Research Sarah Van de Velde

Abstract

The choice of the contraceptive method that one prefers and is able to use is influenced by many different factors, including the potential effects on the user, which can be biological, financial, and psychological. With the rise of female contraception, these effects have often been seen as emancipatory: the reduction of unwanted pregnancies led to greater sexual freedom, and the ability to plan family formation contributed to the expansion of women's emancipation in various areas of society, including education and the labor market. Although female contraception has contributed to women's emancipation, its downside has received increasing attention and criticism in recent years. Because of the increase in female contraception, the responsibility and therefore the consequences of its use in heterosexual relationships fall mostly on women. However, there are also some options for male contraception (such as sterilization), and these options may expand to include hormonal agents in the future. This study examines what is known in the Belgian context about the contraceptive choice process, the psychological burden of planning and using female contraception, and the views of Belgians on male contraception.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Eekert Nina
• Co-promoter: Van de Velde Sarah

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Uni4Equity general goal is to strengthen universities readiness to identify, map and respond to on-line and off-line sexual harassment (SH) at workplace and other relevant settings (classrooms, digital space), with an explicit but not exclusive attention to minority social groups. More specifically, it is aimed: 1) To reinforce universities teams, networks, and units in charge of gender equality issues through structural reforms, improved work processes and the engagement of key stakeholders for the prevention of SH; 2) To promote mutual learning and exchange of good practicesto identify and tackle SH at the university among different target groups; 3) To increase the social awareness about the importance of rejecting all forms of SH and the need to contribute to its prevention and combat among university members; 4) To improve the skills and the capacity of professionals and the availability of tools and resources to address and follow up it; 5) To reduce the exposition to SH risk factors at different levels of relations (interpersonal, institutional and social) for different target groups at the universities, including minority social groups; 6) To minimize the impacts SH may cause on victims; 7) To contribute to the acknowledge of the universities as an asset to prevent and response this problem; and, 8) To address prevention and combat of SH at university as a priority issue for gender equality promotion. Enhancing these aims requires an ecological approach that integrate strategies at different levels of prevention (primary, secondary and tertiary ones). The main target group will be students, teachers and administrative staff at the university, including social minority groups. It is proposed a multi-agency cooperation between universities and other relevant social actors to promote these changes through a mixed-method participative methodology

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Schaubroeck Katrien
• Co-promoter: Hens Kristien
• Co-promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Co-promoter: Van Doorslaer Sabine

Research team(s)

• Center for Ethics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

European society is becoming increasingly diverse due to high levels of migration. Persons with a migration background, especially those from non-western countries, may experience significant challenges when they seek medical care. Some of the main issues arise in the context of medical decision-making, where cultural preferences for close family involvement may be difficult to reconcile with the western model of medicine, as enshrined in health law and medical deontology. This is the first comprehensive research project on medical decision-making in patients with a migration background undertaken in the European context. It brings together state-of-the-art expertise in health sciences, medical sociology, and health law, and applies a transversal research design and a tailored socio-legal research methodology. In this way, we will gain crucial insight into the relevant preferences of patients with a migration background and into strategies and tools that may be legally acceptable to improve medical decision-making in a diversity-responsive way. More specifically, the goals of the proposed research are threefold, each corresponding to a major research gap and therefore groundbreaking. The first research goal is to examine the preferences and challenges of patient populations with a migration background regarding medical decision-making, with particular attention to the role of family members in this process, and the variations that may exist between and within these groups. The second research goal is to investigate the practical strategies and tools that general practitioners have developed to address these preferences and challenges. The third research goal is to analyze how much room Belgian health law currently leaves for responding to these preferences and whether this legal framework should be reinterpreted or amended in the light of the "human right to culturally appropriate healthcare". The overarching aim is to improve diversity-responsive, patient-oriented care for the migrant population, by identifying those strategies and tools that may be legally acceptable to accommodate patient preferences and by incorporating them in policy and legal recommendations, as well as in an educational module for physicians and information materials for patients, families, and healthcare workers. The project uses a mixed-methods design, combining desk research and quantitative (factorial survey with hypothetical vignettes) and qualitative (focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and nominal group method) research methodologies. The research team will jointly review the results from the three perspectives, by using multiperspective qualitative methods. With its aim to examine and improve diversity-responsive, patient-oriented care for the migrant population, our research project aligns closely with the vision statement of the University of Antwerp on fostering diversity and equal opportunities, as well as with current national and international political and research priorities. Supporting an inclusive society by reducing inequalities and social exclusion is a priority action point for the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the UN, and the WHO. International policy instruments highlight that inequalities in access to healthcare are growing and particularly affect vulnerable groups, including patients with a migration background. Consequently, they call for measures to guarantee that every person effectively obtains a satisfactory degree of care. In contributing to this goal, our research project addresses central policy and research priorities. The project is therefore expected to result in major opportunities to obtain European and other international funding, and to form the basis for international research collaborations, taking into account similar challenges arising in other European countries. In this way, the project will also significantly increase the international visibility of the University of Antwerp.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Assche Kristof
• Co-promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Co-promoter: van Olmen Josefien
• Co-promoter: Van Royen Paul
• Co-promoter: Vansweevelt Thierry

