Showing papers in "International Social Work in 2012"
TL;DR: The Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development (The Agenda) is designed by IFSW, IASSW and ICSW to strengthen the profile of social work and to enable social workers to make a stronger contribution to policy development as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development (The Agenda) is designed by IFSW, IASSW and ICSW to strengthen the profile of social work and to enable social workers to make a stronger contribution to policy development. The Agenda themes and commitments are presented and links with the core global statements are made explicit. The practical, conceptual and ethical challenges inherent in crafting global statements are discussed, including the need to respect regional diversity. The article concludes with a challenge to social workers to help shape the Agenda process and the future strategies of the global bodies.
136 citations
TL;DR: An assessment of the TVPA is provided and it is suggested that service provision and victim identification need to be strengthened to better serve human trafficking victims.
Abstract: The trafficking of humans is a serious issue. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) is the main legislative effort in the US that addresses this problem. Based on social work values, the article provides an assessment of the TVPA and suggests that service provision and victim identification need to be strengthened to better serve human trafficking victims. Global trends, efforts, and limitations in reducing trafficking are discussed. Specific interventions by social workers in victim identification and service provision are presented.
78 citations
TL;DR: A critical review of current knowledge about international field education yielded four main conclusions as discussed by the authors : an unresolved debate exists relating to the meaning of international social work (ISW), various motives drive students, faculty and professionals to participate in ISW, developing a curriculum for ISW presents unique challenges.
Abstract: A critical review of current knowledge about international field education yielded four main conclusions. First, an unresolved debate exists relating to the meaning of international social work (ISW). Second, various motives drive students, faculty and professionals to participate in ISW. Third, developing a curriculum for ISW presents unique challenges. Fourth, four competing models of international field placement exist: (1) Independent/one-time; (2) Neighbor-country; (3) Onsite group; and (4) Exchange/reciprocal. Based on the review, principles for effective ISW field placement, especially intensive preparation and collaboration between sending and host schools, as well as directions for future research are offered.
63 citations
TL;DR: This study examines the relationship between religious coping and acculturation stress among newly-resettled Hindu Bhutanese refugees in the United States (US), the projected home of most Bhutanian refugees.
Abstract: After years in Nepali refugee camps, over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees are being resettled around the world by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This study examines the relationship between religious coping and acculturation stress among newly-resettled Hindu Bhutanese refugees in the United States (US), the projected home of most Bhutanese refugees.
62 citations
TL;DR: In this article, post-colonial and transnational feminist perspectives on globalization, power and resistance can transform our approach to human rights and development in international social work, and this analysis of globalization as historical, gendered and complicated by cross-cutting power dynamics from the personal to the national to the global allows a nuanced approach that is in solidarity with the perspectives of stakeholders in the global South and marginalized populations in global North.
Abstract: Postcolonial and transnational feminist perspectives on globalization, power and resistance can transform our approach to human rights and development in international social work. This analysis of globalization as historical, gendered and complicated by cross-cutting power dynamics from the personal to the national to the global allows a nuanced approach that is in solidarity with the perspectives of stakeholders in the global South and marginalized populations in the global North.
58 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that low future orientation, low empathy, educational difficulty, school expulsion, delinquent peers, gang membership, and low social support were significant risk factors for violence and delinquency among a sample (N = 174) of high risk youth and youth gang members in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Abstract: Low future orientation, low empathy, educational difficulty, school expulsion, delinquent peers, gang membership, and low social support were found to be significant risk factors for violence and delinquency among a sample (N = 174) of high risk youth and youth gang members in San Salvador, El Salvador.
53 citations
TL;DR: The authors reviewed the development of social work supervision within New Zealand and identified that supervision in New Zealand has developed a distinctive professional culture in four respects: reco..., competence, commitment, and commitment.
Abstract: This article reviews the development of social work supervision within New Zealand (NZ) and identifies that supervision in NZ has developed a distinctive professional culture in four respects: reco...
