Qualitative Social Work Research Articles

Socio-Economic Inequalities in Namibia: A Qualitative Social Work Study

Social work in Namibia is practised in a context marked by extreme levels of poverty and socio-economic inequalities. These interrelated challenges remain deeply entrenched despite several development efforts at national, regional and international level. As a social justice and human rights-oriented profession that has a global footprint, social work pledges to promote socio-economic equalities in view of realising a just and equal world. Such a structural emphasis on tackling socio-economic inequalities is a radical departure from the micro-level centred approaches that have historically dominated social work practice in Namibia. In this qualitative study, we explored 10 purposively selected Namibian social workers’ perceptions of socio-economic inequalities through semi-structured one-on-one interviews. The findings indicate that social workers are intricately aware of the socio-economic inequalities that characterise the Namibian society, but that their focus on micro practice restricts them to deal with the structural causes that retain socio-economic inequalities. Adopting a developmental approach as policy framework for social welfare and social work will enable social workers to bridge micro and macro practice, challenge oppressive structures and contribute to social transformation and a just and sustainable world.

Anti-Racist Research Praxis: Feminist Relational Accountability and Arts-Based Reflexive Memoing for Qualitative Data Collection in Social Work Research

Largely absent from the feminist qualitative social work research literature are practical discussions about the ethics of white researchers who “study up” people and institutions of power. This methodological article grapples with how to conduct data collection from an anti-racist framework. I explore my use of an arts-based self-reflexive memoing process of embodied tableaux to inform my experimentations of rejecting “neutrality” when interviewing participants. I provide examples of disrupting white, patriarchal, and colonial norms during qualitative interviewing, including directly naming my whiteness and anti-racist stance; intentionally challenging the racism of white participants and deepening critical reflection; and viewing myself through a lens of critical skepticism to recognize when I was protecting whiteness or failing to effectively intervene. I conclude with an invitation to others to experiment with an anti-racist research praxis—an iterative process of self-reflexivity and relational accountability to reflect, theorize, and act differently during feminist social work research.

Thinking boxes, behavioural boys and the politics of love: ‘Doing’ post-qualitative social work research

Post-humanist theories and feminist new materialism are a growing feature of social work scholarship. It is timely to explore how these theories inform qualitative social work research approaches. Drawing on post-qualitative methodology and Barad’s concept and method of diffraction, in this article we engage in a performative re-analysis of an account of school social work practice with a group of boys with behavioural concerns. We illuminate the interplay of neurological and behaviourist ways of knowing boys and social workers’ expertise and their linkages with the materiality of the place and space of the school-based group programme. Moving beyond merely representing these material-discursive happenings, this paper affirms new social worker identities and behavioural boys’ subjectivities which emerge within the entangled relations with non-human, material objects and things in schools. Doing post-qualitative inquiry, co-configures us as researchers actively involved in knowledge generation as we seek to make differences that matter in social work practice. Diffraction not only offers methods to engage with the material-discursive interface of social work knowledge practices, but also an ethical methodology for researchers to do justice in our engagement with research data.

THE EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES OF WOMEN WHO RESIDE IN DRIEKOP MINING COMMUNITY OF THE LIMPOPO PROVINCE

Mining operations are envisaged to improve the conditions of members of their host communities (communities where they operate) by creating employment opportunities, developing infrastructure and enhancing their wellbeing. Yet despite these operations, research shows that these communities are underdeveloped and impoverished, and women are more severely affected than men. As an advocate for social justice, social work is instrumental in addressing these impacts, particularly through scientific research. This qualitative social work study explored the experiences and challenges of women residing in the Driekop mining community of Limpopo province, South Africa. The findings revealed that women experience both the benefits and challenges associated with these mining operations. Keywords: challenges, experiences, mining community, social work, women

Closings, crossings, and complications: The fluidity of borders and boundaries in qualitative social work

An editorial is presented to the article coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, has affirmed global interconnectedness and shone a spotlight on existing inequalities within and for environments Topics include social work scholars and practitioners have had to adapt by embracing fluidity or creatively transcending restrictions;and the collection of essays seems to suggest variations on adaptations

Doctoral research amidst the Covid-19 pandemic: Researcher reflections on practice, relationships, and unexpected intimacy

Responding to the Special Issue call by the Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice Journal, this article reflects on the challenges faced by a Social Work doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) during the Covid-19 outbreak. Having already commenced their fieldwork through a series of Freirean-style dialogical interviews via Biographical Narrative Interpretive Method (B.I.N.M.), the nationwide-lockdown demanded a drastic deviation from the intended in-person face-to-face interviews with lone parent participants. Significant academic consideration had already been given to the researcher’s existing academic, professional, and social relationships to north and northwest Edinburgh - the geographical focus within the study - via a process of reflexivity prior to commencing the interviews, yet the shift from discussions in neutral venues (e.g. community centres and public cafes) to dialogues conducted exclusively via digital platforms brought about a radical shift in interpersonal dynamics as both researcher and participant were exposed to each other’s homes, families, and other aspects of domestic life. The change in circumstances bore major implications not only for participant recruitment, but also created an unexpected intimacy within the interviewer-interviewee relationships.

