Voices from the stories untold: Lesbian,gay, bisexual,trans, and queer college students' experiences with campus climate

ABSTRACT

Twelve self-identified college students within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) spectrum were interviewed on campus climate perceptions and their experiences of discrimination and isolation at their university. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes from the data. This process resulted in the emergence of three themes, identified as discrimination, isolation, and avoidance. The most salient experiences of discrimination and isolation reported by participants came from within LGBTQ organizations or from lesbian or gay male individuals that participants sought out for social support. LGBTQ intra-community discrimination was considered to be particularly damaging to participants' sense of belonging and involvement within the LGBTQ community. Discrimination and isolation from straight-identified organizations or individuals was reported mostly in the context of fraternities/sororities and religious organizations. Furthermore, actions by members of these latter groups caused participants to avoid these groups out of expectations of negative interactions. These results inform empirical research to bring awareness to acts of discrimination that continue to take place within the university toward LGBTQ students. Specific implications for social work practice with LGBTQ college students and future research on diverse LGBTQ populations and resources are discussed.     

Spiritual distress to spiritual transformation: Stroke survivor narratives from Hong Kong

Cardiovascular accident (stroke) is a leading cause of long-term disability for older adults worldwide, including Hong Kong. The stroke event leaves stroke survivors experiencing great distress as they struggle to regain physical ability and develop a frame of meaning. In a Chinese context, several religious traditions and secular philosophies including Buddhism, Daoism, Christianity, and Confucianism contribute to reconstruction of a meaningful post-stroke self. Symbolic interactionism interpreted by Charmaz (1987) and social constructionism offer perspectives for this work. This paper reports on a qualitative study about the spiritual transformation of 11 female stroke survivors in Hong Kong using a naturalistic inquiry approach. Data was analyzed using NVivo to create common categories and profiles. After an initial period of despair and disequilibrium, participants drew on social/environmental resources and personal spiritual resources to reconnect to spiritually-rich beliefs and practices. The stroke ultimately resulted in transformation of the loss and creation of a resilient post-stroke self. Implications suggest that the spiritual transformation process is complex in a diverse society and social care professionals do well to recognize and support culturally relevant spiritual expressions.     

Examining the Student's Decision to Pursue a Joint Graduate Degree Program in Social Work and the Law

In response to economic and educational trends, an increasing number of American universities are offering joint graduate degree programs in social work and the law. However, little is known about what drives a student to pursue study in these programs. This research study involved qualitative interviews with nine students in the United States either currently enrolled in a joint degree program in social work and law or who considered the joint degree program, but chose a single degree program instead. Interviews focused on what factors drew students to, or deterred students from, dual matriculation. Grounded theory analysis was used to identify themes across interviews. The findings can inform development of new joint degree programs in social work and law, as well as guide improvement of recruitment and retention practices for existing programs.     

Social welfare in the light of topic modelling

With an increased focus on social well-being in response to a burgeoning global economy exposing the weaknesses of social welfare policies, research output in the field has grown exponentially. Keeping track of the evolving research themes proves difficult due to the steady rise in the number of studies published in the interdisciplinary field of social welfare. Therefore, researchers need a comprehensive overview to confirm the current shape of the field based on the published research. Using a latent Dirichlet allocation algorithm as a topic modelling technique, this study identified 12 prominent themes from more than 10,000 research outputs on social welfare published from 2000 to 2020 in Scopus-indexed journals. Such an exploratory text-mining approach to literature review provides broad insights into the diversity of research and may serve as a foundation for further in-depth studies. Identifying these 12 thematic areas and their sub-themes allows us to articulate the complexity and diversity of social welfare issues, which go far beyond the field of well-established welfare economics or social work. The study shows that the topic of ‘social welfare’ has not only evolved over time but has significantly broadened its meaning. It can no longer be solely synonymous with institutional social security. We contend that research in this area needs to take into account a broader and more systematic range of determinants constituting the dynamic character of social welfare.     