48 citations
TL;DR: The authors argue that all human societies have constructed indigenous strategies for responding to human need, and that there remains dissatisfaction with the hegemonic power in social work, despite calls for social work to embrace diversity.
Abstract: All human societies have constructed indigenous strategies for responding to human need. While there are calls for social work to embrace diversity, there remains dissatisfaction with the hegemonic...
43 citations
TL;DR: Findings showed that three of the five indicators of empowerment – women’s age at birth of their first child, their education and knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases – significantly increased utilization of health services, especially antenatal and delivery services.
Abstract: Over half a million women die annually due to maternity complications. Studies support that utilization of health services reduces maternal mortality. Using a nationally representative sample of 78...
43 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss how the current immigration selection policy in Canada impacts people with disabilities using anti-oppressive and anti-colonial theoretical frameworks, and analyze a rece...
Abstract: In this article, we discuss how the current immigration selection policy in Canada impacts people with disabilities. Using anti-oppressive and anti-colonial theoretical frameworks we analyze a rece...
38 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a critical analysis of the joint IFSW and IASSW social work definition by re-reading it from the perspective of the relational paradigm is presented, based on a relational paradigm hypothesis.
Abstract: In this article, we attempt to conduct a critical analysis of the joint IFSW and IASSW social work definition by re-reading it from the perspective of the relational paradigm. Our hypothesis is tha...
TL;DR: In this article, survey results from 96 Asian Indians in the USA found that those having depressive symptoms were more likely to have experienced social, family or relationship issues, and Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the causes of depression.
Abstract: Survey results from 96 Asian Indians in the USA found that those having depressive symptoms were more likely to have experienced social, family or relationship issues. Logistic regression analysis ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present trends in the international labour mobility of social workers migrating to work in England alongside information on the supply of UK-trained social workers and conclude that demographic changes and policy imperatives have accentuated structural issues making it difficult to ensure an adequate supply in the number of domestically trained social workers.
Abstract: Recent years have seen considerable increases in the number of internationally-qualified social workers in England. This article presents trends in the international labour mobility of social workers migrating to work in England alongside information on the supply of UK-trained social workers. It concludes that demographic changes and policy imperatives have accentuated structural issues making it difficult to ensure an adequate supply in the number of domestically-trained social workers. We suggest that more cross-national research is needed to achieve a better understanding of the factors influencing social workers’ decisions to work in international settings and the extent to which this reflects permanent or temporary migration between countries.
TL;DR: The authors examines social work with separated young asylum seekers following armed conflict, and focuses on ethical issues arising from contradictions between core social work values and immigra-tation, focusing on the separation of families.
Abstract: This article examines social work with separated young asylum seekers following armed conflict, and focuses on ethical issues arising from contradictions between core social work values and immigra...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors respond to Gray's and Coates' responses to A Reflection on Indigenization Discourse in Social Work (Huang and Zhang, 2008), and present further discussion of indigenization in social work.
Abstract: This article responds to Gray’s (2010) and Gray and Coates’ (2010) responses to A Reflection on Indigenization Discourse in Social Work (Huang and Zhang, 2008), and presents further discussion of indigenization in social work. We indicate that it is an inherent professional requirement for social workers to use different ways to understand local contexts and to do locally relevant research and practice. We extend to address some points of indigenization from the Chinese perspective. The problems with the emphasis on culture in indigenization are also discussed. It is suggested that indigenization is likely to bring harm to social work.
TL;DR: In this article, family group conferencing offers a culturally adaptable intervention to children's rights to their families and cultural heritage in country adoptions, which may erode children's right to their family and heritage.
Abstract: Intercountry adoptions prevent institutionalization but may erode children’s rights to their families and cultural heritage. Family group conferencing offers a culturally adaptable intervention tha...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present three prominent approaches to difference in social work: neglect of the other, recognition of other, and deconstruction of differences between the other and the non-other.
