Personal Religiosity and Spirituality Associated with Social Work Practitioners' Use of Religious-Based Intervention Practices

Abstract

Social workers (N = 221) in the Southeastern USA responded to survey questions measuring 3 outcome variables, attitude toward religion in social work, the appropriateness of 15 religious-based interventions, utilization of these practices, and 3 dimensions of spirituality: spiritual experiences (spirituality), religious practices (organized religiosity), and religious affiliation. Attitude was generally favorable, and more than half of the interventions were judged appropriate and utilized by over 50% of the respondents. Beyond identifying with no religion, which predicted lower outcome scores, high spirituality strongly predicted attitude and utilization, whereas extrinsic organized religiosity was unimportant. A process model utilizing path analysis suggested that personal spirituality increases utilization resulting in corresponding perceptions of appropriateness and attitude toward religion in practice. More research was recommended on (1) utilization prevalence in other and diverse samples, and (2) the efficacy of religious-based practice.     

Puerto Rican Abusive and Non-Abusive Mothers' Beliefs About Appropriate and Inappropriate Child Discipline

Abstract

Qualitative findings from face-to-face interviews of a subset of participants in a large quantitative study are used to explore the perspectives of 10 professional Black women (PBW) regarding their definitions of spirituality and their experiences using this resource to cope with work-related stress. Findings include that many PBW do not differentiate between spirituality and religion and that they utilize spirituality-particularly prayer, meditation, and inspirational readings-to gain personal strength, inner peace, and guidance and to reflect on and reappraise stressful situations in the workplace. Further, many PBW view spirituality as a problem-focused, rather than an emotion-focused, coping strategy. Implications for social work practice and future research are offered.     

A comparative analysis of Norwegian and American social workers’ views about inclusion of religion and spirituality in social work

ABSTRACT

This article presents results from a comparative analysis of national surveys of Norwegian and American social workers’ views and practice with regard to inclusion of religion and spirituality in their professional work with clients. Findings include views about professional values, educational preparation, raising the topics of religion and spirituality with clients experiencing oppression, and use of related interventions. Overall, American social workers are more likely to address religion and spirituality than Norwegians. International comparative statistical and conceptual analyses consider influences of differences in practice settings, respondents’ age and length of experience, and cultural contexts.     

How Rehabilitation Professionals Define the Concepts of Spirituality and Religion When Working with Individuals with Disabilities

ABSTRACT

Recently, some helping professionals have called for the inclusion of spirituality and religion in practice. This has created an important debate. As a result, it has become apparent that individual educators and practitioners are unclear about what is meant by these concepts as they relate to practice. This study utilized in-depth interviews to understand the essential meanings that fifteen rehabilitation professionals assigned to the concepts of spirituality and religion in their practices with individuals with disabilities. Two essential themes developed for spirituality, and three developed for religion. Implications for the future use of these concepts in practice are discussed.     

Students’ views on expanding contours of social work practice through spirituality

ABSTRACT

This article surveys the views of 15,067 social work students across 12 countries on social work practice and spirituality. Responses were elicited on precoded binary response categories as derived from literature. Results of the logistic regression analyses, as embedded in the original study design, showed that students from Australia, European countries, and the United States; women; postgraduate students; Christians; and those with higher self-reported spirituality scores saw mindfulness-based spiritually–sensitive interventions as the core mode of micro–level work with individuals and groups. Spirituality was seen as philosophically expanding the contours of practice by laying newer ways of assessment, intervention, and change.     

Magic happens: Revisiting the spirituality and social work debate

Abstract

The social work profession is currently undergoing a resurgence of interest regarding the issue of spirituality in social work. This article attempts to summarise and explore the debate so far and to discuss the implications of this in a practice context. Current issues including definitions of spirituality and the key concerns in the areas of both practice and education are addressed. The article concludes with an overview of a model of spiritually sensitive social work practice, and poses options for further professional reflection on the place of spirituality in social work practice.     

Religion and spirituality in social work practice and education in a cross-cultural context: findings from a Norwegian and UK study

As service populations have changed, social workers in Norway and the UK have responded to the needs of diverse cultures, which often include issues of religion and spirituality. Members of the Norwegian Union of Social Educators and Social Workers (FO) and the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) were sampled to explore attitudes regarding the placement of religion and spirituality in practice and education. UK workers were generally more accepting of religion and spirituality than their Norwegian colleagues. Factors such as secularism, differences in the educational systems, and different historical trajectories in the profession's development may contribute to differences between the UK and Norway. The authors recommend additional research in each country regarding the role of religion and spirituality in social work education and practice, the general culture, the bureaucratic delivery of social services, client and social worker interactions, and in the stratification of social class.     

