Attitudes, Stereotypes and Anti-Discriminatory Education: Developing Themes from Sullivan

Correspondence to Richard Pugh NEWI, Plas Coch Campus. Mold Road, Wrexham LL11 2AW, Wales, UK. Summary This paper acknowledges the importance of the issues that Sullivan(1998) raises, but questions assumptions made about the natureof anti-discriminatory practice and is critical of the way inwhich shifts in attitudes are interpreted as evidence of furtherproblematic discrimination. It suggests alternative interpretationsfor Sullivan's examples, and questions the conceptions of attitudesand the model of self presented in Sullivan's account of attitudechange. The paper considers stereotyping as a cognitive processand whether it is an inevitable, or invariable, phenomenon.It reviews the nature and goals of anti-discriminatory education,contending that discrimination arises not from the holding ofstrong attitudes perse, but from the nature of, and the consequencesthat follow from, particular attitudes. Finally, it makes recommendationsfor educators and provides suggestions for further developmentof the anti-discriminatory perspective.     

Men and Anti-Sexism

Correspondence to Dr Neil Thompson, 1, Worcester Road, Bangor on Dee, Wrexham, Clwyd, LL13 0JB. Summary This paper explores the negative impact of sexism on both womenand men and considers what active part men can play in challengingand undermining sexism. The costs of living and working in apatriarchal society are outlined, and related to the differingexperiences of women and men. It is argued that, although womenclearly bear the brunt of sexism, gender stereotyping is notwithout significant costs for men. This leads us into an exploration of possible anti-sexist strategiesthat men can promote and implement as part of the developmentof anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice. The aimis not for men to ‘colonize’ or take over the struggleto achieve emancipation from oppressive gender norms. Rather,it is for men to play a part in the collective struggle to removethe inhumanity of patriarchal social relations. The paper is grounded within a professional value base premissedon a commitment to combating discrimination and oppression,and within a theory base informed by existentialist philosophy(Thompson, 1992a).     

Homosexuality and heterosexism: views from academics in the helping professions

Summary This study describes and analyses attitudes towards homosexualityamong faculty in departments of three helping professions: socialwork, psychology and education. The sample consists of 235 facultymembers in the five main universities in Israel. Out of 849questionnaires that were sent to all faculty members of therelevant departments of social work, psychology and education,103 were completed and returned from social work, 56 from psychologyand 76 from education, representing a 27.7 per cent total responserate. The instrument used was the Index of Homophobia (IHP)(Hudson and Ricketts, 1980) in addition to professional backgroundand demographic information. Findings show that, overall, membersof academic departments of the helping professions present 'low-gradehomophobic' attitudes (Hudson and Ricketts, 1980). Statisticallysignificant differences surfaced among the three departments,with faculty members in schools of education emerging as mosthomophobic, followed by social work and psychology. Severalexplanations are put forward in an attempt to account for suchdifferences, including the theoretical framework of marginality,the variables traditionally associated with homophobia, andprofessional training.     

Language and Practice: Minority Language Provision within the Guardian ad litem Service

Correspondence to Richard Pugh, North East Wales Institute of Higher Education, Plas Coch, Mold, Road, Wrexham, LL11 2AW, Wales. Summary This article contends that language should be seen as an importantelement of social difference and not simply subsumed under ‘race’.While it acknowledges the complex role of language as perhapsthe most significant means by which power is exercised, theprimary focus is upon understanding language as an importantaspect of differentiation that social service agencies needto consider. The results of a survey into Welsh language provisionwithin the guardian ad litem service in Wales are describedand used to develop a discussion on language policies, linguisticawareness, and anti-discriminatory practice more generally.The article contextualizes the Welsh results within the UK andoffers suggestions as to how services might be improved. Finally,it restates the broader relevance of the study of language asa necessary element in the analysis of discrimination.     

The Private and the Public in Personal Models of Social Work: A Response to O'Connor and Dalgleish

Correspondence to Dr. R. Hugman, Department of Social Administration, University of Lancaster, Fylde College, Lancaster LA1 4YF. Summary O'Connor and Dalgleish have proposed an understanding of thedisjuncture between education and beginning practice. They discussthis in relation to individuals' models of practice. It is suggestedin this response that the individual basis of this analysisrestricts the extent of possible conclusions. A comparison withdifferent research findings is made, and it is suggested thatthere are implications for social work education and the collectiveresponsibility the profession has for beginning social workers.     

