Social work, problem definition and policy change in the US: the case of sex-trafficked youth

2019 ◽  
pp. 37-52
Author(s):  
Lisa Werkmeister Rozas ◽  
Megan Feely ◽  
Jason Ostrander
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Problem ◽  
Sex Trafficking ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Problem Definition ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social

Critical theoretical frameworks are essential in helping social workers develop a comprehensive understanding of the manner in which political and social systems oppress marginalised populations. The central concern of critical theories is power and connecting the personal and the political, which can be accomplished by encouraging social workers and clients to use their life experiences to advocate for and change ineffective and outdated policies. This chapter presents two critical theoretical frameworks, structural social work and critical consciousness theory, to analyse the social problem of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) and illustrate policy changes that were created to challenge this form of structural violence. Through a case example this chapter will demonstrate how social workers redefined a social problem and by doing so, facilitated the public participation in shaping social policies and institutions in the state of Connecticut to provide better outcomes for the victims of DMST.

Social Work and Public Social Services Practice: A Status Report

1996 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Gibelman ◽  
Philip H. Schervish
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Labor Force ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Status Report ◽  
The Public ◽  
Education Experience ◽  
The Social

The authors review the current status of the social work labor force within the public sector by means of an analysis of the National Association of Social Workers member data base for 1988 and 1991, with additional data drawn from a 1993 member survey. Changes in the proportion and composition of the public social services labor force are documented, including education, experience, gender, and ethnicity. The decreasing professional social work labor force within public social services is discussed within the context of the realities of public social services practice and social work's historic place within this sector. The authors encourage debate about the implications of these trends, focusing on whether social work should influence labor-force trends or be influenced by them.

Elder Abuse

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eloise Rathbone-McCuan
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Informal Care ◽  
Social Problem ◽  
Elder Abuse ◽  
Elderly Person ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
National System ◽  
The Social ◽  
Victim Protection

Elder abuse is now recognized internationally as a social problem among the aging population. Intentional abuse, neglect, and exploitation among caregivers to frail and isolated elderly create serious risks across diverse formal and informal care settings. This field has expanded continuously since the early 1970s. Accurate prevalence and incidence rates have not been determined. There is a national system of elder victim protection operating within each state. The social work profession is legally mandated to report situations where an elderly person is suspected to be at risk of abuse. Social workers are involved in all aspects of elder abuse prevention and intervention services.

scholarly journals Research Paradigm as a Value Guideline for Professional Training of Future Social Workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oksana POVIDAICHYK ◽  
Valentyna PEDORENKO ◽  
Anastasiia POPOVA ◽  
Anastasiia TURGENIEVA ◽  
Yuliia RYBINSKA ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Problem Definition ◽  
The Social

The need for R&D of social workers was due to the development of theoretical and methodological approaches and concepts of social work, the application of which involved the use of specific research tools. It is substantiated that the research subsystem of social work can be represented in the form of a model of the research environment, which reflects the relationship of three components: the social problem, methods of its research and tools for solving. The dialectical nature of social work, as well as the dynamic conditions in which it is carried out, determine a set of socio-economic, managerial and pedagogical factors that actualize the need for research in the social field. It is substantiated that R&D today is an integral element of professional social practice and is implemented both in the process of working with different categories of clients and in administrative and managerial activities. R&D provides adequate social order development of targeted comprehensive programs, projects and technologies of social protection, design and implementation of models of social institutions and services. As a result of a comprehensive study of the problem, the essential characteristics of R&D were clarified, which means the activity of obtaining new scientifically based knowledge aimed at purposeful change of social reality, which is realized in a logical sequence through the use of appropriate forms and methods of scientific knowledge. It is proved that R&D in the system of social work is realized at three levels (reflexive-theoretical, experimental-theoretical and research), each of which involves step-by-step actions (problem definition; hypothesis formulation, choice of research methods and tools; implementation of research plan; evaluation of results) and the use of appropriate research methods.

Public Perceptions of Social Work in Nigeria: Does the Profession Has What It Takes to Address Nigeria’s Social Problems?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solomon Amadasun
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
African Continent ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Development Practice

Abstract The value of all hitherto existing professions stems from how the public in which they serve perceive the import of their services. This study examines the perceptions of a cross-section of Nigerians regarding their knowledge of the social work profession. Through a structured survey instrument, data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 350 Nigerians from the age of twenty years and above. Although the majority of the respondents were not familiar with the professional designation ‘social work’, they, however, demonstrated substantial knowledge about social workers’ roles, areas of practice and other measures. Since practitioners are actively involved in community organising and development practice across the country, more than two-thirds of the respondents believed that the profession has the potential to address social development problems not only in Nigeria but across the African continent.

scholarly journals Studying social workers’ roles in natural disasters during a global pandemic: What can we learn?

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 456-462
Author(s):  
Claire Antonia Crawford
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Role ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Qualitative Researcher ◽  
The Public ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The Social ◽  
Research Recommendations

The author reflects on the convergence of her roles as a qualitative researcher studying social workers’ roles during Hurricane Harvey, a student of public health, and a hospital social worker in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarities are drawn between the social work role following a natural disaster and a pandemic disaster along with observations regarding core differences. Practice and research recommendations are provided for social workers in the domains of therapeutic interactions, social justice, and public health. While therapeutic relationships have often been far more difficult to achieve during the pandemic than Hurricane Harvey, the assistance of technology and proper personal protective equipment has been helpful in filling communication gaps. Both types of disasters are universal in their reach, impacting people of all backgrounds; the social work role has been to address differences in access to resources, including health care and financial assistance. Finally, social workers play a significant role in public health during disasters through disseminating reliable information about safety, resources, and opportunities to assist others. The author recommends the expansion of social work in the public health space to provide more insight about communicating with vulnerable populations during disasters.

