Sense Of Social Inclusion Research Articles

Do pedestrian safety improvements affect older adults' health and social outcomes equitably? A quasi experiment in Singapore

IntroductionPedestrian-friendly neighborhoods are believed to encourage greater social participation, community engagement, and sense of social inclusion, which are important to older individuals at higher risk of being socially isolated. However, most studies on neighborhood walkability, social participation and social inclusion are cross-sectional, making it difficult to robustly establish causal links. Much research on neighborhood walkability is also based in North America and Europe, leaving a knowledge gap on the impact of walkability within other geographic contexts. Furthermore, there is a lack of empirical evidence about whether benefits from traffic calming schemes are distributed equitably. To reduce these empirical gaps, our study capitalises on a ‘quasi-experiment’ to estimate the impact of an infrastructure-focused pedestrian safety program “Silver Zones' in Singapore, a highly urbanised city state in Southeast Asia with an aging population. MethodsThis study utilises panel data from a high-frequency internet-based survey of older adults that has been administered from 2015 till present. We examine how changes in older residents' residential proximity to Silver Zones relate to changes in their social and health outcomes. We also test whether the relationship between Silver Zones and older individuals' health and social participation outcomes might be moderated by age and socioeconomic class. Finally, we interpret these findings in view of participants’ perceptions of Silver Zones. Results and conclusionWe find that the oldest participants with low SES -- a particularly vulnerable subgroup -- experienced negative changes after the opening of Silver Zones near them, as did those classified as mid SES. In contrast, our findings suggest that new Silver Zones might have a positive effect on older adults of high SES. These findings suggest that there might be inequities in the impact of pedestrian safety programs on residents' social outcomes. Additionally, while our findings were statistically significant, they also suggest that Silver Zones’ contribution to changes in participant outcomes were relatively small, which might be due to a mismatch between perceptions of Silver Zones, actual exposure, and participant outcomes. Our findings underscore the need for more outreach and publicity campaigns around pedestrian safety initiatives, as well as the importance of going beyond self-reported perceptions when assessing the success of pedestrian safety schemes like the Silver Zones.

An Equity-Based Research Agenda to Promote Social Inclusion and Belonging for People With IDD.

Having a sense of social inclusion and belonging, typically characterized by our personal relationships and community participation, is the central essence of life for most people, yet it remains elusive for many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This article summarizes the work of a diverse group of researchers and advocates to propose 6 big-picture, equity-based goals to drive future research in the field: (1) understanding the role of intersectionality, (2) understanding intimate relationships, (3) promoting formation of communities of care to support social inclusion, (4) understanding life course trajectories of social inclusion, (5) understanding social inclusion in virtual spaces, and (6) understanding how to promote social inclusion in the entire research process.

Unconditional self-acceptance among the psychology students of University X, Malaysia: the role of mattering, perceived social support and state self-esteem

<p>Unconditional self-acceptance (USA) is important for mental health. Studies reported that university students would develop the USA when they feel socially supported, included, and matter. Nevertheless, those factors are dependent on social feedbacks. Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak is, they had to follow the social distancing protocols and interact online with each other. This change might have altered the way they perceive the social support and mattering. It is hypothesized that these alterations predicted their USA through their perceived social support (PSS) and the sense of social inclusion (state self-esteem). To test the hypothesis, 214 young adults (85 men, 129 women), aged between 18 to 25 (M=22.80, SD=1.92) were asked to complete a demographic form and the scales of each variable. Students from University X, Malaysia were chosen as the population as they studied fully online when we started this study; unfortunately, the university went back to physical study before we managed to collect our target sample size. The results of Bootstrapping with 5,000 samples and 95% confidence interval showed that state self-esteem (SSE) fully mediated the relationship between mattering and USA, while PSS did not. Therefore, the hypothesis of serial mediation was not supported.</p>

Singing and Social Identity in Young Children.

