Service Men Research Articles

Reconceiving masculinity and ‘men as partners’ for ICPD Beyond 2014: Insights from a Mexican HPV study

Men are poorly integrated into sexual and reproductive health programmes, despite long-standing calls for their inclusion. From the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) to the Policy Recommendations for the ICPD Beyond 2014, calls for ‘rights for all’ conflict with implicit, homogenising framing of men as patriarchal roadblocks to women's empowerment. This framing generates ambivalence about providing men's services, leading to emphasis on ‘men as partners’ supporting women's autonomous reproductive health decision-making rather than attention to both sexes' health needs. We argue that this framing also belies both the global rise of self-consciously non-traditional masculinities, and the fact that people's ostensibly individual sexual and reproductive health practices are profoundly relational. Here, we reimagine the concept of ‘partnering’ as an analytic for understanding how lived relationships influence both men's and women's sexual and reproductive practice. ‘Partnering’ in this sense is the context-dependent collaboration through which a range of gendered actors, not limited to male–female dyads, interact to shape health behaviour. We apply this approach to Mexican men's participation in a medical research on human papillomavirus transmission, demonstrating how spouses jointly refashioned male-focused health surveillance into familial health care and a forum for promoting progressive gender norms to their children and the broader society.

Managing Municipal Austerity: Mitigation of Social Risks

The overarching objective of this article is to stimulate debate about how local authorities could and should manage their austerity measures because the speed, scale and aggregation of the UK public spending cuts risk adversely affecting already disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, exacerbating social exclusion and leading to higher costs for councils in the future. It presents the results of research conducted during 2011–2012 focusing on if and how five Scottish case study councils attempted to mitigate social risks. It found that they were using equalities impact assessment (EIA) procedures in their decision-making. However, EIAs are not fit for purpose as a risk mitigation tool and fail to take account of all groups which may also be adversely affected by service cuts. Hence, this article recommends a more innovative approach in local decision-making processes based on a social risk impact assessment (SRIA) model within a preventative approach to social policy.

The public sector equality duty – a mainstay of justice in an age of austerity

With extraordinary resilience and refreshing optimism, campaigners for disability rights turn to the courts for vindication of their claims of injustice in connection with cuts in services to vulne...

Analysis of the Present Conceptions of Environmental Biology Books in the National Textbook Year 2012, Brazil

The analysis of the Styles of Thinking on the Environment, from the perspective of Ludwik Fleck and present in Biology Textbooks, has the aim to investigate the predominant philosophies in which the theme is involved. This paper analyzes the influence of Styles of Thinking about the behavior of the youth while in the process of forming their intellect and educational background. In order to achieve its goal this paper uses the priori methodology categories and other emerging categories from the authors Roque Morales and Maria do Carmo Galiazzi. The priori categories used are Naturalistic, Anthropocentric, Complexity, Autopoietic and Utilitarian. The Naturalistic category has as its main representative Charles Darwin and presents the Environment as natural areas and the protagonists of the species of life and their modifications and adaptations. In the Anthropocentric category the Environment is seen from a scenario that should be at the man's service. Fritjof Capra and François Jacob presents the Complexity category of the Environment where the whole is made of with many meanings and significance. In South America Humberto Maturana through the Autopoietic category demonstrates that the whole is more than the sum of its parts and in order to understand life one must know the whole. The last category is called Utilitarian, since the Environment is considered to be a place to supply raw materials to feed the production system led by Capitalism. Thus, this paper has the aim to make the reader reflect on the various perspectives on the Environment and its implications for the present and future generations.

Sexual Assault During the Time of Gulf War I: A Cross-Sectional Survey of U.S. Service Men Who Later Applied for Department of Veterans Affairs PTSD Disability Benefits

To estimate the cumulative incidence of sexual assault during the time of Gulf War I among male Gulf War I Veterans who later applied for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) post-traumatic stress disorder disability benefits and to identify potential risk and protective factors for sexual assault within the population. Mailed, national, cross-sectional survey supplemented with VA administrative and clinical data. Of 2,415 Veterans sampled, 1,700 (70%) responded. After adjusting for nonignorable missing data, the cumulative incidence of sexual assault during Gulf War I in this population ranged from 18% [95% confidence intervals (CI): 5.0%-51.9%] to 21% (95% CI: 20.0-22.0). Deployment was not associated with sexual assault [Odds Ratio (OR), 0.96; 95% CI: 0.75-1.23], but combat exposure was (OR, 1.80; 95% CI: 1.52-2.10). Other correlates of sexual assault within the population included working in a unit with greater tolerance of sexual harassment (OR, 1.80; 95% CI: 1.52-2.10) and being exposed to more sexual identity challenges (OR, 1.76; 95% CI: 1.55-2.00). The 9-month cumulative incidence of sexual assault in this particular population exceeded the lifetime cumulative incidence of sexual assault in U.S. civilian women. Although Persian Gulf deployment was not associated with sexual assault in this population, combat exposure was.

