Social Policy Planning Research Articles

Monitoring the Affordability of Healthy Eating: A Case Study of 10 Years of the Illawarra Healthy Food Basket

Healthy food baskets have been used around the world for a variety of purposes, including: examining the difference in cost between healthy and unhealthy food; mapping the availability of healthy foods in different locations; calculating the minimum cost of an adequate diet for social policy planning; developing educational material on low cost eating and examining trends on food costs over time. In Australia, the Illawarra Healthy Food Basket was developed in 2000 to monitor trends in the affordability of healthy food compared to average weekly wages and social welfare benefits for the unemployed. It consists of 57 items selected to meet the nutritional requirements of a reference family of five. Bi-annual costing from 2000–2009 has shown that the basket costs have increased by 38.4% in the 10-year period, but that affordability has remained relatively constant at around 30% of average household incomes.

Child protection from the perspective of child and adolescent medicine

Demands for prevention in the areas of child protection, child development and early education are increasingly being discussed in the health care system, social services and the educational and school system. Concepts in health care include health promotion, risk assessment and primary and secondary prevention. Child protection promotes strategies such as early social support services and at-risk screening and educational systems advocate early intervention and concepts to enhance child development. The complexity of children's developmental needs and their living environments require a comprehensive approach of all three systems and integration of services and interventions. Each child's needs must be individually analysed and services tailored appropriately. A case vignette demonstrates and analyses typical problems of interacting systems. A systemic view of systems of care allows planning of efficient and sustainable social and health care policies.

Human Behavior in Response to Social Change

Social change is understood as a more or less rapid and comprehensive change of societal structures and institutions, including changes to the economic, technological, and cultural frameworks of a society (Calhoun, 1992). A case in point is the breakup or transformation of the former communist countries in Europe in the 1980s. The political transition to representative democracy included a profound change of the economic system to market capitalism, which was soon overlaid by the negative effects of globalization. Today, some 20 years after the event, we have a huge variation of political and economic transformations around the world. These transformations also include countries such as the United Kingdom or China that have undergone economic reforms without changes in the basics of the political system. Given that social change is evident at the macro level, it is also plausible to assume that such changes have an impact on individuals’ behavior and development. Until recently, however, such issues did not rank very high on the research agenda, at least not for psychology. This is the background to this Special Section, which brings together papers that investigate the effect of social change on the lives of individuals.

Caregiving and Volunteering Among Older People in Sweden—Prevalence and Profiles

This study examines the role of older people in Swedish society by exploring the prevalence of their informal caregiving and volunteering and by analyzing the profiles of these contributors of unpaid work. Data were collected by means of telephone interviews in a Swedish representative survey conducted in 2005. Our analysis reveals three distinct profiles of people involved in unpaid activities. One of these consists of those involved both in informal helpgiving and volunteering, a group that has been labeled “super helpers” or “doers” in earlier research. It is important for social policy planners to recognize these groups of older people and better understand the dynamics of their unpaid work in order to ascertain whether they might need support as providers and to enhance their well-being. There does not seem to be any simple contradiction between the parallel existence of a universal welfare model of the Swedish kind and an extensive civil society in which older people play important roles as active citizens.

Optimising the use of interactive whiteboards: an application of developmental work research (DWR) in the United Kingdom

There are concerns that the effective use of interactive whiteboard technology is being inhibited by its use only as a means of presentation. This article looks at the way in which a working group drawn from the university and school areas of mathematics teaching developed materials to enhance the pedagogic use of interactive whiteboard technology. The group worked according to the principles of developmental work research, used mainly in multi‐agency social policy planning. The multi‐disciplinary, structured and outcome‐oriented work was used to support what was considered by the participants to be effective professional development for all participants. Analysis of the approach according to culture, partnership, reflection and conceptual challenge offers evidence that cross‐sector experiential learning is mutually beneficial because it enhances both process and outcome.

