COVID-19 : factors associated with the psychological distress, fear and resilient coping strategies among community members in Saudi Arabia
- Authors: Alharbi, Talal , Alqurashi, Alaa , Mahmud, Ilias , Alharbi, Rayan , Islam, Sheikh , Almustanyir, Sami , Maklad, Ahmed , AlSarraj, Ahmad , Mughaiss, Lujain , Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar , Ahmed, Ahmed , Barry, Mazin , Ghozy, Sherief , Alabdan, Lulwah , Alif, Sheikh , Sultana, Farhana , Salehin, Masudus , Banik, Biswajit , Cross, Wendy , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Healthcare (Switzerland) Vol. 11, no. 8 (2023), p.
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- Description: (1) Background: COVID-19 caused the worst international public health crisis, accompanied by major global economic downturns and mass-scale job losses, which impacted the psychosocial wellbeing of the worldwide population, including Saudi Arabia. Evidence of the high-risk groups impacted by the pandemic has been non-existent in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study examined factors associated with psychosocial distress, fear of COVID-19 and coping strategies among the general population in Saudi Arabia. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in healthcare and community settings in the Saudi Arabia using an anonymous online questionnaire. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) were used to assess psychological distress, fear and coping strategies, respectively. Multivariate logistic regressions were used, and an Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) was reported. (3) Results: Among 803 participants, 70% (n = 556) were females, and the median age was 27 years; 35% (n = 278) were frontline or essential service workers; and 24% (n = 195) reported comorbid conditions including mental health illness. Of the respondents, 175 (21.8%) and 207 (25.8%) reported high and very high psychological distress, respectively. Factors associated with moderate to high levels of psychological distress were: youth, females, non-Saudi nationals, those experiencing a change in employment or a negative financial impact, having comorbidities, and current smoking. A high level of fear was reported by 89 participants (11.1%), and this was associated with being ex-smokers (3.72, 1.14–12.14, 0.029) and changes in employment (3.42, 1.91–6.11, 0.000). A high resilience was reported by 115 participants (14.3%), and 333 participants (41.5%) had medium resilience. Financial impact and contact with known/suspected cases (1.63, 1.12–2.38, 0.011) were associated with low, medium, to high resilient coping. (4) Conclusions: People in Saudi Arabia were at a higher risk of psychosocial distress along with medium-high resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, warranting urgent attention from healthcare providers and policymakers to provide specific mental health support strategies for their current wellbeing and to avoid a post-pandemic mental health crisis. © 2023 by the authors.
A long and winding road : Autonomous men's learning through participation in community sheds across Australia
- Authors: Brown, Michael , Golding, Barry , Foley, Annette
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 38th Annual SCUTREA Conference, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK : 2nd-4th July 2008 p. 78-86
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- Description: This paper discusses aspects of men's learning derived from our study of mostly older men who are coming together, talking, working and socialising in community sheds across Australia (Golding et al 2007). The paper looks at the social, informal and autonomous learning and considers the significance of the community "work-like" settings (author abstract)
- Description: 2003006465
Rural maternity and media discourse analysis: Framing new narratives
- Authors: Brundell, Kath , Vasilevski, Vidanka , Farrell, Tanya , Sweet, Linda
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Rural Health Vol. 31, no. 3 (2023), p. 395-407
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- Description: Continued rural maternity closure across Australia has seen impacts on women and families such as financial pressures, quality and safety concerns, and emotional pressure. This review aimed at understanding how media coverage of rural maternity and closure are presented and what impact this may have on maternity service sustainability. This research seeks to examine media discourse and characteristics of online newspaper articles related to rural maternity services. A narrative review was conducted using thematic discourse analysis to examine online newspaper content published in Victoria, Australia from 2010 to June 2021. Local maternity services were a source of community interest for rural people. Coverage of negative outcomes for mothers and babies was highlighted by rural newspapers however, increased content over the last 12-month period focused on community support for the sustainability of rural maternity services. Recent community support in newspaper articles coincided with maternity services reviews and retaining some of these rural services. Community support in media may provide a protective social pressure, leading rural health services to consider this when reviewing the sustainability or closure of rural maternity services. Media attention about sustaining local maternity services by highlighting issues and representing community voices may influence health executive to consider opportunities to remodel and sustain high-quality and safe maternity care in rural settings. Knowing how rural health executives consider media, community pressure, and how it impacts expediency of maternity service closure decisions is unknown and an important gap in knowledge to explore and understand.