PCCs, neo-liberal hegemony and democratic policing

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the recent introduction of directly elected police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales, and to consider to what extent this new innovation should be considered as a positive contribution to the achievement of democratic policing. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on a range of key sources of academic literature on police accountability and the sociology of policing, as well as considering the content of government pronouncements and legislation. Findings – The central argument of the paper is that the introduction of PCCs needs to be examined within the context of the hegemony of neo-liberal logic in public services reform. It is argued that some enduring myths of policing, including the myth that the police impartially uphold an impartial law, lend themselves to the depoliticisation of policing which is necessary in order to facilitate neo-liberal colonisation of the service, which is inimical to democratic policing. Originality/value – The paper builds upon and contests some of the early critiques of the introduction of PCCs which have emerged and proposes a new direction for the development of critique in this area. It will be of interest to policing scholars as well as anyone concerned about the relationship between democracy and policing under current conditions of deep public service cuts and the colonisation of service provision by neo-liberal values.

Raise Taxes, Cut Services, or Fire People?: Citizens in the Fiscal Retrenchment Process

Advocates of citizen participation argue that a greater role for citizens in the budget process can help city governments undergoing fiscal retrenchment by improving budget choices and citizens’ willingness to pay, among others. A contrary view suggests that citizens are free riders who want lower taxes, but oppose service cuts. How has citizen input influenced the choice of fiscal retrenchment strategies in municipal governments during the Great Recession? The analysis shows that when it comes to budget cutting, participatory cities have a higher probability of adopting highly contentious strategies including eliminating services and laying off workers compared to non-participatory cities. In raising revenues, participatory cities avoid increasing property taxes. Citizens’ fiscal choices raise questions about the future of local autonomy, and ultimately, citizens’ ability to influence policymaking in the evolving intergovernmental system.

Marketisation, public services and the city: the potential for Polanyian counter movements

Marketisation of urban service delivery gained renewed intensity in the crisis. Mobilising Polanyi’s concept of double movement, we analyse how marketisation of public services both creates and constrains the potential for urban counter movements in the USA and Europe. We identify three main urban responses: ‘hollowing out’, where cities engage in service cut backs; ‘riding the wave’, where cities attempt to harness the market; and ‘push backs’, where cities and citizen movements oppose marketisation. Although the city is constrained by marketisation at national and international levels, we find evidence of push back and, in it, the potential for public service alternatives.

Impact of Global Economic Crisis on the European Welfare States

1. Introduction Over the past two decades reform need arose in the European welfare states, deriving from demographic factors, employment crises and public debt (Thalassinos et al. 2010). The evolution of security benefits since the 1990s reflects that in many EU countries the dismantling of the welfare state is already obvious. These tendencies are in part explained by the reforms of pension and healthcare systems, which account for 70-80 per cent of all welfare state expenditure. The global economic and financial crisis and the subsequent weaker growth are putting under pressure the European welfare states. Cuts in services, as well as tax and contribution increases are further entrenching the process of recommodification which has characterized the reform of European welfare states for years (Busch, 2010). Nonetheless, in the EU collective coverage of risks is comprehensive (3) and welfare spending accounts for 16-30% of GDP; this is why the repercussions of the global financial crisis mark a particularly serious stress test for the European welfare states. The unequal economic development and the catch-up processes (typical for the EU) determined also the dumping. While in countries like Greece, Hungary and Portugal the economic catch-up process has gone along with an expansion of the welfare state, in other states (Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Spain) the welfare state has been retrenched, in spite of the economic progress. The new EU members from Central and Eastern Europe, with their stigmatization of socialism during the transformation from centrally planned economies to market economies, embraced the neo-liberalism typical for USA and Great Britain (4). As people sought to escape socialist paternalism and enforced entitlements such as unified corporate housing or corporate holidays, the general perception of the word social became increasingly negative (Vecernik, 1993). The global economic crisis had a dual effect for the security systems: (1) due to higher unemployment, the expenditures of insurance are increasing and (2) tax and contribution revenues are falling as a consequence of lower economic growth. Taking into consideration that most European states have used large rescue packages in response to the crisis and to bale out the financial sector, larger deficits have emerged in state budgets and in the budgets of insurance (Thalassinos and Politis 2011). Analyzing the state of the public budgets of EU countries in the wake of the global crisis, the European Commission (2009) indicated three measures: 1. the reduction of deficit and debt ratios; 2. an increase in employment rates and 3. security reforms, especially of pension and healthcare systems. These effects of the economic global crisis on the European welfare states were already investigated in a series of recent papers. For example, Diamond and Lodge (2013) present a comparative analysis of contemporary and future changes in welfare states and examine divergent trajectories of development across Europe in the aftermath of the crisis. They draw lessons from quantitative public opinion surveys in three key EU member states (France, Denmark and UK) to inform debate on the future shape of welfare states after the global crisis. Starting from the assumption that policy reactions to economic crises vary significantly across countries, Stake et al. (2012) make a comparative study on welfare state responses to three major economic crises (1970s oil shocks, 1990s recession, current financial crisis) in four OECD countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden and Australia). Another interesting contribution is that of Hemerijck and Vandenbroucke (2012), who revisit policy as productive factor and link the euro crisis to the imperative of defining a Europe. …

