Schools failing sickle cell pupils
SICKLE CELL DISEASE (SCD) is a serious chronic illness that, in the UK, mainly affects minority ethnic groups. A study of the experiences of young people with sickle cell disorders finds both low awareness of the condition within local authorities and schools, and reports by children of inadequate care during school hours. SCD, which affects some 6,000 school- age children in England, is a complex condition with symptoms including chronic pain, and acute painful crises. But, argues researcher Professor Simon Dyson, “SCD as a potential issue affecting pupils is relatively invisible in education policy terms.” Researchers found that local authorities did not know the numbers of young people with SCD and less than ten per cent of schools had a specific policy. Young people with SCD reported missing an average of 16 school days per year and most felt they were not helped to catch up on the education they missed. Findings further show that schools were largely poor at helping their pupils prevent sickle cell complications by, for example, keeping warm, being allowed to drink water in class to remain well-hydrated, avoiding strenuous exercise and being permitted to go to the toilet when required. Rather, half of the children reported not being allowed to drink water in class or go to the toilet and 30 per cent stated they had been made to take part in unsuitable exercise and called lazy when in fact they were tired from their anaemia. Interestingly, there was no link between young people reporting teachers or other pupils ‘knowing’ they had SCD and any improved experiences at school. Researchers drew up a policy guide for schools with a range of recommendations to meet the health, social and educational needs of those with SCD. This policy guide has since been adopted by the Department for Education and published on their website for use by schools. n
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Contact Professor Simon Dyson, De Montfort University Email
sdyson@dmu.ac.uk Telephone 0116 2577751 ESRC Grant Number RES-000-23-1486
8 SOCIETY NOW AUTUMN 2011
Materialist values linked to lower wellbeing
DOES THE PURSUIT of materialistic values and goals – money, fame and material goods – lead to a happy, satisfied life? Strong cultural beliefs may indicate the answer is yes, but a new study suggests exactly the opposite. In the study, researchers
undertook the first systematic assessment of a growing body of research on this topic, using meta- analysis, a technique that measures the strength of the link between materialism and wellbeing across all the studies that contain quantifiable measures.
“Our findings show that a strongly
materialistic orientation is linked to lower wellbeing,” says researcher Dr Helga Dittmar. “Crucially, materialism is linked significantly with negative effects on all dimensions of personal wellbeing including poorer life quality, a less positive sense of self, poorer mental and physical health, and dysfunctional consumer behaviour. Hence we found, for example, that strong materialistic values were linked with feeling less satisfied with life, experiencing more negative emotions,
as well as feeling greater anxiety and depression. This link held across different age groups.” Many people are unaware of the psychological and social costs that a strongly materialistic outlook may entail. “As a society we should be wary of inculcating excessively materialistic values – particularly through advertising which implies that the pursuit of materialistic goals is the way to become successful, attractive and happy,” says Dr Dittmar. “Given our findings, the influence of these materialistic messages on young people is particularly worrisome,” she adds. “Advertising for under-12s is banned in Sweden and the possibility of adopting this type of measure in the UK, combined with greater educational input on the potential dangers of materialism for both adults and children, should now be explored.” n
i Contact Dr Helga Dittmar,
University of Sussex Email
h.e.dittmar@sussex.ac.uk Telephone 01273 678070 ESRC Grant Number RES-000-22-4020
© Alamy
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