Predicting the Use of Spiritually-Derived Interventions in Social Work Practice

Abstract

Although research has grown considerably on spirituality and social work practice in recent years, there has been little investigation of what practitioners actually do with their clients and what influences their practice behaviors. Current findings from a random sample of 204 licensed clinical social workers indicate considerable focus on religion and spirituality in both assessment and intervention, with over two-thirds of the sample reporting that they had utilized 14 different spiritually-derived techniques with clients. In addition, analyses reveal four factors most predictive of the use of such techniques including: practitioner attitudes, the percentage of clients presenting religious/spiritual issues, the percentage of clients for whom religion plays a detrimental role, and the level of practitioner participation in religious or spiritual services.     

Spirituality-Based Social Work Values for Empowering Human Service Organizations

Abstract

This paper is based on three premises: (1) Spirituality is seen as an asset from which the client system draws its innate strengths to empower itself, (2) Just as it is important for social work clients to build on individual spiritual strengths to overcome personal challenges, it is equally crucial for human service organizations to implement spirituality-based professional values in organizational contexts, and (3) Spirituality issues need to be examined from the perspective of macro social work education. Based on these premises, the goal of this paper is to construct a conceptual framework that links spirituality-based social work values to empowerment strategies that can be employed in macro social work practice. Adding to the existing dimensions of social work knowledge relating to spirituality, this paper examines spirituality as empowerment issues. Also, the author explores spirituality-centered social work skills, focusing on organizational management and leadership skills.     

Vedanta and social work practice

Spirituality holds an important place in the lives of social workers and their clients. It informs our understanding of the world, our morals and values, and our conduct. Spirituality is a powerful tool of guidance and healing. Recognizing its importance, efforts have been made to integrate spirituality into social work practice. A gap in these efforts is the inclusion of epistemological foundations of key Eastern religions and spiritual practice. Concepts such as yoga and meditation have been adapted as healing methods; however, the knowledge base that informs them has been neglected. This article addresses this gap with an exploration of Vedanta and how it can be integrated into social work practice. Vedanta is the body of knowledge that informs the traditions of yoga, Ayurveda, and Hinduism. This article explains key concepts of Vedanta including Advaita Vedanta, the five sheaths (ways of knowing), pathways to Vedanta (methods of obtaining knowledge), dharma, karma/reincarnation, the nature of reality, and the lineage of Gurus. The second part of the article focuses on the application of Vedanta to social work practice within existing literature and identifies areas for further research.     

EDITORIAL

Abstract

This national study examined social workers' attitudes and behaviors about religion and spirituality in practice with children and adolescents. The majority of respondents regarded religion and spirituality as relevant to this population and used a wide variety of spiritually-based interventions. Respondents also reported a somewhat frequent identification of spiritual and religious abuse and neglect of youth. However, the vast majority reported that religious or spiritual issues were rarely, if ever, addressed in their social work education. Findings reveal the need to develop specific curricular content about the religious and spiritual lives of youth, including ethical guidelines for spiritually sensitive practice with this population. doi:10.1300/J377v26n03_01     

The evolution of spirituality and religion in international social work discourse: Strengths and limitations of the contemporary understanding

ABSTRACT

As the profession’s interest in spirituality and religion has grown, new understandings of these two constructs have emerged. As in other areas of academic discourse, it is important to be informed about diverse understandings. Toward this end, the present article describes the emergence of the contemporary understanding of spirituality and religion in social work discourse and, perhaps more importantly, the strengths and limitations associated with the contemporary perspective. By illuminating some of the diverse arguments in favor of and against contemporary conceptualizations, the profession is better equipped to understand and work with these concepts in a professional and ethical manner.     

Spirituality in Social Work: A Survey of Students at South African Universities

Academic discourse related to spirituality has proliferated globally. The rationale for its inclusion in social work education rests on the premise that spirituality is a critical strength in social work practice. This paper explores this aspect and highlights empirical research related to the inclusion of spirituality in training. It does this within the context of a SA study that was undertaken to explore the views of students with regard to the role of religion and spirituality in practice and the extent to which South African curricula considers religion and spirituality. The research was conducted by distributing questionnaires to final year social work students at schools of social work (N = 21); 342 completed surveys were returned yielding a response of 47%. The findings revealed high levels of religiosity or spirituality amongst students, a gap in the curriculum on spirituality and support for its inclusion in social work education.     