Research team(s)

• Personal Rights and Property Rights

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The quality of formal childcare has been cited as an important determinant of young children's mental health, as it has been demonstrated that children's self-regulation abilities – resulting from repeated cycles of co-regulation in caregiving – hold extreme importance for their mental health, now and later in life. Given the high uptake of formal childcare in Flanders and the high enrollment rates of the youngest children, childcare teachers thus play an very important role in these co- and self-regulation processes. High job strains within the sector, however, put these services at risk of inducing stress and mental well-being problems among childcare teachers, possibly impacting the co-regulation processes. Fundamental research is scarce in measuring, disentangling and optimizing these relationships. In the current proposal, we will address these gaps using a mixed-method design focusing on 3 research objectives (ROs): (RO1) map the job characteristics that explain job strain in childcare teachers (structural quality), and investigate its association with childcare teachers' ensuing mental well-being, (RO2) examine the impact of childcare teachers' strain and ensuing mental well-being on their co-regulation attitudes and practices (process quality), and (RO3) explore effective strategies to structurally optimize both the structural and process quality of formal childcare.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Wouters Edwin
• Co-promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Co-promoter: Van Hal Guido

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Death is a universal experience. Yet how a society deals with dead bodies, and how it bids farewell to the deceased is dictated by cultural values and religion and belief systems, as well as by juridical possibilities, knowledge of environmental impact and shared knowledge about public health hazards. A range of factors is directly relevant to how contemporary societies such as Belgium plan and provide for the deceased, such as the consideration of an ageing population, a pluralistic society, limited land availability for traditional cemeteries, and a sustainable framework for much of our society's social practices. Making the funeral industry responsive to contemporary needs is a continuing challenge worldwide. The Covid-19 pandemic has made the task more urgent. In 2020 and 2021 funeral undertakers in Belgium were confronted with unseen challenges. It sharpened their sense of a need for a better social, juridical and ethical embedding of funeral practices in Belgium. Their sense of urgency corresponds with global developments studied in the fields of law, environmental ethics, cultural sociology and public health science. Awaiting the result of the resubmission of the SBO-proposal in 2022 it will be useful to prepare the comprehensive interdisciplinary research by focusing on 1) the sociological reality and 2) the philosophical motivation driving this research. Therefore two lines of inquiry will be carried out from December 1 2022 onwards: 1) a focus group study with stakeholders (funeral undertakers, citizens belonging to religious minorities, citizens preferring a non-standard funeral method for moral-existential 3 reasons, representatives of governmental bodies) and 2) a philosophical inquiry into the moralexistential reasons for non-standard funeral methods like humusation, resomation and natural burials. The hypothesis is that ecofeminist theory and indigenous philosophies on the interdependence of humans and their natural environment will help to construct a conceptual framework to think about the moral significance of funeral choices.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Schaubroeck Katrien
• Co-promoter: Lenaerts Silvia
• Co-promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Co-promoter: Vansweevelt Thierry
• Co-promoter: Verschraegen Gert

