Recent Social Work Literature Research Articles

“They Burn Brightly, But Only for a Short Time”: The Role of Social Workers in Companion Animal Grief and Loss

ABSTRACTThe human–animal bond is a relational theory which describes the dynamic between humans and nonhuman animals that satisfies needs in each for companionship and emotional support, framing companion animals as valued family members. Social workers have historically ignored the central role companion animals play in the lives of their clients, adopting an anthropocentric view underpinned by human rights and social justice. However, the need for companion animal-inclusive practice features in recent social work literature. As companion animals are intricately woven into the lives of their guardians, it follows that their inevitable death brings a profound sense of loss and thus an opportunity for social work intervention. The aim of this research was to see if there was a role for social work practitioners to support grieving animal companion guardians. Qualitative thematic analysis was performed on 218 candid online responses to an article on the topic of losing a companion animal, from which four major themes were identified: strength of the bond, anthropocentrically disenfranchised grief, anticipatory grief in the context of euthanasia, and the need for professional support. This analysis demonstrates the strength of the human– animal bond, illustrates how the dominant anthropocentric hegemony disenfranchises this variety of grief and loss, describes the experience of anticipatory grief in the context of euthanasia, and identifies the need for professional support. Implications for social work practice are identified, with opportunities for social workers to exchange their anthropocentric approach for a biocentric view, provide support to veterinarians and other professionals, and to work toward challenging the social constructs, which disenfranchise companion animal loss.

An analysis of inclusion gaps in sustainable development themes: Findings from a review of recent social work literature

Recently, humans have negatively altered ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any other time in human history, contributing to gains in well-being and economic development for some, while threatening the security of most, particularly oppressed populations. We comprehensively reviewed recent social work literature (2010–2015) to examine gaps in environmental sustainability themes relevant to social work practice. Peer-reviewed manuscripts, dissertations/theses and white papers were examined. A total of 71 papers (less than 1% of social work literature) met inclusion criteria. Although our call is to protect human health and well-being, recent literature does not account for sustainability even with evidence that environmental issues directly impact clients, hindering practice efficacy.

Reproductive Health in the United States: A Review of the Recent Social Work Literature.

Reproductive health is an important area affecting a woman's overall health and well-being. The examination of reproductive health and barriers to care is pertinent to the social work profession and should be a focus of social work practice, education, research, and advocacy. The authors conducted a literature search of articles published in the social work literature from 2010 to 2014. The findings reveal important published articles that increase our knowledge of the reproductive health of women in the United States. Most published articles focused on pregnancy and birth outcomes. Articles also addressed sexually transmitted infections; abortion; intimate partner violence; prostitution; access to care; cancer screening; views toward contraception; hysterectomies; breastfeeding; menopause; and the intersection of reproductive rights, religion, and social justice. This review also identified unexamined areas that require further social work attention and consideration.

Counseling with Muslim Refugees: Building Rapport

Recent social work literature has stressed the importance of considering culture when working with individuals with mental health problems. This paper presents my personal experience, journaling, reflections, and research as a mental health social work practitioner and researcher working with refugee clients with mental health problems from a Muslim background. It also draws on my research experience in cross-cultural mental health. The paper emphasizes the significance of building rapport especially in the earlier stages of the professional relationship.

