Development Of Social Work Practice Research Articles

Reflexive professionalisation in social work practice development, research, and education: the vital challenge of democratic citizen participation

ABSTRACT This paper examines how the renewed critical emphasis on reflexive professionalisation in the field of social work can take into account the challenges regarding the politics of democratic participation of service users as citizens while working towards social justice. Our contribution is based on the findings of a collaborative European research project involving researchers, students, public service organisations, service user organisations, and educators from various European countries. The aim of the project was to gain a differentiated and in-depth understanding of how reflexive professionalisation in social work may function as a concept and practice that stimulates social care that integrates a commitment to democratic citizen participation. Based on a qualitative content analysis of 21 transnational empirical case studies, we identify four vital dimensions of developing reflexive and democratic participatory approaches in social service contexts: (1) cultivating a historical awareness of how the professional identity and mandate of social workers has been and is currently (nationally) defined; (2) articulating the professional positions and normative value orientations that underpin (participatory) practice development; (3) reflecting on the constructions of problems, service user identities and related actions; and (4) creating space for ambiguity, risks and mistakes.

Developing a ‘defamilisation framework’ to examine the strategies for promoting the adult worker model and women’s welfare in eight European countries

This article is intended to explore the link between the study of defamilisation and that of the adult worker model. To meet this purpose, a defamilisation framework for studying issues concerning the adult worker model and defamilisation is developed. To show the empirical significance of these issues, evidence is drawn from a childcare gap typology covering eight European countries. Conducting these analytical tasks provides insights into the development of social work practices for enhancing women’s welfare.

Unpacking social innovation by nonstate service providers in the challenging social work practice

Nonstate service providers in the form of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) play an important role in the delivery of social services and the development of social work practice, in particular in fragile and conflict-affected countries. In such challenging settings, NGOs also mobilize various resources, implement novel activities or service delivery models that may induce the development of social innovation; however, such perspectives have been overlooked in the social work literature. This study outlines a framework for understanding how social innovation generates by nonstate service providers in a challenging social work context. By analyzing 15 interviews from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the study identified three interrelated key mechanisms that drive social innovation by local NGO service providers: a) transcopy, b) coactive novelty and c) knowledge construction. The processes underlying these mechanisms include transnational networking, copying and adapting, contextual modification, relationship-building, pioneering novel solutions, knowledge production and transfer. This study offers new insights into the role of nonstate service providers in the development of social innovation in a challenging social work context and has several implications for practice.

Professional development of social work education and practice in Pakistan within a global context

ABSTRACT Issues such as lack of licensure and registration, a dearth of standards, and lack of defined job descriptions and job titles are some obstacles that create challenges to the expansion of the field of social work internationally. The purpose of this article is to provide insight on the challenges of implementation and professional development of social work education and practice in Pakistan. This article is divided into five sections: the historical development and characteristics of social work education, the development of social work practice, the professional development of social workers, the need to improve social work education, and professionalizing social work practice and education using indigenous social work education and practice in Pakistan.

A kutatómunka jelentősége a szociális munka hivatássá válásában

The article interprets social work research as a distinct field, characterized by specific questions, appraoches and methodologies within the broad area of social research – this differentiation is new in Hungary. Reviewing the development of social work research, the author outlines possible developmenal directions; and comments on the role of social work research in the development of social work practice and professionalization.

Conceptualising Social Work through the Lens of Transnationalism: <i>Challenges and Ways Ahead</i>

Professional social work was established and expanded in a historical moment marked by intense nation-building; it was organized along and in parallel with other welfare state services which functioned to strengthen the nation-state. Today social work is at practice in a society marked by intensified globalisation; social needs and social problems that social workers are confronted with in their professional practice are sometimes transnational in their dynamics and cannot adequately be understood when limited to a local or national context. Drawing on insights from the transnational perspective, this article identifies challenges and ways ahead in the development of social work practice and theory with relevance for the globalised society. It argues that the transnational perspective can contribute to the dissolving of binaries between both ‘here’ and ‘there’, and ‘us’ and ‘them’ in social work, and pave the way for approaching social problems from a relational viewpoint beyond ‘given’ territorial and ethnocultural lenses.

