Risk and vulnerability in socially excluded groups and communities: welfare issues and policy responses

SYNOPSIS: The research publications of the author have as their focus a coherent concern with risk behaviours and the management of the personal and social problems underpinning these forms of behaviour, including policy responses within the changing context of welfare. This has formed the common core of both his academic and professional research activities, and is reflected in his research outputs.These inter-related themes have formed key motifs in the author's work: vulnerability, risk and resilience in socially excluded groups and communities; social policy responses, including prevention strategies and forms of health and welfare provision; shifts in the context for welfare, especially in state-voluntary sector relations; and the development of conceptual and methodological approaches to improve our understanding of these problems and our responses to them, applicable in both UK and international settings.In this critical review, he describes and explains the development of these motifs, illustrating how a consistent and focused body of knowledge has been assembled and articulated in his research publications. It is contended that this has influenced both theory and practice in social policy, particularly in relation to the fields of health promotion, health care and social work. This reflective account embraces theoretical themes, methodological approaches, empirical settings and applications, and impact and influence of the research.THEORETICAL THEMES: In order to improve our understanding of these problems and responses to them, this research has entailed the development of conceptual approaches. This includes an interest with the construction of social problems such as "vulnerability" and "risk" among socially excluded groups and communities and the evolution of responses to these issues. In addition, a focus of critical attention is social explanation and particularly concepts of the "middle range", which include the management of personal welfare, risk, resilience and vulnerability. A key endeavour has been the development of intermediate concepts that allow for purchase on particular social issues, of the sort contained in the author's Risk, Resilience and Vulnerability Model.METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES: Emphasis is given to some of the methodological innovations that have been developed in the course of the author's research. In terms of qualitative techniques, he pioneered the development of the Facilitated Discussion Group Method. This approach allows for the facilitation of perspectives of vulnerable and excluded individuals, enabling them to discuss their issues, including risk behaviours. Participatory research approaches have also been developed, for example, among disadvantaged groups in the context of the UK and Eastern Europe.EMPIRICAL FOCUS: The empirical settings and applications of the research as contained in his publications are held up for consideration. The contention is that the application of middle range concepts, such as the management of personal welfare or risk, can be relevant whatever the context, though some tailoring in their application to specific circumstances may be required. Therefore his work has included a range of related empirical contexts and research populations, though there is a particular concern with disadvantaged groups and communities, in both UK and international contexts.IMPACT AND APPLICATIONS: A major achievement of this research and associated publications has been their impact on policy and practice in health and social services, as well as on theoretical and methodological development in the field of social science. This impact has occurred at three key levels - the theoretical, the methodological and the empirical. Numerous examples are provided, particularly of the impact of this research upon social policy organisations in relation to risk. International examples have also been included, touching on the author's work in Europe, especially Eastern Europe

THE ROLEO F SELECTIONIN MAINTAINING MHC VARIATIONI N MAMMALS: HETEROZYGOTAED VANTAGE,R AREA LLELEA DVANTAGEA ND MATE CHOICE

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is the most polymorphic gene region in jawed vertebrates. Its gene products play a critical role in determining individual and population fitness by presenting foreign antigens to immune system cells, thereby initiating immune response to pathogen and parasite infections and cancer. I surveyed the literature to investigate how selection maintains such important adaptive diversity in mammalian populations and how MHC diversity affects individual and population fitness. Balancing selection in the form of either heterozygote advantage or rare allele advantage has long been proposed as the key mechanism for maintaining the extreme diversity in MHC gene alleles. Deviations f rom Hardy-Weinberg frequencies, excess heterozygosity and high rates of nonsynonymous base substitutions, as well as trans-species polymorphisms, point toward past and ongoing balancing selection on MHC genes. Additionally, mate choice based on MHC genotype is proposed as a mechanism that contributes to maintenance of the polymorphism. Although most studies provided some degree of evidence in support of heterozygote advantage, rare allele advantage, or mate choice in the establishment or maintenance of MHC polymorphism, the relative importance of the three selective forces reviewed in this paper remains controversial. My survey suggests that, based on different demographic and ecological factors, these three nonexclusive mechanisms affect MHC diversity to varying degrees in different mammalian species

I Wish I Was In Blighty

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/4718/thumbnail.jp

Managing the health and safety legal and psychological ramifications of COVID-19: an Australian multidisciplinary perspective

COVID-19 represents unprecedented challenges for the entire community. Much of Australia’s commercial sector has voluntarily deployed strategies to support social distancing ahead of any lock downs. Businesses are working to safely maintain operations and a productive workforce throughout social isolation/distancing for an unknown duration. Yet uncertainty, ambiguity and radical change are breeding grounds for anxiety, stress and helplessness. Conditions that contradict safe mental health practices for work. The Australian perspective includes the cumulative stressors of the bushfires, torrential rains and floods. Each of these stressors was an environmental stressor. But people and businesses knew what to do. The newest cumulative stressor is remote work becoming the norm. Workplaces have often had a mediating effect as a point of social interaction. Legally mandated safe spaces that people could connect and be productive within. There is much research on the connection between social isolation and loneliness. Organisations need to support workers in maintaining social connections, team cohesion and productivity throughout these times. This paper will explore the health and safety legal obligations that apply in this context and outline a practical framework for organisations to contribute to and reinforce a positive state of mental health during the mass remote work experiment

A comparison of client feedback, global assessment of functioning and academic progression data from a Higher Education Counselling Service's online videoconferencing and in-person counselling.

Online videoconferencing counselling (OVC) is an innovative and flexible way of providing counselling services particularly to those living in rural areas or concerned about the stigma attached to seeking in-person mental health support and counselling. It is increasingly being offered in higher education institutions to increase access to counselling and psychological services as well as widening participation for students. Research into the field is growing and indicates that the use of online videoconferencing technology in counselling is effective and non-inferior to in-person or face-to-face counselling. The present naturalistic study explored the client feedback, global assessment of functioning and academic progression data for students (n=67) of a London-based higher education institution who received OVC (via Skype video call). These results were compared with those students (n=237) who received in-person counselling. Results indicate non-inferiority in terms of feedback, global assessment of functioning and academic progression. Global assessment of functioning was significantly more improved for the online videoconferencing group compared to the in-person group. Feedback and academic progression was also slightly more positive, though not significantly, for the online videoconferencing group. These results were disseminated in terms of the differences and nuances between online videoconferencing and in-person counselling. These results provide justification for additional research into the therapeutic processes underlying OVC as distinct from in-person counselling. Furthermore, these results lend support for the development of a counselling theoretical model that addresses the unique therapeutic processes that occur during OVC. Additionally, there are implications for undergraduate and postgraduate counselling training programmes to incorporate specific OVC training into their curriculums as well as continuous professional development for those already practicing

Exploring Sensitivity to NMSSM Signatures with Low Missing Transverse Energy at the LHC

We examine scenarios in the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM), where pair-produced squarks and gluinos decay via two cascades, each ending in a stable neutralino as Lightest Supersymmetric Particle (LSP) and a Standard Model (SM)-like Higgs boson, with mass spectra such that the missing transverse energy, $E_{T}^{\text{miss}}$, is very small. Performing two-dimensional parameter scans and focusing on the hadronic $H\rightarrow b\bar{b}$ decay giving a $b\bar{b}b\bar{b} + E_{T}^{\text{miss}}$ final state we explore the sensitivity of a current LHC general-purpose jets+$E_{T}^{\text{miss}}$ analysis to such scenarios.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figures, 6 table