Experiencing and writing Indigeneity, rurality and gender: Australian reflections

This paper has two interrelated aims. The first is to contribute to knowledge about rurality, gender and Indigeneity. This is undertaken by the first author, Bebe Ramzan, an Indigenous woman living in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. Bebe shows similarities across rural and remote areas in Australia and details her knowledge and experience of home, rurality, rural communities, land and gender. The second aim of the paper is to examine issues surrounding the involvement of academic white women in Indigenous research. Writing from the position of feminist white women Barbara Pini and Lia Bryant reflect on theories of whiteness as cultural practice and in this paper contest representations of rurality in rural studies as white.     

The response by Australian Universities to case management

Abstract

This paper considers university level formal educational offerings in case management in Australia in the context of restructuring in both the human service workforce and in the higher education sector. It outlines a picture of current university offerings in case management in social work, welfare, nursing, psychology, disability studies and rehabilitation. Through an examination of this picture it canvasses preparation for case management practice, location of case management education in universities, case management knowledge development, professional responsibilities, and choice of educational pathways. From the educational scene outlined, a number of implications and challenges for case management practice and professional education are extracted. Among other things it is argued that human service educators, particularly those in social work, have a responsibility to lead and foster intellectual scrutiny of the phenomenon called case management.     

What's rural about rural aging? An Appalachian perspective 1

Despite the recent proliferation of literature on the aged in rural society, considerable ambiguity remains concerning the appropriate conceptualization of rurality as a potential influence upon the experience of growing old. This paper considers three alternative conceptualizations: aging in rural environments, in which rural is viewed as an ecological context; the environment of rural aging, in which rural is viewed as a socio-cultural context; and the rural environment of the aging, in which rural is viewed as a phenomenological perspective of those who are growing old. The applicability of each conceptualization is considered in relation to insights arising from an ethnographic study of aging in a single rural Appalachian community and other research on the elderly of Appalachia. While each conceptualization has heuristic value, it is concluded that studies focusing on rural as a socio-cultural context or as a phenomenological perspective are the most likely to result in significant theoretical advances in rural gerontology.     

Exploring rurality through `community': discourses,practices and spaces shaping Australian and New Zealand rural `communities'

`Community’ has a long history in both lay and academic discourses, but as contemporary rural societies are recognised to be both diverse and rapidly changing, one may ask whether `community’ is still relevant to notions of rurality. This paper extends both recent studies of rurality and discourse to consider how small and rapidly changing “communities” in Australia and New Zealand still subscribe to (and practice) forms of `community'. It proposes that a reworking of the concept of `community’ can embrace both the discursive and socially diverse nature of rural societies. In so doing the paper draws upon a framework for reading `communities’ published earlier in this Journal (Liepins, 2000a. Journal of Rural Studies, forth coming) and illustrates its application with case studies from Australia and New Zealand. Results show that `community’ is still an important notion for many rural dwellers and that it is constructed and maintained through a wide set of meanings, practices and spaces. Moreover, these analytical features are seen to be related in processes which maintain or challenge any case-specific notions of `community'; thus creating a sense of the term as a fluid and negotiated phenomenon.     

Rural social workers and their jobs: An empirical study

Abstract

Results are reported from a national survey of 194 social workers commencing rural positions in Australia in 1994 and 1995. This paper focuses on: practitioner, position and community characteristics; which location the practitioners came from; their professional, rural practice and rural living experience; preparation for the positions by employers and educators; satisfaction with rural work and life; and anticipated length of stay. Results challenge myths about rural social workers and support key themes of rural practice literature. Respondents were mixed with respect to age and experience, scattered widely throughout Australia in different-sized communities, mostly living and working in the same communities and engaged predominantly in generic practice. There appears to be a pool of rural practitioners in Australia who are committed to living and working in rural places. Implications are developed for practice, employers, the profession, professional education, research and theory. Tentative explanations are offered for high rural staff turnover.     

