Browsing by Author "Hervie, V.M."
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Gender Perspectives of Male Immigrant Healthcare Assistants in Norwegian Elderly Care(Journal of Comparative Social Work, 2021) Hervie, V.M.; Abbey, E.; Dadzie, N.K.M.Exploring gender and feminization in healthcare professions within welfare institutions is an important issue. This article explores the experiences of male immigrant healthcare assistants with racialized features in Norwegian elderly care. A key narrative theme was how notions such as gender and categories of class reinforce structural power relationships, positioning male immigrants in elderly care as “lacking” and/or vulnerable with respect to self-esteem. In the analysis, participants’ experiences were perceived, contested, and negotiated within the themes of: (a) Gender Identities: Negotiations among male immigrant healthcare assistants, and (b) The interwoven process of gender and class. Participatory parity (Fraser, 2008) and perspectives of intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989) were applied to explore how notions of gender and categories of class limit and reinforce power relationships. The analysis sheds light on how such notions and categories reinforce structural power relationships. Furthermore, the article argues that understanding the impact of gender on the Norwegian care sector must address how specific categories of individuals are affected, in addition to the attendant labour market challenges.Item How Did Children With Disabilities Experience Education and Social Welfare During Covid‐19?(Social Inclusion, 2023) Klette‐Bøhler, K.; Bossy, D.; Hervie, V.M.Research suggests that children with disabilities have been systemically marginalised during the Covid‐19 pandemic as con‐ tamination measures complicated some social policies. School closure, quarantine, and the increased use of social media in remote schooling have placed children with disabilities in a vulnerable situation. This article explores the subjective consequences of such processes through the analysis of qualitative interviews with parents who had children with disabil‐ ities. To contextualise our analysis, we also draw on expert interviews with bureaucrats and social workers and data from a survey that was sent out to parents who had children with disabilities. Taken together, these data sources provide a rich empirical context to study how the pandemic influenced the access of children with disabilities to education and social services in Norway. We also pay attention to how the pandemic influenced parents’ perception of social welfare in Norway and discuss how issues of race, class, and socio‐economic background were reflected in their experiences. Both interview data and survey data were gathered during the pandemic. Conceptually we take inspiration from the capability approach with a particular focus on theoretical work on “conversion factors.” These theoretical perspectives invite us to identify and analyse specific mechanisms that prevented and/or enabled children with disabilities to live a life according to their own visions and values during the pandemic. Through this study of how children with disabilities experienced education and social welfare in Norway during the pandemic, we shed new light on how one of the world’s most advanced welfare states operates during a time of crisis.Item Male Allyship within the Context of Local Governance: A Case of Wenchi Municipality in Ghana(The International Journal of Community Diversity, 2023) Gyan, C.; Yeboah, A.S.; Abbey, E.; Hervie, V.M.Despite significant efforts in promoting gender equality globally, gender disparities still exist in the political, social, and economic realms of both developed and developing countries. Women are still underrepresented in governance throughout the world. In the Ghanaian context, the beliefs and behaviors of men could be instrumental in facilitating and/or impeding women’s active participation in local governance. From a constructivist perspective, this study qualitatively explored men’s perspectives on women’s involvement in local governance in the Wenchi municipality of Ghana. The study interviewed respondents who are actively engaged in the local governance process in the municipality. The respondents’ experiences and thoughts about women’s involvement in local governance were analyzed. The study finds that there is a huge disparity in women’s participation in local governance in the municipality. It also finds that these disparities are fueled and institutionalized by the existing patriarchal system in Ghana. The study results imply that involving men in the efforts geared toward breaking barriers to women’s involvement in local governance and increasing the level of women’s participation requires the collective efforts of all stakeholder groups, especially men. The study therefore recommends that conscious efforts be made to integrate women in the local governance system because women have more to offer if given the opportunityItem Social inclusion of children with intellectual disabilities in Accra, Ghana: Views of parents/guardians and teachers(Children and Youth Services Review, 2023) Hervie, V.M.Guided by Bronfenbrenner (1979) ecological systems theory, this study examined social inclusion for children with intellectual disabilities from the perspectives of parents, guardians and teachers in Accra, Ghana. The goal of the study was to explore perspectives of parents, guardians, and teachers regarding social inclusion for children with intellectual disabilities in Ghanaian society. The objectives were to explore (a) beliefs about intellectual disabilities among parents/guardians and teachers in selected schools in the Greater Accra region of Ghana (b) challenges encountered by parents/guardians of children with intellectual disabilities in Accra, Ghana and (c) benefits of special education for children with intellectual disabilities in Accra, Ghana. A descriptive study design with qualitative data collection and purposive sampling methods were utilised to recruit 17 participants for the study. This consisted of eight parents and guardians who have children with intellectual disabilities and nine teachers who teach these children. Data were collected using individual in-depth interviews and observation of participants and analyzed thematically. The findings indicated that children with intellectual disabilities encountered challenges related to beliefs about intellectual disabilities, parental neglect, financial difficulties and labelling and stigma. Furthermore, evidence showed that children with intellectual disabilities benefited from special education in terms of improved communication, bonding with teachers and peers and skill acquisition to deal with challenges they face. Based on the findings of the study, conclusions and implications are discussed for social work practice and policy.