NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Accessibility of Audiovisual Media Services for Persons with Disabilities in the European Union: Lights and Shadows of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive
No full textCompliance with the comprehensive obligations included in the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities (CRPD), alongside increasing attention to accessibility of goods and services in the EU, supported the
inclusion of more stringent accessibility provisions in the 2018 revised Audiovisual Media Services Directive
(AVMSD). The current text of the AVMSD represents a step forward in aligning with the obligations provided in the
CRPD. However, from a disability perspective, the text of this Directive still presents ‘light and shadows’. The AVMSD
leaves a range of grey areas that may de facto lead to uneven access across the EU. This article explores the extent to
which the AVMSD fulfils the obligations of the CRPD, in particular with regard to Articles 21 and 30 CRPD. The
article first introduces the CRPD and the extent to which it promotes access to audiovisual media services. It then
describes the AVMSD, its key concepts, its history, and its structure. Two sections focus on the accessibility provisions
of the AVMSD and on their consistency with the CRPD. After an overview of national implementation measures of the
AVMSD, the final section provides some concluding remarks which highlight that, although the 2018 revision of the
AVMSD represents a significant step forward, issues persist concerning the application of accessibility measures to all
kinds of disabilities, the definition of progressive and continuous process, the means to achieve accessibility, and
exemptions and differentiated obligations
Engagement with a Multi-Component, Preventative Program to Reduce Child Maltreatment: Program Satisfaction and Acceptability
No full textThe development and implementation of interventions to prevent child maltreatment (CM) is particularly challenging in view of the numerous stressors experienced by families within the child welfare system (CWS). Difficulties engaging families, particularly those who are most vulnerable, can lead to lower program dose and poorer outcomes. This qualitative study, conducted as part of a larger process evaluation, explored participant perspectives of a newly developed, multi-component, community-based intervention designed to reduce the risk of CM in families with young children. The study involved one-to-one interviews with a sub-sample of mothers (n=12) recruited through statutory and community-based social work services. Several brief program satisfaction questionnaires were also completed by parents. Mothers reported a stronger parent–child bond and greater use of positive parenting strategies (e.g. improved communication and discipline strategies) following the
intervention. Facilitator and group support emerged as strong themes throughout the interviews and were important factors in facilitating engagement and reducing drop-out. High levels of program satisfaction were also reported. The study findings demonstrate how a multi-component program, which combines an evidence-based treatment (EBT) with community-based supports, may offer a promising approach for social work practitioners in reducing CM and in better meeting the more complex needs of families within the CWS. However, a more thorough understanding of the factors which promote program engagement and retention, is crucial to maximizing the benefits of interventions designed to support more vulnerable families
Westmeath Elections 1970-2020
No full textAdrian Kavanagh and Caoilfhionn D’Arcy’s chapter above noted the significant
political developments in Westmeath since the historic 1918 election until the
end of the 1970s. During this time, both Westmeath and Ireland underwent a
number of significant political developments and a changing approach to politics.
Candidates communicated with the electorate in new ways during the 1960s
and 1970s. The rise of television and growing professionalism in election
campaigns, in what may be considered the ‘second age’ of election
communication, placed more of a focus on ‘new’ media and the role of party
leaders. This was particularly evident in Jack Lynch’s ‘meet the people tour’ in the
1969 campaign, with a well-resourced Fianna Fáil at the forefront of new
developments. While the national focus tended to shift towards ‘new’ forms of
advertising, elections in Westmeath continued to reflect a strong appreciation
for the ‘local’, as demonstrated by the geographical trends in election results
The conspiracy of Covid-19 and 5G: Spatial analysis fallacies in the age of data democratization
No full textIn a context of mistrust in public health institutions and practices, anti-COVID/vaccination protests and the
storming of Congress have illustrated that conspiracy theories are real and immanent threat to health and
wellbeing, democracy, and public understanding of science. One manifestation of this is the suggested correla-
tion of COVID-19 with 5G mobile technology. Throughout 2020, this alleged correlation was promoted and
distributed widely on social media, often in the form of maps overlaying the distribution of COVID-19 cases with
the instillation of 5G towers. These conspiracy theories are not fringe phenomena, and they form part of a
growing repertoire for conspiracist activist groups with capacities for organised violence. In this paper, we
outline how spatial data have been co-opted, and spatial correlations asserted by conspiracy theorists. We
consider the basis of their claims of causal association with reference to three key areas of geographical
explanation: (1) how social properties are constituted and how they exert complex causal forces, (2) the pitfalls
of correlation with spatial and ecological data, and (3) the challenges of specifying and interpreting causal effects
with spatial data. For each, we consider the unique theoretical and technical challenges involved in specifying
meaningful correlation, and how their discarding facilitates conspiracist attribution. In doing so, we offer a basis
both to interrogate conspiracists’ uses and interpretation of data from elementary principles and offer some
cautionary notes on the potential for their future misuse in an age of data democratization. Finally, this paper
contributes to work on the basis of conspiracy theories in general, by asserting how – absent an appreciation of
