A Pilot Study to Develop and Validate the Social Worker’s Integration of their Faith – Christian (SWIF-C) Scale

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-78
Author(s):  
Holly K. Oxhandler ◽  
Rick R Chamiec-Case ◽  
Terry A. Wolfer
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Intrinsic Religiosity ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
Work Identity ◽  
The Social ◽  
Work Education

Recent studies have demonstrated that social workers’ intrinsic religiosity is the largest predictor of whether they integrate clients’ religion/spirituality in practice. However, to date, no instrument has been developed to begin to understand the complex relationship between how a social worker’s faith impacts their social work practice and vice versa, especially among social workers who self-identify as Christian. Thus, this paper describes the development of the Social Worker’s Integration of their Faith – Christian (SWIF-C) scale to explore the following: 1) Does the SWIF-C have content and criterion validity?  2) Can the SWIF-C be condensed into fewer subscales to explain factors related to practitioners’ integration of their own religion, spirituality, and faith (RSF) into practice? The results indicated the SWIF-C is reliable and an exploratory factor analysis resulted in four subscales, including the: 1) impact of social work on one’s faith, 2) impact of faith on one’s social work practice, 3) impact of faith on one’s social work identity, and 4) conflict between one’s faith and social work. Based on these findings, implications and recommendations for social work education and practice are discussed.

Infusion of Gerontology Content: An Ethical Imperative

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Roberts ◽  
Rosemary Blieszner
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Ethical Practice ◽  
Age Bias ◽  
Work Area ◽  
The Social ◽  
Work Education

The infusion of aging content into the social work curriculum has been the subject of recent discussion by social work researchers. Aging content is needed for ethical social work practice because demographic trends demonstrate that social workers will treat older people regardless of work area preference. Age bias precludes ethical social work practice. However, the infusion of gerontological subject matter may decrease age bias and may thereby promote ethical practice. The authors' research demonstrates that age bias exists among social workers despite attention to the phenomenon, lending support to recommendations for infusion of aging content into baccalaureate social work education. Baccalaureate social work education is an opportune venue in which to introduce work with elders.

scholarly journals The Use of Metaphor as an Important Tool for Understanding Oppression

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Hillock
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
The Social ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Written Assignments ◽  
Systems Of Domination

Using an anti-oppressive practice (AOP) theoretical framework and an exploratory qualitative research design, featuring semi-structured interviews and written assignments, a group of ten social workers were asked to describe their understandings of the concept of oppression. The study found that, in the case of these particular social workers, they used metaphor as a key conceptualization process to more vividly describe and understand the concept of oppression within their social work practice. This article analyzes eight categories of metaphor themes the participants used to explain their understanding of oppression: (a) pressure; (b) earth; (c) quest; (d) nature of society;  (e) seeing; (f) building; (g) dancing; and (h) water. The research findings are intended to open up dialogue and thinking about the concept of oppression, increase our knowledge base and understandings of oppression within social work practice, and assist the social work profession to build a stronger conceptual framework for understanding and naming oppression with the end goal of assisting social workers to better respond to and resist systems of domination.

scholarly journals Incorporating community development into social work practice within the neoliberal environment

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 38-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Aimers ◽  
Peter Walker
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Community Work ◽  
Core Subject ◽  
Work Education

Community development is a core subject in social work education, yet social work discourse often places community development at its margins (Mendes, 2009). This article considers the location of community development and community work within the current neoliberal environment in New Zealand and how such practice can be sustained by social workers in the community and voluntary sector. Community development is a way of working with communities that has a ‘bottom up’ approach as an alternative to State (top down) development. Over recent years, however, successive New Zealand governments have embraced neoliberal social policies that have marginalised community development. In addition the term ‘community work’ has been used to describe activities that have little to do with a bottom up approach thereby making it difficult to define both community development and community work. By applying a ‘knowledge intersections’ schema to two New Zealand community and voluntary organi- sations we identify where community development and social work intersect. From this basis we challenge social workers to consider ways in which community development can be embedded within their practice. 

Ethnic Minority and Majority Social Workers Working with Ethnic Minority Clients: Culture-Bound Professional Interventions and Burnout among Arab and Jewish Israeli Social Workers

2021 ◽  
pp. 104973152110494
Author(s):  
Eugene Tartakovsky
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Personal Accomplishment ◽  
The Social ◽  
Majority Culture ◽  
Professional Interventions

Purpose This study tests a new bicultural model of social work with ethnic minority clients. We examined how often social workers applied professional interventions rooted in the minority and majority cultures and how the choice of interventions affected the social workers' burnout. Methods: The study was conducted in Israel, and the research samples included Arab ( n = 300) and Jewish ( n = 210) social workers. Results: We found that Arab and Jewish social workers more often used interventions rooted in the minority than in the majority culture. More frequent application of both types of interventions was associated with a higher level of personal accomplishment in both groups of social workers. However, the connection between interventions rooted in the majority culture and burnout was positive among Jewish and negative among Arab social workers. Discussion: The implementation of the obtained results in social work practice with ethnic minorities is discussed.

