Putting the voluntary sector in its place : geographical perspectives on voluntary activity and social welfare in Glasgow.

The growing political and social significance of the voluntary sector in contemporary welfare reform is reflected in a wide body of research that has emerged in the political and social policy literature since the mid-1980s. While this work adds considerably to our understanding of the changing role of the voluntary welfare sector, these accounts are largely aspatial. Yet, geographical perspectives offer important insights into the development of the voluntary sector at both micro-and macro-levels. The purpose of this paper is thus twofold: first we wish to draw attention to what it is that geographers do that may be of interest to those working in the field of social policy; and second, we illustrate why such perspectives are important. Drawing on recently completed work in Glasgow, we demonstrate how geographical approaches can contribute to a greater understanding of the uneven development of the voluntary sector across space and how voluntary organisations become embedded in particular places. By unravelling some of the complex webs of inter-relationships that operate across the geographical and political spaces that extend from national to local we reveal some unique insights into those factors that act to facilitate or constrain the development of voluntary activity across the city with implications for access, service delivery and policy development. Hence, we maintain, that geographical approaches to voluntarism are important for social policy as such approaches argue that where events occur matter to both their form and outcome

Place and informal care in an ageing society:reviewing the state of the art in geographical gerontology

Who cares for our frail older populations and where is fast becoming a critical issue for policy-makers and practitioners in many high income countries as they grapple with the economic and welfare implications of increasing longevity. This demographic shift is, of course, a major success story. However, increased life expectancy is also bringing with it a growth in those numbers of older people, particularly the oldest old, who are experiencing multiple morbidities and a declining ability to undertake those instrumental activities of daily life (IADLs) that are so important to maintaining independence and dignity in later life. At the same time, policy and practice has shifted away from residential or institutional care for our older population to focus on ‘ageing in place’. Here, older people are to be supported to remain within their own homes for as long as possible. Conceptually, this has meant that services and care previously delivered within a single institutional environment, have been redesigned for delivery within domestic settings where frail older people would also benefit from the informal care support from family, friends and neighbours. On the one hand, this has meant that many older people have benefited from the familiarity, sense of safety and support that care provided within the domestic setting has engendered; on the other, changing family structures, a decline in community and sweeping health and welfare cuts in an era of economic austerity have left growing numbers of older people increasingly lonely, isolated and at risk. Understanding who cares, where, the form that care takes and how this is being differentially experienced by our older populations have been issues of growing concern for geographers interested in health and ageing. In this paper I review the current ‘state of the art’ of geographical gerontology around informal care and the home and illustrate how those working in this field are making an important contribution to multidisciplinary debates around care of our older populations

Living Shoreline Sea Level Resiliency: Performance and Adaptive Management of Existing Breakwater Sites, Year 2 Summary Report

The Coastal Zone Management program, through NOAA grants, has funded several projects that have reviewed design considerations and monitored living shoreline systems for effectiveness at both shore protection and habitat enhancement. These studies presented data regarding the construction and performance of three living shoreline projects that were built between 1999 and 2003 in Maryland (Hardaway et al., 2007 and 2009) and were in part the basis for the “Living Shoreline Design Guidelines for Shore Protection in Virginia’s Estuarine Environments” and the contractor training classes (Hardaway et al., 2017). In addition, extensive research has been done on the design and performance of breakwater systems around Chesapeake Bay (Hardaway & Gunn, 1991; 2010; 2011). Breakwater and beach systems are appropriate for medium to high energy shorelines along Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. .... The present project seeks to build upon and expand monitoring efforts of sills and headland breakwater systems in Chesapeake Bay to determine effectiveness of shore protection and habitat creation and stability through time using a detailed site assessment and survey of five sites (Figure 1-1) including Aquia Landing, Bavon, Kingsmill, Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), and Yorktown. In addition, referencing the latest research results of migration and accretion of beaches and marshes in Chesapeake Bay, the project will seek to determine what elements make these successful over the short and longer terms

Activity and advanced cancer:A grounded theory

Background: Cancer-related fatigue and loss of physical functioning are distressing symptoms which negatively impact the quality of life of people with advanced cancer. Physical activity has been shown to have positive effects on these symptoms in early-stage cancer, but previous research demonstrated an incongruence between people with advanced cancer’s expressed interest and actual participation in a physical activity intervention. Aim: To gain an in-depth understanding of the experience of activity and quality of life in people with advanced cancer, using a classic grounded theory approach. Design: Through the post-positivist lens of subtle realism, and informed by classic grounded theory methods, a two-phase, cross-sectional, qualitative study was conducted. For 7 days duration, participants wore an activPAL™ activity monitor and completed a daily record sheet, which were then used as qualitative probes for face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Setting/participants: A total of 15 people with advanced cancer, aged 18 years or older, and with a median survival of 100 days from time of study consent, were recruited from an outpatient department of a tertiary cancer centre in Alberta, Canada. Findings: Maintaining their responsibilities, no matter how small, was the prime motive for participants’ behaviour. For people with advanced cancer, the minimum level of responsibility was dynamic and unique. It was achieved through a multifaceted interaction between the perceived benefits, prevailing conditions and mechanisms. Conclusion: This grounded theory enables understanding of activity as a mechanism through which responsibility is managed and may inform future behavioural interventions in people with advanced cancer

