This PhD research project is about how Dutch development NGOs use social media for their development projects. For this, the following research question has been investigated: how do Dutch development NGOs use social media to further the development activities of their organisations? The purpose of this study is to understand how development NGOs are trying to get to grips with social media. Given the exploratory nature of this research, a qualitative research approach was adopted. Both case studies and the grounded theory method were used for this study. This combination is ideal because with a case study one tries to understand, or explore a phenomenon, whereas, in grounded theory studies, one tries to build theory. Given that this study is concerned with how Dutch development NGOs perceive social media for their development projects, an interpretive paradigm seems appropriate. The grounded theory methodology for this research is consistent with the epistemology of interpretivism. The combination of case study research and grounded theory works well for theory building and has been applied in Information Systems and ICT for Development studies before. As the use of theory before data collection is in opposition to the principle idea of the grounded theory methodology, in which theory emerges from the data, this needs to be addressed when combining case studies and grounded theory. This issue was resolved by using an initial highlevel conceptual framework as a guiding instrument for both the noncommittal literature research and for the conceptualisation of the research problem, whilst not distorting the emergence of theory from the data. This study focuses on formally organised development NGOs who receive funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their development projects. From the approximately 100 organisations, fourteen NGOs were selected for this study. The choice of fourteen NGOs was driven by a theoretical sampling strategy. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews with 18 respondents and field-notes of meetings or events of 14 development NGOs. The data was analysed using the Glaserian coding procedure of grounded theory, starting with open coding, followed by selective coding, and ending with theoretical coding. Three major themes (or core categories as they are called in the grounded theory method), were identified. This study's first contribution is captured in the theme ‘NGO Enacting Values in Development’. This is about how an organisation’s values are enacted in the context of international development. The organisational mixture of development mind-sets influences organisational activities in development. The ideological trends that are stimulated by societal and technological changes have an impact on the organisation’s development strategy and the strategic collaboration network of development NGOs. The second contribution of this study is captured in the theme ‘NGO’s Views on Social Media Use’. This core category discusses the organisation’s view on the meaning of social media and includes the four following categories: technological, individual, collective and contextual views attributed to organisational social media. The four categories empirically demonstrate the concept of affordance clusters and the connections between them. The study’s third contribution is captured in the theme ‘NGO’s Use of Social Media in Development’, encompassing the social media activities of the studied development NGOs in their development projects. This has led to an assessment framework of organisational social media use by development NGOs, constructed by cross-referencing the organisational goals of development NGOs to the social media activity areas in the context of development. These themes represented by three core categories are inter-related. Feedback loops between NGO’s values in development, views on social media, and the actual uses of social media for development purposes have been discerned. This grounded theory study aims to build an initial theory of how NGOs might approach the use of social media in a development context. This qualitative study has produced some new concepts. This study has led to a substantive theory in the context of international development. Furthermore, this substantive theory is compared with three theory lenses, when applied on the data collected for this PhD research, in their ability to identify similar concepts as reached with the substantive theory following the grounded theory method. Finally, the thesis presents some avenues for future research that may help expand the substantive theory that has been developed under this research to formal theory
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BACKGROUND: Loneliness is expected to become an even bigger social problem in the upcoming decades, because of the growing number of older adults. It has been argued that the use of social network sites can aid in decreasing loneliness and improving mental health. The purpose of this study was to examine whether and how social network sites usage is related to loneliness and mental health in community-dwelling older adults. METHOD: The study population included community-dwelling older adults aged 60 and over residing in the Netherlands (n = 626) collected through the LISS panel (www.lissdata.nl). Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses, adjusted for potentially important confounders, were conducted in order to investigate the relation between social network sites usage and (emotional and social) loneliness and mental health. RESULTS: More than half of the individuals (56.2%) reported to use social network sites at least several times per week. Social network sites usage appeared unrelated to loneliness in general, and to emotional and social loneliness in particular. Social network sites usage also appeared unrelated to mental health. Several significant associations between related factors and the outcomes at hand were detected. CONCLUSION: In this sample, which was representative for the Dutch population, social network sites usage was unrelated to loneliness and/or mental health. The results indicate that a simple association between social network site usage and loneliness and mental health as such, cannot automatically be assumed in community-dwelling older adults.
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In recent years, ArtEZ has worked on a broadly supported strategic research agenda on the themes New Ecologies of Matter (ecological challenges), Social Equity (social-societal issues), (Un)Learning Practices (educational innovations) and (Non)CybernEtic Fabric (technological developments). Building on these strategic themes, the ArtEZ Research Collective as developed an international research strategy to become a valuable partner in the relevant Horizon Europe (HEU) areas of Environment, Industry and Social science and humanities. With its specific knowledge position and approach from arts and creativity, ArtEZ is convinced that it can play a distinctive role in European consortia to tackle various challenges in these areas, in particular from the perspective and research topics of the professorships Fashion and Tactical Design. To achieve its ambitions and goals in its targeted research topics, ArtEZ is convinced that a combination of international connections and local applications is key for successful impact. Building upon existing relations and extending the international research position requires extra efforts, e.g., by developing a strong international framework of state-of-the-art research results, impacts and ambitions. Therefore ArtEZ needs to (further) build on both its international network and its supportive infrastructure. With this proposal ArtEZ is presenting its goals and efforts to work on its international recognition as a valuable research partner, and to broaden its international network in cutting-edge research and other stakeholders. With regards to its supporting infrastructure, ArtEZ has the ambition to expand the impact of the Subsidy Desk to become a professional partner to the professorships. This approach requires a further professionalization and extension of both the Subsidy Desk organization and its services, and developing and complementing skills, expertise and competences to comply to the European requirements.
