Child protection and family support: a practical approach

This paper provides a practical response to the critical appraisal provided by Nigel Parton of the Department of Health research studies in child protection. Parton argues that the research is flawed because, whilst acknowledging that abuse is socially defined, it also claims that certain types of abuse are undoubtedly serious. This is refuted. The central focus of the research is upon the child protection process. The research does not simply suggest a re-labelling of child protection work, but a more considered approach to the assessment of family circumstances. The research does not ignore the centrality of social work itself; indeed its emphasis is upon comprehensive and consistent assessment. The document provides useful practical assistance to social workers and professionals in other organizations and is a helpful framework for strategic development.     

Response to: 'New Directions in child protection and family support in Western Australia: a policy initiative to re-focus child welfare practice'

This paper is a response to ‘New Directions in child protection and family support in Western Australia: a policy initiative to re‐focus child welfare practice’, written by Nigel Parton and Richard Mathews and published in Volume 6(2) of Child and Family Social Work. Parton and Mathews’ paper describes the policy and provides an analysis of its impact on child protection practice. They find the policy to have been successful on a number of different dimensions. This paper subjects their findings to a broader lens of analysis and arrives at conclusions somewhat different to those of the authors.     

Constructive Social Work and Personal Construct Theory: The Case of Psychological Trauma

The complex and changing relationship between theory and practicein social work has received increasing attention in recent years.Parton (2000) has advocated a constructionist approach thatunderlines the similarity between the roles of the researcherand the practitioner. Personal construct theory (Kelly, 1955)is one member of the constructionist family that has particularimplications for social work practice. It evolved as a pragmaticapproach to psychotherapy, advocating a research supervisor/studentmodel of the practitioner/client relationship. In this article,we elaborate its application to social work practice, drawingon contemporary work in the fields of trauma and loss to illustrateits value.     

The Beckford Report: A Critical Appraisal

Correspondence to Nigel Parton, Department of Behavioural Sciences, The Polytechnic, Queensgate Huddersfield HDI 3DH. Summary This paper provides a critical analysis of the Beckford Reportand its implications for social work and the personal socialservices. Four interrelated themes are explored: the relationshipbetween social work practice, statutory responsibilities andthe law; the attitudes of social workers towards children andfamilies; the social work skills required; and the assumptionsthat are made about child abuse and the role of social workers.This is then related to recent research findings in the areaof policies and decision making in child care. It concludesby arguing that the report is in great danger of misdirectingour attentions from the major issues concerned with social workwith children at risk.     

'Problematics of Government', (Post) Modernity and Social Work

Correspondence to Nigel Parton, Professor in Child Care Studies, The University of Keele, Keele. Staffordshire ST5 5BG. Summary This paper attempts to locate contemporary developments andtensions in social work within current debates in social theoryconcerning the problematics of government and (post) modernity.It argues that modern social work emerged in a period of ‘welfarism’which has now passed and that as a consequence social work hasnot simply been restructured in the era of neo-liberalism butis exposed as an activity particularly concerned with managingfamily life via the exercising of moral judgements and negotiatingresponsibilities. As a consequence the essential ambiguitiesof social work are more self evident than previously, and ratherthan constituting problems to be overcome, articulate the centralelements of what it is to do social work. The article concludesby, tentatively, outlining the implications of such an analysisand how it may help us to understand what is going on and howwe might proceed.     

Risk, Advanced Liberalism and Child Welfare: The Need to Rediscover Uncertainty and Ambiguity

Correspondence to Professor Nigel Parton, School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield HD1 3DH. Summary The purpose of this paper is to analyse and reflect upon thecurrent state of child welfare policy and practice and how thishas changed over recent times. In the process it aims to makea contribution to the current debates on ‘the refocusingof children's services’. A central part of the argumentis that new strategies have emerged which do not have as theircentral focus either meeting the needs of children or respondingto child abuse, but the assessment and management of risk. Inselecting such a focus, such developments are in danger of overlookinga central characteristic of policy and practice in terms ofthe pervasiveness of uncertainty and ambiguity. Not only dothese characteristics need to be reorganized, but they needto be built on in order to take our thinking and practices forward.     

