116 research outputs found
Perspectives on cross-national comparisons of social work
In this paper various attempts of studying and comparing social work in different countries are discussed and evaluated. Three main ways of making comparisons are identified: comparisons based on models of social policy, profession-oriented comparisons, and practice-oriented comparisons. Each of the three approaches captures essential aspects of similarities and differences in social work, but they all have obvious limitations as well.Neste artigo são discutidas e avaliadas várias perspectivas para o estudo e comparação do serviço social em diferentes paÃses. São identificadas três formas principais de estabelecer comparações: comparações com base nos modelos de polÃtica social, comparações baseadas na profissão e comparações baseadas na prática profissional. Cada uma das três abordagens capta os aspectos essenciais das semelhanças e diferenças no serviço social, mas todos eles apresentam limitações óbvias
A Swedish culture of advocacy? Civil society organisations’ strategies for political influence
This article sets out to identify a culture of advocacy that has come to characterise Swedish civil society, formed around a long-standing tradition of close and cordial relations between civil society organisations, popular movements, and state and government officials. We argue that Swedish civil society organisations (CSOs) have been allowed to voice critique against public actors and policies and are expected to do so. Based on a large survey of Swedish CSOs, this study contributes unique data on what type of advocacy strategies CSOs practise, and the range of advocacy strategies that organisations employ. The analysis also explores norm-breaking behaviour, such as holding back criticism of public authorities. The results reveal a complex picture of a culture of advocacy: we find patterns of intense political activity among organisations that admit they hold back in their criticism of public authorities and the use of a wide range of advocacy strategies. The article contributes to and challenges established advocacy research and analyses established patterns of organisations’ advocacy activities with the symbolic acts of breaking norms, as an analytical approach for the study of advocacy strategies in general and advocacy culture in particular
A Swedish culture of advocacy? Civil society organisations’ strategies for political influence
This article sets out to identify a culture of advocacy that has come to characterise Swedish civil society, formed around a long-standing tradition of close and cordial relations between civil society organisations, popular movements, and state and government officials. We argue that Swedish civil society organisations (CSOs) have been allowed to voice critique against public actors and policies and are expected to do so. Based on a large survey of Swedish CSOs, this study contributes unique data on what type of advocacy strategies CSOs practise, and the range of advocacy strategies that organisations employ. The analysis also explores norm-breaking behaviour, such as holding back criticism of public authorities. The results reveal a complex picture of a culture of advocacy: we find patterns of intense political activity among organisations that admit they hold back in their criticism of public authorities and the use of a wide range of advocacy strategies. The article contributes to and challenges established advocacy research and analyses established patterns of organisations’ advocacy activities with the symbolic acts of breaking norms, as an analytical approach for the study of advocacy strategies in general and advocacy culture in particular
Comparazione regionale - Un paese diviso?
Non peer reviewe
What can we learn from consumer reports on psychiatric adverse drug reactions with antidepressant medication? Experiences from reports to a consumer association
Background According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the cost of adverse drug reactions  (ADRs) in the general population is high and under-reporting by health professionals  is a well-recognized problem. Another way to increase ADR reporting is to let the  consumers themselves report directly to the authorities. In Sweden it is mandatory  for prescribers to report serious ADRs to the Medical Products Agency (MPA), but there  are no such regulations for consumers. The non-profit and independent organization  Consumer Association for Medicines and Health, KILEN has launched the possibility  for consumers to report their perceptions and experiences from their use of medicines  in order to strengthen consumer rights within the health care sector. This study aimed  to analyze these consumer reports. Methods All reports submitted from January 2002 to April 2009 to an open web site in Sweden  where anyone could report their experience with the use of pharmaceuticals were analyzed  with focus on common psychiatric side effects related to antidepressant usage. More  than one ADR for a specific drug could be reported. Results In total 665 reports were made during the period. 442 reports concerned antidepressant  medications and the individual antidepressant reports represented 2392 ADRs and 878  (37%) of these were psychiatric ADRs. 75% of the individual reports concerned serotonin-reuptake  inhibitor (SSRI) and the rest serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI).  Women reported more antidepressant psychiatric ADRs (71%) compared to men (24%). More  potentially serious psychiatric ADRs were frequently reported to KILEN and withdrawal  symptoms during discontinuation were also reported as a common issue. Conclusions The present study indicates that consumer reports may contribute with important information  regarding more serious psychiatric ADRs following antidepressant treatment. Consumer  reporting may be considered a complement to traditional ADR reporting
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