Recenzja książki: Mirosław Grewiński, Usługi społeczne we współczesnej polityce społecznej. Przegląd problemów i wizja przyszłości, Dom Wydawniczy ELIPSA, Warszawa 2021, ss. 598

Recenzja książki: Mirosław Grewiński, Usługi społeczne we współczesnej polityce społecznej. Przegląd problemów i wizja przyszłości

The importance of relationships in the process of helping people suffering from schizophrenia

The article presents issues related to the importance of relationships in the process of helping people suffering from schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is one of the most severe mental-health disorder, in its course it often leads to mental disability. Therefore, the mental disability and initiating the recovery process of people with schizophrenia are the most important and central concepts of the text. Working with a patient suffering from schizophrenia aims at preventing disability and minimizing its consequences, and the success of these actions should be measured by the degree to which a disabled person is able to work independently, fulfil daily family and home duties and manage their free time. Creating a good or sufficiently good therapeutic relationship with a person suffering from schizophrenia is a complex configuration of many factors: from purely behavioural and information-sharing to those related to a sense of genuine closeness. The list of factors influencing creation of a therapeutic relationship can be elaborated based on various assumptions, some may emphasize the factor of patients' disability, others – cognitive deficits, and still others may be created based on existential assumptions. In this article, particular emphasis is placed on the area of psychosocial rehabilitation with its specific goals and the role of empathy and therapeutic relationship in the process of recovery of people with mental disorders.

Activity and voice of people with sensory dysfunctions on social media. Report on netnographic research

Social media are becoming an essential communication tool for people with disabilities and can become a good resource of knowledge for social workers. As a critical area of contemporary visual culture, social media can enhance the empowerment and social inclusion of people with visual and hearing impairments. The aim of the presented online research conducted between March and July 2021 was to answer the main research question: what self-expression content people with sensory disorders present on social media. Additionally, specific research questions were posed: how the content address topics relates to social inclusion; what benefits can social workers gain from observing social media accounts run by people with visual and hearing impairments? To analyse the presence of people with visual and hearing impairment on social media, I used three qualitative research methods: desk research, netnography, and case study. The analysis of the collected material allowed me to distinguish nine main thematic categories of content published by people with sensory dysfunctions on social media: everyday life, medical information, modern technologies, forms of support, taboos, humour, social activity, relationships, leisure. The categories were generated through coding and categorization in an emic perspective. The analysis also indicated that much of the content discussed relates to the idea of social inclusion for people with sensory dysfunctions. The article also shows a series of benefits of observing social media for social workers in their professional practice.

Polish Association of Social Work Schools in the first decade: anniversary study

Polish Association of Social Work Schools in the first decade: anniversary study ABSTRACT The subject of the article is an analysis of the first ten years of the activity of the Polish Association of Social Work Schools (PSSPS) from the point of view of the process of becoming and sharing experiences in various areas and during critical events interpreted in the context of a historical generation. The documentary reference is the timeline of activities systematically updated on the PSSPS home page and personal experience of the author who has participated in the events.

The best interests of the child in the project of the Family Code – a semantic analysis of the concept

The best interests of the child in the project of the Family Code – a semantic analysis of the concept ABSTRACT The aim of the article is a semantic analysis of the concept of the best interests of the child appearing in the draft of the new Family Code. The research material is a legal document, though it was analysed from an interdisciplinary perspective. The main research question was the following: what meanings constitute the content dominant of the best interests of the child concept, and which appear rarely, if there are any dilemmas, discrepancies, and critical points related to the concept of the best interests of the child. Six separate networks were created (equivalents, terms, associations, oppositions, descriptions of actions, and descriptions of actions regarding the best interests of the child), which, after being put in order created the semantic field of the concept of the best interests of the child. This way, the real meaning and clusters of associations related to the analysed concept were found. Each network is described separately. Based on the analysis –by using the semantic network – a detailed definition of the best interests of the child existing in the draft of the new Family Code was determined.

