Macro Social Work Practice Research Articles

Ethical dilemmas in policy practice: a Conceptual Framework

ABSTRACT Policy practice refers to the engagement of social workers in policy processes as part of their job. Over the last decades the discourse on policy practice has expanded significantly. However, missing still is a comprehensive and systematic discussion focused on the ethical dilemmas that emerge when social workers engage in policy practice. The aim of this article is to offer a novel conceptual framework that identifies and categorises the diverse potential ethical dilemmas that emerge when social workers engage in policy practice. The framework draws upon the general conceptual and empirical literature on ethical issues within social work, the more specific macro practice literature which discusses ethical dilemmas, and our experience as teachers who have instructed social workers and social work students in policy practice. It combines two axes: the first axis relates to three prevalent types of ethical conflicts common both in direct and macro social work practice and the second relates schematically to three explicit or implicit decisions that social workers are required to take either prior to, or during, their engagement in policy process. The interactions between these two axes create 19 policy practice ethical dilemmas that are presented in the article.

Convergence of community social work practice, collective impact, and design thinking: What, why, and how?

Summary Social workers engage with marginalized communities impacted by challenges that are intensely complex and dynamic. This necessitates designing strategies and interventions that are sustainable, effective, nonduplicative and collaborative across systems and organizations. This article aims to provide a synthesis of three frameworks that can intersect to facilitate systems-level change: community practice, collective impact, and design thinking. Each framework provides unique contributions for bolstering contemporary macro social work practice. Findings The article provides an overview of the three frameworks and their distinctive features, limitations, and points of intersection. The integration of community practice with collective impact and design thinking frameworks for enabling social workers to come up with innovative solutions that include diverse stakeholder perspectives is elucidated with a case example. Application The article specifies the implications of integrating community practice, collective impact, and design thinking for further strengthening social work practice, education, and research.

Opportunities for social workers to mitigate unjust substance use policy

ABSTRACT A social work approach to addressing substance use embraces the NASW Code of Ethics with a dually focused client-centered and person-in-environment lens. These social work values often conflict with the myriad of U.S. policies that impact substance users by creating and reinforcing structural inequalities. Michael Lipsky’s Street-Level Bureaucracies reveal for social workers opportunities to mitigate policy with the consistent practice of a social work approach to substance use. This article provides an overview of Michael Lipsky’s Street-Level Bureaucracies and outlines opportunities to embrace social justice and human rights through micro and macro social work practice with people who use substances.

Nudging for Social Change: Promises and Cautions for Social Workers to Apply Behavioural Economic Tools

Abstract Emerging knowledge from the behavioural economics field has the potential to expand social workers’ repertoire of tools to facilitate clients’ behavioural change and enhance policy design. However, social work training and practice do not traditionally incorporate this school of knowledge. As an initial step to bridge social work and behavioural economics, this article introduces behavioural economic concepts to social workers. In particular, it (i) reviews behavioural tendencies that are irrational, (ii) introduces seven behavioural intervention tools (commitment devices, defaults, incentives, social comparison, planning, messaging, and simplification and salience) to address these irrationalities, (iii) discusses cautions when applying these tools, (iv) introduces potential applications in micro and macro social work practice, (v) outlines steps to incorporate behavioural economic concepts into programme/policy design and (vi) addresses ethical considerations. Enhancing social workers’ knowledge of behavioural economics can facilitate interdisciplinary communication, collaboration and cross-fertilisation. Whilst social work practice may benefit from incorporating behavioural intervention tools, social workers’ rich practice wisdom can contribute to advancing ways through which nudge interventions further facilitate cognitive changes to bring about sustainable behavioural changes.

Enhancing New Media Literacies of Social Work Students through a Participatory Learning Environment

Social workers must have the requisite new media literacies to engage in social work practice in the modern digital age and increase their digital competence. This article demonstrates how students can obtain the necessary digital competencies for their future social work practice through an enhanced participatory learning environment based on 12 specific new media literacies situated in a master’s level macro social work practice course. A description of the learning assignments and participatory activities is provided along with results from a mixed-methods evaluation of the student’s experiences. Findings indicate statistically significant results in increasing new media literacies among students and that participatory learning activities enhanced student knowledge and skills. Discussion and implications related to new media literacies and the future of social work education are also provided.

Opportunities to “Make Macro Matter” through the Grand Challenges for Social Work

The Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative, led by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW), aims to organize the social work profession around 12 entrenched societal challenges. Addressing the root causes of the Grand Challenges will take a coordinated effort across all of social work practice, but given their scale, macro social work will be essential. We use Santiago and colleagues’ Frameworks for Advancing Macro Practice to showcase how macro practices have contributed to local progress on two Grand Challenges. We offer recommendations and a call for the profession to invest in and heed the instrumental role of macro social work practice to address the Grand Challenges.