Critical reflections and reflexivity on responding to the needs of LGBTQ+ youth in a global pandemic.

The global community has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic. LGBTQ+ (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, etc.) youth may face increased stressors amidst the pandemic given their significant mental and sexual health disparities, pervasive rejection — including quarantining in homes with heightened risk of abuse and victimization, and a lack of access to essential resources. Responsive supports are needed at this time for vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth, particularly tailored mental health supports. This critical reflexive paper will highlight, as qualitative social work researchers and practitioners, the swift response to the needs of vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth across Canada during this pandemic. We provide a transparent account of how we have utilized critical reflexivity, cultivated through qualitative research, to support LGBTQ+ youth. This article will elucidate the importance of critical reflexivity in effectively transitioning essential offline mental health services for LGBTQ+ youth to a technology-mediated mental health affirmative intervention. The aim of this paper is to provide qualitative researchers and practitioners practical direction through important insights gleaned by supporting marginalized LGBTQ+ youth during particularly trying times such as a global pandemic.

Editor’s Acknowledgment of Service to JSSWR

Editor’s Acknowledgment of Service to <i>JSSWR</i>

Harnessing Covid-19 to celebrate qualitative social work: Research and practice

Harnessing Covid-19 to celebrate qualitative social work: Research and practice

Systematic Literature Searching in Social Work: A Practical Guide With Database Appraisal

Context:In response to the growth of evidence-based practice in social work, systematic literature reviews offer significant value to social work but are often met with concerns of time scarcity.Purpose:Through a case study search strategy addressing the research question “What are practicing frontline social workers’ experiences of bureaucracy?,” this article seeks to promote efficiency by providing a practical guide for conducting systematic literature searches and an appraisal of database performance in qualitative social work research.Method:The total citations, unique hits, sensitivity, and precision for each database were calculated before conducting a cross-study comparison with three previously published social work systematic searches to identify emerging performance trends.Results/Conclusion:Relying on a single database is subject to bias and will not provide comprehensive or sensitive findings; however, due to consistent high performance across four systematic searches, Applied Social Science Index and Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, and Social Science Citation Index are recommended for future literature searching in social work.

Pandemic and protest in 2020: Questions and considerations for social work research.

The convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and social/political protest concerning structural anti-Black racism marks a moment for deep reflection and revision of many taken-for-granted assumptions about our research and academic lives as social work scholars. In this reflexive essay we, as two non-Black qualitative social work scholars, explore some of the questions and considerations for social work research that have surfaced since the emergence of these complex social, political, and economic crises. We organize our reflection around what we study, why, and how we go about studying it. We then offer a discussion of various constraints and challenges that emerge in this type of reflective scholarly practice, including an analysis of how contexts of white supremacy culture and neoliberalism shape social work scholarship. We close the essay with a number of recommendations for further reflection for social work scholars, such as reviewing research practices, seeking external research funding, practicing reflexivity, interrogating assumptions about knowledge production, self and community care, and integrating scholarly work into social work curriculum.

Picot A. (2016). Understandings of biological kinship ties in social workers’ accounts: A cross-cultural study of out-of-home placements in Norway and France, "Qualitative Social Work", 15 (2): 247-262. doi.org/10.1177/1473325015586247.

Picot A. (2016). Understandings of biological kinship ties in social workers’ accounts: A cross-cultural study of out-of-home placements in Norway and France, "Qualitative Social Work", 15 (2): 247-262. doi.org/10.1177/1473325015586247.

Patterns, designs and developments in articles published in Qualitative Social Work: An update

Patterns, designs and developments in articles published in <i>Qualitative Social Work</i>: An update

Engaging individuals vulnerable to stereotyping in self-reflection through image work: valuing hidden experiences and creating new meanings

ABSTRACTIn recent years, arts-based research methods have gained a substantial standing in qualitative social work research and practise. The methods, which include techniques such as collage work and photography, have been utilised to contextualise individual experiences and combat stereotyping. This article aims to provide detailed information on the self-reflective process that working with images evoked in research participants and in the researcher. This paper reflects upon the type of reflexive knowledge produced in a study that utilised the picture collage method in mapping out migrant individuals´ life theories and worldviews. The paper highlights the possibilities of self-reflecting image work becoming a valuable resource in research with the aim to empower individuals vulnerable to stereotyping and to increase researchers’ awareness of stereotypes that, in the case of migrant clients, may be based on ethnicity or country entry status. The paper suggests that storytelling with images allows a greater space for interpretations of individuals´ experiences to grow and develop.

