What Does Social Research Concern - Essay Example

Social Research Introduction Social research is research conducted by social scientists. It primarily deals with the areas of sociology and social psychology, but it can also extend to other areas such as social policy, human geography, political science, social anthropology and education. Using census data collected from individuals or groups as part of their research, social scientists carry out an in-depth analysis of the subject of their research. The subject of research could be anything that is happening in current times to events that had taken place centuries ago. According to Charles C. Ragin1, "Social research involves the interaction between ideas and evidence. Ideas help social researchers make sense of evidence, and researchers use evidence to extend, revise and test ideas". Thus social research is research based on logic and empirical observations. Sociologists try to create or validate theories by the process of data collection and data analysis and in doing so, they strive to describe, explain or explore the subject of their research. The aim of social research is to find social patterns of regularity in social life and this form of research usually deals with social groups. Social research is divided into two type, namely pure research and applied research. Pure research has no application on real life, whereas applied research attempts to influence the real world. The following article is an analysis of a published report entitled ’Participation of disabled children and young people in decision making within social service departments: A survey of current and recent activities in England.’ This report evaluates the involvement of disabled children and young people in the decision-making process, regarding their own welfare and in service development. Though disabled children are involved in decision-making process, such involvement is not strictly followed across all social service departments. The involvement of disabled children in strategic decision-making is very rare. Appropriateness of methodology Methodology is a system of principles, practices, and procedures which is applied to a specific branch of knowledge. When applied to the field of social research methodology, refers to the practices, and procedures followed to carry out such research. Social research use two types of methodologies, one methodology is quantitative research and the other is qualitative research. Quantitative research methods have their foundation in the natural science, positivist model of testing theory. Positivists consider the social world as something that is 'out there', or an entity which is external to themselves and which is waiting to be researched. Qualitative research methods are based on interpretations and these methods concentrate in putting forth theories and accounts. Social scientists using this method believe that the social world is constructed by a social agency and therefore any intervention by a researcher will affect social reality. Given the distinct nature of each of these two approaches, it is thought to be better and this is a concept backed by some researchers that combining the two approaches is beneficial as it helps build a more complete picture of the social world. In this report, entitled ’Participation of disabled children and young people in decision making within social service departments’ written by Anita Franklin and Patricia Sloper, quantitative method is used for research. The methodology used is appropriate because, the subject involved is about making a survey on the inclusion of disabled children and young people in the decision making process. The report studies how many departments are active in involivng disabled childrena and young people in decisions regarding their own welfare as well as the decisions in the services of the social service department. The usefulness of the methodology is evident in the fact that a two-stage approach was used to determine the results of the research. First a screening letter was sent to all Assistant Directors of children and families within the social service departments. The aim of this was to find out if the participation of disabled in decisions concerning their welfare was currently being undertaken and if so was such participation carried out during the past twelve months. If such participation was done then the survey conducted, wanted to send a detailed questionnaire to the concerned person. The purpose behind this was to reach out the questionnaire to those who had most knowledge of participation procedure. They received about an 86 percent response. Of the social service department to which the letter was sent about 102 stated that they involved children in the decision making process. Twenty-seven stated they were not involved in any such work. Following this a detailed questionnaire was sent to 102 social service departments and a response was received from 71 of these departments. The questionnaire was designed in such a way, so as to find out in detail the process as well as the outcome of involving disabled children in the decision making process. Questions were posed on whether disabled children were involved in taking decisions on matter regarding their own welfare and also if they were participating in decision making process of social department as well. Within these two categories, seven questions were posed, which were on the nature of the participation, characteristics of the children, characteristics of the participation activity, methods of involvement, support for children, young people and staff, outcomes and lessons learnt. The findings from this program were also indicated quantitatively by the authors, which further indicate the use of quantitative methodology in the research work. The response from 71 authorities indicated that 60 percent were involving children in the decision making process, and in matters related to both their own welfare as well as that of the social service department. A number of methods were used by these departments to involve disabled children and young children in the decision making process. These include verbal, visual, it and arts-based methods. A number of authorities were developing their own materials such as a review consultation form to facilitate involvement, while other were making use of published resources such as ‘I’ll go first toolkit’,. Additionally artistic methods such as role play, drama and puppets were being used. However, 40 percent of the responses showed that they allowed disabled children to make decisions in only one issue. Analysis of whether the conclusions were valid The conclusion from the published report ’Participation of disabled children and young people in decision making within social service departments’ by Anita Franklin and Patricia Sloper, indicates that more needs to be done in the area of involving disabled