The complexity of social work at hospitals during the pandemic in Germany

Social work is also an indispensable pillar in the healthcare of patients in hospitals (Homfeldt, 2012, p. 489). Hospital social services support patients in processing stressful diagnoses and coping with the consequences of diseases (Gödecker-Geenen, 2005, p. 19). Due to the current development of problem situations and the current structure of health and social care, social work is gaining more and more importance (Schaub, 2008, p. 17; Hofmann, 2004, p. 413). Demographic changes result in an increase in the number of elderly people and a steady increase in their life expectancy. The lack of family or financial resources creates gaps in the supply of hospital social services (Meyer, 2019, p. 9). However, the change in the spectrum of health risks and diseases from predominantly acute to chronic ones, justifies the importance of social work in these facilities (Schaub, 2008, p. 17; Lützenkirchen, 2005, pp. 10–14). The Covid-19 pandemic presents a particular challenge that has spread around the world since late 2019. It affects all areas of life and life situations (Schmitt, 2020, p. 177). Protective measures to contain the virus, such as mass gathering prohibitions, contact restrictions, minimum distance regulations, hygiene measures and masks, determine daily and social life. Preventing visits from relatives, pastors and social workers puts a new light on the holistic view of health and the disease and its social determinants (Kröll et al., 2020, pp. 7–38). Infection protection legislation also restricts community services from interacting with patients and hospital staff. Work processes and communication must change, and existing systems must be redesigned (Truell, 2020).

Relationships of people in the crisis of homelessness with animals: support and rooting or exploitation of animals?

The relationship between the homeless and their animals is treated as marginal, as an issue of little social importance. The most probable cause are “common sense” approaches that focus on the more urgent challenges that need to be addressed to increase the well-being of the homeless such as providing health care, financial support and employment. Contrary to these needs, relations with animals appear as a kind of a whim that creates problems and is not crucial. Indeed, in the social sciences in general, the value of human and animal companionship, as an important source of positive emotions, is being increasingly analysed. The role of animals in human societies increases as social consciousness changes. The role of animals in the lives of socially marginalized people is still being questioned. In this work I identify the emotional significance of the relationship with animals for the homeless people.

Social pedagogy and social work from the perspective of the research areas and practical activities – selected contexts

The theoretical and practical development of social pedagogy was influenced by many social, economic and cultural factors (e.g. industrial and cultural revolutions), which took place in Europe and America in the 19th century. In turn, in 1908 Helena Radlińska created the scientific bases of social pedagogy in Poland and initiated its disciplinary development. In her activities, the researcher emphasized the role of a human in the transformation of reality in which they live. Her concept had a lot in common with the theses of the then German and French philosophical and pedagogical thought, among others Paul Bergman, Jean-Marie Guyau, Paul Natorp, Gabriel Séailles (Theiss, 2018, p. 13). The key moment in the initial phase of the development of so-called Helena Radlińska’s school of social pedagogy was the creation of The Social-Educational Work Study of Free Polish University in 1925. It was the first university in Poland to educate, at the academic level, future social and educational workers and educators in the area of adult education, mother and child care , and organization of social life. Social pedagogy as a science of human education, upbringing, and social functioning is a discipline of humanistic and social science. It has an interdisciplinary character shaped on the basis of the knowledge of various sciences, that includes: philosophy of human life, psychology (experimental, social, clinical), general pedagogy, sociology of education, ethics, social policy, family and guardianship law, theory of environmental education (Kamiński, 1974).

Social security of the elderly. Challenges of the post-pandemic reality

Progressive demographic transformations and their consequences including the increasing risk of the lack of replacement of generations, family and institutional deficits in fulfilling of the caring and protective functions – create an urgent need to resume the social discourse on creating the social security of the 60+ generation. The pandemic time brought many additional changes, both in social behaviour and in the catalogue of individual needs. It revealed new challenges and axiological priorities, requiring a broader understanding of the nature of social policy towards the third generation.

Shaping social attitudes towards vaccination against COVID-19 and social assistance

Introduction: Vaccination is becoming an increasingly common social dilemma and the reluctance to vaccinate is one of the biggest problems of medicine. This issue is particularly important during the implementation of the National Vaccination Program at the time of the global pandemic caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. The aim of the study is to present the factors determining the process of shaping attitudes of people through the use of knowledge of social psychology in the field of popularizing vaccination, especially in groups requiring support, as well as to present the attitude of Poles towards vaccination against COVID-19. Method: An online survey carried out in January, 2021 on a group of 454 young adults of both sexes on attitudes towards vaccination against COVID-19. Results: The results of the study show that 68.3% of respondents are going to be vaccinated, 60.6% consider the vaccination against COVID-19 to be effective and 62.1% think that it is safe. In addition, this research paper discusses the component of the Poles’ social attitudes towards vaccination. The lowest results (61.40%) were for the emotional phase of positive attitude to COVID-19 vaccination. The highest results (82.05%) were noted in the cognitive phase of positive attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusion: The approaches of Poles differ in their attitudes related to the readiness to be vaccinated, although most of them express the need to be vaccinated. One of the most crucial tasks here is informing people about the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine, especially among young people who are undecided (12.1% of the respondents), to achieve the so-called herd immunity. And as it appears, the distrust towards vaccination is not dictated by the subjective lack of knowledge, but the emotional climate associated with it. That is why we need to formulate appropriate and precise health-promoting campaigns.