Building Social Inclusion for Rural Older People Using Information and Communication Technologies: Perspectives of Rural Practitioners

Abstract

The literature identifies rural, older people as at risk of social exclusion, as a result of rural disadvantage. In this context, improved access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) has potential to build social inclusion, yet current evidence shows that rural, older people are the lowest current users of technology. This paper draws on the practice and local knowledge of rural practitioners from one Victorian region in order to explore: (a) the practice issues associated with ICT use among rural, older people; and (b) the characteristics of effective practice models in the rural, social work context. An analysis of findings highlights the need to respond to the diverse skills, needs, and learning styles of older people, to demonstrate the benefits of ICTs, involve users, and build confidence. Major barriers include poor ICT usage by many rural agencies and low practitioner capacity, as well as access and resources.     

Interpersonal violence against people with disabilities: understanding the problem from a rural context

Interpersonal violence against people with disabilities is a significant social problem. Little attention has focused on the rural context and the relevance for understanding violence. Given the dearth of literature exploring interpersonal violence, disability, and rurality, a review of rural-focused literature on domestic violence, sexual violence, and elder abuse was conducted to identify themes that could provide insight into this problem for people with disabilities. Themes include geographic isolation, traditional cultural values and norms, lack of anonymity, lack of resources, and poor response of systems. Implications for understanding interpersonal violence against rural people with disabilities and for social work practice are discussed.     

Variations in the conceptualization and measurement of rurality: Conflicting findings on the elderly widowed

This paper argues that the nature of any observed distinctions between the rural and urban aged are a function of whether rurality is conceptualized in ecological or socio-cultural terms. Four measures of rurality are contrasted. Two measures, based primarily on ecological criteria, define rurality in terms of (1) current residence, and (2) duration of community residence. Two additional measures, based primarily on socio-cultural criteria, define rurality in terms of (3) place of residence at age 16, and (4) a self-definition as rural. While different kinds of rural populations are identified by each measure, a self-definition of rurality seems to capture proportionally more of those who are also rural on the other criteria. However, this is not the case when urbanity is defined using the same criteria. The practice of classifying elderly populations as urban or rural based on current residence alone identifies ‘urban’ individuals who are in fact largely urban on both ecological and socio-cultural criteria; a significant proportion of those identified as rural by ecological criteria do not, however, fit the socio-cultural definition. The implications of these findings are discussed in reference to a sample of 151 elderly widowed men and women. Very different patterns of variability between rural and urban widowed elderly emerge, depending on which definition of rurality is used.     

Incorporating knowledge management as HRD strategy: the case of a Korean electronics company

Abstract

There is no doubt that knowledge management is now a very dominant theme in modern enterprises. To survive and compete in a knowledge-based economy, companies must learn to manage and sustain their intellectual assets. As a number of practitioners have noted, human resources play an important role in the transition process to the knowledge-based economy. This transition process is characterized by participant-driven integrative teamwork for dealing with various tasks and issues in organizations. This article presents a case study of the development of human resources in the context of knowledge management, which is based on systems thinking, exploring the process of problematization. It is based on a Foucauldian approach to expose the social relationship of power, knowledge and subjectivization in the problem-solving practice.     

Rural and Urban Differences in Gender‐Sentencing Patterns of Pennsylvania

Research on criminal punishment and judicial decision making consistently reveals that female offenders receive more lenient treatment than similarly situated male counterparts. A major shortcoming in this body of research, however, is the lack of studies on whether the effects of gender on sentencing differ across geographic localities, such as in rural versus urban courts. Using a rich database on recent sentencing practices in Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2010 (N = 186,634), this study addresses this gap by investigating and comparing the effects of gender on sentence outcomes across six types of locality categorized by their level of rurality. Consistent with the focal concerns theory of punishment decision making, the results indicate robust gender effects on sentencing outcomes across places. When other factors are held constant, female defendants consistently receive more lenient treatment; they are less likely to be incarcerated and receive short sentences if incarcerated. The magnitudes of gender disparities are consistent across levels of the rural‐urban continuum, with one exception: female leniency in shorter jail or prison sentences is greater in the smallest and most rural localities than in other areas. The article discusses implications of the study findings for research on sentencing and rurality.     

