Civil society as a social sphere is constantly subjected to change. Using the Dutch context, this article addresses the question whether religiously inspired engagement is a binder or a breakpoint in modern societies. The author examines how religiously inspired people in the Netherlands involve themselves in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and voluntary activities. Religious involvement and social engagement in different European countries are compared and discussed. In addition, the author explores the models of civil society and applies these to both the Christian and Islamic civil society in the Netherlands. Using four religious ‘identity organizations’ as case studies, this article discusses the interaction of Christian and Islamic civil society related to secularized Dutch society. The character and intentions of religiously inspired organizations and the relationship between religious and secular involvement are examined. This study also focuses on the attitude of policymakers towards religiously inspired engagement and government policy on ‘identity organizations’ in the Netherlands.
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Onderzoeksplatform ‘Connected Learning: ’Al ruim vijftien jaar houdt De Haagse Hogeschool zich bezig met onderzoek als deel van haar missie. Terwijl onderwijs vaak geworteld is in monodisciplinaire vakgebieden, kan met onderzoek wat makkelijker gekeken worden naar domeinen in de samenleving (zorg, veiligheid, ondernemen, etc.) waarin complexe problematiek steeds vaker wél dan niet een multidisciplinaire aanpak vereist. Bijna niemand werkt nog alleen of met alleen vakgenoten aan problemen of uitdagingen. En die veranderende beroepspraktijk is bij uitstek het domein van het hoger beroepsonderwijs. Daar leiden we voor op. Het onderzoeken van en experimenteren met nieuwe uitdagingen in de praktijk verbindt ons sterker met de samenleving, het stelt ons in staat om ons beroepsonderwijs te vernieuwen en geeft docenten, onderzoekers en studenten de kans om zich te ontwikkelen door samen te werken aan vragen en uitdagingen die de toekomst van de beroepspraktijk vorm geven. Veel onderzoek wordt uitgevoerd onder begeleiding van lectoren die samenwerken met docent-onderzoekers, studenten, en professionals in het werkveld aan veelal meerjarige onderzoeksagenda’s die lijn aanbrengen in verschillende deelactiviteiten. Een van de manieren waarop De Haagse Hogeschool onderzoek organiseert is in de vorm van onderzoeksplatforms die zich richten op verschillende domeinen van de samenleving. Wij zijn ‘Connected Learning’, een onderzoeksplatform dat zich richt op leren in de netwerksamenleving - in de samenleving zelf, maar ook in de beroepspraktijk en in ons onderwijs. Aangenaam. Wat wij doen? Daar gaat dit boek over, dus daar verklappen we hier nog niets over. Wat verwacht u als u nadenkt over onze naam? Enig idee? Geen idee? Benieuwd? Lees verder om te ontdekken wat ons inspireert, uitdaagt en nieuwsgierig maakt. Sommige van onze ideeën zijn doordacht en doorleefd omdat we er al jaren onderzoek naar doen, andere zijn nieuw en dagen ons uit om er grip op te krijgen. Wij geven met dit boek een beeld van waar we staan in 2018. Zie het als een eerste kennismaking, met de nadruk op ‘eerste’: we werken graag met veel en verschillende partners. Zie het als visitekaartje van onze onderzoeksagenda. We hopen van harte dat u zich als lezer uitgenodigd voelt om met ons samen op zoek te gaan—misschien wel naar een gezamenlijke toekomst. ‘Connected Learning’ Research Platform: For over fifteen years, The Hague University of Applied Sciences has been carrying out research as part of its mission. While education is often rooted in monodisciplinary subject areas, research allows for a broader look at areas of society (care, security, entrepreneurship etc.), where complex problems more often than not require a multidisciplinary approach. Today, barely anyone works on problems or challenges alone or solely with colleagues from within the same subject area. Universities of applied sciences are uniquely placed to deal with these changes in professional practices; after all, we train the professionals who will one day enter that field. Researching and experimenting with new challenges in professional practice allows us to connect more strongly with society, enables us to be innovative in our professional training and gives lecturers, researchers and students the opportunity to develop themselves by cooperating on the challenges and issues that will shape the future of that professional practice. Most research is carried out under the guidance of professors who cooperate with lecturers/researchers, students and the professional field, mainly on long-term research agendas that provide an outline for various sub-activities. One of the ways in which research is organised at The Hague University of Applied Sciences is in the form of research platforms that focus on various areas of society. We are ‘Connected Learning’, a research platform focusing on learning in the network society — in that society as such, but also in professional practice and our education. Nice to meet you! So, what do we do? That’s what this book is about, so we’re not going to give anything away just yet. Just thinking about our name, what do you expect we do? Any ideas? Or not a clue at all? If you’d like to find out, keep reading to find out what inspires us, what challenges we face and what drives our curiosity. Some of our ideas are well-established because we’ve been researching them for years, while other, newer ideas are more challenging to grasp. This book provides an overview of where we stand in 2018. You could see it as an initial introduction, with the emphasis on “initial”; we work with many different partners, and we enjoy doing so. Alternatively, you could see it as a calling card for our research agenda. We sincerely hope that, as a reader, you feel encouraged to join us in our quest — possibly towards a joint future.
