Editorial

Social work students' responses to research tend to reflect their anxiety about the acquisition of competency in statistics and research methods. Their desires to attain social work education and subsequently become practitioners are viewed by them as at odds with research as taught. Yet, within the current quantocentric culture—which the authors define as one in which quantitative research methods are privileged over other lines of inquiry—social work education is increasingly emphasizing research as a central component of practice. Using a ‘culture as disability’ framework to understand quantocentric culture and its impact on the educational environment, we suggest an educational approach designed to interest students in a broad view of research allowing for the wholehearted inclusion of non‐quantitative and practice‐related facets of research. The approach encourages students to: (a) fully articulate their perceptions of research, both positive and negative; (b) link these views and experiences to the anti‐oppressive social work literature and to examine research methods from the perspective of quantocentrism; and (c) develop an inclusive typology of research that integrates qualitative approaches encompassing historical, philosophical, narrative and other avenues that are relevant to their future social work practice careers.     

The Family in the Light of a New Relational Theory of Primary,Secondary and Generalized Social Capital

The aim of this article is to pinpoint the relevance of family relationships in the studies on ‘social capital’. In order to clarify this perspective, Pierpaolo Donati outlines a new approach called ‘relational approach’. According to it, social capital is a property and a quality of social relationships, not an attribute of individuals or social structures as such. This theory has two major advantages: first, it leads to differentiate those components of social capital which are usually conflated; second, it permits to identify various forms of social capital (primary, secondary-communitarian and civic or generalized). Riccardo Prandini criticizes the sociological prejudices which consider the family mainly as an obstacle for the full deployment of ‘liquid’ and ‘modern’ social relations. The family's social capital is defined as the reciprocal orientations of the family's members which are able to generate trust and therefore cooperative actions. Empirical evidence shows that the family's social capital is strictly connected to the emergence of pro-social attitudes in individuals, particularly in terms of social trust and participation in civil associations.     

Special Education Knowledge Seen as a Social Problem

The article is based on a historical study aiming at analysing the historical determinants for the academic content of the special educational discipline-regarding both ideological attitudes against disability and segregation and more concrete initiatives of action-as it appeared when the expert-function of special education was established during the 1920s and 1930s in Sweden. As the determinants I consider the nineteenth, as well as the twentieth cetury's socio-ideological, educational political and educational philosophical discourses. In order to describe the tendencies in contents I have used the first Scandinavian journal in the special educational field (Hjalpskolan). I have in my discussion been inspired by Michel Foucault's analysis of subtle conditions of power, in the forms of regulations and control mechanisms between the societies 'normal' and its marginal groupings. The essence of the study is that these tendencies are socially constructed within the knowledge tradition of the swedish compulsory school system. Despite their variations they can be classified as follows: a moralizing theme, where the various scientifically coloured arguments for and against segregation are discussed. A religious 'merciful' theme; the genuine human loving compassion with 'the societies least fortunate'. Finally, the sociopolitical theme with focus on socio-economical discussion.     

Resiliency in Divorced Families

Abstract

The aim of this cross-sectional and exploratory study was to identify resiliency factors that are associated with family adaptation after divorce. Questionnaires (The Family Hardiness Index, The Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales, The Relative and Friend Support Index, The Social Support Index, The Family Sense of Coherence Scale) and an open-ended question were used to collect data independently from parents and children belonging to 68 divorced families in Belgium. Results indicate that there is a significant positive correlation between the three components of family hardiness (commitment, challenge, and control—according to the parents) and the family's adaptation to its changed circumstances. There are also positive correlations for both parents and children between the positive redefining of stressful situations by the family, the social support of the family, and the family's adaptation after divorce. According to the children there are also significant positive relationships between the family's use of avoidance strategies, the parents' educational level, the number of years that the parent had been divorced, and the family's adaptation.     

