Explore the vast range of titles available.

This paper assesses how membership of the EEC/EU has facilitated cooperation between the Anglo-Irish elite. Defining ‘the potential for elite accommodation’ as including an elite motivation, political security, structured elite predominance and conciliatory attitudes, the paper analyses the Europeanisation of Anglo-Irish relations with regard to the development of conciliatory attitudes under two headings: familiarity breeds consent and sovereignty revisited. From the formation of the Free State to the late 1960s Anglo-Irish relations experienced decades of ‘disengagement’ and distancing. Anglo-Irish elite attitudes during this time ranged from hostile to cooperative. The return of the Troubles to Northern Ireland corresponded with EEC accession negotiations. The will to restore peace and security in Northern Ireland and to prevent the spillover of violence into the Republic became a strong elite motivation for compromise. Frequent meetings on the fringes of European Council summits increased mutual awareness and became a forum for informal but fruitful negotiations. The sui generis European system of governance provided the elite, particularly the Irish elite, with a conceptual framework to break free from the identity crisis inherent in traditional Irish nationalism. Indirectly fostering conciliatory attitudes between the Anglo-Irish elite, the EEC/EU made a vital contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process. Paper presented at a seminar organised by the Irish National Committee for the Study of International Affairs, 8 November 2000.

Energy transition debates have been characterized by a strong emphasis on the technical implications of shifting away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, with little consideration of social contexts. This is now changing, with a growing emphasis on reconfiguring the social aspects of energy, particularly in terms of introducing more democratic processes into behavior change and energy practice engagements. This article situates itself within these debates and demonstrates the transformative potential of combining participatory action research (PAR) approaches with a modified Delphi method for understanding energy transition issues, particularly beyond forecasting instruments. There remains a dearth in literature combining the Delphi method with PAR; its application in the field of energy transitions is very innovative. PAR draws from grassroots and local-based knowledge, Delphi panels typically focus on the insights from a panel of professional experts. In combining these two approaches, to develop principles for an inclusive and just energy transition, a reflexive form of dialogue emerges that gives voice to what are often considered dissonant or mismatched perspectives. Furthermore, the experimental use of a modified Delphi panel, combined with PAR, offers a strategy to promote knowledge sharing between different groups and to counter potential communication barriers among different actors in society. This article shows how a modified Delphi panel approach is considerably enhanced by combining elements of PAR, raising the potential of Delphi panels beyond forecasting instruments, which often seek to determine the way the future “will be,” toward an envisioning tool that collaboratively seeks to explore the way a low-carbon system “could be,” or perhaps “should be.” The development of energy transition principles, endorsed through the modified Delphi panel, offers a concrete way to enact practices of energy justice within a more democratized energy system.

Through participatory evaluation research, this study examines the experiences and perspectives of children and young people engaged in a democratic innovation—a citizens’ assembly on biodiversity loss—and a subsequent initiative to co-create educational resources. The research explores how participation and co-creation can empower children as active agents of change in environmental action and assesses the value of participatory evaluation for understanding these processes. This research is timely because children and young people across the world are increasingly voicing their concerns about climate change, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, and advocating for urgent action. Yet despite extensive research on youth environmental action, their perspectives, experiences and evaluation of participatory processes and the impact of their involvement remain underexplored, highlighting the value of youth participatory evaluation in informing practice, enhancing engagement and supporting action. This paper addresses this gap in the growing body of literature on youth participation in democratic processes, co-creation and research, drawing on participatory evaluation research to enhance our understanding of the processes and outcomes. Recognizing the prominent role of youth in the environmental justice movement, the study investigates innovative methods that empower children and enhance their individual and collective efficacy. The research indicates that children value the opportunity to participate and co-create as they feel best placed to say what their peers want and need, and they report a strong sense of agency gained from participation in such processes. These findings offer methodological insights for researchers and practitioners regarding youth participation in environmental initiatives and in broader research and governance processes. This paper also highlights the potential of engaged research and participatory evaluation approaches to bridge theory and practice as a dynamic, two-way process, capable of producing insights that advance academic understanding and have actionable value for those involved.

