Perspective‐Taking and the Attribution of Ignorance

Ignorance has been both vilified and celebrated throughout the ages. However, the social sciences have had little to say about this topic over the years. In this paper, we argue that in an age of competing and contrasting worldviews, scholarly attention to ignorance can shed light on interpersonal processes and relational dynamics that occur in encounters between subjects holding different points of view. We discuss data from two studies documenting an attribution of ignorance in social relations that serves to relegate the other's point of view to one that stands in need of education or correction. We argue that this communicative strategy enacts a semantic barrier that serves to retain the interlocutor's original point of view unscathed and unchallenged. We argue that this limits dialogical relations by eliminating the requirement for perspective‐taking in social dialogue.     

When Knowledge Is Not Enough: Elements to Strengthen Intercultural Sensitivity Among Professionals of Social Services in Andalusia (Spain)

ABSTRACT.

This study examines social services delivery in Andalusia, Spain, to determine the degree of cultural adaptation of its workers, given the important migratory flows taking place in the region during recent years. This study investigates the main characteristics of those workers with a high level of intercultural sensitivity (IS) and their cultural competences. The survey included 298 professionals with a validated IS scale along with questions related to the degree of intercultural contact and competence. A series of scales for the IS levels was created, and correlation analyses were carried out depending on the variables used. Results revealed high levels of self-attributed cultural competence and training as well as low levels of awareness and motivation for intercultural encounters. Theoretical knowledge appeared to be the only aspect in correlation with all dimensions of IS. Important deficits have been also observed when examining the type and intensity of contact among professionals and people of foreign origin. This highlights the need to transform knowledge in culturally adapted responses. Future research is necessary to deepen knowledge on how these aspects affect professional interventions.     

Future Directions: Social Development in the Context of Social Justice

Many societies and cultures have become increasingly diverse and heterogeneous over the past decade. This diversity has a direct bearing on social justice in children's and adolescents' social development. Increased diversity can have positive consequences, such as the possibility for increased empathy, tolerance, perspective taking, and the celebration of various cultural traditions and values, but it can also result in increased prejudice, bias, and discrimination. In this article, we suggest that incorporating a focus on social justice can transform the field of social development. This can be done by considering the larger societal context of diversity or heterogeneity when investigating children's peer interactions, attitudes, group identity, and social experience. In addition, new findings that incorporate social justice concerns have implications for designing interventions to enhance children's healthy social development. We highlight and discuss recent areas of research that bear on this perspective and discuss avenues for future research and investigation.     

当代社会学中的阶级分析：理论视角和分析范式

本文系统梳理了当代社会学研究中的阶级分析文献,揭示了阶级分析视角的核心和多元化的分析范式。阶级分析视角的核心是基于社会关系定义的结构性位置,是关于社会不平等及相关社会现象系统化的结构性解释。多元化的分析范式主要包括：（1）研究对象上的宏观层次（解释大规模社会变迁和转型事件）与微观层次（解释阶级对个人态度、行为和生活机会的影响）;（2）分析思路上的 “结构-意识-行动”（将阶级作为“集体行动者”）与“结构-状况-选择”（将阶级作为“生活条件综合信号”）;（3）解释逻辑上的“剥削和利益形成逻辑”、“状况逻辑或理性行动逻辑”和“结构化（或同质性）逻辑”。     

Families with young children in times of economic downturn: Implications for social work practice

In response to the global financial crisis, social policies in Europe and elsewhere incorporated a logic of social investment to reduce (child) poverty and social inequality. Several critiques, however, have been raised against the narrowness of this discourse. In order to introduce another way of seeing, an interview study was conducted inspired by the interpretative paradigm of lifeworld orientation. This has allowed us to acquire a critical, in‐depth understanding of the consequences of economic downturn and unemployment for families with young children (0–3 years old), from their point of view. Findings highlight the importance of listening to parents here and now, in order to be able to take account of their concrete, lived realities within the context of the broader society and critically assess these realities according to principles of human dignity and social justice. Implications for social work practice are discussed.     

