Social Work Study Research Articles

Students' Evidence-Based Practice Intervention for Children With Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Objective: This project integrates clinical intervention as an integral part of social work studies for third-year students. Students applied a new manual-based intervention aiming to develop self-control skills among children exhibiting oppositional defiant disorder. Throughout, students were involved in assessment, intervention, and evaluation. Method: Students participated in evidence-based intervention activities of a university-based clinical research center. The project for social work students combined theoretical study, training, research, and intervention under one umbrella, with the aims of helping students assimilate classroom learning with the realities of practice and of mobilizing field instructors’motivation. Conclusions: The 12-session intervention was found effective in reducing children's disruptive behavior. Analysis of feedback fromstudents, field instructors, and head teachers pinpointed the program's important role in facilitating student training.

Spirituality, Religion, and Social Work

Social work scholars and practitioners have approached the question of how to integrate religion and/or spirituality into their profession in one of four typical ways: (1) resistance or avoidance; (2) an overly-generalized syncretism; (3) radical separation of the terms spirituality and religion; or (4) a genuinely interdisciplinary conversation between the disciplines of social work and religious studies. This latter approach not only identifies social work's conflictual founding legacy, but also recognizes broader contemporary intellectual traditions which do not easily separate “religion” from “spirituality.” Such awareness and common grounding allow social work to more substantively and creatively partake in cross-disciplinary research and discussion.

Exploring the Concept of Recovery from the Perspective of People with Mental Health Problems, K. Warren, Norwich School of Social Work and Psychosocial Studies, University of East Anglia, 2003, pp. 56, ISBN 1 85784 097 6, 7.50

Exploring the Concept of Recovery from the Perspective of People with Mental Health Problems, K. Warren, Norwich School of Social Work and Psychosocial Studies, University of East Anglia, 2003, pp. 56, ISBN 1 85784 097 6, 7.50

An Exploratory Study of Social Work with Older Persons in Cuba

Assuring a satisfactory quality of life for Cuba's large and fast growing older population is a national challenge. Social work plays an important part in addressing this challenge through its role in Cuba's National Program for the Care of Older Persons. This article explores the role of social work in Cuba's programs for the elderly and its implications for social work practice in the US. The information was obtained from 25 qualitative interviews with policy makers, social work practitioners, and community members in Havana, Cuba in 2003. The community oriented and interdisciplinary nature of Cuban social work with older persons distinguishes it from social work in the US and has implications for social work in this country. Despite the differences between Cuba and the US, the Cuban social work model provides important insights for social work in this country.

Introductory Speech for Joan Marks

Introductory Speech for Joan Marks

Rural and Remote Social Welfare Practice: Differences and Similarities in the Australian Context

Welfare practice in rural and remote areas has some particular challenges for professionals. There is a developing body of knowledge about the differences between urban and rural welfare practice, and some evidence that remote practice is experienced differently from rural practice. This article provides an introductory discussion of the differences and similarities of rural and remote practice in Australia using material gathered from two exploratory studies of social work and welfare professionals in Victoria and the Northern Territory. While there were many similarities about satisfaction with lifestyle and the work role, major differences were related to the emphasis on ethical dilemmas in the rural area, strong dissatisfaction with organisations and employment conditions expressed by the remote practitioners, and a lack of professional support and networking which was particularly noted in the remote area.

Doctoral studies in social work: exploring European developments

Recent discussion in the UK about the place of doctoral work in social work education and research has been paralleled by some comparative research in Europe. This paper relates some of the findings to other literature and experience of comparative developments in social work education. While debates in some countries echo UK concerns, social work educators in other countries are struggling with more fundamental questions about the relationship between social work and other social sciences or with organisational arrangements which ‘disadvantage’ professional education. Unlike experience in the US, it seems that in Europe the extent to which social work is seen as a discipline that contributes research based knowledge to professional practice is variable.

Mapping Comparative Empirical Studies of European Social Work

This paper reviews the scope of currently published materials about comparative empirical social work research within Europe, published in English over a two-decade period (1980–2000). To this end, the paper is divided into four sections. First, an account of the scope and methods used to conduct this review. Second, a brief analysis of non-empirical published materials. Third, in the bulk of the paper, identified comparative studies are discussed in depth, with a particular focus upon methodological issues. Finally, by way of a conclusion, comments are made about the state of contemporary empirical studies within European social work, and the relationship of these studies to the construction of social work knowledge. In addition, some suggestions of possible sites for improvement in respect of comparative empirical research about social work in Europe are made.

Humanitarian Attitudes and Support of Government Responsibility for Social Welfare

This article examines humanitarian attitudes and the individualistcollectivist orientation of graduates of various social work study programs of a major university in Hong Kong and some major universities and colleges in China. Research shows that the respondents have a positive regard for humanitarian issues, related to the perception of social welfare as a government responsibility. Hong Kong graduates are more humanistic and more collectivist in orientation than their PRC counterparts. Some responses re.ect an emphasis on self-reliance and adherence to this as a means of achieving human dignity.