Exploring the dimensions of the international accounting history community
- Authors: Carnegie, Garry , Rodrigues, Lucia Lima
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Accounting History Vol. 12, no. 4 (2007), p. 441-464
- Full Text: false
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- Description: This study explores the present-day dimensions of the international accounting history community with a focus on examining the formal (that is institutionalized) and informal (that is non-institutionalized) arrangements for accounting history in various countries and regions. Following a review of recent commentaries on the state of accounting history, the study elucidates the dimensions of the field where accounting history associations or special interest groups operate, comprising Australia and New Zealand, China, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain and the USA, and also depicts the informal arrangements in place for the accounting history community as identified in France and in the UK. The study is intended to enhance understanding of the nature, size and dynamics of this expanding group of scholars and to assist any future enquiries into the drivers of organizational success and the relative health of accounting history in the different jurisdictions.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003005177
Linking physical education with community sport and recreation : A program for adolescent girls
- Authors: Casey, Meghan , Mooney, Amanda , Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , Smyth, John , Telford, Amanda , Payne, Warren
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Health Promotion Practice Vol. 14, no. 5 (2013), p. 721-731
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP0990206
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- Description: The engagement of adolescent girls in physical activity (PA) is a persistent challenge. School-based PA programs have often met with little success because of the lack of linkages between school and community PA settings. The Triple G program aimed to improve PA levels of secondary school girls (12-15 years) in regional Victoria, Australia. The program included a school-based physical education (PE) component that uniquely incorporated student-centered teaching and behavioral skill development. The school component was conceptually and practically linked to a community component that emphasized appropriate structures for participation. The program was informed by ethnographic fieldwork to understand the contextual factors that affect girls' participation in PA. A collaborative intervention design was undertaken to align with PE curriculum and coaching and instructional approaches in community PA settings. The theoretical framework for the intervention was the socioecological model that was underpinned by both individual-level (social cognitive theory) and organizational-level (building organizational/community capacity) strategies. The program model provides an innovative conceptual framework for linking school PE with community sport and recreation and may benefit other PA programs seeking to engage adolescent girls. The objective of this article is to describe program development and the unique theoretical framework and curriculum approaches.
- Description: The engagement of adolescent girls in physical activity (PA) is a persistent challenge. School-based PA programs have often met with little success because of the lack of linkages between school and community PA settings. The Triple G program aimed to improve PA levels of secondary school girls (12-15 years) in regional Victoria, Australia. The program included a school-based physical education (PE) component that uniquely incorporated student-centered teaching and behavioral skill development. The school component was conceptually and practically linked to a community component that emphasized appropriate structures for participation. The program was informed by ethnographic fieldwork to understand the contextual factors that affect girls' participation in PA. A collaborative intervention design was undertaken to align with PE curriculum and coaching and instructional approaches in community PA settings. The theoretical framework for the intervention was the socioecological model that was underpinned by both individual-level (social cognitive theory) and organizational-level (building organizational/community capacity) strategies. The program model provides an innovative conceptual framework for linking school PE with community sport and recreation and may benefit other PA programs seeking to engage adolescent girls. The objective of this article is to describe program development and the unique theoretical framework and curriculum approaches. © 2012 Society for Public Health Education.