Children's Covid-19 writing and drawings and the existential imperative to educate for uncertainty

The Covid-19 pandemic provokes a pedagogic crisis: education is ill-adapted to accommodate multiple uncertainties in students' lives. We examine how pandemic uncertainty is registered in a global collection of writing and drawing from 4 to 17-years-old, during the 2020 lockdowns. The study engages with Biesta's (2021) philosophical work on 'world-centred education', offering empirical examples from the collection that goes beyond the immediacy of everyday lives. We identify educational implications: acknowledging students' present experiences of the world; a slowing of pedagogical tempo; supporting students to navigate desires and fears; a language for expressing uncertainty; and engaging students in ethical and existential difficulty.     

The Go-Between — Strategic Therapy with Teenagers in Separated Families*

The adolescent's experience of divorce needs to be understood within a developmental and systemic framework. Problematic or symptomatic behaviour in teenagers from separated families often reflects on the family's difficulty in managing the transition to a new and different family organisation. The type of problem or symptom presented is shaped partly by the developmental characteristics of the adolescent period, as well as being indicative of unresolved problems within the broader family system. Problem resolution can often require the involvement of both separated parents and their children in a conjoint interview, in which case a strategic family therapy approach can be particularly useful. A strategic approach offers the therapist clear guidelines regarding the focus and process of the interview, and assists the therapist to be in charge whilst remaining neutral in the sense of not allying more with one side or another. Case illustrations are included of a strategic approach with teenagers and their separated families.     

Caring at a distance: Learning and practice issues

Emphasis on support for informal carers focuses on those who provide, in the words of the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995, 'substantial' and 'regular' care. Following research and policy, professional education has also developed interest in those who live with the people they support, such as co-resident spouses and children of all ages. This article considers those who probably do not define themselves as carers and are usually referred to as 'relatives' or 'family', living at a distance from an older relative. It explores their possible need for support as well as the form and level of their involvement in relation to care managed services. It describes key areas or events to draw out practice issues and concludes with a discussion of the extent to which care management can work with such relatives. In many ways caring at a distance forces an examination of what is meant by 'care' and who can legitimately claim this as an emotion or status. The rationale for such interest is therefore three-fold. If social workers and social work educators restrict the meaning and their definitions of carers to those who provide 'hands on' services, as part of the care package, they risk alienating relatives from the learning experience of students. In doing so they may neglect these highly valued supports of older people and may leave relatives distressed and disempowered by anxiety over their contract with social work agencies.     

Private and public experience captured: young women capture their everyday lives and dreams through photo-narratives

Recent studies about young people suggest a need to change the way researchers and policy-makers have traditionally understood the concepts of youth, transitions to adulthood, educational participation and the need for young people's voice to be heard. For many young women the taken-for-granted features of everyday life such as family, social, education and paid work are the priorities in their lives. Yet those priorities are frequently masked in large-scale studies, resulting in homogenising the diversity of young people's experiences and abstracting educational engagement from other parts of their lives. The study reported in this paper approaches the issue of young women's construction and defining of their identities in interaction with the broad institutional milieu that is part of their everyday experiences. This approach seeks to understand this lived experience through the use of photo-narratives. The paper explores a rationale for this approach in methodological and ethical terms. It allows for an exploration of the complexity of young women's multiple identities and the changing nature of young people's engagement with post-compulsory senior secondary education.     

Interprofessional Education for Practice: Some Implications for Australian Social Work

Abstract

Social workers work with many other professionals in the workplace and being able to work in a team is both a practice standard for professions and a desirable graduate attribute of most universities. However, student learning about teamwork is often inconsistent and serendipitous, albeit some attention may be given to it as part of field education and work preparation. Students and new graduate social workers usually adopt the teamwork approach that prevails in the agency in which they work and teamwork behaviour is often a result of socialisation and acculturation. Internationally, over the last two decades, interprofessional education for interprofessional practice has achieved prominence in social work curricula. This article covers recent Australian initiatives in interprofessional education and the involvement of the social work program at a leading Australian university in an interprofessional education project. Implications for social work student education and social work practice are discussed.     

