Moral Identity in Friendships between Gay,Lesbian, and Bisexual Students and Straight Students in College

People construct moral identities for being a supportive affiliate of stigmatized groups. To extend past research that focused on such identities within formal organizations, this study seeks to identify the process of moral identity construction in a personal setting—friendships between gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) people and straight people. Analyzing data from in‐depth interviews with college students, we show that straight students claim moral worth by emphasizing their deliberate decisions to develop and sustain friendships with GLB people and by highlighting how the friendships led them to personal enlightenment and political engagement. GLB students, as a stigmatized group, also claim moral worth by emphasizing their ability to transcend the community boundary and to be accepted in the larger society. Students make such claims as they strategically link these aspects of cross‐orientation friendships to existing moral discourses in the larger society and draw on resources available in the organizational and life course contexts.     

Students' Attitudes to the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in the Community

This study measures and compares the attitudes of students studying different subjects to the inclusion of people with mental retardation and mental illness in the community. The Community Living Attitude Scale (comprising the four subscales of Empowerment, Exclusion, Sheltering, and Similarity) was administered to a random sample of 149 Israeli college freshmen and women (social work: n = 43: law: n = 24; natural science: n = 42; and social science: n = 40). Overall, the students endorse Empowerment and perceive the Similarity of persons with disabilities to themselves more than they agree with the Exclusion attitude of segregating persons with disabilities from community life. Social work students showed more positive inclusion attitudes to people with disabilities than other students. Students were more likely to endorse Exclusion for people with mental illness than for people with mental retardation.     

Service Learning and The Compass Trail

Students used a compass trail to show how they could perform service to their school. When students performed service learning, they completed a real task that was needed for a grateful audience conjoined with academic content in the lesson. Students worked on the school grounds and used content from their regular curriculum while looking for real-life connections to academic applications. Students became involved in real projects that they found meaningful while making contributions to the community. Students learned about geographic tools and used those tools to accomplish their service projects. The students realized that the experience was real from their preparations, through the execution of the project, and the formative evaluation.     

Career Service Needs of College Students With Disabilities

Students with disabilities at 2 midwestern universities were surveyed as to their use of campus career-related services, their behavior regarding disability disclosure and accommodations, and their knowledge of ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act, 1990) employment-related guidelines. The results indicate that most students with disabilities do not use existing career development and employment services on campus. Students frequently disclose their disability to a prospective employer; however, students are less likely to request accommodations on the job. These trends may be explained in part by the student's limited knowledge of their employment rights under the ADA.     

Transition and the community college: a Career Keys model for students with disabilities

Transition models are needed that address multiple phases in the postsecondary education of students with disabilities. These models must first address the recruitment of high school students with disabilities for community colleges through career exploration experiences that help students clarify their educational and vocational interests and relate those interests to a two-year postsecondary program. Students with disabilities then need a comprehensive service program while attending community college to help them identify accommodation needs in classroom and workplace environments and develop the skills to request such accommodations from their instructors and employers. With this skill base, they are well prepared to initiate the next transition in their lives, that is, the movement from the community college to a four-year educational institution or to employment. Programs are needed to facilitate this transition, such as a placement planning seminar involving rehabilitation professionals and employers and an accommodation follow-up assessment with students in their new educational and employment settings. The "Career Keys" model describes how to deliver the services needed in each of these critical transition phases.     

Project Homeless: A Model for Student Involvement in Community College

This paper describes the way students activated community awareness and involvement in the problem of homelessness in their rural area by participating in Project Homeless, a community organization and planning course. Students studied research and collected data by interviewing service providers to discover met and un-met needs, problems, and available resources. As a result of their findings, the community mental health center sponsored a task force on homelessness.     

Entering Youth Justice: Comparing the Views of Human Services and Criminology Students

Abstract

The present paper explores how undergraduate students who are relatively new to the field of youth justice conceptualise their possible future work roles. The research compared the views of students who were commencing two undergraduate courses (subjects) concerned with working with young people. One course was taken by human services students and the other was taken by criminology students. Findings indicated that there were significant differences between these two groups in terms of their views about crime causation, as well as how they see the roles of youth justice workers. Students entered their respective programs and youth courses with differing professional orientations. The findings raise some intriguing questions at a time when universities and employers look to the potential benefits of “double degrees” and “joint degrees” that span supposedly complementary professional areas. However, contrasting beliefs about “troubled and troublesome” young people may resist easy accommodation within the same program of professional preparation.     

‘Do you really want me to tell ya!’ critical learning in engaging young people in contact with the justice system as peer educators with social work students

ABSTRACT

This paper outlines and evaluates an active and experiential learning project, which gave young people involved with the justice system, a voice as peer educators engaging with social work students outside of the traditional educational institution. The project had two key interconnecting elements. Firstly, by engaging a hidden population of young people in a realistic and meaningful way, it enabled them to share their experiences, and allowed students to understand the complexity of what it means to be socially excluded. Secondly, through this active participation process the young people began to see education as a desirable goal.