Keeping Pace with Methodological and Analytical Advances in Social Research

Most educators and scholars rely on the methodological and analytical content they received during their doctoral training to build and sustain their research careers. Thus, when designing new investigations, faculty members often rely on the design, measurement, and analytical techniques they learned during their formative training. In the past, this strategy worked well for most investigators in social work and other social sciences. In recent years, however, an increase in the sophistication of quantitative techniques and a proliferation of the software used to analyze complex data mean that not only content but also research techniques mastered during doctoral training are outdated more quickly than in the past. In fact, methodological and analytical approaches to social research, which evolve constantly, render old methods less useful or even inappropriate in some cases. Therefore, keeping pace with relevant advances in quantitative methodology and analysis is critical to competing successfully for external funding and advancing knowledge about individual and social problems. DESIGN AND ANALYTICAL ADVANCES Many new and sophisticated design, measurement, and analysis strategies have been introduced in social research in the past decade. For example, recent methodological and analytical developments have made possible overcoming challenges like attrition in efficacy and effectiveness trials. Once an unknown and uncertain process, multiple imputation strategies for handling missing data have become common practice in longitudinal studies (Schafer & Graham, 2002). Such strategies are particularly common today in randomized trials assessing the efficacy or effectiveness of prevention programs or social interventions (Graham, Olchowski, & Gilreath, 2007). Similarly, innovative methods to deal with selection effects that use techniques such as propensity analyses have been introduced in intervention research (Fraser, 2004). Yet another example is evident in advances in estimating power, a thorny problem that has been made less complicated by advances in specialized software programs (Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002). Achieving mastery of new analytical techniques may be challenging to experienced investigators who did not previously receive adequate training in similar approaches. For instance, once the exception, statistical methods known variously as multilevel, hierarchical, or mixed models are now used frequently to answer increasingly complicated research questions related to the onset and persistence of selected behaviors and outcomes. Similarly, an increase in group-randomized trials (GRTs) has led to numerous analytical advances necessary to analyze data collected in schools and community prevention experiments (for example, Jenson & Dieterich, 2007; Jenson, Dieterich, Rinner, Washington, & Burgoyne, 2006). That is, when randomization is done at the group level, treatment effects need to be analyzed at the group level. For example, in a study where schools are randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions, the denominator degrees of freedom for a test of the difference between the means of the control and experimental schools is not based on the number of students but rather on the number of schools in the study. Thus, the appropriate statistical models in a GILT partition both random and fixed effects at the student-, classroom-, and school-levels. It is important to note that the use of such models has a significant effect on the sample size and power requirements in a study. This brief discussion barely scratches the surface of recent developments in quantitative methodology. Additional issues and recommendations pertaining to design sampling, power, and analysis are found in the recent social work literature (for example, Fraser, 2004; Jenson et al., 2006; LeCroy & Krysik, 2007; Nash, Kupper, & Fraser, 2004). Readers may also wish to examine important papers from other disciplines that summarize new approaches to preventing or handling complex methodological and analytical issues in social research (for example, Muthen, 2002; Murray, Varnell, & Blitstein, 2004; Raudenbush & Bryk, 2002; Singer & Willett, 2003). …

Promoting Effective Social Work Policy in End-of-Life and Palliative Care

Policy developments in the health care arena in general, and in end-of-life and palliative care in particular, strongly influence the practice environment for the delivery of hospice and palliative care services and the diverse roles of social work practitioners. This article analyzes policy developments in two crucial areas-ethics and law and disenfranchisement and health disparities. It focuses on the recent social work literature and other key sources and provides recommendations to promote the roles of social workers in ethics consultation, public policy, and advocacy and to integrate better the perspectives and concerns of diverse communities into palliative care practice, education, and policy.

Concept, Act, and Interest in Professional Practice: Implications of an Empowerment Perspective

Within recent social work literature, the concept of empowerment as a practice perspective has received wide endorsement. In this article, I argue that adopting the notion of empowerment as a framework for practice requires not only that we think differently about professional practice but, more fundamentally, that we think differently about professional knowledge. Using the work of philosopher Jürgen Habermas, particularly the distinction he makes among three arenas of human activity-work, interaction, and power-I outline ways in which the functional and cognitive interests associated with these arenas dictate differing orientations to practice, alternate commitments to various forms of knowledge as applicable in practice settings, and different accounts of practitioner error. Implications for professional education are addressed.

Where is the border? Current issues in the diagnosis and treatment of the borderline

Differential diagnosis of subtypes of individuals meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder has received only limited attention in the recent social work literature on the borderline. Whether the borderline disturbance is moderate or severe, the condition may overlap with several “borders,” suggesting that borderline personality disorders are a heterogeneous group of conditions. Discrimination between different subtypes is necessary in order to help clients obtain the optimum combination of treatments.