Cautionary Tales From Beginning Practitioners: The Fate of Personal Models of Social Work in Beginning Practice

Summary The relationship between professional education and beginningpractice is examined by considering whether the personal modelsof social work developed and reviewed by the individual duringsocial work education survived the transition from student toautonomous practitioner. Fifteen University of Queensland socialwork graduates were engaged in a task of making explicit theirpersonal models of social work, by way of repertory grid technique,in their first eight months of employment. The repertory gridwas used as a conversational tool to monitor the developmentof and changes in their personal models of social work. Thesocial workers were thus engaged in a process consciously reflectingon the meaning of, and the reasons for, these developments andchanges. Whilst the study found that personal models do survivethe transition to social work practice, it also highlightedareas of concern. On the whole graduates did not feel preparedfor work, and the initial period of practice was one of considerabledifficulty. Many experienced considerable difficulty in subsumingthe organizational context within their personal model of socialwork.     

Discrimination in Social Work--An Historical Note

Correspondence to Dr. Bill Forsythe, Senior Lecturer in Social Work, 3rd Floor, Amory Building, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RJ. Summary It is important to examine the historical tradition of anti-discriminatorytheory and practice in social work in the light of current emphasison this aspect. There were several traditions, one anti-discriminatory,one non-discriminatory and one selfconsciously discriminatoryin nineteenth-century charitable and philanthropic work in England.There was considerable tension between these traditions andthe matter was further confused in that some workers, like ThomasBarnardo, represented an anti-discriminatory stance and yetin some of their work they clearly discriminated on such groundsas religious belief. It is concluded, therefore, that anti-discriminatorypractice can plainly be located in the pioneer phase of socialwork, illustrated by reference to such figures as JosephineButler and Elisabeth Fry.     

Social Work and Child Mental Health: Psychosocial Principles in Community Practice

Correspondence to Steven Walker, Senior Lecturer, School of Community Health and Social Studies, Anglia Polytechnic University, 2nd Floor, Ashby House, Brook Street, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1SQ, UK. E-mail: s.walker{at}apu.ac.uk Summary The increased prevalence, complexity and earlier onset of childand adolescent mental health difficulties, has prompted governmentinitiatives to reconfigure current provision for this clientgroup, their parents and the carers who try to support them.Social workers have an important part to play in respondingto the needs of these individual children and families. A residual,care management role is not adequate in these circumstances.This paper describes the development of social work in childand adolescent mental health, and suggests that a synthesisof psychosocial principles and community practice, offers theoptimum social work model of assessment and intervention. Sucha model embraces the most useful aspects of psychodynamic theoryin the context of practice consistent with anti-discriminatory,children's rights and partnership principles.     

Dragged to Market: Being a Profession in the Postmodern World

Correspondence to M. Aldridge, School of Social Studies, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD Summary Under a regime of quasi-markets, UK public sector occupationsare having to promote themselves as enterprising and argue theircase for a share of public spending. Much of this takes placethrough the news media. In order to do this effectively, somekind of professional grouping is essential. The paper reviewsthe failure of non-probation social work to achieve a professionalformation thus far. Rejecting explanations rooted in attitudes,values and gender, it argues that the core problem since theearly 1970s has been the shifting nature of social senices workbecause of central government policy changes. Now that the profileof social senices tasks is more settled, it is time for socialworkers to abandon their reluctance to claim distinctive expertiseand set about developing a more confident set of intellectualskills and thus an effective voice. In a postmodern age of scepticalconsumers they need not fear élitism as they will, rather,be judged by their effectiveness.     

Professional Ethics in Social Work-- What Future?

Correspondence to: Sarah Banks, Community and Youth Work Studies Unit, Durham University, 45, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HN, UK. E-mail: s.j.banks{at}durham.ac.uk Summary This paper examines the ethical implications of recent changesin social work, particularly in relation to the conception ofsocial workers as professionals guided by a code of ethics.These changes include the fragmentation of the occupation, theincreasing proceduralization of the work and the growing focuson consumer rights and user participation. Some people haveargued that codes of ethics are becoming increasingly irrelevantin this climate, in that they assume a unified occupationalgroup and are based upon professionals' definition of valueswithout consultation with service users. On the other hand,it has also been maintained that it is ever more important toretain and strengthen codes of ethics in order to maintain professionalidentity and to defend the work of the profession from outsideattack. This paper explores the relevance of a code of professionalethics for social work, focusing particularly on the BritishAssociation of Social Workers' code, in the context of the changingorganization and practice of the work. It considers two alternativeapproaches: the ‘new consumerism’ which focuseson the worker's technical skills (rather than professional ethics)and consumer rights (as opposed to professional obligations);and a ’new radicalism‘ which stresses the worker'sown personal or political commitment and individual moral responsibility(as opposed to an externally imposed code of professional ethics).It is concluded that the changes in social work do threatenthe notion of a single set of professional ethics articulatedin a code, and that, in some types of work, this model is lessappropriate. However, there is still mileage in retaining anddeveloping a code of ethics, not as an imposed set of rulesdeveloped by the professional association, but as part of adynamic and evolving ethical tradition in social work and asa stimulus for debate and reflection on changing and contradictoryvalues.     