Research team(s)

• Center for Ethics

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

As a result of the increasing impact of multiculturalism in healthcare, challenges arise that threaten the patient-physician relationship. My proposed research will be the first to systematically analyse the rights and duties of healthcare providers and patients who want to manifest their religious or cultural preferences in the healthcare setting. The focus will be on the display or wearing of religious or cultural symbols and clothing by healthcare providers, and on religiously or culturally inspired patient requests to be treated by a healthcare provider of the same sex/gender, race/ethnicity or religion. The first goal is to examine, under the supranational legal framework and the legal frameworks of Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, how the display or wearing of religious or cultural symbols and clothing by healthcare providers in the healthcare setting is regulated. The second goal is to examine, under the supranational legal framework and the legal frameworks of the four countries under consideration, a possible patient right to sex/gender-, race/ethnicity-, or religion-concordant care, and possible legal remedies available to healthcare providers who might feel subject to discrimination. In integrating the findings of both goals, the research will also allow us to determine the boundaries of possible discrimination of healthcare providers in Western Europe operating in a multicultural healthcare setting.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van Assche Kristof
• Co-promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Co-promoter: Vansweevelt Thierry
• Fellow: El Yattouti Naoual

Research team(s)

• Personal Rights and Property Rights

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Imagine getting post-doc time from us. Post-doc time with the sole obligation to prepare a post-doc proposal to apply for – and ideally obtain - your own research grant. The Centre for Population, Family and Health of the University of Antwerp is launching a competition to attract talented PhDs in the Social Sciences who want to pursue their careers in our research centre. For this challenge, you will write a scientific essay describing a problem that urgently needs to be researched. The problem also needs academic attention from a European comparative perspective and touches on issues from social demography, family sociology and/or the sociology of disease and health. You document the problem with an empirical analysis, preferably in a comparative perspective. When elaborating the essay, you pay particular attention to issues of gender and/or social inequality. The winner's essay will be submitted to Population Europe for publication in their Pop Digest series.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Mortelmans Dimitri
• Co-promoter: Neels Karel
• Co-promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Co-promoter: Wouters Edwin

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The current proposal outlines a research project that focuses on the group of women who request an abortion in the second or third trimester of pregnancy and who do not meet the legal criteria for second/third-trimester abortions. It aims to (1) identify the steps and reasons for delays in seeking abortion-related care within the Flemish context both from the perspective of the health care workers (HCWs) of abortion centers and from the women's perspectives, and (2) to develop an in-depth understanding of the abortion trajectory within the specific group of women. The results of this proposal are highly topical given the current political debates surrounding the decriminalization of abortion within the Belgian legislation, and political proposals to extent the legal limit of abortion-related care from 14 to 18 weeks.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Fellow: Wallays Anna

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The Belgian Online Probability Panel (BOPP) is an academically driven online data collection infrastructure owned by all 11 Belgian universities. It seeks to produce high-quality survey research in the social and behavioral sciences. The Belgian Online Probability Panel aims to be representative of persons 16 years or older in private households in Belgium. To this end, BOPP combines register-based random probability sampling with a rigorous recruitment strategy that combines push-to-web with face-to-face recruitment. Panelists participate in several surveys (15–20 minutes) per year, online or with paper and pencil. A core questionnaire is conducted annually to collect data of shared interest across different research disciplines. The remaining questionnaire space is available to researchers from various fields of the social and behavioral sciences for a reasonable cost. After an exclusive-use period for the commissioning researchers, the data, carefully pseudonymized so that panelists cannot be identified, is made available to the global research community. The results provide new insights into the living conditions, views, and behaviors of people living in Belgium, and how these variables change over time, for the benefit of academics, policy makers and interested citizens. BOPP explicitly sets and promotes high standards of survey data quality. The BOPP research infrastructure supports the broader behavioral and social science research community in Belgium in its mission to conduct relevant and reliable research, by: (1) making the collection of relevant social and behavioral science research data possible in a timely and cost-effective manner without compromising quality, by exploiting economies of scale in the recruitment and maintenance of a representative sample of the population; (2) facilitating – in particular – longitudinal and interdisciplinary survey research; (3) providing opportunities for innovative and experimental questionnaire design (e.g., vignettes, use of video and audio material), and for the enrichment of survey data with register data.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Mortelmans Dimitri
• Co-promoter: Decancq Koen
• Co-promoter: Van de Velde Sarah

