PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND INTEREST IN THE PROCESS OF LATVIAN STATE ADMINISTRATION

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 387
Author(s):  
Liga Mirlina
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Public Participation ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
The Public ◽  
State Administration

Democratic state administration needs interaction with the public, which requires not only government communication with the public but also the public interest and understanding in the political and public administration processes. The task of public administration is to create a legal and institutional framework and mechanisms for public participation, while NGOs and the general public need civil competency to use the opportunities of public participation. Analysing the Latvian government's communication activities related to public participation and public awareness, the aim of this paper is to examine the level of participation of different social groups and the impact of their awareness on it. Within the framework of the research, the following methods have been used: analysis of normative documents, statistics on the implementation of the Memorandum of cooperation between the government and non-governmental organizations, interviews with experts from NGOs and state administration, focus group discussions with young people. Analysing legal documents and statistics on the involvement of NGOs, public participation platforms and their use have been evaluated. Based on the views of NGOs and state administration experts, there are certain factors that influence the level of public participation and public awareness. Focus group discussions with young people have identified their awareness and interest in public administration processes as well as their civic participation. The research study found that the state administration has created a variety of platforms for the involvement of NGOs in decision-making processes and an increase in the participation of NGOs. By choosing young people as one of the social groups of society, it can be concluded that information about public participation does not reach the general public, thus it has little effect on the formation of the general public's awareness and the level of participation.

Dari Idealisme ke Pragmatisme: Pergeseran Paradigma dalam Pengembangan Hukum Ekonomi Syariah di Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-210
Author(s):  
Addiarrahman Addiarrahman ◽  
Illy Yanti
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Business World ◽  
Key Informants ◽  
The Public ◽  
Financial Products ◽  
Legal Consideration ◽  
Economic Law ◽  
Islamic Economic

This study seeks to understand the pragmatism of the development of sharia economic law, and its implications for Islamic financial products in Indonesia. The data comes from the results of interviews and focus group discussions with key informants from academics, practitioners, authorities, and the public. This research finds that pragmatism in the development of Islamic economic law is an approach that still dominates the DSN-MUI fatwas. The pragmatism style used is complex-eclectic pragmatism which is represented through makhārij al-fiqhiyyah, which is to choose a mild opinion by sticking to the strongest method or also called "taysīr al-manhajī". The use of this method is intended to ensure that the fatwa is truly able to answer the needs of the business world, as well as being in line with sharia principles. DSN-MUI also does not use maslahah as a legal consideration in a free or liberal way. Rather, it returns maslahah in consideration of the method, so that it is permissible to use the bay’ al-'inān contract only in a forced state (ḍarurah).

scholarly journals Mendorong Semangat Inklusifisme dan Toleransi: Studi atas Buku Daras Pendidikan Agama Islam (PAI) dan Model Pembelajarannya di Universitas Brawijaya Malang

Refleksi ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-180
Author(s):  
Media Zainul Bahri
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Religious Education ◽  
Public University ◽  
Religious Development ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Islamic Schools ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Reading Textbooks

This article explores the insights of inclusivism and tolerance in Islamic religious education (PAI) textbooks in Brawijaya University (UB) Malang. This article is the result of research by reading textbooks, interviewing six PAI lecturers and focus group discussions (FGD) at UB Malang in December 2018. In general, there are many material aspects in the textbooks that encourage students to be open, respect for diversity and behave tolerant of different Islamic schools of thought. This is emphasized by the PAI lecturers since UB is a public university belong to the public and because in Islam itself there are many different understandings and schools of thought. The spirit of inclusivism, cosmopolitan and tolerance is seen explicitly in PAI UB’s textbooks and becomes the vision of PAI lecturers. If there is a deviation from the book tends to be a closed ideology, intolerant, and against the Republic of Indonesia, then it can be ascertained because of the “lecturer initiative” personally, and do not represent Lembaga Pusat Pembinaan Agama (the Central Institution of Religious Development).

