Welfare Context Research Articles

Animal abuse and family violence: Reflections from workshopping with veterinary students

The notion of social work teaching in the veterinary science programme may seem novel for our profession. However, the philosophy underlying the context of animal and human welfare in One Health is the result of the collaborative effort of multiple disciplines and professions to attain optimal health for people, animals and the environment. One Health emphasises some of the key domains such as creating an enabling environment and advocating change and communication amongst healthcare professionals (Courtenay et al., 2014). Even when interprofessional education (IPE) and One Health competencies are evident in courses, Courtenay and colleagues (2014) noted that they are mostly at clinical level. In recent years, there has been a call for more collaboration between human and veterinary medicine to learn and practise One Health competencies, and “links” between the abuse of children, vulnerable adults and animals have been identified as a key area for exploration (Arkow, 2015a; Jordan Lem, 2014). In 2015, the second author and the Head of School of Social Work at Massey University had the opportunity to skype with Dr Elizabeth Strand, the Founding Director of Veterinary Social Work (VSW) (Strand et al., 2012), from University of Tennessee-Knoxville to discuss setting up VSW and also to seek adviceon challenges and strategies on engaging and collaborating with the veterinary school. Dr Strand shared her experiences and encouraged us to contact the Head of the Veterinary School at our university to start a conversation. Our Head of School approached the then Head of School of Veterinary Science and within days a meeting was organised. We went into the meeting expecting a first level of exploration with the Head of School to see if he was interested but were surprised when we were joined by another senior lecturer (SG) who had been re-designing the course content of professional practice for veterinarian students. He was very keen of our idea on working with him to develop a module on teaching his students about the link between animal abuse and family violence. It seemed the Veterinary School hadbeen identifying gaps in their curriculum for some time in relation to health and wellbeing, communication skills and conflict resolution, but they had only accessed support from student health services at the university. He also acknowledged the increasing attention in research literature about the link between human and animal violence as a pivotal area that could be integrated within the Veterinary Science Professional Practice curriculum, but did not realise that social work could play a role in supporting their curriculum and knowledge building. The meeting was a success, and within a year, we started our contribution by running the first two-hour workshop with first-year veterinary students discussing animal abuse and family violence, a workshop which then became a regular feature of the veterinary programme between 2016 and 2018. The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of what was included in the educational contexts, reflections from veterinary students’ engagement and future needs to connect between human service and animal service professionals to address the link.

Childhood in urban China: A three-generation portrait

This article examines how the experience of childhood has changed in urban China against the backdrop of the wider political, social and economic transformations in the 20th century. Drawing on 95 life history interviews in three urban sites in China, it explores the nature, origins and impact of continuities and changes in childhood experiences across three generations. While expressive intimacy between the only-child generation and their parents increased, the three-generational comparison disputes previous theorizing about the modernization of childhood and the value of children based upon a Euro-American empirical reality. Rather than being trapped in a linear progression model, this article reveals that while the economic value of children as family helpers has dramatically reduced across three generations, the economic prospect of children as old age security goes hand in hand with the emotional value of children, which is shaped by the cultural tradition of filial piety, social welfare context and demographic structure. As a consequence, in contrast with the existing argument of an individualization of childhood in China, this article indicates that the youngest generation – the only-child generation – experienced an increasing regimentalization of childhood, exercised by their parents and driven by both neoliberal market and post-socialist state forces. This article also draws attention to the gender difference in childhood experience across three generations and reveals how the one-child policy has contributed to the increasing value of girls in urban China.

The ‘ideal’ homelessness law: balancing ‘rights centred’ and ‘professional-centred’ social policy

ABSTRACT This paper sets out proposals for the ‘ideal’ legal framework to address homelessness in Great Britain (GB), with potential lessons for other countries seeking to pursue rights-based approaches in this field. Exploiting the ‘natural experiment’ conditions generated by post-devolution divergence in key aspects of homelessness law, the paper draws on legal and social scientific learning from England, Scotland and Wales, as well as internationally, to formulate proposals for the optimal rights-based model. We argue that an ideal statutory homelessness system, situated in a less than ideal welfare and housing context, requires a balance to be struck between a robust set of individually-enforceable entitlements, on the one hand, and scope for pro-active, flexible approaches on the part of housing practitioners, on the other. The ten core principles we advance would therefore aim to combine the best of ‘professional-centred’ and ‘rights-centred’ social policy approaches.