The project took place over three months and included 10 social work students and 13 young people involved with the justice system. Creative use of multimedia facilitated production of a learning resource to capture the young people’s lived experiences with statutory social work and justice systems. Young people were fundamentally challenged in their beliefs about themselves being involved in education to achieve a qualification. Students were challenged in their creativity and versatility responding to the task, when collaborating with ‘hard to reach’ young people. They were furthermore challenged in terms of their attitudes and assumptions in relation to offending and social justice.     

Bachelor of Social Work Students and Mental Health Stigma: Understanding Student Attitudes

Bachelor-level social work students (n = 198) at a midsized Midwestern public university were surveyed to evaluate their attitudes toward those with mental health concerns. Additionally, students were surveyed regarding their willingness to seek treatment for their own mental health needs. Results of the analyses suggest that the majority of students do not hold stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness. Students who believed mental health work is rewarding were less likely to be afraid or uncomfortable around people with mental illness. In addition, these students were more likely to report attitudes that acknowledge the capabilities of people with mental illness and were less concerned with others knowing their own mental health status. Implications for social work education and directions for future research are discussed.     

Psychology in the Real World: Community Based Groupwork

Critical pedagogy is congruent with the social work discipline, which is engaged, people-focused, and centers on social justice, liberation and human rights. While there is growing recognition of the importance of better preparing social work students to engage in critical, anti-oppressive practice, students have limited opportunities for transformative learning experiences within community settings, outside of official practicums. Masters of Social Work students pursuing a specialization in international and community development (ICD) at a Canadian university were matched with community Journey Guides who provided mentorship and opportunities for students to become involved in community-based social justice initiatives. This article presents the eight-step experiential framework that was used as a pedagogical tool to support student learning, and the results from the program’s evaluation with the first student cohort. Using surveys and focus groups, the study found the guiding relationship was characterized by acceptance, friendliness, encouragement, and motivation. Students engaged in critical dialogues with Guides, gained community development experience and skills and enhanced their social justice knowledge.     

Use of Experiential Learning,Reflective Writing,and Metacognition to Develop Cultural Humility Among Undergraduate Students

This study discusses the use of experiential learning, reflective writing, and metacognition to develop cultural humility among undergraduate students enrolled in a social and economic justice course. Students participated in an activity that challenged them to learn about people who may have different social identities and experiences from their own such as attending a service in a religion different from their own. Then students wrote a reflective essay in which they used the margin of the paper as a safe space to write anything that came to mind during the writing process. A thematic analysis of students’ comments suggests that students used the space to examine their emotions, seek understanding of self and others, and recognize their privilege.     

Intergenerational Forum to Enhance Students’ Engagement and Learning Outcomes: A Community-Based Participatory Research Study

The Intergenerational Forum (IF) is an innovative intervention that engages students in conducting community-based participatory research (CBPR). This set of guided learning opportunities is designed to improve college students’ understanding of aging and health issues in their communities. In this study, a total of 252 mentoring hours were provided in kind by 78 students. The majority of these youth volunteers were aspiring health professionals who had received intensive academic and field training to strengthen their interpersonal skills and ability to build meaningful one-on-one relationships with vulnerable populations. Additionally, these student volunteers were at higher risk for mental health issues. Findings revealed that as a result of IF, students were able to improve their knowledge and attitudes toward working with older people. Students were able to combine ideas from courses when completing this IF assignment. Particularly, levels of active and collaborative learning were` enriched by engagement with people representing different economic backgrounds, political views, and religious beliefs. Major themes emerged in students’ narrative data revealed their learning outcomes in the areas of self-awareness, empathy, empowerment, and new perspectives about ageism.     

The Professionalization of Medical Students: Developing Competence And A Cloak of Competence*

This paper describes how medical students in an innovative educational setting adopt a cloak of competence as a critical part of the professionalization process. Faced with inordinate and variable expectations to develop and display competence, students professionalize by distancing themselves from those they interact with and by adopting and manipulating the symbols of their new status. Students were observed to engage in impression management to convince others and themselves that they are competent and confident to face the immense responsibilities of their privileged role. The data were collected by means of participant observation and interviews.     

Promoting reflective practice with older people: Learning and teaching strategies

Social work with older people is often characterised as low status employment and is dominated by medicalised constructions of old age. Consequently, there is a need for educational responses that address students' negative attitudes toward older people and enable the development of practice skills in this area. The present paper evaluates an elective course for third year social work students that challenged their perceptions of their own and others' ageing, and stimulated a reflective approach to practice with older people. Reflective learning techniques were employed in the course, including observations in aged care service settings. Students in the course showed a high degree of interest in working with older people in the future and, although this did not increase much throughout the course, they evaluated it positively, noting greater awareness of issues affecting older people.     

