School of Political Science & Sociology (Reports)

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  • Publication
    Galway’s Local Authority Climate Action Plan: Research on the Galway City Council’s Local Authority Climate Action Plan (LACAP) and the city’s performance in terms of nature, water, and sustainable transport
    (The Social Sciences Research Centre, University of Galway, 2024-11-18) Stursberg, Meret; Cyrkel, Natalie; McDonnell, Rebecca; Hynes, Mike
    Galway City Council has made considerable efforts in climate protection over the past few years. In 2023, the minister required local authorities to create a local authority climate action plan as part of the path outlined in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill (2021) to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. A closer look at the Local Authority Climate Action Plan (2024-2029) for Galway reveals working with stakeholders, designing programmes and projects to help achieve goals, and providing opportunities to involve the public to be integral to the creation of the plan. Some key goals are to be an environmentally sustainable, carbon neutral, and biodiverse city by 2050. The Galway City Council’s Climate Action Plan and Climate Action Strategy will work mutually to implement climate protection measures. The establishment of Sustainable Energy Communities (SECs), the Climate Adaptation Strategy (2019-2024), and general work to protect sand dunes, increase flood protection, and reduce air pollution are some examples of steps to be taken by the City Council. Other goals set by Galway City Council include improving energy efficiency by 50% and reducing greenhouse gases by 51% by 2030. In research conducted at various locations in Galway City centre, people were asked about their knowledge of the council’s Climate Action Plan, active travel initiatives, and the city’s performance in terms of protection of the environment and climate action in an eleven-question survey. One hundred and forty full and eight partially completed questionnaires were collected (n=148), with the vast majority of participants living in the city.
  • Publication
    Tusla – Child and Family Agency parenting support and parental participation research report
    (UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, University of Galway, 2018) Devaney, Carmel; Crosse, Rosemary; O'Connor, Patricia; Jackson, Rebecca
    This research has been conducted by the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (UCFRC) at NUIG at the request of Tusla - Child and Family Agency to support the development of a new Parenting Support Strategy. This research builds on previous studies conducted by the UCFRC on parenting support and parental participation. Tusla’s commitment to supporting parents and families is emphasized in the agency’s Corporate Plan (2021–2023); ‘Families & communities are empowered and strengthened to keep children safe and nurtured, recognising a child’s right to protection, stability and the support of a family and community network’. Action 1.6.4 of Tusla’s Business Plan (2019) called for a review and republication of the Parenting Support Strategy. This research study will directly inform this Strategy and Tusla’s parenting support work.
  • Publication
    Methodology and position paper for a review study on the conceptualisation and delivery of family support in Europe
    (EurofamNet, 2019) Churchill, Harriet; Devaney, Carmel; Abela, Angela; Sandbæk, Mona; Putnina, Aivita; Baydar, Nazli; European Cooperation in Science and Technology
    The European Family Support Network (EurofamNet https://eurofamnet.eu/home) is a panEuropean network promoting collaboration between researchers, practitioners, policy agencies and service user organisations. Its aims to promote children’s rights, family welfare and social equality through developments and innovations in family support research, policy and practice. EurofamNet is international, multi-disciplinary and inter-sectoral with over 100 members representing over 30 countries. Launched in 2019, EurofamNet will undertake a four-year programme of activities funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) program (COST Action no.18123). The EurofamNet COST action will: 1. Develop an innovative conceptual framework for family support research, policy and practice. 2. Develop evidence-based resources for family support policy and practice. 3. Develop professional skills and training frameworks for family support services and practice. 4. Adopt a multidisciplinary approach underpinned by commitments to children’s rights, social welfare and methodological diversity. 5. Promote wide involvement and dissemination across all stakeholders – including young people and families themselves - to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of family support. This ‘Methodology and Position Paper’ has been produced in the first year of this programme of activities. It has been produced by Working Group 2 to inform its Year 1 (April 2019-April 2020) deliverable for EurofamNet which is to undertake ‘a scoping study of the conceptualisation and delivery of family support in Europe’. Given the diversity and complexity of ‘family support’ in theory and in practice within and across European countries, Part 1 of the paper provides some starting points for the conceptualisation of family support in broad terms. It also highlights the centrality of children’s rights and family welfare perspectives to the aims and objectives of EurofamNet. Part 2 sets out the aims, approach and design of the scoping study.
