Public Attitudes Toward the Ethics of Organ Donation

Abstract

This study expanded on previous investigations exploring public attitudes toward the human rights issues involved in organ donation practices and personal support for these practices. Participants included college and graduate students, and senior citizens (N = 99). Attitudes were assessed prior to and following the presentation of a brief informational DVD on major organ donation practices. Results indicated that participants were largely divided in their attitudes toward human rights issues, as well as in personal support for donation practices. Registration status was correlated with education, r = .47, p < .001. Support for donation incentive programs varied. Registered donors showed a change in attitudes toward human rights issues, t(22) = 2.18, p = .04. For non-registered donors, personal support for donation practices decreased after viewing the DVD, t(51) = - 3.06, p = .004. Results are discussed in terms of implications for increasing donation.     

Social Support and Health Among Senior Internet Users: Results of an Online Survey

ABSTRACT

There is some disagreement as to whether the Internet has a positive or negative impact on social connection and well-being for older adults. Using an online survey, we assessed self-reported social support, health, and Internet use patterns among users over fifty years of age. In a comparison of highly social Internet users versus low-social users, we found that high-social users spent more time on-line and reported more physical and mental health problems. However, the groups did not differ in amount of or satisfaction with social support they received. Implications of these results are discussed.     

Understanding LGBTIQ parents’ transformative potential in educational context

ABSTRACT

This paper is based on the authors’ ongoing research on LGBTIQ parenting in Croatia. The elementary research question of this study is the examination of the transformative potential of LGBTIQ parents’ visibility and engagement in school. Using a case study research design, a semi-structured interview with two gay parents was used to gain insight in their understanding of different complexities of non-hegemonic parenting practices, with an emphasis on educational issues. The interviewed parents demonstrated that LGBTIQ families have a transformative potential even if they apply a semi-private strategy of disclosure in a heteronormative social context, while the transition towards a ‘’proud’ strategy necessarily demands support from different social partners, the academy having strong potential to be one of them.     

Offering Social Support via the Internet: A Case Study of an Online Support Group for Social Workers

SUMMARY

Human service professionals have begun to explore the Internet's potential as a therapeutic medium for individuals, families and groups, but we still know very little about the ways that Internet-mediated communication affects interventions. This paper uses examples from a recent study of a short-term, listserv-based support group that helps social workers cope with job stress to discuss issues related to the use of online support groups.     

Young people with complex needs meet complex organizations: an interview study with Swedish professionals about sustainable work practices

ABSTRACT

This paper concerns preconditions for the well-being of young people with mental ill-health combined with social vulnerabilities, also referred to as youth with complex needs. Research questions are: What barriers to sustainable work practices for young people labelled as having complex needs do professionals encounter? What do professionals identify as possible ways to overcome these barriers? Sustainable work practices are reflected in three themes: empowerment, relationships and collaboration. The findings are based on semi-structured interviews with 24 professionals, 3 men and 21 women, working in psychiatric care and the social services in two Swedish municipalities in 2016 and 2017. Major barriers are lack of continuity and co-ordination in staff and support, and fragmentation of work practices. As a consequence of the increased specialization of human service organizations, young people have to interact with many different professionals which could cause disparate interventions. Possible ways mentioned to overcome these barriers are supported through good interactional skills, using keyworkers as well therapeutic alliances, wrap-around services and case management. Complexity is linked to organizations and work practices rather than to young people. An often dysfunctional service delivery system in organizations with rigid boundaries may also affect professionals’ aim for sustainable support.     

Using On-line Delivery to Support Students during Practicum Placements

Abstract

Finding ways to effectively support students while on placement remains a continuing endeavour for those who teach in professional education programmes. In The present paper, the multiple challenges and learning opportunities that social work students encounter during practicum learning will be discussed. Next, drawing from constructivist pedagogy and using authentic examples from an online discussion board, ways to supplement the support and educational input provided to students on placement will be demonstrated. Finally, some of the risks and limitations in engaging with on-line delivery are examined with the view to understanding how e-learning can be facilitated most effectively for students during the practicum.     

Making use of work–family balance entitlements: how to support fathers with combining employment and caregiving

ABSTRACT

Much workplace support to parents offered by employers is gender neutral in design, but fathers’ usage rates are generally very low and far below that of mothers. This paper reflects on men’s dual roles as fathers and employees in relation to formal and informal work policies and practices, with the aim of answering the question: How could fathers feel supported by their work environment to take a more active caregiving role in the lives of their children? We take a capabilities approach to explore models of change, which supports the assumption that many fathers are somehow not fully enabled by their organisations to use policies. Focus groups were conducted within a large public sector organisation in the UK to capture the individual and interactional experiences of fathers. Findings suggest that workplace culture, line manager relationships, the ‘modelling’ behaviour of peers and gendered leave practices all impact on how fathers feel about using work-family balance policies, and whether they are likely to use them. The limits of workplace support for fathers can be challenged via the consideration of some key institutional conversion factors which if addressed may better enable fathers to exercise greater agency with regard to work-family balance entitlements.     

