Dorien Brosens | Vrije Universiteit Brussel (original) (raw)
Papers by Dorien Brosens
KWALON
Challenges in setting up and conducting interviews with non-Belgian prisoners In 2018, 44.6% of t... more Challenges in setting up and conducting interviews with non-Belgian prisoners In 2018, 44.6% of the prison population in Belgium consisted of prisoners with a non-Belgian nationality (n = 4.601). Despite their overrepresentation, little is known about this group of prisoners, because they are often excluded from research. Therefore, the FIP2 project (Foreigners’ Involvement and Participation in Prison) was initiated and focuses on non-Belgian prisoners and their formal and informal participation in prison life. Fifty-one interviews with non-Belgian prisoners were conducted in four prisons. During these interviews, we experienced several challenges, which included various difficulties. In this article, we describe, analyze and reflect on the most important challenges in setting up and conducting interviews with non-Belgian prisoners: (1) how we can reach non-Belgian prisoners; (2) interviewing in a foreign language for the researcher/respondent; (3) the presence of an interpreter in ...
Community Sport and Social Inclusion
Education Sciences, 2021
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Journal of Occupational Science
This scoping review investigates foreign national and ethnic minority prisoners’ participation in... more This scoping review investigates foreign national and ethnic minority prisoners’ participation in formally organized prison activities and aims to: (1) map available studies on both groups of prisoners’ participation in prison activities (i.e., active citizenship, healthcare and treatment, leisure time, and reintegration activities), and (2) evaluate existing research topics on activity participation and types of prison activities. Following a search in electronic databases, manual searches and expert consultation, 36 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data from these studies were extracted and synthesized qualitatively. The results demonstrate that most literature has focused on ethnic minorities’ activity participation, rather than that of foreign nationals. There was also unequal research attention regarding types of prison activities studied, with healthcare and treatment programs predominant. In addition, this review provides some evidence for the importance of acknowledging and considering the ‘cultural’ diversity among prisoners in providing prison activities. Research gaps and future research avenues on this topic are identified. Finally, the limitations and the implications of this review are considered.
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly
Utilizing a mixed-methods research design consisting of two consecutive phases, this study invest... more Utilizing a mixed-methods research design consisting of two consecutive phases, this study investigates older adults’ perceptions and understanding of social connectedness factors influencing late-life volunteering. In the first phase, quantitative data from the Belgian Ageing Studies project ( N = 24,508, from 89 municipalities) was analyzed through regression modeling. In the second, qualitative phase, focus groups with older people were conducted in each of the six research locations, to elucidate and build on the quantitative results. The research findings indicate that formal connectedness is highly influential for both the potential to volunteer and actually doing so. Membership of an association and being a new resident are key determinants for volunteering in later life. Moreover, local policy also functions as an important bridge between long-term residents and new residents in terms of the social structure of the society and the extent to which people are integrated into t...
Geron
SamenvattingWil leren voor ouderen succesvol zijn dan zal de leeromgeving aan een aantal voorwaar... more SamenvattingWil leren voor ouderen succesvol zijn dan zal de leeromgeving aan een aantal voorwaarden moeten voldoen. De consortia van de Europese projecten SMARTE (Strenghts for Mastering Ageing by Realising Tools in Europe) en GUTS (Generations Using Training for Social inclusion in 2020) hebben een leermodel ontwikkeld dat handvatten biedt om het leren voor en door ouderen in de praktijk te brengen. In het project GUTS zijn 10 leeromgevingen in 5 landen ontwikkeld waar ouderen en jongeren samen aan de slag gaan. Vraag is hoe zo’n leeromgeving eruit zou kunnen zien.