Linking secondary school physical education with community sport and recreation for girls: A process evaluation
- Authors: Casey, Meghan , Telford, Amanda , Mooney, Amanda , Harvey, Jack , Eime, Rochelle , Payne, Warren
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Public Health Vol. 14, no. 1039 (2014), p. 1-14
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- Description: Background: The purpose of this study was to undertake a process evaluation to examine the reach, adoption and implementation of a school-community linked physical activity (PA) program for girls aged 12 - 15 years (School Years 7 - 9) using the RE-AIM framework. Methods. Various approaches were used to assess 'reach', 'adoption' and implementation: (a) a school environment survey of intervention schools (n = 6); (b) teacher feedback regarding the professional development component (91.1% response rate) and lesson implementation (60.8% response rate); and (c) post-intervention focus group interviews with physical education (PE) teachers (n = 29), students (n = 125), coaches (n = 13) and instructors (n = 8) regarding program experiences. Results: Reach and Adoption: Seven schools (n = 1491 Year 7-9 female student enrolment; 70% adoption rate), five tennis clubs, eight football clubs and five leisure centres participated in the program during 2011. Implementation: Program design and professional development opportunities (training, resource manual and opportunities to work with coaches and instructors during PE classes) supported implementation and student engagement in PA. However, there was a lack of individual and organisational readiness to adopt program principles. For some deliverers there were deeply embedded ideologies that were not aligned with the Game Sense teaching approach upon which the program was based. Further, cognitive components of the program such as self-management were not widely adopted as other components of the program tended to be prioritised. Conclusion: The program design and resources supported the success of the program, however, some aspects were not implemented as intended, which may have affected the likelihood of achieving further positive outcomes. Barriers to program implementation were identified and should be considered when designing school-community linked interventions. In particular, future programs should seek to assess and adjust for organizational readiness within the study design. For example, shared commitment and abilities of program deliverers to implement the program needs to be determined to support program implementation. Trial registration. ACTRN12614000446662. April 30th 2014.
The relationship of sport participation to provision of sports facilities and socioeconomic status : A geographical analysis
- Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , Charity, Melanie , Casey, Meghan , Westerbeek, Hans , Payne, Warren
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health Vol. 41, no. 3 (2017), p. 248-255
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- Description: OBJECTIVE: Ecological models have been applied to investigate multiple domains influencing physical activity behaviour, including individual, social, organisational, community, environmental and policy factors. With regard to the built environment, research to date has been limited to small geographical areas and/or small samples of participants. This study examined the geographical association between provision of sport facilities and participation in sport across an entire Australian state, using objective total enumerations of both, for a group of sports, with adjustment for the effect of socioeconomic status (SES). METHODS: De-identified membership registration data were obtained from state sport governing bodies of four popular team sports. Associations between participation rate, facility provision rate and SES were investigated using correlation and regression methods. RESULTS: Participation rate was positively associated with provision of facilities, although this was complicated by SES and region effects. The non-metropolitan region generally had higher participation rates and better provision of facilities than the metropolitan region. CONCLUSIONS: Better provision of sports facilities is generally associated with increased sport participation, but SES and region are also contributing factors. Implications for public health: Community-level analysis of the population, sport participation and provision of facilities should be used to inform decisions of investments in sports facilities.
Five-year changes in community-level sport participation, and the role of gender strategies
- Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Charity, Melanie , Harvey, Jack , Westerbeek, Hans
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Frontiers in Sports and Active Living Vol. 3, no. (2021), p.
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- Description: Background: The rate of participation in community-based sport by boys and men has been double that of girls and women. Contributing to this is the fact that some sports have been traditionally male-only or at least very male-dominated. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate changes in participation in sport by sex and age across 10 major sports in Australia over a 5-year period. In conjunction with the analysis of participation trends, the gender strategies that were developed and implemented during this time are reviewed. Methods: This study encompassed all sport participants registered with one of 10 State Sporting Associations in Victoria, Australia in 2015 and in 2019. Participation rates by region, age and sex were calculated. State sport and health policies relating to female participation in sport were reviewed. Results: There were 749,037 registrations in 2015 and 868,266 in 2019. A comparison between 2015 and 2019 shows increases in participation for women and girls across all age groups (4–84 years), and highest increases for those aged 4 (6.6%) and 5–9 (4.7%). For boys there was a considerable decrease in participation for those aged 5–9 years (−3.8%). Discussion: This study provides evidence that whilst participation in sport is still dominated by males, the gap might be gradually closing and this is in line with recent strategies and investments into sport and wider cultural developments in society. The implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2021 Eime, Charity, Harvey and Westerbeek. Corrigendum: Five-Year Changes in Community-Level Sport Participation, and the Role of Gender Strategies (Front. Sports Act. Living., (2021), 3, (710666), https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.798271
