Teaching Community Organizing? A Postmodernist Comparison Between Alinsky's Conflict and Eichler's Consensus Models

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-88
Author(s):  
Paul Force-Emery Mackie ◽  
George Leibowitz
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Community Organizing ◽  
Community Organization ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Appropriate Use ◽  
Macro Practice ◽  
Teaching Community ◽  
Consensus Models ◽  
Common Area

Social work students are expected to develop competency in and be able to use macro practice concepts in communities. One common area of macro practice involves organizing communities to improve socioeconomic environments. This article compares 2 prevailing models of community organization— Alinsky's conflict and Eichler's consensus models— from a postmodernist perspective. The goal is to guide educators and students in determining the appropriate use of each model based on the conditions influencing the need to organize. A case study is included to provide an opportunity to engage in a critical thinking exercise aimed at further honing practitioners’ skills.

People First: A Case Study in Partnering with the Community

2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas D. Bordelon
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Community Organization ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Macro Practice ◽  
People First

This case study demonstrates the process by which a class composed of senior social work students learns macro practice values and skills by partnering with a community organization. The products of this collaboration emerge from the real-life problem scenario in which students, community partners, and the social work educator collaborate to develop the skills necessary to resolve problems. Through community partnership, social work educators are in the position to expand the opportunities for students to develop critical thinking skills, and provide opportunities to practice community organization within the classroom setting.

Teaching and Practice of Community Organization and Development in South Asia: Evidence from Pakistan and Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamshed Baloch ◽  
Bala Raju Nikku ◽  
Syed Fasiha Shah
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Community Organizing ◽  
Community Organization ◽  
Main Theme ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teaching Methodologies ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Teaching Community ◽  
Schools Of Social Work

Community Organization and Development (COD) is one of the core methods of social work and is taught in schools of social work across South Asia. This study is based on the semi structured interviews with social work educators in Nepal and Pakistan, and the personnel narratives of the authors. It provides a background of teaching Community Organization and Development, with its practices and methods in South Asian region (particularly in Pakistan and Nepal). The study discusses the nature and challenges for community work and its relationship to social work teaching and practice. Its main theme is to find out the answer that, how to teach and nurture students of social work to gain perspectives and skills of community organizing? The study concludes that social work educators specializing in teaching and practice will have to (un)learn and refocus. The teaching strategies to engage students need to be revised and re-interpret with the new social work curriculum teaching methodologies.

Israeli-Palestinian social work encounters

2020 ◽  
pp. 146801732094936
Author(s):  
Edith Blit-Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Special Kind ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Cultural Challenges ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
East Jerusalem

Summary This study deals with the encounters of Arab social work students who are citizens of Israel, with Palestinian clients from East Jerusalem. The study was based on interviews with social work students who carried out their field work in East Jerusalem. This article discusses a special kind of transcultural practice in social work on the basis of a case study analysis of the dynamics and strategies reported by 15 Arab Israeli citizens students regarding their practice with Palestinian Arabs from East Jerusalem. Findings The findings indicate two themes: (1) The encounters aroused inner-personal conflicts regarding the students’ identity. (2) The students noted the importance of creating a dialogue with the clients as a way of coping with the difficulties entailed by their work. Applications This case study calls attention to the importance of embracing a transcultural perspective in practice theory. A transcultural perspective needs to go beyond the conceptualization of culture and ethnicity to include other relevant contextual variables such as structural factors, power relations, and an understanding of the political context. In addition, academic institutions need to develop culturally sensitive training programs while creating a safe space to discuss cultural challenges and while clarifying different identities faced by social work students from minority groups who share similar backgrounds with their clients.

scholarly journals Increasing Social Work Students’ Participation in Macro Specializations

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 709-724
Author(s):  
Dawn Apgar
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
The United States ◽  
System Level ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Master Of Social Work ◽  
Black African ◽  
Attitudinal Barriers ◽  
Macro Practice