The changing gender profile of applicants to qualifying social work training in the UK

The idea that social work is a gendered profession is not a new one. The subject was first explored by Walton in 1975 in his ground-breaking study of women and social work. Since then, a number of research studies have examined the continuing significance of gender for entry to social work training and for career progression in social work. What this paper does is to bring the discussion up-to-date, considering the current context of entry to social work training at a time when numbers applying to train as social workers have fallen drastically. We will argue not only that gender remains critical in the decision to embark on a career in social work, but that as numbers applying fall, so social work is likely to revert to its former status as a 'women's profession'.

A Community Social Work Study of Methamphetamine Use Among Women: Implications for Social Work Practice, Education and Research

ABSTRACT Despite the widespread and increasing use of methamphetamine among females in the Western, Midwestern and Southern U.S., little research has focused upon women using methamphetamine, particularly from nonclinical or community perspectives. Such use puts women at risk for a variety of health and social problems. In this paper we report on female methamphetamine use that was investigated by using ethnographic methods in a community context. Thirty women were interviewed and their responses analyzed by the research team. Lessons learned suggest that women use methamphetamine for a variety of reasons, several of which may be unique to women. Implications for further research, prevention efforts, and practice are discussed.

A Study of Social Work in Local Governments Regarding Child Abuse Prevention in Japan

A Study of Social Work in Local Governments Regarding Child Abuse Prevention in Japan

Professional predictions: June Huntington's perspectives on joint working, 20 years on

In 1981, June Huntington published a study of social work and general practice which rapidly became influential. In it she offered a sociological analysis of these two occupations to explain the difficulties and conflicts which had arisen between them and to predict the future course of their relationship. In this paper we revisit Huntington's propositions and assess the extent to which her predictions have been realised in the UK context. We adopt her perspective of the two organisational cultures of general practice and social work to consider her claims, particularly with respect to developments in social work. We then outline her depiction of the likely evolution of interprofessional relationships over the past two decades, considering the generalisability of experiments in collaboration, conflict with the medical profession, tensions within social work itself, and the sense of 'crisis' in relationships between professions. To promote debate with colleagues in different disciplines, this paper ends with a series of questions about the likely impact of care trust formation on social work.

Socialinio darbo specialistų rengimas: skirtingi modeliai ir galimybės Lietuvai

Straipsnyje aptariamas Lietuvos socialinio darbo specialistų rengimo modelis lyginant su Vokietijos ir Jungtinių Amerikos Valstijų modeliais. Lyginamosios analizės metodu išnagrinėtos socialinių darbuotojų, socialinių pedagogų rengimo programos ir kvalifikaciniai reikalavimai, profesiniai standartai, stengiantis išskirti egzistuojančius šių šalių specialistų rengimo panašumus ir skirtumus. Taip pat aptariamos Lietuvos aukštesniųjų, aukštųjų ir universitetinių socialinio darbo, socialinės pedagogikos ir socialinės edukologijos studijų programos lyginant su Laikinaisiais socialinių pedagogų kvalifikaciniais reikalavimais. Įvairių dokumentų: mokslo ir mokymo institucijų studijų programų, kvalifikacinių reikalavimų, profesinių standartų, studijų lygmenų analizė ir pokalbiai su ekspertais padėjo atskleisti Lietuvos, Vokietijos ir JAV socialinių darbuotojų ir socialinių pedagogų rengimo modelius, išryškinti jų ypatumus.

Lesbians, Gays and Religion

SUMMARY This study measured the effects of religious affiliation and gender on attitudes about lesbians and gay men among 2,846 college graduates who were beginning graduate study in social work or counseling. Males were more negative than females in their attitudes toward both lesbians and gay men. Conservative Protestants were the most negative in their attitudes toward lesbians and gay men, while those who were Atheist, Agnostic, Jewish or claimed no religion were most positive. Beliefs that the Bible forbids homosexuality are discussed and readings and arguments challenging this belief that can be used as class content are presented.