Conflicts, Conciliation and Social Work

This article seeks to draw together some issues and themes which are identifiable in recent social work literature and practice, and in the criminal and civil law. It explores the nature of conciliation as a method for dealing with conflict. It also considers some aspects of the nature of social work and the process by which problems become the object of social work treatment. It is argued that this process can effectively limit the scope for client involvement in seeking solutions to their problems, and that conciliation might offer some potential for increasing this, whilst also revitalizing the ethical base of social work practice.

Gender and Power in Social Work

Recent social work literature has challenged traditional male world views extant in social work theory and practice and the position of women as workers in the profession. To date, however, attempts to explain the situation have been fragmented and largely limited to the social work profession itself. This paper examines firstly the origin of women's disadvantage within social work in terms of male/female relationships of power in wider society. Power is explored in the areas of class, patriarchy, institutions, personal resources and corporate strength. Particular emphasis is placed on the ideologies generated by the predominance of male power in these areas. Secondly, the paper raises some issues related to power and gender that need to be addressed in social work if change is to occur.

Outreach to Mexican Americans

Recent social work literature retiveness or irrelevance of traditional fleets the profession's concern with demethods of delivering services to livering services to racial and ethnic minorities. The provision of counseling minority groups. It is frequently argued and psychotherapeutic services has that the needs of these groups for social been regarded as a special problem be services are greater than those of their cause the impact of cultural differences counterparts in the majority culture beis most acutely felt in the relationship cause of the long-term effects of disbetween counselor or therapist and crimination. Yet the use of existing client. Efforts are accordingly being services by minority group members is made to adapt traditional helping often disproportionately low. methods to clients from specific minor In general, the underutilization of soity cultures, and the relevance of alter cial services by minority groups has native treatment techniques to minority been assumed to result from the ineffecgroups is also being explored. How ever, little attention is being paid to Ted R. Watkins, DSW, is Associate increasing the use by minorities of ser Professor, Department of Sociology, vices as they are currently delivered. It Social Work Program, University of is the authors' conviction that tradi Texas at Arlington. At the time tional social work practice has much the project was begun, he was Director to offer minority clients and that of Counseling Services, Family the first step toward increasing services and Individual Services Associato these groups must be outreach—the tion of Tarrant County, Texas. marketing of services in a manner that Richard Gonzales, MSSW, is Manager gives existing methods a chance to of Social Services, Tarrant County work. This conviction is supported by Hospital District, John Peter Smith the authors' experience in developing Hospital, Fort Worth, Texas. At the an outreach project for time the project was begun, he clients as an integral part of a was Outreach Worker, Family and traditional family counseling agency. Individual Services Association of The present article is a description of Tarrant County. the planning, implementation, and re suits of the project and a discussion of generalizations from the experience. It should be noted that several terms are used in the Southwest to refer to Americans of descent: Chi cano, Mexican American, Mex ican, Latino, Latin American, Spanish, and Hispanic. Each has its own connotations and reflects the age, politics, and socioeconomic status of the user. In the authors' expe rience, Mexican American is the most neutral of these terms, and it was used in all communications relating to the outreach project to avoid offending specific groups in the target population. It is also used throughout this article.

A Framework for Comparing Practice Models

After relying for so many years on a few basic theoretical frameworks to set the parameters for social work practice, professionals have, over the last few years, devoted substantial attention to the development of a whole range of new models of practice. The emphasis in recent social work literature seems to indicate that social workers have turned to the search for a model or models which can serve as focal points for integrating all the many things that social workers do. Some confusion, however, has been generated by the interchangeable use of "model" and "theory." This article attempts to clarify differences and to provide a framework for comparing one model to another, weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each against the other, as an aid to students and practitioners in search of a practice model best suited to individual convictions and style.