International Review of Education
This article examines the profile of prisoners who do not take part in formal education while bei... more This article examines the profile of prisoners who do not take part in formal education while being incarcerated (e.g. language or ICT courses) and the barriers to participation these prisoners experience. Survey data were collected as part of a research project conducted in a remand prison in Belgium (n = 486). The results demonstrate that 29% of the prisoners take part in educational courses and that participation rates are lower among Belgian and non-European prisoners, those with either a very good or very poor understanding of the Dutch language, and those serving a short sentence. Non-participants experience mainly situational barriers (e.g. having recently arrived in prison), but they also express having preferences for other activities (e.g. working), and being confronted with informational (e.g. not being aware of the possibilities for participation), institutional (e.g. receiving no response to a request to enrol in a course) or dispositional barriers (e.g. not feeling like taking classes). Furthermore, this study investigates which individual, social network and prison-related characteristics are associated with the various categories of barriers. The article concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the study and recommendations for future research.RésuméObstacles à la participation des détenus aux programmes d’éducation et de formation : observations d’un établissement pénitentiaire en Belgique – Cet article examine le profil des détenus qui ne participent pas à un enseignement formel durant leur incarcération (par exemple cours de langues ou d’informatique), ainsi que les obstacles à la participation que rencontrent ces détenus. Des données d’enquête ont été collectées dans le cadre d’un projet de recherche mené dans un établissement pénitentiaire de Belgique (n = 486). Les résultats démontrent que 29 pour cent des détenus participent aux cours, et que les taux de participation sont inférieurs parmi les détenus belges et non-européens, ceux ayant une compréhension très bonne ou très faible du flamand, et ceux purgeant une courte peine. Les non-participants rencontrent essentiellement des obstacles situationnels (incarcération récente), mais déclarent également une préférence pour d’autres activités (par exemple le travail), et être aussi confrontés à des obstacles informationnels (par exemple ne pas être conscients des possibilités de participer), institutionnels (par exemple ne pas recevoir de réponse à une demande d’inscription à un cours) ou personnels (entre autres ne pas avoir envie de suivre des cours). Cette étude examine par ailleurs les caractéristiques individuelles, liées aux réseaux sociaux et à l’établissement, qui sont associées aux diverses catégories d’obstacles. L’article conclut par une analyse des limites de cette étude et par des recommandations pour la recherche ultérieure.
Geron
SamenvattingDe vergrijzing zet zich niet enkel door in de ‘vrije’ samenleving, ook gevangenissen ... more SamenvattingDe vergrijzing zet zich niet enkel door in de ‘vrije’ samenleving, ook gevangenissen worden geconfronteerd met een groeiende groep ouderen. In Vlaanderen heeft elke gedetineerde recht op maatschappelijke hulp- en dienstverlening, waaronder onderwijscursussen, sportactiviteiten en socio-culturele vormingsactiviteiten. Er zijn echter slechts weinig gegevens over de participatie van ouderen aan deze activiteiten. Dit artikel zoemt daarom in op verschillende leeftijdsgroepen en de mate van participatie aan hulp- en dienstverleningsactiviteiten.
European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research
This exploratory study examines the experiences of foreign national prisoners and the motivations... more This exploratory study examines the experiences of foreign national prisoners and the motivations and barriers to their participation in prison programmes (e.g., educational courses, use of the prison library, prison work, sociocultural activities, sports). Data are derived from 15 individual interviews with foreign national prisoners in two Belgian prisons. During the interviews the strengths-based approach of Appreciative Inquiry was used. The results demonstrate that foreign national prisoners experience motivations and barriers that can be placed at the different levels of the ecological model of Bronfenbrenner (1979) which affect individual behaviour: micro-, meso-, exo-and macro-level. Foreign national prisoners were often motivated to participate in prison programmes to improve their health (micro-level) or to facilitate contact inside and outside prison (meso-level). The reverse was also possible; foreign national prisoners were limited in their participation in prison programmes by their social networks (meso-level) and a lack of knowledge and understanding of the available activities (exo-level). In conclusion, limitations, guidelines for further research and implications for practice and policy are considered.
Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research
ABSTRACT To gain insight into the educational opportunities for European foreign national prisone... more ABSTRACT To gain insight into the educational opportunities for European foreign national prisoners, an online survey was distributed among educational providers and prison managers (N = 108). The results demonstrate that courses for learning domestic languages are most frequently offered. Other educational courses mostly relate to primary education and psychosocial courses. Based on the online survey, four organizations are investigated in depth to gain more information about how they work. We conducted 12 semi-structured individual and one group interview with professionals and prisoners. The results of the hybrid thematic analysis showed that different models exist to organize education for FNPs. The findings make contribution to the development of European pilot projects that provide distance education to FNPs offered by their home country.
The Prison Journal, 2017
This study investigates the barriers and the predictors of these barriers that impede prisoners’ ... more This study investigates the barriers and the predictors of these barriers that impede prisoners’ participation in sport activities. Data are derived from a project in a remand prison in Belgium ( N = 486). Findings indicate that prisoners have strong preferences for other activities (e.g., work, visiting), as well as experiencing institutional barriers to sport activity. Findings show that age and time served, in particular, have an influence on the experience of the different types of barriers. Based on the research findings, the article concludes by discussing paths for further research and implications for policy and practice.
Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, Jun 16, 2017
There is evidence of an increasing emphasis on the relevance of the quality of life-paradigm as a... more There is evidence of an increasing emphasis on the relevance of the quality of life-paradigm as an outcome measure for clients in geriatric, forensic, as well as correctional care. This paper aims to explore to what extent variables that were categorized according to the main areas of the Good Lives Model ('the self', 'the body' and 'social life') are related to the quality of life domains of older imprisoned offenders. Data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire administered in individual interviews with 93 older prisoners aged 60 years and over in 16 prisons of the Dutch-speaking region in Belgium. Characteristics of the main GLM-areas were identified by specifically designed items as well three validated instruments (psychiatric disorders, loneliness, and frailty). Dependent variables consisted of the four sub-domains of the WHOQOL-BREF instrument which measures quality of life in four domains, namely: (1) physical health, (2) psychological ...
European Journal of Ageing, 2017
Several debates have emerged across the literature about the conceptualisation of active ageing. ... more Several debates have emerged across the literature about the conceptualisation of active ageing. The aim of this study is to develop a model of the construct that is focused on the individual, including different elements of people's lives that have the potential to be modified by intervention programs. Moreover, the paper examines the contributions of active ageing to life satisfaction, as well as the possible predictive role of coping styles on active ageing. For this purpose, a representative sample of 404 Galician (Spain) community-dwelling older adults (aged ≥60 years) were interviewed using a structured survey. The results demonstrate that the proposed model composed of two broad categories is valid. The model comprises status variables (related to physical, psychological, and social health) as well as different types of activities, called processual variables. This model is tested using partial least squares (PLS) regression. The findings show that active ageing is a fourth-order, formative construct. In addition, PLS analyses indicate that active ageing has a moderate and positive path on life satisfaction and that coping styles may predict active ageing. The discussion highlights the potential of active ageing as a relevant concept for people's lives, drawing out policy implications and suggestions for further research.
Onderwijs Research Dagen 2013, Mar 4, 2013
Dit artikel onderzoekt de participatiegraad aan (in)formele leeractiviteiten binnen een gevangeni... more Dit artikel onderzoekt de participatiegraad aan (in)formele leeractiviteiten binnen een gevangeniscontext (vb. onderwijs, VDAB-cursus, etc.) en het profiel van participanten. Onderzoek heeft meermaals de positieve effecten van participatie aangetoond zoals vermindering van recidivisme, verbetering van basisvaardigheden, versterking gevoel van eigenwaarde,... Een grote groep blijkt echter niet te participeren. Dit onderzoek brengt de relaties in kaart tussen participatie en socio-demografische variabelen, opleidingsgraad, beheersing van de Nederlandse taal, verblijfsduur en recidivisme. Op basis van kwantitatief onderzoek (N=486) wordt aangetoond dat voornamelijk 50+ers, gedetineerden die de Nederlandse taal niet machtig zijn of sinds kort in de gevangenis verblijven kwetsbare groepen zijn met betrekking tot deelname aan activiteiten. Ten slotte worden een aantal aanbevelingen geformuleerd voor de praktijk en het beleid.
European Journal of Criminology
Prisoners’ participation and involvement in prison life are becoming important topics featuring o... more Prisoners’ participation and involvement in prison life are becoming important topics featuring on European political agendas. To investigate the different types of prisoner participation and involvement in one prison in Belgium, the experiences of prisoners and professionals, and the processes that enhance or limit prisoners’ participation, 11 focus groups have been conducted with prisoners ( N = 36) and professionals ( N = 42). A thematic analysis of this data identifies that various formal and informal participation initiatives exist, but several barriers between prisoners, prison staff and prison management impede (structural) participation. Implementing and increasing the participation and involvement of prisoners requires organizational and cultural changes. The article concludes by discussing practical issues raised by the study, as well as some limitations.
