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The Value Of Enterprise: Overcoming Cultural Barriers In Northern Ireland, Julie Byrne, Sharon Mcgreevy Jun 2017

The Value Of Enterprise: Overcoming Cultural Barriers In Northern Ireland, Julie Byrne, Sharon Mcgreevy

The ITB Journal

This paper presents some of the evaluation results of a learning intervention which took place in Northern Ireland from 1999-2002. The intervention called the KEY project was funded by the International Fund for Ireland and aimed to bring together young people from conflicting cultural and political backgrounds living in Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland. The objective was to develop the interpersonal and enterprise skills of the participants by involving them in a range of learning activities. In this way the project hoped to redress the disadvantages of children born into marginalised communities and also …


Community Engagement In A Conflict Environment: Reflections On The Work Of The International Fund For Ireland 1986-2011, Paddy Harte Jun 2017

Community Engagement In A Conflict Environment: Reflections On The Work Of The International Fund For Ireland 1986-2011, Paddy Harte

The ITB Journal

The International Fund for Ireland, which was set up by the British and Irish Governments in 1986 under the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985, was funded by the United States of America, the European Union, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The International Fund enjoys the support of 31 countries, which is truly remarkable. It is one of the most successful examples of the Irish Diaspora at work in a very tangible way; a point ably captured in the Fund’s 2002 Annual Report where Hon Russell Marshall from New Zealand notes “As a member of the Irish Diaspora, New Zealand was delighted …


Developing And Implementing Civic Engagement Programmes In Dublin 15, Breffni O’Rourke Jun 2017

Developing And Implementing Civic Engagement Programmes In Dublin 15, Breffni O’Rourke

The ITB Journal

Moss (1994) compares Applied Portfolios to job applications where the candidate has to convince a committee of the strengths on offer; In the Applied Portfolio the student has to convince the teacher of what has been learned and how effectively. The period February and March of 2013 were not unlike a job interview, the basic structure was known (for the Applied Portfolio) and there was a sense that anything could happen next. Similar to a job interview the Portfolio process requires you demonstrate examples of your learning in an applied setting, a key difference being you get to propose an …


‘Getting Children Outdoors Again’ - Outdoor Play For Children In A Rural North West Of Ireland Setting: A Civic Engagement Project, Michelle Mcgonagle Jun 2017

‘Getting Children Outdoors Again’ - Outdoor Play For Children In A Rural North West Of Ireland Setting: A Civic Engagement Project, Michelle Mcgonagle

The ITB Journal

Children’s’ Outdoor play nowadays is the preferred approach to playing indoors which has become a constant focus of influences and powers of technology. Children spend hours on social media sites, isolated playing video games and lost in technologically powered screens (Larson et al, 2011). As a results of this disengagement with outdoors activities, children fall victims to many problems including obesity, social exclusion, and in some cases behavioural issues Fresh air and exercise are probably the two most common benefits associated with outdoor play by parents. However, many other advantages and beneficial of outdoor play including child’s social, cognitive and …


Community Civic Engagement As An Enabler Of Student Flourishing, Edel Randles, Bernie Quillinan Jun 2017

Community Civic Engagement As An Enabler Of Student Flourishing, Edel Randles, Bernie Quillinan

The ITB Journal

Civic Engagement is a process where people join together to conduct public work, it may be for political activism, advocating for social justice, consciousness raising, challenging and changing societal systems. It usually incorporates levels of social connectedness, coherence, shared philosophies, comradeship, social responsibility, compassion, courage and transcendence. Familiar civic engagement terms across Higher Education include, volunteering, service learning, community based learning/research, community engaged research and capacity building.


Apathetic Or Engaged? Exploring Two Paradigms Of Youth Civic Engagement In The 21st Century, Aideen Mccormack, Cormac Doran Jun 2017

Apathetic Or Engaged? Exploring Two Paradigms Of Youth Civic Engagement In The 21st Century, Aideen Mccormack, Cormac Doran

The ITB Journal

The majority of academics studying the field of civic engagement would concurrently agree that there is a decline in conventional forms of civic engagement, such as voting, keeping informed with current affairs, or membership in civic organisation, especially among young people. However, disagreements begin when advocates for traditional forms of engagement discount evidence of new, evolving patterns in youth civic engagement. Reviewing literature on civic engagement, this paper offers an examination of the congested debate on the ‘two paradigms’ of youth civic engagement, the disengaged paradigm and the engaged paradigm.


Setting Up And Mentoring In Coderdojo Dublin 15, Arnold Hensman Jun 2017

Setting Up And Mentoring In Coderdojo Dublin 15, Arnold Hensman

The ITB Journal

Initilally beginning in Ireland, CoderDojo is a non-profit organisation that has grown rapidly into a global network of community based programming clubs. Mentors teach coding skills to young people aged between 7 and 17. All classes are free of charge and clubs operate entirely on a volunteer basis. The first Dublin 15 based CoderDojo began just over two years ago and continues to thrive during weekend sessions held at The Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB), which offers the use of its premises and resources for the sessions. This paper will chronicle the involvement of ITB staff and students with the …


Civic Engagement: Strategic And Implementation Perspectives Within A Higher Education Institution, Des Moore Jun 2017

Civic Engagement: Strategic And Implementation Perspectives Within A Higher Education Institution, Des Moore

The ITB Journal

This paper will give a brief overview of what Civic Engagement means in Higher Education in general with a particular focus on Knowledge Exchange, Service Learning, Community Based Research and Volunteering. Following this, emergent thinking on Civic Engagement in Ireland is presented. Given both the theoretical context and the strategic importance of ensuring Civic Engagement opportunities are offered in a Higher Education Institution some possible organisation arrangements regarding the structured development and implementation of Civic Engagement at strategic and implementation levels are proposed.


