Social work with the local community in Ukraine and the possibility of using Polish experience

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 5-26
Author(s):  
Oleksandr Popow
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Community Organizing ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Welfare Institutions ◽  
Polish Experience

Although community organizing as a method of social work began to develop in Ukraine in the 1990s, but unlike individual and group social work, the attempts to introduce it into the activities of social welfare institutions and non-governmental organizations were unsystematic and not very successful. The aim of the article is to determine the possibilities of Polish experience of community social work implementation in Ukraine, taking into account the ongoing reform of local self-government. The study, the results of which are presented in the article, was designed as a so-called desk research and based on the results of the comparative analysis of Ukrainian and Polish scientific publications, documents, official websites, etc. The historical background of community social work development in Ukraine is outlined, the analysis of Ukrainian legal acts regarding norms and principles on community organizing is conducted. The article provides an overview of Ukrainian concepts and models of community social work. Particular attention is paid to the possibilities of Polish experience’ application, while implementing community organizing into practice of social welfare institutions as well as of NGOs. Possible structural and institutional changes related to the implementation of community organizing in social work practice and its benefits for the revitalization programs were analyzed. Polish experience of establishing a nationwide circle of community social work professionals was described. The author concludes that the challenges and barriers arising before community social work in both countries are quite similar and assumes that it is reasonable to take into account Polish experience, while implementing community organizing in Ukrainian realities.

scholarly journals Fineman and vulnerability

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-88
Author(s):  
Ian Cummins
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legal Philosopher

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to argue that the work of the American feminist political and legal philosopher, Martha Fineman can be the basis for a shift away from the proceduralism and managerialism that has come to dominate social work practice. Design/methodology/approach This paper’s work is based on the application of Fineman’s work to social welfare settings. Findings Fineman’s work calls for a radical rethinking of our notions of autonomy and vulnerability. Originality/value This paper applies Fineman’s work to this field.

The State of Social Work in Egypt

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamido Megahead
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Synthetic Approach ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Work Intervention ◽  
Work Education

Although professional social work in Egypt has a 100-year history, there is a dearth of information in English about social work in Egypt and other non-Western countries. Five domains of social work in Egypt are (1) the international flow of Western social work practice into Egypt, (2) modern social work, (3) social work research and social work interventions, (4) social work education, and (5) fields of practice. These five domains that inform modern social work in Egypt were produced from international flows of Western social work practice into Egypt. It was also produced from social work research and social work intervention. Modern social work also comes from teaching bachelor of social work students professional social work courses. Social work knowledge was adapted, authenticated, and indigenized to meet local context. These five dominated themes have been detailed and explained. International flows of Western social work practice into Egypt include transmission (transplantation), authentication, and indigenization. Modern social work in Egypt includes social work practice and social welfare policy. Social work research has included explanatory, descriptive and experiment social work research studies. Social work intervention has included social work intervention of aiming at solving problems and stressors and social work intervention of aiming at applying resources for change. Fields of social work practice includes family and child Social Work and school social work. Social work education is focused only on Bachelor of Science in Social Work covering the professional social work courses group work practice, social casework practice, community organization, social welfare planning, policy and administration, fields of social work practice. A synthetic approach that knits together these five themes entail that modern social work has been produced from international flows of Western social work practice into Egyptian context. It is also produced from social work research and social work intervention. Modern social work also comes as results of teaching Bachelor Social Work (BSW) students the professional social work courses.

scholarly journals Resisting gentrification: The theoretical and practice contributions of social work

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amie Thurber ◽  
Amy Krings ◽  
Linda S Martinez ◽  
Mary Ohmer
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Social Action ◽  
Community Organizing ◽  
Racial Inequality ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Home Values

Summary Gentrification is changing the landscape of many cities worldwide, exacerbating economic and racial inequality. Despite its relevance to social work, the field has been conspicuously absent from scholarship related to gentrification. This paper introduces the dominant view of gentrification (a political economic lens), highlighting its contributions and vulnerabilities, then introduces four case studies that illuminate the distinct contributions of social work to broaden the ways in which gentrification is theorized and responded to within communities. Findings When gentrification is analyzed exclusively through a political economy lens, researchers, policy makers, and practitioners are likely to focus on changes in land and home values, reducing the adverse effects of gentrification to a loss of affordable housing. A singular focus on affordable housing risks paying insufficient attention to racial struggle, perpetuating damage-based views of poor people and neighborhoods, and obfuscating political, social, and cultural displacements. Social work practice—including social action group work, community organizing, community development, and participatory research and planning—offers a holistic approach to understanding, resisting, and responding to gentrification and advance equitable development in the city. Applications By exploring social work practice that amplifies residents’ and change makers’ efforts, advances existing community organizing, produces new insights, builds inter-neighborhood and interdisciplinary collaborations, and facilitates social action and policy change, this paper helps community practitioners to reimagine the role of social work research and practice in gentrifying neighborhoods.

Effective Child Welfare Institutions in Uganda: Prerequisite Organisational and Systems Attributes

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julius Omona
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Institutional Processes ◽  
Welfare Institutions ◽  
The Us ◽  
Globalising World

This article presents a review of the organisational and systems attributes that contribute to effective child welfare institutions in Uganda. The review was motivated by a baseline study of 29 child welfare institutions in Uganda which established that the institutions were generally not effective owing to the compromised quality of the services and care they give to children. The aim of this study is to broadly examine the characteristics of an effective organisation and systems of child welfare, specifically from an institutional perspective, in order to inform practice and contribute to promoting professional care of children in Uganda. The review was premised on organisational and systems theories. The review revealed that there are many organisational and systems characteristics that a child welfare institution should exhibit if it is to provide effective services to children. These characteristics are embedded within internal and external institutional processes. It was also found that these processes have a direct effect on the organisational outputs and the welfare of the children. The findings are deemed applicable to all social work contexts in this globalising world, where the principles of social work practice are the same. Though the problem that motivated the review is Uganda-based, the citations are predominantly United States-based because, despite their own flaws, the US institutions provide a model for child welfare services globally.

Beyond Coping and Adaptation: Promoting a Holistic Perspective on Dying

2003 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitsuko Nakashima
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Terminal Care ◽  
Spiritual Growth ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Emotional Healing ◽  
Ego Psychology

The prevalent frameworks for terminal care in social work practice have been developed from concepts of ego psychology and focus on coping and adaptation. This approach provides only a partial understanding of the dying experience as it overlooks the inherent growth potential that can be harnessed within the crisis of dying. Drawing from postmodern epistemology, the author deconstructs the historical background of terminal care in social work to analyze why concepts of ego psychology have come to prevail in this area. A more holistic view is suggested through the exploration of alternative and more integral views of dying that encompass the potential for emotional healing and spiritual growth. Buddhist philosophy, tribal worldviews, and transpersonal perspectives are examined for this purpose.

On the necessity of activities of Public Relations in social work

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 58-70
Author(s):  
Daniela Dzienniak-Paulina
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Local Institutions ◽  
Visual Identification ◽  
Welfare Institutions ◽  
Crisis Situations

In the article, the author undertakes to point out the most problematic places in the functioning of social assis-tance institutions in relation to the image they create. He indicates the need to introduce thinking and changes in the field of Public Relations activities that could help social welfare institutions strengthen their image, better cope with crisis situations. The author shows why such issues as internal communication, visual identification, responsibility for image or cooperation with local institutions and the local community can be a way to better functioning and more effective and more satisfying work.

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