Data culture as a change agent for organizations serving families and children experiencing homelessness

Over the past decade there have been considerable developments in the use of data in the field of child and family homelessness. The development of high-quality data collection processes—including Housing Management Information Systems (HMIS), community point-in-time counts, and school district data and evaluation infrastructure—has given nonprofit and social sector leaders unprecedented access to client-level data. However, it remains a challenge for nonprofits and community-based organizations to engage in work with families experiencing homelessness and demonstrate meaningful impact across a variety of outcomes. In this policy brief, the authors discuss (1) challenges facing the field of child and family homelessness with respect to data use, (2) recent advancements in the use of data, and (3) strategies to create an organizational culture of data that makes use of recent advancements in data use and addresses current challenges facing the field. The brief makes the argument that fostering a data culture at the organizational level has the capacity to operate as an organizational change agent that improves programs.     

What is a global field? Theorizing fields beyond the nation-state

While scholarship on global and transnational fields has been emerging, hitherto contributions have rarely or not explicitly discussed how Bourdieu's field theory has to be altered when its use expands from a national to a global scale. Starting from the premise that a global field is not a national field writ large, this paper discusses strategies and elements for revising field theory for use beyond national borders. Specifically, the article first proposes analogical theorizing as a systematic approach for extending and modifying the tools of field theory at a global level. Analogical theorizing offers a method for constructing the object in a global context in a way that goes beyond rescaling and minimizes the risk of deductive reification. Against this background and drawing from research on the global visual art field, the article offers criteria for delineating a global field and distinguishes relative functional and vertical autonomy. Finally, it discusses how the concept of ‘relative vertical autonomy’ contributes in three ways to the development of global field analysis: for theorizing emergence; examining global-national interdependencies; and denationalizing Bourdieu's concept of ‘national capital’.     

Which transition concept is useful for describing the process of young people leaving state care? A reflection on research and language

The transition of adolescents from state care to independent living is receiving increased research attention in many countries. Despite this interest, the concept of ‘transition’, though central, still remains relatively undeveloped. One main issue in comparative work is how we use language to define concepts as well as use them to analyse our findings and shape practice. ‘Transition’ over the last decade has become a key concept in the research and practice field of social work with adolescents, therefore we need to reflect on its use, its possibilities and its limitations. This paper examines selected research literature on the transition from state care to adulthood. The paper suggests that more theorisation needs to be done within the field.     

Locating the Community Field: A Study of Interorganizational Network Structure and Capacity for Community Action*

Abstract I examine the concept of the community field to identify the structures, elements, and processes that generate improved capacity for community action. I conduct analysis of interlocking leadership among local organizations and recent community action in three Midwestern communities to determine the structure and attributes of the community field. I use findings from community power research to anticipate and guide interpretation of the different network structures found in each community. A community field is identified in the communities with pyramidal and coalitional structures. Inclusive, coordinating networks, institutions with stockpiled resources, and the existence of local planning processes are some of the community field‐like structures and processes I identify. The findings have implications for future rural community research and practice, including support for increased use of network analysis as a diagnostic tool for community development.     

The Use of the Coworker Approach as a Teaching Model in Graduate Student Field Education

A student coworker approach was inititated as a treatment aid in meeting the needs of large multiproblem families and groups as well as those of beginning graduate students; its continued use has demonstrated its merit in students' learning and in the instructor's awareness of this process. It has served as a form of observed interview that has overcome the limitations of the traditional tutorial conference method. This paper describes the use of the coworker approach as it has been applied to a graduate field education unit.     

GATEKEEPING IN FIELD PERFORMANCE: IS GRADE INFLATION A GIVEN?

This field note presents the results of a pilot study that explored the use of a new non-numerically rated field performance tool, a vignette matching measure for MSW students. Evaluation of performance in the field has proved to be a difficult task because few if any measures, including competency-based measures, have known levels of reliability and validity. Field instructors rated a sample of 154 students. Over half of the students were rated as exceptional, which may support the long-standing notion that performance ratings are inflated. Implications for social work education and research are discussed.     

Nurturing Life with Dreams: Therapeutic Dream Work with Cancer Patients

This paper describes the use of dream work as a component of individual counseling for cancer patients. Motivated by the work of experts in the field, who use dream work with their clients facing life-threatening illness and corroborated by a review of the literature, this therapeutic modality was introduced with cancer patients at a social service agency. The clinical work seems to indicate that the use of dreams helps create a safe environment for therapy by encouraging clients to discuss the emotional aspects of their disease and introducing topics, like death and dying, which are normally difficult to discuss.     

