Color-Blind Racial Attitudes and Their Implications for Achieving Race-Related Grand Challenges

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique Constance-Huggins ◽  
Ashley Davis
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Racial Attitudes ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Power Structure ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
People Of Color ◽  
Grand Challenges ◽  
Color Blind

The American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare established 12 social work grand challenges to address critical social problems in America. Some of these social problems include health disparities, income inequality, and the lack of social justice, among others. These social problems are deep and daunting especially for people of color. Tackling these challenges would require a focus on the racial attitudes in society, such as color-blind racial attitudes, that maintain the power structure that fuels inequality. This article introduces color-blind racial attitudes and discusses their impact on social work practice and policy. Lastly, it presents strategies for addressing color-blind racial attitudes related to the grand challenges.

Shaping a Science of Social Work

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Philosophy Of Mind ◽  
Critical Realism ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Scientific Discipline ◽  
Helping Professions ◽  
Grand Challenges ◽  
The Future

In contrast to other helping professions, social work does not currently define itself as scientific, or as a scientific discipline. Starting with the work of John Brekke, this volume considers what a science of social work might look like. These ideas have developed from an extended collaboration among the chapter authors and others. Aspects of the framework described here include approaches to ontology and epistemology (scientific and critical realism); science and the the identity of social work; the context of Grand Challenges for social work; the place of values in a science of social work; the importance of theory in social work science; and how ideas from the philosophy of mind can also inform what a social work science should be. The volume then describes the application of social work science to social work practice, managing the tensions between rigor and relevance, and ways to educate future scholars. The concluding chapter suggests some ways in which this framework might affect social work practice and education in the future.

scholarly journals Exhaustion and possibility. The wor(l)dlyness of social work in (G)local environment worlds during a pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 54-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona B Livholts
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Turning Point ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Life Writing ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Writing Genres

Exhaustion is not about being tired. It is an intense feeling of restlessness, of insomnia, and awakening when I ask myself: have I exhausted all that is possible? Such a state of restlessness and wakefulness represents a turning point for having enough, and opens for new possibilities to act for social change. This reflexive essay departs from the notion that the language of exhaustion offers a wor(l)dly possibility for social work(ers) to engage in critical analytical reflexivity about our locations of power from the outset of our (g)local environment worlds. The aim is to trace the transformative possibilities of social change in social work practice through the literature of exhaustion (eg. Frichot, 2019 ; Spooner, 2011 ). The methodology is based on uses of narrative life writing genres such as poetry, written and photographic diary entrances between the 4th of April and 4th of June. The essay shows how tracing exhaustion during the pandemic, visualises a multiplicity of forms of oppression and privilege, an increasing attention and relationship to things, and border movements and languages. I suggest that social work replace the often-used terminology of social problems with exhaustive lists to address structural forms of racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, which has been further visualized through death, illness, violence, and poverty during the pandemic. I argue that the language of exhaustion is useful for reflexivity and action in social work practice through the way it contributes to intensified awareness, attention, engagement, listening, and agency to create social justice.

scholarly journals Opportunities to “Make Macro Matter” through the Grand Challenges for Social Work

2021 ◽  
pp. 104438942097248
Author(s):  
Samantha Teixeira ◽  
Astraea Augsberger ◽  
Katie Richards-Schuster ◽  
Linda Sprague Martinez ◽  
Kerri Evans
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Grand Challenges ◽  
Macro Practice ◽  
Societal Challenges ◽  
The Social ◽  
Macro Social Work ◽  
Instrumental Role

The Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative, led by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW), aims to organize the social work profession around 12 entrenched societal challenges. Addressing the root causes of the Grand Challenges will take a coordinated effort across all of social work practice, but given their scale, macro social work will be essential. We use Santiago and colleagues’ Frameworks for Advancing Macro Practice to showcase how macro practices have contributed to local progress on two Grand Challenges. We offer recommendations and a call for the profession to invest in and heed the instrumental role of macro social work practice to address the Grand Challenges.

scholarly journals The Art Of Social Work In Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-29
Author(s):  
Asmar Husein ◽  
Santoso Tri Raharjo ◽  
Eva Nuriyah Hidayat
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
New Model ◽  
Unique Character ◽  
The Relationship

Social work is a unique relief profession as unique as individuals, groups and societies. Social relations as the main media in performing the art of social work practice. The art of social work practice is an expression of intuition results that creates creativity in dealing with social problems. In this century, it is necessary to show a brand new model of social work practice along with the emergence of contemporary social problems. So that in the Indonesian context, a unique character and characteristic are needed. This journal is a literature review from various sources that aims to present the new concept of the art of social work practice in Indonesia. So far, the science of social work has not been sufficient in dealing with social problems. Here is the urgency and connection between science and the art of social work practice. Thus, the relationship between the two cannot be separated. Because, basically, within the practice of social work lies an art. 