Much effort has been made to increase the number of social work students in macro practice specializations in graduate school. Despite the development of pedagogical techniques which have shown to increase interest in and appreciation for macro practice, the proportion of macro students has stayed low and stable over time. Using survey data collected from 474 Master of Social Work students and graduates, this exploratory study identified both structural and attitudinal barriers which impede specialization in macro practice. Data reveals that despite exposure to these methods, those whose original motivation to enter the profession was based on a desire to do clinical work are unlikely to concentrate on macro practice. Structural barriers such as the lack of availability of macro programs also prevented increased specialization in macro practice. Social workers who are Black/African American are more likely to concentrate in macro practice, perhaps due to a recognition of the need for systems change in the United States to promote equal opportunities and rights for those who have historically been marginalized. Findings indicate that current efforts to increase the number of graduates with macro specializations may not be effective. Treatment of macro methods as a specialization, rather than integral to social work education, should be revisited if the profession wants to ensure enough graduates are able to make system-level changes to rectify current societal inequities.

scholarly journals Even When No One Is Looking: Students’ Perceptions of Social Work Professions. A Case Study in a Northern Ireland University

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 233
Author(s):  
Denise MacDermott
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Free Market ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Word Clouds ◽  
Professional Social Worker

Public perceptions, increased scrutiny and successive governments’ reshaping and attempting to define what is and what is not social work has eroded the progressive and radical force of the profession. This article explores how students’ perceive the profession and presents evidence from a small-scale study conducted in a Northern Ireland University with 37 undergraduate social work students and 25 postgraduate student social workers (training-as-practice educators) on their perceptions of the characteristics of a professional social worker. A quantitative research design was used, consisting of a face-to-face survey distributed to respondents following an input on the Place Model, (Clarke, 2016). Respondents also shared their perceptions in relation to Freidson’s (2001) three logics: professionalism, bureaucracy and the free market, with Ternary graphs and word clouds used as a novel way to present this data. Several themes emerged as important characteristics of social work professionals including reliability, accountability, ethics and appearance. At the other end of the scale, respondents identified unprofessional, de-personalised and cynical as the least aspirational qualities of the profession.

Transforming Classroom Learning Through Community Study Projects in Macro-Social Work Practice Courses

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 192-210
Author(s):  
Madhavappallil Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Community Study ◽  
Community Practice ◽  
Macro Practice ◽  
The Usa

This article describes the use of an experiential community study project in teaching a macro-practice course with focus on community engagement in an advanced generalist practice Master of Social Work (MSW) programme in the USA. Implemented in stages, this project is designed to provide students an opportunity to develop community practice knowledge and skills. Quantitative and qualitative data collected from students show how this project developed in them the ability to analyse community characteristics and problems as well as helped them become more culturally sensitive. In developing community profiles and assessing community needs, students could also enhance their analytical and critical thinking skills. These experiential projects are very relevant and useful for social work students and programmes which do not have an opportunity for community practice in their field placement as part of their education. The author argues that such initiatives are likely to reduce the marginalisation of macro-practice courses in social work programmes. Pedagogical and practice implications for macro-practice courses and social work education are also discussed.

scholarly journals A Community Participation Initiative During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study From India

2021 ◽  
pp. 025371762199101
Author(s):  
Aarti Jagannathan ◽  
Sreekanth Nair Thekkumkara ◽  
Jagadisha Thirthalli ◽  
Sekar Kasi
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Community Participation ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Community Organization ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Government Organization ◽  
Case Study Design ◽  
Informal Interview

Background: A community participation initiative of stitching personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, and face shields for healthcare professionals working in the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted using a case study design. Methods: The hospital tailoring unit was used to cater to the in-house demand for stitching safety gear kits for healthcare professionals. A transect walk was conducted to survey hospitals for selecting material for stitching the safety gears and to draw up a plan to meet future demand. The psychiatric social worker induced a community participatory initiative using the method of social work of community organization. A flyer was prepared to invite participants with prior experience in tailoring for this initiative. All participants were trained by the master trainers of the tailoring unit. The participants were also interviewed about their views on this initiative in an informal interview. Results: A total of 83 participants, including 26 individuals (8 volunteers and 18 who received an honorarium), 2 boutiques ( n = 12), and 1 government organization, participated in the activity ( n = 45). A total of 1700 complete PPE kits and 13,000 masks were stitched during this period. The participants reported that the benefit of being a part of this initiative was reduced boredom, sense of purpose and satisfaction, and improved mental health due to structured activity. Conclusions: A community participation initiative using the principles of community organization, a method of social work, can help produce desired outputs and improve the well-being of the participants.

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