From Experiments to Network Building: Trends in the Use of Research for Reconstructing Working Life

Many efforts to use the social sciences for the purpose of change and reconstruction have their roots in the idea of the field experiment. In various forms, the field experiment played a dominant role in the period 1930-1970. In more recent years, new patterns have emerged, such as complementary research roles in network building. In this contribution, focus is on the links between the early experiments and today's approaches, to see the latter in terms of responses to the challenges posed by the processes that were triggered off by the field experiments.     

Preparing social workers for practice with LGBT populations affected by substance use: perceptions from students,alumni, and service providers

Trends in the field of service among those with alcohol and other drug addictions highlight the urgent need for schools of social work to effectively train students to serve clients with substance use disorders, and have cultural humility to effectively serve disproportionately affected LGBT consumers. Online surveys and interviews examined perceptions of graduate social work students and alumni in a certified alcohol and drug counselor program, along with several service providers within an urban setting in the US. Results indicated that students and alumni did not feel adequately prepared through coursework to practice with LGBT populations affected by substance use, while feeling more clinically competent to practice with LGB individuals, than with transgender consumers. Similar findings related to unique differences associated with perceptions of faculty support, along with field preparedness to practice with LGB individuals when compared to transgender individuals. Service providers noted an overall commitment and to serve LGBT consumers as well as positive perceptions of students and alumni to do the same. Implications examine the role of faculty in addressing challenges related to preparation of social work students to practice with LGBT consumers affected by substance use disorders, along with suggestions for curricular changes, and ongoing field trainings.     

FIELD INSTRUCTORS AND ONLINE TRAINING: AN EXPLORATORY SURVEY

Despite field placement being the signature pedagogy of the social work profession, little research exists regarding methods for training field instructors. This study captures their perceptions regarding the use of online training. An online survey of 642 field instructors from 4 universities produced 208 responses. Less than 4% rejected the idea entirely, 14% responded they "would probably not participate," another 50% said they "might participate," and 32% indicated that they "definitely would" participate. Respondents reported extensive use of various Internet communication tools and displayed comfort with computing skills. Our findings challenge assumptions about social workers' reluctance to use online technology and suggest that online training programs are a viable option for field instructors. Implications for creating online programs are presented.     

The Rhetoric of Sociological Facts1

To develop inductively a preliminary list of rhetorical tools that sociologists use in their presentation of facts, we examine three general claims that are widely accepted as having been demonstrated empirically in the field of social movements: social networks are necessary for recruitment of new members; individual mental traits do not matter; and political opportunities are necessary for movement emergence. We identify eight rhetorical tools that helped promulgate these claims as facts. We all use techniques like these, but awareness about them can help us evaluate our arguments and find better ways to test them.     

Detection of elder abuse: Exploring the potential use of the Elder Abuse Suspicion Index© by law enforcement in the field

There are no known instruments to aid law enforcement officers in the assessment of elder abuse (EA), despite officers’ contact with older adults. This study aimed to identify: 1) officers’ perceptions and knowledge of EA, 2) barriers in detecting EA in the field, 3) characteristics officers value in a detection tool, and to explore 4) the potential for officers to use the Elder Abuse Suspicion Index (EASI)©. Data was collected from 69 Connecticut officers who confirmed that barriers to effectively detecting EA included a lack of EA detection instruments, as well as a lack of training on warning signs and risk factors. Officers indicated that the important elements of a desirable tool for helping to detect EA included ease of use, clear instructions, and information on follow-up resources. Approximately 80% of respondents could see themselves using the EASI© in the field, and a modified version has been developed for this purpose.     

An International Perspective of Field Instruction

Abstract

Social work educators and practitioners have long debated several issues confronting field instruction. For example, they have addressed the structure of field placement, school versus agency-based supervision, remuneration to agencies that accept student placements, and the use of employer agencies as field settings. Because problem-solving increasingly involves working with people in nations other than the United States, it is important to gain an international perspective on field instruction issues. To this end, an international study was conducted to examine social work field instruction and the educational context in which it occurs. This article reports the findings of that study, which involved 51 countries. The universality of field instruction as an integral part of educational program, is apparent, as are the similarity of issues, problems, and proposed solutions Moreover, the findings indicate areas in which social work education has greater international consistency than education for the professions within national and regional boundaries, whereas other areas are influenced more by national and regional factors than by a universal social work professional culture.     