Sport4Me : a people focused approach to engaging Australians in sport
- Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Westerbeek, Hans , Pill, Shane , Reece, Lindsey
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Frontiers in Sports and Active Living Vol. 4, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: The traditional model of community club-based sport is fine for those, particularly children and youth, who enjoy the competitive focus and have the skills and commitment to play. But societal preferences during leisure time have changed dramatically over recent decades. However, sport organisations have made limited progress in response to these changes in providing ways in which children and youth can participate outside the traditional competitive structures and environments. In this paper the context of community club-based structures is reviewed leading into an assessment of the associated impact of these structures on sport participation. Children and youth's current motivations to play sport including what makes sport fun to play, are considered. It is then demonstrated that the associations between motivations to play sport and the factors that contribute to fun and enjoyment, are often misaligned for many individuals, with a primary focus on competition-based structures to deliver community club sport. In the final part of the paper a model for community sport organisations where people are put first is proposed - Sport4Me. Sport4Me is about flexible, inclusive, equitable sporting opportunities that focus on friends, fun, physical literacy and play. The model would complement the traditional competitive club-based model and afford participants more choice whilst fostering an environment that promotes lifelong involvement in sport. This model will require structural and cultural changes to the sporting environment and include coaching practices. Sport4Me is an evidence-based model, but it is not radical in its conceptualisation but rather, builds on previously proposed approaches, considers the needs and wants of potential sport participants and widens the scope of sport delivery. 2023 Eime, Westerbeek, Pill and Reece.
The Sport Participation Pathway Model (SPPM) : a conceptual model for participation and retention in community sport
- Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Charity, Melanie , Westerbeek, Hans
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics Vol. 14, no. 2 (2022), p. 291-304
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- Description: National sport policy has a dual focus on population-based participation, and elite performance. There are various models depicting the pathway to elite, however, there has not been a population-based sport participation pathway model to track, develop and facilitate holistic participation policies in sport. The aim of this study is to review sport participation trends, including new data on retention and drop-out across age groups in community club-based sport, and combine this data with evidence from literature about people moving in and out of sport, to develop the Sport Participation Pathway Model (SPPM), which provides a holistic view of sport participation. We conducted a 3-year analysis of sport participation for eight major sports from 2015–2017 for children and young people aged 4–29 years. The total number of participants was 579,696. Only half 50.8% played continuously for the three years, 44.7% dropped out, and 4.5% played discontinuously. Drop-out was highest for those aged 4 (57.0%), and lowest for those aged 10–14 years (39.3%). The SPPM demonstrates the movements of participation in sport and the drop-out at various stages out of competitive club-based sport and for those who are the main participants. The model is a standalone sport participation model that is a representation and integration of empirical sport participation. This model therefore is most useful for sports organisations to recognise issues around retention and drop-out. In developing sport policies, government can also use the model to make decisions on target groups and funding support. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Let the men speak : Health, friendship, community and shed therapy
- Authors: Foley, Annette , Golding, Barry , Brown, Michael
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at AVETRA 2008 Conference, Adelaide : 3rd-4th April 2008
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- Description: Our paper is based on our recently published NCVER project on Men's sheds in Australia, Learning through Community Contexts (Golding, Brown, Foley, Harvey & Gleeson, 2007), which showed that men';s sheds informally cater for non vocational, social, health, wellbeing and learning needs of mainly older men. We deliberately used unedited transcripts from the NCVER project in the form of narratives or stories to give the men an opportunity to speak for themselves about the benefits of participating in men's sheds. The paper highlights some of the limitations of the methodology used in the attempt to allow the men themselves to make sense of the benefits they experience and enjoy from participating in men's sheds as conveyed through their own voices.