Abstract: Since the middle of the 1990s, ‘difference’ has been a subject dealt with intensively in international social work theory. Migration and gender studies especially have drawn attention to the fact that clients of social work are not only ‘different’, but ‘differently different’. Our article presents three prominent approaches to difference in social work: neglect of the other, recognition of the other (by emphasizing the necessity of identity) and the deconstruction of differences between the other and the non-other (by reading the powerfulness of binary structured differences).
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors highlight the opportunities and challenges associated with innovative work being piloted in Northern Ireland where victims and survivors of political conflict are routinely involved in teaching social work students about the impact of conflict on their lives.
Abstract: Service user involvement is now a well embedded feature of social work education in the United Kingdom. Whilst many education institutions have fully embraced the involvement of service users in teaching, there is still work to be done in more fully engaging with service users who are seldom heard. This article highlights the opportunities and challenges associated with innovative work being piloted in Northern Ireland where victims and survivors of political conflict are routinely involved in teaching social work students about the impact of conflict on their lives.
TL;DR: A four-year student exchange project between Canadian and EU universities that engaged in a reciprocal agreement between social work students, social service agencies and universities is described in this paper, where the authors give an account of the students' learning experiences and their evaluation of this program.
Abstract: A four-year student exchange project took place between Canadian and EU universities that engaged in a reciprocal agreement between social work students, social service agencies and universities. Sixty-four students completed their practicum through this program. The article gives an account of the students’ learning experiences and their evaluation of this program. It concludes with a discussion of their learning experiences in cross-cultural exchanges and future recommendations for enhancing international social work field exchanges.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the nature and extent of employer engagement in qualifying social work education programs across 10 countries: Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, UK and USA.
Abstract: Email interviews and internet inquiries were used to explore the nature and extent of employer engagement in qualifying social work education programmes across 10 countries: Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, UK and USA Findings indicate considerable variations in the nature and extent of engagement in admissions processes, programme management and assessment of student competence Practice learning/field education was the main area for employer engagement The desirability of employer engagement is discussed
TL;DR: During Sierra Leone's civil war, women and girls experienced numerous forms of gender-based violence and gross human rights violations, which had profound implications both during and following the civil war as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: During Sierra Leone’s civil war, women and girls experienced numerous forms of gender-based violence and gross human rights violations, which had profound implications both during and following the...
TL;DR: The International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW), and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) as mentioned in this paper have recently released a "The Agenda" to highlight a number of important pre-existing and new social problems that require urgent action, including poverty; globalisation; the rise of indigenous voices; the trafficking of human beings; criminal gang activities involving drugs; diverse forms of violence including armed conflict; mass migrations; and climate change and other disasters whether human-made or natural.
Abstract: Social work is at a challenging moment in its professional history. As the twenty-first century unfolds, social work educators and practitioners are facing a range of perennial questions and additional new ones. This themed edition has been put together to both celebrate the coming together again of the profession’s three sister organisations – the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW); the International Council on Social Welfare (ICSW); and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) to strengthen the voice of social work on the global stage, particularly that linked to the United Nations and its various international bodies through a process of membership consultation around what has been called ‘The Agenda’; and to highlight a number of important pre-existing and new social problems that require urgent action, including poverty; globalisation; the rise of indigenous voices; the trafficking of human beings; criminal gang activities involving drugs; diverse forms of violence including armed conflict; mass migrations; and climate change and other disasters whether ‘human’-made or ‘natural’. The trick that twenty-first century problems require social work educators and practitioners to achieve is to link global challenges and opportunities to locality specific ones that acknowledge the interdependency between these two realms and between people and their social and physical environments (Dominelli, 2012); address the internationalisation of social issues ranging from poverty to ‘human’-made to ‘natural’ disasters; the recognition of indigenous voices and spirituality in the work undertaken by social workers in diverse countries; the professionalization of social work that eschews a neo-colonial mentality and approach to collaborations that cross national and disciplinary borders; develop new theories and innovative forms of practice and research; and influence policy-makers at the local, national and global levels (Dominelli, 2004; 2009, 2010). This issue, therefore, refers to several articles linked to the shared journey that IASSW, ICSW and IFSW have undertaken to produce key 440784 ISW International Social Work
TL;DR: In this article, the consequences of the European Union's fishing agreements with a few African countries for individuals in local communities were explored, and the empirical results show that European fishing agreements have a negative impact on local communities.
