Consumer participation in designing community based consumer-directed disability care : lessons from a participatory action research-inspired project

User participation has been embraced worldwide as a means to provide better consumer outcomes in health and community care. However, methodologies to achieve effective consumer engagement at the programme design level have remained under-explored. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a Participatory Action Research (PAR)-inspired methodology used to develop a consumer-directed community care/individualised funding service model for people with disabilities. A retrospective analysis of case notes and internal reports for the first 6 years of an ongoing project were examined. The findings suggest that PAR methodologies need to take into account community development, group support, and capacity building as well as succession planning and risk management issues in order to facilitate the often lengthy policy and project development process. Drawing on these findings, this article discusses five lessons and their methodological implications for PAR in a health or social policy/programme design context.

Ghosts in the machine : student participation and grade attainment in a web-assisted social work course

For many social work educators, the debate about whether social work education should be delivered using online technology has, as a result of institutional imperatives, moved on to how best this can be done. In this article, the process of designing and delivering part of a social work course using asynchronous online discussion is described and reflected upon. Student participation in the online environment is also compared with final course grades and the findings discussed in relation to existing literature. Recommendations for the future delivery of social work courses using online technology emerging from this discussion are offered.

The influence of various aspects of enjoyment on participation in leisure time physical activity

This study examines the direct and indirect influence of various aspects of enjoyment, including activity enjoyment, enjoyment conceptualised as physical/environmental, and enjoyment conceptualised as social interaction, on regular participation in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). The study was cross-sectional and used self-report questionnaires to collect data from a random sample of 250 people aged 19-87 years living in an Australian city. Questionnaires included demographic items and scales to measure enjoyment of LTPA, prioritisation of LTPA and regularity of participation in LTPA. The findings suggest that the influence of enjoyment on participation in LTPA is complex. Aspects of enjoyment have varying levels of influence on participation in LTPA and this influence is indirect through preference for LTPA, life priority of LTPA and making time for LTPA. Policies, programs and strategies by government and practitioners that aim to increase participation in LTPA should primarily aim to enhance activity enjoyment, rather than focusing on other aspects of participation. Theoretically, this study suggests that enjoyment is a multidimensional concept and that enjoyment is a part of a larger decision-making process influencing participation in LTPA.

Understanding participation in sport and physical activity amongst children and adults : A systematic review of qualitative studies

Qualitative research may be able to provide an answer as to why adults and children do or do not participate in sport and physical activity. This paper systematically examines published and unpublished qualitative research studies of UK children's and adults' reasons for participation and non-participation in sport and physical activity. The review covers peer reviewed and gray literature from 1990 to 2004. Papers were entered into review if they: aimed to explore the participants' experiences of sport and physical activity and reasons for participation or non-participation in sport and physical activity, collected information on participants who lived in the United Kingdom and presented data collected using qualitative methods. From >1200 papers identified in the initial search, 24 papers met all inclusion criteria. The majority of these reported research with young people based in community settings. Weight management, social interaction and enjoyment were common reasons for participation in sport and physical activity. Concerns about maintaining a slim body shape motivated participation among young girls. Older people identified the importance of sport and physical activity in staving off the effects of aging and providing a social support network. Challenges to identity such as having to show others an unfit body, lacking confidence and competence in core skills or appearing overly masculine were barriers to participation.

Life-change events and participation in physical activity : a systematic review

Physical inactivity and related diseases are of global public health concern. In many developing countries, levels of health promoting physical activity (PA) are falling despite government initiatives. Previous work has identified that periods of transition across a life course, or ‘life-change events’ have implications for drop out from PA. As yet, there has been little work to understand the life course as a whole and to furnish a complete list of possible life changes that might affect participation in PA. Our paper presents a review of the published literature in which life events have been studied in relation to their effect on participation in PA. A literature search was conducted for papers published between 1977 and April 2007 and referenced in Pubmed. Papers were reviewed if they; reported the effect of a life-change event; had PA as an outcome; reported results in English; and reported results from observational studies. The references for studies identified during this first phase were searched for further papers. Eighty-seven papers were identified as potentially relevant on the basis of title, of which 19 papers met the inclusion criteria on the basis of full text. Five life changes were identified; change in employment status; change in residence; change in physical status; change in relationships; and change in family structure. It was noted that few longitudinal studies examined PA both before and after a life event. A list of possible life events which might effect participation in PA is presented. This paper represents a first step towards a detailed programme of work on life-change events and PA.

