This line of research explores, in a broad and interdisciplinary way, the social dimension of health, especially in areas related to community care and health such as:
- Aging, technology and society
- Critical studies of disability and independent living
- Community mental health
- Emergencies, disasters and community resilience
- Feminism and care ethics
- Precarity, gender, job market and subjectivities
- Social studies on personal and community health
- Reconciliation of work-personal life, sustainability and community health
Specific thesis projects offered inside of this line of research include the following:
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Thesis Proposals
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Researchers | Researcher Group |
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Caring communities in times of crisis Recent years have seen caring communities ang groups and online care networks proliferate throughout Europe. CareNet has conducted extensive research into examples of self-organized caring communities, where the focus is on the community, particularly as alternatives to state-, market- and family-based care solutions. More recently, and in connection to complex crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, we have also looked at forms of self-organized and grassroots emergency response. We welcome thesis proposals aimed at shedding light on how these networks and communities produce and experiment with care, knowledge and technology in times of crisis. We are also interested in exploring the psychosocial impact of crises, emergencies and disasters and the role of these caring communities in terms of social support, identity, health and quality of life. |
Mail:irodriguezgir@uoc.edu
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Objects, animals and plants in old age Life course transitions in old age may be marked by deep loss and grief, but also by hope and agency. Moreover, it is usually a time in which relationships of care, friendship, recognition and exclusion are reconfigured (Lynch & Danely, 2013). Still, dominant theories on life course transition fail to consider that ageing is a processual and practical accomplishment involving not only humans, but also non-human actors. Several studies have shown the importance of cherished, ordinary and even divested objects in preserving memories, negotiating identity, establishing new social bonds in later life, and making new places one's home, even institutional settings such as care homes. Moreover, other-than-human beings such as pets or plants also play an important role in later life transitions. The pandemic has revealed their importance in promoting social connectedness and preventing isolation and loneliness. Moreover, pets and plants are increasingly involved in innovative care interventions in long-term facilities and community care arrangements, and there is strong evidence backing the positive impact they have on the health and well-being of older adults (Wells, 2009). However, in most of these studies, objects, animals or plants are seldom considered as ageing beings, nor are their old age transitions studied as being intimately entangled with their aged human companions' transition to old age. We welcome PhD candidates with a background in gerontology, health studies or social sciences who are experienced with qualitative methods and are interested in exploring the role of other-than-humans (objects, animals, plants) in ageing, transitions to old age or/and environments of ageing (e.g., long-term care facilities). We are also looking for candidates who are interested in non-anthropocentric and inter-species approaches to ageing. |
Dr Daniel López Mail: dlopezgo@uoc.edu |
CareNet |
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Care, activism and climate change among young people As the climate crisis becomes increasingly evident, more and more people are feeling an intense fear towards the future of humans and the planet. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines this as eco-anxiety or "a chronic fear of environmental doom". Eco-anxiety can be caused by the stressful and frightening experience of "watching the slow and seemingly irrevocable impacts of climate change unfold, and worrying about the future for oneself, children and later generations", according to a report published by the APA. It may come with feelings of loss, helplessness and frustration, as some people feel they are unable to stop climate change. As shown in several studies, children and young people tend to suffer more from eco-anxiety than adults, including experiencing feelings of worry, fear, anger, grief, despair, guilt and shame. This may explain why many young people are also particularly active in coming together to demand climate justice, participating in local or global activist initiatives, and/or creating safe and caring spaces, either online or in-person, to share their feelings, empower themselves and their communities and take action. We welcome PhD students interested in exploring the psychosocial impact of climate change, particularly among children and young people, and in understanding how community care and activism among children and young people can help to improve the way they cope with the climate crisis, bring hope for the future, build community resilience and prompt political action. This project is being conducted together with Constanza Jacques (IDIAPJGol) and Laura Oliveras (ASPB). |
Mail:irodriguezgir@uoc.edu
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CareNet |