Bioethical, Reproducibility, and Translational Challenges of Animal Models.

There is no prescribed stage or standardized point at which an animal model protocol is reviewed for reproducibility and translatability. The method of review for a reproducible and translatable study is not consistently documented in peer literature, and this is a major challenge for those working with animal models of human diseases. If the study is ill designed, it is impossible to perform an accurate harm/benefit analysis. In addition, there may be an ethical challenge if the work is not reproducible and translatable. Animal welfare regulations and other documents of control clearly state the role of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees are to look at science justification within the context of animal welfare. This article, concentrating on models not governed by regulations, outlines issues and offers recommendations for refining animal model review with a goal to improve study reproducibility and translatability.

Beyond a Sugarcoated Pill: Critical Approaches to Social Work Field Supervision

Critical pedagogy seeks to link education to social change and often forms a basis for social work curriculum in some university courses. However, less of this emphasis is given to understanding critical supervision practice for social work students while on placement in terms of the development of a critical praxis. We believe critical approaches to supervision are an overlooked and crucial aspect to maintaining critical social work practice in current neoliberal welfare contexts. This article presents key approaches that we have found useful in constructing and realizing a critical approach to social work field supervision and ultimately, the future practice of students in their respective fields. This article contributes to an ongoing discussion and strengthened engagement in critical approaches to field supervision and supports the development of social work students as critical thinkers and practitioners.

Family treatment court participation and permanency in a rural setting: Outcomes from a rigorous quasi‐experiment

AbstractSubstance‐affected families are frequently cited as the most challenging families to serve within the child welfare context, particularly in rural settings where treatment services may be few and far between. Growing evidence suggests that family treatment courts (FTCs) may be more effective than their traditional counterpart at achieving key child welfare goals; however, prior studies have been limited in their methodological rigour. This study used treatment and matched comparison data to test foster care exit patterns of families with children in foster care due to parental substance use. Treatment group data were collected on a sample of 91 children with open dependency cases in an integrated FTC in a rural Midwestern town. Propensity score nearest neighbour one‐to‐two matching was used to identify a comparison group of 146 children. Findings suggest that FTC participation significantly influenced foster care exits. Survival analyses revealed that FTC children were 170% more likely to reunify, and 58% more likely to achieve permanency, than comparison cases. The effect of FTC participation on likelihood of reunification and likelihood of permanency was stronger when models estimated outcomes from FTC start date, rather than child removal date. Implications for social work practice, research, and education are discussed.

The good life vision on the landscape scale

ABSTRACT The presence of green, open spaces within Danish post-war social-housing estates is visually discernable, however their role and understanding beyond modernistic incentives and ideas of living in health giving nature is limited. There is more to the landscape than meets the eye. This paper challenges dominating and often-oversimplified ideas of Danish welfare landscapes by thickening their unnuanced interpretations and using the 1956 housing estate Bellahøj as a case study. This paper offers insights into the embedded histories, nature/city relations, human dimension and experience of the landscape as central in the materialisation of the societal welfare vision. Through a combination of spatial and historical analysis, this paper brings new perspectives to Bellahøj from the standpoint of landscape studies, highlighting how ideals of nature incorporated within the Danish context and concept of welfare, caused the landscape to become a negotiated ground and inseparable part of the post-war good life.