A range of studies suggest that singing activities with young children can have a beneficial impact on other aspects of their development. However, there is little research examining the relationship between young children's singing and their developing social identity. In the current study, data were captured of young children's singing and social identity as part of a larger-scale, longitudinal evaluation of the nationwide Sing Up programme in England. Participants were 720 children aged 5-8 years old. The assessment of young children's singing ability employed an established measure and was undertaken individually. With adult support, the children were also asked to complete a simple questionnaire that focused on selected aspects of their social identity, both in general terms and also related to singing. Key themes embraced their attitudes to singing (at home, in school and in informal settings), singer identity (emotional engagement with singing and self-concept), and perceptions of self (self-efficacy, self-esteem, social integration). Comparative data were collected from young children of a similar age outside the programme. Findings suggested that the programme had a positive impact on children's singing ability, both overall and including the youngest children. The data analyses suggest that children could be identified as either “pupils with positive singing identity” or “pupils with less positive, or still developing singing identity.” Overall, pupils with a more positive singer identity—irrespective of Sing Up-related experience—tended to report more positive attitudes toward singing at school and other settings, had higher perceived levels of self-esteem and social integration, as well as more positive evaluations of their singing ability. Furthermore, the research suggests that successful participation in high-quality singing activities is likely to have a positive impact on young children's singing ability and, by implication, such positive singing development will also be associated with aspects of self that are related to contexualised singer identity and their sense of social inclusion.

Playspace users’ experience of a socially inclusive playspace: the case study of Livvi’s Place, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia

ABSTRACT Inclusive play is a fundamental right for all children however few studies exist on playspaces and children with impairment. Drawing on Australia’s early childhood learning framework, Belonging, Being and Becoming, this study aims to explore whether Livvi’s Place, an inclusive playspace in Port Macquarie, Australia, met the principles and values articulated in the framework, and whether the playspace, was meeting its goal of social inclusion. One hundred and ninety three online and face-to-face questionnaire surveys of adult playspace users were completed. The early childhood learning framework was used to inform the survey design and analytical framework. Results indicate the playspace model adopted promotes a sense of social inclusion as users expressed feelings of safety, welcome, and of belonging at the playspace. Users felt they could be themselves, live in the moment, and enjoy their experiences there. The friendships formed, conversations started, and playful interactions experienced at Livvi’s Place demonstrate that it facilitates people connecting and becoming members of the local community. Findings revealed Livvi’s Place was meeting the principles and values of Belonging, Being and Becoming and meeting its goal of social inclusion. Areas for improvement were identified, providing future learning opportunities for inclusive playspace development and provision.

Qualitative Research on the Primary Effect of Fish Pet Ownership Using the Bottleium, a Bottle-Type Aquarium, on Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Japan: A Potential Preventive Measure Towards Social Isolation.

Aging increases the risk of social isolation, which could lead to conditions such as depressive mood. Pet ownership is known to reduce social isolation. However, previous studies have mainly focused on mammals as pets, which could be difficult at old age. A small ornamental fish is relatively easy to culture and might be a suitable alternative. In this research, we aimed to elucidate the possible effects of fish ownership on the psychological state of community-dwelling older adults in Japan. A Bottleium, a bottle-type aquarium, was selected to lower the burden of fish ownership. A workshop was hosted in 2019 and participants brought home their own Bottleium, with fish and water snail inside. Nineteen participants gave consent to the follow-up interview a month later. Five themes, “observation of fish and water snail”, “interaction between the fish and the owner”, “taking care of the fish as pet owner”, “facilitation of interpersonal interaction”, and “development of support system”, emerged from thematic analysis. The promotion of animal-to-human, and human-to-human interaction and development of responsibility could relate to a sense of social inclusion and ikigai-kan, a purpose of life. Fish ownership, when using equipment that suits the physical capability of older adults, could act as a positive stimulus.

‘We go for a homely feel … not the clinical dementia side’: care home managers’ experiences of supporting residents with dementia to orientate and navigate care environments

AbstractLiving with dementia can adversely affect people's spatial (orientation and navigation) and reality (time, date and place) orientation, which can detrimentally impact on their sense of social inclusion and wellbeing. This is an important challenge to address within United Kingdom (UK) care homes where around 70 per cent of the residents are living with dementia or severe memory problems. Care home managers have some autonomy in decision-making that impacts on the daily functioning of residents and are key in enacting the orientation and navigation agenda within a care home environment. Yet a paucity of literature explores their understanding and experiences of this issue. Contributing to this knowledge gap, our exploratory study examined managers’ current practice of supporting residents with dementia to minimise disorientation and their knowledge of dementia-friendly design principles, guidelines and audit tools. Semi-structured telephone interviews with 12 UK care home managers were conducted. Questions started generally targeting residents’ orientation and navigation abilities, followed by specific questions to draw out strategies used to support residents. Thematic analysis identified three higher-order themes: aligning strategies with needs, intuitive learning and managing within the wider business context. The findings demonstrated that managers perceive dementia to impact on a person's spatial and reality orientation. Consequently, the strategies they chose to adopt were tailored towards alleviating both challenges. However, although managers were aware of some design principles, they frequently relied on intuitive learning and past experiences to inform their choice of interventions, reporting a lack of knowledge and/or time to seek out orientation-specific training and guidance, resulting in a low uptake of guidelines and audit tools in practice. This gap between theory and practice highlights a need for accessible guidelines that integrate strategies with neuropsychological theory, and appropriate training to improve orientation and navigation in care home environments. Managers, staff, business owners, architects and designers all play a key role in implementing orientation guidelines into practice and ensuring dementia-friendly care home environments for residents.