Rethinking Learning Disabilities in the College Classroom: A Multicultural Perspective

This exploratory, qualitative study examined the opinions of social work faculty/instructors on teaching multicultural content with the inclusion of individuals with learning disabilities. It seeks to create a framework for understanding learning disabilities within the definition of a multicultural population and diversity in order to create a more inclusive educational atmosphere that relinquishes the focus on individual deficits that has long been the standard of education policy. This phenomenological research supports the groundbreaking work of Gilson and DePoy, who define individuals with disabilities as being inclusive in the definition of multicultural diverse groups, often termed unique cultures; these individuals, possessing shared life experiences peculiar to that group, possess unique social status, rules, and languages. Three hundred and twenty-six surveys were returned as completed from a state stratified selection method used to ensure accurate representation of social work educators nationally. The phenomenological format, which focuses on the individual's experiences, gives voice to individuals who might not otherwise have a voice. Adult Learning Theory is utilized as the framework to understand educational contexts that illuminate learning culture in higher education and support LD as a genuine population for inclusion in the diversity schema. Historical oversight of including individuals with LD in the definition of multicultural diverse groups is discussed and reasons for the oversight are explained. National social work faculty/instructors were surveyed and an exploratory survey was constructed to compare teaching of multicultural content. Ten multicultural diverse groups were defined, with the inclusion of individuals with LD, and qualitative questions were created and responses were coded into themes. Findings, implications, and limitations of the study are discussed along with supporting suggestions for more social work research concerning individuals with learning disabilities.     

HIV/AIDS Risk Reduction Intervention for Women who have Experienced Intimate Partner Violence

A growing body of literature highlights the association between women who have experienced intimate partner abuse (IPA) and their heightened risk for HIV/AIDS (human immune deficiency syndrome/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome) infection. Finding HIV risk reduction strategies that are contextually relevant for this population is an important public policy priority. This qualitative study researched women who have experienced intimate partner abuse in order to develop a HIV/AIDS risk reduction intervention unique to their circumstances. This pilot study explored the critical components of such an intervention among a racially/ethnically stratified (African-American, Mexican-American and Anglo) sample of women (n=43) who have experienced IPA. Focus groups were conducted and transcribed, and a content analysis was used to identify major themes. In all five focus groups, participants viewed the research as interesting, good, beneficial, and/or important based on their perceptions of risk for infection. Respondents felt that they knew of ways to protect themselves from infection in non-abusive relationships; however, acknowledged the difficulties of doing so given the context of their abusive relationships. Examining the racial/ethnic differences across focus groups showed that the language used by women is quite variable. The ways in which survivors define rape, sexual abuse, and their own experiences are all unique; however, their actual experiences have many similarities. Discussed at length are the topics participants shared as critical in informing the design of an intervention and the relevance of the findings to social work clinical practice is explained.     

A Qualitative Analysis of Cultural and Social Vulnerabilities to HIV Infection Among Gay,Lesbian, and Bisexual Asian Youth

Abstract

The study reported here was undertaken to investigate cultural and social barriers that may increase HIV risk among gay, lesbian, and bisexual Asian youth. Interviews and focus groups were used to collect the data because they are well suited for this type of exploratory research. A total of 15 gay, lesbian, and bisexual Asian youth (7 females and 8 males) were recruited. Most of the participants (n = 11) self-identified as lesbian or gay. The mean age was 20.7, ranging from 17 to 24. Twelve participated in one of three focus groups while the remaining three were interviewed. Categories and themes identified include: (1) the lack of sex education at home, (2) homophobia in Asian families, (3) unresponsive health and social service providers, (4) lack of social support, (5) negative stereotypes, (6) ideal standards of beauty, and (7) negative perceptions of safer sex practices among Asian lesbian and bisexual women. HIV prevention strategies are suggested based on the recommendations and needs of our participants.     

