Challenges of Social Work Students from Historically Disadvantaged Universities during Placements in Semi-Rural Areas in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Varoshini Nadesan
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Undergraduate Study ◽  
Historically Disadvantaged ◽  
The University

This study highlights the challenges faced by social work students during their fourth-year field placements. The research was conducted among social work students at two historically disadvantaged universities in South Africa. The aim of the study was to understand the field experiences of final-year Bachelor of Social Work students from historically disadvantaged universities. It was anticipated that these students were placed at rural or semi-rural communities that were close to the university. Students in the fourth and final year of their undergraduate study are expected to receive training that would generate advanced field practice experience in specialised settings to prepare them for the reality of social work practice in the workplace. A qualitative study was undertaken among current and past social work students. The findings highlighted issues pertaining to limited placements, poorly managed student placements, access to communities, and supervision challenges. However, the key findings indicate that once placed, the students felt abandoned by their training institutions and left to rely solely on their field supervisors for academic, administrative and developmental guidance. The study recommends that universities be more adept at fulfilling the needs of students and providing comprehensive support. The study also recommends that a suitably administered system of communication between the university, student and placement agency be implemented as part of the comprehensive support to students.

Rural Practice

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Stephen Cooper ◽  
Freddie L. Avant
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Rural Practice ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Rural Social Work

Rural social work, the history of which stretches back more than a century, has been revitalized since the mid-1970s. The renewed interest in rural social work has led to an increase in scholarship on rural social work practice, much of which is a direct result of the efforts of the Rural Social Work Caucus and its annual National Institute on Social Work and Human Services in Rural Areas. Recent research endeavors have moved our understanding of the differences between rural and urban communities beyond the common definitions, which are limited to population and population density. We have also come to realize that there are many different types of rural communities, all of which have different characteristics, needs, etc. Specifically, the concept of rural is not monolithic. Rural practitioners and researchers have also reached a better understanding of the following: rural culture and lifestyles, the importance of approaching rural communities from a strengths perspective rather than a deficit or problem focus, and the challenges to rural practice presented by the characteristics that are common across rural communities (e.g., lack of anonymity, dual relationships). Not surprisingly, the increase in research on rural social work practice has been accompanied by an interest in preparing social workers for rural practice and growth in the number of graduate programs focused on such. The importance of these programs lies in the unique nature of the challenges faced by rural communities. For example, many rural communities are experiencing sharp population declines while at the same time seeing substantial increases in adults who are 65 years of age and older. Other common trends include: economic decline and subsequent increase in social issues; substantial issues with substance abuse, especially methamphetamine and opioids; lack of technology infrastructure; concerns related to the environment and/or conversation of natural resources; and lack of services for veterans. The key to successfully addressing these issues in rural communities is involvement from social workers who are prepared to practice in the rural context.

Keeping MANDELA alive: A qualitative evaluation of the MANDELA supervision framework four years on

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-58
Author(s):  
Prospera Tedam ◽  
Millicent Munowenyu
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Field Education ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The University

Four years after the development of the MANDELA model by Prospera Tedam, an independent evaluation of its effectiveness was conducted in 2014 with 45 social work students and 6 practice educators. The framework was incorporated into the University of Northampton (UN) Social Work Practice Learning Handbook as a recommended practice placement supervision tool for use by students and practice educators. This article summarises the process, findings and recommendations arising from the evaluation. The project sought to evidence the justification for the model’s continued use in social work practice placements. Though the intended audience for this publication are primarily social work students and practice educators in practice placement settings, the model’s underpinning ethos as a strengths based anti-oppressive tool and its unique attributes as a framework that proactively promotes and permits in-depths discussions on pertinent issues of difference, life experiences, individuality and diversity would be of benefit to any university lecturer and other stake holders in the fields of health and social care. The model can also be adapted and used in field education in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the USA and in other countries where cultural and ethnic diversity in higher education is resulting in differential experiences and outcomes for students from minority backgrounds.

scholarly journals Better integration of education and practice? Promoting research-based social work

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-86
Author(s):  
Sisko Piippo ◽  
Juha Hämäläinen ◽  
Anssi Savolainen ◽  
Mari Suonio ◽  
Raija Väisänen
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
University Education ◽  
Development Work ◽  
Scientific Methods ◽  
Work Education ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

This article deals with development work that aimed at promoting a better integration of social work university education and social work practice. The development work incorporated the academic world into the working life of social workers in rural areas. As a result, a permanent university-agency network was established, consisting of a university-coordinated networked infrastructure of 26 significant employer organisations (municipalities and nongovernmental organisations). Seminars, workgroups and a continuing education course for practice educators were modelled and realised as network activities. The network has enhanced collaboration. To support the aims of social work education to promote the use of scientific methods and techniques in practice, a significant structure for better interaction with the practice field has been created. Practitioners do have enthusiasm for development work and it is essential in terms of research-based social work as to how this is resourced, supported and utilised by educational solutions. However, in addition to the university-practice relationship, the relationship between individuals and their employer agencies is also key in terms of escalating learning into the organisational context.