This article seeks to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of involving older people in re... more This article seeks to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of involving older people in research, policy and social change at a local level. It focuses on the ‘Belgian Ageing Studies’, a research programme which monitors the needs and quality of life among home-dwelling older people in order to provide tools for evidence-based ‘age-friendly’ policies at a local level. The research programme was developed in co-creation with older people, senior associations, senior advisory boards, local authorities and other stakeholders. Older people are involved in this research as experts and actors by playing a significant role in the development of the study as well as the data collection and the evaluation (peer research). Each sample is representative for the respective municipality, offering local governments tools for the development of evidence-based policies. A total of 159 municipalities (N = 75,319) in Belgium, the Netherlands and
Italy participated in the research programme. The process of the Belgian Ageing Studies programme in which older people actively engage as participants and develop a sense of co-ownership shows how participatory research can play a role in promoting evidence-based senior policies.
Dorien Brosens Liesbeth De Donder And the Foriner consortium 1 Colophon Authors Dorien Brosens Li... more Dorien Brosens Liesbeth De Donder And the Foriner consortium 1 Colophon Authors Dorien Brosens Liesbeth De Donder And the Foriner consortium Published in 2016, Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015
Although contemporary arts are considered an excellent way for museumgoers to practise the proces... more Although contemporary arts are considered an excellent way for museumgoers to practise the process of meaning-making, these processes are often hampered by visitors' difficulties with equivocal interpretations and the heterogeneity of the museum public. In order to design and provide qualitative educational tools, more insights are needed to tackle these barriers. This paper reports on two related studies examining the development and use of educational tools from both the visitor and the museum educator perspective. Besides considering eight variables of influence and different degrees of difficulty and profundity in their educational tools, art museums must reckon with the perceptibility of educational tools to target new audiences or sustain audience loyalty.
This study investigates the barriers to prisoners’ participation in vocational orientation progra... more This study investigates the barriers to prisoners’ participation in vocational orientation programmes, as well as the predictors of different types of barriers. Survey data derived from a project in a remand prison in Belgium (N=468) provided the empirical evidence for the analyses. The results indicate that facing situational and informational barriers are most common. Based on the different kinds of barriers, various types of non-participants can be distinguished and multinomial logistic regression analyses are conducted to identify in what way participants of vocational orientation programmes differ from various types of non-participants. For instance, prisoners with a poor understanding of the Dutch language and those who never/rarely receive visitors participate less in vocational orientation programmes as they are more likely to be confronted with informational barriers. Paths for future research and implications for policy and practice will be discussed.
KWALON
Challenges in setting up and conducting interviews with non-Belgian prisoners In 2018, 44.6% of t... more Challenges in setting up and conducting interviews with non-Belgian prisoners In 2018, 44.6% of the prison population in Belgium consisted of prisoners with a non-Belgian nationality (n = 4.601). Despite their overrepresentation, little is known about this group of prisoners, because they are often excluded from research. Therefore, the FIP2 project (Foreigners’ Involvement and Participation in Prison) was initiated and focuses on non-Belgian prisoners and their formal and informal participation in prison life. Fifty-one interviews with non-Belgian prisoners were conducted in four prisons. During these interviews, we experienced several challenges, which included various difficulties. In this article, we describe, analyze and reflect on the most important challenges in setting up and conducting interviews with non-Belgian prisoners: (1) how we can reach non-Belgian prisoners; (2) interviewing in a foreign language for the researcher/respondent; (3) the presence of an interpreter in ...
Community Sport and Social Inclusion
Education Sciences, 2021
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Journal of Occupational Science
This scoping review investigates foreign national and ethnic minority prisoners’ participation in... more This scoping review investigates foreign national and ethnic minority prisoners’ participation in formally organized prison activities and aims to: (1) map available studies on both groups of prisoners’ participation in prison activities (i.e., active citizenship, healthcare and treatment, leisure time, and reintegration activities), and (2) evaluate existing research topics on activity participation and types of prison activities. Following a search in electronic databases, manual searches and expert consultation, 36 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data from these studies were extracted and synthesized qualitatively. The results demonstrate that most literature has focused on ethnic minorities’ activity participation, rather than that of foreign nationals. There was also unequal research attention regarding types of prison activities studied, with healthcare and treatment programs predominant. In addition, this review provides some evidence for the importance of acknowledging and considering the ‘cultural’ diversity among prisoners in providing prison activities. Research gaps and future research avenues on this topic are identified. Finally, the limitations and the implications of this review are considered.
