Using a Group Work Practice Standards Inventory to Assess the Impact of a “Social Work Practice with Groups” Course

This article describes the design and delivery of a group work course that has as its primary purpose the meeting of group work practice standards. This multisection course uses a common course syllabus and a team approach to ensure the fidelity of course implementation. The recent development of a standards-based inventory of competencies in social work with groups, which measures the perceived importance of, and confidence in performing practice standards, led to the decision to administer the inventory to the authors' students at the beginning and end of the course to see if students were in fact making significant progress in the group work practice skills articulated in the standards. The results indicated that students were significantly more confident in their group work practice skills; however a few areas, particularly the development of middle-stage skills, were in need of further attention.     

Changes in the Form of Knowledge in Social Work: From the 'Social' to the 'Informational'?

This paper examines the changing form of knowledge in socialwork over the past thirty years and its implications for theoryand practice. In particular, it considers the impact of newsystems related to a range of new information and communicationtechnologies (ICTs) and the shift from a narrative to a databaseway of thinking and operating. In doing so, it attempts to identifya series of key challenges and questions which need to be consideredin order to engage with the changes. In particular, it addresseshow far social work is still primarily concerned with subjectsand their social relationships and argues that social work nowoperates less on the terrain of the ‘social’ andmore on the terrain of the ‘informational’. Suchchanges have implications for the relationship between theoryand practice in social work and the nature of ‘social’work itself.     

On the Involvement of Social Work in Public Health Emergencies

During discussions on how to respondto public health emergencies some scholarshave made use of Ulrich Beck’s theory ofsocial risks to expose the dilemma and tran-scendence of a risk society. They proposeto do away with discourse centralism andcreate a mechanism of autonomous societythrough consultation, dialogue and commu-nication among different discourses; to doaway with human centralism and seek theharmonious coexistence of man and nature;and to do away with individual and nation-state cen…     

“Working with COW”: Social Work Supporting Older Women Living in the Community

ABSTRACT

Australia, like all developed Western countries, is experiencing a demographic shift resulting in an increasing proportion of the population being over the age of 65 years. Contrary to stereotypes, the vast majority of older people live independently in communities. This article explores the potential of social work practice informed by community development principles to enable socially disadvantaged older women to live in vibrant and supportive communities, in which they feel safe and are able to access the support services they need. It argues that participation in social action not only builds older women’s well-being but also enables them to become (or continue to be) agents for social change in local communities. Adopting a community-based research methodology, this article draws on a decade of community development practice with the Concerned Older Women’s (COW) Group. This data suggests that community development practice based on participation, empowerment, and social action founded on respectful relationships may accrue significant benefits to individuals and the broader community. This social work practice creates the social conditions to facilitate older women’s capacity to work collectively to achieve social change, challenging ageist stereotypes.     

“Talking in a New Way”: Older Individuals' Experiences of Group Work in an Acute Psychiatric Ward

Group work is frequently used in mental health, however qualitative studies on service-users' views are rare. Semistructured interviews explored 12 participants' experiences of a café-style social group and a mutual-aid group offered on an older persons psychiatric ward in Christchurch, New Zealand. The values of the strengths-based approach underpinning the groups were reflected back in the experience of an affirming environment, an exchange of strengths, and the capacity to change. The appeal of the café-style may be culturally specific to European women however, reinforcing the importance of an awareness of culture and diversity.     

China's Social Structure in the 21st Century:On the Transformation of the Social Structure

Chinesesocietyisnowintheprocessoftransitionfromtraditionaltomodern,fromagriculturaltoindustrial,fromruraltourban,andfromsemi-closedtoopen.Themiddleofthenextcenturywillwitnessthecompletionofsuchatransfor-mation,andtheemergenceofamodernyetstillChinesenation…     

A New Social Service Professionalism? The Development of Social Work Theory in Germany

This paper examines the developments in German social work theory from the 1970s to the 1990s. It starts with an analysis of socio-economic relations which have given rise to a division of society as well as a consumerist approach of service orientation for the social services which presents a challenge both for social work theory and professional practice.
Against this background, major themes in the development of social work theory are identified. The authors observe a trend towards a greater recognition of the individual and her or his life-world. Although presented in the ideological context of neoliberalism, they argue that the core of the consumerist approach of service orientation– the privileging of the consumer – provides a basis for a paradigm shift in social work theory which will be an adequate response to reflexive modernization of society if taken out of the consumerist context and reformulated for the public services.
In the final section of the paper the authors present an outline of a theory of ldquo;social work as service as a professional mode of action in the public sector of social service provision. It starts from a conceptual analysis of the service relation, examines the structural elements of the service context and discusses the necessary societal conditions. It is the thesis of the paper that the dialectical relationship of professional and service user represented in the conceptualization of social work as service will be the foundation for a new professionalism.     