Minding the (Information) Gap: What Do Emerging Adult Adoptees Want to Know About Their Birth Parents?

Abstract

The formation of an adoption information gap was examined for a group of 169 emerging adults (M?=?25.0?years) who were adopted as infants. Participants completed interviews and questionnaires at adolescence and emerging adulthood (late teens to 20s). The Adoption Curiosity Pathway model guided research questions about formation of an adoption information gap, which exists when there is a difference between what an adopted person knows and what he or she desires to know regarding his or her adoption. In addition, specific issues were identified about which emerging adults were curious. Differences in these specific issues were examined across gender and openness arrangement with birth parents at emerging adulthood. The most frequently sought information was medical and health history. Logistic regression analyses revealed that the formation of an adoption information gap, which contains the specific items of curiosity, was more likely for those who were less satisfied with the amount of openness with birth parents during both adolescence and emerging adulthood. Implications for practice are presented.     

Exploring graduate students’ perceptions about social work licensing

Social work practice is regulated in all the 50 USA, 10 Canadian Provinces, Great Britain, and Australia, to name a few. Though practitioners, educators, and researchers are increasingly attentive to regulatory dynamics, there remains a dearth in the literature related to social work licensing, specifically within the context of social work education. This exploratory study examined the US graduate social work students’ (N = 223) general knowledge and perceptions about social work licensing. Data suggest that though students value and have a desire to be licensed, some ambiguity and ambivalence persist around the topic. This paper explicates key findings and discusses implications derived from this study.     

Rural social work The perceptions and experiences of five remote practitioners

Abstract

Living and working as a remote, rural social worker is a challenging experience. This qualitative study explores the experiences of five longer-term social workers in rural Western Australia. It provides a glimpse of their world including initial experiences, factors which support long-term rural practice, the demands and skills needed, the difficulties working in a bureaucracy and the positive aspects of rural practice. Tentative conclusions indicate that rural practice is distinct, due to the demands of living and working in the same community. Moreover, skills must be applied in the context of few secondary referral points or after hours services, and huge distances. The difficulty of maintaining professional identity and feelings of personal isolation are significant, but are compensated for by families who are settled and reluctant to leave, These findings can be used to inform social work education and improve retention of workers and quality of rural practice.     

Women's fear of crime: A rural perspective

This paper examines women's experience of fear of crime in rural areas. It argues that much existing research on issues of gender, fear and safety have focused on urban areas and that as a result we know relatively little about women's experience of fear in a rural context. As well as arguing that we need to redress the balance and respond to the dearth of knowledge about rural women's fear, the paper asserts the importance of a rural perspective in understanding the relationship between fear and the social and cultural construction of place. The rural in particular provides an important site for such an understanding since, as is argued here, the notion of safety is central to constructions of rurality. The paper presents data on rural women's experience of fear and crime from research carried out in New Zealand and the UK. It draws on work undertaken in four rural communities and begins to identify the extent and nature of women's fears and how these relate to their experience of rurality. The paper shows how while popular constructions of the rural as friendly, safe and largely crime free endure, there is a recognition amongst rural women of the growing problems surrounding personal safety. It also demonstrates the importance of social constructions of the rural community in identifying the relevance of the ‘stranger’ and the marginalised ‘other’ to women's feelings of fear.     