Abstract: This study explores the consequences of the European Union’s fishing agreements with a few African countries for individuals in local communities. The empirical results show that European fishing i ...
TL;DR: The lived experiences of Kashmiri children are studied and their self-accounts are analyzed through an interpretative phenomenological frame to understand the psychosocial issues of children in conflict zones.
Abstract: Based on the self-accounts of children-in-conflict-with-law (CCL) in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK), this article attempts to understand the psychosocial issues of children in conflict zones. The issues of torture and imprisonment are extremely serious concerns of children experiencing an armed conflict. This article studies the lived experiences of Kashmiri children and analyses their self-accounts through an interpretative phenomenological frame. This qualitative investigation explores the meanings and interpretations that the CCL attach to their experiences of torture and incarceration. The exposure to such adversity chronically endangers their social, economic, psychological and physical well-being.
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors examined physically abused children and collected data on how they perceive and interpret their experiences of parental physical abuse, and what barriers impede their help-seeking.
Abstract: Physical abuse, as well as other forms of child abuse, has become a serious social problem but remains understudied in mainland China. This study examined physically abused children and collected data on how they perceive and interpret their experiences of parental physical abuse, and what barriers impede their help-seeking. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine child victims of parental physical abuse in Nanjing, China. Findings focus on children’s views of legitimacy and effectiveness of physical abuse, and reasons for not seeking help. Research and policy implications are discussed at the end of this article.
TL;DR: The authors explored the concepts of participation and protagonism using reflections of practitioners working in NGOs in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and explored how current understandings of both participation and proagonism within Brazil can help to extend current debates on participation.
Abstract: This article extends current debates on participation through exploring the concepts of participation and protagonism using reflections of practitioners working in NGOs in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Based on doctoral research, the article explores how current understandings of both participation and protagonism within Brazil can help to extend current Northern debates.
TL;DR: Among Asia Pacific Muslims who migrate to the West, spirituality is fundamental as mentioned in this paper, and the implications include the need for Western social workers when appropriate to apply Islamic-specific spiritual criteria.
Abstract: Among Asia Pacific Muslims who migrate West, spirituality is fundamental. The implications include the need for Western social workers when appropriate to apply Islamic-specific spiritual criteria....
TL;DR: The authors analyzes the relationship between theory and practice in social work and its positivist divorce and forced unity, which reduces theory to an "instrumental-operational" knowledge.
Abstract: This article analyzes the controversial relationship between theory and practice in social work and its positivist divorce and forced unity which reduces theory to an ‘instrumental-operational’ knowledge. The objective of this article is to contribute towards overcoming the positivistic rationality approach toward the theory and practice relationship. Based on a critical perspective, the author presents proposals to overcome some limitations of the conservative theory and practice approach.
TL;DR: This paper conducted a small exploratory study among families in the West Midlands and highlighted some of the ways in which the heightened concerns about national security impinged upon the research process, highlighting the need for families to be neglected by politicians, academics, the media and service providers.
Abstract: Following the terrorist attacks on New York and London, the counterterrorism legislation in the UK strengthened surveillance and national security and led to the incarceration of many Muslim men. Whilst the treatment of prisoners and detainees received considerable attention in public debate, the families that are left behind have been neglected by politicians, academics, the media and service providers alike. This article reflects on the experiences of conducting a small exploratory study amongst such families in the West Midlands and highlights some of the ways in which the heightened concerns about national security impinged upon the research process.