Expanding the scope of research with transition‐age foster youth: applications of the social network perspective

The support and resources embedded in social networks may be especially important for youth aging out of child welfare custody, such that foster youth support network characteristics influence the degree to which individual risk factors translate to poor outcomes during the transition from care. To examine the extent of this network influence on youth outcomes, social network analysis can be used to measure the interconnected relationships in the service network of caseworkers, foster parents and other providers, and in the personal network of biological family and community supports. By assessing these patterns of relationships, researchers can identify social network characteristics associated with particular subpopulations of foster youth who experience relatively successful or unsuccessful transition outcomes. This paper applies social network concepts and related methodology to frame foster youth transition support from a network perspective and to promote the generation of network‐informed hypotheses that could expand the scope of research with this important population.     

A response to the debates between Hutchings and Taylor and Jia on the Global Standards in China

This article is in response to Hutchings and Taylor's, and Jia's, debate on the Global Standards for social work education and training and the development of social work in China. It is argued in the article that: (i) we should examine the Global Standards and their applicability to China from a dialectical and historical perspective, and not deny the relevance of the application of the Global Standards to China solely from the point of view of 'Western social work standards', nor to accept uncritically the applicability of the Global Standards to China; and (ii) with this perspective, neither Western scholars nor Chinese scholars are more suitable than the other for judging whether or not the Global Standards are applicable to China. The most important factor in making this judgement is the presence of an adequate and unprejudiced discussion and communication between and among Chinese and Western scholars.     

Investigating Attitudes Toward International Students: Program and Policy Implications for Social Integration and International Education

International education is a thriving industry, but relatively little is known about its consequences for the social integration of international scholars in educational institutions or the wider community. This article reviews research on attitudes toward international students as a key component of intercultural relations and a significant marker of social cohesion. An organizational framework for the investigation of these attitudes is proposed with threat mediating the influences of personal and situational factors on attitudinal outcomes. Broader contextual factors are also seen to exert influence on the process of attitude development and maintenance. A model derived from this framework is then tested with student, teacher, and community samples. A "tipping point" in attitudes toward international students as a function of the proportion of international enrolments in educational institutions is also explored. Finally, the applicability of the findings for promoting social cohesion in educational institutions and the wider community is discussed.     

Children's Attention to Others' Beliefs during Persuasion: Improvised and Selected Arguments to Puppets and People

Until now children's attention to the beliefs of people they wish to persuade has been examined experimentally via tasks that were artificial in important respects. To determine whether such research has underestimated children's psychological perspective taking, two studies that manipulated task elements pertinent to ecological validity were conducted. Children in three age groups (3, 4/5, and 6/7 years) were asked (forced‐choice and open‐ended formats) how best to persuade puppets and people, with differing beliefs, to pet and play with various toy animals. Children offered as many or more belief‐relevant arguments in response to forced‐choice as to open‐ended questions. Only the oldest group attended to beliefs more when persuading a person compared with a puppet. Even on more realistic tasks, significant improvement with age across task formats confirmed a developmental trajectory in line with extant reports of children's belief reasoning. The findings support the idea that enhanced social competence corresponds specifically to children's increasing attention to beliefs in social interactions such as persuasion.     

Good Intercultural Practices in Social Services Projects

ABSTRACT

This article reflects part of the results obtained from a wider research project aimed at the elaboration of a “Map of Good Intercultural Practices” in several areas of social intervention in Andalusia, Spain. It also reports the results obtained from the analysis portion related to the participating projects within the social services. Intercultural assessment was conducted at the level of institutional intervention through a 32-item questionnaire that was sent to 139 intercultural project-leading institutions measuring intercultural sensitivity. A definition of the fundamental concepts of “interculturality” and “good practice” is given to support the foundations of “good intercultural practice” (GIP). Such definitions help in the design and validation of a GIP Scale that was used in the analysis of 60 social services projects with an intercultural component. The results obtained underline the relevance of aspects such as intercultural empathy and show significant differences between the social services and other intervention sectors. Future research is proposed that studies GIP scale in other intervention sectors such as the private and public sector. Also, the transferability of the instruments and methodology used makes it possible that the research presented in this article is conducted in other geographical areas.     