Managing expectations by projecting the future school: Observing the Nordic future school reports via temporal topologies

This study focuses on the politics of time in education by analysing ‘The Future School’ reports published by Nordic state authorities between 2010 and 2015. Building on a system-theoretical understanding of social time, steering and second-order observations, we investigate how temporal political communication frames the future of Nordic basic education. By applying semantic analysis, we identified four temporal topologies according to which these reports deal with the future: (a) calculated futures based on future projections with numbers; (b) unpredictable futures based on future projections contrasting learning with adaptivity; (c) technology-determined futures; and (d) personalised futures based on child well-being. Whereas these topologies constitute a shared semantical base for discussing the future of school education, a comparison of the reports also reveals differences and paradoxes between the temporal topologies in the Nordic welfare state context.

The What, Why and How of Child Participation—A Review of the Conceptualization of “Child Participation” in Child Welfare

This review explores the conceptualization of “child participation” in a child welfare context. The analyses are based on the theories, models and concepts researchers apply when framing their studies. Central to the authors’ conceptualizing is the understanding of why children should participate. Children’s rights are a common starting point for many authors, but they differ on whether children should participate out of consideration for children’s intrinsic value (e.g., concern for their well-being) or for the instrumental value of the participation itself (e.g., service outcome). The analysis also focuses on how authors measure participation level. The analysis showed that most authors presented a limited rights-focused goal for the collaboration with children, while a minority group problematized the concept. Although several researchers emphasize that participation requires a process, few authors see the meaning-making process as the main purpose of child participation.

Oncology and a time of crisis. Science, complexity, ethic values, and incertitude. An argumentative essay

Who faces a neoplastic disease is more bewildered than in the past, in spite of the improvement of the possibility of cure and priority attributed to this subject by the health institutions and medicine, compared to few decades ago. Nevertheless, disorientation is increasing due to many factors, also beyond those of the scientific and welfare context of cancer and is related to the general background of crisis. The landscape of crisis involves the changes occurring in both epistemic and contextual values, and methodology of science at large, as well as those particular of the medical field, including oncology. The perceived loss of reliability of universal laws and the limits of general theories, in favor of the conception that elementary events concurr to outcomes, makes the scientific appraisal more probabilistic than deterministic. This framework of “complexity” is characterized by non-linearity in the causal links, the opacity of the investigated subject, and the emergence of the phenomena we observe and analyze. In oncological medicine, the present deterministic “gold standard” of the random comparative trials, grounding the so-called evidence-based medicine (EBM), and the guidelines for clinical management – although being the most reliable resource – are critically considered. In fact, new “systems biology” approaches.

Maritime trade in the Indian Ocean: value-focused thinking for BRI and CPEC by employing A’WOT hybrid technique

Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) have so far developed the narrative of bringing prosperity and peace; particularly in the welfare context of Afro-Asian population in Indian Ocean littoral states and enhanced cooperation among countries in Asia, Europe and Africa. The grey areas needs to be analysed with Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) for the overall discourse of maritime. Thus, this study examined the emerging role of BRI viz-a-viz trade opportunities and challenges for Pakistan and China by employing A’WOT method. Results reveal that the successful BRI and CPEC endeavours will open up a door for future investment, prosperity and sustainable development in Indian Ocean Region (IOR). However, Pakistan has higher ratio of threats compare to China and relative to the opportunities considering the weaknesses due to internal and external factors. Maritime trade under BRI has success potential due to geo-strategic location of Pakistan and weaknesses can be avoided in a complete decision support manner with appropriate policy and strategic arrangements.

Constructions of Vulnerability by Different Groups of Welfare Professionals

This article has examined the various ways vulnerability among children is constructed by four groups of welfare professionals (teachers, daycare workers, social workers, and health care workers) within a Danish welfare context. Based on an empirical research project that featured a large number of interviews, the article has demonstrated how professionals construct vulnerability from a combination of their professional background and experiences in their working practice related to vulnerability among children. The research findings have revealed that professional employees in general tend to link vulnerability among children to either diagnoses and deviant behavior or a child’s family context. At the same time, professional employees tend to ignore the possibility that vulnerability might be produced inside an institutional context like a school or kindergarten. In linking vulnerability to the child’s family context, professional employees generally point to classic forms of risk and social problem factors related to children’s families.