Practices and Policies for Doctoral Education and Leadership

ABSTRACT

This study explored bachelor’s-level social work students’ readiness to practice with individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and their attitudes toward individuals with ID. Fifty-eight students completed a Web-based survey that assessed their knowledge of four etiological conditions and their willingness to maintain social contact with individuals with various etiological conditions. Students also participated in focus groups that further explored their understanding of ID and readiness to practice in the ID field. The survey results indicated scientific understanding of causes and effective interventions as well as openness to interact with individuals with ID. Thematic analyses of focus group interviews highlighted four themes underlying students’ readiness to practice in the ID field. Discussion includes implications of findings for social work education.     

“As Far as They Knew I Came from France”: Stigma,Passing, and Not Speaking about the Holocaust

Today we recognize that storytelling plays an important role in helping survivors of traumatic episodes such as sexual abuse, military combat, or genocide refashion a sense of self and “work through” their traumatic experiences. But before the Holocaust was named and widely acknowledged and the diagnosis of post‐traumatic stress had emerged, survivors of Hitler's genocidal policies struggled to tell their stories in a world that did not particularly wish to hear them. While most accounts of Holocaust survivors’ postwar experiences focus on themes of redemption, adjustment, and integration, my analysis of interviews with Holocaust survivors suggests during their first two decades living in the United States they were often silenced by individuals they encountered. I use Goffman's analysis of stigma to document how and why this silencing occurred, and with what consequences, providing an account of the interactions survivors had with family members, neighbors and acquaintances, and the strategies of identity management that survivors devised.     

The psychological goods on clinical social work: a content analysis of the clinical social work and social justice literature

The purpose of this content analysis was to evaluate the extant literature on clinical social work and social justice. In July 2009, an online search of the university databases EBSCO Host (1988–2009) was conducted to identify articles on clinical social work and social justice. Thirty-six peer reviewed journal articles were identified and extracted. The majority were non-empirical articles (75%) published in the United States (94%) over a 21-year period from 1988 to 2009. Overall, clinical social work practice was described as psychological and/or sociopolitical interventions that had a direct and/or indirect effect on psychological and sociopolitical level social justice outcomes. Theories and practices consistent with social justice were advanced. These findings suggest that clinical social work's promotion of psychological well-being remains an underdeveloped area in the scholarly and research literature. In this era of professional educational reform, additional research and professional training on social justice based clinical social work practice is warranted.     

The Nature and Prevention of Harm in Technology-Mediated Self-Help Settings: Three Exemplars

SUMMARY

This paper argues that in addition to the substantial benefits they provide for members, on-line support groups create the potential for harm. Qualitative discourse analysis methods are used to examine messages exchanged in three distinct groups comprised of sexual abuse survivors, persons with disabilities, and parents. Examples of on-line practices with the potential to be harmful to individuals, dyadic relationships, and the larger group are identified. Several protective practices used by these groups that appear uniquely adapted for on-line support environments are also documented. Tentative guidelines are suggested for human services professionals interested in developing on-line support groups or referring clients to existing groups. The paper concludes with a discussion of the need for more research and a caution about the ethical responsibilities of researchers and practitioners who venture into this rapidly developing context of human service work.     

A gender-based approach to developing a healthy lifestyle and healthy weight intervention for diverse Utah women

Utah women from some cultural minority groups have higher overweight/obesity rates than the overall population. We utilized a gender-based mixed methods approach to learn about the underlying social, cultural and gender issues that contribute to the increased obesity risk among these women and to inform intervention development. A literature review and analysis of Utah's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data informed the development of a focus group guide. Focus groups were conducted with five groups of women: African immigrants from Burundi and Rwanda, African Americans, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Hispanics/Latinas, and Pacific Islanders. Six common themes emerged: (1) health is multidimensional and interventions must address health in this manner; (2) limited resources and time influence health behaviors; (3) norms about healthy weight vary, with certain communities showing more preference to heavier women; (4) women and men have important but different influences on healthy lifestyle practices within households; (5) women have an influential role on the health of families; and (6) opportunities exist within each group to improve health. Seeking insights from these five groups of women helped to identify common and distinct cultural and gender themes related to obesity, which can be used to help elucidate core obesity determinants.     