Editorial, Brian Nolan Jun 2017

Editorial, Brian Nolan

The ITB Journal

I am very pleased to have to the opportunity to introduce the papers in the 26th edition of the ITB Journal, which is dedicated to Civic Engagement.


A Minority Within A Minority? Social Justice For Traveller And Roma Children In Ecec, Colette Murray Jun 2017

A Minority Within A Minority? Social Justice For Traveller And Roma Children In Ecec, Colette Murray

The ITB Journal

Following years of lobbying by Human Rights NGOs working with Roma and Travellers and despite centuries of oppression, Roma issues have only recently become prominent on the EU policy agenda. Similarly, Children’s Rights issues, and in particular Early Childhood Care and Education, have surfaced after years of being the second class citizen to ‘formal’ education. Why is this happening now? This article discusses the recent policy developments in Europe regarding Roma and Traveller integration and Early Childhood Provision, drawing at the same time on the Irish experience for analysis and insights on policy and practice. We are all aware of …


From Grand Dad’S To Grand Daughter’S Binge Drinking – A Recent Evolution Of Heavy Episodic Alcoholic Consumption In Ireland., Gaël Le Roux Jun 2017

From Grand Dad’S To Grand Daughter’S Binge Drinking – A Recent Evolution Of Heavy Episodic Alcoholic Consumption In Ireland., Gaël Le Roux

The ITB Journal

This article is aimed at understanding how female students perceive and explain the feminisation of binge drinking among their age group in Ireland. It focuses on the responsibility of older generations as well as female students’ gender and ethnic identity quests as possible explanatory factors for their increasing level of episodic heavy alcohol consumption. This empirical research was of a qualitative nature. 50 female students at the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, were interviewed individually in 2011 and 2012. The findings might be of significance in order to improve the effectiveness prevention strategies implemented in Ireland to reduce heavy …


Violent Video Games And Attitudes Towards Victims Of Crime: An Empirical Study Among Youth, Lavinia Mclean, Mark D. Griffiths Jun 2017

Violent Video Games And Attitudes Towards Victims Of Crime: An Empirical Study Among Youth, Lavinia Mclean, Mark D. Griffiths

The ITB Journal

Previous research has indicated that playing violent video games may be associated with an increase in acceptance of violence and positive attitudes towards perpetrators of crime. This study is the first to investigate the relationship between playing violent video games and attitudes towards victims of crime. A total of 206 young people (aged 12-24 years) completed measures of attitudes towards victims and violent video game exposure. The results suggest that exposure to violent video games is associated with less concern being reported for victims of crime. Young people who play more violent video games reported less concern for general victims …


The Social Pillar Of Sustainable Development A Literature Review And Framework For Policy Analysis, Kevin Murphy Jun 2017

The Social Pillar Of Sustainable Development A Literature Review And Framework For Policy Analysis, Kevin Murphy

The ITB Journal

There is a need to develop a clearer understanding of what the social pillar of sustainable development means and how it relates to the environmental pillar. This article contributes to this process by presenting a conceptual framework that identifies four overarching social concepts and links them to environmental imperatives. These concepts are: public awareness, equity, participation, and social cohesion. The framework builds on concepts and policy objectives outlined in research on international sustainable development indicators and the social sustainability literature. The social pillar can be expanded to include environmental, international, and intergenerational dimensions. This framework can then be used to …


Home And Exile: Some General Themes, Jennifer Ann Fawcett May 2017

Home And Exile: Some General Themes, Jennifer Ann Fawcett

The ITB Journal

This paper will discuss the creative potential of liminality. This idea will be developed through a discussion of the experience of the liminal position of the exiled individual and the examination of some personalities whose lives have been shaped by exile. This will encompass the dislocation of the individual from a ‘home’ space into a situation of homelessness, the reworking of the individual’s identity in the unfamiliar environment and the resulting consequences of this shift. It will be argued that the exilic position is characterised by almost permanent liminality, as many situations will not result in a return to normality, …


Computer Forensics And Irish Law, Anthony Keane May 2017

Computer Forensics And Irish Law, Anthony Keane

The ITB Journal

They say that ignorance of the Law is not a defence but how many people could really say that they have any idea of the legislation regarding compute use. The answer is not many and therefore most computer users do not know if their activities are considered illegal or illegal, other then the obvious ones that appear from time to time in the news media and normally involve fraud, theft or child pornography. This paper is a short overview and discussion of the Irish legislation that can be applied to computer activities and how “computer crime” is dealt with in …