'No Irish Need Apply': Social Work in Britain and the History and Politics of Exclusionary Paradigms and Practices

Correspondence to Paul Michael Garrett, Centre for Social Work, School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK. E-mail: paul.garrett{at}nottingham.ac.uk Summary In Britain, Irish people have continually been excluded fromthe discourse of anti-discriminatory social work theory. Themain reason for this centres on the dominant tendency to exclusivelycentre on ‘race’ and visible difference. Recentpolicy documents in relation to social work with children andfamilies illustrate the fact that Irish people are omitted indiscussions seeking to promote culturally appropriate services.Conceptually this approach is founded on implicit ideas aboutBritish identity and erroneously suggests that white ethnicitiesare homogeneous, unified and clearly demarcated from a (new)black presence. Historically, ideas associated with ‘theproblem family’ can be related to the racialization ofIrish people. Archival research examining responses to unmarriedmothers travelling to Britain to have ‘illegitimate’babies adopted also highlights how Irish women have been subjectto exclusionary social care practices. Whilst rejecting an essentialistconceptualization of ‘Irishness’, the article goeson to suggest that the mainstream and hegemonic discourse on‘race’ needs to take specific account of Irish peopleand other minority ethnicities not identifying as ‘black’,particularly during a period of globalization and new migrationinto Britain by refugees and asylum seekers.     

Practice Teaching Guidelines for Learning Ethnically Sensitive, Anti-Discriminatory Practice: A Canadian Application

Correspondence to Gayla Rogers, Faculty of Social Work, The University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB Canada, T2N 1N4. Summary Canadian social work educators, in recognizing the importanceof preparing students for anti-oppressive practice, can lookto developments in the United Kingdom for direction and guidance.Recent changes to education policy statements in Canada haveincluded the requirement that social work students graduatewith the knowledge, values and skills to be ethnically sensitivepractitioners. The Canadian equivalent to practice teaching,the field practicum, is an ideal venue to learn about multi-culturaldifferences, oppression, and how to combat institutional andindividual racism, sexism and ethnocentrism. However, such learningmust be explicitly and purposely developed. Thus, guidelineshave been suggested to promote the establishment of an ethnicallysensitive, anti-discriminatory practice teaching process. This paper discusses how concepts and practices derived in Britaincan be applied in a Canadian context to help course instructors,tutors, practice teachers and students build effective learningexperiences for the multi-cultural realities and struggles oftoday. These guidelines can be used by both Canadian and Britishsocial work courses and include questions to be raised at keypoints throughout the practice teaching process to ensure thefocus and attention to ethnically sensitive, anti-discriminatorypractice is maintained. The guidelines were derived from a synthesisof British concepts and practices combined with a review ofselected North American and British literature and the experiencesof two practice teaching projects in one social work coursein Canada. The projects involved practice teaching placementswith a community development project that had a multi-culturaland multi-racial focus and the experience of a native studiesconcentration with a practice teaching component. From a Canadianperspective this combination facilitates a step forward andprovides a framework which has a timely practical application.     

Treatment of Depressed Women: Therapeutic Issues with Hospitalized Patients and Outpatients

Summary This paper draws on experience of treating depressed women inthe U.S.A. There is little reason to suppose, however, thatsuch experience is not applicable to the British scene. It isincluded not only for its intrinsic interest but in the hopethat it will be of particular value to British social workerscurrently assuming new responsibilities in relation to the mentallyill. Editor.     

The Protective Environment of Children: Towards a framework for anti-oppressive, cross-cultural and cross national understanding

Correspondence to Department of Social Work, School of Applied Social Studies, University of Bristol, 8 Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1TN. Summary The article explores the strengths and limitations of existingcross-cultural, cross-national and anti-discriminatory theoryand research in the child protection field. The way in whichstructural, cultural, personal and inter-personal factors combineto create the child's protective environment is analysed anda framework for an integrated approach to anti-oppressive understandingand practice is suggested. The framework identifies four factorswhose impact at national, community and family levels needsparticular consideration. These factors are the value attachedto children, the status of women and carers, the social interconnectednessof children and carers, and the extent and quality of the protectivesafety nets available. Examples are provided to illustrate theframework's usefulness in practice. It is argued that childprotection theory and practice in Britain needs to take moreaccount of collective and community-based approaches if anti-oppressiveand user-empowering practice is to be achieved.     

