No description available.

Sport and recreation have the inherent power to bring communities together; to provide a sense of inclusion to people living on the fringes of society and to solve a myriad of social problems such as social inclusion. The current sport and recreation provision system focusing on social inclusion in marginalised communities in South Africa includes a variety of change agents with seemingly contradictory roles and expectations related to the goal of social inclusion. The discrepancy regarding the possible and actual benefits of sport and recreation participation necessitates the deconstruction of roles and expectations of change agents working towards social inclusion through the provision of sport and recreation opportunities. The overall aim of the study was to deconstruct the roles and expectations of change agents and marginalised community members in social inclusion through sport and recreation provision. Post-structuralism was utilised as a theoretical lens through which change agents’ roles and expectations were deconstructed in order to emphasise the role of discourse and power in social reality. The presumption that the social world can be accurately known, and truthfully and objectively represented, is questioned by post-structural theorists. Reality, knowledge and perceptions of the world are therefore perceived as discursive. Post-structuralism emphasises the role of discourse and power in the reproduction of knowledge, social reality and social regulation in society. Discourses informing the provision of sport and recreation opportunities as a vehicle for social inclusion in marginalised communities include the marginalised community discourse and the discourse promoting sport and recreation as solely beneficial. This study utilised a qualitative ethnographic approach to answer the research question: How does deconstructing the roles and expectations of change agents operating in marginalised communities facilitate social inclusion through sport and recreation? Based on abovementioned research question it was postulated that discrepancies exist between transparent and non-transparent expectations held, and roles played by change agents and marginalised communities in the provision of sport and recreation as social inclusion intervention; that discourses construct and maintain current practices in the provision of sport and recreation as vehicle to improve social inclusion; and that notions of power are constructed in the relationship between change agents and marginalised communities within the provision of sport and recreation as vehicle to social inclusion. Results of the study included the corroboration of two discourses that influence the roles and expectations of change agents providing sport and recreation opportunities related to the goal of social inclusion. The conclusion of the study emphasised that the current sport and recreation provision system in marginalised communities in South Africa is structured in such a way that the status quo in these communities is maintained, which contribute to the difficulty in facilitating social inclusion. The conclusion of the study confirmed that the current sport and recreation provision system in marginalised communities in South Africa is structured in such a way that the status quo in these communities is maintained which contribute to the difficulty in facilitating social inclusion. The study concludes with recommending that social inclusion of marginalised communities should be addressed at a structural level in social policy, and that change agents involved in sport and recreation provision in marginalised communities be recognised as stakeholders. Implications for further study centre around the repositioning of sport and recreation provision in marginalised communities in South Africa; exploring monitoring of grants and funding of sport and recreation opportunities in marginalised communities in South Africa; the development of a toolkit to assist change agents in measurement and evaluation; and, the development of a toolkit to assist in information-sharing amongst change agents. Key words: change agents; community; discourse; expectations; marginalised communities; post-structuralism; roles; social inclusion. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / Unrestricted

The aim of this thesis is to analyze social inclusion among young adults with intellectual disabilities in small towns and rural community settings. The specific context is three small towns in south eastern Ontario in 2006/2007. A phenomenological study relying on a hermeneutics cycle is undertaken to derive an understanding from multiple sources. In the first instance, policy documents related to the province's approach to supports for adults with intellectual disabilities, the research literature on experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities in rural communities, and conceptual models of social inclusion were reviewed. Seventeen young adults with intellectual disabilities (20 to 28 years of age), their caregivers (n=13) and other community members (n=20) from the three selected towns were interviewed. The interviews included quantitative tools and open-ended questions. Data from the Canadian census were also used to characterize the towns. The data collected led to quantitative (counts, median scores, proportions) and qualitative (significant statements, formulated meanings, themes) analyses for comparisons within and across towns in order to reveal the role of context in social inclusion. The results highlight the importance of context. While similarities exist among the small towns in the region, they each have unique features which impact on the experience of social inclusion for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Key lessons are learned. Attention needs to be given to the availability and proximity of spaces and structures for interaction. The role played by developmental service agencies needs to be examined critically as it may hinder social inclusion and sense of belonging. As community involvement is easier for those seen as similar and sense of community is stronger among those who see themselves as similar, the socio-demographic profile of a town can be an important factor mitigating for or against social inclusion efforts. Finally, since residents of a small town who have a greater need for supports derive more sense of community from knowing that other residents are willing to help those in need, fostering caring communities may be as important as creating services specific to persons with intellectual disabilities. The need for geographers, epidemiologists and other social and life scientists to study persons with intellectual disabilities within the places where they live remains a research area where there is still much to learn and be done. / Thesis (Ph.D, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-17 12:24:42.783