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.

Treger, Harvey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
George T. Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Specialty Area ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
The Social

Harvey Treger (1924–2016) was a pioneer in the social work profession, breaking new ground for social work practice in law enforcement agencies. Under Treger’s leadership, police social work was started as a new specialty area of social work practice. His groundbreaking vision for police social work practice continues to evolve to the present (2021), as progressively more law enforcement agencies either hire or establish collaborations with social workers, and community stakeholders recognize the need for a social work response to community social problems instead of law enforcement.

scholarly journals Social Work in a Developing Continent: The Case of Africa

10.18060/223 ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Chitereka
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Qualified Personnel ◽  
The One ◽  
Development Paradigm

Social work is a professional approach to ameliorating social problems. It is generally understood as a helping profession that utilizes professionally qualified personnel who use its knowledge base to help people tackle their social problems (Mupedziswa, 2005). Nevertheless, in developing countries, social work is a relatively young profession which was influenced by colonialism in its formation. The type of social work practiced in these countries largely mirrors the one that is being practiced in Britain, France and Portugal among others. Utilizing the continent of Africa as a case study, this article argues that social work practice in Africa tends to be curative or remedial in nature and is not adequately addressing people’s problems. It therefore proposes a paradigm shift from remedial to a social development paradigm if it is to make an impact in the 21st century.

Contributing to indigenous social work practice in Africa: A look at the cultural conceptualisations of social problems in Ghana

2021 ◽  
pp. 147332502110554
Author(s):  
Alhassan Abdullah ◽  
Hajara Bentum ◽  
Esmeranda Manful ◽  
Enoch Boafo Amponsah ◽  
Ebenezer Cudjoe
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Child Neglect ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Practicum Students ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Practice Framework

This paper aims to contribute to the indigenisation discourse by illustrating how dominant discourses and cultural practices explain and perpetuate social problems. We argue that focussing on the fundamental issue of a cultural conceptualisation of social problems will contribute positively to the development of the indigenous social work practice framework. As social work education forms an important foundation for how future social work practices will be performed, we interviewed 15 social work practicum students in Ghana about the cultural underpinnings of social problems. Themes developed from the interview data suggest that culture plays a key role in conceptualising social problems in Ghana. Although not often, culture tends to underpin and perpetuate social problems, such as streetism, child marriage and child neglect. Social work practice within the indigenous framework should aim at addressing the negative impacts of the cultural undertones of social problems. Social work practitioners should increase advocacy and knowledge sharing on the cultural explanations of social problems and collaborate with community leaders to change cultural values and norms that have negative ripple effects on children, young people and women.

scholarly journals Innovative Social Work Practices for Vulnerable Groups of the Population in Ukraine

2020 ◽  
pp. 91-113
Author(s):  
Yu.V. HOREMYKINA
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Work Practices ◽  
The Social

Th is article is devoted to the issues of formation and functioning of innovative social work practices in Ukraine. Its purpose is to highlight the best examples of innovative social work practices for vulnerable groups in the country and to analyze the possibilities for their further application. Th e relevance of the study, on the one hand, is conditioned by the humanization of approaches to building relationships between the individual and the social protection system, the appearance at the state level of the requirements for the quality of social services, which are refl ected in the activities of social services, creating certain new models of work with socially vulnerable groups of citizens, and on the other hand it is conditioned by the severity and unresolvedness of a number of social problems related to the social protection of vulnerable populations. Such general scientifi c methods as generalization and analogies logical analysis are used for realization of the purpose. Innovative prac- tices are practices in the fi eld of social work practices for vulnerable groups, which have emerged as new ways of meeting the urgent needs of social service clients and aiming to achieve the most eff ective result both in solving the problems of individuals in need and social problems in general. Th e author proposes the algorithm for the formation of innovative social work practice, which covers all stages from the identifi cation of the need for such practice to the beginning of the functioning of an innovative practice. It is found that case management and integrated social services are the most widespread among innovative practices in the fi eld of social work in Ukraine. Th e article analyzes the specifi cs of both innovative practices and identifies and justifies the ways of their further development. Both practices have proven their eff ectiveness and fl exibility in solving specifi c social problems, and therefore the possibilities of their application (including in the newly created territorial communities) are expected to be expand in the future. Combined, these practices are able to ensure the high effi ciency of the domestic social service delivery system.

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