Social Work Research Research Articles

What We Lose When We "Don't Say Gay": Generational Shifts in Sexual Identity and Gender.

At a time when anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is on the rise in more than a dozen states across the United States, social work providers and researchers must be acutely aware of the ways in which their practice may unintentionally invalidate the identities of LGBTQ+ youth. Concurrently, language used in the LGBTQ+ youth community to describe both sexual identity and gender has moved away from monosexual and binary labels toward nonmonosexual and nonbinary descriptions. The adoption of such language, in practice and in research, is a simple step toward combatting invalidation in the social work field. This commentary explores the expansion of identity labels through the lens of a study conducted across four leading LGBTQ+ agencies in New York and New Jersey with youth and staff. Authors review data that demonstrate the evolution of labels and argue that adopting these terms in practice and research will have fruitful and affirming effects on access to care, treatment attrition, and the design and quality of research in and for the LGBTQ+ community. This shift in language must be comprehensively addressed to ensure that practice and research continue to adopt and advocate for ways to affirm LGBTQ+ people, particularly given the recent onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

Requirements for Using of Advanced Statistical Methods in Social Work Research.

Requirements for Using of Advanced Statistical Methods in Social Work Research.

Co-Word Analysis of First-Authored Publications Written by Top Cited Scholars of Social Work

Purpose: Bibliometric analysis has been widely adopted to measure individual productivity and discipline development. This study aims to advance the application of this method in the social work discipline. Method: Using the knowledge mapping technique in CiteSpace 5.8.R3, this study performed a co-word analysis of 1,007 first-authored articles published from 2000 to 2022 by 60 scholars who are listed among the top 2% most-cited scholars on social work and are holding doctoral degrees in the same field. Results: The cluster analysis identified seven main research hotspots and burst detection results revealed four groups of research frontiers, including spiritual and cultural needs, children's wellbeing, social work practices and development, and social work research, with bullying and peer victimization, particularly among African-American adolescents and youth in Chicago's southside, continuing to attract much research interest. Discussion: This study examines how individual works contribute to the conceptual structure and scientific evolution of social work.

Implementing Legislative Policy Intervention Into Long-Term Care Practice Settings

Purpose: Authors discuss program theory and the crafting of long-term care based educational trainings, derived from implementing New Jersey's mandated legislative policy. Method: This article applies program theory to explain how trainings were designed and implemented, thereby illustrating how sometimes change mechanisms may not be the intervention itself but the response that the activities generated. Results: Program created activities triggered desirable mechanisms to occur which then led to desired educational outcomes. In brief, university social work educators observed the paucity of research on LGBT+ older adults, ran focus groups at senior centers and nutrition sites, and responded to legislation passed in March 2020. Conclusion: Social work researchers, expert in HIV/AIDS, combined efforts via a multi-university collaboration and developed trainings based on local and national research to meet requirements of the S2545 NJ bill. Trainings were created and offered by both a for-profit organization and university collaboration and evaluation measures have been considered.

Assembling social determinants of health: COVID-19 vaccination inequities for international students in Canada

In this article, we apply theories of non-citizenship assemblage to conceptualise the dynamic relationship of social determinants of health for international students in Canada who face barriers to accessing COVID-19 vaccines and verifying their vaccination status. Social workers’ roles in responding to and reducing these inequities are also discussed with attention to micro practice, meso service integration, and macro public policy advocacy. Through theorising assembled inequities emerging from Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination policies, this article offers guidance for future social work research and practice towards promoting justice and equity for transnational populations who are often excluded from domestic social welfare programmes.

Can service users speak? Dissenting voices and subaltern speech in social work

Service user involvement and participatory research are central concepts in social work practice and research. Inspired by Spivak’s essay “Can the Subaltern Speak,” this article draws on the poststructural and postcolonial theory to unpack the assumptions about essentialism, representation, and division of labor underlying the concepts of involvement, participation, and voice. The article combines Spivak’s theory about the subaltern and Rancière’s theory about politics as dissensus to shed light on how the space for authentic service user voice risks being minimized, corrupted, and co-opted. I discuss the challenges arising from this for understanding service user involvement and participatory knowledge production and suggest possible steps toward handling these challenges.

