Self-help groups are an important, but often neglected, resource in primary care. This paper reports the preliminary findings of a study of the origins and natural history of self-help groups in Liverpool, and considers the role for general practitioners in mobilizing resources to facilitate community participation in health through this diverse, and informal, sector of the health care system.

This research was conducted to study the effect of gender inequality on social participation of women. The method used in this research was Ex-Post Facto and survey method. The statistical population included female students in different fields of faculty of humanities and faculty of training sciences and psychology (Islamic Azad University) Garmsar Branch in 2012-2013. Research instruments inc...

INTRODUCTION In response to population ageing, the numbers of older carers residing in rural areas are increasing. However, rural older carers are at risk of social isolation due to the decreased social networks associated with ageing and caring responsibilities, and the geographical isolation associated with rurality. This broad, systematic review of the literature was undertaken to: (1) ident...

Studies on experts' understanding of the public have mainly focused on the views of scientists. We add to the literature on constructions of the public by analyzing the views of decision-makers, professional science communicators and scientists involved in 'space' communication on the public and public participation in policy. Findings show that contextual situations and roles determine the way...

Large global corporations have deployed social software to encourage information sharing and informal communication between geographically distributed employees. Recent research has observed geographically local differences in participation rates and perceived benefits of these systems. We suggest that increasing participation in organizational social software so that it is representative of th...

Maintaining engagement of large audiences is not easy. Traditionally, lectures and presentations have relied on one-way mmunication from the presenter to the listening audience. Without receiving ongoing feedback, speakers cannot be sure that their delivery is at an appropriate pace, or that their message is being received and understood by their audience. This study suggests using a real-time ...