The importance of social work roles in disaster risk management in Zimbabwe

This study was aimed at exploring the efficacy of social work roles in disaster risk management in Zimbabwe in the face of climatic changes. It was carried out in Binga district, Matebeleland-North province using the qualitative methodology and a case study design. The study sample was comprised of 8 practicing social workers. Snowballing and purposive sampling techniques were used to select these participants. Data were collected through in-depth interviews using an interview guide. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyze the collected data. It was found that social workers play essential roles before, during and after disasters. On disaster preparedness, it was established that social workers assume roles of educators, community workers and disaster planners. Moreover, it was found that they play the roles of case managers, administrators of social protection and counselors during the disaster response phase of disaster risk management. Subsequently they also act as advocates, development facilitators as well as monitoring and evaluation personnel in the disaster recovery phase. As per the findings, the study recommends that social workers be recognized as essential in disaster risk management at both policy and practice level. Further, there is need to enhance social work training education for flexibility and contextual application of social work knowledge in the field of disaster risk management for quality realization of green social work in Zimbabwe.

Robot Autonomy vs. Human Autonomy: Social Robots, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Nature of Autonomy

Social robots are robots that can interact socially with humans. As social robots and the artificial intelligence (AI) that powers them becomes more advanced, they will likely take on more social and work roles. This has many important ethical implications. In this paper, we focus on one of the most central of these, the impacts that social robots can have on human autonomy. We argue that, due to their physical presence and social capacities, there is a strong potential for social robots to enhance human autonomy as well as several ways they can inhibit and disrespect it. We argue that social robots could improve human autonomy by helping us to achieve more valuable ends, make more authentic choices, and improve our autonomy competencies. We also argue that social robots have the potential to harm human autonomy by instead leading us to achieve fewer valuable ends ourselves, make less authentic choices, decrease our autonomy competencies, make our autonomy more vulnerable, and disrespect our autonomy. Whether the impacts of social robots on human autonomy are positive or negative overall will depend on the design, regulation, and use we make of social robots in the future.

Challenges facing essential workers: a cross-sectional survey of the subjective mental health and well-being of New Zealand healthcare and ‘other’ essential workers during the COVID-19 lockdown

ObjectivesTo compare psychological outcomes, experiences and sources of stress over the COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand in essential workers (healthcare and ‘other’ essential workers) with that of workers in nonessential work roles.DesignOnline cross-sectional survey.SettingConducted in New Zealand over level 4 lockdown in April/May 2020.ParticipantsFindings from employed participants (2495) are included in this report; 381 healthcare workers, 649 ‘other’ essential workers and 1465 nonessential workers.Primary and secondary outcome measuresMeasures included psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10)), anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7)), well-being (WHO-5), alcohol use, subjective experiences and sources of stress. Differences between work categories were quantified as risk ratios or χ2 tests.ResultsAfter controlling for confounders that differed between groups of essential and nonessential workers, those in healthcare and those in ‘other’ essential work were at 71% (95% CI 1.29 to 2.27) and 59% (95% CI 1.25 to 2.02) greater risk respectively, of moderate levels of anxiety (GAD-7 ≥10), than those in nonessential work. Those in healthcare were at 19% (95% CI 1.02 to 1.39) greater risk of poor well-being (WHO-5 <13). There was no evidence of differences across work roles in risk for psychological distress (K10 ≥12) or increased alcohol use. Healthcare and ‘other’ essential workers reported increased workload (p<0.001) and less uncertainty about finances and employment than those in nonessential work (p<0.001). Healthcare and nonessential workers reported decreased social contact. No difference by work category in health concerns was reported; 15% had concerns about participants’ own health and 33% about other people’s health.ConclusionsDuring the pandemic lockdown, essential workers (those in healthcare and those providing ‘other’ essential work) were at increased risk of anxiety compared with those in nonessential work, with those in healthcare also being at increased risk of poor well-being. This highlights the need to recognise the challenges this vital workforce face in pandemics.

Work-Family Conflict among Married Teachers of Urban Meerut

Background: Work–family conflict (WFC) and Family–work conflict (FWC) are likely to exert negative influences on an individual’s mental health, resulting in lower life satisfaction and greater internal conflict at work-family interface. Existing literature on WFC ignores the teaching profession, despite it being a universal phenomenon. This study expands on WFC & FWC occurring in the lives of female teachers, with special mention of psychological distress and wellbeing of the working women. Methods: The main objectives of the study were to compare WFC with FWC among married teachers of urban Meerut and to assess various factors associated with them. It was a cross-sectional study conducted in schools of urban block of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh on 384 teachers aged 20 - 50 years, and married for at least 3 years. Data was collected using a questionnaire containing Breyer’s work family conflict scale and analysed using SPSS V25, ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation Results: FWC (Mean 5.97; SD=1.962) was found to be greater than WFC (Mean 4.93.01; SD=1.571). More than 60% of the participants were always or often asked to bear the brunt of dual role, even when most of them (~58%) were working solely due to family needs. Variables like reason for working, work experiences and demand for dual roles were found to be important in deciding WFC as well as FWC. Conclusions: This study explores WFC/ FWC and governing factors in these conflicts. Present study found that family roles created more friction towards work roles in teachers rather than work roles creating friction in family roles. Keywords: Work Family conflict, Teachers, Married, Women.