Academic writing as autocommunication – the case of doctoral dissertations on CSR

In this article, we explore the self‐oriented rather than socially‐oriented reasons why a doctoral dissertation in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is written. We base our article on Yuri M. Lotman’s idea on autocommunication which we use as tool in analysing a group interview conducted with six doctoral students studying in the field of CSR. We suggest that autocommunicational aspects might play a much more important role in rationalized Western culture and science than is often realized, and our main thesis is that one essential reason for writing a doctoral dissertation in the field of CSR might be to communicate with oneself and that this even might contain a therapeutic dimension. Implications for students, supervisors and future research are discussed at the end of the article.     

Field Instructor Benefits in Education

This article provides a comprehensive overview of benefits awarded to agency-based social work field instructors. Findings from a national survey of undergraduate and graduate social work programs in the United States confirmed differences in the nature of benefits awarded to undergraduate and graduate field instructors. In addition, study findings revealed variations in the pattern of awarded benefits among regions and among schools of varying size. The most frequently awarded benefits included use of the library holdings or equipment, continuing education programs, and official designation as adjunct faculty member. The authors suggest that, given the current economic atmosphere, programs become more creative in their provision of benefits that are attractive but inexpensive. Moreover, the authors recommend that the profession seek to understand better what motivates field instructors.     

The last of the Li: ritual texts and shifting ethnicities in Hainan

On Hainan, it is commonly believed that people who identify themselves as Han employ ritual masters (commonly known as daogong 道公) who use texts, while those who view themselves as Li employ the service of geba (no applicable Chinese characters) who do not. This paper argues that the use of Chinese ritual texts implies that the specialist possessing them belongs to a larger religious movement, while those specialists without texts emphasize their own powers as well as those of the masters who instructed them. At the same time, however, my historical and field research indicates that the use of texts has been spreading throughout the Five Finger Mountain region throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, thereby prompting significant changes towards hybrid rituals and the denial of any Li connection. While the ethnic differentiation (minzu shibie 民族識別) campaigns beginning in the 1950s have promoted a sense of ethnic identity, the growing use of written texts indicates that Li ritual practices have been converging with those of the Han.     

INTEGRATING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE AND SOCIAL WORK FIELD EDUCATION

The social work academic community is currently considering and critiquing the idea of evidence-based practice (EBP). Given the vital part that practicum education plays in the social work profession, understanding the views of field instructors on this subject is essential. The George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University surveyed 283 field instructors within 180 agencies and found that the majority (87%, N=235) viewed it as a useful practice idea. However, most of the indicators employed to assess use of scientific evidence in social work practice revealed that it occurs too infrequently. A lack of time was reported as the greatest obstacle.     

Video-Based Studies of Work Practice

The use of the visual, let alone video, is surprisingly rare within social scientific studies of work and organisations. Nevertheless there is an emerging corpus of research that use video recordings, augmented by field work, as their principal data; recordings that provide access to the fine details of work as it is accomplished within everyday organisational settings. They include studies of work in a broad range of domains, including call centres, mobile offices, operating theatres, construction sites and control centres. This paper outlines the nature of these video-based studies of work and organisation and highlights some of their major contributions to our understanding of issues such as the nature of skill and expertise, the use of technology and the organisation of teamwork. It also reflects on the impact that these studies, and this approach, are having within the practical fields of industrial and market research.     

Predicting behaviour: comparing the performance of factual versus attitudinal approaches

Despite years of refinement and improvement to questionnaire design, the need remains to identify effective, but ‘user-friendly’ questioning procedures to predict behaviour, without compromising predictive performance. Questionnaires developed to predict behaviour typically use an attitudinal approach. However, those types of questionnaires are associated with increased respondent fatigue, decreased question comprehension, opposition to question tone and demand effects. An alternative approach involves use of factual questions. This study compares ease of application in the field as well as predictive performance of the two approaches to questionnaire design in the context of predicting willingness to donate blood. Results indicate that factual questions are quicker and easier to apply in the field than attitudinal questions, while predictive performance of the approaches is equivalent.