Linking family engagement with a rights perspective: macro factors influencing practice

ABSTRACTWhile child welfare practitioners in many countries are struggling to develop methods of effective family engagement, they operate within different national and cultural contexts that influence, both positively and negatively, the ability to engage with families. Increasingly, international comparisons are necessary to further understanding of the development of social work practice. This is particularly necessary because most countries utilize international frameworks (such as the United National Convention on the Rights of the Child) to provide guidance in the development of policies, programs, and interventions. Each country (and locality) struggles to advance practice to be more effective and humane. Our paper offers a comparative analysis focused on family-oriented and rights-based frameworks of different countries. Based on a review of current national policies and a review of the literature regarding family-based practices, we examine similarities and differences among four countries: the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, and South Korea. These countries were selected because they have some similarities (advanced industrialized democracies, professional social work, and formal child protection systems) but have some differences in their social welfare systems (policies, specific practices, and socio-cultural context). These differences can be utilized to advance understanding regarding the promise and potential for family engagement strategies. We then discuss the utility of this comparison for theory-building in the arena of child-care practice and conclude by identifying the challenges and limitations of this work.

Pūao-te-Āta-tū: Informing Māori social work since 1986

The Pūao-te-Āta-tū Report (1986) is the founding document of Māori social work in Aotearoa, second only to Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840) in its significance for Māori social workers. This article presents the influences of Pūao-te-Āta-tū over the past 20+ years on Māori social work. The Report promoted significant changes to social work; in particular, the development of social work practices by Māori, with whānau Māori. In light of its significant nature, research was undertaken with eight Māori social workers to engage them in discussion on the influential nature of Pūao-te-Āta-tū on their social work practice. This article presents the participants’ comments, and emphasises the impact Pūao-te-Āta-tū had on Māori social work practice methods (Hollis, 2006).

Een zoektocht naar de identiteit van het sociaalwerkonderzoek: een reflectie over de kenmerken van een academische discipline

Een zoektocht naar de identiteit van het sociaalwerkonderzoek: een reflectie over de kenmerken van een academische discipline

A revisit of ‘moral and character education’ subject in junior-high school in China

Moral education is a practice to promote the moral competence of adolescents, particularly in nurturing their moral judgement and moral behaviour. In China, under the rapid development of social work practice at schools, moral education could serve as a collaborative point between teachers, school counsellors, social workers and policymakers to promote the moral, holistic and healthy development of students. However, moral education is not as yet widely and systematically evaluated? particularly the details of relevant policy, curriculum, textbooks, teaching and learning approach, examination and evaluation. This paper takes an initiative to conduct a comprehensive literature review and theoretical discussion on the subject ‘Moral and Character Education’ (Sixiangpinde思想品德) which is a mandatory moral education subject for Grade 7–9 students in junior high schools in China. It also provides reflections and suggestions on how the subject and moral education could be promoted under the contexts of promotion of adolescent holistic development and involvement of social work practice.

Social work in the teeth of a gale: a resilient counter-discourse in neoliberal times

This article discusses the findings of a qualitative research project in Auckland, New Zealand, which examined the proposition that a particular form of knowledge is produced in the practice of social work. Evidence consistent with Philp’s conceptualisation of a specific knowledge form for social work emerges from analysis of the data. It is apparent that the everyday practice of social work continues to engage with the lived experience of marginalised citizens in New Zealand and similar societies. It is argued that this process of relational engagement continues to produce a discourse of equality that is consistent with the politics of social democracy. The implications of the findings of this study are discussed in relation to the future development of social work practice and education given the current dominance of a neoliberal governance paradigm that is largely hostile to the inclusive discourse that social work practice inevitably produces.

The Case Management Approach to Protecting Older People from Abuse and Mistreatment: Lessons from the Irish Experience

The aim of this paper is to inform the development of social work practice and policy by applying a practice-based evidence perspective to the experiential knowledge of social workers responsible for managing cases of elder abuse in Ireland. The study adopted a qualitative descriptive research design. Semi-structured interview data were collected from a purposive sample of eighteen senior case workers and inductive thematic analysis was undertaken. The findings are presented according to three themes: elder abuse case management, practice strategies for overcoming challenges and augmenting protective practice. By examining practice in the context of wider socio-political and legislative contexts, the paper provides learning in key areas for the protection of older people. The challenges to case management practice and the strategies employed to respond to these challenges are discussed in terms of adult protective service policy development and its relationship to practice. While recognising the imperative to respect a client's right to self-determination, increased statutory authority for the duty of the state to protect older people from abuse as well as the role of the case worker to act on behalf of the state to implement protective interventions is important for the future development of the service.