In deze SPRONG-groep staan jongeren en (jong) volwassenen die op langdurige zorg zijn aangewezen centraal. Samen willen we participatiemogelijkheden bevorderen, zodat jongeren en (jong) volwassenen in kwetsbare situaties en posities in hun eigen leefomgeving kunnen floreren. Om dat te kunnen realiseren is het nodig dat er geredeneerd wordt vanuit de gehele levensloop van zorgvragers. Jeugdzorg, Gehandicaptenzorg en GGZ gaan hierin samen optrekken. Ons doel is dat zorg- en welzijnsprofessionals met jongeren en (jong) volwassenen en hun netwerk en met elkaar vanuit de onderliggende waarden sociaal, inclusief en relationeel BETEKENISVOL SAMENWERKEN. Met ons kennisnetwerk verdiepen en onderbouwen we deze visie verder en maken we ons hard voor het includeren van de stem en positie van jongeren en (jong) volwassenen en hun gezinnen zelf, zodat innovatie van binnenuit gebeurt. Hiertoe vormen we een krachtige SPRONG -groep die bestaat uit: 12 Lectoraten van vier verschillende Hogescholen 12 Ervaringsdeskundigen 11 Werkveldpartners vanuit Jeugdzorg, GGZ en Gehandicaptenzorg 3 Universiteiten 3 belangenverenigingen 2 Kenniscentra 2 Gemeenten 1 Beroepsvereniging De SPRONG-groep BETEKENISVOL SAMENWERKEN zal zich de komende jaren richten op: het agenderen van de sociale aspecten van innovatie die nodig zijn om voldoende participatiemogelijkheden te scheppen, het ontwikkelen van onderwijs voor meer dan 3000 studenten in het sociale domein, het verbeteren van de eigen onderzoeksorganisatie om onderzoek met mensen in kwetsbare situaties en posities recht te kunnen doen en het implementeren van nieuwe inzichten uit de bij de SPRONG-groep betrokken zorginnovaties in het werkveld en in het onderwijs. In de tweede periode van de SPRONG-groep willen we graag uitbreiden met (internationale) partners vanuit zorgtechnologie en kunst. Hierdoor kunnen we winnen aan zeggingskracht en impact waarbij ook technologische inzichten kunnen worden benut en kan geleerd worden om anders te kijken en te confronteren en te bevragen wat vanzelfsprekend lijkt.
Chronische primaire pijn (pijn zonder duidelijke biomedische oorzaak) is geassocieerd met significante emotionele distress of functionele beperkingen (in activiteiten in het dagelijkse leven of sociale rollen)1,2 Bij zorgzoekende mensen met chronische primaire pijn is vaak sprake van beweegarmoede, verminderde zelfredzaamheid, slaapproblemen, suboptimaal functioneren in werk, hobby en thuis, langdurig ziekteverzuim en sociale isolatie3. Aangezien er geen effectieve behandeling bestaat die chronische pijn kan wegnemen, ligt de fysiotherapeutische focus bij behandeling op de vermindering van de ervaren beperkingen in het dagelijkse functioneren ondanks pijn, het hervatten van betekenisvolle activiteiten en participatie en het verbeteren van kwaliteit van leven. Fysiotherapeuten vragen “Hoe kunnen wij het type beweeggedrag van mensen met chronische pijn objectief meten zodat we hen beter kunnen ondersteunen in het verminderen van beperkingen in het dagelijks functioneren?” Nauwkeurige en objectieve instrumenten voor het meten van het type beweegpatronen zijn belangrijk om functionele beperkingen bij patiënten met chronische pijn goed te kunnen analyseren, om daarop een gepersonaliseerde interventie op toe te passen en vervolgens de resultaten te evalueren. De huidige commerciële beweegsensoren zijn (nog niet) in staat om de informatie te genereren die fysiotherapeuten nodig hebben, omdat vaak alleen rekening wordt gehouden met de kwantitatieve (hoeveelheid en intensiteit) aspecten van beweeggedrag en niet het dynamische of relationele aspect van beweeggedrag . Volgens de huidige theorieën moeten binnen het beweeggedrag van patiënten met chronische pijn verschillende beweegpatronen (vermijders, volharders en de vermijders/volharders) onderscheiden kunnen worden. Het valide identificeren en betrouwbaar meetbaar maken van deze beweegpatronen en de daarbij horende in stand houdende factoren (relationele aspecten van beweeggedrag) is een eerste stap die gaat helpen met het implementeren van een meer gepersonaliseerde fysiotherapeutische aanpak van patiënten met chronische pijn. Dit kan leiden tot beter functioneren, hogere kwaliteit van leven en betere uitkomsten In de zorg.