Problems in Paradise: Low Wages and the Well-Being of Hawaiians

Hawaii is used as a case study to examine the impact of wages related to the real cost of living (COL). Hawaii’s US$10.10 minimum wage is below the COL based on the federal Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), raising its low poverty rate to the ninth highest nationally. Wages, housing, and the high rate of homelessness are examined, as is the necessity for multiple jobs, which impacts family life. This article also examines how the gig economy affects wages and economic insecurity. Low wages can lead to high debt levels and a reliance on a predatory shadow economy. Finally, this article examines macro and micro social work practice in the context of working toward higher wages, greater income equality, and addressing the needs of a new group of the “near poor.”

Applied Response to Homelessness: Model for Service Learning Across the Micro–Macro Social Work Practice Continuum

ABSTRACT Homelessness remains a persistent problem in the United States, calling for continuing engagement to address this issue across the micro–macro social work practice continuum. Social work educators have an imperative to expose the next generation of practitioners to this complex social issue and provide opportunities for students to develop knowledge, values, and skills to tackle what the academy has identified as one of the grand challenges of our profession. This study offers a curriculum road map for a service learning opportunity, Homeless Connect, that is integrated into the BSW program at a private southern California university. Using qualitative survey data of undergraduate students who participated in Homeless Connect, the study explores how participation influenced student perceptions of homelessness and supports emerging practitioner development.

Transforming Classroom Learning Through Community Study Projects in Macro-Social Work Practice Courses

This article describes the use of an experiential community study project in teaching a macro-practice course with focus on community engagement in an advanced generalist practice Master of Social Work (MSW) programme in the USA. Implemented in stages, this project is designed to provide students an opportunity to develop community practice knowledge and skills. Quantitative and qualitative data collected from students show how this project developed in them the ability to analyse community characteristics and problems as well as helped them become more culturally sensitive. In developing community profiles and assessing community needs, students could also enhance their analytical and critical thinking skills. These experiential projects are very relevant and useful for social work students and programmes which do not have an opportunity for community practice in their field placement as part of their education. The author argues that such initiatives are likely to reduce the marginalisation of macro-practice courses in social work programmes. Pedagogical and practice implications for macro-practice courses and social work education are also discussed.

Challenges to Bridging Field and Classroom Instruction: Exploring Field Instructors’ Perspectives on Macro Practice

ABSTRACTField education and macro practice have been highlighted as central educational domains in social work education; however, little scholarship has looked at how macro social work practice competencies have been integrated into field-based learning. This exploratory study aimed to gain perspectives from field instructors regarding macro social work and the integration of macro practice into their work with practicum students. Consistent with scholarship that has elucidated the impacts of neoliberalism on social work, including the marginalization of macro practice, emergent themes demonstrated that field instructors face barriers to incorporating macro work into their training of students. Challenges include prevalence of the medical model, time constraints, and funding limitations. Further, field instructors observed gaps among students, their university, and their organizational setting in regard to expectations for integrating macro practice into field education. Recommendations and directions for future research are discussed.

Micro and Macro Social Work Practice in the Context of Tuberculosis

The study of tuberculosis (TB) in the U.S.-Mexico border involves the consideration of three key components, which are complex and interrelated: the difficulty tracking and providing appropriate TB care due to the epidemiological and pathological characteristics of TB; the border itself is a geographical and epidemiological area that interweaves two nations, two cultures, two health systems and different laws; and the need for prevention and treatment approaches to TB that involve comprehensive clinical care and prevention while also taking into consideration stigma, social context and knowledge. This manuscript describes the work of ten studies conducted in Mexico and in the U.S.-Mexico border region from 2006 to 2013. It also provides an understanding of the social and public health implications of TB, the environment and communities, as well as the identification and application of advocacy and social mobilization practices. The work presented provides an understanding of different interventions related to adherence, stigma reduction, person-centered approaches, and effective micro and macro practices in social work.

Educator and practitioner views of professional competencies for macro social work practice

To effectively prepare students for practice, macro social work educators need to keep pace with employers’ demands. This article reports findings from a survey of social work educators ( n = 52) and macro practitioners ( n = 184) in Texas to assess congruence in competencies perceived as necessary for macro practice. Findings reveal that both groups prioritize competencies related to interpersonal dynamics and leadership, program management, and community practice, and view financial management and public relations as least important. However, findings identify differences in practice competencies (e.g. policy practice, organizational management, and development), suggesting a need to better align educational and professional priorities.

Confronting carceral power through experiential learning in macro social work practice

Founded on a rich tradition of community engagement, social work’s commitment to macro practice has waxed and waned throughout its short professional history. Despite an ethical mandate to advocate for social and economic justice, there is a retrenching emphasis on macro practice within social work education. This circumstance affects the profession’s commitment to human rights and social justice as social work students are often unable to actively engage in change-making activities. Many students graduate without the knowledge and skills needed to enact systemic change in their agencies, communities, states, or nation. This case study will explore the use of experiential learning methods to challenge carceral power through the demonstration of macro practice skills, which are essential for challenging the status quo of practices and policies that sustain oppressive systems. This case study details the organization and facilitation of ‘Know Your Rights’ (KYR) trainings, which educate community members about their Constitutional rights when confronted by the police. Through a successful collaboration between the American Civil Liberties Union, a social work program, and a dozen community organizations, the KYR trainings, conducted by over 60 BSW students engaged in three macro practice courses, were delivered in a rural community on the east coast with nearly 400 community members and students in attendance.