A Partnership Model for Family Service Agencies and Universities to Improve Service Utilization

ABSTRACT

Partnerships between family service agencies and universities have the potential for capitalizing on the resources and expertise of both types of institutions. This paper describes a model for developing collaborative partnerships between family service agencies and outreach research university programs. The original collaboration that is used as an example for this model sought to improve the engagement rates of reluctant families being referred to a family service agency for counseling services. Benefits and potential pitfalls to be addressed in such partnerships are presented.     

From Holding Hands to Having a Thing to Hooking Up: Framing Heterosexual Youth Relationships

ABSTRACT

The experience of forming romantic attachments during adolescence aids in the development of future relationships. The clearly defined and ordered process of forming these relationships does not seem to exist in adolescent relationships today. This study focuses on the language used to define current dating practices, how parents and youth deviate in these definitions, and the ambiguity associated with adolescent romantic relationship behaviors. Findings indicate several tags applied to youth relationships from talking to dating and youth relationships progress along a continuum with somewhat vague behavioral boundaries. These potentially vague boundaries suggest the need to thoughtfully operationalize the terminology used when assessing dating practices and developing programs for youth and their parents so that efforts to prevent adolescent intimate partner violence are more effective.     

Social work online: a recognition of experiences and practices in Italy

ABSTRACT

‘The Internet is the fabric or our lives’ [Castells, M. (2001). The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 1] – but which are the weaves that nowadays connect Italian social workers into such a fabric? Herein we aim at answering this question through a survey of on-line resources, nodes and practices of e-Social Work in Italy. We shall be discussing ICT impact on the Italian context, and the utilization of ICT by Italian social workers, in order to build up the internal and external factors that determine the current utilization levels of these emerging tools within the professional community. A review of the major on-line social work portals will identify their key features and peculiarities and aim to provide an overview of the substance and current on-line functions of Italian social work, with a summing-up of criticalities and opportunities that might prompt reflection on possible future developments.     

Political Advocacy in the 1980s

Abstract

Government support for human services programs de creased considerably during the 1980s while defense spending rose dras tically. The shift in spending priorities is thought by some to be due to insufficiently active or incapable social welfare lobbyists. This paper ar gues that human services advocacy groups were as active as supporters of defense programs. Human services advocates were shut out of the de cision-making process primarily due to the lack of public support for their ideas. The implication, that social welfare advocates must build a solid base of public support for their proposals, can be applied to current issues.     

Learning from Experience in Family Support Programs

ABSTRACT

The paper describes three related California family support program initiatives representing field experiments in program development and policy related to reducing adverse outcomes for vulnerable families through replicating known “best practices” models. The ways in which the three initiatives were affected by the context of implementation are used to demonstrate the difficulty both of identifying the “best” program models and the need for leadership at all levels in order to develop programs and policies, which achieve the intended effects.     

Selling Dreams and Buying Hope

Abstract

This paper discusses the deceptive practices of unqualified immigration counselors and the prospects for community-based organizing and peer education as a means of steering potential victims away from such practices. Although legislators have recently begun to pay attention to the potential for unqualified counselors to exploit the vulnerability of immigrants, non-citizens continue to fall prey to the inviting and perceived cultural legitimacy of their solicitation practices. Action research in the Chicago metropolitan area reveals the challenges faced by community-based organizations in providing a viable alternative to such practices.     

Perspectives on Intergenerational Aspects of Aging and Diversity

Abstract

This paper considers a number of interrelated dimensions that are crucial to the developing intergenerational field: research, policy, practice and theory. The paper argues first, that research (and indeed evaluation) underlies, and is fundamental to, facilitating and understanding the linkages between practice, policy and theory. It further argues that breaking down the barriers between research, policy, practice and theoryparticularly in terms of the language we use- is key if we are to fully realize the potential of this developing field. An early intergenerational study undertaken by the author is used as a tool to illustrate some of the ways in which the field has progressed over the last twenty years. The paper concludes with thoughts and suggestions about the dilemmas and challenges remaining for those in the field.     

Psychoeducational Model for Caregivers of Persons with AIDS

ABSTRACT

For every individual infected with the HIV virus, there is a group of friends, family and loved ones who are affected by the disease. Although support groups for these caregivers have begun to develop throughout the country, there is a paucity of research examining the effectiveness of these groups in relieving the stresses experienced by this hidden population. A review of the literature on caregiver groups of other chronically ill family members indicate that both education and support are necessary ingredients in effecting change. The authors propose a practice framework which integrates the determinants of burden, the stage of illness and the stage of mourning in assessing the differential needs of the caregiver for support and education. Implications for further research in this area are discussed. Finally, the authors delineate the usefulness of the model not only in assessing the stresses experienced by the individual caregiver but in developing and implementing a psychoeducational group.     