A framework for assessing health system resilience in an economic crisis: Ireland as a test case.

BackgroundThe financial crisis that hit the global economy in 2007 was unprecedented in the post war era. In general the crisis has created a difficult environment for health systems globally. The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for assessing the resilience of health systems in terms of how they have adjusted to economic crisis. Resilience can be understood as the capacity of a system to absorb change but continue to retain essentially the same identity and function. The Irish health system is used as a case study to assess the usefulness of this framework.MethodsThe authors identify three forms of resilience: financial, adaptive and transformatory. Indicators of performance are presented to allow for testing of the framework and measurement of system performance. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to yield data for the Irish case study. Quantitative data were collected from government documents and sources to understand the depth of the recession and the different dimensions of the response. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key decision makers to understand the reasons for decisions made.ResultsIn the Irish case there is mixed evidence on resilience. Health funding was initially protected but was then followed by deep cuts as the crisis deepened. There is strong evidence for adaptive resilience, with the health system showing efficiency gains from the recession. Nevertheless, easy efficiencies have been made and continued austerity will mean cuts in entitlements and services. The prospects for building and maintaining transformatory resilience are unsure. While the direction of reform is clear, and has been preserved to date, it is not certain whether it will remain manageable given continued austerity, some loss of sovereignty and capacity limitations.ConclusionsThe three aspects of resilience proved a useful categorisation of performance measurement though there is overlap between them. Transformatory resilience may be more difficult to assess precisely. It would be useful to test out the framework against other country experiences and refine the measures and indicators. Further research on both the comparative resilience of different health systems and building resilience in preparation for crises is encouraged.

Table of Contents

Abstract Innovative Fundraising Personal Tribute Pages Put Control in Donors' Hands Challenge Gifts Four Factors Contribute to New Exhibit Space Career Development Tips Donor Relations Work Smarter to Improve Quality of Donor Stewardship Draw Attention to Your Annual Fund Creative Ways to Kick Off Your Annual Fund Or Membership Campaign In‐kind Giving How‐to‐Help Page Brings In‐kind Donations, Cash Donor Idea Sparks New Program Varying Gift Levels Help Ramp Up Participation Make Staff Retreat Attendees Accountable Big Data Services Cut Costs, Open New Markets And Increase Fundraising Efficiency How Much Can Big Data Services Save Nonprofits? Ethics in Philanthropy Share the Donor Bill of Rights With Constituents Donor Bill of Rights Help SYBUNTS Become Regular Contributors Direct Mail Appeals Refine Your Call to Action Nurturing Board Support Invite Planned Gift Donors to Make Board Testimonials Relationship‐Building Approaches Traditions Challenge Helps Build Alumni Loyalty Televised Events What It Takes to Stage an On‐Air Fundraiser Build Your Case for Support Regularly Share Your NPO's Economic Impact Direct Response Appeals Create Appeals That Move Donors Past Inertia Grassroots Fundraising Start‐Up Projects Require Willingness to Ask Yearlong Planning Efforts Be Creative in Identifying Community Service Opportunities

User involvement in service integration and carers' views of co-locating children's services