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly
Utilizing a mixed-methods research design consisting of two consecutive phases, this study invest... more Utilizing a mixed-methods research design consisting of two consecutive phases, this study investigates older adults’ perceptions and understanding of social connectedness factors influencing late-life volunteering. In the first phase, quantitative data from the Belgian Ageing Studies project ( N = 24,508, from 89 municipalities) was analyzed through regression modeling. In the second, qualitative phase, focus groups with older people were conducted in each of the six research locations, to elucidate and build on the quantitative results. The research findings indicate that formal connectedness is highly influential for both the potential to volunteer and actually doing so. Membership of an association and being a new resident are key determinants for volunteering in later life. Moreover, local policy also functions as an important bridge between long-term residents and new residents in terms of the social structure of the society and the extent to which people are integrated into t...
Geron
SamenvattingWil leren voor ouderen succesvol zijn dan zal de leeromgeving aan een aantal voorwaar... more SamenvattingWil leren voor ouderen succesvol zijn dan zal de leeromgeving aan een aantal voorwaarden moeten voldoen. De consortia van de Europese projecten SMARTE (Strenghts for Mastering Ageing by Realising Tools in Europe) en GUTS (Generations Using Training for Social inclusion in 2020) hebben een leermodel ontwikkeld dat handvatten biedt om het leren voor en door ouderen in de praktijk te brengen. In het project GUTS zijn 10 leeromgevingen in 5 landen ontwikkeld waar ouderen en jongeren samen aan de slag gaan. Vraag is hoe zo’n leeromgeving eruit zou kunnen zien.
International Review of Education
This article examines the profile of prisoners who do not take part in formal education while bei... more This article examines the profile of prisoners who do not take part in formal education while being incarcerated (e.g. language or ICT courses) and the barriers to participation these prisoners experience. Survey data were collected as part of a research project conducted in a remand prison in Belgium (n = 486). The results demonstrate that 29% of the prisoners take part in educational courses and that participation rates are lower among Belgian and non-European prisoners, those with either a very good or very poor understanding of the Dutch language, and those serving a short sentence. Non-participants experience mainly situational barriers (e.g. having recently arrived in prison), but they also express having preferences for other activities (e.g. working), and being confronted with informational (e.g. not being aware of the possibilities for participation), institutional (e.g. receiving no response to a request to enrol in a course) or dispositional barriers (e.g. not feeling like taking classes). Furthermore, this study investigates which individual, social network and prison-related characteristics are associated with the various categories of barriers. The article concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the study and recommendations for future research.RésuméObstacles à la participation des détenus aux programmes d’éducation et de formation : observations d’un établissement pénitentiaire en Belgique – Cet article examine le profil des détenus qui ne participent pas à un enseignement formel durant leur incarcération (par exemple cours de langues ou d’informatique), ainsi que les obstacles à la participation que rencontrent ces détenus. Des données d’enquête ont été collectées dans le cadre d’un projet de recherche mené dans un établissement pénitentiaire de Belgique (n = 486). Les résultats démontrent que 29 pour cent des détenus participent aux cours, et que les taux de participation sont inférieurs parmi les détenus belges et non-européens, ceux ayant une compréhension très bonne ou très faible du flamand, et ceux purgeant une courte peine. Les non-participants rencontrent essentiellement des obstacles situationnels (incarcération récente), mais déclarent également une préférence pour d’autres activités (par exemple le travail), et être aussi confrontés à des obstacles informationnels (par exemple ne pas être conscients des possibilités de participer), institutionnels (par exemple ne pas recevoir de réponse à une demande d’inscription à un cours) ou personnels (entre autres ne pas avoir envie de suivre des cours). Cette étude examine par ailleurs les caractéristiques individuelles, liées aux réseaux sociaux et à l’établissement, qui sont associées aux diverses catégories d’obstacles. L’article conclut par une analyse des limites de cette étude et par des recommandations pour la recherche ultérieure.
Geron
SamenvattingDe vergrijzing zet zich niet enkel door in de ‘vrije’ samenleving, ook gevangenissen ... more SamenvattingDe vergrijzing zet zich niet enkel door in de ‘vrije’ samenleving, ook gevangenissen worden geconfronteerd met een groeiende groep ouderen. In Vlaanderen heeft elke gedetineerde recht op maatschappelijke hulp- en dienstverlening, waaronder onderwijscursussen, sportactiviteiten en socio-culturele vormingsactiviteiten. Er zijn echter slechts weinig gegevens over de participatie van ouderen aan deze activiteiten. Dit artikel zoemt daarom in op verschillende leeftijdsgroepen en de mate van participatie aan hulp- en dienstverleningsactiviteiten.
