Common wealth through community men's sheds : Lives and learning networks beyond work
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Fifth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning, University of London, London, UK : 13th-17th July 2008
- Full Text:
- Description: This paper explores the recent phenomenon and benefits of community men's sheds in Australia, focusing on the important role sheds and workshop-based practice plays in creating informal learning and friendship networks for men. It is based on recent studies of organizations and contexts in Australia that informally and effectively engage men. Problems are identified with front-end models of vocational training that disregard or undervalue the lifetime of skills and experiences built up by men in previous paid work roles and in adult and community education sectors that tend not to cater for men or diverse masculinities. Insights are provided into ways in which men's skills and experiences can be shared, transferred, valued and celebrated in men's livelihoods beyond paid work, through regular, shared, hands on activity in gendered communities of practice. It particularly explores the untapped potential of open and flexible shed-based practice for men';s vocational retraining, lifelong learning and inter-generational skills transfer. The "open" and inclusive nature of the community shed and what occurs in it and its pedagogical familiarity with men are identified as its key strengths. The paper identifies what it is about the nature of community-based men's sheds that has proven to be increasingly popular, productive and therapeutic in Australia in the past decade. One of my purposes at presenting at this conference is to seek out, identify and learn about different and similar insights from conference participants from other countries that might contribute to an ongoing international study of men's informal learning beyond the workplace. My paper particularly seeks to identify shed and workshop-type settings and organizations in other national and cultural contexts that might play a similar role in the livelihoods of men, families and communities.
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Fifth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning, University of London, London, UK : 13th-17th July 2008
- Full Text:
- Description: This paper explores the recent phenomenon and benefits of community men's sheds in Australia, focusing on the important role sheds and workshop-based practice plays in creating informal learning and friendship networks for men. It is based on recent studies of organizations and contexts in Australia that informally and effectively engage men. Problems are identified with front-end models of vocational training that disregard or undervalue the lifetime of skills and experiences built up by men in previous paid work roles and in adult and community education sectors that tend not to cater for men or diverse masculinities. Insights are provided into ways in which men's skills and experiences can be shared, transferred, valued and celebrated in men's livelihoods beyond paid work, through regular, shared, hands on activity in gendered communities of practice. It particularly explores the untapped potential of open and flexible shed-based practice for men';s vocational retraining, lifelong learning and inter-generational skills transfer. The "open" and inclusive nature of the community shed and what occurs in it and its pedagogical familiarity with men are identified as its key strengths. The paper identifies what it is about the nature of community-based men's sheds that has proven to be increasingly popular, productive and therapeutic in Australia in the past decade. One of my purposes at presenting at this conference is to seek out, identify and learn about different and similar insights from conference participants from other countries that might contribute to an ongoing international study of men's informal learning beyond the workplace. My paper particularly seeks to identify shed and workshop-type settings and organizations in other national and cultural contexts that might play a similar role in the livelihoods of men, families and communities.
