Re-building bridges: homeless people's views on the role of vocational and educational activities in their everyday lives

Homeless people face everyday challenges of marginalisation and stigmatisation. Consequently, they can suffer from low self-confidence, self-efficacy and agency. Empirical research in Britain on educational, skill-building and meaningful activities for homeless people principally emphasises the instrumental value of training and learning as a route to employment rather than the impact of activities on homeless people's everyday lives. Theoretical literature suggests that psychosocial benefits related to the development of self-efficacy, agency and empowerment can be gained from such activities. Participants' experiences and perceptions of educational and recreational activities were examined through 29 interviews at three homeless day centres in London. Thematic analysis suggests the restorative power of engagement in activities and shows that participants value activities, not only as the foundation for future goals of finding employment and housing, but as an immediate way of restoring a sense of self and finding positive experiences with a focus on the present. The findings underline the importance of viewing these interventions from a ‘bottom-up’ perspective. The study tentatively concludes that accepting and emphasising the immediate personal benefits as a positive achievement of activities may be a valuable approach to better engage homeless clients

The participation myth

Policy rhetoric around strategies to and the value of increasing participation in the arts has been well documented internationally over more than a decade. But in the UK, which is the focus for this article, targets to increase participation have been consistently missed and there remains a direct correlation between those taking part in cultural activity and their socio-economic status. The starting point for this article is to examine the barriers to increasing participation in the arts and question the way that such policy has been implemented within the English context, which may have relevance for policy making in other countries. What is demonstrated is that policy implementation is influenced by vested interest of those in receipt of funding and that a narrow range of voices, from a powerful cultural elite, are involved in the decision making in the arts. The article makes a case for widening the range of voices heard in decision making in order to support both artistic practice and public engagement

Shifting opinions and changing behaviours : a Consumer Forum report

The Sustainable Consumption Roundtable (Great Britain)commissioned Opinion Leader Research Ltd. to conduct a major deliberative event looking at sustainable consumption.Publisher PD

Business and community A new partnership for mutual benefit

Highlights from a comprehensive study conducted by Opinion Leader Research, launched at the Per Cent Club Annual Meeting, Oct 1993Available from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:98/03994 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Young people's attitudes towards New Deal and the Employment Services A consultation exercise with 18 - 24 year olds

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:98/07375 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Partnership for Health

A small-group intervention with young people living with HIV/AID