these key methodological principles – spatial health data may be especially prone to co-option by conspiracist
groups
Does growth reduce poverty? The mediating role of carbon emissions and income inequality
No full textAs economies continue to grow in the face of global climate change, international
policy is focusing on the combined pursuit of social and environmental development, or ‘sustainable development goals’. Whilst such goals are often framed from
the perspective of high-income countries, low-income countries struggle to balance
their carbon-intensive growth strategies with poverty alleviation, and carbon emission reduction. Combined with the prospect of economic growth driving income inequality higher, the potential for a vicious cycle to emerge in low-income countries in
particular is considerable. Whilst the negative association between economic growth
and poverty is well established, the efectiveness of growth-based programmes as
a poverty reduction strategy in the context of climate change and inequality is less
certain. We explore the prospects of balancing these development goals and their
consequences using an international dataset, and generalized method of moments
estimators. We fnd that although economic development reduces poverty, carbon
emissions (from carbon-intensive growth) coupled with inequality, exacerbates
poverty. Secondly, we fnd that in terms of poverty reduction, poor countries are
negatively impacted by both carbon emissions and income inequality, while rich
countries are primarily impacted by income inequality. Finally, we fnd the efect of
emissions on poverty is stronger for countries at higher poverty levels, suggesting
that international policies aimed at achieving equitable emissions reduction should
consider the potential for disproportionate negative impacts on poorer countries
The latent structure of ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD in a general population sample from USA: A factor mixture modelling approach
No full textThe validity of ICD-11 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD), as measured by the
International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ; Cloitre et al., 2018) has been supported in many factor analytic and
mixture modelling studies. There is, however, a paucity of research investigating the latent structure of the ITQ
using factor mixture modelling (FMM). FMM was applied to data collected from a nationally representative
sample of U.S. adults (N = 1834). FMM results demonstrated strong support for a two-factor second-order model
with four qualitatively distinct latent classes: a ‘PTSD class’, a ‘CPTSD class’, a ‘DSO’ (Disturbances in Self-Organisation) class and a ‘low symptoms class’. Sexual abuse increased likelihood of membership to the
‘CPTSD’ (OR = 3.22) and physical abuse decreased likelihood of membership to the ‘PTSD’ (OR=0.51). Trauma
exposure in adulthood predicted ‘PTSD’ and ‘CPTSD’ class membership. The ‘CPTSD class’ was characterised by
higher levels of psychopathological co-morbidities and poorer psychological wellbeing compared to all other
classes. Results provide additional support for the validity of PTSD and CPTSD as measured by the IT
Territorial approaches to a pandemic: a pathway to effective governance?
No full textPandemics, including COVID-19, highlight the issue of multilevel governance, where and how powers should be allocated, and the challenge of ensuring coherency. This issue comes clearly into focus in epidemiological units where internal jurisdictional boundaries exist, as in the case of the island of Ireland with the border between Northern Ireland/the United Kingdom and Ireland. This article evaluates the approaches to policy-making on the island of Ireland, and considers whether the two jurisdictions adequately addressed cross-border issues in light of the concept of subsidiarity. The core focus is on a COVID-19 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreed between Ireland and Northern Ireland in April 2020, with consideration also of proposals for a two-island approach. The article argues that subsidiarity would call for a centralised approach or at least substantial cooperation to facilitate effective policy implementation and coherency. The MOU reflects these ideas, through supporting substantial cooperation, but with some significant weaknesses that manifest in its implementation. Alternative issues arise when considering a potential two-island approach. Together, the MOU and the alternative of a two-island approach highlight that context is a crucial consideration for subsidiarity and evaluating the approaches to cross-border issues. It can make centralisation and substantial cooperation (and therefore coherency more generally) significantly more challenging and thereby also highlights the limits of subsidiarity
In memoriam David Luscombe (22.VII.1938–30.VIII.2021)
No full textIn memoriam David Luscombe (22.VII.1938–30.VIII.2021
Managing individual research productivity in academic organizations: A review of the evidence and a path forward
No full textThe management of research productivity is central to university governance and drives a broad range of decisions, including those on hiring, promotion and funding allocation. Policymakers and academic leaders responsible for improving their institutions’ research performance need an evidence-based understanding of the organizational factors that can be managed in pursuit of better publication outcomes. Our paper reviews the empirical evidence on the drivers of research productivity that can be actively managed by organizations and policymakers. Such drivers include organizational structures, research culture, features of task environment for academic work, and resource allocation. To advance the state of science in research productivity literature, we then analyze assumptions and highlight mechanisms that need to be explored in order to improve theoretical and methodological state of the field. We suggest directions for future research with the aim to create a deeper and more cohesive body of knowledge on how organizations, funding bodies, and government agencies can influence scientific performance at the individual level. To advance the practice of research management, we offer a rigorous synthesis of existing empirical evidence that can help academic leaders in supporting and developing faculty research productivity within their institutions