children and young people in the decision making process regarding issues concerning their welfare and the kind of service given to them by the social service department. This conclusion is backed by evidence derived from the questionnaires sent to different social service departments. According to the report, the writers indicate that, if children and young people have to be made involved in the decision making process, they need to be given adequate support so that they can understand the decision-making process. It is only when this is done that they will fell inclined to participate in an environment which is very adult-like for them. Though, 83 percent of the supporters provided support for disabled children and young people (this was done in the form of assistance with communication, transport and access to venues), to enable them to participate in decisions about their own care, comments suggest this support is minimal and variable. The social service department needs to give training to its staff and workers on how to discern which facilities are required for disabled children to participate in decision-making process. The children likewise require training in order to fully participate in the decision making process. There is a need for transparency on how the social service department carries out their decision-making processes, as there was little information on their decision making process. Broad assumptions taken by the writers The writers have taken a survey on the number of social service departments, regarding their involvement of disabled children and young people in the decision making process. It is important that disabled children and young people be involved in the decision-making process regarding their own welfare as well as the kind of service they received from the social service departments. They assume that such involvement would have taken place in all social service departments and based on this assumption, they have decided to conduct a survey to find out, if their assumption is in place. The 1998 Human Rights Act and the United Nations Convention on the Right of Children, which was ratified by the United Kingdom government in the year 1991, makes such participation mandatory. Results of the survey state that more steps have to be taken on the issue of involving disabled children in the decision making process. Possible bias The writers do not show themselves to be biased because they state their conclusion on the results of the survey they have conducted. The survey is a quantitative analysis of the situation involving participation of disabled children in the decision making process. In the report they have specified that though their survey has provided up to date details on disabled children and young people’s participation within social services across Britain, they also state that they survey is not an exhaustive one and that it only a brief glimpse of what is currently occurring. It has only provided information based on the reponse to the survey’s questionnaires which were filled up by members of the social service department. It does not include the response of children, young people and parents. Furthermore, it does not study the participation process nor does it give the outcome of participation from point of view of children, young people and parents. These points reflect that the writers are not biased and they plainly state the shortcomings of their survey. Ethical issues The writers have impartially given their conclusion of the participation of disabled children and young people in the decision-making process concerning their own welfare and the services given to them by the social service departments. This is because the conclusions are based on the facts collected from their survey and as a result there were no ethical issues to be confronted. They state that though 83 percent of the supporters provided support for disabled children and young people, to enable them to participate in decisions, still, a lot more needs to be done. The disabled children require training so that they can handle the task of making decisions and at the same time, the management needs to be inculcate more skills into their employees, so that they can perceive what needs to be done to further induce the involvement of disabled children and young people in the decision making process. This includes attitudinal changes and training regarding communication, disability equality and children’s rights. It is very important to give feedback to children and young adults on their participation in the decision making process. If this is not done, it will lead to disillusionment on part of the participants, particularly when their decisions are not implemented. Findings from the survey indicate that about 17 percent of the respondents, who have disabled children within their own care, did not provide any feedback. When feedback was provided it was given in a verbal form mainly through a social worker or an advocate. When written information was given it was mainly given to parents of the disabled children rather than the children. On the issue of giving feedback on the children’s views on social activities of the social service departments, the survey has gathered that in this point, children are not given any feedback, on account that they re too young for this. On the whole what was understood was that it was difficult for social service departments to reach out the process of decision making to children who were disabled. From the data collected what can be understood is that about 71 percent of respondents were children with degenerative conditions, 97 percent were with communication impairments, 88 percent with autistic spectrum disorders, and 70 percent with complex health needs. Such data collected in the survey indicated that there was no ethical bias in the surrey conducted as the survey did not target a particular group of children with disabilities, rather it targeted children will different types of disabilities and noted their involvement in decision making. Implication of research report for social work There has been littlie published research regarding the outcome of children’s participation. Very few initiatives conduct rigorous evaluation or produce evidence to demonstrate the link between participation and presumed benefits. