Hostel Management Research Articles

Providing counter-narratives: the positive role of hostels in the Israeli-Palestinian context

Previous research suggests that tourism has a role to play in challenging the destructive dominant narratives of the Israeli-Palestinian context – discourses that traditionally have, and still do, revolve around sectarianism, Othering and violence. Our case study focuses on a hostel in the Palestinian city of Ramallah that boldly attempts to challenge the way tourists view the Israeli-Palestinian context and Palestine as a tourism destination. We examine how the hostel attempts to achieve this and the ways in which being a hostel (as opposed to a hotel) helps its guests with this reframing through in-depth qualitative interviews conducted on-site with members of the hostel management and staff, and through participant observation conducted by the researchers in Ramallah. Findings shed light on the hostel’s ability to enable Israelis and Palestinians to cooperate within tourism, and how Palestine has much more to offer tourists than conflict-related tourism, thus challenging the master narratives of the region which have suggested quite the contrary. A key finding is the hostel's on-going attempt to remove ignorance about the situation in the region and promote fact-based learning. The results also suggest that the very characteristics of a hostel assist in achieving this mission through the intimate interactions that are inherent in a hostel setting. Hostels can, therefore, be part of a wider approach to ensuring tourism is used to promote alternative, positive narratives of contested space, as opposed to promoting division and externalising the conflict, as is so often the case. 摘要之前的研究表明, 旅游业在挑战以色列-巴勒斯坦背景下的破坏性主导叙事方面可以发挥作用——这些话语传统上想来围绕宗派主义、异己和暴力展开, 现在依然如此。我们的案例研究集中在巴勒斯坦城市拉马拉的一家青年旅社, 它大胆地尝试挑战游客看待巴以关系和巴勒斯坦作为旅游目的地的方式。我们通过在现场深入访谈青年旅社管理人员与员工,以及通过由拉马拉研究人员的参与观察, 研究了该旅社试图实现这一目标的方式, 以及在这一新框架下该旅社是如何帮助客人的。调查结果有助于了解该青年旅社有能力使以色列和巴勒斯坦人在旅游业内进行合作, 以及巴勒斯坦向游客提供的服务如何远远超过与冲突有关的旅游, 从而挑战了该地区的主流叙述, 而这些叙述的观点恰恰与实际相反。一个关键的发现是, 青年旅社正在努力消除对该地区情况的无知, 并促进基于事实的学习。研究结果亦显示, 青年旅舍的特色有助于透过旅舍环境所固有的亲密互动来达成这一使命。因此, 青年旅舍可以成为一种更广泛的方法的一部分, 以确保旅游业被用来促进对有争议的空间的替代的、积极的叙述, 而不是像通常情况那样促进分裂和将冲突外部化。

On-campus university student housing facility services prioritisation framework

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a prioritisation framework that can guide the provision and management of on-campus student housing facility (SHF) services of southern Ghana Universities. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopted a phenomenological research strategy. Data was collected by means of focus group discussions (FGDs); a total of ten FGDs were conducted. Observations were also done during the site visit to augment the FGDs. The data were analysed thematically. Findings The study found that some services are perceived as “extremely important” and “basic” while others are seen as “unimportant” and “indifferent”. Services including; electricity, water, security, internet, cleaning service, maintenance service, generator, ventilation (fan), health service, library service, electric socket, study furniture, refuse collection, pest control and fire extinguisher were perceived by students as “extremely important”. However, not all of these services were perceived as “basic” requirements. Practical implications The framework can be used as a guide by facility and hostel managers to effectively prioritise and manage the services required in a university SHF. Moreover, when designing, constructing and adapting student housing facilities, the framework can be used as a guide to ensure that all critical services are provided in the student housing facilities. Originality/value Although several studies have been conducted on student housing, studies that specifically focuses on the services required in a SHF and the prioritisation of such services is lacking. This study combines students’ requirements, importance levels of requirements, and classification of requirements to develop a prioritisation system for student housing services.

