http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5436-3195
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ABSTRACT
Academic research can be criticised for its lack of social impact in the ‘real world’. Study findings are often not well understood nor used effectively to shape policy making and practice. These issues are pertinent for practising social workers who often find it difficult to utilise research knowledge to influence the public realm and engage service users in social change. This paper presents two community based participatory research (CBPR) case studies reflecting on learning achieved from carrying out the research: Study 1 relates to refugees and Study 2 relates to older people. It reflects on how CBPR partnership approaches were used to influence social policy and affect social change in organisational and practice environments in the Irish context and also reflects on the challenges and benefits of working with peer researchers and civil society organisations. The case studies suggest there are considerable advantages to adopting a collective advocacy approach using CBPR, including: creating meaningful impact that has relevance for policy and practice; facilitating the engagement of universities with civic society; and providing a mechanism whereby social workers can engage in the pursuit of social justice for vulnerable communities with whom they work.
ACHOIMRE
Is féidir taighde acadúil a cháineadh toisc go mbíonn easpa tionchair shóisialta aige ar an ‘saol fíor’. Go minic ní thuigtear torthaí staidéir go maith agus níúsáidtear iad go héifeachtach chun ceapadh polasaí agus cleachtas a chur in oiriúint. Tá na saincheisteanna seo ábhartha d'oibrithe sóisialta a bhíonn ag cleachtadh a ngairme. Go minic is deacair dóibh úsáid a bhaint as eolas taighde chun tionchar a imirt ar an réimse phoiblí agus chun úsáideoirí seirbhíse a mhealladh le go n-athróidís an saol sóisialta. Cuireann an páipéar seo dhá chás-staidéar i láthair faoi Thaighde Rannpháirtíochta atá Bunaithe ar an gComhphobal (TRBC) a mhachnaíonn ar an bhfoghlaim a bhain an taighde amach. Baineann Staidéar 1 le dídeanaithe agus baineann Staidéar 2 le daoine níos sine. Machnaíonn siad ar an gcaoi a n-úsáideadh cur chuige TRBC chun tionchar a imirt ar bheartas sóisialta agus chun athrú sóisialta a bhaint amach i dtimpeallachtaí eagrúcháin agus cleachtais in Éirinn. Machnaíonn siad fosta ar na dúshláin agus ar na buntáistí le bheith ag obair le piarthaighdeoirí agus eagraíochtaí na sochaí sibhialta. Tugann na cás-staidéir le fios go bhfuil buntáistí suntasacha ag baint le cur chuige comhchoiteann abhcóideachta a ghlacadh a úsáideann TRBC lena n-áirítear: tionchar fónta a chruthú a bhfuil tábhacht aige le beartas agus cleachtas; bheith ag déanamh éascaíochta ar rannpháirtíocht ollscoileanna leis an tsochaí shibhialta; agus córas a sholáthar inar féidir le hoibrithe a bheith páirteach chun ceartais sóisialta a chur i bfeidhm do phobail leochaileacha lena n-oibríonn siad.
Acknowledgements
Study 1: Muireann Ní Raghallaigh and Maeve Foreman express sincere thanks to all who participated in the study and to our research partners the Irish Refugee Council. They would also like to thank the peer researchers, Gabriel Wenyi Mendes and Siphathisiwe Moyo, as well as the research assistants, Maggie Feeley and Clíodhna Bairéad.
Study 2: Sarah Donnelly wishes to sincerely thank all the social workers who participated in the study. She would also like to thank her co-researchers Dr Marita O'Brien, Dr Emer Begley and Mr John Brennan. Finally, she thanks the Irish Association of Social Workers, Age Action Ireland and the Alzheimer Society of Ireland for acting as partners to this study.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes on contributors
Dr Sarah Donnelly is a lecturer/ Assistant Professor of Social Work at the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, University College Dublin. She has extensive practice experience as a senior medical social worker in a variety of clinical areas including neurology and age-related healthcare. Her research has primarily focused on care planning meetings, older people and capacity and decision-making. She has published on care planning meetings, home care provision for older people, dementia and decision-making, palliative care and adult safeguarding. Sarah is currently a co-convenor of the European Network for Gerontological Social Work (ENGSW).
Dr. Muireann Ní Raghallaigh is a lecturer / Assistant Professor of Social Work at the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, University College Dublin. She previously worked as a social worker with separated asylum seeking children. Her research has primarily focused on the experiences of asylum seekers and refugees, particularly children and young people. She has published on the coping strategies of unaccompanined minors, their experiences in foster care and on the needs and integration of refugee children generally.
Maeve Foreman is a registered social worker and academic. She lectured in social work in Trinity College Dublin for 14 years and prior to that accumulated over 25 years community work and social work practice experience. In Dublin and London, she practiced in homelessness, housing action and community law centres. She worked as a senior medical social worker in HIV and AIDS, participating in the Irish National AIDS Strategy Committee and as board member of HIV Ireland. She retired from Trinity last year but retains some teaching and supervision responsibilities. She is currently a board member of the Irish Refugee Council
ORCID
Sarah Donnelly http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5436-3195
Muireann Ní Raghallaigh https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3144-8097