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project website

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) refers to all procedures involving the partial or total removal of the external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. Numerous national and international initiatives have attempted to discourage the practice, emphasizing its adverse health consequences. The success of these initiatives was only partial; on the one hand, the prevalence of FGC has been decreasing slowly, but the number of girls and women circumcised will continue to rise due to population growth. On the other hand, these campaigns may have encouraged an unintended consequence, that is, FGM/C is increasingly performed by trained health professionals in clinical settings. While this medicalization trend may reduce the health risks related to the practice, it may serve to legitimize the practice as well. The goal of the proposed research project is to develop an in-depth understanding of the social dynamics behind both the declining prevalence trend in FGM/C which coexists with the increasing medicalization trend in FGM/C, applying both quantitative and qualitative research methods. We intend to explore how both trends vary across birth cohorts and how they relate to women's decision-making process concerning their daughter's cut. We deepen this knowledge by also bringing in the perspective of health professionals and to untangle how their motives relate to these co-existing trends in FGM/C.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Co-promoter: Van Eekert Nina

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

In Egypt, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is increasingly medicalized (performed by trained health professionals rather than by traditional circumcisers). With the current research proposal, I intend to examine how this medicalization trend relates to overall changes in the practice. In doing so, I intend to develop knowledge on (1) how mothers weigh the different options concerning their daughter's FGM/C (traditional cut, medicalized cut, or no cut), and what meaning is given to these different options; (2) whether this decision varies by the social position that the mother occupies, and by the social composition of her network, and (3) whether this decision varies across younger and older birth cohorts, and why. Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be applied. As previous research shows that the implementation of FGM/C legislation alone is not enough to counteract the practice, the proposed research is relevant to the broader policy debate. The results of this research will thus extend the empirical bases for policy discussions on the medicalization of FGM/C and how to improve women's sexual and reproductive health as a whole. At the same time, this project will contribute to the sociological theorizing of medicalization practices, which, to date, is very limited in scope and mainly focuses on practices in high-income countries.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Fellow: Van Eekert Nina

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project maps reproductive health policies in Belgium since 1980. We look at the topics: (1) sex education (to what extent is there a national policy on this topic, from when was it implemented, what does the policy entail and how did it change over the years) (2) contraceptives (to what extent is there a national policy on this topic, from when was it implemented, what does the policy entail and how did it change over the years) (3) abortion (to what extent is there a national policy on this topic, from when was it implemented, what does the policy entail and how has it changed over the years) (4) reproductive medicine (to what extent is there a national policy on this topic, from when was it implemented, what does the policy entail and how did it change over the years) (5) prenatal care (to what extent is there a national policy on this topic, from when was it implemented, what does the policy entail and how did it change over the years). The results of this project will be compared with policies from other European countries.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van de Velde Sarah

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The COVID-19 epidemic and the associated government and higher-education institution (HEI) measures impact the well-being of students and vulnerable student groups in particular. We aim to (1) measure this impact and identify the vulnerable groups; (2) map the HEI measures, and their relative impact on the well-being; (3) identify the why and how of this impact; and eventually (4) identify and co-develop effective and feasible strategies to minimize this impact in future outbreaks and epidemics.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van de Velde Sarah

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

This project aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on well-being in higher-education students. Our research consists of three parts. In a first part we use the C19 ISWS dataset, which collected information on student well-being during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this in more than 100 educational institutions from 26 countries. With this data we want to investigate (1) to what extent differences exist between the different countries and educational institutions, (2) how these differences can be related to the protective measures implemented by the governments, and (3) by the educational institutions. In a second part, we zoom in on the Belgian context, combining the Belgian sample of the C19 ISWS with information collected through focus groups with student representatives and members of the cells for innovation and quality of education. Not only do we want to identify at-risk groups, we also want to explain how the implemented measures had an impact on the student population and on these atrisk groups, as well as which coping mechanisms students used during the pandemic. The information from these two strands will be brought together to identify best practices that promote the well-being of the student population during future outbreaks.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Co-promoter: Van Hal Guido
• Co-promoter: Wouters Edwin