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence available on the importance of outcome of children participation such as better development of social service to those who need it, maximization of resources, increased access and utilization of services and increased participatory practice. This implies that more real work needs to be done on these issues and that there is a definite need for improvement in the issue of involving disabled children and young people in the decision-making process. The term participation covers a broad context and it covers many processes. Participation is a concept which changes according to the levels where it is applied and also according to the nature of the work involved. It can range from being present, merely taking a small part to being involved or consulted. It also can mean a transfer of power wherein the participant view points become the reasons for influencing decisions. When participation is looked at from the point of view of disabled children, what is noted is that these children face a lot of hindrances in the form of social exclusion, prejudice and discrimination, and such issues prevent them from participating in matter related to their life. The need for participation is highlighted by many writers. Arnstein (1969) developed the ladder of participation, in relation to children involvement in community service. Hart extended this to include children as well, but these writer have only suggested a hierarchical approach, where the level of participation depends on the level of achievement reaching the tops results in more freedom to decide matter. Such a concept has been criticized by other social writers. Kerby et al, recently proposed a participation model, where there will be no levels and the participation activity will be determined by the circumstances involved. A review of the literature published on the participation of disabled children by Cavet and Sloper (2004) shows that the participation of disabled children needs further development. Disabled children were not included to participate in matters as per the 1998 Human Rights Act and the United Nations Convention on the Right of Children, concerning their welfare because of lack of availability of communication aids, for these children who rely solely on such aids. Most of the emerging literature focuses on issues such as requirement of dedicated resources, the attitude of parents and feedback are important factors; there is little information available on the additional factors which could promote disabled children’s participation. The evidence collected to date has helped to identify disability related needs and for participation and the adoption of creative and flexible approach in meeting these needs. Though materials have been developed to support the process of obtaining views of disabled children, little information has been gathered on their use. If is not known how useful these resources are. One useful, example was the evaluation of disabled children in the under the ‘Ask Us Project’, which was initiated under QP program. ‘Ask Us’ was a national peer project which used multimedia to consult with more than 200 disabled children and young people. This project results in the production of Vcd’s and Cd-Roms on exclusion and rights. It concluded that multimedia enabled a successful participation of children and children who participated through using multimedia and there was a change in the attitude and actions of people who purchased CD-Roms. . When disabled children are involved in the decision making process, what is important to understand is that, through the level of participation will vary depending on the decision to be made, the decision being made will depend on the capability and choice of the child. The focus of a children participating will vary with children and young people participating in matters which affect them as an individual and those that relate to them as a group. When participation is converted into a practical activity, each activity has its own characteristics, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to participation in individual matters, participation can be incorporated through assessment, care planning and reviews. Other forms can be through ongoing dialogue, observation, listening to spontaneous communication and engaging in joint activities. Involvement in public decision making can be through identification, development, provision, monitoring or evaluation of service delivery. In the survey conducted about 44 percent of the social service departments indicated that there has been changes to the service because of children’s participation, however, majority of the people indicated that it was too early to indicate the outcome. Most of the implemented changes have been in the aspect of décor and the children’s preferred play activities. It was however reported that the outcome of disabled children and young people in the decision making process led to better provision of information for disabled children. Of the social service department to whom a questionnaire was sent, about five authorities, stated that the involvement of disabled children and young people had informed their best value review recommendations. One authority appeared to have developed a disabled children participation strategy, which has already seen results in the formation of an advocacy service. A number of methods were used to involve disabled children. These include verbal, visual, it and arts based methods. A number of authorities were developing their won materials such as a review consultation form to facilitate involvement, while other were making use of published resources such as ‘I’ll go first toolkit’,. Additionally artistic methods such as role play, drama and puppets were being used. According to this survey, though disabled children and young people are involved in the decision making process, within both their own care and service development, however participation of children is not embedded and sustained across all social service departments. Not all authorities involved children and young people in the decision making process. Of those which did involve disabled children and young people in the decision making process, the number of such social service departments considerably varied across areas. This seems to be what earlier researches into this issue suggests, which is that participation of disabled children and young people in decision regarding their welfare and in the services given to them is still patchy issue and one which requires further development.. About 27 social service departments stated that they did not involve disabled children and young people in the decision making process. Only 60 percent of the 71 social service departments which did respond to the survey, involved disabled children and young people in both areas of the decision making process. The implications of this social research is that al lot more needs to be done to improve the status of disabled children and young people in the participation process. What is important to find out here is if these disabled children represent the views of all disabled children and young people and if these children are the easiest to reach, the most articulate and confident children. What is untimely concluded from the survey is that some disabled children have not been given their rights to participate under the 1989 children act or the United Nations Convention on the Right of Children, but there are