There has been considerable discussion about the benefits of health and social care integration over the last decade but less research on the purpose and effectiveness of carer and user involvement in service changes and service evaluation. The paper aims to report the findings of a study of two learning disabilities services in Wales that undertook co-location in a children development centre. The study investigated whether carers of children with learning disabilities had any knowledge of organisational changes that occurred as a result of co-locating services. The study used a mixed method approach. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with all parental representatives on the service planning groups and then asked local staff to facilitate a survey to parents of children with learning disabilities in their area. Carers in both locations were mainly unaware of any changes, unless they were personally involved in service changes through advocacy or parental support groups. Carer responses mainly reflected national debates, such as service cuts, rather than the local context. Whilst there was significant support for co-location in general, parental views differed considerably on the merits of service changes depending on the needs of their own child. These results caution against assuming a simple pathway from parental views of local services to defining service needs to plan new services. The authors argue that parents lack sufficient knowledge of organisational changes to make an informed decision on whether these changes would bring about service improvements. Implications for research and professional practice are spelled out.

Healthy Young Minds, Healthy Communities

6 June 2013, 28 Portland Place, London, W1B 1LYChair: Dr Cheryll Adams, Director, Institute of Health VisitingThis conference aimed to 'join the dots' between the growing research base demonstrating that future mental heath is usually determined by what happens to an individual during the period from conception to two years of age and the clear public health implications of this for society.We know that from conception to two years is a critical period for early intervention and prevention, and most mental illness is preventable. It is essential that more resources are directed at improving the emotional wellbeing of infants and their families.An eminent series of speakers examined the research, the economic case and its implications for public mental health, covering topics including:* Identifying the evidence base for the impact of early experiences during pregnancy and the first two years on infants and young children;* T he implications of the evidence for health visiting practice;* T he public mental health implications of the evidence for policy makers;* T he implications of the evidence for commissioners; and* T he implications of the evidence for parents and familiesAndrea Leadsom MP gave the opening speech of the conference. She reminded delegates that babies need to be educated, healthy and securely attached to have the best chance of growing up with healthy young minds and the emotional resilience required to deal with the inevitable challenges of adult life. Later in the day, Dr Jonathan Campion outlined to the delegates how more adults have mental health problems than can ever be helped by the available services, thereby making the strongest case possible for a public health approach to mental health, wellbeing and healthy communities.Lord Victor Adebowale, Chief Executive of the charity Turning Point, finished the day by addressing the conference with, in his view, the only question that needs asking. 'Why aren't we doing anything about the evidence we have that proves the need for more health visitors and the effectiveness of early intervention?' He followed up with the assertion that health visitors will be needed to fill the gap leftby other service cuts and increased demand due to austerity measures and welfare reform.Other speakers presented the latest research findings showing how crucial the pregnancy period is, as well as the first two years of life. Professor Vivette Glover presented the latest research showing that experiences before birth can affect the growing baby. …

‘We are All in This Together’? The Hidden Costs of Poverty, Recession and Austerity Policies on Britain's Poorest Children

In 2010, in the UK a new Coalition government inherited an ailing economy at a time of economic uncertainty and recession. Their response was to institute a fundamental revision and retrenchment of government spending accompanied by unprecedented cuts in welfare services and social security provision. This article explores the nature and meaning of these changes from a child‐centred perspective, to understand how and in what ways policy change and welfare retrenchment may uniquely impinge on low‐income children's lives. It reveals that recent cuts and welfare changes have threatened to overlook their needs and exacerbate their deepest concerns.

‘Unjust, inhumane and highly inaccurate’: the impact of changes to disability benefits and services – social media as a tool in research and activism

This article details research carried out as part of an MA in Social Research at the University of Leeds (UK). The research was concerned with two key issues: documenting the impact of recent cuts in benefits and services on disabled people; and the role of disabled people’s organisations in responding to this impact. It also explored the use of social media in recruiting research participants. Working with Hammersmith and Fulham Action on Disability, the experiences of 95 disabled people were gathered using focus groups and an online questionnaire distributed via social media. The use of social media to gather participants is something I felt was particularly interesting in relation to disabled people, especially in light of social media’s role in current disability rights campaigns, and a method I feel should be explored further.

Challenging Racist Violence and Racist Hostility in 'Post-Racial' Times: Research and Action in Leeds, UK, 2006–2012

Despite increasing understanding of, information about and official commitment to challenge these patterns, racist hostility and violence continue to have an enduring presence in urban and rural life in the UK. This indicates the paradoxical nature of this racial crisis and challenges for antiracism as a political project. This paper charts how these issues play out at the local level through an examination of a five year process from problem identification through to research, response, action and aftermath from 2006 to 2012 in the city of Leeds, UK, with a focus on two predominantly white working class social housing estates in the city. We explore how embedded tensions and antagonisms can begin to be challenged, while examining how the contemporary climate of austerity and cuts in services, together with prevailing post-racial thinking, make the likelihood of such concerted action in the UK increasingly remote.