Using a Strengths-Based Perspective to Change Perceptions: An Exploratory Study

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Karen Rice ◽  
Heather Girvin
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Change Perceptions ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Negative Perceptions

Child welfare is a field plagued with negative perceptions, which have the potential to influence how caseworkers approach their practice with families. As a result, a child welfare course emphasizing the strengths-based approach to practice with families was developed to better prepare students for engaging families and building a helping alliance. The researchers sought to examine whether this new course exerted a positive influence on undergraduate social work students' perception of the parent/caseworker relationship. Compared to undergraduate students not enrolled in this course, at post-test students enrolled in the Child Welfare course more positively perceived the parent/caseworker relationship than they did at pretest. Implications for social work practice and pedagogy are discussed.

scholarly journals Roles of Positive Psychology for Mental Health in UK Social Work Students: Self-Compassion as a Predictor of Better Mental Health

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. 2002-2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Kotera ◽  
P Green ◽  
D Sheffield
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Self Compassion

Abstract Despite high shame about mental health symptoms among UK social work students, positive psychological approaches to their mental health have not been investigated in depth. Emotional resilience has been a core skill in social work practice; however, its relationship with mental health is still unclear. Therefore, the primary purposes of this cross-sectional study were to (i) examine the relationships between mental health and positive psychological constructs, namely resilience, self-compassion, motivation and engagement and (ii) determine predictors of mental health in UK social work students. An opportunity sampling of 116 UK social work students (102 females, 14 males; 96 undergraduates, 20 postgraduates) completed 5 measures about these constructs. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted. Mental health was associated with resilience, self-compassion and engagement. Self-compassion was a negative predictor, and intrinsic motivation was a positive predictor of mental health symptoms. Resilience did not predict mental health symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of self-compassion to the challenging mental health of UK social work students; they caution against the overuse and misunderstanding of resilience in the social work field.

Gilchrist-James, Gayle

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Kreitzer ◽  
Richard Ramsay
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Teaching Style ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Vice President ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
International Federation ◽  
University Of Calgary ◽  
The University ◽  
Systems View

Gayle Gilchrist-James (1940–2008) was a leader in social work in Canada and around the world. Through her social work practice, academia, and leadership at the national and international levels, she exemplified what a social worker could do through hard work, vision, and passion. Her wholistic systems view gave her the sense of “no limits” about her life and work. Her leadership was rooted in compassion and a humanitarian perspective. She was a role model to students and faculty at the University of Calgary in her teaching style and how she cared deeply for the students she taught. Her crowning accomplishments were her work with the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) as vice-president (North America) and president and the creation of the IFSW’s Commission on Human Rights.

Recruiting and Engaging Men as Fathers in Social Work Practice

2014 ◽  
pp. 235-260
Author(s):  
Joseph Fleming ◽  
Andrew King ◽  
Tara Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Engaging Men ◽  
Current Knowledge Base

Evidence in the research literature suggests that men are usually not engaged by social workers, particularly in child welfare and child protection settings. Mothers also tend to become the focus of intervention, even when there is growing evidence that men can take an active and important role in a child's development in addition to providing support to the mother and family. Whilst there have been some promising developments in including men in social work practice internationally, there remains a gap in the research regarding the engagement of men as fathers in Australia. Given the growing relevance of the topic of fathers, the purpose of this chapter is to add to the current knowledge base, to support social work students and practitioners to engage with men in their role as fathers, and to offer an evidence-based practice model that may assist social workers in their work with men as fathers.

Positioning Social Justice: Reclaiming Social Work’s Organising Value

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 1652-1668
Author(s):  
Dassi Postan-Aizik ◽  
Corey S Shdaimah ◽  
Roni Strier
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Visual Analysis ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Core Value

Abstract This article explores the value of social justice as a shared ethical ground for social workers worldwide. Constructions and interpretations of social justice are deeply affected by different perspectives, contested positions and unequal power dynamics. As societies become ever more diversified, these may hinder the centrality of social justice as a core value. Drawing on data collected from participants in a binational interprofessional seminar on social justice in multi-cultural societies, this qualitative study is based on interviews and visual analysis with 16 American and 15 Israeli social workers and social work students. Findings suggest that social justice remains a core value although it is both an organising and disorganising, unifying and dividing concept. The study explores the positive contribution of positionality to help gain a broader understanding of social justice and navigate challenges in implementation, practice and education in diverse and conflicted settings. Practical implications for social work practice and education are discussed.

scholarly journals Talkin’ Bout iGeneration: A New Era of Individualistic Social Work Practice?

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 1238-1257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Fenton
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Community Education ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
New Era ◽  
Generational Changes ◽  
Post War ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This article considers the impact of generational changes on the new cohort of social work students most of whom were born post-1995, and therefore belong to ‘iGeneration’ (iGen). This article is especially concerned with the finding that the generation before iGen is more right-wing authoritarian than all post-war generations and what this might mean for the future of social work should that trajectory continue. A study was undertaken to examine the attitudes of 122 iGen students in first-year university course in Scotland. Results show that mean attitudinal measures were right-wing authoritarian in relation to crime and punishment and to unemployed people. Social work students aligned more in their attitudes with their primary education colleagues and less with their less authoritarian community education colleagues, and, overall, the iGen cohort was significantly more right-wing authoritarian than their older colleagues. In essence, there was evidence to suggest that an individualistic, self-sufficiency neoliberal narrative had been quite profoundly internalised by the iGen cohort of students. Implications of a new individualistic practice are considered, and suggestions for social work education programmes are made.

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