnande.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Flinders University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Dept. of Public Health. / Typescript bound. Includes bibliographical references: (leaves 406-434) Also available online.

Submitted by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-23T19:53:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissNRF.pdf: 5316096 bytes, checksum: 3377f51919895eade6d3956110880561 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-23T19:53:55Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissNRF.pdf: 5316096 bytes, checksum: 3377f51919895eade6d3956110880561 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-23T19:54:02Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissNRF.pdf: 5316096 bytes, checksum: 3377f51919895eade6d3956110880561 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-23T19:54:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissNRF.pdf: 5316096 bytes, checksum: 3377f51919895eade6d3956110880561 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-17 / Não recebi financiamento / Youth, period of transition to adulthood, range from 15 to 29 years. About 6 million young Brazilians have at least one disability, and even after promulgating policies focused primarily on education, their levels of education and participation in work is lower than compared to people without disabilities. In this way, it is important to establish policies, programs and actions to guarantee their rights to social participation. The study's purpose was identify the opportunities and barriers for the social participation of young people with disabilities disengaged from school, by dropping out or completing a course, and hypothesized that these opportunities are scarce, especially after disengaged. It's a qualitative study, which included documentary research on the actions aimed at the social participation of young people, held in secretariats of the city of São Carlos, interviews and recording of daily life by young people with disabilities disengaged from regular school between 2005 and 2010. The young people were found through the Municipal Council of the Person with Disabilities of the municipality and by appointment of their peers, being contacted in two stages. In the interview, the questions dealt with daily and social participation activities (work, study, leisure), being carried out in the homes, work or public space with 4 men interviewed. The second stage consisted of the participants daily knowledge through photographs taken by the interviewees based on the photovoice method. With the survey of actions, a response was obtained from six of the nine municipal secretariats, in which the Secretariat of Labor, Employment and Income and the Person with Disabilities and Reduced Mobility presented actions aimed at the general public. There were few specific actions for young people, especially those with disabilities. In order to understand the possible social participation paths in the municipality, maps were created with registration of the opportunities (work, leisure, elementary and secondary education, health units, collective transport, among other elements), also indicating the residence region of the participants. The speech of three interviewees indicated that the negative school experiences, besides marking the school life, were decisive in the trajectories of participation. The hypothesis that the disengagement from the school environment influences social participation can be confirmed by a respondent. The information from the maps, speeches and registers confirm the fact that the social participation of young people with disabilities is hampered by the greater concentration of opportunities in the central region of the municipality as by perceived obstacles in access and accessibility. / A juventude, período de transição para a vida adulta, abrange idades entre 15 e 29 anos. Aproximadamente 6 milhões de jovens brasileiros têm pelo menos uma deficiência e, mesmo após a promulgação de políticas voltadas principalmente à educação, existem defasagens em seus níveis de instrução e participação no trabalho quando comparados às pessoas sem deficiência. Dessa maneira, é importante a constituição de políticas, programas e ações para a garantia de seus direitos à participação social. Este estudo teve como objetivo identificar as oportunidades e barreiras para a participação social de jovens com deficiência desvinculados da escola, por desistência ou conclusão de curso, e teve como hipótese que essas oportunidades são escassas, principalmente, após a desvinculação escolar. É um estudo de abordagem qualitativa, que incluiu pesquisa documental sobre as ações voltadas à participação social dos jovens, realizadas em secretarias do município de São Carlos, como também entrevistas e registro do cotidiano por jovens com deficiência desvinculados da escola regular entre 2005 e 2010. Os jovens foram encontrados por meio do Conselho Municipal da Pessoa com Deficiência do município e por indicação de seus pares, sendo contatados em duas etapas. Na entrevista, as questões versaram sobre o cotidiano e atividades de participação social (trabalho, estudo, lazer), sendo realizada nos domicílios, trabalho ou espaço público com 4 entrevistados homens. A segunda etapa consistiu no conhecimento do cotidiano dos participantes por meio de fotografias realizadas pelos entrevistados com base no método photovoice. Com o levantamento de ações, obteve-se resposta de seis das nove secretarias municipais, no qual a Secretaria de Trabalho, Emprego e Renda e da Pessoa com Deficiência e Mobilidade Reduzida apresentaram ações voltadas ao público alvo de forma geral. Observou-se poucas ações específicas para a juventude, sobretudo para aquela com deficiência. Para entender os percursos de participação social possíveis no município foram construídos mapas com registro das oportunidades (trabalho, lazer, ensino fundamental II e médio, unidades de saúde, transporte coletivo, entre outros elementos), sendo também sinalizada a região de moradia dos participantes. O discurso de três entrevistados indicou que as experiências escolares negativas, além de marcarem a vida escolar, mostraram-se decisivas nos percursos de participação trilhados. A hipótese de a desvinculação do ambiente escolar influenciar na participação social pôde ser confirmada por um entrevistado. As informações dos mapas, falas e registros confirmam o fato da participação social de jovens com deficiência ser prejudicada pela maior concentração das oportunidades na região central do município como pelos obstáculos percebidos no acesso e acessibilidade.