Enhancing the visibility of early career researchers in social work

In my recent Editorial for Qualitative Social Work (Morriss, 2018), I argued that it is vitally important to support social work doctoral students and early career researchers (ECRs). In summary, I argued that the decisions that we make as social workers are life changing and have lifelong impacts, and therefore it is crucial that there is a strong research base to inform our decision-making. Yet, doctorates in social work are still relatively rare. In addition, the picture is complicated by the existence of three different doctoral routes in social work in the UK, each bringing different challenges: the ‘traditional’ doctorate; the professional doctorate and the PhD by publication. Unlike neighbouring disciplines, there are no professional bodies in the field of social work that provide support for doctoral students and ECRs in social work. The support that does exist is ad hoc and on an individual basis, depending on the particular institution or the local Doctoral Training Partnership. Often, we remain isolated, working alone. Thus, the picture is complex: there is no typical doctoral student or ECR in social work. However, what we are highly likely to have in common is this lack of generalised support.

Gaining qualitative perspective: A career interview with Roy Ruckdeshel

Qualitative Social Work has a tradition of publishing career interviews of distinguished social worker scholars who have been influential in conservations on qualitative inquiry. This career interview with Roy Ruckdeschel, an American social worker who held a faculty position at St. Louis University for 38 years, blends his personal, professional, and intellectual biography. It is based on an extended career interview with Professor Ruckdeschel and on his scholarly writing. Starting with his working class background and conservative Lutheran education, the article traces his advanced education decisions which were shaped by coming of age during a particularly turbulent era of American history. This included escalating American involvement in the Viet Nam War and widespread racial and civil unrest in major U.S. cities. Ruckdeschel studied both social work and sociology, choices largely driven by a quest for “rigor.” Although he started his career as a classic survey researcher, he was quickly disillusioned by its lack of attention to interpersonal interaction and context. As Ruckdeschel’s scholarship matured, he argued for a “qualitative perspective” as a way of melding theories of social action with strategies of qualitative inquiry. It was a synthesis that became a life philosophy influencing his understanding of research, practice, and university politics. In 2002, Ruckdeschel accepted Ian Shaw’s invitation to launch a new journal, Qualitative Social Work, in order to create an institutional home for scholars who choose a qualitative path but were largely shut out of mainstream social work institutions. Ruckdeschel offers advice for those who follow a qualitative life path.

The Tyranny of Ethics? Political Challenges and Tensions When Applying Ethical Governance to Qualitative Social Work Research

ABSTRACTThis paper examines problems which current ethical governance processes generate for qualitative researchers within social work. It draws upon case studies and critical theory to detail the unpredictable and diverse nature of much social work qualitative research. It argues that too often this research is pitted against a narrow institutional focus placed on positivist-orientated empirical research and income generation. Overtly instrumental interpretations of ethics – often determined by realist and bioethical paradigms – can quickly inhibit the methodological dynamism required to meaningfully capture the complex and non-binary issues which social workers accommodate in their work and subsequent research. Arguments that policy-led, institutional and professional cultures have generated a conservative culture of risk-aversion within the neo-liberal university are also considered.

How Twitter is changing the meaning of scholarly impact and engagement: Implications for qualitative social work research

Social media technologies continue to change the academic landscape. Twitter has become particularly popular in research arenas including social work and is being used for fieldwork, knowledge mobilization activities, advocacy, and professional networking. Although there has been some consideration of the benefits and risks of using social media in academia, little has been written from a qualitative social work perspective. Drawing on the example of Twitter, this article redresses this gap in the literature, by exploring how social media is changing the way research is conducted and promoted in relation to (1) measuring scholarly impact via altmetrics; (2) engaging with research participants; (3) networking and making collegial connections; and (4) advocating for social issues in the public realm. As we highlight tensions in each of these four areas, a key concern is how and for whom social media is contributing to the changing meaning of scholarly impact and engagement in research communities. We draw specific attention to how the inequalities that exist in academia writ large may be amplified on social media thus affecting overall engagement and perceived impact for researchers from marginalized social locations (e.g. gender, race, sexual orientation). We conclude by discussing specific implications of using social media in qualitative social work research and provide suggestions for future areas of inquiry.

Introducing a new European Editor for Qualitative Social Work

Introducing a new European Editor for <i>Qualitative Social Work</i>

Qualitative Research in the Chinese Social Work Academy: Optimism and Invisible Disadvantages

Abstract There has been much discussion about the contributions of qualitative research to social work knowledge, but the experiences of social work faculty engaged in qualitative research are rarely discussed. Social work is at the early developmental stage in China, which makes the country a useful laboratory to examine this question. The current study aimed to understand experiences of Chinese qualitative social work faculty and how their methodological orientation affected their career trajectories. Nine semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted and analysed. Thematic data analysis revealed three major themes: suitability, methodological challenges and structural barriers. Findings indicate that qualitative social work research has an optimistic future in China, but methodological challenges and structural barriers create invisible disadvantages. This study highlights the need for rigorous qualitative research training, including apprenticeship; translation of more qualitative learning materials into Chinese; and support for the purchase, training and use of qualitative software packages. The results also point to the need for institutional review boards or other ethical oversight mechanisms. More importantly, there must be greater consensus regarding what constitutes scientific rigour, which projects should be funded, what are evaluative criteria for publication, and whom to hire and promote.