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Het doel van deze studie was om inzicht te verkrijgen in de resultaten van de activiteiten binnen het programma Allemaal Opvoeders. In dit programma hebben elf pilotgemeenten – in lijn met de transities in het sociale domein– verkend hoe de actieve rol van de civil society bij het grootbrengen van jeugdigen bevorderd kan worden. Kenmerkend hierbij was de bottomup werkwijze: aan de professionals uit de pilotgemeenten is gevraagd zelf activiteiten in deze richting te ontwikkelen en uit te voeren. Zonder definitieve oordelen te kunnen geven over de effectiviteit, laat deze studie zien dat activiteiten gericht op het versterken van het contact tussen (mede)opvoeders, informele steun bij het opgroeien en opvoeden kunnen faciliteren. Met oog op de transformatie van het jeugdstelsel, kunnen gemeenten en professionals de inzichten uit deze studie gebruiken om handen en voeten te geven aan het versterken van de pedagogische civil society
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"Regenerative Renaissance" (RR) embarks on an innovative journey to reshape the Fashion and Textile Industry's (FTI) societal and environmental influence. This project, led by University of Groningen (UG) in partnership with fashion designer Joline Jolink (JJ) and local farm Boerderij Gagel: Lente Land (LL) aims to transform Joline’s business into a leading regenerative small-medium enterprise (SME), establishing new norms for social and net positive circularity in the Dutch FTI. It probes how the FTI can progress from sustainability (net zero) to regeneration (net positive), focusing on fostering a symbiotic bond between fashion/textile production and land regeneration, connecting textiles and people with the land. This vision transcends traditional sustainability, seeking to actively enhance environmental restoration, biodiversity and creating multiple values. It entails a transformation of the fashion business model (BM), embedding regenerative practices into all aspects of running a fashion business and strengthening the ties between humans and nature. RR strives to reduce the fashion industry's environmental impact while enriching ecosystems and communities. The project involves collaborating with local communities and stakeholders to co-create initiatives like community farming, educational workshops, creating alternative products and a clothing line that reflects regeneration principles in its making and storytelling. The ultimate goal is to develop a replicable regenerative BM for the FTI, redefining the interaction between fashion, society, and the environment, and prompting a balanced shift towards a sustainable, ecologically harmonious future.
The increasing concentration of people in urban environments in an era of globalisation means that social, economic, and environmental resources for living and working are under pressure. Urban communities experience increased stress levels due to inadequate and overburdened infrastructure and services, challenges due to ethnic and cultural diversity, socio-economic inequalities as well as the impact of environmental degradation. For these communities to build resilience under these circumstances therefore requires a multipronged approach. The underlying question this project will answer is: “What are the key characteristics of experiencescapes that contribute to resilience-building in communities?” The project will dive into the identification of building blocks of experiencescapes and roles of relevant actors that can support communities in building resilience. Within the context of a multidisciplinary approach, this project applies a range of qualitative research methods, such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, participant observation, storytelling techniques, life stories, as well as various biometric quantitative methods, available through the experience lab of BUas. The outcome of the project will enable practitioners and researchers alike in various sectors to understand what and how they can contribute to creating an environment in which people can meaningfully interact in a way that builds resilience in communities. This outcome is communicated not only through academic publications and conference contributions, but also through public reports and a handbook for practitioners and students. These reports and handbooks support identification and application of building blocks of experiencescapes that support building resilience in communities. Finally, the knowledge generated in the project will contribute to the development of curricula of various educational programmes at Breda University of Applied Sciences by expanding the scope of experience design into the area of people-to-people relationships.
