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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Growing old with other than humans
Life course transitions in old age are marked by loss, grief, hope, and agency. People face changes that re-configure their identities, relationships, and kinship and generate both recognition and exclusions (Lynch & Danely, 2013). Still, dominant theories on life course transition fail to consider ageing a processual and practical accomplishment involving humans and non-human actors. Several studies have shown the importance of places and objects in preserving memories, negotiating identity, establishing new social bonds in later life, easing home-making in care homes and end-of-life and grief. Moreover, animal companions, even plants, play an important role in later life transitions and elderly care. The pandemic has revealed its importance in promoting social connectedness and preventing isolation and loneliness. Animal companions 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 ageing beings, nor are their old age transitions (including end-of-life) studied as intimately entangled with their aged human companions’ life course transitions to old age.
We welcome PhD candidates with a background in social sciences or health sciences who are experienced with qualitative methods and are interested in exploring the role of other-than-humans (objects, animals, plants) in ageing, and transitions to old age.
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Dr Daniel López
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CareNet |
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Care, activism, and climate change
As the climate crisis becomes more visible, more and more people are feeling an intense fear for the future of humans and the planet. The American Psychological Association defines this as eco-anxiety, “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 association. It may come with feelings of loss, helplessness, and frustration, as some people feel they are unable to stop climate change.
We welcome PhD students interested in exploring the psychosocial impact of climate change, particularly among young people, and in understanding how community care and activism can contribute to improve the way they cope with climate crisis, bring hope for the future, build community resilience and prompt political action.
This project is conducted together with Constanza Jacques (IDIAPJGol), and Laura Oliveras (ASPB)
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Mail:irodriguezgir@uoc.edu
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CareNet |
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The mediation of social networks in young people with advanced chronic diseases
Scientific literature abounds in the study of the impact of social networks, such as Instagram, X and Facebook, on adolescents and young adults. These platforms satisfy needs such as personal expression and a sense of belonging to a community. Influencers play a crucial role in influencing these communities by posting content that showcases a life full of successes and happy moments.
However, social networks have also become spaces where young people share painful experiences, such as facing advanced chronic diseases, such as cancer. Some young influencers share their experiences, telling stories of overcoming, survival and personal growth in the context of the disease. Although these stories have normalized optimistic discourses about cancer, transmitting an idealized and unrealistic image of the disease, they also allow young patients to express a more critical view of their experience.
We are looking for PhD students interested in analysing these discourses and study the role of social networks in mediating experiences related to serious illnesses, even in the final stages of life. The research seeks to understand the psychosocial functions of social networks, not only for cancer patients, but also for their families and followers. Additionally, the challenges faced by healthcare professionals due to the impact of these influencer narratives on other young people affected by serious illnesses will be explored.
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Mail:irodriguezgir@uoc.edu
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CareNet |
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Long-term care and the making of home
Nowadays, any idea of ‘good’ care seems to hinge on the notion of home. Most people want to grow old at home. The promotion of independent living and deinstitutionalisation in social care policies rely on home care service, respite service for family carers and adaptation of houses to ensure accessibility. However, this ideal of home as an environment of care enters into crisis when we consider realities such as: increasing isolation and unwanted loneliness, housing and climate emergencies, care needs related to neuro-degenerative diseases, family and community changes and the unequal distribution of care work, lack of adapted housing and environments, as well as difficulties in accessing residential homes and their massification. In response to these realities, new ways of understanding care at home are emerging senior cohousing is a growing phenomenon across Europe; many municipalities are promoting intergenerational housing, housing for older and disabled people with services; and we see how there is a need to transform care homes into homely spaces, to make them more open to the community and with more personalised care models.
We are looking for PhD students interested in doing doctoral theses on: a) innovations in the field of care and home care for the elderly, disabled people and chronic conditions; b) community-based initiatives that promote collective and self-managed ways of living at home with care (e.g. co-housing, co-living, etc); c) collective housing with services that seek to create a community while ensuring continuity of care for people with long-term care needs (e.g. housing with services); d) innovative home-like care homes, open to the community and with person-centred forms of care.
We are particularly interested in PhD candidates with training and experience in qualitative research, familiarity with the field of ageing and disability, and an academic interest in care.
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Dr Daniel López
Dr Asun Pié |
CareNet |
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Care for the health and well-being of older adults at home and in the community.
Ageing population worldwide has set significant challenges for the 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, programs orientated to prevent functional capacity loss in older adults and promotion of healthy ageing are mandatory.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has set the need to design, develop and offer comprehensive community-based approaches introducing interventions at the primary care level to prevent declines in capacity. Additionally, the WHO has established the "Decade of Healthy Aging 2020-2030" to promote the healthy ageing process. It consists of developing and maintaining functional capacity in older adults to achieve their well-being. Functional capacity is determined by the intrinsic capacity of the person 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 programs and interventions on old adults' health, autonomy and well-being.
We are interested in implementation research proposals including quantitative, qualitative or mixed (quantitative and qualitative) designs to approach aspects such as:
- Evaluation of programs oriented at preventing functional capacity loss in old adults and promoting healthy ageing
- Evaluation of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of services and interventions provided to old persons at home and in the community under the health service and social perspectives
- Co-design and validation of innovative tools and methodologies to perform person-centred evaluation and research
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Dr Marco Inzitari |
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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. |
Dr Anna Gálvez Mozo
Dr Elsa Santamaría López |
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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Dr Anna Gálvez Mozo
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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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Dr Anna Gálvez Mozo
Dr Elsa Santamaría López
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TRAGSO: Work, Gender and Society |