Parental Participation in Child Protection Case Conferences: The Social Worker's View

Correspondence to Dr Ann Macaskill, Health Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, 36 Collegiate Crescent, Sheffield S10 2BP Summary This article reports the findings of a questionnaire surveyof 118 local authority social workers' attitudes towards parentalparticipation in child protection case conferences. Argumentsfrom the professional literature both in favour of and againstparental participation were presented. Overall social workerswere found to be largely supportive of parental participationalthough aware of the potential problems. Other professionalgroups involved in case conferences were perceived as beingless enthusiastic about parental participation. The implicationsof these findings are discussed and some training needs identified.     

Social Work, Sectarianism and Anti-sectarian Practice in Northern Ireland

Correspondence to Dr Jim Campbell, Department of Social Work, The Queen's University of Belfast, 7 Lennoxvale, Belfast BT9 5BY, Northern Ireland. Jim Campbell lectures in the Department of Social Work, The Queen's University of Belfast. His doctoral thesis was on the concept of violence in social and political thought. His current research interests include social policy in Northern Ireland and mental health social work Summary This paper addresses a subject relatively unknown to the Britishand international social work audience—that of trainingfor anti-sectarian practice. In doing so, it points to someof the complex, even dangerous issues raised by such trainingfor social work students and practitioners in Northern Ireland.The paper comments upon the limited but significant ways inwhich social work educators and practitioners have tried tochallenge sectarian discrimination in Northern Ireland, andproposes methods in train ing and research which might facilitatea better understanding of these processes.     

Personal Construct Theory and Psychological Changes Related to Social Work Training

Summary This paper summarizes Personal Construct Theory and its mostdeveloped experimental investigating technique, the Role ConstructRepertory Grid. Issues in professional training in adjacentprofessions are examined for relevant parallels to social workin ‘personal change’. The specific notion of emotionas change in the mode of information processing is introducedthrough the neuropsychological model put forward by Pribramand Melges. Personal Construct Theory is presented as congruentwith that model for dealing with uncertainty, and as particularlysuitable for examining personal change in social work training.Studies comparing the Personal Construct Systems of social workstudents through training, with professionally qualified socialworkers are reviewed in some detail. It is concluded that theprocesses involved in social work education are corrigible and,because of the nature of their characteristics, may lead a personto develop desirable, sensitive, articulate and imaginativeways of construing people and personal problems, or to oversimple,rigid, impersonal and finally incompetent modes of construing,Suggestions are made as to how an understanding of PersonalConstruct Theory can help social workers involved in training,to deal with this problem.     

Reflections From the Field: the Experience of Former CSS and CQSW Students

Summary The research reported in this paper is based on the findingsof a postal questionnaire survey with former students who had,over the last seven years, successfully completed either theCertificate in Social Service (CSS) or the Certificate of Qualificationin Social Work (CQSW) at one institution of higher education. The purpose was to collect data in a systematic way about employmentcircumstances, career development, aspirations, reflectionson the course and views of the future of education for socialwork and social service. For many of these areas a lack of comparableBritish studies is noted. The findings would seem to indicate that the type of qualificationobtained is an important variable where work setting, clientgroup, perceived professional status, job choice and attitudeto certain aspects of the course are concerned. Both groupswere largely supportive of a single award for social work throughfull-time education and training, but were ambivalent aboutthere being different routes to this qualification.     

Research Note: Education and Training in Genetics in Social Work Programmes Across the United Kingdom

Correspondence to Rachel Iredale, Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd CF37 1DL. E-mail: riredale{at}glam.ac.uk Summary Genetics is an issue which has only recently come on to theagenda, but it is one that will rapidly assume great significanceas the twenty-first century approaches. This article describesa survey of social work course directors in the UK, undertakento assess their opinions of the likely impact of the new geneticson future social work practice. The results provide baselinedata on education and training on genetics in social work programmesin the UK. Only a small proportion of colleges in the UK currentlyteach genetics, partly because of full curricula, and partlybecause genetics is not perceived to be relevant to contemporarysocial work practice. Other attitudes of social work coursedirectors to the new genetics are also described.     

Rethinking Empowerment: A Postmodern Reappraisal for Emancipatory Practice

Summary This article is concerned with the implications of the postmodernchallenge to critical theory for the practice of empowerment.How do we conceptualize empowerment from a postmodern perspective?It is argued that the modernist concept of power upon whichempowerment rests, can have unintended disempowering effects.By conceptualizing power as a commodity, identities are forcedinto a powerful–powerless dualism which does not alwaysdo justice to diverse experiences. Thus we can sometimes contributeto dominance in spite of our liberatory intentions. It is arguedthat social workers need to become more aware of the self-discipliningand self-regulatory processes involved in professional workto address the social relations of power embedded in professionalpractices. Foucault's analysis of how marginalized knowledgesare affected by dominant cultural practices suggests a redefiningof empowerment as the insurrection of subjugated knowledge.The implications of this redefinition for practice is illustratedby reference to work with indigenous people in Australia.