European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research
This exploratory study examines the experiences of foreign national prisoners and the motivations... more This exploratory study examines the experiences of foreign national prisoners and the motivations and barriers to their participation in prison programmes (e.g., educational courses, use of the prison library, prison work, sociocultural activities, sports). Data are derived from 15 individual interviews with foreign national prisoners in two Belgian prisons. During the interviews the strengths-based approach of Appreciative Inquiry was used. The results demonstrate that foreign national prisoners experience motivations and barriers that can be placed at the different levels of the ecological model of Bronfenbrenner (1979) which affect individual behaviour: micro-, meso-, exo-and macro-level. Foreign national prisoners were often motivated to participate in prison programmes to improve their health (micro-level) or to facilitate contact inside and outside prison (meso-level). The reverse was also possible; foreign national prisoners were limited in their participation in prison programmes by their social networks (meso-level) and a lack of knowledge and understanding of the available activities (exo-level). In conclusion, limitations, guidelines for further research and implications for practice and policy are considered.
Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research
ABSTRACT To gain insight into the educational opportunities for European foreign national prisone... more ABSTRACT To gain insight into the educational opportunities for European foreign national prisoners, an online survey was distributed among educational providers and prison managers (N = 108). The results demonstrate that courses for learning domestic languages are most frequently offered. Other educational courses mostly relate to primary education and psychosocial courses. Based on the online survey, four organizations are investigated in depth to gain more information about how they work. We conducted 12 semi-structured individual and one group interview with professionals and prisoners. The results of the hybrid thematic analysis showed that different models exist to organize education for FNPs. The findings make contribution to the development of European pilot projects that provide distance education to FNPs offered by their home country.
The Prison Journal, 2017
This study investigates the barriers and the predictors of these barriers that impede prisoners’ ... more This study investigates the barriers and the predictors of these barriers that impede prisoners’ participation in sport activities. Data are derived from a project in a remand prison in Belgium ( N = 486). Findings indicate that prisoners have strong preferences for other activities (e.g., work, visiting), as well as experiencing institutional barriers to sport activity. Findings show that age and time served, in particular, have an influence on the experience of the different types of barriers. Based on the research findings, the article concludes by discussing paths for further research and implications for policy and practice.
Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, Jun 16, 2017
There is evidence of an increasing emphasis on the relevance of the quality of life-paradigm as a... more There is evidence of an increasing emphasis on the relevance of the quality of life-paradigm as an outcome measure for clients in geriatric, forensic, as well as correctional care. This paper aims to explore to what extent variables that were categorized according to the main areas of the Good Lives Model ('the self', 'the body' and 'social life') are related to the quality of life domains of older imprisoned offenders. Data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire administered in individual interviews with 93 older prisoners aged 60 years and over in 16 prisons of the Dutch-speaking region in Belgium. Characteristics of the main GLM-areas were identified by specifically designed items as well three validated instruments (psychiatric disorders, loneliness, and frailty). Dependent variables consisted of the four sub-domains of the WHOQOL-BREF instrument which measures quality of life in four domains, namely: (1) physical health, (2) psychological ...
European Journal of Ageing, 2017
Several debates have emerged across the literature about the conceptualisation of active ageing. ... more Several debates have emerged across the literature about the conceptualisation of active ageing. The aim of this study is to develop a model of the construct that is focused on the individual, including different elements of people's lives that have the potential to be modified by intervention programs. Moreover, the paper examines the contributions of active ageing to life satisfaction, as well as the possible predictive role of coping styles on active ageing. For this purpose, a representative sample of 404 Galician (Spain) community-dwelling older adults (aged ≥60 years) were interviewed using a structured survey. The results demonstrate that the proposed model composed of two broad categories is valid. The model comprises status variables (related to physical, psychological, and social health) as well as different types of activities, called processual variables. This model is tested using partial least squares (PLS) regression. The findings show that active ageing is a fourth-order, formative construct. In addition, PLS analyses indicate that active ageing has a moderate and positive path on life satisfaction and that coping styles may predict active ageing. The discussion highlights the potential of active ageing as a relevant concept for people's lives, drawing out policy implications and suggestions for further research.