As pessoas com deficiência, conforme dados da ONU, representam 10% da população mundial, em torno de 650 milhões de pessoas. No Brasil, são 23,7% da população, o que corresponde a 45 milhões de pessoas. Ao longo das últimas décadas, o conceito de “deficiência” tem passado por transformações importantes mediadas pela participação da sociedade civil, ação dos governos e debates internacionais. Os dados e indicadores apontam para a fragilidade substancial desses sujeitos no acesso às políticas públicas em diferentes níveis. Nesse sentido, a presente tese busca refletir sobre os processos de formação da agenda política da pessoa com deficiência no Brasil, considerando diferentes aspectos, como o protagonismo, a transversalidade das políticas públicas e sua evolução, o papel dos indicadores, as relações de embate e diálogo entre governo e sociedade civil e os processos formativos instituídos, até mesmo na busca pela legitimidade desses conceitos no cenário local e internacional. O caráter polissêmico das políticas públicas para pessoas com deficiência fica evidente com a presença nas quatro arenas de poder, nas quais terão maior ou menor rejeição, envolvendo discussão entre os partidos políticos (governo x oposição) e a barganha entre os grupos de interesse. Diante da multiplicidade do movimento das pessoas com deficiência, há, em cada tipo de política pública, uma diversidade nos atores que compõem os grupos de interesse. A gestão da política da pessoa com deficiência no Brasil passou por diferentes modificações, nos últimos anos, em uma disputa entre o campo da assistência social e dos direitos humanos. Números, dados, leis, enfim, o que importa mais? Qual será a Evidence-based que determinará o maior o menor grau de uma política pública para pessoas com deficiência no Brasil? Acreditamos que essa resposta não seja especificamente o objeto dessa tese, mas conhecermos as possibilidades a que podemos recorrer neste labirinto que estamos estudando poderá ajudar nas reflexões. Se, do ponto de vista teórico, é possível defender um estado ideal, onde os direitos dos sujeitos são universalizados, do ponto de vista prático, surgem algumas questões. Qual o limite entre proteger e incluir? É possível universalizar sempre? Talvez o que devamos discutir é uma transição paradigmática, onde podemos aprender com as diferentes experiências vigentes em todo país, sobretudo nos estados, Distrito Federal e municípios. / People with disabilities, according to UN data, represent 10% of the world's population, around 650 million people. In Brazil, there are 23.7% of the population, corresponding to 45 million people. Over the last few decades, the concept of "disability" has undergone major transformations mediated by civil society participation, government action and international debates. The data and indicators point to the substantial fragility of these subjects in access to public policies at different levels. In this sense, the present thesis seeks to reflect on the processes of formation of the political agenda of people with disabilities in Brazil, considering different aspects, such as the protagonism, the transversality of public policies and their evolution, the role of indicators, dialogue between government and civil society and the formative processes instituted, even in the search for the legitimacy of these concepts in the local and international scenario. The polysemic character of public policies for people with disabilities is evident with the presence in the four arenas of power, in which they will have more or less rejection, involving discussion between political parties (government and opposition) and bargaining among interest groups. Given the multiplicity of the movement of people with disabilities, there is a diversity in each type of public policy in the actors that make up the interest groups. The management of disability policy in Brazil has undergone different modifications in recent years in a dispute between the field of social assistance and human rights. Numbers, data, laws, anyway, what matters most? What will be the Evidence-based that will determine the highest degree of a public policy for people with disabilities in Brazil? We believe that this answer is not specifically the object of this thesis, but knowing the possibilities that we can use in this labyrinth we are studying may help in the reflections. If, from the theoretical point of view, it is possible to defend an ideal state, where the subjects' rights are universalized, from the practical point of view, some questions arise. What is the limit between protecting and including? Is it possible to universalize always? Perhaps what we should discuss is a paradigmatic transition, where we can learn from the different experiences in force in every country, especially in the states, Federal District and municipalities.