DESIGN INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR UNIVERSITY OF DUHOK HOSTEL

This paper suggests a hostel management information system that can be used to administer University of Duhok Hostel. It shows the proposed database tables, user interfaces and functions required for this purpose. This information system will be used to manage the hostel rooms, floors, and various events. For the past few years, the number of students and the rooms accommodating them has increased incrementally. Hence, there is a lot of pressure on the person running the hostel as no special software or database are usually used in this context. This paper explores the drawbacks of the existing system andthe requirements for designing a new computerized and more user friendly and graphical user interface (GUI) oriented system. Finally, the proposed system is implemented using a combination of Microsoft Access 2010 and visual basic, and the implementation results with their discussions are given in this article.

Exploring OOAD Concepts Through Course Projects

This paper presents the innovative approach carried out in conducting Object Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) lab course for post graduate students. OOAD lab course is designed in such a way that the students will be able to analyze, design and implement the real time problems. The lab course structure involves mainly two parts; in the first part selecting problem, analyzing the requirements and designing the chosen problem. The second part focuses on implementation of the design, completed in previous phase.We discuss the methods of OOAD and applied them for implementing the real world applications. Students have implemented the projects in this lab course through which they have explored the OOAD concepts. Problem selection choice is given to the students. In the first part students have done the design of the chosen problem using OOAD and UML concepts individually. This design is done through Rational ROSE tool. In second part, group of 2 or 3 students have implemented the application using JAVA and My SQL programming language.The outcome of this course, 15 projects like hospital, restaurant, vehicle booking, inventory, hostel and placement management system, etc. have developed by the students. Thus the activity of project development has improved the design, implementation and presentation skills of students. The performances of the students are measured in Continuous Internal Evolution (CIE) and Semester End Exam(SEE).

Youth advocacy for efficient hostel management and affordable university students’ housing in Buea, Cameroon

PurposeGiven the importance of hostels to students’ welfare and academic performance and recognition of the roles youths can play for affordable university housing, this study aims to investigate hostel management problems in the Buea Municipality, an educational hub in the South West Region of Cameroon. It explores potentials for youth advocacy for affordable university housing within the process of efficient hostel management.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through a descriptive survey design from May to July 2015 via reconnaissance surveys, field observation, photographs, administration of questionnaires to hostel tenants (students) and interviews with hostel managers and law enforcement officials. The data have been presented and analysed using descriptive statistical techniques involving frequency tables, charts and percentages. Cartographic techniques have also been used to locate the study area.FindingsIt was found that hostel management problems in Buea stem from flaws arising from both hostel managers (landlords and/or caretakers) and hostel tenants (students) in contravention to affordable student housing and good governance principles of rent control, accountability, transparency, equality, participation and fairness. The notable hostel management problems found are indiscriminate rent increase, lack of transparency in billing and non-functional sub metres and non-refund of caution deposits by hostel managers, as well as violation of hostel rules, damage of hostel facilities and “selling of rooms” by hostel tenants.Originality/valueThis paper contends that youths have to be mainstreamed in the hostel management process with better platforms of advocating for affordable university students’ housing through rent control and other good governance practices in their hostel setting. It is hoped that the proposed efficient hostel management system and mainstreaming youth-led advocacy activities in affordable university students’ housing will go a long way to enhance students’ welfare and academic performance, help in rent control, fight against bribery and corruption and other governance problems.

Exploring backpackers’ perceptions of the hostel service quality

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of backpackers’s evaluation of service quality provided by hostels by developing a battery of items to assess perceptions of the overall hostel experience. Design/methodology/approach – Scale development took a mixed approach that combines qualitative and quantitative research. First, the authors performed a content analysis of reviews provided by guests in hostel booking web sites, in-depth interviews with hostel managers and focus groups with guests, to develop a battery of items to assess the hostel experience from the guests’ perspective. Then, a quantitative survey (n = 222) was conducted, to explore the dimensionality of service quality in this sector. Lisbon hostels are the target of this study, as they received several awards based on the online reviews of backpackers. Findings – The results revealed that service quality is a multidimensional concept and includes six dimensions, namely, social atmosphere, location and city connection, staff, cleanliness, security and facilities. Regression results revealed that the social atmosphere appears to be a core service dimension crucial to create a sense of hostel guest’s overall quality. Originality/value – The findings suggest that service quality scales should incorporate the specific characteristics of the hotel industry. The quality of the staff and the social atmosphere are of utmost importance to enhance the hostel backpacker experience.