A Historical Overview of Art and Music-Based Activities in Social Work with Groups: Nondeliberative Practice and Engaging Young People’s Strengths

This article provides a historical overview of the use of art and music-based activities in social work with groups. The authors review archival, empirical, and theoretical literature that explores the use and effectiveness of these activities in the recreation movement and group work practice from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries, the Hull House settlement in Chicago from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries, and in recent group practice in social work and related fields. Findings suggest that art and music-based activities encourage and facilitate nondeliberative practice and allow for important opportunities to engage young people’s strengths.     

Professional Values and Ethics in Social Work: Reconsidering Postmodernism?

Correspondence to Professor Richard Hugman, School of Social Work, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. E-mail: r.hugman{at}unsw.edu.au Summary The ‘postmodern turn’ in social theory has raisedquestions for understanding the social world. The implicationsof these debates for social work values and ethics are the centralfocus of this article. The implications of a postmodern viewof social work are examined and compared with criticisms ofpostmodern theory. It is argued that a critical considerationof postmodern insights may assist social work to examine thediverse, provisional and uncertain nature of all aspects ofour world, including knowledge and skills, values and ethics.Such an approach strengthens the case for a discursive modelof ethics.     

What Difference Could a Revolution Make? Group Work in the New Nicaragua

No abstract available for this article.     

Clarifying the concept of the “Social” in risk assessments for human subjects research

International guidelines for the conduct of research with human participants, such as those put forth by the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS, 2002), recommend that research review committees account for social risk and benefits to society in their review of proposed research. What do the concepts of the “social” and “society” mean in the context of the review of human participants research? Here we analyze concepts of social and society to define the terms: social harm, social risk, social benefit, and benefits to society. We argue that use of these terms invite more questions than answers and beg for difficult empirical research to determine the nature, likelihood, and magnitude of this category of risk and benefit. Until more research is done and these questions are answered, we advise reviewers to adopt an attitude of provisionalism and caution in their review of specifically “social” risks and benefits and “benefits to society.”     

Changes in the Model of Social Prevention of AIDS in China

China has adopted a series of new decisions and important measures against AIDS since 2003 and tactics seen by the international community as effective in reducing the risk of AIDS are also beginning to receive policy support from the Chinese government. However, we need further investigation of     

Re-accumulation of Resources:The Back-ground of Social Stratiflcation in China in the 1990s

本文认为,中国的贫富差距在短时间内迅速扩大,一个基本的背景,就是资源分配从80年代的扩散趋势到90年代重新积聚趋势的逆转。作者指出,与改革初期资源扩散相伴随的“平等化效应”,使社会中的弱势群体和边缘群体首先受益;而90年代财富重新向少数人或群体积聚,则导致了新的社会不平等。文章还讨论了造成这种状况的原因,并提出了遏制贫富差距扩大的对策建议。     

Who Owns the Group? The Role of Worker Control in the Development of a Group: A Qualitative Research Study of Practice

This paper presents an application of the qualitative research methodology of ethnographic content analysis as a means to discover the salient features and nature of a social work group. Observational data from process recordings of a thirty-week group of mothers at a child guidance center are systematically analyzed. This paper addresses a number of issues: (1) the need to explore and further articulate the role of worker vis-à-vis the dynamic of mutual aid in social work groups, particularly in regard to the concept of exercising 'control;' (2) the applicability of qualitative research methodology as a means of conceptualizing aspects of group work practice, thus contributing to our theory base and knowledge and tools for practice; and (3) the wealth of data for such research lying available in the written recordings of every group practitioner, and the natural logic that the development of theory in social work with groups comes most aptly from the practice domain.     

Sing … Then Think: Musical Interventions and Nondeliberative Forms of Practice in Social Work Groups

ABSTRACT

The positive effects of music have been demonstrated worldwide in many fields including social work, psychology, medicine, and education. Musical interventions including music listening, lyric analysis, and singing have also been found effective in group work. This article, guided by Norma Lang’s nondeliberative theory, aims to provide the “why,” “when,” and “how” of incorporating music into social work groups. It also provides the reader with a toolbox of musical interventions and the encouragement to utilize these “artful, actional, and analogic” activities in group work.     

Innovation Awareness and Social Responsibility in Social Science Studies: A Survey of the Symposium on Social Sciences and Social Problems in Contemporary China

Since adopting a policy of reform and opening, Chinese society has seen tremendous changes. What opportunities does this social reality bring to social science? How may to social science serve it? Studying these     

A Clash in Perspective? A Study of Worker and Client Perceptions of Social Work

Summary This study explores in a small sample of a worker's own clientswhether clashes in perspective occur between clients and socialworker, and how this is linked with satisfaction and dissatisfaction.Dissatisfied clients did not share a framework with the worker,but felt blamed and criticized by her, and the worker's ownbehaviour at the contract setting stage contributed to this.In contrast, satisfied clients and the worker appeared to havea positive shared perspective of the treatment process.