Blessed assurance: The role of religion and spirituality in Alzheimer's disease caregiving and other significant life events

Increasing attention in the scientific literature is being given to the relationships among religion, spirituality, and overall well-being. Moreover, research has repeatedly identified religion and spirituality as significant coping resources throughout the life course. For this study, a group of 20 Catholic and Protestant older adults were interviewed; half were caregivers of a spouse with Alzheimer's disease and half were noncaregivers. The informants were asked about their views on religion, spirituality, and how they integrated their faith into their lives. Qualitative analysis identified several themes reinforcing previous work that has shown religion and spirituality are important dimensions to the human experience. All of the informants had integrated religious and spiritual beliefs and practices into their lives to help make sense out of stressful situations. The findings underscore the need for further scientific inquiry that examines how religion and spirituality promote healthy adaptation to significant life events.     

Winnicott’s “Potential Space” and the Jewish Study Hall for social work students,faculty and practitioners

Abstract

The article addresses the potential interface and dialogue between academic and quasi-academic spaces. In particular, it examines the space of the Jewish Study Hall (Beit Midrash) as facilitative of the professional as well as personal development of social work students and practitioners in an Israeli college. We examine how Winnicott’s potential space concept contributes to understanding the Study Hall’s uniqueness as an extracurricular learning space within the School of Social Work. Twenty participants in the Beit Midrash for Judaism and Social Work took part in the study. Thematic analysis of transcribed sessions revealed three themes: (1) The Beit Midrash as a peaceful, safe and inclusive physical space; (2) The Beit Midrash as a space for playing out different realities; and (3) The Beit Midrash as contributing to social work training. Findings indicate that potential spaces that embrace the metaphysical world can help students engaged in religion and spirituality to complement and expand their academic training. We conclude by recommending that Winnicottian potential spaces that embrace the metaphysical world be integrated in social work programmes.     

Spirituality and Religion in the Lives of Runaway and Homeless Youth

Abstract

This qualitative study, part of a larger study of resiliency, explores the impact of spirituality on runaway and/or homeless youth. Interviews with 19 former runaway and homeless youth were analyzed to explore their experience of spirituality as they coped with the adversity in their lives. Five themes related to spirituality emerged: a belief in divine intervention; having a personal relationship with a nonjudgmental higher power; use of prayer; participation in traditional and nontraditional religious practices; and finding meaning and purpose in life, including a desire to “give back” to their community. Implications for social work practice and research are addressed.     

Spirituality,Religion, and Social Work

Abstract

Social work scholars and practitioners have approached the question of how to integrate religion and/or spirituality into their profession in one of four typical ways: (1) resistance or avoidance; (2) an overly-generalized syncretism; (3) radical separation of the terms spirituality and religion; or (4) a genuinely interdisciplinary conversation between the disciplines of social work and religious studies. This latter approach not only identifies social work's conflictual founding legacy, but also recognizes broader contemporary intellectual traditions which do not easily separate “religion” from “spirituality.” Such awareness and common grounding allow social work to more substantively and creatively partake in cross-disciplinary research and discussion.     

Collaborative Responses to the Demands of Emerging Human Needs

Abstract

The paper explores the disintegration and integration which exist between faith and religion and social work and learning. There is a brief explanation of Catholic Papal Teachings and Catholic Social Teaching as a demonstration of de facto concordance between social work and religion. The paper contains citations based on the current social principles of the Catholic Church, several recent papal exhortations and encyclicals. These readings highlight the need for good social work practice. The paper ends with some practical suggestions in ways to promote collaboration between the two fields of endeavor.     

Ethics of the Spirit: Comparing Ethical Views and Usages of Spiritually Influenced Interventions

Abstract

Social work practice takes many different forms, depending on purpose and context. An increased diversity in fields and methods of practice has driven the need to explore the intersection between acceptable standards of practice and issues pertaining to religion and spirituality. This discussion utilises the opportunity to co-report on the findings of a selection of similar questions gathered from two independent online survey studies, conducted one year apart, with members of the Australian Association of Social Workers. One study explored attitudes and behaviours about ethical conduct, and the other investigated the role of religion and spirituality in social work practice. Findings from the questions in common, about the acceptability and practice of spiritually-influenced forms of intervention, are presented. These indicate a degree of acceptance, conditional acceptance, and usage for some interventions, and clear non-acceptance and non-usage of others. Implications for ethical thinking in practice, education, and research are explored.