A narrative inquiry of the life wisdom of female kinky in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT “BDSM” refers to various forms of sexuality that incorporate restraint, pressure, sensation, training, and elements of both erotic and non-erotic power exchange between the involved parties. BDSM’s ideas and development were not accepted by the majority and are often associated with mental illnesses. However, recent western research suggested that BDSM practices may benefit its practitioners. This study aimed to unearth the life wisdom of three female kinky in Hong Kong. It employed a narrative inquiry informed by narrative therapy techniques. Results concluded four themes based on the development of their life wisdom through engaging as a submissive in a D/s relationship. The four themes were: (1) enriching identity in BDSM relationships, (2) shaping a preferred locus of control, (3) gaining sexual autonomy through BDSM and (4) healing with BDSM interactions. This study provided insights, implementations, and suggestions for social work practice and research in BDSM contexts.

Discrete clusters formulation through the exploitation of optimized k-modes algorithm for hypotheses validation in social work research: the case of greek social workers working with refugees

This article focuses on the results of self-funded quantitative research conducted by social workers working in the “refugee” crisis and social services in Greece (1). The research, among other findings, argues that front-line professionals possess specific characteristics regarding their working profile. Statistical methods in the research performed significance tests to validate the initial hypotheses concerning the correlation between dataset variables. On the contrary of this concept, in this work, we present an alternative approach for validating initial hypotheses through the exploitation of clustering algorithms. Toward that goal, we evaluated several frequently used clustering algorithms regarding their efficiency in feature selection processes, and we finally propose a modified k-Modes algorithm for efficient feature subset selection.

ADAPTING THE SOCIAL WORK CURRICULUM FOR RELEVANCE IN A SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITY: A COLLABORATIVE AUTOETHNOGRAPHY OF SOCIAL WORK ACADEMICS DURING THE KZN FLOODS

This article adopts collaborative autoethnography in order to critically reflect on the experiences of social work academics who integrated disaster-specific approaches to the social work curriculum of two undergraduate courses in a South African university. This curriculum adaptation was in response to the KwaZulu-Natal floods of 2022. The integration of topics such as green social work and disaster-specific trauma responses at an undergraduate level of social work is advocated. These collaborative autoethnographic accounts contribute important lessons for social work education, practice and research in the era of natural disasters exacerbated by climate change. Keywords: Climate change, collaborative autoethnography, disasters, green social work, KZN flood, social work curriculum

SEEKING A COMMON THREAD OF ABRAHAM FLEXNER’S ARGUMENTATION: REASON, VALIDITY, RELEVANCE

By discussing the logic of Abraham Flexner’s reasoning of the question of whether social work is a profession, this paper provides a critical analysis of Flexner’s argumentation and his criteria of a profession in particular. Methodologically, Stephen E. Toulmin’s theory of argumentation was applied. The study showed that Flexner might not have given enough space to the diverse nature of professions but built his argumentation on the basis of a universal definition of the criteria of a profession. For this part, his one-dimensional theorems can be found to be doubtful. In spite of this, Flexner’s argumentation provides relevant reasoning from which the endeavors to develop social work as an intellectual system, profession, and discipline benefit significantly. This paper presents an argumentation analysis as a philosophical qualitative method applicable to qualitative social work research.

Some Philosophical Principles for Social Work Research

As the applied field of social work attempts to become more of a sciencebased profession, it is relying more on the findings from empirical research studies. Withinsocial work there is little discussion of the philosophy of science underlying conventional research inquiry. This paper introduces some major philosophical principles that undergird scientific investigations of the causes of societal and psychosocial problems and of the effectiveness of structured programs, policies and practices to ameliorate social ills. Among the principles introduced are the philosophical concepts of determinism, empiricism, realism, operationalism, scientific materialism, parsimony, logic, and positivism. Together these philosophical assumptions provide a pragmatic framework to design and conduct scientific research of value to the social work profession and other fields.