- Description: 200300647
Strengthening critical allyship in social work education: opportunities in the context of #BlackLivesMatter and COVID-19
- Authors: Gates, Trevor , Bennett, Bindi , Baines, Donna
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Social work education Vol. 42, no. 3 (2023), p. 371-387
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- Description: COVID-19 has shifted social work education and widened the gaps in services for historically marginalised communities, including people of diverse cultural, sexual and gender identities and social classes. Existing inequities based on cultural differences have been magnified, perhaps most recently evident in George Floyd's slaying and the subsequent #BlackLivesMatter demonstrations across the globe. Learning to be an ally for diverse communities and working towards the betterment of all people is a goal of social work education. We argue that simple allyship is not enough given the structural inequities present in North America and Australia the civil unrest amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Social work education's focus should trend towards allegiance with disadvantaged communities or critical allyship and include a commitment to undertake decisive actions to redress the entrenched colonial, capitalist, systemic and structural inequities that oppress many and provide unearned privilege and advantage to others. We explore strategies used in classrooms to promote allegiance and make recommendations for social work education, policy, and practice in this time of change.
Older men's lifelong learning : Common threads/sheds
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Researching transitions in lifelong learning Chapter 6 p. 65-75
- Full Text: false
- Description: This chapter is based on a suite of completed research in Australia into informal learning by older men (age over 45) in community contexts that forms the first part of an international comparative study of men’s informal learning. A number of research projects since 2002 in rural and remote Australian communities sought to look beyond what are conventionally regarded as education providers and to examine closely whether and what learning takes place informally by men, particularly by older men, who participate in community-based organisations.
- Description: 2003007969
Listening to men learning
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: The international journal of learning Vol. 12, no. 9 (2006), p. 265-272
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- Description: This paper reports on the results of a study of the learning preferences of adult males in small, rural Australian towns. The researcher employed a survey of men in each of ten towns in 2004 to explore and compare their learning experiences and preferences-in adult and community education (ACE) programs on one hand, and in community-based volunteer organisations (fire services, landcare senior citizens and football clubs) on the other. The research confirms the considerable importance for men of regular learning experienced in less formal learning contexts as community volunteers, and highlights the barriers ICT poses for older men.
- Description: 2003002093
Older men's lifelong learning : Common threads/sheds
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at CRLL 4th International Conference: The times they are a-changin': Researching transitions in life long learning, University of Stirling, Scotland : 22nd-24th June 2007
- Full Text: false
- Description: This paper is based primarily on a suite of completed research in Australia into informal learning by older men in community contexts. Based on extensive survey and interviews, this suite forms part of the first prong of a proposed, new international comparative study of older men's(defined as over 45 years) informal learning across countries and cultures. The research into older men's lifelong learning was originally motivated by knowledge of the relatively low proportion of older men involved in adult and community education (ACE) settings in Australia. It was widely believed that older men were not interested and therefore not involved in learning. A number of research projects since 2002 in rural and remote Australian communities sought to look beyond what are conventionally regarded as education providers and closely examine whether and what learning takes place informally by older men who participate in community-based organisations. The research began with studies of men's learning in volunteer rural fire brigades, football and senior citizens clubs, land care as well as adult and community education providers. It led to as study of the learning role and function of rural fire brigades and emergency service organisations in small and remote towns across Australia. The research has most recently focussed on informal learning through men's sheds in community contexts. These workshops specifically for older men have recently sprung up and proliferated across much of southern Australia. What has emerged from the research is a picture of older men with a strong desire to socialise and learn, particularly with other men, in productive, informal contexts, wherever possible outside. Older men's experiences of learning as well as their lives generally have often been adversely affected over a lifetime by negative experiences of formal learning, starting with school. This paper takes what has been learnt from this suite of studies, pulls together some of the common threads, and places the findings against what is known from the wider international research literature about older men's learning. These include an examination of common motivations for older men to learn, common barriers, preferred pedagogies as well as some common valued outcomes. It seeks to determine whether what has been found from this research in Australian community contexts is similar to or different in what has been found other countries and cultural settings. Part of the paper includes consideration of issues associated with men's identities as they age as well as gender issues associated with learning. It also critically examines the role and legitimacy of creating learning spaces and organisations for men and older men in particular.