Multimedia ToolBook

Abstract

Software: Multimedia Toolbook Software Construction Set for Windows-Educational Edition V1.5

Product Summary ToolBook is a powerful, yet relatively easy to use authoring system for developing Windows-based applications that requier a sophisticated user interface, for example, interactive training and hypermedia documents.

Evaluation Summary ToolBook is relatively inexpensive and offers a wide range of features for developing on-line presentations, interactive training, hypermedia documents, application demos/prototypes, and interactive flat file databases. It is capable of being used by a non-programmer who is willing to explore existing applications and cut and paste desired features into their application. If you can design Windows-based training packages using ToolBook., Reviewed by Dick Schoech.     

The Parenting Task: Parent's Concerns and Where They Would Seek Help

ABSTRACT

Governments are concerned to promote positive parenting but it is difficult to know how and where to target the necessary support. How should we listen to the concerns expressed by parents themselves? Social work and health care professionals and those involved in developing parenting programmes tend to base their interventions on their experiences with families already in crisis. This paper reports on a survey of the views of two groups of parents: a community sample and a small group of parents involved in a young parent's project. Issues, which concern the parents, are identified as well as consideration of which agencies might be best placed to address these. Parents were most likely to approach their children's school or doctor for information, advice, or support. Parents were found to be reluctant to approach social work agencies.     

Experiential Exercises for the Development of Computer Literacy Among Social Work Undergraduates

Summary

This paper describes exercises and assignments used to promote computer literacy among social work undergraduates. These exercises were used as course assignments in an elective course for seniors, “Information Technology and Human Services.” Exercises met four criteria: (1) they assume no previous computer experience or knowledge, (2) they are directly related to human services practice, (3) they promote mutual support, (4) they are experiential. Exercises include use of word processing, database, spreadsheet, electronic mail, privacy invasion, shopping for a computer system, and impact of information technology on the larger society.

The potential placement of computer literacy exercises in the social work curriculum is discussed. It is suggested that a single experiential course best meets the need for promoting computer literacy among social work students.     

College Students and HIV/AIDS: A Comparison of Nontraditional and Traditional Student Perspectives

Objective and Participants The authors compared nontraditional college students' knowledge and perceptions of HIV/AIDS and sexual practices with previously reported results about traditional students. Methods Nontraditional students completed an online survey with questions based on national HIV/AIDS surveys. Traditional students completed the same survey with paper and pencil. Results Overall, the authors found more similarities than differences between the 2 groups. The findings support previous research that suggests that although college students are knowledgeable about HIV and its risks, they express little personal concern about becoming infected. The authors also discuss how apparent differences between nontraditional and traditional students regarding personal concern about becoming infected, relationship status, and information sources may influence the development of effective prevention strategies geared toward nontraditional college students. Conclusions Institutional leaders need to adapt to these differences, and researchers should undertake additional studies to clarify these differences so that college students may be more effectively educated about HIV/AIDS and encouraged to get tested.     

Reducing Firearm-Related Violence on College Campuses—Police Chiefs' Perceptions and Practices

Abstract

Context: Firearms are used in the majority of college aged suicides and homicides. With recent efforts by various gun lobbying groups to have firearms more accessible to college students on campuses, there is the potential for more firearm-related morbidity and mortality. Objective: This study assessed university police chiefs’ perceptions and practices concerning selected issues of firearm violence and its reduction on college campuses. Participants: The Directory of the International Association for College Law Enforcement Administrators was used to identify a national random sample of campus police chiefs (n = 600). The respondents were predominantly males (89%), 40 to 59 years of age (71%), Caucasian (85%), and worked for 21or more years in law enforcement (75%). Methods: In the fall of 2008, a 2-wave mailing procedure was used to ensure an adequate response rate to a valid and reliable questionnaire. Results: A total of 417 (70%) questionnaires were returned. A firearm incident had occurred in the past year on 25% of campuses and on 35% of campuses within the past 5 years. The majority of campuses (57%) had a plan in place for longer than a year to deal with an “active shooter” on campus. Virtually all (97%) of the campuses had a policy in place that prohibited firearms on campus. The primary barrier (46%) to a highly visible campus plan for preventing firearms violence was the perception that firearms violence was not a problem on their campus. Conclusions: A greater awareness of the importance of a highly visible campus firearm policy and its potential for reducing firearm trauma on college campuses is needed.