International Social Workers Research Articles

Challenges and Opportunities to the Profession of Social Work in Pakistan: A Review

Social work education at the postgraduate level is faced with various academic and non-academic issues. Despite the compatibility of these methods with our culture, the paucity of local research and knowledge related to our community which are necessary for the uplift of the profession is impacting its progress. So far, Pakistan has no national and provincial council of social workers that could link them with the international social workers’ Federation whereby it could build their professional competence and capacity. This gap between theory and practice can be filled by developing a link between the two domains. Lack of public awareness regarding the field and the deteriorating role of inadequately trained field supervisors working for different organizations are other contributing factors. The study suggests that professional social workers should be inducted into all the social welfare organizations so that the new undergraduate students could be interested in taking admissions in BS social work degree.

Decentralised international development aid from municipalities: Exploring its added value, challenges and implications for international social work

This study focuses on international development aid policies implemented by municipalities. By proposing a theoretical framework and addressing the Spanish context, it first explores the added value and the challenges involved with this kind of decentralised aid. Second, it discusses the implications in terms of the competencies required by social workers in order to leverage the potential of these aid policies. The research draws on the qualitative analysis of documents, interviews and discussion groups. It concludes that international social workers need knowledge, values and skills in widely different aspects in order to overcome the challenges entailed in aid from municipalities.

Exploring how international social workers perceive culturally relevant practices: A case study of Japanese social workers’ experiences in other Asian countries

AbstractThis pilot case study, as part of an international social work research project, explored how culturally relevant collaborative practices were perceived by international social workers. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with social workers (n = 4) who had worked as Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers for 2 years in another Asian country. Thematic analysis was applied to their narratives. Three main themes were found: ‘socio‐cultural understanding based on local life and activities’, ‘collaborative practice with local stakeholders’ and ‘attitudes and perspectives at the local practice’. Although the background and context of the interviewees’ activities differed, they stressed the importance of deepening their socio‐cultural understanding, together with learning local languages and deploying appropriate communication methods, through living in each locality and interacting with local people. They also described the process of exploring the collaborative activities through dialogue with local people, while taking a reflective view. These findings indicate the necessity for a deeper examination of collaborative practice by domestic and international social workers in various fields.

Education and training opportunities for local and indigenous social workers: case studies in disability-related fields from an international development perspective

ABSTRACT Many ‘non-professional’ and ‘non-certified’ social workers seem to conduct indigenous social work practices in low- and middle-income countries in Asia. From the perspective of international developmental social work, this case study explores the education and training opportunities for local and indigenous social workers in disability related fields. The data was mainly obtained through field work and practice conducted by the author, whose positionality was considered an international social worker in Sri Lanka and Mongolia. The field data was supplemented by literature. The findings reveal that some local workers in government and non-government sectors, who might not have received professional social work education, engage in practices that can be considered a part of social work using their indigenous and local knowledge and skills. In some cases, these workers also use their knowledge of international concepts and frameworks. Additionally, this study presents some instances of knowledge exchange between domestic and international stakeholders through dialogue-based practices and training in the field. The findings suggest that international social workers are required to explore reflective practice and collaborative knowledge creation with domestic stakeholders, including indigenous social workers and disabled people, through dialogue in the field.

Social Work in the Time of COVID-19: A Case Study from the Global South

This article explores the experiences of social workers at a non-governmental organisation (NGO) involved in disaster responses to COVID-19 in a rural and resource-challenged region of Cambodia. The views of Khmer and international social workers in the NGO were gathered through an internal auditing process utilising survey and structured conversation methods. Key themes related to the importance of prioritising the safety of staff and clients, effective communication methods, responsiveness of case management systems, public health responses and adapting to emerging needs. To ensure responsiveness to future disaster events consideration should be given in strengthening partnerships, ensuring case management systems are effective for current use but able to be adapted in new circumstances, and that preparation incorporates a focus on diversified funding streams and open communication channels between staff and management. These elements will enable social workers to continue their practice, reassured and with the flexibility required in the post-disaster context.

‘All social work takes place in a macro context’: The gap between international social work training and practice

This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study combined data from an online survey with international social workers ( N = 44), and key informant qualitative interviews ( N = 6), to identify gaps and synergies between what is taught in graduate social work programmes and expected by employers. Findings suggested that although social work values align well with international social work, gaps exist between the macro knowledge and skills required for international work and that which graduate training offers. Findings further suggested that if unaddressed, these incompatibilities may contribute to the invisibility of social work as a viable training ground for practice in international aid agencies.