Background Transition discourses are gaining prominence in efforts to imagine a future that adequately addresses the urgent need to establish low carbon and climate resilient pathways. Within these discourses the ‘public’ is seen as central to the creation and implementation of appropriate interventions. The role of public engagement in societal transformation while essential, is also complex and often poorly understood. The purpose of this paper is to enhance our understanding regarding public engagement and to address the often superficial and shallow policy discourse on this topic. Main text The paper offers a review of evolving literature to map emergent public engagement in processes of transition and change. We adopt a pragmatic approach towards literature retrieval and analysis which enables a cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral review. We use a scoping review process and the three spheres of transformation framework (designated as the practical, political and personal spheres) to explore trends within this complex research field. The review draws from literature from the last two decades in the Irish context and looks at emergence and evolving spaces of public engagement within various systems of change including energy, food, coastal management and flood adaptation, among others. Conclusions The results highlight the siloed and fragmented way in which public engagement in transitions is carried and we propose a more cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary approach which depends on bringing into dialogue often contrasting theories and perspectives. The paper also illustrates some shifting engagement approaches. For instance, nexus articles between the practical and political spheres suggest deeper forms of public engagement beyond aggregated consumer behaviour to align technological delivery with institutional and societal contexts. While most articles in the practical sphere draw largely on techno-economic insights this influence and cross-disciplinarity is likely to draw in further innovations. Nexus articles between the political and personal sphere are also drawing on shifting ideas of public engagement and largely stress the need to disrupt reductive notions of engagement and agency within our institutions. Many of these articles call attention to problems with top-down public engagement structures and in various ways show how they often undermine and marginalise different groups.

Established democracies face numerous crises, including climate change, environmental degradation, overconsumption and pollution, unsustainable levels of inequality and the potential for disruptive social unrest. Decades of neoliberalism have also undermined democracy, including the idea of democratic society itself, leaving established democracies vulnerable to the rise of toxic leaders. In these circumstances, we must not only strengthen the existing institutions of democracy, we must also reimagine democracy. Drawing on the experiences of the Irish Citizens' Assembly and the UK's Climate Assembly, this paper argues for a 'vibrant democratic ecology' that is collaborative, empowering and progressive and that emphasises participatory and deliberative democratic innovations. It calls for the development of new spaces for citizens to revisit the meaning of democracy and to reimagine their role as citizens in collectively shaping democracy in their country and the world.

Established democracies face numerous crises, including climate change, environmental degradation, overconsumption and pollution, unsustainable levels of inequality and the potential for disruptive social unrest. Decades of neoliberalism have also undermined democracy, including the idea of democratic society itself, leaving established democracies vulnerable to the rise of toxic leaders. In these circumstances, we must not only strengthen the existing institutions of democracy, we must also reimagine democracy. Drawing on the experiences of the Irish Citizens' Assembly and the UK's Climate Assembly, this paper argues for a ‘vibrant democratic ecology’ that is collaborative, empowering and progressive and that emphasises participatory and deliberative democratic innovations. It calls for the development of new spaces for citizens to revisit the meaning of democracy and to reimagine their role as citizens in collectively shaping democracy in their country and the world.

Section A:Limited qualitative literature exists exploring the reasons why some patients choose to decline or disengage from conventional cancer treatment. While most quantitative research identifies certain factors contributing to treatment disengagement, this thematic synthesis explores the experiences of those choosing to decline; providing a richer understanding of the potential barriers for engagement. A critical review of the literature identifies implications for clinical practice and research, while future recommendations are made.Section B:Research has identified certain factors which may contribute to individuals declining cancer treatment, however, little is known about the experience of the staff who recommend treatment, how they respond, and the impact such decisions may have on them. To date, research has focused on medical professionals’ experiences, whereas the understandings of psychological staff who have engaged therapeutically with individuals making decisions to decline curative cancer treatment are missing from the literature. Utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, this study reports on qualified psychologists’ experiences of working with individuals who have declined curative cancer treatment. Discussion of findings and consideration for clinical and research implications are provided.