scholarly journals Disrupting the grassroots narrative of social work in Aotearoa New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonya Hunt ◽  
Barbara Staniforth ◽  
Liz Beddoe
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Policy Documents ◽  
The Public ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
The Social ◽  
Economic Forces

INTRODUCTION: The Aotearoa New Zealand social work professionalisation project disrupted underpinning grassroots narratives of the profession and led to decades of debate and conflict. Social work emphasises egalitarian approaches and, during the 1980s and 1990s, social workers responded to internal and external challenges of elitism, racism, and sexism. However, the ongoing professionalisation project has been at times, at odds with social justice imperatives and undermined by neoliberal drivers.METHODS: This research investigated how political, sociocultural and economic dimensions impacted on the development and initial implementation of the Social Workers Registration Act (2003) and how key actors at the time were affected. A qualitative realist research methodology has been utilised, analysing qualitative interviews with 22 participants, policy documents and archival data to clarify discourses of power and capture the voices and rich stories of those involved in the debates at the time.FINDINGS: A sociological lens was utilised to focus and frame the coalescing political, socio-cultural and economic forces that contributed to the problematising of social work professionalisation and the determining of the need for registration. Insight from some key actors at the time, including educators, the profession, tangata whenua, employers, practitioners, the State, and the public were considered.CONCLUSIONS: Examining these forces behind the professionalisation project provides a platform to consider if social work in Aotearoa New Zealand has been strengthened with registration. There are ongoing challenges and threats to the independence and social justice focus of the profession that grew alongside the grassroots of social work.

scholarly journals Social work in the public services in Brazil - disclosing ruling relations in a local context

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-146
Author(s):  
Trond Heitmann
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Local Context ◽  
The Public ◽  
Professional Careers ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship

This article about social workers in the public social services in Brazil explores professional social work practice through the subjective standpoint of the social workers. Inspired by institutional ethnography, this approach explicates how understandings of social work are interpreted and implemented in various contexts. The findings show that the formalization of the relationship with the employer through contracts of employment implicate that the disciplinary normative definitions of social work succumb to institutional regulations, which are not necessarily discipline specific. In addition, the temporary character of the contracts of employment makes the social workers align their practice to institutional frameworks and demands, as they are personally interested in renewal of the contracts and the maintenance of their professional careers. With this approach, disciplinary, political, ideological, legal and moral definitions of social work are not viewed as the essences of social work, but rather as contextual processes that are locally activated in different contexts. At the same time, it underscores social work as a political profession which should naturally include interventions on political, juridical, economic and organizational levels. Consequently, professional social work is not one thing, nor only one profession, but rather professional practices adapted to a variation of contexts. This perspective is significant to help detect areas of intervention for social change.

scholarly journals Luhmann's theory of psychic systems and communication in social work practice

2021 ◽  
pp. 146801732110081
Author(s):  
John J Rodger
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Systems Theory ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Autopoietic Systems ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual

Summary The aim of the article is to increase interest in the social systems theory of Niklas Luhmann among practicing social workers. The enigmatic statement from Luhmann that only ‘communication can communicate’ is explained with reference to his autopoietic systems theory which identifies three distinct types of systems: systems of communication, systems of life and systems of consciousness. The article proceeds to describe the meaning and nature of autopoietic systems before discussing the place of the individual in Luhmann’s theory and how it is relevant for practicing social workers. The concepts of psychic systems, structural coupling and communicative codes are described and discussed. Findings The conceptual framework derived from Luhmann’s systems theory is applied to a description of the social worker/client encounter. Communication in social work practice is polyphonic: it is structured by a hybrid of communicative codes which the practitioner must draw on depending on the auspices of the communicative context. The key conclusion of the article is that Luhmann retains a conception of the individual as an active agent in systems theory aiming ‘noise’ at the function systems with which the individual interacts. Applications The article suggests that the systems perspective presented provides social workers with a useful and nuanced framework for reflective practice because it makes the components of the practice system explicit and visible.

scholarly journals Crossing borders: key features of migrant social workers in New Zealand

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 16-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bartley ◽  
L. Beddoe ◽  
J. Duke ◽  
C. Fouché ◽  
P. Harington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Border Crossing ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Key Features

The emergence of a mobile, professional social work workforce, successfully managing the demands of service-users, policy makers and the public at large in different countries across the globe, provides unprecedented opportunities for professional border-crossing. It is timely to generate New Zealand-specific data on professionals employed in the social services workforce in New Zealand so as to inform educational and institutional responses to this complex phenomenon. A study that seeks to develop a profile of migrant social workers in New Zealand and key issues experienced by these professionals, is underway. This article reports on the first phase of the project, comprising an examination of the key features of registered social workers in New Zealand with an overseas social work qualification and a review of issues and challenges faced by migrant professionals more generally, and by migrant social workers in particular. 

scholarly journals PENDEKATAN PEKERJAAN SOSIAL Relevansi dan Kontribusinya dalam Pembangunan Sosial

Sosio Informa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suradi Suradi
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Problem ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Basic System ◽  
Dimensional Approach ◽  
The Social

The social problems these days are so complex that it is impossible to solve it only by one elimensional approach since this approach is actually not for used on solving the problems.To solve then social problems, we need to develop multi dimensional approach. Social workers provide that approach. In general, social workers provide social intervansion which is focused on problem solving which implement various approaches comprehensively (from various perspectives). In this generalist model, social intervension is supported by social workers basic system which work sinergicallyKey Words : social work and social welfare, social problem, social development.

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