Making use of qualitative tools: towards a fuller understanding of the voluntary sector’s engagement with public service delivery

Qualitative tools are potentially powerful to gain understandings of the voluntary sector’s (VS) engagement with public service delivery. This is because of the strengths associated with qualitative methods to gain specific information on an area as diverse as the VS and the ability to carry out comparative analyses. Despite this, research on the VS is dominated by work that uses quantitative tools. Using a case study of research conducted on VS’ engagement with the government’s welfare‐to‐work programme, the New Deal for Young People, I discuss three advantages commonly associated with qualitative tools. These are the flexibility of open‐endedness and the importance of understanding processes and staff’s perspectives. I conclude that if the government wants to keep the VS engaged in the delivery of public services, they need to understand what keeps the VS involved and that qualitative tools can make a substantial contribution towards understanding this.     

On the detection of clustering and anisotropy using binary data from a lattice patch

A method i s suggested for detecting spatial pattern of disease data on a rectangular lattice. One first classifies all pairs of points by their distance and orientation of separation and then counts the number of pairs of points in each distanceorientation type for which both points show the disease. A log-linear model is proposed for these counts. Methods of fitting to it are suggested that furnish tests of clustering and of anisotropy. Empirical sarnpling results show that the tests are reasonably powerful against certain alternatives and verify that nominal levels of simificances are approximately correct. The method is given in detail for a single four by five plot and is then adapted for combining data from many such plots. Examples are given of such counts and of the calculations used to analyze them.     

Listening to Older Women with Dementia: relationships, voices and power

Four older women with dementia were interviewed about their experiences of their services. People with dementia are rarely asked for their opinions or judged to be fully legitimate persons. Gaps in previous research concerning people with dementia is presented, with respect to listening to people with dementia themselves and with respect to gender issues. The present study is described and the methodology for analysis, Brown and Gilligan's Voice Relational Method, is presented. This method was developed to listen to adolescent girls and has been used to listen to the voices of others who are disempowered in society. Its focus on relationships and issues of power was useful in this study. The methodology is presented in the context of debates within feminist and disability research. The results of the interviews are discussed, particularly with respect to power in the women's relationships, and particularly the relationships between the women with dementia and medical staff. Some implications of these power issues are presented and recommendations are made.