Onderwijs Research Dagen 2013, Mar 4, 2013
Dit artikel onderzoekt de participatiegraad aan (in)formele leeractiviteiten binnen een gevangeni... more Dit artikel onderzoekt de participatiegraad aan (in)formele leeractiviteiten binnen een gevangeniscontext (vb. onderwijs, VDAB-cursus, etc.) en het profiel van participanten. Onderzoek heeft meermaals de positieve effecten van participatie aangetoond zoals vermindering van recidivisme, verbetering van basisvaardigheden, versterking gevoel van eigenwaarde,... Een grote groep blijkt echter niet te participeren. Dit onderzoek brengt de relaties in kaart tussen participatie en socio-demografische variabelen, opleidingsgraad, beheersing van de Nederlandse taal, verblijfsduur en recidivisme. Op basis van kwantitatief onderzoek (N=486) wordt aangetoond dat voornamelijk 50+ers, gedetineerden die de Nederlandse taal niet machtig zijn of sinds kort in de gevangenis verblijven kwetsbare groepen zijn met betrekking tot deelname aan activiteiten. Ten slotte worden een aantal aanbevelingen geformuleerd voor de praktijk en het beleid.
European Journal of Criminology
Prisoners’ participation and involvement in prison life are becoming important topics featuring o... more Prisoners’ participation and involvement in prison life are becoming important topics featuring on European political agendas. To investigate the different types of prisoner participation and involvement in one prison in Belgium, the experiences of prisoners and professionals, and the processes that enhance or limit prisoners’ participation, 11 focus groups have been conducted with prisoners ( N = 36) and professionals ( N = 42). A thematic analysis of this data identifies that various formal and informal participation initiatives exist, but several barriers between prisoners, prison staff and prison management impede (structural) participation. Implementing and increasing the participation and involvement of prisoners requires organizational and cultural changes. The article concludes by discussing practical issues raised by the study, as well as some limitations.
This article seeks to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of involving older people in re... more This article seeks to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of involving older people in research, policy and social change at a local level. It focuses on the ‘Belgian Ageing Studies’, a research programme which monitors the needs and quality of life among home-dwelling older people in order to provide tools for evidence-based ‘age-friendly’ policies at a local level. The research programme was developed in co-creation with older people, senior associations, senior advisory boards, local authorities and other stakeholders. Older people are involved in this research as experts and actors by playing a significant role in the development of the study as well as the data collection and the evaluation (peer research). Each sample is representative for the respective municipality, offering local governments tools for the development of evidence-based policies. A total of 159 municipalities (N = 75,319) in Belgium, the Netherlands and
Italy participated in the research programme. The process of the Belgian Ageing Studies programme in which older people actively engage as participants and develop a sense of co-ownership shows how participatory research can play a role in promoting evidence-based senior policies.
Dorien Brosens Liesbeth De Donder And the Foriner consortium 1 Colophon Authors Dorien Brosens Li... more Dorien Brosens Liesbeth De Donder And the Foriner consortium 1 Colophon Authors Dorien Brosens Liesbeth De Donder And the Foriner consortium Published in 2016, Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015
Although contemporary arts are considered an excellent way for museumgoers to practise the proces... more Although contemporary arts are considered an excellent way for museumgoers to practise the process of meaning-making, these processes are often hampered by visitors' difficulties with equivocal interpretations and the heterogeneity of the museum public. In order to design and provide qualitative educational tools, more insights are needed to tackle these barriers. This paper reports on two related studies examining the development and use of educational tools from both the visitor and the museum educator perspective. Besides considering eight variables of influence and different degrees of difficulty and profundity in their educational tools, art museums must reckon with the perceptibility of educational tools to target new audiences or sustain audience loyalty.
This study investigates the barriers to prisoners’ participation in vocational orientation progra... more This study investigates the barriers to prisoners’ participation in vocational orientation programmes, as well as the predictors of different types of barriers. Survey data derived from a project in a remand prison in Belgium (N=468) provided the empirical evidence for the analyses. The results indicate that facing situational and informational barriers are most common. Based on the different kinds of barriers, various types of non-participants can be distinguished and multinomial logistic regression analyses are conducted to identify in what way participants of vocational orientation programmes differ from various types of non-participants. For instance, prisoners with a poor understanding of the Dutch language and those who never/rarely receive visitors participate less in vocational orientation programmes as they are more likely to be confronted with informational barriers. Paths for future research and implications for policy and practice will be discussed.