Using social media to widen young people’s participation in social work education: final report for Nominettrust

Using a systematic review approach, this study set out to identify social media resources currently used by service users to share knowledge and experience, in order that they could be used to widen young people’s participation in social work education. Resources found were included in a database available to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to support and promote the use of these sites. The review was undertaken in partnership with young service users. The Review question was: • How do interventions/services using new social and other digital media technologies promote children and young people’s participation? Sub-questions were: • How do such interventions/services conceptualise participation? • What are the perceived facilitators and barriers of participation? • What are the implications for engaging young service users in social work education? A review of published literature provides a foundation to understand how and in what ways social media is currently being used and suggest ways in which it might be used in the future. In addition to academic studies, this project reviews social media, e.g. social networks, blogs, video conferencing, used by users of personal services to share experiences and contribute to knowledge. Social media resources identified are presented in tabular form and are also made accessible though the inclusion of hyperlinks to a range of digital material. Finding of this study suggest that social media is currently being used by adults for two purposes, to promote civic participation or to socialise young people. Consequently the potential biases and shortcomings of face-to-face communication between service providers and service users can be reproduced in online forms of communication. Conclusions drawn include: • Genuine engagement with young people requires digital technologies to provide complementary, more empowering public spaces and channels for expression which may lead to social change. • There is a need to consider ways group membership is constructed and established, both in terms of involvement in social work education in general, and in providing mechanisms that support the use of social media to facilitate this. The report concludes by making recommendations for future actio

The other side of the bridge : a study of social capital in further education provision for young disabled people

This thesis is a detailed account and analysis of young disabled people‟s inclusions within one Further Education College. These inclusions were tied to a number of complex interactions between the people who exist there and key reforms to Further Education systems which aim to support an individual‟s capacity to offer entrepreneurial performances. Central to these reforms is alternative provision, which offer places in college to school aged students who risk failing to invest in the work-related skills and knowledge that apparently has measurable consequences for future earnings and social justice. This thesis shows how the inclusion of young disabled people in a contemporary college community has some unintended effects and consequences, and how their lives were differentially affected by social capital arising from social networks based on trust. An emancipatory, qualitative methodology was used to gather data. The findings provide important insights into how young disabled people possess, produce and utilise social capital, to build new relationships, to develop identity, to resist or manipulate pre-assigned social roles, networks and resources and to make the transition from school to college. In their own words, young disabled people question the sense of optimism often attributed to alternative provision and the extent to which their existence in college has overcome the social barriers and closed networks that can be associated with disabled people as a marginalised group. To harness such existences and to further develop social capital theory, my conclusions set out a young disabled person‟s negotiation of college as an ethical project in which everyone - college students, teaching staff and researchers - have work to do on themselves. This makes alternative provision not something that is just done to many young disabled people but a project for which everyone is responsible. This thesis, therefore, re-reads the story of alternative provision with a wary eye, using a critical approach to social capital theory. In doing so, the research not only confirms the significance of social capital as a crucial analytical tool for young disabled people, but also confronts the overly positive underpinnings of the social capital debate in education.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

The role of informal networks in the lives of young people transitioning from care : a review of the literature

Young people leaving the care system face significant challenges when making the transition to adulthood, with limited support from other agencies. Their outcomes are significantly poorer than those of their non-care peers. This review aims to synthesise recent research on informal network support for care leavers making the transition to adulthood. Method: A systematic search was undertaken using three bibliographic databases: PsycINFO (Ovid platform), Social Care Online (SCIE) and Social Services Abstracts. Systematic searching identified three concepts: "children in care", "transition" and "social networks". Ten articles were identified for inclusion. Findings: Informal networks play an important role in promoting wellbeing and better outcomes in adulthood. There is also growing recognition of the importance of an educative approach to strengthen young people's internal resources, increase their ability to develop relationships and to raise awareness of the difficulties care leavers have in developing relationships due to trauma. Conclusion: Recent research highlights the emerging importance of interdependent living programmes to complement traditional independent living programmes and the important role relationships have for wellbeing and improving life outcomes for care leavers. The review identifies opportunities for further research to explore the development of interdependent approaches before the transition from care to adulthood