  • Publication
    A rapid review of the benefits and outcomes of universal youth work
    (UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, University of Galway, 2022-03) Brady, Bernadine; Silke, Charlotte; Shaw, Aileen
    [No abstract available]
  • Publication
    NVR Ireland parent handbook
    (Parentline and NVR Ireland, 2021) Butler, Donna; Connolly, Madeleine; Coogan, Declan; Dahms, Ilse; Fox, Rosemary; Kelly, Tara; Lauster, Eileen; Magee, Mella; Perry, Glenn; Declan Coogan
    We provide this handbook as a type of reference guide and memory aid for parents/ carers as they work through Non Violent Resistance with a trained NVR practitioner. Over the course of NVR sessions, the NVR practitioner (later joined by the NVR Support Network) supports parents in a similar position to yours to take a different position in relation to the child. We identify different skills to de-escalate difficult situations. Working through NVR with the trained practitioner, parents/ carers begin to identify how conflict situations can quickly get out of hand and to learn new ways to address what can be very difficult discussions with their children.
  • Publication
    Empathy, social values and civic behaviour among early adolescents in Ireland: Scientific report
    (UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway, 2019) Silke, Charlotte; Boylan, Ciara; Brady, Bernadine; Dolan, Pat; Irish Research Council; Galway University Foundation
    At an international level, there is evidence that empathy values, social concern, and civic engagement are declining among younger generations as a consequence of the increasing individualisation of society over recent decades (Hylton, 2018; Gudjohnsen, 2016; Putnam, 2016; Levine & Liu, 2015; Kidd, 2013). Given the importance of empathy and related social values to social cohesion and democracy, it can be argued that it is of societal importance that values of empathy and care towards others be given due attention in research and policy. To date, however, there has been little research conducted on this topic among youth in Ireland. This study aims to generate empirical evidence regarding the values and experiences of youth in Ireland towards a range of issues which reflect a sense of social responsibility towards others, including an analysis of factors that influence the development of social values and empathy. It also aims to review the degree to which national policy and curriculum supports the promotion of such values.
  • Publication
    Empathy, social values and civic behaviour among early adolescents in Ireland: Composite report
    (UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway, 2019) Slike, Charlotte; Boylan, Ciara; Brady, Bernadine; Dolan, Pat
    This new century is indeed one of pressing global issues, from climate change to large-scale migration and displacement – issues that challenge us to exercise our capacity for empathy, to feel for the plight of those we have never met as we do for those with whom we share a city or a country. (Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland, 2016)1 Although there are many definitions available in the literature, empathy is typically understood as a person’s ability to feel and understand the emotions and feelings of others. Empathy is widely seen as the foundation for broader societal attitudes and behaviours, such as social responsibility and prosocial or civic behaviour. Research has shown that empathy and related ‘other-oriented’ values and behaviours are associated with a wide range of positive outcomes in the areas of personal development, interpersonal relationships, and societal well-being. As highlighted in the quote by Michael D. Higgins above, we are living in an era of great social change, where people’s capacity for empathy remains critical but can be challenged by a range of forces or influences. The emergence of populist politics which have cultivated divisions between groups in society could be seen as a challenge to empathic and civic values. Concerns have been expressed that the increasing individualisation of society over recent decades is leading to declining levels of empathy, social concern, and civic engagement among younger generations. The accelerated advancement of information and communication technology has raised questions as to whether increased online activity among young people will reduce their capacity to empathise with others and change perceptions of what constitutes acceptable behaviour. Others have disputed claims that the current generation is less empathetic than their predecessors, arguing that young people’s civic behaviour is different from previous generations and that technology and social media have facilitated greater social understanding between people. Given the importance of empathy and related social values to social cohesion and democracy, it can be argued that it is of societal importance that values of empathy and care towards others be given due attention in research and policy. In particular, because the empathic or civic processes that individuals experience in childhood and youth have been found to influence their social values and civic behaviour into adulthood, it is important to explore these issues as they pertain to young people. To date, however, there has been little research conducted on this topic among youth in Ireland. This study aims to generate empirical evidence regarding the values and experiences of youth in Ireland towards a range of issues which reflect a sense of social responsibility towards others, including an analysis of factors that influence the development of social values and empathy. It also aims to review the degree to which national policy and curriculum supports the promotion of such values.
