scholarly journals The Canadian Jewish Community Serving Newcomers

Refuge ◽  
1997 ◽  
pp. 24-30
Author(s):  
John Morris

The Jewish Community is the oldest non-governmental agency serving newcomers in Canada. Its emphasis has been on employing professional, secular social work practice. This paper reports on conversations held with the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society (JIAS) staff, board members, clients and sponsors. Focus group meetings were held with clients and sponsors in nine Canadian cities from Ottawa to Vancouver. Highlighted are the conclusions that sponsors and clients have arrived at regarding services the Jewish community offers.

Author(s):  
Karina Nygren ◽  
Julie C Walsh ◽  
Ingunn T Ellingsen ◽  
Alastair Christie

Abstract This article explores ways in which gender equality, family policy and child welfare social work intersect in four countries: England, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. Over time, conditions for gender equality in parenting have improved, partly due to family policy developments removing structural barriers. These changes, however, vary between countries; Sweden and Norway are considered more progressive as compared with the UK and Ireland. Here, we draw on focus group data collected from child welfare social workers in England, Ireland, Norway and Sweden to compare these different contextual changes and how these are reflected in related social work practice decisions. The focus group discussions were based on a vignette, and thematic analysis was applied. Overall, welfare social workers are aware of the need to support gender equality in parenting, there is a heavy focus on mothers in child welfare practice decisions, and fathers are largely absent. Uniquely, we show that this is influenced by both a strong child-centred perspective, and a gendered risk perspective, in which fathers are seen to pose more risk to the children than mothers.


2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-34
Author(s):  
Anne Juberg

Much social work practice with adolescents involved in activities known to be risky, such as experimentation with substances or petty crime, seems to have been influenced by the conventional input-output model which assumes an unreflected relationship between the present manifestation of risk and adverse future outcomes. This model relies on an uncertain scientific basis and does not really allow for the adolescents’ own reflexivity. This article aims at contributing to the shaping of more reflexive concepts for social work in this area, and is based on material derived from a focus group made up of 17 adolescents from Central Norway, aged 16-18 years old. The major foci of analysis were: i) how the adolescents positioned themselves with regard to conflicting notions of respectability, ii) which constructions of meaning might be attached to this positioning and iii) how the positioning might inform social work practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. i-iii
Author(s):  
Margaret E. Adamek

Given our commitment to highlighting current issues, challenges, and responses within social work practice and education globally, the Spring 2021 issue of Advances in Social Work is pleased to present 11 full-length papers written by 40 authors from across the U.S. and Canada. We begin with four papers calling for greater involvement of social work educators and practitioners in arenas including information literacy, dyslexia, digital equity, and independent living. These papers are followed by reports on seven empirical studies in areas of practice as diverse as kinship care, legal representation, collaboration in a dental clinic, and dance and mindfulness. We hope you find these selections on emerging areas of social work practice and education to be informative and inspiring. Each contribution to this issue is introduced below. Sprecial Issue Alert: Just a heads up that our next special issue, Dismantling White Supremacy in Social Work Education, will be released in late summer 2021. With over 100 abstracts submitted, this special issue has garnered incredible interest. We are looking forward to bringing you 34+ original papers (our largest issue to date!) addressing ways that social work education can move forward positively and intentionally in ways that acknowledge the damage wrought by white privilege, promote racial justice and anti-racist practice, and embrace new ways of knowing, teaching, and learning. The Indiana University School of Social Work, through publishing Advances in Social Work as an open access scholarly journal, is grateful to play a role in knowledge production and dissemination in social work. We are continually amazed at the dedication and hard work of our social work colleagues globally who work tirelessly to advance social and economic justice. Marshall on, colleagues! Tribute to Retiring Board Members: Before closing, I would like to take this opportunity to express sincere appreciation to three outgoing AISW Board members who recently retired from the Indiana University School of Social Work: Dr. Karen Allen, Dr. Larry Bennett, and Dr. Bob Vernon. Your contributions to not only Advances in Social Work but to the IU School of Social Work and to the social work profession at large are very much appreciated. Special accolades to Dr. Vernon who has served on the AISW Editorial Board since its inception in 1999. Best wishes to each of you in your next adventures!


Affilia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 543-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Arnell

This article explores how professionals talk about girls’ and young women’s use of violence; more specifically, how violence is constructed and conceptualized and its effects on social work practice. The data analyzed consist of focus group sessions with 11 professionals within social and youth work. The findings revealed that violence is conceptualized through interpretative repertoires as social functionality, psychological functionality, or dysfunctionality, which affect the professionals’ conceptualizations of violence and social work practice. Accordingly, a multifaceted understanding of violence is needed, otherwise girls’ and young women’s violent acts risk being diminished and made into an individual problem to solved.


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