Austerity, personalisation and older people: the prospects for creative social work practice in England

In common with other European countries population ageing in England creates particular problems for social care and social work. This is exacerbated by the continuing financial crisis, which has led to an unprecedented assault on the resources needed to maintain older people within the community. At the same time, a policy of ‘personalisation’ is being introduced within social care that is intended to change the nature and balance of services. The effect of financial cuts means that there is substantially less money to respond to people's needs, despite the demographic changes that indicate there will be an increasing number of vulnerable older people in society. As a result the need for stringent rationing of resources will continue to be a priority, as it has been for many years. This has particular implications for the development of social work practice with older people: there are distinct possibilities that it will reduce in size and scale. This is despite the international recognition that has been given to the specific circumstances of older people, as well as social work's commitment to challenge injustice. If the needs of older people in England are to be more effectively addressed the implications of these factors needs to be considered and strategies for the full engagement of social workers within them need to be agreed.

Action research in local authority practice

In Denmark social work has been widely criticized, mostly by Danish local authorities performing social work among children and adolescents. The criticism has been centred on social work not being sufficiently qualified and not meeting the standards set by politicians and legislation. This criticism has led to a growing political and societal pressure to professionally upgrade social work in this area, thereby making practice more knowledge-based. One way to do this could be the use of interactive research targeting the professional development of social work practice among local authorities. The article presents a concrete action research project in a large Danish local authority, involving the professional development of social work practice with at-risk families.

Developing social work practice through engaging practitioners in action research

This article describes a particular approach – a methodology – for examining the ways in which social workers conceptualize children and childhood and the significance of this for developing social work practice. The research described was carried out in Iceland working directly with Icelandic social work practitioners. The methodology adopted used an action research approach, in which young people, who had interacted with social services, were engaged as research consultants. The article evaluates such an approach, paying particular attention to the approach as a method of generating new knowledge, and its usefulness for the development of social work practice.

Social work in Hong Kong – Western practice in a Chinese context

This article narrates the development of social work practice in Hong Kong during the last more than half a century. As in other British colonies, social work was first known as a profession in Hong Kong when Western international relief organizations established offices here after the end of World War II. While social work has always been seen as a Western introduction, both overseas and locally trained social workers in Hong Kong are conscious that they are practicing in a society with a strong tradition of Chinese culture and there is also a different view towards the concept of welfare. Other than examining how social workers in Hong Kong have adapted Western developed theories to the solution of local problems in a Chinese society, this article concludes with a discussion of the influence that social workers and social work educators in Hong Kong have made on the development of social work in mainland China. 本文叙述了半个多世纪前社会工作在香港的发展。 如同在其它英国殖民地一样， 当第二次世界大战结束后西方国际援助组织在香港成立办事处， 社会工作在香港才首度被视为一个专业。 社会工作通常被看作为由西方引进的产物， 在本地或海外受训的香港社会工作者均意识到他们在社区从事社会工作时， 有着强烈的中国文化传统， 同时对福利概念有着不同的观点。 除了研究香港社会工作者如何适用西方的成熟理论， 以解决在中国社会发生的本土问题外， 本文还讨论了香港社会工作者及社会工作教育工作者如何影响中国内地社会工作的发展。

Not Just Another Population

This special issue of Families in Society is designed to serve as a resource for the future development of social work practice with older adults. The issue begins with overview articles on practice and policy with specific examination of practice in health care settings. The next section is devoted to diversity issues. The remaining sections focus on capacity building with families, in communities, and within the profession.

<Article>A Research of the Development of Social Work Practice and Seminar for Growing Certified Social Workers : Collaborating with Social Welfare Clients, Workers, and Educators

<Article>A Research of the Development of Social Work Practice and Seminar for Growing Certified Social Workers : Collaborating with Social Welfare Clients, Workers, and Educators

Community Practice Issues in the 21st Century

ABSTRACT Community practice has developed an increasing array of models and skills in response to environmental stimuli and the development of social work practice. The beginning of the 21st Century is a period of rapid and complex change. This paper identifies key factors, as well as challenges facing community practice advocates. This paper proposes that many models of community practice, often operating simultaneously and in conscious and close relationship to empowerment-oriented, new social movements, will be necessary to advance social justice values and the interests of oppressed populations in the coming decades. Finally, this paper raises special challenges in this environment for empowerment-oriented practitioners.

Transfer of learning across nation states: Developing culturally sensitive methods of social work education

Sharing of ideas about good practice and values in social work education and practice across Europe is a fast developing process. As the emergent post-communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, have developed new economic systems, participatory politics and new social infrastructures, they have sought the advice of Western states on the development of social work practice and education. This paper considers key issues involved in the transfer of ideas from West to East for both partners. The focus is on the development of social work education, and draws on experiences of collaboration with colleagues in Ukraine. Consideration is given to collaboration and detailed exploration of aspects of teaching and learning across cultures as a contribution to the development of social quality. For example, how to develop teaching technologies that are culturally sensitive and delivered by the appropriate teachers; how to examine the competence of social workers across cultural divides and how to evaluate the ef...