  • Publication
    Economic and social costs of violence against women in South Sudan: Technical report
    (NUI Galway, 2019-03) Elmusharaf, Khalifa; Scriver, Stacey; Chadha, Mrinal; Ballantine, Carol; Sabir, Muhammad; Raghavendra, Srinivas; Duvvury, Nata; Kennedy, John; Grant-Vest, Sara; Edopu, Peter
    Introduction Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is widely recognised as a violation of human rights and a challenge to public health. Further, VAWG is an under-examined, but crucial component of the overall crisis in South Sudan. VAWG has economic and social costs that have not been adequately recognised either in South Sudan or internationally. These costs not only impact individual women and their families but also ripple through society and the economy at large. The impacts of VAWG on economic development has not been adequately investigated, analysed or quantified in South Sudan. In recognition of the dearth of knowledge of these impacts and costs, particularly in fragile and developing contexts, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) funded this research to investigate the social and economic costs of VAWG in Ghana, Pakistan and South Sudan (2014– 2019), as part of its wider What Works to Prevent Violence research and innovation programme. A consortium, led by the National University of Ireland, Galway, with Ipsos MORI and in collaboration with Dr. Khalifa Elmusharaf from the University of Limerick, conducted the research to estimate the economic losses caused by VAWG as well as the non-economic costs of violence on the economic growth, development and social stability of South Sudan. A National Advisory Board, composed of stakeholders and policy-makers in South Sudan, provided important inputs to the research, ensuring the relevance of the findings to the context. Methods This study used a quantitative approach including surveys of individual women, households, and businesses. 1,996 women were surveyed in Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Warrap, Western Bahr-El-Ghazel and Western Equatoria; and employees and managers from 99 businesses in Juba and Yei completed surveys. The fieldwork was not attempted in protection of civilian camps or in areas where active conflict was ongoing due to concerns for the safety of interviewers. Additionally, the survey did not collect data on women’s experiences of conflict and how conflict was/is driving VAWG. Statistical analysis was undertaken to explore the broader ramifications of the costs of violence. Given the differences in economy between areas experiencing direct conflict and the areas we surveyed, estimates of the impacts of VAWG to the economy have been scaled to reflect only the areas surveyed. Assumptions and limitations A key assumption in the study is that any type of violence (economic, psychological, physical or sexual) has negative impacts for women experiencing such behaviours. We have therefore explored the economic impacts of any behaviour of violence across the different locations where women experience violence, including the home, the workplace, educational institutions and public spaces. Recognising the reluctance of women to disclose incidents of violence, we have to assume that prevalence is far higher than most studies can estimate. Where the number of women reporting violence is underestimated, then the costs of violence will be even more so. An important limitation of the study is that areas in active conflict were not included in this study. Thus, given the conflict situation in South Sudan, the survey covers only 38% of women aged 18–60 in South Sudan in 2016. Moreover, given the potential for significant differences in economic activity and social structure due to current conflict, it is not possible to extrapolate the findings of this study to the country as a whole. Hence, the estimates of this study provide an insight into the potential economic impact of violence experienced by women and girls for the broader economy with respect to the 38% population coverage. Furthermore, the costs estimated in this study are not comprehensive given the narrow focus on tangible costs. Estimates presented in this report must therefore be seen as an indication of the impact of VAWG and not a full accounting. Nevertheless, the contribution of knowledge from this project on the social and economic costs of violence, though incomplete, is an essential first step in making the economic case for investment in activities to prevent, reduce or eliminate VAWG.