How do staff in residential care transform Trauma-Informed principles into practice? A qualitative study from a Norwegian child welfare context

ABSTRACT Trauma-informed practices (TIP) in social welfare and mental health services have become widespread. TIP is considered to be a mindset rather than an operationalized methodology. TIP principles need to be transformed into practice in any given context. We interviewed staff at a Norwegian residential care institution on how they transformed TIP-principles into practice after receiving competence building based on Howard Bath’s ‘three-pillar’ approach. Informants emphasized the importance of self-awareness such as self-reflection, authenticity, and other-regulation, intended actions such as building strength, providing staff availability, setting safe limits, and collaborating with the youth, as well as organizational and cultural practices such as promoting a shared coherent mindset, stability, routines, and cultural safety. Using an adherence check model as a framework, we discuss if informants´ descriptions reflect a general humanist approach, rather than TIP as such. Most of their descriptions make sense in a TIP perspective, but few can be claimed to be unique to TIP, and their focus on authenticity may even conflict with theories of change embedded in TIP. Further, we reflect on the debate on whether TIP should be more standardized or not, and outline implications of findings for future implementations of TIP programmes.

Consequences of prioritisation within long-term care in Denmark, England and Norway: towards increasing inequalities and poorer quality of care?

Prioritisation concerns choosing something before something else, and in a welfare state context, this is about decisions on distribution, redistribution and rationing. This article investigates consequences of prioritisation within long-term care in Denmark, England and Norway. Analysing interviews with policy actors and policy documents, we find that prioritising home care, combined with increasing targeting of help and restricting institutionalised care towards those with the most severe needs, may reduce both service quality and equality for those not being prioritised. Moreover, monitoring and central control of service provision restrict individual discretion of care workers, with implications for service quality.

Trend, Existence, Role and Function of National Private Television Media in the Context of Economic Welfare and Independence

This paper uses the framing analysis method, especially from the content approach, ideology and media economy which not only analyzes literary discourse but also describes the analytical and interpretative aspects of writing related to the existence and business of national private media in Indonesia. The results of the study provide an explanation of the meaning of media existence, media freedom raises the problem of the concentration of ownership of media companies (conglomerates), which changes the face of media freedom and the need for public information to become the freedom to control the media market. In terms of ideological attachment, the progress of television media cannot be separated from the ideological thoughts and interests of its media crews. Economically, the press is recognized as an economic institution, although its purpose is limited to the welfare of employees (Article 3 Paragraph 2 of the 1999 Press Law). The content of the Television Broadcasting Program, shows more packages and contents that are set according to the political and economic interests of the media owners and according to the ideological framework of the media crews. Meanwhile, from the organizational side, the media is more tied to the structure and hierarchy of power (which is built for the interests of the authority of the media owners) itself. Furthermore, from the culturalist side, the media has entered into the global industrial era, and there are structural boundaries that make not all the idealistic values ​​of the press can be realized

Globalization and intention to vote: the interactive role of personal welfare and societal context

Recent electoral successes for candidates with anti-globalization platforms highlight the need to understand globalization’s effects on voting behavior. To understand how globalization affects whether people vote, we posit that it is necessary to consider both globalization’s distributional effects on individuals and individuals’ beliefs about the general view of globalization among their fellow citizens. Drawing on research about the intrinsic value of voting, we argue that the losers of globalization are less likely to vote relative to the winners. However, losers who believe that others also think globalization is a negative force exhibit a higher likelihood of voting. Winners are also more likely to vote when they perceive their compatriots share their positive view of globalization. Both winners and losers who believe that they hold a view inconsistent with the broader public are less likely to vote. We test our hypotheses using an original survey of Americans. In support of our hypotheses, respondent beliefs about majority opinion (or, as a robustness check, the sociotropic effects of trade) significantly reduce the gap between winners and losers in intention to vote. Our results are replicated using a 2016 Pew survey.