Confronting Uncertainty: Lessons from Rural Social Work

Abstract

Communities in Australia and internationally are experiencing massive change. Climate variability is an aspect of change that social workers in Australia, particularly in rural areas, are grappling with. Vulnerable populations will be at increased risk as extreme weather events increase in frequency. Communities will be facing social challenges hitherto unknown. The experience of uncertainty and fragmentation as characteristics of postmodernism has exposed the ambiguous and contested nature of much of social work practice and contributed to a crisis of confidence for the social work profession. The move towards rationality and linear approaches in the postwelfare state is often at odds with the complexity and uncertainty of human situations that has always been social work terrain. It can be argued that social work, with its ethical base, person-in-environment approach, expertise in ambiguity and complexity, and recognition of context, is well-placed to manage postmodern uncertainty. Using the 2009 Victorian bushfire example, I argue that an uncertain future is an opportunity for social workers, those working in rural areas in particular, to reassert social work's moral purpose in working with communities facing change. Implications for social work policy, practice, and education are briefly explored.     

Preparing for Social Work Practice in Diverse Contexts: Introducing an Integrated Model for Class Discussion

Understanding the context of practice is an essential component of social work practice as is providing service that respects diversity. These twin concepts are necessary to include in planning and delivering services across all levels of practice. However, while we might understand how the context impacts on service users (and such an understanding is a vital part of assessment processes), the context has greater and more far reaching impacts. For example, in rural practice research, there is evidence that the context strongly influences the choice of practice methods, the behaviour of the professional as an individual and as a community member, and the management of complex ethical situations. This paper proposes a model that may be useful in analysing the various impacts of diversity and context in social work practice, and is relevant for the education of social workers and other human service personnel. The SUPAmodel (Service User, Professional, Agency) uses practice examples to explore how changes in context impact on professional decision making and choices about intervention.     

Implementing a Knowledge Management System in a School of Social Work: The Possibilities,Challenges, and Lessons Learned

Managing emerging scientific, professional, and applied practice knowledge has become increasingly more important in the 21st century because economic and social connections in organizations are becoming more complex, associated with greater global connectivity. One approach to this growing complexity and emerging need involves the development of a technology-based knowledge management (KM) system. This paper describes one human service organization's attempt to implement and capture the complex knowledge needs and requirements for a knowledge management system. The implementation described is in the third year of a five year process. The challenges when incorporating such reorganization will be addressed. This case example also illustrates the complexities, possibilities, and lessons learned while implementing a knowledge management system within a school of social work and subsequently its capacity to be transferred to human service organizations.     

A GENDERED CONTEXT OF OPPORTUNITY:

Current research has failed to examine how women's opportunities in the labor market, in combination with their human capital attributes, differentially affect the likelihood that they will live in poverty. This study overcomes this limitation by placing specific emphasis on the role that labor market opportunities play in contributing to, or reducing, women's and men's risk of poverty. In addition, differences in poverty risk by urban and rural labor market areas are examined, as labor market dynamics vary substantially by rurality. Using the PUMS-L and STF3C for 1990, logistic regression techniques are employed to address these issues. Our results indicate that women across all labor market contexts have a significantly higher risk of poverty than men, and incorporation of labor market characteristics fails to explain this higher risk. However, the economic opportunities available in the labor market play an important role in determining how an individual's credentials, family background, and work experience translate into poverty risk. While individual attributes play a smaller role in explaining rural women's likelihood of living in poverty, women in both urban and rural labor markets face more limited economic opportunities than their male counterparts. This suggests that a "gendered" context of opportunity remains a barrier for women's movement out of poverty in both urban and rural labor markets.     

Reader's comment: Rural social work and social welfare in the Australian context: A rejoinder to munn

Abstract

The main theme of this rejoinder is that although we are clearly still in relatively early stages of knowledge development, we have accumulated some good ideas, some documented practice experience, some agreement about some fundamental principles, and a little knowledge about rural welfare in Australia. Munn has done us a service in identifying and opening debate about some of the central dilemmas, confusions and knowledge gaps which were inevitably glossed over in my initial paper. This rejoinder makes further comment on some of these. It is suggested that the next phase of the development of knowledge about Australian rural welfare will involve practitioners, researchers and scholars collectively exploring the details of and attempting some resolution of these and other key issues.