Approaches to Learning Social Work Research: Insights for Social Work Educators

Approaches to Learning Social Work Research: Insights for Social Work Educators

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS AND VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT WITH WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS: EVIDENCE AND LESSONS FROM THE CLOTHING BANK, SOUTH AFRICA

Female-headed households often benefit from engaging in sustainable livelihoods and value chain development approaches to enhance income security. In this article, the researcher employs a qualitative methodology to study how women entrepreneurs (N=20) selected from The Clothing Bank solve poverty-related problems. This article discusses three strategies relevant to value chain development: access to assets, dealing with risks when reinvesting capital, and enabling multiple stakeholder support. The article concludes with some considerations to bridge the gap between social work and social entrepreneurship to advance developmental social work research. Keywords: feminisation of poverty, sustaining livelihoods, value chain development, women entrepreneurs, female-headed household

Narrative interview in social work research. Diagnosing biographical and social problems in the profession of a social worker

Social work, understood as a professional activity, consists in providing support to people on the basis of a previously conducted diagnosis. The diagnosis of a situation requires the social worker to undertake specific research activities, which include collecting data with the use of selected techniques and tools, processing data or presenting conclusions. In the field of widely understood social work, there are various qualitative approaches and research strategies which constitute an adequate way of explaining social phenomena, at the same time formal and legal regulations and the institutional context create different conditions for conducting research in the profession of a social worker. The adopted methodological solutions, in the form of a model questionnaire of a family environmental interview, are rather in the normative paradigm, which has specific consequences for the analysis of social problems. One of the techniques (or methods) identical to the field of interest and procedures functioning in professional social work, and at the same time enabling the understanding of human experiences, is the narrative interview. Autobiographical narratives collected through this method allow, among others, to diagnose biographical and social problems and to plan support activities on this basis. However, due to the barriers indicated in the paper, a change in the research method towards an interpretative approach seems unlikely.

Alice Salomon: critical social work pioneer

ABSTRACT Early pioneers of critical social work have not always been recognised as such. This paper examines the theory and practice of early German social work researcher, activist, social work author and educator, Alice Salomon (1872–1948) with reference to Fook’s understanding of critical social work. Salomon’s work is characterised by her orientation on social justice, her internationalism, her concern with the structural inequalities that shape clients’ lives, her sensitivity to oppression in society, and her commitment to feminist social work. Acknowledging that Salomon’s theory is still underappreciated in her home country, this paper, published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of her birth, uses her own words and ideas, many translated into English for the first time, to present the case for regarding her as an early pioneer of critical social work. We argue that her approach to social work practice, in which the practitioner is constantly mindful of their own potential biases, of questions of gender, ethnicity and poverty, and of the grave inequalities and injustices facing the client, anticipates modern anti-oppressive, feminist and critical social work.

Striving toward Community-Engaged and Participatory Methods: Considerations for Researchers in Academic Settings

AbstractCommunity-engaged and participatory methods are increasingly used by academic researchers. Power dynamics in academia shape the landscape in which researchers implement these methods, yet are rarely understood and intentionally addressed. Through the lens of social work researchers at different career stages, this article describes how power relations within academia present challenges to community-engaged and participatory research across four stages of the research process (participant/researcher relationship, study formulation, conducting research, and publication/dissemination). These challenges are located within four domains of power identified by intersectionality scholars: Institutional policies such as those for tenure and promotion and for research administration presented challenges with the structural domain. Decisions about how to implement and enforce policies and operationalize what counts for tenure and promotion were identified as challenges within the disciplinary domain. Norms about who belongs on a university campus and what types of research are valued exemplified the cultural domain, while dynamics about who is viewed as an expert exemplified challenges the interpersonal domain. Across the research process, the article identifies potential solutions and suggests strategies for intentional consideration by academic researchers and their institutions to conduct meaningful, inclusive, and socially just research that shares power with community.