Shoreline Evolution: Prince George County, Virginia Upper Chippokes Creek, James and Appomattox River Shorelines

Prince George County is situated between on the James River between Upper Chippokes Creek and the Appomattox Rivers (Figure 1). Because the County’s shoreline is continually changing, determining where the shoreline was in the past, how far and how fast it is moving, and what factors drive shoreline change will help define where the shoreline will be going in the future. These rates and patterns of shore change along Chesapeake Bay’s estuarine shores will differ through time as winds, waves, tides and currents shape and modify coastlines by eroding, transporting and depositing sediments. The purpose of this report is to document how the shore zone of Prince George County has evolved since 1937. Aerial imagery was taken for most of the Bay region beginning that year and can be used to assess the geomorphic nature of shore change. Aerial photos show how the coast has changed, how beaches, dunes, bars, and spits have grown or decayed, how barriers have breached, how inlets have changed course, and how one shore type has displaced another or has not changed at all. Shore change is a natural process but, quite often, the impacts of man, through shore hardening or inlet stabilization, come to dominate a given shore reach. In addition to documenting historical shorelines, the change in shore positions along the larger creeks in Prince George County will be quantified in this report. The shorelines of very irregular coasts, small creeks and around inlets, and other complicated areas will be shown but not quantified

Shoreline Evolution: Richmond County, Virginia Rappahannock River Shorelines

Richmond County is situated on the Northern Neck Peninsula in the eastern portion of Virginia (Figure 1). The Rappahannock River forms the southern boundary of this 192 square mile community. The County has 149 miles of shoreline on the Rappahannock River and Cat Point and Totuskey Creeks. Through time, the County’s shoreline has evolved, and determining the rates and patterns of shore change provides the basis to know how a particular coast has changed through time and how it might proceed in the future. Along Chesapeake Bay’s estuarine shores, winds, waves, tides and currents shape and modify coastlines by eroding, transporting and depositing sediments. The purpose of this report is to document how the shore zone of Richmond County has evolved since 1937. Aerial imagery was taken for most of the Bay region beginning that year and can be used to assess the geomorphic nature of shore change. Aerial photos show how the coast has changed, how beaches, dunes, bars, and spits have grown or decayed, how barriers have breached, how inlets have changed course, and how one shore type has displaced another or has not changed at all. Shore change is a natural process but, quite often, the impacts of man, through shore hardening or inlet stabilization, come to dominate a given shore reach. In addition to documenting historical shorelines, the change in shore positions along the rivers and larger creeks in Richmond County will be quantified in this report. The shorelines of very irregular coasts, small creeks around inlets, and other complicated areas, will be shown but not quantifie

Care, coping and identity:older men’s experiences of spousal care-giving

In this paper, we draw on narrative correspondence from older male spousal caregivers and interviews with care providers from the voluntary and statutory sectors to explore how older male carers in the UK cope with and experience care-giving, the forms of support they draw upon, and how this impacts on their sense of self and identity as older men. We also consider how (or if) gender plays a part in shaping the forms of formal care support extended to male carers. We conclude, that how older men construct and perform care-giving, and how the wider family and community responds to older men as carers, can impact on how they perform masculinity. This in turn can contribute to a decline in their social networks and opportunities for sociability, leading to increased loneliness and social isolation. Such insights are important if we are to enrich our knowledge of the challenges they face, the coping mechanisms they employ, and the extent to which their support needs are met in their caring role

Military healthcare professionals' experience of transitioning into civilian employment: a heuristic inquiry

Background: Armed forces are reinventive institutions that shape the identity of their members. Leaving the military involves an adjustment that may be turbulent at times but will need to be effectively navigated. Objective: To understand the experiences of self and other military healthcare professionals' midlife career transitions. Methods: A qualitative study using Heuristic Inquiry research methods. This included a thematic analysis of the researcher's personal experience combined with the experiences of other veterans (n=10) within a Creative Synthesis. Results: The themes identified within the study were: The tipping point for leaving; Adjustment as a veteran; Progression within a new workplace. We experienced a divergence in values away from military service leading to a tipping point for leaving that was followed by a triple whammy of uncertainty about leaving, insecurity in a new job and loss of identity that impacted mental wellbeing and needed to be overcome. Conclusions: This study has revealed new insights about being a military veteran and transitioning to civilian employment. This affects how healthcare professionals prepare for a midlife career change, retention of personnel within military forces, and how civilian employers support veterans