Site-specific focus groups: analysing learning spaces in situ

This article reflects on the focus group as a research technique used in an analysis of the relationship between learning spaces and pedagogy, developed as part of the assessment of the secondary school modernisation programme in Portugal. The research proposes a methodological innovation in the use of focus group, by developing focus groups before, during and after tours to the schools. The focus groups in this format were particularly important for the research since they facilitated a dynamic of social interaction and the expression of views and opinions among groups of pupils and teachers about the impact of the renovations on education practices. They also highlighted some of the specific aspects of the interaction between the appropriation processes and the object of the intervention, which was in itself object of contradictory interpretations. Further, this technique enables the attainment of a triangulation strategy, central to the study.     

“Embodying” dirty work: A review of the literature

This article reviews the growing literature on dirty work, i.e., work that is seen as disgusting or degrading and argues for a more “embodied” understanding of such work. It points to a tendency in the literature to focus on the nature of the task or role and on social and moral dimensions of the work at the expense of its material and embodied aspects. The latter are discussed through three, interrelated themes: “embodied suitability” whereby forms of dirty work are seen as suitable for some “working bodies” and not for others; “staining” which is presented as both a material and a symbolic process; and the role of work practices in both supporting and undermining ideological constructions around the work. The article concludes by arguing for a more comprehensive approach which includes both the material and the symbolic into accounts of such work.     

Social Justice as Concept and Practice in Australian Social Work: An Analysis of Norma Parker Addresses, 1969–2008

Abstract

Social justice is central to Australian social work. Principles of social justice underpin the definition of social work as a profession, its code of ethics, and its standards of practice and education. However, there is a dearth of empirical research regarding what social justice has meant to social work over time and how it has been enacted in practice, topical as social inequalities continue to escalate. As a first-stage study, this paper examines how social justice was represented within 19 Norma Parker Addresses delivered by Presidents of the Australian Association of Social Workers at national conferences between 1969 and 2008. Two key themes were evident: social justice as a concept and social justice as social work practice. Social justice was represented conceptually throughout the Addresses as an enduring guiding principle and moral responsibility for social work. How social justice was enacted in practice included themes of: standpoint; practices and strategies; educating social workers; and contested and constrained practice. The meanings and practices of social justice were embedded within the changing contexts within which the Addresses were delivered. Further historical studies can inform social work knowledge, practice, and critical reflection as the profession continues to evolve and confront persistent social justice challenges.     

Design Teams as Learning Systems for Complex Systems Change

Summary

Systems change in child welfare and cross-systems change involving other service sectors are needed in response to two developments: (1) New policy mandates (e.g., TANF, AS FA) and (2) Research on the co-occurring and interlocking needs of many child welfare families. A four-state initiative was structured in response to these needs. Collaborative learning and action research groups called design teams were structured to identify competencies and to develop new service delivery systems. Faculty facilitators representing social work education programs were assigned to these teams and charged with their development and evaluation. Facilitators served as linkage agents for university-communitystate agency partnerships, and they promoted curriculum change. These study reports two sets of findings related to these design teams: (1) Findings from semi-structured interviews of design team members; and (2) Findings from the participatory action research completed by two faculty facilitators. Key themes related to design team processes are presented. Drawing on these emergent themes, components that help explain effective design team processes are identified. Selected implications for social work education programs and faculty also are identified     

Exploring migration as part of a same-sex relationship in Scotland: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Migration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) individuals in a relationship is understudied. As motivation can influence the way migration is experienced, the commitment to a partner adds a further component to the equation. Three females were recruited via purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Three themes were identified: “Identity redefinition and sense of agency”; “Emotional response and social support”; and “Coping, meaning-making, and self-realization.” Results are discussed within the aforementioned themes. Limitations are considered for methodology and sample characteristics. Future research warrants to expand its focus on LGBTQ migration across Europe to tailor migration policies to individuals’ needs.