A technique for ranking friendship closeness in social networking services
- Sun, Zhaohao, Yearwood, John, Firmin, Sally
- Authors: Sun, Zhaohao , Yearwood, John , Firmin, Sally
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 24th Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS) p. 1-9
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The concept of friend and friendship are critical to both theoretical and empirical studies of social relations, social media and social networks. Measuring the closeness among friends is a big issue for developing online social networking services (SNS) such as Facebook. This paper will address this issue by proposing a technique for ranking friendship closeness in SNS. The technique consists of an algorithm for ranking need-driven friendship closeness and an algorithm for behaviour-based friendship closeness in online social networking sites. The former is based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, while the latter is based on behaviours of users on Facebook and TOPSIS. Examples provided illustrate the viability of the proposed algorithms. The research in this paper shows that ranking friendship closeness will facilitate understanding of needs and behaviours of friends and of friendships in SNS. The proposed approach will facilitate research and development of social media, social commerce, social networks, and SN
- Authors: Sun, Zhaohao , Yearwood, John , Firmin, Sally
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 24th Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS) p. 1-9
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The concept of friend and friendship are critical to both theoretical and empirical studies of social relations, social media and social networks. Measuring the closeness among friends is a big issue for developing online social networking services (SNS) such as Facebook. This paper will address this issue by proposing a technique for ranking friendship closeness in SNS. The technique consists of an algorithm for ranking need-driven friendship closeness and an algorithm for behaviour-based friendship closeness in online social networking sites. The former is based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, while the latter is based on behaviours of users on Facebook and TOPSIS. Examples provided illustrate the viability of the proposed algorithms. The research in this paper shows that ranking friendship closeness will facilitate understanding of needs and behaviours of friends and of friendships in SNS. The proposed approach will facilitate research and development of social media, social commerce, social networks, and SN
Out the back : Men's sheds and informal learning
- Brown, Michael, Golding, Barry, Foley, Annette
- Authors: Brown, Michael , Golding, Barry , Foley, Annette
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Fine Print Vol. 31, no. 2 (2008), p. 12-15
- Full Text: false
- Description: Some experts say a mental state of relaxed concentration - when the brain produces alpha waves - is the most conducive to learning. Perhaps this is why the friendly atmosphere and ambience in men's sheds supports the process of informal learning. This paper discusses aspects of men's learning derived from the authors' study of mostly older men who are coming together, talking, working and socialising in community sheds across Australia. The paper looks at the social, informal and autonomous learning and considers the significance of the community work-like settings. Mentoring, coaching, 'sitting next to George' and 'hanging out on the periphery' are common forms of social pedagogical interaction in these contexts as are group discussion, conversations and low-key questioning. In this paper the mostly older men's learning is analysed as a subset of lifelong learning. The participants in the study are mostly older men: some retired, some recovering from illness or injury, others unable to find full-time paid work. However all share a social space and an undefined but common purpose that due to ageing bodies and faculties is sometimes illusionary as much as real, but that is loosely focused around regular, hands-on participation in traditional, male-orientated, goal-directed activities. Considered highly significant to participation in the learning and group activities is the development of male friendships referred to as 'mateship' amongst men in Australia. These friendships develop through participation and inclusion in activity that occurs in social and community spaces. The authors' research shows that access to, and inclusion in, these male-orientated group spaces provides an avenue for the development of friendships, trust, support and reciprocity. Through the research the authors found that the associated learning and life- stage development that occurs in these environments leads to self- reported improvements in happiness, health and wellbeing, and feelings of social connection. The participants in this study are generally considered to be a missing group or cohort in adult education. It also picks up on the trend in Australia about 'a remarkable explosion in individualised, self-directed and autonomous forms of learning that have occurred without involving adult educators'. Considered central to this study were the places, spaces and faces. [Author abstract, ed]
- Description: 2003006456
A mixed methods case study exploring the impact of membership of a multi-activity, multicentre community group on social wellbeing of older adults
- Lindsay-Smith, Gabrielle, O'Sullivan, Grant, Eime, Rochelle, Harvey, Jack, van Uffelen, Jannique
- Authors: Lindsay-Smith, Gabrielle , O'Sullivan, Grant , Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , van Uffelen, Jannique
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Geriatrics Vol. 18, no. 1 (2018), p. 1-14
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: Social wellbeing factors such as loneliness and social support have a major impact on the health of older adults and can contribute to physical and mental wellbeing. However, with increasing age, social contacts and social support typically decrease and levels of loneliness increase. Group social engagement appears to have additional benefits for the health of older adults compared to socialising individually with friends and family, but further research is required to confirm whether group activities can be beneficial for the social wellbeing of older adults. Methods: This one-year longitudinal mixed methods study investigated the effect of joining a community group, offering a range of social and physical activities, on social wellbeing of adults with a mean age of 70. The study combined a quantitative survey assessing loneliness and social support (n = 28; three time-points, analysed using linear mixed models) and a qualitative focus group study (n = 11, analysed using thematic analysis) of members from Life Activities Clubs Victoria, Australia. Results: There was a significant reduction in loneliness (p = 0.023) and a trend toward an increase in social support (p = 0.056) in the first year after joining. The focus group confirmed these observations and suggested that social support may take longer than 1 year to develop. Focus groups also identified that group membership provided important opportunities for developing new and diverse social connections through shared interest and experience. These connections were key in improving the social wellbeing of members, especially in their sense of feeling supported or connected and less lonely. Participants agreed that increasing connections was especially beneficial following significant life events such as retirement, moving to a new house or partners becoming unwell. Conclusions: Becoming a member of a community group offering social and physical activities may improve social wellbeing in older adults, especially following significant life events such as retirement or moving-house, where social network changes. These results indicate that ageing policy and strategies would benefit from encouraging long-term participation in social groups to assist in adapting to changes that occur in later life and optimise healthy ageing.
