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Research Article
Current Typology of Social Services in Bulgaria
Tsetska Kolarova*
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 4, August 2024
Pages:
81-88
Received:
13 June 2024
Accepted:
3 July 2024
Published:
15 July 2024
Abstract: This article makes a systematization of current typology of social services in nowadays Bulgaria, because new Social Services Act entered into force in 2020 and started a reform in the social sphere in the country. The new legislation regulates social services with an innovative concept that interprets them as support activities that can be organized and structured according to the needs of the population. This research was done with a view to clarifying certain aspects in the concept of the new legislation, which would allow it to be interpreted theoretically correctly and, accordingly, to be fully applied in practice. The article offers an analysis of the typology of social services in Bulgaria, which is based on five normative acts, as well as the theory of social work. Various classification criteria format this typology – accessibility, functions, age of users, main groups of activities, term and environment of social service providing. Based on the adopted profiling criteria, the article arranges and reviews the possible types of social services in modern Bulgaria: generally accessible and specialized; preventive, supportive and restorative; for children and for adults; for children and adults with disabilities; for adults in a crisis situation; for information and counseling; community work; therapy and rehabilitation; day care; residential care; assistant support; hourly, half-day, full-day, 24/7; services in a home environment, services in a specialized environment and services that are provided mobile etc. A special place in the group of residential services is occupied by integrated health and social services for residential care, which build their internal own typology according to the type of persons for whom they are intended. The typology of social services made in this article is a kind of theoretical result of the analysis both of sources with scientific literature and of Bulgarian innovative legislation in the social sphere.
Abstract: This article makes a systematization of current typology of social services in nowadays Bulgaria, because new Social Services Act entered into force in 2020 and started a reform in the social sphere in the country. The new legislation regulates social services with an innovative concept that interprets them as support activities that can be organiz...
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Research Article
Efficacy of Specialized Security Agencies in Curbing Cattle Rustling in Sotik and Borabu Sub-Counties in Kenya
Fredrick Okeyo Nyagwara*,
Kennedy Obumba Ogutu
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 4, August 2024
Pages:
89-97
Received:
10 June 2024
Accepted:
3 July 2024
Published:
23 July 2024
Abstract: Kenya has faced a wide scale threat of cattle rustling. The menace has been occurring mainly in counties populated by pastoralist groups including the Turkana, Samburu, Maasai, Pokot as well as Kipsigis and Kisii among others. People have been killed, their property lost; some mutilated, injured, and displaced. Security organizations such as the General Service Unit (GSU) and the Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) among others were mobilized to help curb the danger of cattle rustling yet it has continued to occur in Kenya including Sotik and Borabu Sub counties. The purpose of this study was thus to investigate how effective security agencies were in curbing cattle rustling in the counties of Bomet and Nyamira, Kenya. This study therefore investigated the effectiveness of specialized security agencies in curbing cattle rustling in the Sotik and Borabu Sub-Counties in Bomet and Nyamira Counties in Kenya. A sequential exploratory mixed methods design was used. The target population was all the residents of Sotik and Borabu Sub-Counties (18 years and above) who had information regarding the topic under discourse. They were 284,379 in number. A total of 156 respondents participated. The respondents were drawn through purposive sampling. A questionnaire was used to gather quantitative information while key informant interview guides were used to gather qualitative information from the respondents. The hypothesis was tested using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient (r) at α =0.05 level of significance. The results obtained from the two sub-counties determined that the deployment of specialized security agencies had a statistically significant effect on curbing cattle rustling. This means that before the deployment of security agencies, the frequency of cattle rustling was relatively high as compared to the periods after their deployment. The reduction was therefore attributed to the constant pursuit and deployment of specialized units such as the ASTU, GSU and Administration Police in the region. The study recommends that the national government should expand the presence and activities of specialized security agencies in regions with a history of high cattle rustling rates, focusing on areas with the highest correlation between agency presence and rustling reduction. The government should also implement targeted training programs for specialized security personnel to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge for addressing the unique challenges associated with cattle rustling.
