Saving the world, one gender training at a time

The Elsie Initiative is a multilateral pilot project that uses the Measuring Opportunities for Women in Peace Operations (MOWIP) methodology to research barriers to and opportunities for women’s meaningful participation in peace operations in seven pilot countries. A comparative analysis of data from MOWIP reports, as well as their primary findings, inform this policy brief series. This policy brief is about how troop- and police-contributing countries (TPCCs) can leverage gender training, as one part of broader institutional transformation processes, to enhance women’s meaningful participation in peace operations2 and to develop truly gender-responsive peacekeeping

From ‘more’ to ‘meaningful’: six strategies to make women’s participation count in peace support operations

Ingrid Munch and Callum Watson set out six clear steps that need to be taken to achieve women’s meaningful participation in peacekeeping operations. The recommendations presented here are based on the research undertaken for DCAF’s Opportunities for Women in Peacekeeping: Policy Series

Föreningslivet i Sverige : Välfärd, socialt kapital och demokratiskola

There is a long tradition of high levels of membership and participation in voluntary associations in the Scandinavian area, with origins reaching back in the 19th century, and still playing a key role in political as well as in private life. In comparative perspective, memberships and activity levels are extreme in Sweden. Sweden has been named a popular-movement democracy, where associations serve a special function to bind together a homogenous culture and egalitarian welfare regime: 1. Associations contribute to general welfare production by facilitating valued activities, offering social contacts, identity, information and collective support; 2. Participation in associations develops social capital of inter-personal relationships and thrust; and; 3. Associations develop democratic skills relevant to representative democracy, such as tolerance, experience and competence in collective decision-making; 4. Associations provide an alternative arena for political action. In recent decades, in particular over the past decade of deep recession and welfare state rollback in Sweden, engagement in associations has crumbled. A recent analysis of this change, based on two general social surveys of 1992 and 2000, tracks this change, focusing on the development of different types of associations, their memberships, activity levels and member characteristics. Findings are discussed with respect to the impact on general welfare, social capital, and political capital.Sociologisk Forsknings digitala arkiv</p

Supportive and non-supportive interactions in families with a type 2 diabetes patient: an integrative review

Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes and its management affect the patient and the close family potentially causing either psychological distress or increased sense of responsibility and collaboration in these families. Interactions between patient and family play an important role in maintaining lifestyle changes and diabetes self-management. The purpose of this integrative review was to summarise and assess published studies on the intra-family perspective of supportive and non-supportive interactions in families with a type 2 diabetes patient. Methods Included in the review were published qualitative and quantitative studies that examined the intra-family perspective on supportive and non-supportive interactions. We searched the literature from 2000 to 2016 and the search strategy comprised the following databases: Cochrane, PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Psyc-ARTICLES as well as hand searching of reference lists. Quality assessment, data extraction and analysis were undertaken on all included studies. Results We identified five eligible research papers. Employing content analysis three categories describing interactions were refined: Impact of practical action, impact of emotional involvement, and impact of communication content. Supportive interactions included encouraging communication and family collaboration in managing diet, medications, and blood glucose checking. Non-supportive interactions were visible irritation, nagging behaviour and refusing to share the burden of living with diabetes. Conclusion The findings stress the importance of including both patient and family in clinical practice to target diabetes self-management adherence and well-being of the whole family. The majority of self-management occurs within the family environment. Therefore, the intra-family perspective of supportive and non-supportive interactions should be understood and addressed as the family members are interdependent and affected by each other. Future research assessing the impact of professional support and the family function will have the potential to improve the daily life and well-being of patients with type 2 diabetes as well as the whole family