As an institution seeking to redress global inequality and poverty, philanthropy has often been dismissed as either masking structural causes, an insufficient response, or a contribution to the problem itself. Either way, philanthropy is increasingly labelled as philanthrocapitalism because it serves the interest of capital. But what about philanthropy that engages, seeks to transcend, and tries to provide alternatives to the status quo? Such philanthropies have been highlighted in the literature, but their radical foundations could be further clarified. In seeking to do so, this article (a) engages a radical theory of poverty, (b) teases out key principles of radical philanthropyone important foundation, Habitat for Humanity Australia, which self-identifies as radical, and (c) critically highlights the need to consider radical philanthropy as a collectively dialectical alternative to philantro-capitalismevaluates the principles of 'b' against 'a'. While accepting the limitations of philanthro-capitalism, this paper argues that rRadical philanthropy is quite distinct and, even if individually limiting, as a collective, it can could potentially be considered as one an important concrete step towards realising contribution to the aphorism, popularised by the World Social Forum, that 'another world is possible'. fight against global inequality and poverty.
Background and Objectives
Elder abuse is a complex problem, and barriers to reporting and help-seeking include shame and fear of loss of relationships with key family members. Elder-mediation has been identified as one promising method of alternative dispute resolution. This study aimed to investigate the accessibility of elder-mediation services among diverse groups of older adults, from the perspective of practitioners in a large Australian jurisdiction.
Research Design and Methods
The study employed a sequential mixed-methods approach, comprising a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews (N=17) and an online survey of practitioners (N=49) involved in referral to, or provision of, elder-mediation services. Accessibility was conceptualized using existing theoretical frameworks, spanning practical (logistics-related) and normative (justice and culture-related) dimensions.
Results
Factors limiting accessibility of elder-mediation services included lack of community and practitioner awareness of elder abuse and elder-mediation, discomfort with the mediation process, financial costs, lack of services in regional and remote areas and complex service systems for older people. Within the mediation process, difficulties in assessing and accommodating cognitive and other impairments, managing power imbalances and determining the appropriateness of the dispute for mediation were influential.
Discussion and Implications
This study showed that mediation can be a promising and effective approach to resolving disputes involving older people. The emergent perceptive dimension (community and practitioner awareness) emphasizes the importance of awareness raising efforts surrounding both elder abuse and the potential of mediation as a viable pathway, the training of elder-mediators as well as resourcing elder-mediation services, especially in rural and remote locations.
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