scholarly journals Historiography of empathy: Contributions to social work research and practice

2021 ◽  
pp. 147332502110330
Author(s):  
Tracy Watson ◽  
David Hodgson ◽  
Lynelle Watts ◽  
Rebecca Waters
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Work Activities ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Social Work Research

Empathy has long been considered critical to good social work practice, and is supported by extensive research and literature. However, empathy is a contested concept with divergent theoretical origins that complicates its place in social work research and practice. This article provides a historical review of empathy, highlighting the evolution of the concept of empathy, its contested history, and subsequent emergence into therapeutic contexts, particularly within social work. Findings show that empathy has multiple definitions and meanings, thus, creating a challenge to research efforts and social work activities. This review lays the groundwork for further constructive debate and research into the theory and practice of empathy for social work.

Listening to the Voices of Individuals with Disabilities

1998 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen French Gilson ◽  
John C. Bricout ◽  
Frank R. Baskind
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Individuals With Disabilities ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
The Social

Social work literature, research, and practice on disabilities has lagged behind other topical areas dealing with oppressed groups. The social work literature remains “expert focused” and generally fragmented into discussions of specific disabilities or subpopulations. A viable general model that deals with the personal experience of disability is not available. This exploratory study presents a social work literature search and analysis as well as interviews with six individuals with disabilities about their experiences with social workers. Individuals with disabilities assert that they were treated as though they had categorically fewer aspirations, abilities, and perhaps even fundamental rights than did nondisabled people. This study provides a base for follow-up research on models of consumer-focused social work practice in the area of disability.

scholarly journals Emotional intelligence as a part of critical reflection in social work practice and research

2021 ◽  
pp. 147332502110247
Author(s):  
Mari D Herland
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Emotional Aspects

Social workers often experience higher levels of burnout compared with other healthcare professionals. The capacity to manage one’s own emotional reactions efficiently, frequently in complex care settings, is central to the role of social workers. This article highlights the complexity of emotions in social work research and practice by exploring the perspective of emotional intelligence. The article is both theoretical and empirical, based on reflections from a qualitative longitudinal study interviewing fathers with behavioural and criminal backgrounds, all in their 40 s. The analysis contains an exploration of the researcher position that illuminates the reflective, emotional aspects that took place within this interview process. Three overall themes emerged – first: Recognising emotional complexity; second: Reflecting on emotional themes; and third: Exploring my own prejudices and preconceptions. The findings apply to both theoretical and practical social work, addressing the need to understand emotions as a central part of critical reflection and reflexivity. The argument is that emotions have the potential to expand awareness of one’s own preconceptions, related to normative societal views. This form of analytical awareness entails identifying and paying attention to one’s own, sometimes embodied, emotional triggers.

Calling Social Work to the Movement for Educational Justice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annahita Ball
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Educational Justice ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Conditions For Learning ◽  
History Of

Abstract The persistent and systemic inequities within the U.S. public education system have grave implications for children’s and youth’s outcomes, yet these inequities go far beyond academics. Marginalized and vulnerable students experience injustices across the educational system, including disproportionality in school discipline, unequal access to advanced courses, and poor conditions for learning. Social work has a solid history of addressing issues that intersect across families, schools, and communities, but the profession has had little engagement in the recent educational justice movement. As educational scholars advance a movement to address educational inequities, it will be increasingly important for social work researchers to provide valuable insight into the multiple components that make up youth development and support positive well-being for all individuals within a democratic society. This article encourages social work researchers to extend lines of inquiry that investigate educational justice issues by situating social work practice and research within educational justice and suggesting an agenda for future social work research that will advance equity for all students.

More Than Place-Based: Viewing Geography on a Continuum and the Implications for Social Work Practice

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason T. Carbone ◽  
Stephen Edward McMillin
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
New Method ◽  
Work Activities ◽  
Community Membership ◽  
Community Rights ◽  
The Social

Communities play an important role within the field of social work as the context within which specific social work activities occur. To date, much of the social work literature divides communities into the mutually exclusive, dichotomous categories of geographic and functional communities. The authors propose a new method for defining community that views geography on a continuum and suggests that membership within a community is moderated by place. The concept of place-moderated communities is applied to specific examples, and the application to social work practice is discussed within the context of community membership, community engagement, community rights, and community development efforts.

scholarly journals Data science for social work practice

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 205979911881439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar Cariceo ◽  
Murali Nair ◽  
Jay Lytton
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Data Driven Decisions ◽  
Social Work Interventions ◽  
Key Terms

Data science is merging of several techniques that include statistics, computer programming, hacking skills, and a solid expertise in specific fields, among others. This approach represents opportunities for social work research and intervention. Thus, practitioners can take advantage of data science methods and reach new standards for quality performances at different practice levels. This article addresses key terms of data science as a new set of methodologies, tools, and technologies, and discusses machine learning techniques in order to identify new skills and methodologies to support social work interventions and evidence-based practice. The challenge related to data sciences application on social work practice is the shift on the focus of interventions. Data science supports data-driven decisions to predict social issues, rather than providing an understanding of reasons for social problems. This can be both a limitation and an opportunity depending on context and needs of users and professionals.

Bringing the Agency to the Classroom: Using Service-Learning to Teach Research to BSW Students

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Kapp
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Research Knowledge ◽  
Skill Levels ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Course Material

Faculty members teaching social work research courses face a variety of challenges: The material is typically viewed by students as outside their interest area; the technical and complex content is not easy to teach to any audience, especially when students vary significantly in skill levels; and the course material is often taught in isolation from core curriculum areas, especially social work practice. This article describes a service-learning approach for teaching research that allows students to apply their research knowledge to the information needs of an agency while they are developing corresponding knowledge and skills. Additionally, this article highlights the unique features of this approach and presents student feedback from a recent section of this course. Finally, it describes the implications of this technique.

Scaling Up Social Problems

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Y. Rodriguez ◽  
Laysha Ostrow ◽  
Susan P. Kemp
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Progressive Era ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Meaningful Engagement

The Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative aims to focus the profession’s attention on how social work can play a larger role in mitigating contemporary social problems. Yet a central issue facing contemporary social work is its seeming reticence to engage with social problems, and their solutions, beyond individual-level interventions. Social work research, we contend, must more consistently link case and cause, iteratively developing processes for bringing micro-, mezzo-, and macrostreams of information together. We further argue that meaningful engagement with the initiative requires social work scholars and practitioners to actively scale up practice and research inquiry. We detail two key strategies for employing a scaled-up social work practice and research ethos: (a) employing a critical economic lens and (b) engaging with diverse publics. As proof of concept for these arguments, we offer an early example of progressive era social workers scaling up responses to a pressing social issue: infant mortality.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document