Brainy, Crazy, Supernatural, Clumsy and Normal: Five profiles of children's stereotypical and non-stereotypical perceptions of scientists in the Draw-A-Scientist-Test

peer-reviewedChildren's perceptions of scientists have traditionally been explored using the Draw-a-Scientist Test (DAST). However, the DAST method, whereby researchers analyse large numbers of children's drawings according to a checklist, is often criticised for not taking children's voices into account. In this study, to explore children's perceptions of scientists, children in four primary schools (N = 105) were asked to 'Draw a Scientist', then describe their drawings in an open-ended qualitative questionnaire. A subsample of 30 participants also participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis that was conducted on the collected data derived five different profiles of scientists described by children: 1) Brainy Scientist, 2) Crazy Scientist, 3) Supernatural Scientist, 4) Clumsy Scientist, and 5) Normal Scientist. These distinct profiles shift from the typical ‘stereotypical’ versus ‘non-stereotypical stance’ often presented, describing novel nuances within stereotypical profiles. This work highlights the importance of employing qualitative participatory research methods and incorporating children's voices. The article concludes with suggestions for several directions for future research

Impact Assessment ans Evaluation Tools

This handbook provides tools for evaluation / impact assessment of any project/initiative involving interactive innovation

Resistance and mobilization of power: the case of Irish senior citizens

In October 2008, the Irish pensioners engaged in nation-wide public campaign of dissent in response to the government decision to abolish the universal access to medical card for the over-70s, which culminated in the largest public demonstration Ireland had seen in decades and forced almost complete reversal of the policy. Using the event as empirical case, the thesis focuses on the problem of resistance, the exercise of social and political power by disempowered groups in the face of existing power structures and following pages present theoretically-driven sociological investigation of the operation of power in the context of this ‘Silver Revolution’. The OAPs resistance is interpreted as reaction triggered in response to government decision to target a universal benefit. This was perceived by the OAPs as unforgivable violation of social contract which undermined their practical understanding of their symbolic position in Irish society, thus disrupting their sense of ontological security they derived from it. The success of the protests will be discussed in terms of the confluence between several factors. The importance of the benefit to for the OAPs’ everyday functioning. Discrepancy between the government decision and the public perception of the OAPs status in terms of the relationship to the state which resonated strongly with OAPs’ own understanding and helped to build up momentum for public support. Capacity of OAPs and OAP NGOs to come up with a coherent counter-narrative to government discourse and mobilise a public response extent, speed, and severity of which has not been seen in Ireland in decades. The thesis locates its contribution to knowledge in three ways. Empirically, drawing upon wide array of data the thesis provides both factual and experiential accounts of the event. Thus, expanding the, scarce but growing, body of literature about the pensioners’ protests in Irish social science. Theoretically, it seeks to re-activate the foundations of Mark Haugaard’s four-dimensional model of power rooted in the theory of (re)structuration. And to apply this lens to interpretation of the old age pensioners resistance. And, methodologically, the thesis makes a theoretical case for the inclusion of the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, into the methodological repertoire of interpretive sociology in general, and four-dimensional model in particular

Emerging Beef Producer Organisations (POs) in the Irish Beef Sector: An Analysis of Media Coverage in the Context of Nationwide Beef Producer Protests

International literature acknowledges benefits of the legally recognised Producer Organisations (POs). Successful leveraging of these benefits depends on two forms of cooperation: horizontal integration among the producers for more effective functioning of the POs; and vertical integration of POs with other actors in the production chain to facilitate processes of co-creation and interactive innovation. In 2016 PO legislation was first introduced in Ireland, and in 2019 Ireland’s first two beef POs emerged at a time when primary producers in the beef sector mobilised en masse, protesting against poor prices and seeking changes in supply chain relationships. Throughout this period, significant and detailed media reporting of the beef sector surrounded the protests, which takes the focus of our analysis. Building on an existing but limited literature on institutional conditions in the Irish beef industry and international accounts of factors influencing the success of POs, we analyse media coverage in order to shed light on the nature of emerging new forms of horizontal and vertical cooperation. In this regard, we focus on horizontal integration of producers into PO and associations of POs (APOs); and vertical integration of POs into Inter Branch Organisations (IBOs) and value-based supply chains (VBSCs). Our analysis shows that the media representations of the Irish beef sector evidence significant challenges to the establishment and successful operation of POs, in any form. The analysis suggests that current constellation of relations in the Irish beef sector represents an environment that is partially resistant to horizontal co-operation and significantly hostile to vertical co-operation. Interactive innovation involving different chain actors seems not to be imminent, at least in the short term, unless there are strategic public and/or private interventions introduced to support it

Interactive Innovation: Network analysis tool for practitioners

The network tool is used to: • Identify crucial actors that shape the network and/or boost the innovation • Identify actors that negatively affect the actors and/ or undermine the innovation • Monitor the way the network develop and adapt the strategy/activities accordingly The idea is to evaluate interactive innovation projects in terms of the role of actors’ interactivity in relation to decision-making on the innovation process (through information or knowledge exchange, and joint or cooperative research). This can be for example about the role of an actor that entered in the course of the process and that strengthened the innovation through establishing suitable connections with other actors, leading to a better decision-making process on the innovation. The analysis of the network of actors can be made at one point of time only, or at 2 or 3 consecutive periods of time. We recommend the latter as it allows us to see the evolution of the network of actors over time. The evaluation can be done in quasi real time, but also in an ex-post manner. An ex-post assessment means that the evaluator will reconstruct the network as it was at the period of interest. In terms of data source, three options are possible: • The evaluator makes its own estimation of relationship level between the actors; • The evaluator involve key actors to estimate the levels of relationships; or • He/she asks the actors involved in the network, what their levels of relationships with the other actors are. In this case, bilateral exchanges are generally recommended. However, if actors feel or would feel comfortable to discuss this together, for example in case there is no major power asymmetries or conflicts between actors, a workshop could also be performed