Achieving Shared Meaning in Cross-Cultural Dialogue

Abstract

Based on a qualitative study of the Twin Cities Hmong community, this paper offers a case study of a Hmong family's response to a situation in which a woman who is a member of their family has been chronically physically abused by her husband. The case illustrates the challenges of understanding the family's reactions in light of their cultural context as well as the implications for social work practice. An excerpt of a verbatim interview between the author and a subject from the study is provided. The specifics of the cultural values, protocol for handling conflict and communication patterns that contribute to understanding what has occurred are discussed. The author then discusses the challenges for the social work practitioner of simultaneously maintaining the ethical values of honoring diversity and protection of the oppressed.     

Educational Entrepreneurialism in the Private Tutoring Industry: Balancing Profitability with the Humanistic Face of Schooling*

S'appuyant sur une étude de deux ans sur les entrepreneurs en tutorat privé en Ontario, cet article se penche sur la légitimité croissante de l'entrepreneurialisme éducatif. Cette légitimité transforme la nature de l'éducation en préconisant des solutions commerciales aux « problèmes »éducatifs et la croyance que la compétition et la débureaucratisation encouragent la responsabilité, l'efficacité et la réceptivité du client. L'industrie du tutorat privé fournit une étude de cas exemplaire. Non plus simplement moyen de produire des revenus supplémentaires, cette industrie promet désormais des occasions d'affaires à plein temps aux investisseurs cultivés ayant des formations éducatives et professionnelles diverses. Dépourvu de la prétention des professeurs à l'autorité professionnelle, l'entrepreneurialisme éducationnel est soutenu par la culture émergente de l'éducation intensive des enfants et par la personnalisation en éducation. Étonnamment, la franchise tutorielle s'avère constituer un véhicule particulièrement efficace pour équilibrer les buts financiers et l'aspect humaniste de l'éducation. Based on a two‐year study of private tutoring entrepreneurs in Ontario, Canada, this paper examines the increased legitimacy of educational entrepreneurialism. This legitimacy is changing the nature of schooling by supporting market solutions to education “problems” and the belief that competition and de‐bureaucratization encourages accountability, efficiency and consumer responsiveness. The private tutoring industry provides an exemplary case study. No longer simply a means to generate additional income, the private tutoring industry now promises full‐time business opportunities for well‐educated investors from a variety of educational and occupational backgrounds. Lacking teachers' claims to professional authority, educational entrepreneurialism is further bolstered by the emerging culture of intensive parenting and educational customization. Surprisingly, the tutoring franchise proves to be a particularly effective vehicle for balancing profit goals with the more humanistic face of schooling.     

Tuning-In 1 to Organizational Song as Aesthetic Discourse

In this article, the author explores organizational songs, referring to songs that are created by members of an organization as an expression of organizational culture. More specifically, the author is concerned with organizational songs as an expression of organizational culture, versus the better-known occupational songs that act as an expression of occupational culture. First, the study differentiates the genre of work songs (defined by the occupation of 'laborer') to discern organizational songs (defined by the occupation of "manager"). Second, this exploration reveals a musical expression of organizations; a musical expression that also serves as a form of organizational communication or organizational discourse--specifically an aesthetic communication or aesthetic discourse. A significance for organizational studies is asserted, as the study identifies organizational songs as expressive strategies: song as a form of organizational action and an attempt at organizational intervention; song as an organization's attempt to construct its own history and autobiography; and song as a means of celebrating the identity of organizational leaders and organizational values. The approach is to provide a comprehensive literature review followed by case vignettes of organizational songs.     

Book reviews

Standardized clients are lay persons trained to portray clients realistically and in a reproducible fashion so students can interact with a 'client' that does not vary from encounter to encounter. This educational technique has received minimal attention in social work education. The development and utilization of a standardized client case for students in a generalist MSW program is described. Potential uses for standardized clients and future learning opportunities are discussed.     