3. Social work with individuals and families

2015 ◽  
pp. 34-57
Author(s):  
Sally Holland ◽  
Jonathan Scourfield
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Therapeutic Intervention ◽  
Case Manager ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Working Relationship ◽  
The Social

Much professional social work practice is carried out with individuals and their families. Social workers aim to attend to the person’s social context rather than only the specific problem being presented, and they work in a manner that is relationship-based. It is also generally accepted that using a strengths-based model approach produces a more productive working relationship. ‘Social work with individuals and families’ considers the origins of social work; the different ways of directly providing practical help or therapeutic intervention to individuals and families; how the social worker as case manager will be responsible for overall planning, co-ordination, and reviewing service provision; and how social work has become more client-centred and citizen-directed.

Social Work and Its Complexity in Aotearoa New Zealand

2020 ◽  
pp. 16-36
Author(s):  
Shahul Hameed ◽  
Anthony Raman
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Chaotic Nature ◽  
Developed World

The Social workers need to call on a broad range of sources of bodies of knowledge and respond to the complexity and its chaotic nature of situations arising in social work profession. There appears to be dire need to consider the use of (a) the theoretical knowledge into practice by being more caring and supportive with the aim of (b) disentangling the various elements of a complex system and enhancing the resilience both of the people involved and the social and organizational systems that they are inter-twined with people lives. The current acknowledgement of the bi-cultural framework by the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) is no doubt a positive move towards infusing indigenous practice frame work into dealing with the chaotic nature and complexity of the social work profession in New Zealand but still remains to be seen in actual social work practice .The purpose of this chapter is to attempt to explore the potential of infusing Indigenous bodies of knowledge into practice against the background of the complexity nature of the social work profession in a developed world like New Zealand.

Time and change: UK social work and comparative European welfare policies since 1990

2020 ◽  
pp. 21-42
Author(s):  
Linda Bell
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Welfare Regimes ◽  
Welfare Policies ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Background History ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Work Education

This chapter gives a brief contextual background history to ‘social work’. It emphasises the years after 1990. This period encompasses many policy and political changes and theoretical developments in the UK and internationally, which affect social work practice and education. This is the time period encapsulating the author's involvement with social workers and social work education. The chapter presents some comparative geographical locations partly to reflect aspects of this involvement with social work and contacts with social work and social workers in those places, as well as to reflect different kinds of welfare regimes and to indicate some different kinds of welfare professionals.

Rationale for Innovation, Intrapreneurship, and Entrepreneurship in Social Work Practice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Nandan ◽  
Gokul Mandayam
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Social Value ◽  
Complex Dynamic ◽  
Sustaining Change ◽  
The Social

Social workers possess several skills, values, and perspectives that enable them to practice as social innovators, intrapreneurs, and entrepreneurs. Given the complex, dynamic, and challenging contexts for social work practice, these strategies become essential for social workers to continue creating social value and good. The article defines these strategies, describes the rationale for social workers to practice in a socially innovative, intrapreneurial, or entrepreneurial fashion, draws parallels between these strategies and social work practice, and builds a case for the social work curriculum to include contents related to these strategies to assist graduates in creating and sustaining change.

The Migrant Family: Some comments on Social Work Practice with non-English speaking migrants.

1976 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan Snyder
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Central Focus ◽  
The Social ◽  
Migrant Family ◽  
English Speaking

The description of the P. family — their anxieties, hardships and frustrations will be a familiar story to social workers working with non-English speaking migrant clients, regardless of whether the social worker is employed by ethnic or sectarian agencies or the wider general agencies such as government departments, municipal councils or independent organizations. This attempts to investigate some of the ways in which social workers can attempt to help and support the migrant client from a different ethnic group in his struggle to create a new life in Australia. The P. family's story will be used to illustrate some of the major areas of difficulty faced by a migrant family and a number of social work roles and strategies are suggested which might be employed in seeking to bring about social change. The implications of ethnicity for social work practice in a multi-cultural society form a central focus of concern. Finally, general comments and suggestions will be made about the role and responsibilities of the social worker in the multi-cultural society.

scholarly journals Preferences and Orientations of Social Work Students towards Methods and Forms of Professional Practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-81
Author(s):  
Ginka Mehandzhiyska
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Research Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
Work Education

This article presents results from research on preferences of social work students (n=60) towards particular methods and forms when practicing their profession. A conceptual model has been applied, where measurements and analysis lead to identification of two methodological orientations: micro- and macro-orientation. Based on research data conclussions are made about the profile of the students' interests for practicing the social work profession in particular areas and settings. Presented analysis concludes that social work education prepares professionals with profiles relevant to the needs of social work practice.

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