Exploring subjective experiences of international social workers in Asia: Content analysis of Japanese field reports

AbstractThe aim of this study is to explore the subjective and practical experiences of international social workers, focusing on the content, outcomes, impact, and related factors of their activities in Asia. Individual reports of social workers dispatched from Japan to 11 Asian countries during the period of 2003–2018 were collected (n = 59). A mixed quantitative and qualitative content analysis was used to examine their experiences and perceptions in the field. Parts of their reports were categorized mainly into the relationship between requested activities and perceived needs, the type of social work activities conducted, experiences of success and failure in activities, and perceived outcomes and impact of the activities. The quantitative analysis showed that approximately 48.9% of the social workers described positive outcomes of their activities and 43.9% described positive impacts of their activities on the placement or communities. The qualitative analysis revealed that they experienced a variety of difficulties, together with sociocultural and religious differences. Many of their experiences of success or failure appeared to be associated with their interactions with local stakeholders. The findings suggest the importance of the reflective and contextualized practice of international developmental social workers with local stakeholders.

The immigration of social workers: From Zimbabwe to England

Despite the growing number of international social workers who have trained in one country and moved to practice in another, relatively little research explored the personal journeys of this group. Fewer still are the studies sensitive to the impact of culture on these journeys and the cultural adaptation migrating social workers go through. Using mixed methods, this research explores these aspects of the migration of social workers from Zimbabwe to England. Participants highlighted cultural differences in relation to the place of the individual compared to the community and in relation to risk, corporal punishment and domestic violence.

Worlds apart! Environmental injustices in Mauritius, Peru and Sweden

During the last few years, there has been a growing concern for environmental justice within international social work. This article connects to such concerns and aims to present and discuss environmental injustices faced by local communities in Mauritius, Peru and Sweden. Primary data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with a total of 25 key representatives of local communities in the three countries. Secondary materials were combined with the primary data in ATLAS-ti v.8.3 for a deductive critical discourse analysis. The findings describe the substantive, distributive and procedural environmental injustices faced by local communities in the three case studies. The article then considers the implications of the findings for international social work interventions in promoting environmental justice. The article concludes on the need for international social workers to continue their efforts and practices towards achieving environmental justice for all, in promoting global sustainable development.

The internationalization of social work. Emerging discourses from the Erasmus Mundus Advances program

ABSTRACTNowadays, an increased number of international social work (ISW) educational programs have been developed with the goal to equip practitioners to face the social problems in the new modern era. Within our globalized world, social work is in the quest for professionals with a global mind-set and nontraditional abilities and skills. This article presents the findings of an explorative research carried out during the ISW master program called Advances. The qualitative research aimed to explore the perceptions, believes and opinions of those students and alumni who have been enrolled in the Advances program who were subsequently asked to think critically and reflect about their international experience. The Advances program is a practical example that might be helpful to reflect on both how to develop a collaborative process between international social workers during the early years of education and how to build commonalities and fight for a common cause, improving the global/local social workers’ mind-set, sharing cross-national concerns more than look for an international ideological definition of what should be (International) Social Work.

Overcoming methodological challenges in prevalence studies in developing contexts with vulnerable children

Social work research concerns itself with vulnerable populations. Methodological challenges including accessing vulnerable populations are especially acute in developing countries where systematized data is often lacking. This article presents a pilot study using respondent-driven sampling to estimate the prevalence of children engaged in commercial sexual exploitation. The results are used to illustrate the feasibility of developing multi-sectoral collaborations to address issues among vulnerable populations. This study demonstrates that respondent-driven sampling is a strong design capable of producing prevalence estimates. Implications for international social workers in facilitating professional capacity building for effective planning, monitoring and reporting of social development projects are discussed.

Solutions to property rights ‘violations’ experienced by Ghanaian (Akan) widows and their children: The role of international social workers in addressing human rights

Social workers are increasingly embracing international perspectives and roles to address persistent human rights issues. This study examines solutions to property rights disputes involving Ghanaian women who are widowed from the perspectives of Akan men and women in four communities. Property ownership is fundamental to the economic survival of women and their children, but millions of women around the world lose their rights to property following the deaths of their husbands. We conducted focus groups with 102 participants in four Akan communities to generate local, culturally viable solutions for preventing property rights violations and resolving them when they do occur.