Online network use in schools: Social and educational opportunities

Most state governments in Australia have banned popular online networking sites from public schools after these sites were accused of supporting a broad host of threats to young people. This paper questions the effectiveness of these bans in light of recent empirical research that highlights the social and educational benefits that can accrue from young people's online network use. In doing so, this paper argues for a more informed policy debate that considers not only the risks involved in using online networks, but also the opportunities online networks afford and the capabilities young people require to use them effectively

Labour market experiences of young UK Bangladeshi men: Identity, inclusion and exclusion in inner-city London

Detailed qualitative data are used to explore the processes perpetuatinglabour market disadvantage among young UK-Bangladeshi men living in central London. Strong forces of inclusion within the Bangladeshi community are found to interact with forces of exclusion from ‘mainstream’ society to constrain aspirations and limit opportunities. Though diverse forms of young Bangladeshi masculinity are found, a common pattern is heavy dependency on intra-ethnic networks. Negative experiences of and isolation from ‘mainstream’ society further reinforce reliance on ‘our own people’. However, acute ambivalence towards belonging to a dense Bangladeshi community exists, exemplified in the widespread denigration of the restaurant trade. Many respondents express the desire to ‘break out’ and access new experiences. The findings support current policy emphasis on ‘connecting people to work’ but highlight the more fundamental need to connect people across ethnic boundaries. The paper urges researchers to ‘unpack’ ethnicity to consider carefully what ethnic identity implies in terms of access to resources and opportunities for different individuals in different contexts in order better to understand the diversity of labour market outcomes and the persistence of disadvantage

The association between family and community social capital and health risk behaviours in young people: an integrative review

Background: Health risk behaviours known to result in poorer outcomes in adulthood are generally established in late childhood and adolescence. These ‘risky’ behaviours include smoking, alcohol and illicit drug use and sexual risk taking. While the role of social capital in the establishment of health risk behaviours in young people has been explored, to date, no attempt has been made to consolidate the evidence in the form of a review. Thus, this integrative review was undertaken to identify and synthesise research findings on the role and impact of family and community social capital on health risk behaviours in young people and provide a consolidated evidence base to inform multi-sectorial policy and practice.<p></p> Methods: Key electronic databases were searched (i.e. ASSIA, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts) for relevant studies and this was complemented by hand searching. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied and data was extracted from the included studies. Heterogeneity in study design and the outcomes assessed precluded meta-analysis/meta-synthesis; the results are therefore presented in narrative form.<p></p> Results: Thirty-four papers satisfied the review inclusion criteria; most were cross-sectional surveys. The majority of the studies were conducted in North America (n=25), with three being conducted in the UK. Sample sizes ranged from 61 to 98,340. The synthesised evidence demonstrates that social capital is an important construct for understanding the establishment of health risk behaviours in young people. The different elements of family and community social capital varied in terms of their saliency within each behavioural domain, with positive parent–child relations, parental monitoring, religiosity and school quality being particularly important in reducing risk.<p></p> Conclusions: This review is the first to systematically synthesise research findings about the association between social capital and health risk behaviours in young people. While providing evidence that may inform the development of interventions framed around social capital, the review also highlights key areas where further research is required to provide a fuller account of the nature and role of social capital in influencing the uptake of health risk behaviours.<p></p&gt

Social Media And Health: Implications For Primary Health Care Providers

This report is the second deliverable of the ?Digital Inclusion and Social Knowledge Media for Health: Frameworks and Roadmaps? project. The first discussed the concept of social and digital exclusion whilst this report focuses on the emerging phenomenon of social media. The report outlines current knowledge on the users and usages of social media for health and goes on to discuss social media in the context of a continuing focus (ref. D1.1) on the areas of mental health, smoking cessation and teenage lifestyles. The report concludes with an outline of an approach to a ?social media strategy? and with suggestions for directions for future research

State of the World's Volunteerism Report: Universal Values for Global Well-being

The focus of this report is on the universal values that motivate people the world over to volunteer for the common good and on the impact of volunteer action on societies and individuals. The authors advocate the power of volunteering to promote cooperation, encourage participation and contribute to the well-being of individuals and of society as a whole