Showing papers by "Colin MacDougall published in 2009"
TL;DR: It is suggested that for these children and young people, having a chronic disease was not perceived as a barrier to participation in organised sport and recreational activities and was enabled by the high level of parental support and background planning involved in managing their child's health care needs.
Abstract: This paper reports the findings of a South Australian qualitative, exploratory study of children and young people living with a chronic disease, and their perceptions and experiences of physical activity. The perceptions and experiences of their parents were also explored. The chronic diseases were type 1 diabetes, asthma and cystic fibrosis. Multiple qualitative data collection techniques were used to elicit the children and young people's perspectives and experiences of physical activity, including focus groups, maps, photos and 'traffic light posters'. The children's parents were interviewed separately to ascertain their views of their child's participation in physical activities. Children and young people described their active participation in a wide variety of physical activities including organised sports and play, but made very little mention of any negative influence or impact due to their disease. Their parents' stories described the diligent background planning and management undertaken to enable their child to participate in a wide range of physical activities. The results of this study suggest that for these children and young people, having a chronic disease was not perceived as a barrier to participation in organised sport and recreational activities. They were physically active and perceived themselves to be no different from their peers. Their positive beliefs were shared by their parents and the level of participation described was enabled by the high level of parental support and background planning involved in managing their child's health care needs.
97 citations
TL;DR: In this article, resilience implies a strengths-based approach to mental health and well-being whilst other drought response programs focus on identifying and responding to problems or deficits, which can be seen as a systemic process embedded in wider social contexts that enables individuals to make judgements and decisions for themselves, their families and their communities.
Abstract: Despite prolonged droughts over the last decade across rural South Australia the majority of farmers continue to farm. This research asks the questions, 'what helps them to 'get by'?', and 'does this mean that they are resilient?'. In this study, resilience implies a strengths-based approach to mental health and well-being whilst other drought response programs focus on identifying and responding to problems or deficits. In using resilience to understand mental health and wellbeing in farm families, we move beyond the perceptions that resilience is a series of traits or characteristics, which protect an individual from the impact of adversity. Instead, we view resilience as a systemic process embedded in the wider social contexts that enables individuals to make judgements and decisions for themselves, their families and their communities.
54 citations
TL;DR: For example, this article found that rural children negotiated freedom of movement by considering broad principles about safety, while metropolitan children were concerned about the way the environment is designed for social planning and the importance of children's engagement and interaction with the natural environment.
Abstract: This study took place in an inner metropolitan Adelaide school and a rural school on Kangaroo Island off the South Australian coast. We compare 33 eight‐ to 10‐year‐old children’s accounts of what the area is like for them. What are the rules and boundaries and who sets them? Metropolitan children were found to have tighter boundaries and required adult supervision to use facilities that rural children could use unsupervised. Rural children negotiated freedom of movement by considering broad principles about safety. Findings increase our understanding of how children perceive movement within their communities, and suggest policies and environmental changes to increase freedom of movement. Study findings raise concerns about the way the environment is designed for social planning, and the importance of children’s engagement and interaction with the natural environment.
52 citations
01 Jan 2009
16 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that children did not see the job loss as a major problem; some felt they now had a better life and many valued not moving for new work, while others were shielded by parents.
Abstract: This paper presents children's accounts from Adelaide, South Australia about parental job losses from automotive manufacturing, an industry that is being restructured globally. The research is informed by the ‘new sociology of childhood’ and nests within a longitudinal, mixed-method study of 372 displaced workers. We interviewed 35 boys and girls aged 4 to 19 from 16 families. Findings support calls for children's voices to be heard. Many children did not see the job loss as a major problem; some felt they now had a better life and many valued not moving for new work. While some reported social, health, and financial impacts, others were shielded by parents. Parents consented to their children's involvement in 23% of in-scope families and those who had moved interstate were not included. Nevertheless, the children's accounts contribute a better understanding of adult domains, including the value of family-friendly work patterns; they also highlight the benefits of including children's perspectives on soci...
15 citations