국제사회복지 역량중심 교육과정개발에 관한 연구

본 연구는 사회복지의 영역에서 변화가 나타나고 있는 국제사회복지의 역량있는 인재를 육성하기 위한 교육과정을 개발하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 사회복지기관의 환경적 변화하는 국제사회복지에 대한 요구를 증가시켰고, 그로 인해 국제사회복지에 대한 교육의 필요성이 증가하였다. 본 연구는 국제사회복지직무에 필요로 하는 역량이 무엇인지를 살펴보고 이에 따른 역량중심의 국제사회복지 교육과정을 제시하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 현재 직무에 따른 교육과정을 사회복지 NCS직무와 사회복지교육, 국제개발협력기관의 업무와 사회복지NCS, 그리고 NCS와 국제사회복지교육과정을 비교분석하여 제안하였다. 기관홈페이지에 제시된 직무와 채용공고를 토대로 국제개발협력기관의 직무를 파악하고, 교육과정은 사회복지지침서에 제시된 사회복지의 교육과정을 중심으로 파악하였다. 본 연구에서 제시한 국제사회복지의 직무역량을 강화시키는 교육과정의 핵심교과목은 다음과 같다; 인권과 사회복지, 국제사회복지, NGO와 국제개발협력, 북한지역개발, 제개발협력과 ODA, PCM(Project Cycle Management), 평가와 모니터링, 국제사회복지세미나, 국제사회복지실습, 국제사회복지인턴십, 지역사회복지론, 프로그램개발과 평가, 사회복지윤리와 철학, 사회복지실천기술론, 다문화 사회복지, 빈곤과 사회복지, 사회적 기업과 제3섹터, 사회문제론 등이다. The purpose of this study was to develop a curriculum for international social workers. Due to the changed circumstances of social welfare agencies, the demand for international social welfare and the need for suitable training for social welfare education agencies has increased. This study explored the job competency of international social welfare and suggested a competency-based curriculum for international social welfare. Researchers analyzed the social welfare NCS, social welfare curriculum and job of international development cooperation agencies and presented a combined curriculum for international development cooperation and social welfare. The findings are as follows: the core subjects of international social welfare are "Human Rights and Social Welfare", "International Social Welfare", NGOs and International Development Cooperation", "the North Korea Development Project", "International Development Cooperation and ODA", "PCM (Project Cycle Management)", "Evaluation and Monitoring", "Seminars in International Social Welfare", "International Social Welfare Practicum", "International Social Welfare Internship", "Community Welfare and Practice", "Program Planning and Evaluation for Social Welfare", "Social Welfare Ethics and Philosophy", "Skills and Techniques for Social Work Practice", "Multicultural Social Welfare", "Poverty and Social Welfare", "Social Enterprise and the Third Sector", "Social Problems", etc.

Challenges facing international social workers: English managers’ perceptions

International labour mobility is occurring in social work and isolated studies are beginning to research this topic. This article reports on one aspect of research into the experiences of ‘international social workers’ (ISWs) in London (UK), namely, the perceptions of the managers who supervise them, with regards to their preparedness, induction and support needs.

‘London calling’: The Experiences of International Social Work Recruits Working in London: Table 1

This recruitment of international social workers (ISWs) in England has been primarily aimed at ‘plugging the gaps’ in the child protection services. This paper reports on one aspect of a qualitative research project investigating the post-arrival integration, professional practice and development of ‘international social workers’, namely those trained and qualified outside of the UK working in London and the Home Counties. Findings demonstrate that, as well as being a challenging professional and work experience, this form of labour mobility is a profound life event for most ISWs and, as with human migration in other fields and countries, entails a complex social, emotional and cultural transition.

Claiming a Space for International Social Work: Voices From the Field

Despite the rise in interest in international social work, surprisingly little empirical evidence exists outlining the knowledge, values, and skills required of social workers to succeed in the global arena. This qualitative study conducted from the spring through winter months of 2013 involved 10 semi-structured interviews with experienced international social workers triangulated with a content analysis of 52 international job postings. Findings suggest that social work professional perspectives including eco-systemic thinking, social justice principles, strength-based analyses, and foundational skills, such as developing empowering person-centered relationships, exhibiting cultural humility, implementing participatory approaches to research and practice, and demonstrating reflexivity, are not always valued by international colleagues nor sought in job advertisements. Furthermore, upon graduation, MSW social workers may lack key areas of expertise expected of international workers such as program monitoring and evaluation, grant writing, policy development, and communicating with media and high-level officials. Ultimately, the invisibility of foundational social work skills and lack of other technical expertise may not only challenge social workers' competitiveness on the global market but also threaten their maintenance of a professional social work identity over time. The authors provide guidance for schools of social work and accrediting bodies to improve social workers' readiness for international work and strengthen their presence in the international arena.