The Online Interface and Social Inclusion: A MOOC Study in Turkey

One of the virtues of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is that, because of their scalability, temporal flexibility and digital mediation, they have the potential to increase learner numbers in higher education, boosting their general level of social inclusion. Whether a MOOC actually succeeds in enhancing students’ social inclusion, however, is shaped by two elements of the course: 1) the features of the online interface – the embedded linguistic, pedagogical and interactive features that direct students’ engagement with the course materials, the educator and their peers; and 2) the knowledge content of the course, especially its relevancy for equipping learners to be able to engage meaningfully with the world after completion of the MOOC. With this in mind, this paper focuses on the first element, exploring Turkish students’ experiences of taking a MOOC and their perceptions of how the MOOC interface shaped their sense of social inclusion. Fifteen university-level students registered for a five-week MOOC on how to improve their English language writing skills. They then completed a questionnaire about their views on the learning experience. Nine of the students also kept diaries reflecting on their learning through the MOOC. Findings reveal that these students had a positive view of the MOOC, with different elements of the online interface playing important roles in improving digital, educational and social inclusion. The paper ends by recommending that researchers should further investigate the relationship between social inclusion and MOOCs; that course designers should rethink the role of online interfaces within MOOCS; and that Turkish higher education institutions should develop more MOOCs with locally relevant features embedded within them.

Examining the Effects of Overtime Work on Subjective Social Status and Social Inclusion in the Chinese Context.

Although researchers have argued that long work hours have been shown to threaten individual health, lead to work-family conflict, and reduce job performance, the effect of overtime work on social-related outcomes has received little attention. Based on the framework of relative deprivation, we attempt to address this important issue by exploring whether, why, and when individuals’ overtime work influences their social attitudes. By using the data of 400 Chinese employees from the China Labor-Force Dynamics Survey (CLD), we found that overtime work was associated with a low level of subjective social status and social inclusion. In addition, we found that the time type of overtime work (work overtime on weekdays or on weekends and holidays) has a moderating effect on the relationship between overtime work and social inclusion. That is, employees who work overtime on weekdays are unlikely to have a sense of social inclusion. Furthermore, the negative relationship between overtime work and subjective social status was stronger at a low level of fairness rather than a high level of fairness. In contrast, the negative relationship between overtime work and social inclusion was stronger at a high level of fairness rather than a low level of fairness. These findings highlight the critical role of overtime work in social life and also provide novel insights into social intervention aimed at the happiness and harmony of a society.

Enhancing quality of life among epilepsy surgery patients: Interlinking multiple social and relational determinants

BackgroundAchieving seizure control through resective brain surgery is a major predictor of improved quality of life (QOL) among people with refractory (drug-resistant) epilepsy. Nevertheless, QOL is a comprehensive and dynamic construct, consisting of broad dimensions such as physical health, psychosocial well-being, level of independence, social relationships, and beyond. This study highlights the interlinkage and complementarity of these diverse dimensions, and how in practice, patients, clinicians, and others in a social support system can actively promote QOL among surgery patients. MethodTwenty-one qualitative in-depth interviews with patients with refractory epilepsy who are either undergoing presurgical assessment or postsurgery follow-up were conducted, to consider their perspective on QOL in relation to their experience of illness and surgical treatment. Data were thematically analyzed, resulting in three key thematic findings. Results(1) A myriad of QOL dimensions are highly interrelated and interdependent with mutual ‘spin-off’ effects: Uncontrolled seizures impacted beyond physical and cognitive health, disrupting important social identities such as being successful parents, spouses, and career professionals. The desire for good clinical outcomes from surgery was justified against the need to mitigate these social and personal concerns. (2) In postsurgery care, there were complementary effects of clinical interventions and social factors on patients' QOL. Psychosocial well-being was supported by a combination of improved physical health, self-confidence, psychological interventions, and social support from employers and educators who were sensitive to patients' specialized needs. (3) Engaging in education, employment, and government services influenced not only socioeconomic well-being, but also a sense of social inclusion. Advocacy made on behalf of patients by clinicians and family members has helped to better manage patients' eligibility for social services provision. ConclusionQuality of life is achieved through a comprehensive and interactive social process, and not simply an outcome measure of clinical treatment. The responses and interactions of many others within the patients' life and treatment process, including family members, clinicians, and social service workers, can culminate to influence QOL, highlighting the importance of a relational and social determinants perspective in patient care.