  • Publication
    Economic and social costs of violence against women in Ghana: Technical report
    (NUI Galway, 2019-04) Asante, Felix; Fenny, Ama; Dzudzor, Makafui; Chadha, Mrinal; Scriver, Stacey; Ballantine, Carol; Raghavendra, Srinivas; Sabir, Muhammad; Duvvury, Nata; Alverado, Gina; O’Brien-Milne, Lila; Mueller, Jennifer; Grant-Vest, Sara; Kennedy, John; Mensah, William; Department for International Development, UK Government
    Socio-economic costs of violence against women and girls in Ghana Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread human rights violations. VAWG is a significant social, economic and public health problem. Globally, 35% of women have experienced physical/sexual IPV or non-partner sexual violence in their lives. We know that this violence has implications for women’s health and wellbeing; however, we have less understanding about the impacts of VAWG on communities, businesses, and the national economy. While it has been estimated that violence against women and girls costs the global economy about US$8t, there are few studies, particularly of developing countries, that outline the national-level economic costs of such violence. Similarly, few studies explicitly analyse the social costs of VAWG. In recognition of the dearth of knowledge on these impacts and costs, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) funded research to investigate the social and economic costs of VAWG in Ghana, Pakistan and South Sudan (2014–19), as part of its wider What Works to Prevent Violence research and innovation programme. A consortium, led by the National University of Ireland, Galway, with Ipsos MORI and the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) and working in collaboration with the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana, undertook a mixed-methods study to estimate the economic losses caused by VAWG as well as the non-economic costs of violence that impact on economic growth, development and social stability in Ghana. A National Advisory Board, composed of stakeholders and policy-makers, also provided input to the research, ensuring the relevance of the findings to the Ghanaian context. Methods This study used a mixed method approach including both quantitative surveys of individual women, households and businesses, and qualitative inquiry methods including key informant interviews, participatory focus groups, and individual in-depth interviews. An overall sample of 2002 women was drawn from 84 primary sampling units across the main ten regions of Ghana. In addition, 805 employees and 27 managers were surveyed in businesses in Accra and Kumasi. In order to estimate economic costs, statistical analysis was performed to ascertain direct costs (out of pocket expenditures due to VAW) and indirect costs (productivity loss due to absenteeism, presenteeism and tardiness). Thematic analysis of qualitative data added depth and context to the findings. Assumptions and Limitations An important assumption in the study is that any type of violence (economic, psychological, physical or sexual) has negative impacts for women experiencing such behaviours. We have therefore explored the economic impacts of any behaviour of violence across the different locations that women experience violence. The study has several limitations that need to be acknowledged. First, the costs estimated in this study are not comprehensive given the narrow focus on tangible costs. Thus the estimates provide only a partial estimate of the costs that are incurred by individuals, households, communities and the overall economy. Second, to extrapolate national costs, we assumed that the unit costs derived from the women’s survey are representative of costs in regions not covered in this study. Third, national estimates extrapolated from sample data can result in overestimates or underestimates depending on the representativeness of the sample as well as cell size for variables of interest. Estimates presented in this report must therefore be seen as an indication of the impact of VAWG and not a full accounting. Nevertheless, the contribution of knowledge from this project on the social and economic costs of violence, though incomplete, is an essential first step in making the economic case for investment in activities to prevent, reduce or eliminate VAWG.
  • Publication
    Economic and social costs of violence against women in Pakistan: Technical report
    (NUI Galway, 2019-04) Ghaus, Khalida; Ali, Adeel; Anis, Rafea; Areeb, Tabinda; Sabir, Muhammad; Chadha, Mrinal; Ballantine, Carol; Scriver, Stacey; Raghavendra, Srinivas; Duvvury, Nata; Grant-Vest, Sara; Kennedy, John; Ahmed, Aftab; Akhtar, Naveed; Alvarado, Gina; O’Brien-Milne, Lila; Mueller, Jennifer; Department for International Development, UK Government
    Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is widely recognised as a violation of human rights and a challenge to public health. VAWG also has economic and social costs that have not been adequately recognised. These costs not only impact individual women and their families but ripple through society and the economy at large. The threat VAWG poses to the social fabric of the country and its impacts on economic development have not been adequately investigated, analysed or quantified in Pakistan. The Department of International Development (UK) funded a five year (2014-2019) research project to examine the costs of VAWG in South Sudan, Ghana and Pakistan. The research in Pakistan was led by researchers at the National University of Ireland Galway in collaboration with Ipsos Mori (UK/ Pakistan), the International Centre for Research on Women (Washington D.C.), and the Social Policy and Development Centre (Pakistan). A National Advisory Committee composed of stakeholders and policy makers within Pakistan also inputted into the project. The research explores the tangible and intangible costs of violence to individuals, families, communities and businesses in Pakistan. It further estimates costs of VAWG at the national level. Although such estimates cannot account for the totality of costs of violence, many of which occur over generations or which have ripple effects that the methods used here cannot capture, the study demonstrates significant impacts from VAWG in Pakistan, and makes the economic case for investment by government and donors in the prevention of VAWG. Methodology To ascertain the costs of VAWG in Pakistan, this study used a mixed method approach including both quantitative surveys of individual women, households and businesses, and qualitative inquiry methods including key informant interviews, participatory focus groups and individual in-depth interviews. An overall sample of 2998 women was drawn from across the main provinces of Punjab, Sind, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad Capital Territory. 532 employees and 25 managers across 100 businesses in Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad took part in business surveys. In addition, over 100 individuals took part in qualitative interviews and Focus Group Discussions in the agricultural district of Sargodha and the city of Islamabad. A range of analysis methods were used including thematic content analysis, econometrics, and statistical analysis to generate findings and produce estimates of the costs of VAWG. Assumptions and Limitations An important assumption in the study is that any type of violence (economic, psychological, physical or sexual) has negative impacts for women experiencing such behaviours. The analysis thus explores the economic impacts of any behaviour of violence across the different locations that women experience violence. The study also has several limitations that need to be acknowledged. First, there is a strong possibility of significant underreporting by women respondents about their experiences of violence, given the stigma surrounding such issues in Pakistan. Second, the costs estimated in this study are not comprehensive given the narrow focus on tangible costs. Third, national estimates extrapolated from sample data can result in overestimates or underestimates depending on the representativeness of the sample as well as cell size for variables of interest. Thus, given these limitations, the estimates provide only an indication of the significance of the costs that are incurred due to VAWG in Pakistan. Nevertheless, the contribution of knowledge from this project on the social and economic costs of violence, though incomplete, is an essential first step in making the economic case for investment in activities to prevent, reduce or eliminate VAWG.