Revisiting the Relationship between Micro and Macro Social Work Practice

This analysis seeks to bridge the differences between micro and macro practice within the context of the shared mission of social work. The search for common ground, given decades of specialization, includes the identification of the different ways that the two forms of practice can inform each other, describes core workplace skills relevant to interventions at the micro and macro levels of organizational and community life, and explores the need for bilingual capacities to enhance communications between both domains of social work practice. It concludes with implications for future curricular changes.

The Learning Institute: Promoting Social Justice Advocacy Within a Continuing Education Program

ABSTRACTThe pursuit of social justice is an overarching framework that defines the social work profession. The goals of macro social work practice are centered on issues of social justice with strategies that include changing community conditions and creating a sense of solidarity, with particular emphasis on broadening the opportunities for marginalized populations. Given the natural alignment between social justice and macro social work practice, the exclusion of macro practice content in educational experiences should concern social workers and educators alike. The Learning Institute emerged in large part from a school’s shared concern with the micro/macro dichotomy that often characterizes the profession, as well as the faculty’s commitment to renewing the profession’s dedication to our social justice mandate. Results from this formative assessment clearly suggest that participants in the Learning Institute series may have experienced bifurcated education, exposure, and training to social justice advocacy on the macrolevel. Implications for future research and continuing education are discussed.

Debunking macro myths: findings from recent graduates about jobs, salaries, and skills

Research suggests that interest in macro social work practice is declining, a trend that has been well documented in the United States. Studies find that social work educators and practitioners may foster beliefs among MSW students that discredit macro practice and associated skills while asserting macro graduates are likely to face poorer employment prospects and lower salaries than micro counterparts as they start their careers. This study builds on and extends this literature by examining 27 skills in their current job using a five-point Likert-type scale among the early career trajectory of MSW alumni (N = 182) who graduated between 2008 and 2012 from a public social work institution in the southeastern United States. The skills included in the survey, as well as decisions about how to group them into scales, were made based on theoretical links between the skills by macro faculty members. Findings highlight the use of macro practice skills regardless of concentration focus, no differences in salary, or the time it takes to find employment between micro and macro alumni. Implications for social work education are discussed.

Formal and Informal Neighborhood Social Organization: Which Promotes Better Resident Health?

Neighborhood social organization captures how neighborhood residents differently organize to exert social control and enact their vision of their community. Whereas structural aspects of neighborhoods have been found to predict the health of neighborhood residents, we know less about whether neighborhood social characteristics, like social organization, matter for resident health. In their study, authors tested whether two types of social organization-formal and informal-were more predictive of resident self-rated health in a diverse sample of Chicago residents. They used multilevel models with survey weights, ordered dependent variables, and multiple imputation. They found that one measure of formal social organization, organizational participation, was significantly associated with self-rated health even when controlling for other types of social organization and individual participation. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications for macro social work practice to address social determinants of health and improve community health.

Police shootings of unarmed African American males: A systematic review

ABSTRACTThis article describes the results of a systematic review examining police shootings of unarmed African American males. Each source was evaluated by two reviewers and coded based on topic relevance and inclusion criteria. Because of the weak external validity found among the experimental studies, the authors made a substantive decision not to synthesize studies in a meta-analysis. Social work practice implications are gleaned from secondary data obtained from coroner, medical examiner, toxicology, police reports, and the experimental studies included in the systematic review. Individual, community, and police departmental policy factors were most often reported to explain such shootings when excluding sources that examined armed African American males. Implications for micro and macro–social work practice are summarized as individual, community, and police departmental policy factors.

Attitudes Toward Advanced Licensing for Macro Social Work Practice

ABSTRACTTrends in clinical licensing and a renewed energy to strengthen macro practice are raising questions about the appropriateness of licensure for macro social work practice. This article presents findings from an online survey of macro social work educators and macro social work practitioners exploring their attitudes toward an advanced-level macro social work license. Faculty and practitioner responders agreed that there is a role for advanced-licensing of macro social work practice; however, the lack of a collectively strong response reflects a current state of ambivalence toward advanced-level licensing for macro practice. Implications from these findings on contemporary social work are discussed.

Re-Envisioning Macro Social Work Practice

This article presents 10 recommendations supporting a re-envisioning of macro practice for the 21st century. These strategies are needed to counter a generational trend of disinvestment in macro social work practice and to support the historic vision of the social work profession as equally responsive to the needs of at-risk, disadvantaged populations and the organizational, community, and policy roots of social injustice. Before describing these recommendations and discussing their implications for the social work profession, I first briefly review the challenges facing macro practice and current initiatives promoting its renewal. The goal of this analysis is to define the essential contributions of macro practice while identifying strategies for responding to current dilemmas facing the social work profession.