Constructions of social selves living with HIV/AIDS: A Jungian phenomenological study

This study explored sense of social well-being influences on self-identity and the stigma and discrimination among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Informants were 15 PLWHA from a rural background in a South African community (female = 87%, age range = 26 to 64 years; and males = 13%, age range = 55 to 64 years). They completed semi-structured interviews on their lived experiences relating to a sense of social inclusion and belongingness. We thematically analysed the data, and interpreted the findings applying Jungian archetypes of the Self, Shadow, and Persona. Findings suggest PLWHA’s sense of a dominant Shadow to be a barrier to self-acceptance whereas a Persona (mask) was guided by a need to be socially acceptable. A positive sense of social well-being among PLWHA is important to their health and well-being.

THE ROLE OF SCHOOLS IN SHAPING THE SETTLEMENT EXPERIENCES OF NEWCOMER IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE YOUTH

<p class="CYFSAbstract">This paper draws on focus groups and interviews with newcomer immigrant and refugee youth between the ages of 16 and 22 to consider how schools shape their settlement processes and their sense of social inclusion and belonging. In particular, the paper focuses on newcomer youth’s perspectives and experiences of schooling in a medium-sized immigrant-receiving city in Canada. Analysis reveals that schools function as sites of both inclusion and exclusion in ways that produce ambivalence in immigrant and refugee youth with respect to their sense of social inclusion and belonging to community life. One recommendation emerging from the analysis is that educational practitioners and other community stakeholders interested in supporting the social inclusion of newcomer youth should develop and implement ESL and ELD programs and ensure adequate funding of these essential programs. There is also a need for collaborative, dialogical practices that provide all relevant stakeholders, including newcomer youth themselves, opportunities to come together to create<em> </em>new possibilities for understanding and cooperative action.</p>

Mental health of people in the military depends on social inclusion: why not for all of us?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss five recent papers on military people and those close to them, and to suggest how taking into account their families and sense of social inclusion is key to mental well-being.Design/methodology/approachThere are four papers about military people’s adjustment when they return from a war zone, often with experience of traumatic stress. A fifth paper discusses getting soldiers back to war when they experience traumatic stress.FindingsThe studies on reintegration into civilian life focus mainly on the family. They suggest that involvement of the spouse or close partner in treatment may be crucial. The military person and their family are faced with forging new roles and ways of doing things. Joint treatment may best help them do this and functioning well as a family with everyone feeling they belong. The fifth paper argues for similar kinds of social support and sense of belonging, but to the military rather than the family, to support return to battle.Originality/valueFew studies to date have included military people’s spouses or intimate partners. These studies either include these contacts or pay attention to the social context when considering military people returning home or experiencing traumatic stress and injuries. Attention to the social context may protect social inclusion when military people return home, or support their military role. The potential contribution of working with that context has lessons for civilian mental health services in preserving social inclusion.

Social media, social inclusion, and museum disability access

ABSTRACTFor many people, social media is an integral part of everyday life that can lead to a greater sense of social inclusion. This article examines social media’s impact on social inclusion regarding art museum disability access. This qualitative study explores ways people with disabilities interact socially and culturally using social media and how it impacts their perception of being socially included. Data were collected from individuals with varying types of disabilities regarding their use of social media. Results show that social media can have a positive effect on people with disabilities regarding social inclusion. This research also discusses how art museums can use social media to better connect and socially include people with disabilities.