- Description: 2003007969
- Description: 2003005534
Not just petrol heads: men' learning in the community through participation in motor sports
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: European Journal for Research on the Education and Learning of Adults Vol. 2, no. 1 (2011), p. 1-16
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- Description: This paper examines the learning experienced through participation by men in two quite different two motor sports organisations in Western Australia. It relies on interview data from volunteers about what they do and what they learn as a consequence of their participation in staging complex but safe, competitive, public events. The paper provides evidence of a deep well of learning and wide range of skills produced as a consequence of participation. This learning would rarely be recognised as education or training, illustrating the need for caution when concluding that adult education is not taking place and learning outcomes are not being achieved other than through courses where teaching occurs, or in contexts that are regarded as literary. What men skills men learnt, though significant as outcomes, were not the object of the motor sport activity, supporting Biesta's (2006) view that the amassing of knowledge and skills can be achieved in other valuable ways aside from through education.
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
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- 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.
Researching men's sheds in community contexts in Australia : What does it suggest about adult education for older men?
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Adult and Continuing Education Vol. 14, no. 1 (2008), p. 17-33
- Full Text: false
- Description: This paper reports on research into community-based men's sheds in Australia, focusing on how regular activity in these sheds impacts on the informal learning experiences of the mainly older men who use them. It leads to an exploration and reflection on how men's learning experiences in such sheds might inform adult and vocational education in community contexts for older men in other national and cultural contexts. Shed-based activity in community settings is found to provide a critically important, positive and therapeutic, male-positive context that satisfies a wide range of needs not currently available to older men in more formal education settings or in typical adult learning providers. Men's sheds in community contexts provide an important and voluntary social and community outlet for older retired men, particularly for workin- class men who are less likely than other men and particularly women to participate in adult and community education. The research identifies the likely fruitfulness of more closely examining the role of informal learning in enhancing wellbeing through voluntary participation in community settings in other cultural and national contexts.
Older men's wellbeing through community participation in Australia
- Authors: Golding, Barry
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Men's Health Vol. 10, no. 1 (2011), p. 26-44
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper explores the wellbeing implications of older men's community involvement. It is based on data from recent, mixed method, Australian research that investigated learning and wellbeing for older men (age over 50) in diverse sites for six community organisation types. It investigates men's wellbeing outcomes as a consequence of participation in community organisations. The data illustrate the important health and wellbeing benefits, particularly to many older men, of regular, practical, hands-on activity and involvement. The paper includes a critical examination of the opportunities for enhancing health and wellbeing filtered through the World Health Organisation's (WHO, 2003) Social Determinants of Health. This research illustrates how diverse community organisations have the capacity to address men's health and wellbeing, particularly if they acknowledge the importance of both the role of men's cultural norms and values and the value of men's agency through grassroots organisations such as community men's sheds. © 2011 by the Men's Studies Press, LLC. All rights reserved.
Old dogs, new shed tricks : An exploration of innovative, workshop-based learning practice in Australia
- Authors: Golding, Barry , Brown, Michael , Foley, Annette
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at AVETRA 2007 Conference, Victoria University, Footscray, Victoria: 11th-13th April 2007
- Full Text:
- Description: Our paper explores some recent innovations in workshop-based learning practice that come out of community-based men's sheds in Australia. It deliberately goes beyond an exploration of the typical community-based men's shed, already explored in our recent NCVER research report and looks at some new and productive interactions between sheds and other informal learning organisations. We go to the margins of rapidly evolving shed practice and single out three types of shed-based organisations that work with school resisters, Vietnam Veterans and older men in aged care. Our aim is to illustrate, using new Australian narrative data, some theoretical and practical implications and benefits of reciprocal, workshop-based mentoring relationships involving men of different ages. Our focus is on ways in which men with a skill or trade are able, in a situated and authentic learning context, to informally weave magic for and with other men, and in some cases with young people. Our paper provides pointers to some of the principles underpinning successful informal and community-based learning practice for older men: particularly the need for a high level of engagement; the choice of an appropriate and safe setting; and to account for the differences associated with age and gender. We articulate an imperative for bringing more blokes into all forms of learning in Australia including through more informal, community-based learning as well as through adult and community education. Our paper and its conclusions have implications for other workshop and shed-based learning practice in vocational education and training as well as informal and community-based learning by volunteers in the quintessential and ubiquitous Australian fire and football sheds.
- Description: 2003005537