Towards the end of the twentieth century academic debates in social policy have increasingly focused on social exclusion. Housing, especially housing tenure, has become of central concern to policymakers, planners and academics alike when contemplating mechanisms for the alleviation of social exclusion at the local level. In particular, the development of multi-tenure housing estates have been seen as strategy for tackling the detachment of local neighbourhoods from the mainstream by the current Labour Administration and its advisors (see Urban Task Force Report, 1999).The research, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, undertaken in this thesis predates the current enthusiasm for such developments and attempts to trace the evolution of the multi-tenure housing estate in the British housing system. It highlights both the potential possibilities and limitations of multi-tenure estates, and housing tenure, as a tool for aiding social inclusion. It finds that these estates marginally influence the social networks and behaviour of its residents, but fail to significantly alter the stigma attached to social housing. Therefore, indicating that the geographical proximity of different tenures does not necessarily lead to integration. It cautions against the belief that these estates will 'solve' the problem of social exclusion, but rather should be seen as one of many measures at the Government's disposal.

The focus of my research is on the experience of Cameroonian migrants, and their relationship with the City of Cape Town. This work focuses on agency on the part of the migrant in understanding the mechanisms/strategies they use in their integration process within their host communities. This thesis argues that those migrants with the weakest social position and tenuous links to their home country are forced to live a marginal and precarious existence while those with stronger ties and independent means of existence adopt a transnational existence. There are also those migrants who, having selected and made South Africa their home, have transformed local cultures and attitudes. The latter was the ideal type that drove and motivated this research, for it is through these processes that community members in South Africa can be made aware of the benefits that come with migrants. This is a global challenge and different countries have responded to it in different ways. Through a qualitative method, I argue in the thesis that despite the “otherness” experienced by migrants within their host communities, authority and institutions, migrants lay claims of social belonging in South Africa and as a result through ethnic solidarity embedded within their Home Town Association - defensively combine as a strategy for existence within their host communities.

No description available.

The study investigates the process of recovery for people diagnosed with personality disorder. This is related to the application of the new meaning of recovery from mental illness as explored by members of The Haven which, as the service setting for the study, addresses the problems of a client group that suffers significant social exclusion, known to impact on demand for health and other public services. It aims to examine efforts which attempt to reverse this social exclusion as an aspect of the recovery process. An earlier inquiry by the author yielded a new understanding of the diagnosis of personality disorder as defined by service users, and contributed to a change in the national agenda when the Department of Health responded by providing new national guidance and funding for pilot projects throughout the country. This resulted in The Haven, the service context for this current study. As yet, internationally, there is no agreed rationale of recovery for those diagnosed with personality disorder and few researchers have sought the views of service users regarding the issue. The following study is the first internationally known research about personality disorder and recovery. A Participatory Action Research approach was chosen for this study and The Haven Research Group, comprised of the author and Haven clients, formulated proposed research questions and conducted Focus Groups and Individual Client Interviews with 66 participants, over a period of three years. The group has been concerned with the effectiveness of The Haven as a recovery tool from the perspective of service users and carers. An examination of emerging themes, and the interplay between themes, gives insight into what participants consider to be the key steps to recovery for someone with a personality disorder diagnosis. From this thematic analysis a map is proposed of the journey of recovery for people with the diagnosis. Findings offer contributions to knowledge in terms of the service model and propose a new construct regarding recovery in personality disorder. This is defined as a journey of small steps highlighting recovering as a process, rather than recovery as a goal, leading to the emergence of the new concept of Transitional Recovery. As an alternative to the historically sequential path of rehabilitation and proposed recovery, this study offers a new, socially inclusive way of working with people who have a personality disorder diagnosis where they may choose to retain a haven while continuing to develop and progress on their chosen path in the wider world.

