Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1986.

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1986. / Also available in print.

Supervised Homemaker Service in the Family Welfare Bureau of Greater Vancouver provides "homemakers" to families that are without mothers, either temporarily or permanently, for the purpose of maintaining the home and caring for the children. The Bureau has developed over a period of twelve years a group of experienced and well-trained women to do this work. The Service alleviates what might otherwise be a traumatic experience for a growing child, by keeping him in the familiar surroundings of his home; and it relieves the anxiety of the parents. As a result, in case of illness of the mother, either at home or in hospital, her recovery is not retarded by worry about her family. The Service builds upon the existing strengths within the family toward planning for their future well-being, and to this end it is co-ordinated with casework service to assist in the solution of family problems. The material for the study was secured from many sources within the Family Welfare Bureau, which included minutes of the Homemakers' Committee; Director's Reports since 1938; minutes of other committees and meetings having a bearing on the homemaker service; minutes of homemakers’ meetings; personal discussions with members of the professional staff; records of homemaker cases and applications for service. Two questionnaires were used; one for the caseworkers supervising homes which had homemaker service; the other to secure the views of homemakers themselves. The balance of the material was obtained from articles on the subject and correspondence with and visits to agencies in other cities having a similar service. The study traces the development of the Service in Vancouver from its beginning in 1937; the methods by which it has been supervised; and the changing direction of policy, from the provision of an emergency housekeeper to coordination with casework. Types of service, and special problems are illustrated by sample cases. A tentative evaluation is made of the homemakers as a group, and of their growing appreciation of their contribution to team-work within a family agency. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

The thesis explores ways in which public presentations of history and archaeology might be enjoyed by a wider audience than they are at present. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding cultural barriers that deter certain groups who are otherwise interested in the past. In order to do this it is necessary to understand the role of the past and of institutions such as museums in contemporary culture. A survey representative of all adults shows that, rather than being a commodity as some claim, the past is used in many different ways as a discourse about the present. In addition, claims that presentations of the past act as agents of the dominant ideology are unfounded because 'the dominated' tend not to go to them. As they have not been socialized into the 'code' of museum-visiting, they find the museum's image intimidating and exclude themselves. Archaeology itself suffers from an outdated and unclear image. Archaeological societies, like museums, are participated in predominantly by the better-educated and the affluent. Fieldwork is carried out by a wider range of people, but is perceived by the public to be in the same category as treasure-hunting. This is partly due to archaeology's image, and partly to the exclusion of amateurs from excavations. A study is then made of ways in which people who tend not to go to museums or participate in archaeology do gain their sense of the past, in order to discover ways in which these deterrents might be removed. It is found that most past-related activities are done by active heritage visitors. Those who tend not to participate in them gain their sense of the past in less tangible ways, through memories, family history and attachment to place. In conclusion, two different ways of experiencing the past are isolated, personal, and non-personal or 'heritage'. Participation in the latter is dominated by the better-educated and the affluent, who adopt it as part of a cultured lifestyle appropriate to their social position. Museum-visiting and membership of archaeological societies is emblematic of affiliation to this group. It will therefore not be possible for museums or societies to attract a totally representative audience. Museums are relatively 'open' institutions, however, so it will be possible to widen participation even further, and ways of achieving this are suggested.

Aim: To describe medical nurses’ experiences caring for patients and families within an environment with open visiting hours (OVH). Background: OVH is an approach where families and friends can visit patients without restrictions. OVH is a strategy used by hospitals to promote patient-and-family-centered care (PFCC). In an OVH environment, the increased presence of family can alter nurses’ working environments. However, research examining nurses’ perspectives on OVH is limited. As OVH becomes more widely implemented, it is essential to understand the influence of OVH on the nurse. Design: A qualitative descriptive approach was used. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 registered nurses on two medical units in a large urban Canadian hospital. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data inductively. Strategies were used to enhance rigour. Results: Four main themes resulted which described participants’ experiences with OVH as they related to the processes and philosophy of OVH, the care of patients and family, and the influence families had on patient care and nurses working environments. An overarching theme of Reliance and Resistance reflected participants’ mixed feelings toward OVH. While OVH facilitated PFCC and alleviated nurses’ work, at times it also hindered opportunities for nurses to get to know patients and added to their work. Further, increased family presence created challenges related to space, overcrowding, increased noise levels, and created concerns about safety. Conclusion: The findings add to an understanding of the clinical realities of OVH from the perspectives of medical nurses, and the potential implications for PFCC and nurses’ working environment. Relevance to clinical practice: OVH creates an environment to foster PFCC. However, nurses may benefit from training to facilitate communication and engagement with families. Organizations who wish to implement OVH should consider how contextual factors may influence nurses’ environments and their practice.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1986.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.