Rethinking Professional Practice: The contributions of Social Constructionism and the Feminist 'Ethics of Care'

Correspondence to Professor Nigel Parton, Centre for Applied Childhood Studies, School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK. E-mail: n.parton{at}hud.ac.uk Summary Drawing upon social constructionist and postmodern perspectives,together with recent feminist debates about ‘the ethicsof care’, this paper reflects upon the productive waysin which contemporary social work can be thought about, organizedand practised professionally. It argues that an emphasis on:process; plurality of both knowledge and voice; possibility;and the relational quality of knowledge are key elements intaking these issues forward. In contrast to the traditions ofabstract and instrumental reasoning where the pursuit of knowledgeis intertwined with the pursuit of control, the importance ofsensory knowledge, symbolized by the unity of hand, head andheart is underlined.     

Parton, Howe and Postmodernity: A Critical Comment on Mistaken Identity

Correspondence to Carole Smith, School of Social Work,, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, Dover Street Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL Summary In their contributions to the debate about social work, modernityand postmodernity Parton(1994) and Howe (1994) argue that therecent changes in social work practice can best be understoodas features of, or responses to, the postmodern social orderin which it is located. This has led, they argue, to an increasingfragmentation of the profession and an undermining of its formalknowledge base. We will argue here that, not only does suchan argument oversimplify the nuances of the ‘postmodernity’question, but it represents a misreading of the pressures affectingpractice at this time, which are more properly attributableto the operation of the discourses and ideologies of a particularphase of late capitalism and high modernity.     

Researchers experience of misconduct in research in Malaysian higher education institutions

This article offers a qualitative analysis of research misconduct witnessed by researchers during their careers, either by research students or fellow researchers, when conducting or supervising research in their respective departments. Interviews were conducted with 21 participants from various research backgrounds and with a range of research experience, from selected universities in Malaysia. Our study found that misbehavior such as manipulating research data, misrepresentation of research outcomes, plagiarism, authorship disputes, breaching of research protocols, and unethical research management was witnessed by participants among junior and senior researchers, albeit for different reasons. This indicates that despite the steps taken by the institutions to monitor research misconduct, it still occurs in the research community in Malaysian institution of higher education. Therefore, it is important to admit that misconduct still occurs and to create awareness and knowledge of it, particularly among the younger generation of researchers. The study concludes that it is better for researchers to be aware of the behaviors that are considered misconduct as well as the factors that contribute to misconduct to solve this problem.     

Trust and confidence: possibilities for social work in 'high modernity'

Summary Those who argue that social work has become 'postmodern' alsosuggest that the demise of foundational knowledge must introduceuncertainty and ambiguity into social worker-service user interactions.Furthermore, if the basis for probability calculations is fatallyflawed, then a dependence on risk assessment and risk managementcan no longer be tenable. Under these conditions Parton (1998)suggests that social work must re-discover trust between Government,managers and social workers and between social workers and serviceusers. In this paper I argue that Parton's analysis of trustis radically incomplete and that a more detailed understandingof the relationship between trust and confidence indicates thevery limited possibilities for trust to re-emerge or to surviveunder current conditions. While I attempt to persuade the readerthat trust is necessary for social work, it is evident thatGovernment prefers confidence to trust. This means that trustcan only be practised at the margins of social work, where itis relatively invisible and does not pose a threat to the pre-eminentconcern with confidence.     

Research and the State: Dilemmas of Feminist Practice

Governments are increasingly protective of the information they gather. This creates a dilemma for feminist researchers retained as consultants, who recognise that those who provide information to researchers have a stake in its use. The current emphasis on crisis management rather than redistributive goals and social rights, poses further problems for researchers who challenge this emphasis by government, and question the bureaucratic forms which maintain women in dependent situations. A suppressed report on women, disability and rehabilitation in Australia is used as a case study.     

