"Women under the radar": the intersection of migration and domestic violence explored through the framework of "(un)deservingness"

Victims of domestic violence may commonly be constructed as ‘deserving’ of state support, however the intersection of migration and domestic violence complicates such matters, often rendering migrant women with an irregular immigration status as ‘undeserving’. This thesis bridges the gap between literatures on migration and domestic violence by using the framework of ‘(un)deservingness’ to explore the lives of women with an irregular immigration status who experience domestic violence. Interviews were conducted with women with an irregular immigration status, primarily focusing on those who overstay their visas, as well as professionals who provide support to women. Drawing on interview data, the thesis explores the nuanced ways in which the intersection of migration and domestic violence plays out in the lives of women. It considers how abusive partners use the label and political context around having an irregular immigration status in the UK, as a tool to exacerbate the domestic violence. By focusing on lived experiences, the study also draws attention to women’s fears in managing the complexity around holding this immigration status in their daily lives. Moreover, the thesis explores the structural violence and other barriers which this sub-group of migrant women encounter when seeking support, which is often shaped by their social position and the nature of their immigration status, particularly for those who have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). The NRPF label signals that the state construes such women as ‘undeserving’, and this has very real consequences particularly in the context of domestic violence

Citizens’ Juries: When Older Adults Deliberate on the Benefits and Risks of Smart Health and Smart Homes

open access articleBackground: Technology-enabled healthcare or smart health has provided a wealth of products and services to enable older people to monitor and manage their own health conditions at home, thereby maintaining independence, whilst also reducing healthcare costs. However, despite the growing ubiquity of smart health, innovations are often technically driven, and the older user does not often have input into design. The purpose of the current study was to facilitate a debate about the positive and negative perceptions and attitudes towards digital health technologies. Methods: We conducted citizens’ juries to enable a deliberative inquiry into the benefits and risks of smart health technologies and systems. Transcriptions of group discussions were interpreted from a perspective of life-worlds versus systems-worlds. Results: Twenty-three participants of diverse demographics contributed to the debate. Views of older people were felt to be frequently ignored by organisations implementing systems and technologies. Participants demonstrated diverse levels of digital literacy and a range of concerns about misuse of technology. Conclusion: Our interpretation contrasted the life-world of experiences, hopes, and fears with the systems-world of surveillance, e ciencies, and risks. This interpretation o ers new perspectives on involving older people in co-design and governance of smart health and smart homes

"Women under the radar": the intersection of migration and domestic violence explored through the framework of "(un)deservingness"

Victims of domestic violence may commonly be constructed as ‘deserving’ of state support, however the intersection of migration and domestic violence complicates such matters, often rendering migrant women with an irregular immigration status as ‘undeserving’. This thesis bridges the gap between literatures on migration and domestic violence by using the framework of ‘(un)deservingness’ to explore the lives of women with an irregular immigration status who experience domestic violence. Interviews were conducted with women with an irregular immigration status, primarily focusing on those who overstay their visas, as well as professionals who provide support to women. Drawing on interview data, the thesis explores the nuanced ways in which the intersection of migration and domestic violence plays out in the lives of women. It considers how abusive partners use the label and political context around having an irregular immigration status in the UK, as a tool to exacerbate the domestic violence. By focusing on lived experiences, the study also draws attention to women’s fears in managing the complexity around holding this immigration status in their daily lives. Moreover, the thesis explores the structural violence and other barriers which this sub-group of migrant women encounter when seeking support, which is often shaped by their social position and the nature of their immigration status, particularly for those who have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). The NRPF label signals that the state construes such women as ‘undeserving’, and this has very real consequences particularly in the context of domestic violence

“… They don’t really listen to people”: Young people’s concerns and recommendations for improving online experiences

© 2019, Helen Creswick, Liz Dowthwaite, Ansgar Koene, Elvira Perez Vallejos, Virginia Portillo, Monica Cano and Christopher Woodard. Purpose: The voices of children and young people have been largely neglected in discussions of the extent to which the internet takes into account their needs and concerns. This paper aims to highlight young people’s lived experiences of being online. Design/methodology/approach: Results are drawn from the UnBias project’s youth led discussions, “Youth Juries” with young people predominantly aged between 13 and 17 years. Findings: Whilst the young people are able to use their agency online in some circumstances, many often experience feelings of disempowerment and resignation, particularly in relation to the terms and conditions and user agreements that are ubiquitous to digital technologies, social media platforms and other websites. Practical implications: Although changes are afoot as part of the General Data Protection Regulation (herein the GDPR) to simplify the terms and conditions of online platforms (European Union, 2016), it offers little practical guidance on how it should be implemented to children. The voices and opinions of children and young people are put forward as suggestions for how the “clear communication to data subjects” required by Article 12 of the GDPR in particular should be implemented, for example, recommendations about how terms and conditions can be made more accessible. Originality/value: Children and young people are an often overlooked demographic of online users. This paper argues for the importance of this group being involved in any changes that may affect them, by putting forward recommendations from the children and young people themselves

The impact of algorithmic decision-making processes on young people’s well-being

This study aims to capture the online experiences of young people when interacting with algorithm mediated systems and their impact on their well-being. We draw on qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (survey) data from a total of 260 young people to bring their opinions to the forefront while eliciting discussions. The results of the study revealed the young people’s positive as well as negative experiences of using online platforms. Benefits such as convenience, entertainment and personalised search results were identified. However, the data also reveals participants’ concerns for their privacy, safety and trust when online, which can have a significant impact on their well-being. We conclude by recommending that online platforms acknowledge and enact on their responsibility to protect the privacy of their young users, recognising the significant developmental milestones that this group experience during these early years, and the impact that algorithm-mediated systems may have on them. We argue that governments need to incorporate policies that require technologists and others to embed the safeguarding of users’ well-being within the core of the design of Internet products and services to improve the user experiences and psychological well-being of all, but especially those of children and young people