An investigation into the records management profession in the public service of Namibia

2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 377-388
Author(s):  
Annastasia Ipinge ◽  
Cathrine Tambudzai Nengomasha
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Record Management ◽  
Records Management ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Creation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the recognition of record management profession in the Namibian Public Service. The objectives of the study are to determine appreciation of the importance of records record management; establish policies that support records management; find out the promotion of the records management function in the public service; establish training and job opportunities available for the record management professionals; and come up with recommendations on how the recognition of the record management profession could be enhanced in the public service of Namibia. Design/methodology/approach This case study used qualitative data collection methods, namely, focus group discussions and interviews. The two ministries and records keeping staff who took part in the focus group discussions were conveniently selected, whereas the two government offices where one key informant each was interviewed were purposively selected. Findings This study revealed that the records management profession was not well recognised in the public service of Namibia. The hiring of staff with low educational qualifications and the hiring of records keeping staff with some Diploma qualifications into the same positions as those without qualifications were all evidence of this. In addition to these was the failure to re-grade the records keeping staff through the establishment of a records management cadre. Practical implications The study recommends the creation of record management units in all offices, ministries and agencies headed by qualified record managers supported by qualified records management staff, finalisation and implementation of the records management policy, as well as the creation of a records management cadre. Originality/value The findings of the study on which this paper is based could inform policy for decision makers, and for the records management keeping staff, a strategy for advocating for recognition of their profession was planned.

Researching young people’s perceptions and experiences of place

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeleine Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Spatial Practices ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Everyday World ◽  
People’S Perceptions

This chapter presents an overview and reflection of the range of methods involved in researching teenagers’ spatial practices in a divided city. The research draws on the ‘new sociology of childhood’ as its theoretical framework. This involves seeing young people as competent social actors in their own right. It involves recognising that young people do not simply reflect adult assumptions about the everyday world but develop their own ways of seeing and knowing. It prioritises young people’s points of views and uses methodologies which encourage young people’s voices to be heard. The study utilised a range of methods including questionnaires, focus group discussions, essays and photo prompts and the chapter outlines how each method contributed to the aims and objectives of the research.

scholarly journals Effects of Public Expenditure Management Practices on Service Delivery in the Public Sector: The Case of District Assemblies in Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
George Kojo Scott
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Public Expenditure ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Expenditure Management ◽  
District Assemblies

This research analysed how the public expenditure management as practiced in the District Assemblies of Ghana affect service delivery. The research adopted a mixed-method research approach where qualitative and quantitative data were gathered using questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis. Multistage sampling was used to pick the respondents for the questionnaires, key interview informants and the participants in the focus group discussions. Thirty four out of 170 district assemblies which existed by 2008 were sampled. Participants in the study included 612 District Assembly (DA) officials, 1020 citizens, 28 national/regional officials and 20 participants in focus group discussions. Quantitative data, measured by using scaled-items, were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression while qualitative data were examined thematically. The study established that expenditure management practices had positive significant influence on service delivery. The study recommends that, the DAs should prioritize expenditures to key service delivery areas such as; those that enhance poverty reduction, improve on Human Capital index and strengthen Innovations practices. DAs should strengthen electronic, automation and appropriate technologies for better expenditure management and service delivery. There should be laws to ensure stiffer penalties and enforcement of sanctions on those involved in malpractices in public expenditure management practices, while persistent efforts are made to implement recommendations of Auditor General’s reports on DAs expenditures management practices.

Young Women's and Men's Different Worlds of Alcohol, Fear, and Violence in Focus Group Discussions with 18-Year-Olds in Stockholm

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Abrahamson
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Young Men ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Other ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Street Violence

The purpose of the paper is to investigate how young women and men in focus group discussions reason about alcohol, street violence, fear of assault by a stranger, and to compare the different kinds of threats that young women and men present of what might happen when they are out at night and on their way home. The interviews are analysed from the point of view of the accounts the young people give for their feelings and behaviors. The young women's accounts are dominated by their answers to an implicit question of blame for how they ensure their security and which measures they have taken. What the young women are afraid of is rarely formulated explicitly. It is implicit and goes without much saying. On the other hand the accounts the young men are giving for their actions consist of answers to the implicit question of blame for violence they have been involved in and also of blame for fear of violence. The young men's picture of threat is concrete and consists of other young men of the same age. By their accounts they show that fear of violence is something that has to be given an explanation. The young men use intoxication both as an excuse for the violence they are using and as an explanation to why violence occurs.