Global trends in a fragile context: public–nonpublic collaboration, service delivery and social innovation

PurposeThis study aims to enhance the understanding of the nature of collaboration between public and nonpublic actors in delivering social services and achieving social innovation in a fragile context, with an emphasis on the role of civil society organisations (CSOs). The paper focuses on Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Southeastern European country which has faced a turbulent post-conflict transition and experienced challenges in its social welfare policy and practice.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses institutional theory, particularly new institutionalism and institutional networking, as a lens through which to understand public and nonpublic collaboration and social innovation within a fragile context. This study adopts a sequential mixed-method approach. Data were derived from 15 semi-structured interviews with representatives from local CSOs, international donors and public institutions, as well as a survey of 120 CSO representatives.FindingsThe collaboration and social innovation in a fragile welfare context have been initiated primarily by nonpublic actors and developed within the triple context of relations between public, civil and foreign donors’ organisations. In such a context, coercive, normative and mimetic isomorphisms act as leading drivers, but also as potential barriers of public–nonpublic collaboration and social innovation. They are triggered by influences from multiple actors, challenging power relations and external pressures on local CSOs.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the growing research interest in the role of nonpublic actors in the provision of public services and public social innovation, but examines these issues from the perspective of a fragile context, which has thus far been overlooked in the literature.

Work–family balance in the second half of life: Caregivers' decisions regarding retirement and working time reduction in Europe

AbstractThis article investigates how different types of informal caregiving – upward, lateral and downward – impact men's and women's decisions to retire or to reduce their working hours, and how welfare policy characteristics moderate the linkage between informal care provision and employment participation. The analyses are based on six waves from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). We exploit the data's longitudinal structure by applying fixed‐effects regression models with lagged, time‐varying country characteristics. The results show that, in most cases, upward caregiving to parents is less relevant for deciding to remain in the labour market than lateral care (especially to siblings, friends and neighbours) and downward grandchild care. The welfare context moderates the impact of caregiving on labour market participation, with variation between the different types of care provided.

Gendered employment trajectories and individual wealth at older ages in Eastern and Western Germany.

This study examines the association between employment trajectories and retired men's and women's individual wealth at older ages in the two distinct welfare state contexts of Eastern and Western Germany. Because of the increasing re-marketization of retirement provisions, wealth is becoming increasingly important for retirees' economic well-being. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017), we conduct sequence and cluster analyses to identify groups of typical employment trajectories of men and women in Eastern and Western Germany. For men, we find that continuous full-time employment is positively associated with net wealth at older ages, whereas early retirement and long-term unemployment are negatively associated with wealth. These associations are similar for housing and non-housing wealth in both contexts. For women in Western Germany, a low labour market participation is associated with higher levels of housing wealth and lower levels of non-housing wealth compared with female full-time employees. The results point to gendered wealth accumulation due to differences in men's and women's labour market participation in gender-unequal welfare state contexts. The associations between employment and wealth are slightly weaker in Eastern Germany, indicating that the socialist regime of the GDR restricted the ability to accumulate wealth.

Educating Children in Our Care

In Canada, there is increasing recognition that poor educational outcomes of children and adolescents involved with the child welfare system represent an emerging crisis for youth, their families, and the broader society. Interprofessional education and collaboration between educators and social workers may facilitate better outcomes for children in care. Although interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional collaboration (IPC) are well established in the allied health fields, there is not an equivalent acceptance within the applied social sciences, specifically in education and child welfare contexts. This may partially be attributed to the “siloed” nature of these professions, which limits both capacity and opportunities for professionals to understand each other’s mandates, roles, and policies. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a graduate elective course for social workers and educators that was geared toward educational outcomes of children in care. Thirty-eight students from both disciplines participated in a summer institute. Although participants valued the content and process of the course, it is unclear whether these types of initiatives facilitate enhanced IPC. Findings do however suggest that IPE initiatives targeted toward a specific population may have more positive outcomes, compared to general IPC.