External supervision for social workers in another socio-political context: a qualitative study in Shenzhen,China

External supervision of local social workers has become a common practice in Shenzhen, China as the development of social work as a profession reaches break-neck pace and when the shortage of experienced social work supervisors also becomes acute. Hence, many supervisors have been recruited externally from Hong Kong to fill the gap. However, for external supervisors working in another socio-political context they will need an awareness and sensitivity of cultural issues, and cultural dynamics in supervision. Based on a qualitative study conducted in Shenzhen of 16 in-depth interviews with supervisors and supervisees in eight supervisory dyads, as well as a focus group meeting with three external supervisors from Hong Kong, this study finds that the institutional hierarchy, ruling culture and traditional Confucian values which place great importance of harmony, reciprocal relationships with others, effective self-control and respect for hierarchy have impacted the day-to-day practice as well as the interactions between social workers and their external supervisors in Shenzhen. The implications of this study is that in achieving successful supervisory practice the further development of intercultural competence is one of the key directions for professionalising social work in the Chinese Mainland.     

资源分布、阶层地位与社会支持 基于东亚华人社会的比较

已有研究大多从网络结构角度讨论社会支持,本文基于2006年“亚洲民主动态调查”（Asian Barometer Survey）的数据,从地位结构观角度探讨了东亚华人社会城市居民的社会支持选择。研究结果表明,在不同资源分布格局的华人社会中,阶层结构对城市居民在社会支持选择上的影响存在差异。具体而言,在正式支持和混合支持的选择上,与中国大陆相比,教育地位对港台地区居民选择混合支持的几率有更明显的正向作用;在正式支持和非正式支持的选择上,教育地位对中国大陆居民选择正式支持的几率的正向作用更强。     

Interethnic Contact, Identity, and Psychological Adjustment: The Mediating and Moderating Roles of Communication

Social psychological theories of second-language communication posit a relationship between second-language competence/usage and social identity. Identity and adaptation outcomes of intercultural contact have also been central issues for cross-cultural psychology. The studies described here are at the junction of these two research traditions. Based on a situated-identity approach, they show the mediating and moderating roles of second-language confidence for identity change and adjustment among minority- and majority-group members. Two studies involving Canadian francophone and anglophone university students illustrate the relationship between relative status and identity as well as the mediating role of communication in determining identity and adjustment. The third study, involving participants of East Indian descent, shows that incongruities among aspects of identity are related to the experience of collective discrimination and stress. Furthermore, these relations are moderated by second-language confidence. The conclusion discusses theoretical and practical implications for policy.     

“人性宗教”的起源与经过 ——一个塑造现代社会的过程

面对中世纪晚期以来宗教和政治的总体性危机,马基雅维利奠基的“公民宗教”提供了一种建立现代秩序的可能性,但它背后所预设的伊壁鸠鲁式的“自然观”并没有为“现代人”的人性与政治建立普遍性的基础。卢梭通过笛卡尔式的“我思”所建立的人性秩序,不仅证成了现代神义论,而且试图构建一种以社会契约为基础的道德共和国。因此,卢梭的“公民宗教”本质上是“人性宗教”。然而卢梭的“人性”宗教所崇拜的并非是人性（human nature）自身,而是人性背后的上帝以及其所“安排”的秩序。“人性”（Humanity）宗教总归要返回到自身,这正是法国大革命后社会理论思潮对卢梭“人性论”的反叛与重新展开,现代社会正是通过这种过渡而形成了自身雏形的同时又面临着进一步的危机。     

卢卡奇关于社会存在模式的劳动思想论析

卢卡奇以劳动为本体,对社会存在的模式进行了新的思考,确定了劳动的三个方面的本质性内涵。第一,作为目的论设定过程的劳动。卢卡奇从马克思的劳动目的论思想出发,批判了亚里士多德的神学目的论与黑格尔的自然因果性观点,得出了选择性与过程性的劳动目的论思想。第二,作为社会实践模式的劳动。狭义的具体的劳动实现人与自然的统一,广义的其他实践活动实现人与社会的统一。第三,作为类自由模式的劳动。社会存在与发展的理想模式是实现"劳动的合类性"与自由的结合。     

Discharge procedures for mentally ill people: The prespective of former psychiatric patients on their professional social network

The analysis of the perspective of mentally ill people on their social network is not complete if the professional arena is left out. This article draws on literature about social network and other forms of human interaction to support the social network concept and an idea about how the professional arena has developed and become a vital part of the network. Fifty-three former patients were interviewed to get their perspective on the professional network. Intimate relations with family and friends seemed to be a model even for contacts with professionals. A social psychological analysis of the satisfaction of the long-term mentally ill respondents with relations to home care workers and their dissatisfaction with psychiatric professionals seemed to be connected to the professionals' ability to undertake a caring relationship.     