  • Publication
    Engaging urban youth: community, citizenship and democracy
    (UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, 2018) Chaskin, Robert J.; McGregor, Caroline; Brady, Bernadine; Horizon 2020; H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
    It is well known that disadvantaged youth in urban environments often experience marginalisation and disenfranchisement that can lead to serious consequences for them, their families, and the wider society. Such disenfranchisement is reinforced by negative media portrayals and punitive policies that treat certain urban youth as threats to be controlled rather than as young people with the agency and potential to contribute effectively to society. At the same time, it is also well known that successfully engaging young men and women in the institutions, communities, and contexts in which they live and building their capacity as social actors can be a critical factor in their positive development as individuals, enhance their future role as citizens, and promote their current positive contribution to these same contexts and institutions (Flanagan, 2015; Sherrod, Torney-Purta, and Flanagan, 2010; Yates and Youniss, 1999; McLaughlin, Irby, and Langman, 1994). Concerns about the extent to which young people – especially young people at the margins – are increasingly disengaged from civic and political life have been prominent in contemporary discourse and are an increasingly common impetus for youth policy. At the supranational level, a number of youth-oriented policy frameworks developed by UN agencies and at the European Union, in particular, have identified youth civic and political engagement as important goals in themselves and have promoted youth engagement as a contributing factor to both youth development and broader societal change (Chaskin, McGregor, and Brady, 2018). There has been a similar focus at the national level in some states, particularly in Europe, including the Republic of Ireland, Britain, and Northern Ireland (ibid.). Effectively engaging disadvantaged urban youth, however, can be difficult, and the factors that contribute to these challenges are complex and multilayered. Indeed, there is still relatively little known empirically about the specific contexts, strategies, and mechanisms through which disadvantaged urban youth can be most effectively engaged and the potential effects such engagement can have on youth development, social change, and long-term citizen engagement. We also know little about how such interventions can best be delivered, taking into account the diverse social, economic, and political circumstances in which such young men and women reside, particularly in the context of rapidly changing urban contexts. This is particularly true with regard to the engagement of young people as citizens – both civic and political actors with autonomy and responsibility for contributing to the common good. And we know little about how well the arguments and interventions proposed and supported by policy frameworks at the national and supranational level are reflected in and advanced by practice on the ground; how policyfocused professionals, civil society leaders, and front-line practitioners perceive the purpose of youth engagement, frame the challenges they face, and respond to them; or how young people themselves interpret their place in the world and the opportunities, barriers, and potential responses to constraints on their civic and political engagement.