The therapeutic misconception,beneficence, and respect

In order to provide benefits to society, human medical trials must place subjects at risk of harm. This activity is thought to be justified in part by the consent of the subjects involved. But, studies have shown that most such consents are based on a therapeutic misconception (TM); the false belief of subjects that their researchers will act as their personal physicians (seeking their benefit and protecting them from harm), rather than placing them at risk of harm for the good of others. Toleration by researchers of the TM in their subjects is a form of “informational manipulation”; that renders consent procedures disrespectful to subject autonomy. Consent obtained from subjects who labor under a TM is neither voluntary nor informed; as long as they have not been disabused of the TM, the action they take in enrolling in a trial is not the one they intend nor is it autonomously chosen. Changes in consent procedures should be adopted to ensure that all subjects are aware inter alia that (a) the health interests of future patients (as well as the researchers’ and their sponsors’ financial interests) may be more important to researchers than the interest of a subject in his or her health, and (b) normal subjects neither understand nor believe this when told. Close attention to the response of prospective subjects to this information should allow for the exclusion of all but the truly altruistic. However, the result of conscientious implementation of such policies would likely be that human medical research could no longer be conducted on more than a minimal level.     

Negotiating Partnerships in Research on Poverty With Community-Based Agencies

This article argues that researchers must negotiate true partnerships with poor women, maintain mutual support systems, and build mutual respect, if they are to have success in challenging poverty through research. The experience of establishing partnerships with community-based agencies is discussed and the rationale for including poor women in partnerships is considered in terms of the benefits and the challenges for researchers. Among the critical issues are problems of difference, including ethnicity, social class, and gender and relationships between researchers and participants. These issues are highlighted using two examples. A negative outcome from noncollaboration is represented by the case of an after-school program in an inner-city school. The failure to establish collaboration leads to disappointing results. A successful case is described by the cooperative efforts between researchers and poor women in a program for substance abuse. Several strategies and recommendations are offered in conclusion.     

Making Sense of New Orleans Flood Trauma Recovery: Ethics, Research Design, and Policy Considerations for Future Disasters

This article details the justification and plans of a research team for studying and helping evacuees of Hurricane Katrina from New Orleans to recover by encouraging experimental participants to disclose information about their related experiences in guided interview sessions. Team members' consideration and practice of ethical principles as researchers dealing with the potentially traumatized victims of a disaster are portrayed. Finally, related recommendations for researchers and policy makers are offered.     

Content Analysis

Content analysis is presented as a research technique that social work researchers and practitioners can use to study developments and trends in social work practice, the status of social work knowledge building, the redirection of relevant policies, and accountability procedures in social service agencies. Methodological issues such as developing categories, defining the unit of analysis, sampling, and determining reliability and validity, are described and evaluated. It is concluded that content analysis provides a common basis for researchers and practitioners to document the processes and outcomes of the profession.     

The therapeutic misconception,beneficence, and respect

In order to provide benefits to society, human medical trials must place subjects at risk of harm. This activity is thought to be justified in part by the consent of the subjects involved. But, studies have shown that most such consents are based on a therapeutic misconception (TM); the false belief of subjects that their researchers will act as their personal physicians (seeking their benefit and protecting them from harm), rather than placing them at risk of harm for the good of others. Toleration by researchers of the TM in their subjects is a form of "informational manipulation" that renders consent procedures disrespectful to subject autonomy. Consent obtained from subjects who labor under a TM is neither voluntary nor informed; as long as they have not been disabused of the TM, the action they take in enrolling in a trial is not the one they intend nor is it autonomously chosen. Changes in consent procedures should be adopted to ensure that all subjects are aware inter alia that (a) the health interests of future patients (as well as the researchers' and their sponsors' financial interests) may be more important to researchers than the interest of a subject in his or her health, and (b) normal subjects neither understand nor believe this when told. Close attention to the response of prospective subjects to this information should allow for the exclusion of all but the truly altruistic. However, the result of conscientious implementation of such policies would likely be that human medical research could no longer be conducted on more than a minimal level.     

