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Boekrecensie van 'De Nieuwe Groei heet Krimp'

Recensie van het boek ‘De nieuwe groei heet krimp : een perspectief voor Parkstad Limburg’ van J. Latten en S. Musterd (red.)

Je hangt de vuile was niet buiten

Homemaking by single person households in the northern part of the Netherlands

For over 30 years, the concept of home has been a popular, yet contested subject of research for scholars from different disciplines, e.g. architecture, philosophy, sociology, psychology and cultural studies. In line with this multifaceted, interesting subject, quite some studies have been devoted to the subject of homemaking.However, when reviewing the literature on home and homemaking, a great deal of scholars seems to have overlooked to date the home situation, and thus the homemaking activities and practices of single person households, or so called ‘solo livers’. This is remarkable because the number of single person households is increasing worldwide, as different recent studies show e.g. (Palmer G. , 2006), (Klinenberg, 2012), (Jamieson & Simpson, 2013). The aim of this working paper – which is part of a PhD proposal in progression – is to address the homemaking process from the perspective of solo living people in the geographical setting of the Provence of Groningen, in the northern part of the Netherlands. An underlying assumption is that by focusing on the homemaking of solo living people, i.e. on the individual level, this typical human phenomenon can be studied in its ‘purest form’.In the paper on homemaking in low-cost areas, Aziz & Ahmad (2012) connect the concepts of appropriation, attachment and identity as homemaking mechanisms, through which residents strive to achieve satisfaction and turn the surrounding area into their home. Aziz & Ahmad seek to identify specific behavioural components, called ‘attributes’, that belong to these three different concepts, in which they make a distinction between physical and social attributes. This focus of this paper is on the concept of appropriation as homemaking mechanism and how this concept can be refined to serve as conceptual framework.

Armoede gaat nooit weg

In dit artikel, eerder in langere versie verschenen in het Tijdschrift voor Sociale Vraagstukken, wordt de activerende aanpak van werkloosheid in relatie tot armoedebestrijding besproken. De lector Armoede en Participatie aan de Hogeschool van Amsterdam beschrijft aan hand van de cijfers van het SCP en het CBS welke groepen precies door armoede worden getroffen. Omdat niet-werken en armoede aan elkaar gekoppeld zijn, lijkt de oplossing voor de hand te liggen: de 'banenmotor' aandrijven. Echter, werk vinden biedt niet zonder meer de oplossing en ondersteuning is in bepaalde gevallen nodig. De auteur pleit voor een ondersteuning gericht op het bevorderen van zelfsturing. Werkplekken in reguliere werkomgevingen en periodiek switchen tussen werkplekken bevorderen de mobiliteit en het geloof in eigen kracht. Hoewel armoede volgens de auteur nooit helemaal kan worden uitgebannen, is het grote voordeel van een activerende aanpak dat armoedebeleid is gericht op eigen inkomen verwerven en niet op symptoombestrijding.

Urban knowledge

Met de uitvoering van het onderzoek ‘Het stedenbouwkundig bureau van de toekomst’ (zie eerste rapportage van het RAAK-project) aan de Hogeschool van Amsterdam is een kennisplatform tot stand gekomen over de inhoud en onderlinge positionering van stedelijke theorieën, methoden en casussen. Het platform stelt de stedelijk professional (al werkend en lerend) in staat, in samenspraak met collega’s, de beschikbare interdisciplinaire kennis over ruimtelijke analyses in stedelijke gebieden te ontsluiten, te delen en te vergroten.

Needs, barriers and facilitators of older adults towards eHealth in general practice: a qualitative study

Background: The strain on health care services is increasing due to an ageing population and the increasing prevalence of chronic health conditions. eHealth could contribute to optimise effective and efficient care to older adults with one or more chronic health conditions in the general practice. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the needs, barriers and facilitators amongst community-dwelling older adults (60þ) suffering from one or more chronic health conditions, in using online eHealth applications to support general practice services. Methods: A qualitative study, using semi-structured followed by think-aloud interviews, was conducted in the Netherlands. The semi-structured interviews, supported by an interview guide were conducted and analysed thematically. The think-aloud method was used to collect data about the cognitive process while the participant was completing a task within online eHealth applications. Verbal analysis according to the Chi approach was conducted to analyse the think-aloud interviews. Findings: A total of n = 19 older adults with a mean age of 73 years participated. The ability to have immediate contact with the GP on important health issues was identified as an important need. Identified barriers were non-familiarity with the online eHealth applications and a mismatch of user health needs. The low computer experience resulted in non-familiarity with the online eHealth applications. Faltering applications resulted in participants refusing to participate in the use of online eHealth applications. Convenience, efficiency and the instant availability of eHealth via applications were identified as important facilitators. Conclusion: To improve the use and acceptability of eHealth applications amongst older adults in the general practice, the applications should be tailored to meet individual needs. More attention should be given to improving the user-friendliness of these applications and to the promotion of the benefits such as facilitating older adults independent living for longer.