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Older adults' healthcare and well-being at home and in the community The ageing population worldwide has set significant challenges for healthcare and social systems. Moreover, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for innovative community-based solutions to take care of our older adults. Consequently, programmes aimed at preventing functional capacity loss in older adults and promoting healthy ageing are mandatory. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set the need to design, develop and pursue comprehensive community-based approaches that introduce primary care interventions to prevent declines in capacity. Additionally, WHO has established the "Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020-2030" to promote a healthy ageing process. This involves developing and maintaining functional capacity in older adults to ensure their well-being. Functional capacity is determined by a person's intrinsic capacity and their physical, social, economic and political environment, as well as their interactions. We aim to understand the biological, social, economic and environmental determinants of functional capacity in old adults and the effect of tailored home and community-based programmes and interventions on old adults' health, autonomy and well-being. We are interested in research proposals including quantitative, qualitative or mixed (quantitative and qualitative) designs to approach aspects such as the following: · Evaluating programmes for preventing functional capacity loss in old adults and promoting healthy ageing · Evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of services and interventions provided to old persons at home and in the community under health service and social perspectives Co-designing and validating innovative tools and methodologies to perform person-centred evaluation and research |
Mail: minzitari@uoc.edu |
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Precarious lives and social inequality: sociopsychological effects The low-income working population is growing in Europe. This phenomenon can be attributed to salary reductions, lower job quality and jobs that do not provide sufficient hours of adequately paid work, among other factors. This is happening within a job market whose productive and occupational structures are undergoing important changes and in which precarious work appears as a generalized problem, but which greatly affects the most vulnerable groups (young people, women, immigrants, people with funcional diversity, among others). This is also due to the fact that traditional rules governing the regulation and protection of salaried work are disappearing in the face of new forms of employment. However, this precarity is not limited to the workplace. It appears in and interferes with other areas of our daily lives, determining, for instance, the construction of our biographies. We aim to understand the relationship between social inequality and precarity, focusing on the sociopsychological effects it has on people and their quality of life, with the aim of contributing to the transformation towards a more quality, inclusive and sustainable world of work. We are interested in qualitative research proposals analysing aspects such as how precarity is defining people's daily lives; how people in precarious situations take sense and meaning from their work and personal situation; how they are able evaluate themselves and their social identity; how they plan their lives, projects and future actions, and finally, what kinds of health effects could lead to precarious living conditions. |
Mail: agalvez@uoc.edu Mail:esantamarial@uoc.edu |
TRAGSO: Work, Gender and Society |
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Work-life balance, sustainability and community health
The concept of work–life balance has recently established itself as a key component on route maps drawn up in the pursuit of social sustainability, both on a local scale, represented by individual organizations, and on a more general one, represented by global institutions such as the United Nations.
There is broad consensus on the fact that work–life balance is of vital importance in industrialized nations and that it is becoming a pressing issue in developing countries as well. In the former case, the massive incorporation of women into the workplace, the rise in the number of single‐parent families, and the increase in dependency as a result of ageing populations are some of the factors that explain why the issue of work–life balance has become a key item on the agendas of a number of European Union states.
We aim to understand, from a gender perspective, the relationship between work-life balance, social sustainability and community health, focusing on the sociopsychological effects it has, on the one hand, on people and their wellbeing and mental health and, on the other hand, on organizations and the dynamics they produce to guarantee sustainability and inclusivity.
We are interested in qualitative research proposals analysing aspects such as:
- How the work dimension of people's lives affects the personal dimension and vice versa.
- How the relationship between the different dimensions affects and influences people's health and well-being.
- How organisations' measures related to WLB impact on the well-being and health of workers.
- How WLB influences sustainability, inclusiveness and equity of organisations.
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Mail: agalvez@uoc.edu Mail:esantamarial@uoc.edu
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TRAGSO: Work, Gender and Society |
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Organizations, telework and social sustainability
Telework has appeared in the world of work and organizations as a great solution, especially since the beginning of the pandemic of COVID-19.
Telework has been analysed from a wide variety of viewpoints, receiving both great support and harsh criticism. Supporters underline telework’s great potential to harmonize the different facets of people’s lives, however, other authors reveal its more controversial and negative ramifications.
Our research aims to analyse the relationship between telework and social sustainability. We focus on analysing the different organisational, social, personal and cultural dimensions that influence and determine how teleworking becomes a way of working that promotes well-being and contributes to social sustainability.
We are interested in qualitative research proposals analysing aspects such as:
- Telework as a work-life balance measure and its effects and implications on people's health and well-being.
- The conditions and premises to implement telework in order to contribute to the improvement labour conditions in organisations and the increase of workers' quality of life.
- How telework can contribute to social sustainability and the integration of organisations in their community.
- How telework can contribute to eliminate gender inequalities and promoting equality.
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Mail: agalvez@uoc.edu
Mail:esantamarial@uoc.edu
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TRAGSO: Work, Gender and Society |