Abstract: Kenya has faced a wide scale threat of cattle rustling. The menace has been occurring mainly in counties populated by pastoralist groups including the Turkana, Samburu, Maasai, Pokot as well as Kipsigis and Kisii among others. People have been killed, their property lost; some mutilated, injured, and displaced. Security organizations such as the Ge...
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Research Article
Research on Identification of the Capacity Influencing Factors of Youth Sports Clubs in China
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 4, August 2024
Pages:
98-115
Received:
1 July 2024
Accepted:
19 July 2024
Published:
23 July 2024
Abstract: Since the 1970s, nonprofit organizations have identified organizational capacity as the key to improving organizational effectiveness. Youth sports clubs have long been trapped in a predicament that makes it difficult for them to keep non-profit nature, operate independently and maintain high performance for a long time. This study investigates which influencing factors can act on the capacity of youth sports clubs to ensure their non-profit nature whilst achieving healthy and sustainable development. The organizational theory systems view emphasizes the relationship between open internal structures and the role of external environmental factors, therefore the capacity influencing factors of youth sports clubs can be comprehensively considered to achieve this by considering both the internal and external influencing components of organizational capacity. The focus of this study was obtained by searching 11 relevant policy documents, 21 papers, and in-depth interviews with 26 experts including youth sports club managers, coaches, and venue management personnel and scholars studying in the field of youth sports research or practice. The study revealed the internal and external influences on youth sports club capabilities, including strategic leadership, service innovation, resource acquisition, network relationships, policy, social media, and environmental uncertainty; and constructed a relationship between internal and external influences on youth sports club capabilities and organizational effectiveness. In addition, we found that Social media had the highest weight, policy had the lowest weight, and the rest of the influences did not differ significantly by the method of the weight calculation. We recommend that youth sports clubs increase the application of social media, stimulate employees' service and innovation ability, and cultivate the strategic leadership ability of leaders.
Abstract: Since the 1970s, nonprofit organizations have identified organizational capacity as the key to improving organizational effectiveness. Youth sports clubs have long been trapped in a predicament that makes it difficult for them to keep non-profit nature, operate independently and maintain high performance for a long time. This study investigates whi...
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Research Article
Examining Failings in Criminal Justice Responses to Sexual Offenses: Focus on Male Victims and Impact of Operation Bluestone
Caitlyn Dugdale,
Marina Hasan,
Aaron Dippie*
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 4, August 2024
Pages:
116-122
Received:
7 July 2024
Accepted:
18 July 2024
Published:
29 July 2024
Abstract: This article highlights the failings of the criminal justice system in offering support to the victims of sexual violence, and keeping the focus particularly on male victims of sexual abuse. The article also investigates the overall experiences of all victims and the current procedures and policies in place. Men are treated as non-deserving victims, because the definition of rape under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 defines rape as “penetration with penis” and does not take male victims into account. Male victims are also not treated the same way as female victims, however both experience rape myths such as males not being ‘man enough’ and females with vulnerabilities, such as alcohol consumption, not being believed. Furthermore, it is increasingly difficult to bring forward rape charges by the crown prosecution service and the victims withdrawal rate in 2019-20 remains at 57%, indicating failings within CJS. Moreover, the negative attitudes of officers dealing with rape cases, and officers abusing their powers to sexually assault victims, raised serious questions around the systematic failure within the CJS. There is a lack of support for rape victims, and the impact of Operation Bluestone, which was created to improve rape case procedures, shows that the number of cases making it to court has increased with the project, but conviction rates remain very low. This was impacted by rape myth culture, which was a consistent theme throughout the research.
Abstract: This article highlights the failings of the criminal justice system in offering support to the victims of sexual violence, and keeping the focus particularly on male victims of sexual abuse. The article also investigates the overall experiences of all victims and the current procedures and policies in place. Men are treated as non-deserving victims...