Meeting (or not) at the street level? A literature review on street‐level research in public management,social policy and social work

This literature review analyses the adoption and development of a street‐level perspective in public management, social policy and social work. The last years have seen a prominent revival of a perspective based on Michael Lipsky's street‐level bureaucracy approach in the debates conducted within all three disciplinary fields. Based on 71 key publications in public management, social policy and social work, the review analyses the adoption of the street‐level bureaucracy approach during the period 2005–2015, pointing out the main themes of the debate within, as well as overlaps and differences between, the three disciplines. The findings show the potential of better integrating the different perspectives and taking stock of the articulated debate. Lastly, the review discerns a common viewpoint for further street‐level research, emphasising its importance for the critical analysis and understanding of street‐level work as a vital dimension of responsive and accountable institutions and as a decisive moment to shape positive policy outcomes on the ground. Key Practitioner Message: ? The use of discretion by frontline practitioners and their role as policy actors on the ground has become an important focus of research; ? This literature review shows that the debate has gone far beyond discussing discretion as an all‐or‐nothing issue, pointing out both positive and negative aspects of discretion and developing comprehensive frameworks to explain the use of discretion at the street‐level; ? However, street‐level research has traditionally rather neglected the notion of professionalism. The social work literature brings in the perspective of professionalism; more research efforts are needed to better explore and explain how professionalism matters in relation to challenges and dilemmas of different policy and practice fields.     

社会自治组织的概念探析

社会中介组织等相似概念,不能代替社会自治组织概念使用。该概念有其独立的内涵和外延。社会自治组织的本质是一定范围的社会成员自治自律。该组织具有自治性、自律性、组织性、社会性、公益性、事业性、社会中介性、非营利性、非政治性、非宗教性等基本性质。确定该类组织的范围,除考虑基本性质外,还应考虑无依附关系、成员普遍、组织开放、一定规模、公共事业等原则。该类组织的常见类型主要有职业自治组织、行业自治组织、学术自治组织、社区自治组织以及综合自治组织。针对有关法律问题,学术界及国家有关部门应积极进行研究和采取措施。     

对宗教组织之信任的探索性研究——以上海数据为例

本文利用上海市的调查数据,从宗教归属、人口学变量、社会经济地位因素、社会信任、社会参与和其他机构信任等方面对宗教组织信任进行分析,了解人们对宗教组织信任的现状及影响因素,并对相关的研究进行回应。结果显示,与对其它机构的信任相比,民众对宗教组织的信任处于一个较低水平;宗教归属、社会信任、组织参与和对世俗机构的信任对宗教组织信任的影响最大;阶层、社会参与也有一定的影响;性别、年龄、受教育程度和政治面貌等无影响。     

The Effect of Gender Context on Children's Social Behavior in a Limited Resource Situation: An Observational Study

Knowing when to compete and when to cooperate to maximize opportunities for equal access to activities and materials in groups is critical to children's social and cognitive development. The present study examined the individual (gender, social competence) and contextual factors (gender context) that may determine why some children are more successful than others. One hundred and fifty‐six children (M age=6.5 years) were divided into 39 groups of four and videotaped while engaged in a task that required them to cooperate in order to view cartoons. Children within all groups were unfamiliar to one another. Groups varied in gender composition (all girls, all boys, or mixed‐sex) and social competence (high vs. low). Group composition by gender interaction effects were found. Girls were most successful at gaining viewing time in same‐sex groups, and least successful in mixed‐sex groups. Conversely, boys were least successful in same‐sex groups and most successful in mixed‐sex groups. Similar results were also found at the group level of analysis; however, the way in which the resources were distributed differed as a function of group type. Same‐sex girl groups were inequitable but efficient whereas same‐sex boy groups were more equitable than mixed groups but inefficient compared to same‐sex girl groups. Social competence did not influence children's behavior. The findings from the present study highlight the effect of gender context on cooperation and competition and the relevance of adopting an unfamiliar peer paradigm when investigating children's social behavior.