Malaysian researchers talk about the influence of culture on research misconduct in higher learning institutions

Based on a previous survey by the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) in the USA, a considerable number of foreign research scientists have been found guilty of research misconduct. However, it remains unclear as to whether or not cultural factors really contribute to research misconduct. This study is based on a series of interviews with Malaysian researchers from the local universities regarding their own professional experiences involving working with researchers or research students from different countries or of different nationalities. Most of the researchers interviewed agreed that cultures do shape individual character, which influences the way that such individuals conduct research, their decision-making, and their style of academic writing. Our findings also showed that working culture within the institution also influences research practices, as well as faculty mentorship of the younger generation of researchers. Given the fact such misconduct might be due to a lack of understanding of research or working cultures or practices within the institution, the impact on the scientific community and on society could be destructive. Therefore, it is suggested that the institution has an important role to play in orienting foreign researchers through training, mentoring, and discussion with regard to the “does” and “don’ts” related to research, and to provide them with an awareness of the importance of ethics when it comes to conducting research.     

Looking Back to Move Forward: The Value of Reflexive Journaling for Novice Researchers

For novice qualitative researchers, each encounter in the field yields a ream of questions and uncertainties. While fieldwork has inherent ambiguities for all researchers, novice researchers have less experience on which to draw to assess their interactions with participants. Adding to this uncertainty, gerontological fieldwork is frequently imbued by age-and cohort-related nuances, characteristics which new researchers often do not share with participants. It is also not uncommon for new researchers to work primarily alone on projects, such as dissertations and theses. Mentors and academic advisors can help examine research encounters, however advice may be most constructive following engagement in reflexive exercises. We discuss the benefits of using reflexive journaling to assist with answering the many questions generated while conducting qualitative interviews during a study with family carers. Advisors should consider encouraging the use of reflexive journaling to help novices grow as researchers.     

Reclaiming SPSSI's Radical Promise: A Critical Look at JSI's "Impact of Welfare Reform" Issue

Studies of the impact of welfare reform reported in the Winter 2000 issue of JSI uniformly conclude that the results are mixed. Uncritically accepting the "official story" that success can be evaluated by the numbers of former welfare recipients who are working, the researchers, adopting a neutral "objective" perspective, focus on "barriers" to achieving this goal. We argue that this "honest broker" model, in which researchers provide "scientific" data to those in power, neglects the roles of social psychologists as social critics and political activists that were among the diverse perspectives among SPSSI's founders. We call for a rebirth of these more radical orientations and offer examples of research approaches that involve entering into alliances with oppressed groups in society. We hope our critique will stimulate wider discussion about SPSSI's future mission.     

Evaluating U.S. Medical Schools' Efforts to Educate Faculty Researchers on Research Integrity and Research Misconduct Policies and Procedures

This paper examines how well U.S. medical school institutions are doing to promote research integrity. It is an important question to ask in order to determine whether there are sufficient and adequate protections in place to protect the U.S. Public Health Service's (PHS) resources devoted to medical research. This paper focuses on 5,100 medical school researchers' knowledge of what constitutes research misconduct as well as their willingness to report it to the research integrity officer (RIO) and educate their Ph.D. trainees. We learned that 5.6% of researchers could correctly distinguish seven or more of the nine scenarios that depicted likely research misconduct, as defined by the PHS regulations, from scenarios describing other ethical issues. Instead, researchers had expansive definitions and often inappropriately identified infractions such as conflicts of interest, Institutional Review Board (IRB) violations, and other breaches in ethical standards to be research misconduct. In addition, researchers who correctly identified four instances of likely research misconduct in the test items were highly unlikely to report their observations to a RIO. Researchers also provided insight on the factors they believe influence their decision making process of whether to report research misconduct. In addition, this paper also reports on the guidance that faculty said they provided their trainees on research misconduct issues. We conclude with a discussion and recommendations on what institutional leaders might consider doing in order to enhance their research integrity efforts and protect their institution's reputation.