An Introduction from the New Co-Editors: Building the Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal

As the new Co-Editors for the Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal (CASWJ) we would like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves to the journal’s readership and outline some of the directions we hope the journal will take. Initially, however, we would like to gratefully acknowledge the distinguished contributions of Dr. Thomas Kennemore, the journal’s previous editor, and Dr. Kimberly Mann, the journal’s previous Associate Editor, who served in these roles for many years and provided such a stable foundation for us to transition into. In early 2014, the journal’s owner and publisher, Springer Publications, issued a call for nominations for someone to assume the Editorship of the CASWJ. We expressed our interest, submitted our resumes, and were invited to prepare a vision statement for the journal. This we did and after some back and forth communications came to an agreement with the staff at Springer, signed a contract, and began jointly taking over the editorial responsibilities in the fall of 2014. We in turn issued a call via various listservs for volunteers to serve on the journal’s editorial board, as well as inviting existed board members to retain their roles if they so wished. The result is the Editorial Board roster available on the journal’s masthead each issue, and also on its website. We are most grateful for these exceptional scholars and practitioners for their service as the primary blind reviewers of each submission. Our Editorial Board reflects a wide array of practice, research and methodological interests, and individuals from across North America and a number of international social workers as well. Frankly, it is exciting to be a part of such a marvelous group of fellow professionals concerned with children and adolescents. For ourselves, Dr. Schelbe’s background with children and adolescents is based in her practice experience in domestic violence agencies and a supervised visitation center. Her primary research interest is child welfare, specifically youth ‘aging out’ of the child welfare system, and prevention of child maltreatment. She was in the inaugural cohort of Doris Duke Fellowships for the Promotion of Child Well-being, and remains committed to the fellowship’s mission of seeking innovations to prevent child abuse and neglect. Lisa is an Assistant Professor at the Florida State University College of Social Work and a Faculty Affiliate at the Florida Institute for Child Welfare. Dr. Thyer is a Professor and former Dean with the College of Social Work at Florida State University. He founded and continues to edit the journal Research on Social Work Practice and brings to the CASWJ his experiences as an editor for that journal, and considerable work on the editorial boards of other journals. He is the proud parent of four children, currently aged 21, 19, 17 and 15, three sons and a daughter, respectively, so he has some experience in raising kids and all the joy, drama and sometimes trauma which accompanied the role of Dad. Bruce is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Georgia and Florida, and a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, and he brings his past and current experience as a practitioner to this journal as well as his research background. He has published a large number of journal articles, chapters and books in the fields of social work, psychology, behavior analysis and psychiatry, and his professional interests lay in the arenas of evidence-based practice, clinical and program L. Schelbe (&) B. A. Thyer College of Social Work Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA e-mail: Lschelbe@fsu.edu

An introduction to treaties for international social workers

International disputes may emanate from any number of issues, including concerns involving territory, finance, trade, ethnicity, natural resources, or religion. International treaties serve as a mechanism to address these concerns. Throughout history, treaties and conventions have played an important role in international relations. Of course, the full contours of the numerous international treaties in force cannot be documented. In this brief article, and with the caveat that we can only speak in generalities, we 1) offer some fundamental principles of treaties, 2) identify some major treaties and conventions of interest to the international social work community, and 3) make some comments regarding how those treaties affect international social work professionals. Space constraints naturally preclude us from commenting more in depth.

International social workers in England: Factors influencing supply and demand

Recent years have seen considerable increases in the number of internationally-qualified social workers in England. This article presents trends in the international labour mobility of social workers migrating to work in England alongside information on the supply of UK-trained social workers. It concludes that demographic changes and policy imperatives have accentuated structural issues making it difficult to ensure an adequate supply in the number of domestically-trained social workers. We suggest that more cross-national research is needed to achieve a better understanding of the factors influencing social workers’ decisions to work in international settings and the extent to which this reflects permanent or temporary migration between countries.

Change and Continuity: A Quantitative Investigation of Trends and Characteristics of International Social Workers in England

The UK has long experienced a shortage of social workers and has recruited internationally to meet demand. There have been few specific data quantifying the scale of social work mobility to the UK through which such experiences can be set in context. The analysis reported in this article uses data from October 2008, relating to registered social workers working in England. As part of a wider study of migrant social care workers in England, the article reports analysis of data records of over 7,000 non-UK social workers registered to work in England and compares their characteristics to UK-qualified social workers. These analyses are supplemented by analysis of more recent application and registration data from the General Social Care Council pertaining to social workers qualified within and outside the European Union during 2008 and 2009. The findings highlight several important observations in terms of non-UK-qualified social workers' profile as well as some possible trends in migration and variations in rates of qualification verification. Over half of all international social workers in England were trained in four countries: Australia, South Africa, India and the USA. Findings are contextualised with qualitative data obtained from the wider study and policy debates.