Perceptions of and Constraints upon Pregnancy-Related Referrals in Rural Rajasthan, India

2000 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Gupta ◽  
H. Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Healthcare Staff ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Her Family ◽  
Pregnancy And Childbirth ◽  
Birth Attendants ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Behavioural Aspects

Mortality associated with complications of pregnancy and childbirth remains disproportionately high in the developing world. This paper reports on a study into the reasons for the poor uptake of referrals to specialist medical units in a group of 276 women in a rural area in the state of Rajasthan, India. Of the 276 cases that were referred, 242 (88%) of the women failed to attend for specialist consultation. In-depth personal interviews were conducted and a series of focus group discussions was held with the women and with their spouses and spouses' mothers. A range of geographic, cultural, socio–economic and medico–administrative factors was identified as influencing decisions to attend referral units. Recommendations for improving uptake include improving facilities at referral units, providing additional training for healthcare staff (covering technical, managerial and behavioural aspects) and in counselling techniques, a better defined role for traditional birth attendants, improved understanding of the mother's needs by her family (particularly the spouse and his mother) and increasing public awareness of the importance of referral. Finally, there is the requirement that women are encouraged to realize and understand their own needs.

An NGO's Efforts to Empower Ex-Convicts in Botswana

2015 ◽  
pp. 180-205
Author(s):  
Molefe Coper Joseph
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
The Public ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations

This chapter presents a case-study drawn from a qualitative study which explored how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Botswana perceive and respond to recent global emphasis to engage men as stakeholders in gender and development so as to achieve gender equality and to empower women. This case-study was purposively selected from sixteen focus group discussions held with different organizations across the country. The chapter specifically looks at efforts by the Botswana Institute of Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Offenders (BIRRO), an NGO established by a group of rehabilitated ex-convicts to empower other ex-convicts by way of facilitating their re-integration into society. They established this NGO after realizing that the rate of reoffending is high due to negative stereotypes attached to ex-convicts. Despite facing some challenges, BIRRO is trying to counteract the disenfranchising criminal identity which members of the public attach to people who once committed a crime.

Enabling talk: How the facilitator shapes a focus group

2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Myers
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Democratic Politics ◽  
Public Consultation ◽  
Institutional Constraints ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Free Standing ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Complex Processes ◽  
Personal Context

AbstractContemporary democratic politics involves, not just constitutions, elections, and representative bodies, but complex processes of more direct consultation with the public. The value of these processes depends on their openness to voices, topics, and styles of expression that might be excluded from other forums. In this paper I analyze focus group discussions, one of the genres used for public consultation, and the ways that discussions are framed by facilitators. The facilitators' turns are seldom in the form of free-standing questions or statements requiring a response from the participants. Instead, the kinds of interventions they make—probes, prompts, formulations, and metacomments—can be understood in terms of what Sacks (1992) called second-speaker tying rules; that is, they construct coherence by presenting the facilitators' turns as following from what has already been said by a participant. These turns signal that participants are entitled to speak and the facilitator is listening; they also signal the kind of additional response that is wanted. These additional responses call for wider range, greater specificity and personal context, or further reflection on the wording or form of the statement. I argue that a forum does not extend consultation with the public just by removing institutional constraints to allow opinions to be spoken; it should also enable talk that would not otherwise have had an occasion to happen.

Us and them: Young people’s constructions of national identity in Cyprus

Childhood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 467-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeleine Leonard
Keyword(s):  
National Identity ◽  
Young People ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Divided Societies ◽  
Greek Cypriot ◽  
Turkish Cypriot

The purpose of this article is to explore young people’s constructions of national identity in Cyprus. The article is based on focus group discussions with 20 Greek-speaking and 20 Turkish-speaking young people between 13 and 15 years of age, drawn from two schools in the divided capital city of Nicosia. The article explores both the ways in which Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot young people understand their own identity and the degrees of their allegiance to an overarching identity as ‘Cypriot’, rather than Turkish/Greek Cypriot. The article reflects on the contradictions young people face in divided societies where there are competing discourses around national identity.

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