Responsible entrepreneurship in developing countries : understanding the realities and complexities

Developing countries have recently experienced a burgeoning of small-scale individual entrepreneurs (SIEs) – who range from petty traders to personal service workers like small street vendors, barbers and owners of small shops – as a result of market-based reforms, rapid urbanisation, unemployment, landlessness and poverty. While SIEs form a major part of the informal workforce in developing countries and contribute significantly to economic growth, their potential is being undermined when they engage in irresponsible and deceptive business practices such as overpricing, sale of underweight or substandard products, or attempts to hoard goods, to name a few. Despite the growing interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of small businesses in developing countries, the SIEs have received almost no attention. To address this void in the literature, we explore the reasons for the less than optimal level of social responsibility demonstrated by some SIEs in developing countries. We do so by drawing upon the existing literature to develop a comprehensive framework of social responsibility of SIEs highlighting their unique characteristics and the different contextual factors that they encounter in developing countries. Based on this framework, we then present a set of propositions specifying the influence of these contextual factors such as business environment, cultural traditions, socio-economic conditions, and both international and domestic pressures on the business practices of SIEs. The framework offers an explanation for the lack of responsible entrepreneurship of SIEs and has important implications for promoting sustainable business practices in developing countries where businesses are striving hard to survive and compete.

Contractual thinking and responsible government in China: A constructivist framework for analysis*

Responsible government is often seen as contingent on democracy. Yet despite China's continued lack of notable progress in democratization, recent years have witnessed some limited moves towards responsible governance. In the absence of free elections and other institutional arrangements, how can an authoritarian regime become responsible? This paper turns to the role of ideas and culture in general and contractual thinking in particular for an explanation. Contractual thinking, defined as a particular kind of intersubjective understanding between the government and citizens with regard to their mutual interests, is present in both China's contemporary official discourse on "responsible government" and traditional Chinese culture. Taking a constructivist approach, the paper focuses on two interrelated aspects of the role of contractual thinking in the construction of responsible government. First, it examines how contractual thinking, by helping redefine the identity and interest of the government in line with citizens' loyalty, could allow more responsible government behaviour. It then illustrates that in the case of government irresponsibility, contractual thinking sets the discursive context for rightful resistance from citizens as well as for a more sympathetic reading of such resistance by the government, both of which, the paper argues, could facilitate the development of responsible governance.

Providing sporting experiences for children in Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) environments : sport and physical activity participation and intentions

The Out of School Hours Sports Program (OSHSP) aimed to provide structured sporting experiences and community links to local clubs for children in Out of School Hours Care (OSHC). The OSHSP involved 17 State Sporting Associations (SSAs), 71 OSHC Services and local club representatives. This study explored children's participation in sport in and outside the OSHSP and parental intention for participation in sport in and outside the OSHSP. Surveys were received from 211 children (76 girls and 125 boys; mean age = 7.9 years, S.D. = 1.7) and their parents/guardians (37.9% response rate). OSHC is characterised by freedom of choice of participation in activities by children. The OSHSP was used to provide an opportunity to choose to participate in a sport while attending OSHC. At the OSHC Services surveyed, between 7.1 and 100% of the children attending OSHC chose to participate in the OSHSP. Of those children who chose to participate, 85% were participating in a sport, usually a different sport to the one offered in the OSHSP. This participation was largely club-based (49.8%), most often once a week for training and competition (55.2%). Parental intentions for children's participation in the OSHSP sports varied with respect to the number of years attending the OSHSP, where children played and trained in their main sport, and how many times a week a child played and trained in their main sport. Older children tended to play and train for sport more times per week and had been attending the OSHC for more years than younger children.