also results which indicate that the involvement of children with communication problems and complex needs is on the rise. It is very important to give feedback to children and young adults on their participation in the decision making process. If this is not done it will lead to disillusionment on part of the participants, particularly when their decisions are not implemented. Findings from the survey indicate that about 17 percent, of the respondents are disabled children within their own care did not provide any feedback to the participants. When feedback was provided it was verbal form mainly through a social worker or an advocate. When written information was given it was mainly given to parent of the disable children retest than the children. This alone is not enough as personal interaction is important, with regards to the feedback on social activities, children are not given any feedback, because they are too young for this. The implications of this social research indicate that improvements are required and research has to be done in all the above mentioned areas. Conclusion More research needs to be done into why young children are not likely to take part in the decision making process and what can be done to support younger children. Involvement of children in strategic decisions seems to be rare. Since decisions at such level would be abstract and so there may be difficulties in involving children with learning disabilities. Research also has to be done on youth forums, about the processes adopted by them, how they are feeding into the decision making process and how much weight s being given into their opinions and the outcomes of their formation. More research needs to be done into why young children are not likely to take part in the decision making process and what can be done to support younger children. Involvement of children in strategic decisions seems to be rare. Since decisions at such level would be abstract and so there may be difficulties in involving children with learning disabilities. Within the areas of service departments, funding was reported in 34 percent of the initiatives. Funding was coming from a wide range of sources such as QP, the children’s fund, health action zones, single regeneration budgets and new opportunities fund. There were only a couple of respondents who mentioned joint agency funding across education, health and social services. Only one mentioned funding across adult and children socials service department. Over half the respondents in the survey indicated that they required funding to help disabled children to participate in decision making process, by providing them with individual packages of care to suit their needs. A substantial number of children were benefited by QP funding, which was used to fund children’s rights officers, advocacy workers, complaint services and some participation and listening workers. In many cases voluntary agencies were undertaking this work. If children and young people have to be made involved in the decision making process, then they require support so that hey can understand the process. This way they will fell inclined to participate in what is more or less like an adult environment. However, more training needed to be given to children and young adults in order to fully participate in the decision making process and furthermore, there was little information on the authority’s decision making process. need for staff training and education, as well as skills development in order to promote participation. This includes attitudinal changes and training regarding communication, disability equality and children’s rights. With regards the aspect of making decision on their own welfare, disabled children were more likely to be involved in their own review, than in any other decision making process. The areas where they were least likely to be involved were, child protection conferences or their own health plans. With regards to the participation of children in service department, they were most likely to be involved in making decision on issues such as play or leisure services. They were asked their response on activities, décor, toys, changes to buildings, gardens with respite care rather than on abstract forms such as developing new forms of service. The responses suggested the emergence of youth forums as a mechanism of participation. It is only when adequate steps are taken with respect to improving the involvement of disabled children and young people in the process of decision about their own future and about the service they receive from social service department will their care really improve. In this regard it is not only research or survey such as this which need to be carried out, it is also implementation of adequate government policies and establish of forums dedicated to this cause that are required. More information needs to be collected on how to involve children with learning disabilities in decision making process because this is a difficult issue to handle and studies must be undertaken to understand the financial requirement for more improvements to take place so that young people and disable children can be fully involved in decision-making process. It seems to be fairly easier to involve disabled children in the decision-making issue about heir own welfare, but likewise similar level of participation must be seen in them in issues regarding the service they receive from social service departments. References: Beresford B (2002), ‘Preventing the exclusion of children’, in Mcneish D,., Newman T. and Roberts H. (eds), What works for children) Buckingham Open University Press Boyden, J. and Ennew, J. (1997) Children in Focus. A Manual for ParticipatoryResearch with Children, Stockholm, Radda Barnen Cavet, J. nd Sloper P. (2004) ‘ Participation of disabled children in individual decisions about their lives and in public decisions about service deevelopment’, Children and society, 18(4), pp 278-290 Davis, J., Watson, N., Corker, M. and Shakespear, T.(2003) ‘ Reconstructing disability childhood and social policy in the UK’, in Hallet, C and Prout, A. Hearing the voices of Children: Social policy for a New Century, London, Falmer. Department of health (1991) The Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations: Volume Children with disabilities, London, Department of health Jones, B (2003) Childhood disability in a Multicultural Society, Oxon. Radical Medical Press Kilgour, K (2002) Circus Skills: A Triaining, Support and Development Needs Survey of Participation Workers, London, Carnegie Young people Initiative. Morris, J. (2003)’ Including all Children: Finding out about the experiences of children with communication and/or cognitive impairments’, Children and Society, 17(5), pp, 337-348 Rabiee, P., Priestly, M. and Knowies, J. (2001) Whatever Next? Young Disabled People Leaving Care, York, York Publishing Services. Read More