Social and recovery capital amongst homeless hostel residents who use drugs and alcohol

BackgroundHomeless people who use drugs and alcohol have been described as one of the most marginalised groups in society. In this paper, we explore the relationships of homeless drug and alcohol users who live in hostels in order to ascertain the nature and extent of their social and recovery capital. MethodsData were collected during 2013 and 2014 from three hostels. Each hostel was in a different English city and varied in size and organisational structure. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 residents (21 men; 9 women) who self-reported current drink and/or drug problems. Follow-up interviews were completed after 4–6 weeks with 22 residents (16 men; 6 women). Audio recordings of all interviews were transcribed verbatim, systematically coded and analysed using Framework. ResultsParticipants’ main relationships involved family members, professionals, other hostel residents, friends outside of hostels, current and former partners, and enemies. Social networks were relatively small, but based on diverse forms of, often reciprocal, practical and emotional support, encompassing protection, companionship, and love. The extent to which participants’ contacts provided a stable source of social capital over time was, nonetheless, uncertain. Hostel residents who used drugs and alcohol welcomed and valued interaction with, and assistance from, hostel staff; women appeared to have larger social networks than men; and hostels varied in the level of enmity between residents and antipathy towards staff. ConclusionHomeless hostel residents who use drugs and alcohol have various opportunities for building social capital that can in turn foster recovery capital. Therapies that focus on promoting positive social networks amongst people experiencing addiction seem to offer a valuable way of working with homeless hostel residents who use drugs and alcohol. Gains are, however, likely to be maximised where hostel management and staff are supportive of, and actively engage with, therapy delivery.

Analyzing Risk of Student Hostel Investment: The Case of Private Investors

In recent times, there has been a rapid growth of private student hostel (PSH) in Bamahu an area in the Upper West Region, Ghana. This paper aims on ranking the risk types in student hostel investment (SHI) from the highest and commonest to the least and rarest. The study involved a sample size of 72 respondents from private student investors in Bamahu. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to respondents; in effect a 94% response rate was used for analysis. The findings indicate correspondingly from the highest to the lowest; management being the highest risk, environmental risk, inflation risk, legislative risk, liquidity risk, interest rate risk and financial risk being the lowest experienced risk. Among the recommendations are the need for professional student hostel managers, thorough market studies should be undertaken before embarking on this type of this investment. Educate private student hostel investors by GREDA on the risks involved in this kind of investors and the reduction of interest rates.

Recovery Knowledge and Recovery-Oriented Services in Hong Kong

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article LetterFull AccessLetterWinnie W. S. Mak Ph.D.Bess Y. H. Lam M.Phil.Sania S. W. Yau M.S.W.Winnie W. S. Mak Ph.D.Search for more papers by this authorBess Y. H. Lam M.Phil.Search for more papers by this authorSania S. W. Yau M.S.W.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 Nov 2010https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.2010.61.11.1164AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Recovery Knowledge and Recovery-Oriented Services in Hong KongTo the Editor: In the past decade, recovery has been a guiding principle in mental health care in the United States and other Western countries. The recovery model goes beyond relapse prevention and medication management to emphasize the importance of living a meaningful life and achieving one's potential ( 1 ). In Hong Kong recovery is a relatively new model, compared with the traditional psychiatric rehabilitation and medical models. Adoption of a recovery orientation requires system transformation, staff training, and reorganization of services ( 2 ). A staff survey was conducted at the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, the largest nongovernmental organization serving mental health consumers in Hong Kong. The survey evaluated recovery knowledge and perceptions of recovery-oriented practices. The anonymous survey was distributed to all staff who had direct contact with consumers from April to May 2009. A total of 660 staff returned the survey (94% response rate), and 644 returned surveys had complete data for analysis. The sample included 261 males (41%). The mean±SD age was 40.58±10.15 years, and respondents had worked for the association for a mean of 6.82±5.98 years. Most (N=400, 62%) were frontline staff (hostel managers and workshop instructors), 99 (15%) were professional staff (social workers and nurses), 66 (10%) were supporting staff (office workers), and 34 (5%) were managers (officers in charge and service supervisors). The remaining staff (N=45) did not report their job rank. The survey included the Recovery Knowledge Inventory ( 3 ). Possible scores range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater knowledge. Among the 644 staff, the mean score was 3.53±.26 on roles of self-definition and peers in recovery, 3.36±.98 on roles and responsibilities in recovery, 2.53±.59 on nonlinearity of the recovery process, and 2.67±.62 on expectations regarding recovery. Professional staff and managers had higher scores than frontline and supporting staff on roles and responsibilities, nonlinearity, and expectations (p<.01). Professional staff had the highest scores of all staff on roles of self-definition and peers (p<.05). Gender and working experience were not related to scores; however, older staff tended to have poorer understanding of recovery concepts (range of r=-.13 to -.26, p<.01). The Recovery Self-Assessment-Revised ( 4 ), which assesses perceptions of the implementation of recovery principles, is scored similarly. Respondents' ratings in three areas—treatment options (3.84±.55), choices (3.76±.50), and life goals of consumers (3.84±.47)—were significantly lower than their ratings of individualized care (4.00±.51) and inviting environment for consumers (4.09±.55). Professional staff had higher ratings than frontline staff for inviting environment (p<.01). Among demographic characteristics, age was weakly associated with inviting environment (r=.15) and individualized care (r=.11), and working experience was related to inviting environment (r=.08) (p<.05). Findings showed a need for staff training on recovery and improvement of recovery-oriented services. In particular, nonlinearity and consumer choice should be emphasized. Using a mix of experiential and didactic approaches, training should attempt to address myths and concerns and should be tailored for various types of staff on the basis of their knowledge and service provision needs. Consumers and family members should be involved in training and in the transformation process. Training for all stakeholders is essential to ensure that mental health care is recovery oriented.Acknowledgments and disclosuresThe authors thank the staff of the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association for assistance with data collection.The authors report no competing interests.Dr. Mak and Ms. Lam are affiliated with the Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong. Ms. Yau is with the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, Shek Kip Mei, Hong Kong.