- Authors: Lindsay-Smith, Gabrielle , O'Sullivan, Grant , Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , van Uffelen, Jannique
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Geriatrics Vol. 18, no. 1 (2018), p. 1-14
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: Social wellbeing factors such as loneliness and social support have a major impact on the health of older adults and can contribute to physical and mental wellbeing. However, with increasing age, social contacts and social support typically decrease and levels of loneliness increase. Group social engagement appears to have additional benefits for the health of older adults compared to socialising individually with friends and family, but further research is required to confirm whether group activities can be beneficial for the social wellbeing of older adults. Methods: This one-year longitudinal mixed methods study investigated the effect of joining a community group, offering a range of social and physical activities, on social wellbeing of adults with a mean age of 70. The study combined a quantitative survey assessing loneliness and social support (n = 28; three time-points, analysed using linear mixed models) and a qualitative focus group study (n = 11, analysed using thematic analysis) of members from Life Activities Clubs Victoria, Australia. Results: There was a significant reduction in loneliness (p = 0.023) and a trend toward an increase in social support (p = 0.056) in the first year after joining. The focus group confirmed these observations and suggested that social support may take longer than 1 year to develop. Focus groups also identified that group membership provided important opportunities for developing new and diverse social connections through shared interest and experience. These connections were key in improving the social wellbeing of members, especially in their sense of feeling supported or connected and less lonely. Participants agreed that increasing connections was especially beneficial following significant life events such as retirement, moving to a new house or partners becoming unwell. Conclusions: Becoming a member of a community group offering social and physical activities may improve social wellbeing in older adults, especially following significant life events such as retirement or moving-house, where social network changes. These results indicate that ageing policy and strategies would benefit from encouraging long-term participation in social groups to assist in adapting to changes that occur in later life and optimise healthy ageing.
Masculine Gendered Space
- Authors: Foley, Annette
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Studies in Adult Education and Learning Vol. 24, no. 3 (2018), p. 29-38
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The article comes from a research program examining the benefits of men's sheds in an Australian context. The author first addresses some of the controversial issues of disadvantage and inequality of women, takes into account the position associated with the implications of unequal distribution of materials and resources by feminists, and assumes that unequal distribution of resources not only limits many women but also some men. The author looks at the health status of men in Australia and discusses, through a research program, the link between participation in men's spades and health and wellbeing benefits. The article uses Sen's capability approach to present men's sheds in the Australian context as a useful space where enabling capabilities developed through meaningful activities can benefit men in relation to health and wellness.
- Authors: Foley, Annette
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Studies in Adult Education and Learning Vol. 24, no. 3 (2018), p. 29-38
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The article comes from a research program examining the benefits of men's sheds in an Australian context. The author first addresses some of the controversial issues of disadvantage and inequality of women, takes into account the position associated with the implications of unequal distribution of materials and resources by feminists, and assumes that unequal distribution of resources not only limits many women but also some men. The author looks at the health status of men in Australia and discusses, through a research program, the link between participation in men's spades and health and wellbeing benefits. The article uses Sen's capability approach to present men's sheds in the Australian context as a useful space where enabling capabilities developed through meaningful activities can benefit men in relation to health and wellness.
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