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Research Article
Impact of Citizens Do-It-Yourself Activities on Digital Platform of Community Policing in Malawi
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 4, August 2024
Pages:
123-130
Received:
8 July 2024
Accepted:
29 July 2024
Published:
20 August 2024
Abstract: Digital platform has become catalyst for effective and efficient enforcement of rule of law in human society. This study examines impact of citizens do-it-yourself activities on digital platform of community policing in Malawi. Under exploratory sequential mixed methods design, Interviews followed purposive sampling targeting four focus group discussions of 10 participants each using interview guide instrument. House hold survey identified 432 respondents guided by Yamene (1969) formular, and were randomly distributed within 10 centers of Muloza, structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Transcribed interviews were coded, then grouped into sub themes, further merged into themes responding to research questions with help of NVivo application. House hold survey analysis implored descriptive statistics in SPSS version 20. Guided by pragmatics philosophical assumptions under lens of social-disorganization, democratic participation, and broken window theories, findings reveal citizens have participated in virtual interaction through ICTs in community policing, characterized by formal and non-formal wide participation improving police accountability and transparency in handling policing and, citizens are satisfied with level of engagement during virtual interaction. Multinominal regression shows gender has no impact on factors that influence Do-It-Yourself participation are (1) communication and sharing information between citizens and police p=.747, (2) to be aware of rights violations and safety needs, (3) people’s involvement in rights violations and suspicious activities p=.708, (4) citizen’s involvement in crime prevention and community policing efforts, (5) to maintain community dialogue and engagement p=.088, (6) looking for faster emergency response times, and (7) to provide evidence and share information with authorities p=.806. Effectiveness of digital participation of Do-It-Yourself is that it is at random and influenced by different causes surrounding personal interests. As such they could be engaged on daily, weekly, occasionally or monthly basis as long as citizens secure their environments. The discussion is that while other studies reveal that ICTs may reduce corruption, this current study reveals that flexibility and user friendly of ICTs allowing formal and non-formal wide participation that has improved police accountability and transparency in policing empowers citizens to participate claiming for their rights to secure their environments in community policing. Based on findings the study recommends community guardians including duty bearers like police officers to enlighten citizens to embrace ICTs for more security empowerment to take part in security issues of their times.
Abstract: Digital platform has become catalyst for effective and efficient enforcement of rule of law in human society. This study examines impact of citizens do-it-yourself activities on digital platform of community policing in Malawi. Under exploratory sequential mixed methods design, Interviews followed purposive sampling targeting four focus group discu...
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Research Article
Emotions and the Social Bond in Situations of Poverty
Anna Zenarolla*
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 4, August 2024
Pages:
131-137
Received:
18 July 2024
Accepted:
7 August 2024
Published:
27 August 2024
Abstract: Although the relationship between emotions and poverty has been recognized by social scientists, it received little attention as a lens through which to observe, interpret, and deal with this issue. To fill this gap, we conducted a qualitative, exploratory, and preliminary analysis of the content of forty interviews with parents living in economic poverty as part of the Research Project of National Interest (PRIN) "Constructions of Parenthood on Uncertain Ground. What Role for Social Work" sought to investigate whether and how the emotional dimension intervenes in poverty, as well as the role it may play in the processes of entering or departing this reality. It was revealed that impoverished individuals experience a wide spectrum of emotions, which contribute to a more complete and multifaceted picture of people in poverty, with more positive features than negative ones. Moreover, the study revealed that poor people experienced a wide range of happy emotions that are not typically associated with poverty. This article focuses on three of these positive feelings - gratitude, solidarity, and pride - and discusses how they grow in the interaction between individuals who live in poverty and those who do not, as well as how they contribute to the strengthening of social cohesion and bonds. This thought appears to be valuable in terms of the positive implications it may have for knowledge and the development of policies targeted at combating poverty. In fact, the analysis confirms that the sociology of emotions is a viable approach to understanding the conditions of individuals living in poverty and opening up new avenues for future research. Furthermore, it helps to overcome preconceptions and stereotypes that still surround poor people, as well as the ideological assumptions about poverty that underpin many contemporary European poverty policies, putting social cohesiveness at danger.
Abstract: Although the relationship between emotions and poverty has been recognized by social scientists, it received little attention as a lens through which to observe, interpret, and deal with this issue. To fill this gap, we conducted a qualitative, exploratory, and preliminary analysis of the content of forty interviews with parents living in economic ...
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