Letter

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article LetterFull AccessLetterWinnie W. S. Mak Ph.D.Bess Y. H. Lam M.Phil.Sania S. W. Yau M.S.W.Winnie W. S. Mak Ph.D.Search for more papers by this authorBess Y. H. Lam M.Phil.Search for more papers by this authorSania S. W. Yau M.S.W.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 Nov 2010https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.2010.61.11.1164AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Recovery Knowledge and Recovery-Oriented Services in Hong KongTo the Editor: In the past decade, recovery has been a guiding principle in mental health care in the United States and other Western countries. The recovery model goes beyond relapse prevention and medication management to emphasize the importance of living a meaningful life and achieving one's potential ( 1 ). In Hong Kong recovery is a relatively new model, compared with the traditional psychiatric rehabilitation and medical models. Adoption of a recovery orientation requires system transformation, staff training, and reorganization of services ( 2 ). A staff survey was conducted at the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, the largest nongovernmental organization serving mental health consumers in Hong Kong. The survey evaluated recovery knowledge and perceptions of recovery-oriented practices. The anonymous survey was distributed to all staff who had direct contact with consumers from April to May 2009. A total of 660 staff returned the survey (94% response rate), and 644 returned surveys had complete data for analysis. The sample included 261 males (41%). The mean±SD age was 40.58±10.15 years, and respondents had worked for the association for a mean of 6.82±5.98 years. Most (N=400, 62%) were frontline staff (hostel managers and workshop instructors), 99 (15%) were professional staff (social workers and nurses), 66 (10%) were supporting staff (office workers), and 34 (5%) were managers (officers in charge and service supervisors). The remaining staff (N=45) did not report their job rank. The survey included the Recovery Knowledge Inventory ( 3 ). Possible scores range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater knowledge. Among the 644 staff, the mean score was 3.53±.26 on roles of self-definition and peers in recovery, 3.36±.98 on roles and responsibilities in recovery, 2.53±.59 on nonlinearity of the recovery process, and 2.67±.62 on expectations regarding recovery. Professional staff and managers had higher scores than frontline and supporting staff on roles and responsibilities, nonlinearity, and expectations (p<.01). Professional staff had the highest scores of all staff on roles of self-definition and peers (p<.05). Gender and working experience were not related to scores; however, older staff tended to have poorer understanding of recovery concepts (range of r=-.13 to -.26, p<.01). The Recovery Self-Assessment-Revised ( 4 ), which assesses perceptions of the implementation of recovery principles, is scored similarly. Respondents' ratings in three areas—treatment options (3.84±.55), choices (3.76±.50), and life goals of consumers (3.84±.47)—were significantly lower than their ratings of individualized care (4.00±.51) and inviting environment for consumers (4.09±.55). Professional staff had higher ratings than frontline staff for inviting environment (p<.01). Among demographic characteristics, age was weakly associated with inviting environment (r=.15) and individualized care (r=.11), and working experience was related to inviting environment (r=.08) (p<.05). Findings showed a need for staff training on recovery and improvement of recovery-oriented services. In particular, nonlinearity and consumer choice should be emphasized. Using a mix of experiential and didactic approaches, training should attempt to address myths and concerns and should be tailored for various types of staff on the basis of their knowledge and service provision needs. Consumers and family members should be involved in training and in the transformation process. Training for all stakeholders is essential to ensure that mental health care is recovery oriented.Acknowledgments and disclosuresThe authors thank the staff of the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association for assistance with data collection.The authors report no competing interests.Dr. Mak and Ms. Lam are affiliated with the Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong. Ms. Yau is with the New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, Shek Kip Mei, Hong Kong.