'Gemeinschaft' skills versus 'Gesellschaft' skills in social work education and practice. Applying To¨nnies' dichotomy for a model of intercultural communication

F. Tönnies's 'Gemeinschaft'/'Gesellschaft' dichotomy is discussed as an analytical and explanatory framework for identifying individual social work education modules' relevance to immigrant- and migration-related problems in social work practice. It is claimed that 'Gemeinschaft' (community) skills are especially needed in these practice contexts, as opposed to the more scientific, legal or administrative 'Gesellschaft' (state, society) skills. Two empirical studies from Germany dealing with the necessary competencies for social workers advising immigrants are drawn upon. A variety of other case study material is included to make the point that social workers need 'Gemeinschaft' skills more than has traditionally been assumed.     

Training together--part two: An exploration of the evaluation of a shared learning programme on dual diagnosis for specialist drugs workers and Approved Social Workers (ASWs)

This paper describes a formative approach to evaluating a shared learning training course for ASWs and drugs workers on dual diagnosis. It uses a four-stage approach to evaluation in an attempt to explore issues relating to curriculum content, training methods and design, learners' satisfaction with the training and outcomes in respect of practice. It also draws upon a recent review of interprofessional education undertaken by the British Education Research Association (BERA) to explore to what extent interactive methods of learning are employed through the training delivery as a means of fostering improved interprofessional collaboration that can be transferred from the training environment to professional practice. The paper concludes that although limited in its generalisability and the extent to which changes in practice can be attributed to the training, the training providers have learned some useful lessons about how to maximise the value of a shared learning approach in promoting collaborative working between ASWs and drugs workers.     

Report on the implementation and evaluation of an interprofessional learning programme for inter‐agency child protection teams

Effective collaborative working between the different professions and agencies working to safeguard children is essential. Lack of knowledge of others' roles, perceived differences in status and expertise, and negative stereotypes are examples of why this can be difficult to achieve. A facilitated interprofessional learning (IPL) programme was implemented to assess if such an intervention could overcome some of the barriers to effective interprofessional and inter‐agency team working. Six teams based in primary and secondary care trusts took part with participants from health, education, police and social services. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from individual participants using a pre‐validated team climate inventory and reflective statements. Findings from this study demonstrate statistically significant changes in five out of six categories in the inventory. Reflective statements suggested that overall the programme offered a positive learning experience at both an individual and team level. The importance of outside facilitation to maintain the team's momentum was acknowledged, as was the difficulty of maintaining a good level of activity once the programme had ended. Nevertheless, the IPL programme provided a timely opportunity to reflect upon the interprofessional and inter‐agency team working needed within Children's Trusts and the implications for staff involved with regard to skills development. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Child protection: An unreflective practice

This paper highlights the need for social work education to focus on the ideological, cultural and organisational influences that shape practitioner perspectives and determine case careers, particularly in the area of child protection. Using the findings from a case study on the processing of child abuse referrals made to a social work team in Ireland's largest health board region, this paper illustrates the dissonance between the 'official' child protection discourse and the complexities and dilemmas of everyday practice. It also highlights practitioners' apparent lack of awareness of the dynamics that determine the way in which decisions and assessments are reached. The need to encourage and facilitate social workers' use of theory as a means of addressing these complex areas is endorsed, and implications for educational programmes are discussed.     

Questioning Heteronormativity: Lesbian and gay challenges to education practice in British Columbia,Canada

This paper explores social movement organizing within social institutions, using the cases of the Surrey book banning and the Trinity Western University, two cases of activist litigation in British Columbia, Canada. In these cases, lesbian and gay teacher activists challenged heteronormative constructions in educational practices, in one case by introducing lesbian and gay-positive reading materials in the elementary grades, in the other by challenging the right of an evangelical university to train teachers for the public education system. In the context of the existing literatures on social movements within institutions and challenges to education practices, the paper emphasizes two main conclusions: 1) challenges to educational practice may be mounted by teachers themselves, despite their professional and 'insider' status and 2) a range of different types of relationships are possible between social movement challenges within social institutions and social movements outside of institutions. In the cases presented here, the strategies, discourses and frames of 'insider' challenges to educational practices were drawn from the teacher-activists' location as part of the broader legally focused Canadian lesbian and gay movement.