  • Publication
    ‘Hoping for a better tomorrow’: a process study evaluation of the Greater Tomorrow Crèche and Ballyhaunis Community Preschool Services, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, Summary Report
    (UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway, 2016-06) Moran, Lisa; Garrity, Sheila; McGregor, Caroline; Devaney, Carmel
    This report presents the results of a qualitative, process study evaluation of the Ballyhaunis Community Preschool and ‘Greater Tomorrow’ crèche services, conducted by the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (UCFRC), NUI, Galway in 2015. Currently, the community preschool and the crèche facility are located in the grounds of St Mary’s Abbey and the Old Convent grounds respectively, close to Ballyhaunis town centre, Co. Mayo. Together, both services provide childcare spaces for approximately 60 children, employing seven staff in total. In both services, all staff members are qualified to NFQ Level 5 standards or higher. One senior staff member in the crèche is trained to NFQ Level 7, and the manager of both the crèche and preschool services is completing an NFQ Level 8 degree programme in Early Childhood Studies and Practice at NUI, Galway. The Greater Tomorrow crèche caters for children aged between 18 months and 3 years and operates a 4-day service from Monday to Thursday. The preschool caters to children aged 39 months or older and operates a 5-day service per week (Monday to Friday). Both the crèche and preschool services implement aspects of the ‘HighScope’ curriculum, which emphasises active and participatory approaches to learning and teaching.
  • Publication
    Lone parents and activation, what works and why: a review of the international evidence in the Irish context
    (UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway, 2016-09) Millar, Michelle; Crosse, Rosemary; |~|6201984|~|
    This research sought to discover those policies, programmes and practices which enable lone parents to engage in employment which will lead to adequate living standards and improved well-being for them and their children. This evidence is grounded in its application to the Irish context, by giving due consideration to the profile of Irish lone parents and the barriers to paid employment experienced by them as well as the relevance and applicability of such approaches to the Irish policy landscape.
  • Publication
    Review of the Children First Basic Level Training and Keeping Safe Training programmes
    (UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway, 2014-04) Reddy, John; Devaney, Carmel; McGregor, Caroline
    TUSLA, the Child and Family Agency (the Agency) is1 committed to ensuring the child protection and welfare training provided is designed and delivered in a responsive and effective manner to all who receive it. Two standardised training programmes are currently provided by the Agency personnel: Children First Basic Level Training is delivered to all Agency and Health Service Executive staff by Workforce Development Training Officers; and Keeping Safe also basic level training, is delivered externally by Children First Information and Advice Officers to those working with children and families in voluntary and community services. The Children First Basic Level Training programme that is delivered to Agency Staff2 was introduced by the workforce development team in September 2011 in response to the issuing of the Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (Department of Children and Youth Affairs, 2011). This basic level training programme was developed as a standardised programme prior to this there were different programmes and approaches nationally. Therefore, since 2011 there have been two standardised Children First Basic Level programmes provided by the [then] HSE and the Child and Family Agency, one for internal staff and one for external voluntary and community services staff. A review of these training programmes was commissioned in 2012 to provide the necessary information for the Agency to make an informed decision on the type and amount of child protection and welfare training each course should contain to ensure the training was meeting the needs of the target groups.
  • Publication
    Practitioner guide to literature review: permanence and stability for children in care
    (UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, The National University of Ireland, Galway, 2016-06) Moran, Lisa; McGregor, Caroline; Devaney, Carmel; |~|
    The purpose of this guide is to provide key messages from the main literature review for practitioners who wish to use the literature for report writing, court, case conferences and similar work processes. This guide is written in recognition of the challenge for practitioners to find time to read full reviews for each report that must be written, and also in recognition that literature reviews written in traditional academic style, as ours is, are highly valuable in some ways but limited in others. The main benefit of the full review is that it provides a comprehensive scoping review of literature relating to outcomes for permanence and stability for children in care. The limit is that without some useful guide, the document may be too cumbersome for use in some busy work contexts. Each section of this review includes tips for using the literature offers further guidance to practitioners on how you can apply it to your own work contexts. Research is continually changing and updating, and we encourage you to think about practical ways that you can keep abreast of studies on children in care that are continually emerging.
  • Publication
    ‘Hoping for a better tomorrow’: a process study evaluation of the Greater Tomorrow Crèche and Ballyhaunis Community Preschool Services, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, Full Report
    (UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway, 2016-06) Moran, Lisa; Garrity, Sheila; McGregor, Caroline; Devaney, Carmel
    This report presents the results of a qualitative, process study evaluation of the Ballyhaunis Community Preschool and ‘Greater Tomorrow’ crèche services, conducted by the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (UCFRC), NUI, Galway in 2015. Currently, the community preschool and the crèche facility are located in the grounds of St Mary’s Abbey and the Old Convent grounds respectively, close to Ballyhaunis town centre, Co. Mayo. Together, both services provide childcare spaces for approximately 60 children, employing seven staff in total. In both services, all staff members are qualified to NFQ Level 5 standards or higher. One senior staff member in the crèche is trained to NFQ Level 7, and the manager of both the crèche and preschool services is completing an NFQ Level 8 degree programme in Early Childhood Studies and Practice at NUI, Galway. The Greater Tomorrow crèche caters for children aged between 18 months and 3 years and operates a 4-day service from Monday to Thursday. The preschool caters to children aged 39 months or older and operates a 5-day service per week (Monday to Friday). Both the crèche and preschool services implement aspects of the ‘HighScope’ curriculum, which emphasises active and participatory approaches to learning and teaching.