Animating Mastery: Navigational Play as Integrative Learning

Abstract This research examines mediational processes in digital activities at Projeto Clicar, a program designed to promote the social inclusion of children living and working on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brasil. It offers a cognitive ethnography of how the program’s particular relational habitus, or pedagogical frame, shapes children’s participatory appropriation through navigational play in digital learning activities that provide for an integrative sociocultural learning process. Making the relational habitus explicit enables us to observe and clarify the mediational tools and pedagogical strategies that shape children’s navigational play and their ultimate participatory appropriation of program activities, as well as their sense of social inclusion among a community of learners. Keywords: participatory appropriation, third space, relational habitus, navigational play, social inclusion ----- Bibl iography: Underwood, Charles/Mahmood, Mara Welsh/Pranzetti, Dirce M. F./Costa, Maria Cecίlia Toloza de O.: Animating Mastery: Navigational Play as Integrative Learning, IJREE, Vol. 4, Issue 1-2016, pp. 85-102. https://doi.org/10.3224/ijree.v4i1.24777

Teaching intensive interaction to paid carers: using the ‘communities of practice’ model to inform training

Accessible summary This research project is about Intensive Interaction. Intensive Interaction is a way of communicating with people who have severe and profound learning disabilities and can be used with people who do not communicate with words. We asked three paid carers that trained in Intensive Interaction about their experience and how training had changed their work with people with learning disabilities. This research project matters to people with learning disabilities because it tries to find out the best way to train people to do this work. This could help make services better for everyone. SummaryThe engagement of people with learning disabilities in social communication is crucial to the development of relationships with others, a sense of social inclusion and self‐worth. Intensive Interaction is an approach that can help carers develop their skills to engage people with severe and profound learning disabilities in personally relevant communication. Carers learn techniques by attending workshops offered by health and social care professionals, and this study seeks to explore the impact of one such training programme. This study used interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore the lived experience of Intensive Interaction training and practice of three paid carers who worked with people with learning disabilities. Three superordinate themes emerged from the analysis: ‘Investment’, ‘Outcomes’ and ‘Challenges’. Results suggest that participants had an overwhelmingly positive experience in learning and using Intensive Interaction and that coaching, supervision and support were vital. The clinical and practical implications for this are discussed.

Statewide Implementation of Recovery Support Groups for People with Serious Mental Illness: A Multidimensional Evaluation

This study evaluated a statewide demonstration project to implement a group-based intervention called Procovery in selected inpatient and community mental health centers. Procovery is a facilitated mutual support group designed to build hope and a sense of social inclusion by raising consciousness and helping people develop an understanding of the ways one can move toward recovery in their own lives. This evaluation sought to determine both consumer outcomes and perceptions of the program and implementation efforts held by consumers and the facilitators of the intervention. A multidimensional approach was used, including a quasi-experimental design with consumers, questionnaires and focus groups with the intervention facilitators, and individual interviews with administrators. The Procovery model was shown to have a positive impact on consumers' recoveries and was viewed favorably by consumers, facilitators, and administrators. Several barriers to effective implementation were identified. These findings and their implications for future practice and research are discussed.

School canteens – places for increasing social connectedness?

Research has shown that students who have a genuine engagement with others in the school community are more likely to complete their school education. There is evidence that a school?s social atmosphere affects how happy students are at school and how well they learn. Creating opportunities for student participation in school life beyond the classroom has also been cited as helping to provide students with a sense of social inclusion.

The myth of a ‘fair go’: Barriers to sport and recreational participation among Indian and other ethnic minority women in Australia

The latest national data shows that ethnic minority women in Australia have the lowest rates of sport and recreational participation, raising doubt about whether everyone has “a fair go” to participate. This article explores the types of barriers perceived or experienced by Indian women in Sydney, compared to a larger group of culturally and linguistically diverse women across Australia. Support was found for socio-cultural, access, resource and interpersonal constraints. Moreover, it appears that Indian and other ethnic minority women generally perceive access to sport as equal, but not necessarily the opportunity to participate, indicating a level of social exclusion. The researchers suggest that promoting an image of cultural diversity in the institution of sport can significantly stimulate the interest and participation of Indian and other migrant women. This may not only benefit their personal health and wellbeing, but it may also increase their sense of social inclusion in sport (and) in Australia.

The Group Package Tour and Sociability: Contesting Meanings

This article explores midlife single women's positive and negative perceptions of and experiences with the sociability offered on group package tours. Qualitative data were gathered from 32 women through two sets of focus group interviews and “solicited” diaries. The women focused on the joy of bonding with the other tourists in the group. This feeling gave them a sense of social inclusion in tourism spaces that were often constructed solely for families and people traveling with significant others. For some of the women, group membership was thus an agreeable substitute when lacking travel companionship. However, the somewhat enforced sociability with strangers imbued in group package tours also clashed with the midlife single women's need for independence and freedom of choice. This ambivalence suggested that group tour membership also was challenging for the women. In order to attract and accommodate to the needs of midlife single women tour operators should thus be aware of the complexity of this subject position.