Pescadoras e pescadores: a questão da equidade de gênero em uma reserva extrativista marinha

A Reserva Extrativista Marinha da Ponta do Corumbau está localizada em uma região de rica biodiversidade, no Sul do estado da Bahia, Brasil. Foi criada atendendo a reivindicações dos pescadores artesanais, com o objetivo de alcançar a sustentabilidade dos estoques de pesca e da economia das famílias locais, além de proteger a área marinha colocando limites à pesca industrial predatória. Através do Diagnóstico Participativo com Enfoque de Gênero, investigou-se como é realizada a divisão do trabalho, como ocorre o uso, o acesso e controle dos recursos e benefícios, além das condições que limitam a participação e mobilidade das mulheres. Fomentar a participação das mulheres no Plano de Manejo poderá contribuir para o planejamento das políticas sociais e ambientais, que devem considerar a eqüidade entre os gêneros como garantia para a conservação e a sustentabilidade.

Intensity of drug injection as a determinant of sustained injection cessation among chronic drug users: the interface with social factors and service utilization.

The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with sustained injection cessation and to examine further the relationship between the occurrence of sustained injection cessation of injection drug users (IDUs) and prior injection frequency. IDUs in the Montreal St Luc Cohort who had at least three consecutive interviews between 1995 and 1999 were included. Sustained injection cessation was defined as a period of at least 7 consecutive months without injection. All IDUs completed interview-administered questionnaires on socio-demographic characteristics, drug and sexual behaviours and health-related issues. Logistic regression was used for analyses. A total of 186/1004 (18.5%) IDUs reported a period of sustained injection cessation during the study period. In multivariate analysis, HIV-positive status, 'booting' and cumulative time spent in prison were negatively associated with injection cessation, while injection initiation after 35 years of age and frequent crack use were positively associated with injection cessation. We found a negative association between the occurrence of injection cessation and the frequency of injection; the odds ratios (OR) for cessation were 0.49 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03, 0.78] for IDUs who injected 30-100 times and 0.21 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.46) for IDUs who injected more than 100 times in the previous month. Attending needle exchange programmes (NEPs) or pharmacies appeared to be a modifier of the relation between cessation and prior injection frequency. The OR was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.42, 1.12) for IDUs who injected 30-100 times prior to injection and attended NEPs or pharmacies and was 0.07 (0.01, 0.30) for IDUs who did not use these services. Overall, a fifth of IDUs experienced at least one episode of injection cessation of 7 months or more during a period of 4.5 years. Our data suggest that NEPs and pharmacies may have played a role in inducing injection cessation episodes in a subgroup of IDUs. Research is needed to better identify the characteristics of IDUs who could benefit from an injection cessation intervention strategy. This information is important for social and health policy planning.

Community and social capital in Slovenia—the impact of transition

The transition from socialism to capitalism has many impacts on the everyday life of the people of Slovenia. Amongst others it has an impact on their community ties and their choices regarding participation in public life. Community can enable or diminish the basic processes, such as solidarity, equal choices and opportunities, and respect for the differences that are needed for an inclusive society. This article researches such processes through the concept of social capital and provides some responses necessary for the political and professional planning of social policy and the practice of social services.

Trends and spatial distribution of deaths of children aged 12-60 months in São Paulo, Brazil, 1980-98.