In this project on volunteering in LTH organisation we focus on three aims:1. To explain why organisations in different LTH sectors and regions had, have or need volunteers, how they interact with these volunteers, and the consequences (benefits and challenges) of volunteerism for these organisations.2. To determine how to find the right balance between paid and unpaid staff within the same organisation, considering the LTH sector and region they belong to, in order to create a healthy ecosystem within it (bearing in mind that no organisation can have both volunteers and paid staff do the same job - see above).3. To understand the perspectives, motives and expectations of why people (decide to) volunteer, how they interact with the organisation (management, paid staff) during volunteering, in order to interest them, recruit them, make use of them and retain them. In addition, it is also our aim to explain the benefits and challenges for people to volunteer.In this study, we will use an integrated approach, which implies that we aren’t only interested in the people- or organisation-side of volunteering (actor-side). We will also focus on the interactions between volunteers, paid staff and organisation during volunteering (core of the practice) in a certain LTH organisation, sector and region in the Netherlands (context-side). Studying volunteering in its specific contexts (organisation, sector, region) using an integrated practice approach, hasn’t been done before. In addition, as more and more LTH organisations in the Netherlands rely on volunteers (for their survival), either for economic, social or community (mienskip) reasons (context-related conditions), there is a need for a better understanding of volunteering (as indicated by aim 1-3). Finally, as not much literature has been based on Dutch studies about volunteering and the recruitment and retention of volunteers, this project will fill this gap.Besides the aims as outlined before, a more specific goal of this project is to provide recommendations for a sustainable business model for organisations to embrace volunteerism without affecting the structure of employees. In close cooperation with different LTH organisations, we will develop interventions as policy making instruments (and therefore also for the whole region where they are located). Furthermore, this research will contribute to industry, research (see also below), education (idem) and society. Our ultimate goal is to foster the wellbeing of the volunteers, paid staff and organisations and overall to contribute to social sustainability within The Netherlands.The above-mentioned aims and conceptual model lead to the following research question: How can volunteering in the LTH sectors in Dutch regions be shaped in a sustainable way for both volunteers as well as organisations?In line with what we discussed earlier, this also means contributing to a more stable labour market in hospitality, leisure and tourism in which voluntary work is recognised as an important and indispensable component of a healthy labour ecosystem.The approach we intend to adopt is a qualitative one based on narrative inquiry. While in the literature a quantitative approach using surveys to gather data is mostly used in understanding volunteerism and in measuring motives, we will observe and connect with the volunteers’ work in each sector/case identified and collect and analyse their individual stories. In addition, and in line with our integrated approach, we will investigate how the LTH organisations connected to these cases view the role, value and future of volunteerism.Societal IssueOur insights into volunteers’ work in different sectors will improve their quality of work by revealing drivers of their satisfaction, turnover, motivation, and passion. Managers can use these insights to train and retain volunteers as an integral part of not only their events, but the broader community. It is well-known that robust volunteering programmes are a cornerstone of contemporary social cohesion, and our findings will show how storytelling can strengthen these processes.Benefit to societyThis project will contribute in three ways to the LTH sector. The three outcomes of this study are first around a better understanding of what meaningful volunteering is, second, around the value of volunteers to LTH organisations, and, thirdly, about the value of such activities to Dutch society.The project will provide practical advice to LTH organisations on which interventions to use and in which contexts. This tangible output might take the form of a report, guide(s) mentioned above, and/or another instrument that suits the needs of managers and volunteers. The instrument(s) selected by LTH organisations and volunteers will help to disseminate best practices as well as to highlight the potential of volunteers and volunteering to wider society, other organisations and to current and potential volunteers. By following the steps in or using these instruments, we believe volunteer organisations will be better able to profile themselves and to recruit and retain volunteers.The present study will bring innovation in the field by generating new narratives on volunteerism, and by designing an engaging and appealing path for volunteers to join organisations. At the same time, it will design a structure for organisations to work with volunteers in a sustainable way.Consortium partners: Rodney Westerlaken, Geesje Duursma (both NHL Stenden, Leeuwarden)