DIGITAL STORYTELLING AND INTERGENERATIONAL COLLABORATIONS: OLDER ADULTS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract The use of digital storytelling can be a helpful tool within community work, health and social work research and policy. Digital storytelling refers to life-story telling that can be done in a variety of ways and used to encourage social change and transformation. This presentation will include experience on how this method was used in a study and an intergenerational project between older adults and university graduate and undergraduate students. This group of older adults specifically shared their experiences with equine interactions and activities, while the university students worked with the older adults to create a digital story. For this study and project, recruitment included students enrolled in different disciplines. Discussion on digital storytelling’s connection to the narrative method and critical gerontology framework will be noted. Challenges and barriers, including Institutional Review Board and ethical considerations while preparing for this method will also be discussed.

Assessing Differential Item Functioning and Differential Test Functioning in an Academic Motivation Scale using Item Response Theory methods

Social work researchers and practitioners who use measurement instruments to make data-informed decisions need to ensure those decisions are based on items and scales that are free from possible bias or undesirable differential functioning. In this study, we provide an example of how a set of Item Response Theory (IRT) statistical methods and tools can be used by social work measurement researchers to assess differential item (DIF) and scale (DTF) functioning. For the example, we explored the possible race, gender, and family composition differential functioning of a scale—the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS)—developed for use by school social workers. The data used in this analysis were collected from 3,221 seventh grade students in multiple school districts in a large urban mid-western U.S. county. We used IRT methods and a multiple-step framework to assess possible race, gender, and family composition DIF/DTF. Results indicated there was minimal race, gender, or family composition differential functioning at both the item and scale level. While the AMS is recommended for use by school social workers, further research is needed to examine possible DIF/DTF by other factors such as parent involvement and family background, gender identity, sexual preference, and cultural attributes and ethnic factors.

Community practice as street-level bureaucracy: community views and discretionary patterns

ABSTRACT Social work research has increasingly focused on the role of social work in shaping policies on behalf of disadvantaged individuals, families, and communities. However, scarce research has examined the contribution of social work community practitioners to policy development and practice. This qualitative study addresses this gap in the literature, exploring public community practitioners’ discretion patterns within Israeli Jewish-Arab mixed cities. Based on street-level bureaucracy perspective theory, the findings reveal that ambiguous formal policy allows participants an extensive discretionary space to initiate policies, informed by three perceptions of the urban community: as a shared space of cultural encounters; as a challenged site of structural unequal power relations; and as a contested arena of ethnic clashes. Consequently, three main patterns of discretion were identified: promoting cultural competence, addressing inequalities through service development for excluded populations, and mitigating ethnic conflicts by developing opportunities for dialogue. The study offers a conceptualisation to understand public community practitioners’ use of discretion and discusses their ability to critically address political issues in contested community settings.

Epistemic Peerhood in Trans Social Work Research

Academic research hinges on the role of epistemic peers in order to evaluate newly presented claims and evidence. As social work research is often focused on social problems and systems of oppressions, scholars from the margins most impacted are even better poised to conduct and evaluate said research. Throughout the past few decades, social work scholars have adjusted the ways we teach about and conduct research in order to be increasingly critical of the status quo and more culturally attuned. However, many of the adjustments that are recommended (e.g., community advisory boards) assume that the researcher is an outsider to the community being researched. Trans-focused research is an area where this impact is especially glaring, as an influx of out-trans researchers are able to join the field. This article provides an overview of the concepts of epistemic peers and standpoint theory before describing community-engaged research processes in order to illuminate how these practices (re)produce harm and/or are built on assumptions that the researchers themselves are not trans/nonbinary. In order for trans scholarship to continue to grow and produce the most culturally attuned results, social work academia must foster and prioritize trans epistemic peerhood.