Where Does it Begin? A Comparative Perspective on the Professional Preferences of First-year Social Work Students

Dr Idit Weiss is a lecturer at the Bob Shapell School of Social Work at Tel Aviv University. Her primary fields of interest are the links between social policy and the social work profession, the development of social work in Israel and the professional ideologies of social workers and social work students. She is currently co-ordinating an international study of the professional preferences and ideologies of social work studies in different countries. E-mail: iditweis@post.tau.ac.il Dr John Gal is a lecturer at the Baerwald School of Social Work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His primary fields of interest are social policy in Israel and a comparative perspective. In recent years he has undertaken research on issues relating to comparative social security, unem ployment, poverty and various aspects of social policy in the Israeli welfare stae. Dr Gal has published widely in scholarly journals and has edited a number of books on social policy in Hebrew and in English. His latest volume, co-edited with Dr Asher Ben-Arieh, is entitled Into the Promised Land: Issues in the Welfare State and is published by Praeger. E-mail: msjgsw@mscc.huji.ac.il Professor Ram A. Cnaan is an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work. Dr Cnaan is the author of The Newer Deal: Social Work and Religion in Partnership (Columbia University Press, 1999) and is working on a second book The Invisible Caring Hand: American Congregations and the Provision of Welfare (Rutgers University Press). He is the Director of the Program for the Study of Organized Religion and Social Work at the University of Pennsyl vania School of Social Work. He is also Associate Director of CRRUCS (Center for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society), University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences. Rea Maglajlic is a Ph.D. student at the Anglia Polytechnic University, Cambridge, England. The theme of her Ph.D. dissertation is 'Cross-national Co-operative Inquiry in Social Work Education . She is currently working as a project manager for a Tempus project in Bosnia Herzegovina on Community Mental Health. E-mail: reima-ana.maglajlic@zg.tel.hr

Researching social work: Doctoral work in the UK

This paper discusses some current issues in relation to doctoral studies in social work in the UK. It draws on recent research and other sources to illustrate that our knowledge about the scope and scale of such doctoral work is limited. However, developments within the discipline and the wider policy and institutional context of professional education suggest that research (in general) has an increasing profile. This trend, together with debates about focus and research approaches in social work, has implications for the possible extension of opportunities for doctoral studies. It is further suggested that 'professional doctorate' programmes or 'PhD by publication' routes may be more suited to the needs of doctoral students in social work, given different career paths relative to students in some other disciplines.

Ghosts and shadows: construction of identity and community in an African diaspora

Focusing on African diaspora groups that have been virtually ignored in discussions of Canadian multiculturalism - Eritreans, Ethiopians, and Oromos - Ghosts and Shadows explores the re-creation of communities in exile and the invisible forces that haunt them through myths of 'homeland' and 'return.' Drawing on over a decade of work with refugee and immigrant groups in Canada, Atsuko Matsuoka and John Sorenson provide an analysis of the historical context that has created diaspora movements from the Horn of Africa. They examine contested understandings of Eritrea's thirty-year nationalist struggle, Ethiopian reactions to independence, and ongoing efforts to forge a distinct Oromo identity. The authors also discuss the role of long-distance nationalists in the 1998-2000 Eritrean-Ethiopian war. This study traces the spectral commitments to conflicting narratives of history and identity that affect settlement experiences of Eritrean, Ethiopian, and Oromo communities in Canada, and shows how the commitments of these exile groups still play important roles in nationalist struggles in their original homelands. Applying the concepts of 'ghosts and shadows' to question the supposed certainties of culture, history, memory, nation, gender, and 'race,' Matsuoka and Sorenson explore the conflicting creation of de-territorialized identities against the presumption of deep-rooted cultural continuities. A significant contribution to historical and globalized dimensions of nationalism, this work poses important challenges to dominant interpretations of transnational movements by focusing on the involvement of refugees and immigrants in nationalist struggles for distant homelands. By capturing these 'ghostly' and 'shadowy' aspects of lived experience, the book provides essential reading in the fields of anthropology, sociology, social work, and political studies.

In the Belly of the Beast: A Case Study of Social Work in a Managed Care Organization

The employment of social workers within managed care organizations is a new phenomenon. As such, this case study utilized an exploratory-descriptive design that assessed social workers as case managers within a Medicaid HMO. The semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant observation suggested that the use of case management services, delivered primarily by social workers,was effective in addressing the bio-psychosocial needs of Medicaid consumers within a provider-driven HMO. Study findings recommend specific knowledge and skills that social workers need in order to prepare for practice within managed care environments.

THE MULTIDIMENSIONALITY OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND TRAINING IN SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY−THE ISRAELI EXPERIENCE

This article examines the multidimensionality of education, research, and training in gerontology through a discussion of the significance and implications of developments in this area based on the Israeli scene. The discussion focuses on the issue of whether gerontology is an academic discipline based on the development of specialized knowledge, along with education and training, in a distinct academic framework, or whether it constitutes part of professional training in a variety of academic fields. The article begins with a presentation of milestones in the development of gerontology in Israel, focusing mainly on social gerontology. It then offers a definition of an academic discipline and of a profession and distinguishes between them by examining the development of curricula in the field of aging in two contexts: social work studies, on the one hand, and specialization in gerontology toward a Master's degree in this area at Haifa and Ben-Gurion Universities, on the other. A model is presented that examines the mutuality among the evolutions in technology, demography, and information, and their significance in the development of standards in education, training, and the dissemination of gerontological knowledge.