To describe trends in the mortality of children aged 12-60 months and to perform spatial data analysis of its distribution at the inner city district level in São Paulo from 1980 to 1998. Official mortality data were analysed in relation to the underlying causes of death. The population of children aged 12-60 months, disaggregated by sex and age, was estimated for each year. Educational levels, income, employment status, and other socioeconomic indices were also assessed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences software was used for the statistical processing of time series. The Cochrane-Orcutt procedure of generalized least squares regression analysis was used to estimate the regression parameters with control of first-order autocorrelation. Spatial data analysis employed the discrimination of death rates and socioeconomic indices at the inner city district level. For classifying area-level death rates the method of K-means cluster analysis was used. Spatial correlation between variables was analysed by the simultaneous autoregressive regression method. There was a steady decline in death rates during the 1980s at an average rate of 3.08% per year, followed by a levelling off. Infectious diseases remained the major cause of mortality, accounting for 43.1% of deaths during the last three years of the study. Injuries accounted for 16.5% of deaths. Mortality rates at the area level clearly demonstrated inequity in the city's health profile: there was an increasing difference between the rich and the underprivileged social strata in this respect. The overall mortality rate among children aged 12-60 months dropped by almost 30% during the study period. Most of the decline happened during the 1980s. Many people still live in a state of deprivation in underserved areas. Time-series and spatial data analysis provided indications of potential value in the planning of social policies promoting well-being, through the identification of factors affecting child survival and the regions with the worst health profiles, to which programmes and resources should be preferentially directed.

The German Charitable Welfare System: A Criticism from the Viewpoint of Ordnungspolitik

Charitable social welfare care constitutes the market‐leader in the provision of social services. Neocorporatist structures have resulted in the latter's exceptional situation. They are characterized by a preferential position in certain circumstances compared to commercial suppliers, cartel agreements which enjoy partial legal legitimacy, financial dependence on the state, as well as a say in social policy planning. Criticism from the viewpoint of Ordnungspolitik maintains a failure of internal and external controls, and above all of competitive structures. Possible starting points for a reform may be founded on the guarantee of equal opportunities and of non‐discrimination against commercial suppliers. The governmental monopsonistic power should be removed by a decentralization of bargaining. In addition to this, the position of those having a right to such services needs to be strengthened by greater individual assistance combined with monetary allocations.

METHODS FOR ESTIMATING PREVALENCE OF OPIATE USE AS AN AID TO POLICY AND PLANNING

Public health planning continues to be troubled by the uncertainty of the extent of hidden drug use. Methods for estimating the prevalence of opiate use are discussed. These include multisource enumeration, death multiplier, multiple indicator, and capture–recapture methods. The feasibility and data requirements for each of these methods is illustrated for the first time in an Irish context. Estimates presented are the result of years of intensive collaboration between previously unconnected government, health, and legal agencies. Finally, the implications of the methods and their results for the planning and provision of medical and social policy are highlighted and discussed. [Translations are provided in the International s Section of this issue.]

The quest for competence in systemic research and practice

AbstractHow can we develop competence in research and professional practice? This essay tries to answer the question from the perspective of critical systems thinking, that is, through an approach that aims to promote reflective research and practice. The paper originated in discussions on the nature of research, with research students and professionals from different fields—among these the domains of business and public management, operational research and management science, social planning and evaluation research, public health, poverty research, social work and social policy, environmental research, city and regional planning, adult education and civic studies. With its publication the author hopes to encourage a wide readership of research students, researchers and professionals in these and other fields of practice who wish to clarify their personal notion of competence. The essay addresses them in a direct and personal way. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Planning, the Urban System and New Forms of Inequality in Greek Cities

This paper examines Greece's urban system in relationship to economic restructuring, socio-spatial inequalities and planning policies. Chapter one reviews the reasons for the recent rekindled interest of spatial analysis in cities and questions the capacity of the discourse on globalisation to deal with local peculiarities. Chapter two examines patterns of diffused urbanisation in Greece and the fragmentation of the settlement system; stability and change in the urban hierarchy; urban growth trends; and planning response to change during the last four decades. The next chapter focuses on deindustrialisation in Greece, regional inequalities, social change in the last decade, and new forms of poverty and social exclusion. Chapter four examines patterns of social stratification and inequality, as well as social change, by subregion of the country and in 441 municipalities. Principal components and cluster analysis are the main techniques used. Conclusions underline planning weaknesses in the country, at both the national and the local level, as well as in relationship to the co-ordination required between social policy and physical planning.