  • Publication
    Scoping review of international and Irish literature on outcomes for permanence and stability for children in care
    (UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, National University of Ireland, Galway, 2016) Moran, Lisa; Devaney, Carmel; McGregor, Caroline; Reddy, John; |~|
    This document aims to inform evidence-based practice in outcomes for children in care by synthesising and critically analysing Irish and international research literature. In particular, it aims to offer practitioners a resource to use in reports such as those required for court or case conferences to back up their recommendations and arguments relating to permanence and stability. Specifically, this review identifies and examines quantitative and qualitative evidence of indicators for stability and permanence outcomes for children in care, assessing the impact of socio-demographic factors such as age at entry to care and a range of socio-economic indicators on the achievement of permanence objectives.
  • Publication
    ConsEnSus: consumption, environment and sustainability
    (EPA Ireland, 2015) Davies, Anna R.; Fahy, Frances; Rau, Henrike; Devaney, Laura; Doyle, Ruth; Heisserer, Barabara; Hynes, Michael; Lavelle, Mary Jo; Pape, Jessica; |~|1267871|~|
    Sustainable consumption is generally conceived as the use of goods and services that respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life, while minimising the use of natural resources, toxic materials, and emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle, so as not to jeopardise the needs of future generations. It is recognised internationally that achieving sustainable consumption represents a major challenge for public authorities (at all levels), businesses and consumers as it requires economic and social as well as environmental sustainability. In particular, patterns of household consumption are recognised as contributing significantly to global unsustainability yet understanding of that consumption is under-developed in many sectors. In response, the CONSENSUS research project conducted foundational and exploratory research to establish the parameters of debates and actions within the field internationally and across Ireland. The first phase reviewed existing policy, international good practice and tools for governing sustainable consumption. It was found that Ireland faces a number of key challenges in terms of good governance of sustainable consumption. These include the lack of a coherent policy framework for sustainable consumption; split responsibility for sustainable consumption across government departments; weakly developed consumer policy; and underdeveloped multistakeholder collaboration in sustainable consumption discussions. Recommendations include: the formulation of interventions for sustainable lifestyles from a consumer perspective; more attention to the particularities of the political-institutional context that influences an area of consumption; awareness-raising among consumers of the material consequences of consumption; the combining of regulatory instruments; and the development of tailor-made policy strategies to address the challenge of sustainable consumption.
  • Publication
    The Opportunity of Equality
    (Roscommon Women's Network, 2014) Byrne, Anne; Roscommon Women's Network; |~|
    The Opportunity of Equality , forward to WINDOW project report,  (Women Initiating Development Opportunities for Women), Roscommon Women s Network, April 2014 
  • Publication
    Strategies of Resilience: co-operation in Irish Farming
    (Teagasc, 2014) Macken-Walsh, Áine; Byrne, Anne; |~|
    Ireland's family farming heritage holds crucial elements of rural sustainability - established networks of social support; cultural traditions resourcing ethno-industries such as tourism and craft; and localised human-ecological knowledge important for environmental custodianship. The 'small, not multinational' symbolic value of family farming is strategically used to authenticate the 'brand-centred, consumer focused' marketing 'story' of Irish food and drink internationally (Food Harvest 2020), as well as other rural products and services. Family farming is an institution that is particularly enduring in the Irish countryside and this article presents insights from recent Teagasc sociology research on the resilience strategies of family farms. What are the characteristics of these strategies, which have achieved extraordinary resilience throughout periods of intense change and challenge? A fundamental component of Ireland's agri-food industry, there is a clear argument for paying closer attention to the adaptive strategies of family farmers, and for policy and extension to engage with and develop these strategies in furthering the sustainability of Irish agriculture. A range of sociology projects led by Teagasc, including projects on collaborative ventures, gender specific issues in agriculture, and farmers' technology and business decision-making, all shed light on the make-up of family farm resilience strategies.