Boarding School Students Monitoring Systems (E-ID) Using Radio Frequency Identification

Problem statement: Monitoring Boarding school student movement using the old-fashioned study system is inefficient and brings difficulty to the hostel management to check attendance manually. By using RFID technology, student movement is quick and easy. Approach: The application of RFID Matrix Card system as a boarding school students monitoring system (E-ID) were purposed to improve school management system and to monitor interest group movement. The RFID tags enable school management to track the students movements in and out of the hostel. An individual without RFID card will trigger the alarm and this will inform school management about availability of students using an online monitoring system. Results: This system used main component of passive RFID system, database management system and wireless networking. When RFID tag pass through the RFID reader in read range zone, system recorded data from the RFID tag to the database system. Data sent online to the management for the supervision of students. This ease management to monitor availability of boarding school students and access the students personal records. Conclusion: This research study offer important implication for monitoring the boarding school students. Although this project cannot control the punctuation of student but it can ease the workload of school management and save time.

100% PURE New Zealand: Branding for back-packers

Over ten million internet sites refer to `backpackers'. More than one million refer to backpacking in New Zealand. This research investigated the relationship between internet advertisements for eco-tourism backpacker accommodation in New Zealand, and the actual experience of green practices at those same hostels. This qualitative study is an ethnographic examination of hostel managers' understanding and use of the 100% PURE NZ brand, and other messages indicating sustainability and environmental awareness. The goal of the fieldwork was to check how, or whether, brand promises on the internet corresponded with actual product deliveries. How seriously are New Zealand's promotional promises based on environmental claims such as, `clean, green and 100% PURE', taken by tourist hostel operators? Vacation marketing and destination banding play a significant role in informing New Zealand's international image and reputation.

The Home School

With regard to the editorial in the October/November 1981 issue of The Aboriginal Child at School concerning successful approaches to the education of Aboriginal children, I thought it may be of some interest to readers of the journal (especially those teachers transferring to schools serving significant numbers of Aboriginal students) to read about The Home School’s approach to education. This approach does not cater for any special needs of Aboriginal (and Islander) students – indeed all of its students are treated and taught in the same way – but for some reason Aboriginal children appear to be happy at this school, want to continue their education there next year and/or in years to come, and are generally motivated enough to achieve at least a pass level in most of their subjects.The Home School is a small, non-denominational, private, secondary boarding school and it has had fifteen students of Aboriginal descent enrolled as full boarders since 1978. They have mostly come from Aurukun, Laura and Mornington Island, and a grant from the Commonwealth Government covers their school fees. Eight of the 1981 Aboriginal students intend to return to this school in 1982, two of them to do Year 12 and four to do Year 11. All of these students are quite definite and enthusiastic about returning in 1982, which, in itself, is a success story, especially as many of them have been ‘cast-offs’ from the large state secondary schools in the local area. Either they had been truanting (in one case two girls had been at a local hostel for eight weeks before the hostel management found out that the girls had never attended the high school in which they had been enrolled) or they had been problem students and The Home School had been approached as a last chance for their successful education. (One boy who had been expelled from one of the local state secondary schools gave, a year later, The Home School’s major speech at the annual Speech Night, and a very impressive speech it is reported to have been.)