Barriers to Information

by Harris, Roma M.; Dewdney, Patricia

• ISBN13: 9780313286803
• ISBN10: 0313286809
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1994-08-30
• Publisher: Praeger Pub Text

Summary

Ordinary citizens face a frustrating and increasingly complex maze of human service agencies when they seek help for everyday problems, even though "one stop" information and referral centers have been established to facilitate information seeking in many communities. This book explores the relationship between the information needs of battered women and the information response provided through social networks in six communities of varying size. The book is based on an award-winning study, in which 543 women described their knowledge of the problem of woman abuse and what kinds of information resources would be helpful to an abused woman. In the second phase of the study, 179 interviews were conducted with service providers identified by these women as likely sources of help. A comparison of the interviews demonstrates that the response of information delivery systems does not adequately meet the needs and expectations of those women who would seek such services. The final chapters of the volume focus on the implications of this study for the design of social service systems.

Table of Contents

Illustrations

Information Transfer Failures or Why It's so Hard to Locate the Information You Need

Theory and Research On Information-Seeking

Information and Referral as a Social Service Function

Wife Assault: An Information-Seeking Perspective

A Community Analysis of Information Need and System Response

Community Perspectives on Wife Assault: Results of the Household Survey

Professional Perspectives on Wife Assault: Results of the Agency Survey

Missed Connections: What To Do When Systems are Unresponsive to Citizen Needs

Appendices

Bibliography

Index