In this thesis, I address the role of museums in contemporary Scotland, with specific reference to Glasgow Museums, the city of Glasgow’s municipal museums service. The empirical research focused on both the policy landscape within which Scottish museums are emplaced, and the activities and practices of museum staff. The research involved interviews with museum professionals, and participant observation within the museums service. The research findings emphasise the complexity of the role that museums play in contemporary society. In the thesis, I attempt to articulate the policy concept of social inclusion insofar as is it articulated within Glasgow Museums. I argue that in recent years Glasgow Museums has attempted to re-orientate its service around social inclusion, and yet the diffuse nature of the concept, coupled with the complexity of the institutional and organisational configurations within which it is implemented, means that many different – and extremely diverse – activities come to be considered part of the social inclusion agenda. The complex set of power relations through which social inclusion is articulated often results in conflict between different museum venues, departments and cohorts of staff. Through an examination of the theory underpinning the concept of social inclusion, and the practices privileged as part of Glasgow Museums’ commitment to social inclusion, I argue that it could usefully be understood as a therapeutic technology. I also suggest that community engagement has become an increasingly important part of socially inclusive practice within Glasgow Museums, yet I contend that community engagement represents a new and largely uncharted territory for many museum professionals. Through an exploration of the planning and execution of a community engagement project – entitled Curious – I argue that community engagement could usefully be thought of as a form of care. As a result, I contend that community engagement requires distinctive skills, and that these skills are often explicitly gendered.

This research examines settlement services and their ability to provide assistance with social inclusion for newcomer youth in the Peel Region, Ontario. Focus groups are used to examine the experiences and perceptions of settlement services and their ability to enhance social inclusion among 44 newcomer youth. The findings indicate that newcomer youth have positive perceptions of settlement services. Furthermore, there are five arenas in which settlement services are assisting with social inclusion for newcomer youth. These include relational inclusion, labour market inclusion, spatial inclusion, educational inclusion, and socio-political inclusion. Additional research is required to examine the social inclusion impacts that settlement services have on newcomer youth over the life-course. Moreover, reconsidering government initiatives and policies involving funds for settlement services and community organizations is necessary.

Social isolation is a concern for the health of older adults in Canada. Community-engaged arts (CEA) programs are thought to support social inclusion but how such programs contribute to building community connections for older adults at risk of social isolation is poorly understood. This study, therefore, is aimed to explore the experience of community for this population in the context of a CEA program as well as the role the program plays in that experience. A qualitative study using ethnographic methods was conducted to answer two research questions: (1) What does community mean to seniors in the Arts, Health and Seniors program? (2) What is the role of the Arts, Health and Seniors program in the participants’ experience of community? Data were collected over a six week period using participant observation, semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The sample was a group of 20 urban-dwelling seniors at risk for social isolation who participated in a CEA program once a week. Regular group art sessions were observed by the researcher and extensive field notes were recorded. Interviews were conducted with five senior participants and four other key informants (including two artists, a senior worker, and an administrators), and documents related to the community were reviewed. Data were analyzed throughout the data collection process and interpretations were noted. Through immersion in the data and a movement between the data and interpretations, themes were developed. Connections between themes were explored and taken back to the data. Findings were presented as a detailed description of the participants’ experience of community. Community for the participants focused around the Seniors Centre where the program was held. The participants expressed that the meaningful relationships at the centre made it ‘another home’ and was a place they could find resources to adapt to challenges. The CEA program provided a unique experience of community through working together as a group and making new social connections. For health professionals working with older people at risk for social isolation, this research will add to the understanding of how community is experienced by older adults and how community is supported by CEA programs.