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The objective of my PhD research is to perform an in-depth study on the medicalization of FGC. Based on a comprehensive literature review, I developed the following hypotheses: H1. Medicalization of FGC is stratified by socio-economic status; because of both financial capability and increased knowledge about the healthcare system and possible health risks of FGC. H2. Medicalization of FGC acts as a status symbol on its own. The economic ability of mothers to circumcise their daughter in a medical context may contribute to their social status. H3. Medicalization of FGC acts as a harm-reduction strategy. When social pressure to cut is strong, women may opt for a medicalized cut (rather than to not cut at all) to conform the social pressure in a safer alternative way. H4. Medicalization of FGC acts as a social norm itself. Medicalized FGC has become the dominant cultural view of how FGC should be performed.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van de Velde Sarah

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Children bring joy, but also stress, especially among employed parents who struggle to combine work with childcare. This research proposal intends to examine how European welfare states differ in the way they enable childcare and how this may impact psychological stress in parents with young dependent children. Some European welfare states implement policies and services that enable parents to work full-time, for example, by providing high-quality public childcare services. Other European welfare states may consider care-giving as equally valuable as paid employment, and may therefore provide long and well-paid parental leaves. Some European welfare states combine both approaches, while others neglect childcare all together in the development of their welfare policies. In the current research proposal, we examine how European variations in childcare policies and services may impact psychological distress in parents. We intend to compare different household types, for example by comparing male-breadwinner households with dual-earner households. We additionally look at lone mother households. Finally, we look at how childcare provided by grandparents may be crowded-out by childcare policies, and how this may relate to psychological distress in parents.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Co-promoter: Van Lancker Wim
• Fellow: Somogyi Nikolett

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

In recent decades, European societies witnessed an unprecedented increase in women's labour force participation. The rise of gender equity in education and labour markets has not been mirrored, however, by a similar shift of gender equity in families and households. The division of household work continues to be strongly gendered and labour force participation around parenthood shows more variation among women than men. Micro-economic theories account for gender specialization in (un)paid work by bargaining based on relative socio-economic positions of partners. However, as women increasingly outperform men in terms of earning potential, the persistence of traditional gender specialization in households is paradoxical. In contrast, gender identity theories suggest that couples conform to and reproduce gender roles, and that decisions regarding family formation and the parental division of (un)paid labour strongly depend on cultural norms. Using detailed register-based panel data for Belgium and comparative panel data for Europe, this project studies couples' labour force participation around parenthood. We assess whether economic preconditions for parenthood (financial resources, time availability, job security) are gendered and subsequently analyse whether the relative socio-economic position of partners can account for the reinforcement of gender roles following parenthood, or whether gender roles persist despite the changing relative labour market position of women.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Neels Karel
• Co-promoter: Van de Velde Sarah

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Female genital cutting (FGC) in one form or another is currently practiced in most African countries. In the current research proposal we intend to shed light on the practice by examining changes in the practice over time and across generations. We make use of two datasets; the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) data and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) data. The most recent waves of the DHS and MICS surveys provide data regarding FGC prevalence for 27 countries, but have started to collected data in a number of countries since 1995. Both surveys are nationally representative, cross-sectional, household sample surveys with large sample sizes, typically between 5000 and 15,000 households. Based on the DHS and MICS data, the current research proposal intends to stipulate a macro-sociological approach to the study of FGC. We examine three research questions; (1) whether there are substantial differences between African countries, in the prevalence, type and level of medicalisation of FGC. In addition, we intend to establish trends across time and between generations; (2) whether the level of female empowerment is associated with FGC in both mother and daughter; and (3) how the implementation anti-FGC laws and norms, often imposed by the international community, impacts the local community and practices of FGC.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Van de Velde Sarah
• Fellow: Van Eekert Nina

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project