Participation in higher education for students with disabilities: an Irish perspective

Third level institutions have been encouraged to facilitate greater access and participation for people from marginalized groups who have traditionally been excluded from higher education. In Ireland, as elsewhere, people with disabilities have been included in this process. Few studies have explored the quality of access and participation for students with disabilities within higher education, and this small scale qualitative study aimed to explore this issue. Students with disabilities reported variable access experiences within higher education and physical access remains a serious obstacle to full participation. Generally, there was a low level of awareness of student needs in relation to assistive provision and assessment. A positive and informed staff/college attitude proved crucial in ensuring access and equitable treatment. This research highlights the inherent limitations in the current piecemeal institutional response to provision for students with disabilities. A comprehensive access service is required that addresses the needs of all marginalized groups and becomes an integral part of the third level institution.     

Walter Geikie: the life, schooling and work of a deaf artist at the beginning of the nineteenth century

The life and works of Walter Geikie (1795-1837), a profoundly deaf Edinburgh artist elected to the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Drawing and Architecture, are investigated as a source of insight into the experiences of deaf people in early nineteenth-century Scotland. Accounts of Geikie's early education, his family life and contacts with the rest of Edinburgh's deaf community are discussed in light of their possible weight as evidence that sign was recognized and used as part of the schooling of deaf students at the time. The artist's life is presented as an instance of the experiences of a profoundly deaf person at a time when the expectations of society regarding the education and socialization of deaf people was in process of expansion.     

Learning from service users’ involvement: a research about changing stigmatizing attitudes in social work students

Abstract

Stigmatizing attitudes can create barriers to forming partnership with service users and to developing people’s empowerment. So, social work education must help students overcome their stigmatizing attitudes. A useful strategy for bringing about changes is service users’ and carers’ involvement in social work education, providing students with direct exposure to stigmatized people in roles that emphasize their humanity and strengths, rather than their deficits. The present study assessed the impact of a one-day meeting with service users and carers members of self-help and mutual-aid groups on freshman social work students. Students completed an adapted version of Attitudes to Mental Illness Questionnaire before and after the meeting, and answered several qualitative questions. Data comparisons suggest that after face-to-face contact with service users and carers, social work students showed reduced stigmatizing attitudes. Implications for further research and social work education are discussed.     

Social media,empathy and interpersonal skills: social work students’ reflections in the digital era

ABSTRACT

This paper examines second-year social work students’ (n = 19) reflections on empathy as part of an interpersonal skills course at a regional university in Australia. Students were asked to consider their personal, online and classroom experiences, before responding to a reflective learning prompt: ‘Online communication is killing connection: (the Facebook Like symbol) does not equal empathy’. Qualitative analysis of their responses identified tensions between students’ engagement with social media and their developing understandings of empathy. Students reported an ease and confidence in the use of social media, but were also aware of the risks associated with perceived anonymity, shifting boundaries and an absence of audial and verbal cues in establishing context and quality of communication. Their reflections also suggested that the range of stimulus material used in the interpersonal skills course—including podcasts—had increased their social media awareness and their desire to improve their online interpersonal skills. The implications for professional and pedagogical objectives, as well as curriculum design are discussed.     

“Multiplicity,Race, and Resilience: Transgender and Non-Binary People Building Community”

Scholars theorize that the development of community is an important part of resilience. In this mixed-methods study, we argue that race informs the experiences that transgender and non-binary (TNB) people have in seeking community. Using the Strengthening Colors of Pride Phase I and Phase II research, we argue that in a Latino-majority city, Latinx and Anglo TNB people connected with the transgender and broader lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community, although Anglo TNB people reported more transphobia in the LGBTQ+ community. Black and American Indian TNB people connected with LGBTQ+ communities of color specifically and struggled more to find in-person community. Anglo TNB people used their own White racial networks to connect with supportive hobby and interest groups. In general, TNB people connected more with communities that resonated with the multiplicities of their own lives, such as commonalities of economic precarity and immigration status. This research is an important contribution to understanding the development of community for resilience, and the way race and gender identity inform community experiences for TNB people.     

The role of race in the Out-of-school suspensions of black students: The perspectives of students with suspensions,their parents and educators

The disproportionate out-of-school suspension of Black students is a persistent racial and social justice issue nationwide. We approached this issue sensitized by social construction and critical race theories. Thirty-one youth, 28 caregivers and 19 educators participated in in-depth, semi-structured audio recorded interviews. Most participants viewed racial bias and cultural differences as responsible for the disproportionate suspension of Black youth. Many highlighted educators' negative attitudes toward Black students. Students and caregivers argued that Black students are treated more harshly than White students and are targeted as disciplinary problems. These perspectives suggest that racial bias results in a school culture that pathologizes Black students and their families. Educators also described challenges to responding to student misbehavior including the cultural diversity of the Black student population and their disproportionate exposure to social problems such as poverty that impact school engagement. We discuss implications for how social workers may support the partnering of caregivers, educators and community members to reduce racial bias in schools.