The Development of Policing in Britain in the Next Five Years

The British police service is currently going through a radical transformation phase. The present Tory-led coalition government has set out an agenda to bring about drastic changes in policing. These proposed changes are unprecedented in the history of policing since 1829. The police service is governed by a tripartite arrangement of checks and balances laid down under the Police Act 1964. By this I mean that there are three key players in relation to police governance in Britain: the Home Secretary, the local police authority and the chief constable. The future of policing in the next five years is set out clearly by the Home Secretary, Theresa May MP, under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, which is currently being reviewed in the House of Lords. The recent phone hacking scandal has made it imperative for the British public to have a closer look at the police service in relation to proper accountability. There have been references to police corruption as far back as the era of ‘parish constables’, dating back to 1800, when it was alleged that police officers took bribes, got drunk whilst on duty and lacked moral credibility to protect and serve us (Critchley, 1978). In the seventies and eighties the British public was informed of another scandal involving members of Scotland Yard and criminal gangs in the East End of London. In this article, I shall argue that the issue of police corruption is not a new phenomenon. It is has been an ongoing issue that has haunted the police for over a century. This article is divided into three parts. In the first part of the article I present the following issues: the Metropolitan Police policing plan 2011–2014; the merits and demerits of the policing plan; tripartite police accountability and its shortcomings; democratic accountability and localisation of policing; the professionalisation of policing and the creation of the Police Body; review of police pay and benefits; and the impact of this on police officers' morale. In the second part of my article I present some of the criticisms levelled against the ongoing police reforms. I will look at the criticisms from both internal and external perspectives. By internal criticism, I mean police officers' opposition to the reforms. By external criticism, I mean criticisms from criminologists and members of the British public. In the third part of my article I made my position clear on where I stand in relation to the ongoing police reforms. I shall argue that the current ongoing job cuts in the police service are a disaster waiting to happen, and that our safety has been compromised by politicians. We are now living at the mercy of criminals and law breakers due to manpower shortage. We are all living witnesses to the ongoing public disturbances in Tottenham, Enfield, Brixton, Peckham, Walthamstow and Croydon, in London. The speed of the spread of these riots to other cities like Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool occurred on an unimaginable scale. We all watched how difficult it was for the police to restore order and normality. Rioters looted and plundered goods and burnt down buildings as if no laws existed in our country. A complete breakdown of law and order put the lives of citizens at risk. My article makes a passionate appeal to the present coalition government to rethink the issue of reducing the numbers of police officers protecting us. I shall argue that we need more police officers in Britain not fewer. The level of anger and social discontent is higher than the government ever anticipated, partly because of economic hardship. My argument is that economic hardship is not an excuse to commit burglary, theft, arson, murder and criminal damage with intent to endanger life. Rioters are shameless opportunists, a bunch of hoodlums, criminals who have no place in any civilised society, who should be made to face the due process of law.

The development of public managers’ reflexive capacities

The aim of this article is to discuss ways in which we as educators of public managers can help our students deal effectively with the challenges thrown up by the sweeping cuts in public services arising as a consequence of the fiscal crisis brought about by the failure of the banks. While our focus is on the UK, we feel that the issues raised have relevance across Europe. Our argument is that by developing a reflexive pedagogical practice we will enable our students to be proactive (agentic), and in accordance with ethical and professional values, to respond to the dilemmas they face arising out of unprecedented public expenditure cuts. We begin by discussing the overall political context which forms the backdrop to the current crisis in public services and its implications. This is followed by a discussion about the pedagogic debate concerning ‘reflexivity’ and the potential role it has in a public management education strategy. A pedagogy for reflexivity needs to be based in an ontology that believes in the efficacy of open, critical and democratic dialogue, and the facilitation of learning in interactional and relational environments. A range of learning and inquiry processes may hold these characteristics, e.g. collaborative inquiry groups, participatory action research. However, we proceed by describing our experience of enabling senior local government managers to work ‘reflexively’ in learning sets and identify key issues emerging for them as they grapple with the impact of the fiscal crisis. In reflecting on this experience we offer some general insights about the role of ‘reflexivity’ in the education of public managers.

Dial 111 for another set of health service cuts

Dial 111 for another set of health service cuts

Dial 111 for another set of health service cuts

Dial 111 for another set of health service cuts