A Matrix for Decision Analysis in Macro-Practices

This paper introduces a decision matrix to the knowledge foundation of macro-practice as a strategy to highlight the idiosyncratic and parochial perspectives to key decision models available to the practitioner to demonstrate the benefits of an alternative perspective that integrates into one conception of a variety of decision models and as a classification of decision schemata to modes of intervention. An overarching purpose is to demonstrate the significance of horizontal and vertical information transfer for social policy planning and development, social programming and management, and social project planning and operations. From this emerges a macro-practitioner engaged in human creative and rational activity.

Science, Art, and Expertise: Helsinki in the Perspective of European Development, 1875-1917. Volume 2, On Social Policy and Town Planning.

Science, Art, and Expertise: Helsinki in the Perspective of European Development, 1875-1917. Volume 2, On Social Policy and Town Planning.

Islamic development policy: the agrarian question in Iran

Part 1 Introduction: The Agrarian Question Prior to the 1979 Revolution The State of Agriculture and Agrarian Policy in the Pre-Revolutionary Era. Part 2 Agricultural Policy in the Islamic Republic of Iran: Policy Objectives Agriculture's Position in Economic and Social Policy Planning Agriculture Reforming Agricultural Administration Land Tenure Reform Problems of Managerial Organisation The Question of Participation Financial and Technical Measures to Maximise Production the Urban-Rural Divide and Rural Depopulation.

Book Reviews

Book Reviews Get access Working for Change: The Movement Against Domestic Violence, Heather McGregor and Andrew Hopkins, London, Allen and Unwin, 1992, 176 pp. ISBN 1-86373-919-X, £10.95 pbk. (First published Sydney, 1991). ELLEN MALOS ELLEN MALOS Research Fellow Department of Social Policy and Social Planning, University of Bristol Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The British Journal of Social Work, Volume 23, Issue 1, February 1993, Pages 75–77, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.bjsw.a055943 Published: 01 February 1993

Black English in the Integrated Workplace

The existence of what has been designated separate one Black, one White (Kerner Commission, 1968)raises the question of the extent to which these two societies have also developed as distinct speech communities. Because race continues to be a critical variable in social and economic relations, as well as in public policy formation, the nature of sociolinguistic differences and cooperation between the African American and White American speech communities has implications for the whole of the communications discipline. This article is concerned with the impact of the industrial work setting on the cross-cultural communication aspects of African American -White American communication. The thesis is that the production demands of industrialized work settings have generated a lingua franca that has Black English at its base. If this hypothesis proves to be true, it carries with it significant implications for communication and language professionals as well as social policy planners.

Work Programming with Geriatric Mental Health Clients

Demographics alone draw a clear picture of how rapidly the United States is changing. Due to advances in medicine and technology, the number of Americans living a long time is increasing. The U.S. Bureau of the Census indicated in 1982 that older Americans represented 1l.6% ofthe U.S. population. This age group is projected to increase up to 35 million, comprising 13.1% of the citizenry, by the year 2000. Although many older individuals remain active and healthy, the incidence of chronic disease and related disabilities increases significantly from 3.1 % for people under 45 years of age to 18.5% for the 55-64-year age group.l This increase in both frequency and rate also holds true for occupational disabilities and secondary work limitations. It is greater after age 55 than for any age group.2 The graying of America is having an effect on the planning and design of national economic, health, and social policies. Certainly, changes in health care provision have reflected this situation. Hasselkus3 describes five major trends occurring in geriatric health care and how these trends relate to occupational therapy: (1) integration of rehabilitation concepts into geriatric care, (2) function as an emerging concept of health, (3) promotion of active client participation, (4) increased focus on family support, and (5) increased emphasis on working with the client within the community context. This article examines the issues of work programming in geriatric groups, particularly occupational therapists' role in work programming for geriatric mental health clients.

Social Policy Planning and Social Work Practices in Poland

Social Policy Planning and Social Work Practices in Poland