The Importance of Social Movements

This discussion was conducted with Professor Alain Touraine by Tim Jordan on 20 September in Paris. The discussion has been divided into headings that correspond to the areas of questions that were asked. The social context for the discussion is important in understanding Professor Touraine's comments because the discussion occurred 9 days after the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks but before the bombing of Afghanistan began and with no chance of knowing what would follow.     

The Social Construction of Abducted Children as a Social Problem

Using the theoretical framework developed by Spector and Kitsuse (1973; 1977), this paper describes the development of the issue of abducted children as a social problem. Analysis of this particular case suggests theoretical refinements for the social constructionist perspective. It is argued that the concept of a "valence issue" could be used to differentiate between the natural histories of substantively different kinds of social problems.     

传媒视阈下性侵儿童的社会记忆研究

为探析性侵儿童集体记忆的媒介建构,对《南方都市报》等三家主流都市报中的性侵儿童新闻进行系统研究后发现,我国新闻媒体对性侵儿童社会记忆的呈现经历了一个从集体失声到开放多元的历程;媒介在报道性侵儿童案件时进行着一种仪式化的呈现与编排策略;法制与教育成为媒体报道性侵儿童时的主流框架,基于现代新闻伦理道德的考虑,媒体更多地是把创伤复现和创伤处理置于两元对立的地位,对被侵害儿童的创伤叙事进行了遮蔽和掩盖。     

The Importance of Identity in Policy: The Case For and Of Children

This article draws out one of the core reasons why children should be conceived as active agents in research, particularly policy‐related research. The main thesis is that policy inevitably projects and, to an extent, constitutes the subject identities of its intended objects — in this case, that of ‘children’. Drawing on several bodies of theory — the ‘new’ sociology of childhood, identity theory, ‘governmentality’ and theories of discourse — the article shows why not incorporating children’s voices is a problem for social policy, and suggests that the impact of their exclusion has the potential to render policy both inappropriate and non‐responsive.     

Building a Social Movement for America's Children

Americans are concerned with the conditions of children and young people, and this concern has proven to be pervasive, intense, and enduring. But it has also largely proven to be politically anemic. Beyond the consensus that children's well-being is threatened, there is little public agreement over who bears responsibility for these problems or what we should do about them. As a result, public unease has failed to translate into a coherent and widespread demand for political change. What explains this gap between public concern and political action when it comes to children's well-being? This paper addresses four aspects of this question: First, in what ways is the public concerned for the well-being of children? Second, why has this concern failed to lead to political mobilization? Third, what factors helped to translate public concern with children in earlier eras into political movements, and why were those movements able to contribute to the policy-making process? Fourth, what might contemporary children's advocacy—reconfigured in light of these insights—look like? Answering these questions sheds light on how collective public will develops and how and when it translates into collective political action benefiting children.     

莫让“社会达尔文主义”成为孩子的乳汁

本文认为当今经济与社会的发展正在为青少年的成长提供良好的物质条件,然而有助于青少年心智健康发展的精神氛围却不容乐观。＂不要让孩子输在起跑线上＂的口号凸显了＂社会达尔文主义＂倾向,并正严重干扰着青少年的健康成长。作者指出：＂社会达尔文主义＂把人生还原到了适者生存的动物世界,从而消解了人类最珍贵的真善美和亲情友情,更误读误导着市场经济和现代社会的发育。由此,本文呼吁社会各界＂切莫让‘社会达尔文主义’成为孩子的乳汁＂,坚决抵制反映这一倾向的观念与制度的泛滥。     

Gender Gaps in Educational Outcomes Among Children of New Migrants: The Role of Social Integration from a Comparative Perspective

This article reviews current research on gender gaps in educational outcomes among children of new migrants (first, 1.5, and second generations) from a comparative cross‐national perspective. The article examines potential explanations for why gendered differences in educational outcomes among immigrants (vis‐à‐vis non‐migrants) continue to occur, focusing on individual, schooling, and institutional factors. For example, while gender gaps in expectations and aspirations as well as some cognitive outcomes are increasing (reading ability is considerably higher among females) and shrinking in specific subjects (e.g. math and science ability is slightly higher among boys), that process often has been less explored within and across immigrant vis‐à‐vis non‐immigrant students. We show that in some countries, gender gaps among disadvantaged ethnic minorities (in relation to other groups) continue to persist and are exacerbated by institutional factors. These disadvantages vary not only across different educational systems and at different rates over time but also are based on students' social background. Overall, we argue that these educational inequalities are key to understanding not only the socioeconomic and future political adaptation of migrants and their children but also future social policy developments in the European Union context.     

The Notion of Justice in Social Workers' Decisions About Children

This paper investigates the notion of justice in social work with a view to understanding the kind of decisions which may be made for ‘children in need’. The approach is both theoretical and empirical. By examining the reasoning of social workers in cases where children have been admitted voluntarily to local authority care, the author explores the value-base of the professionals in difficult cases. The result is a picture of justice which has both social and legal dimensions, combined in a way which can be explained by reference to practice theory.     

The UNCRC and Social Workers' Relationships with Young Children

In the UK, The Munro Review of Child Protection (2010, 2011a, 2011b) has recently highlighted that among the failings in safeguarding children known to social services is the lack of meaningful relationships between social workers and children. In her final report, Munro (2011b) has made recommendations for a more child‐centred system anchored on two themes – the child's journey and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This article illustrates by way of practical examples how the UNCRC, together with the detailed advice and guidance contained in the UNCRC general comments numbers 5, 7 and 12, provides the best framework for developing effective social work relationships with, and safeguarding, young children. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Citing Literature

Number of times cited according to CrossRef: 14

• Robert B Porter, Recording of Children and Young People’s Views in Contact Decision-Making, The British Journal of Social Work, 10.1093/bjsw/bcz115, 50 , 6, (1796-1815), (2019). Crossref
• Ercüment Erbay, Ertu?rul Hatipo?lu, Sosyal Hizmet Uzmanlar?n?n Gerçekle?tirdikleri Mesleki Uygulamalarda ve Ald?klar? Kararlarda Çocuklar?n Kat?l?m Hakk?n? Dikkate Alma Durumlar?, OPUS Uluslararas? Toplum Ara?t?rmalar? Dergisi, 10.26466/opus.538109, (2019). Crossref
• Cheryl McCormack, Marie Gibbons, Caroline McGregor, An Ecological Framework for Understanding and Improving Decision Making in Child Protection and Welfare Intake (Duty) Practices in the Republic of Ireland, Child Care in Practice, 10.1080/13575279.2019.1685464, (1-17), (2019). Crossref
• Paul McCafferty, Implementing Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in Child Protection Decision-Making: a Critical Analysis of the Challenges and Opportunities for Social Work, Child Care in Practice, 10.1080/13575279.2016.1264368, 23 , 4, (327-341), (2017). Crossref
• Joe Duffy, Mary Collins, Sook Hyun Kim, Linking family engagement with a rights perspective: macro factors influencing practice, European Journal of Social Work, 10.1080/13691457.2016.1255925, 21 , 1, (45-60), (2016). Crossref
• Jo Dillon, Daz Greenop, Mel Hills, Participation in child protection: A small-scale qualitative study, Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice, 10.1177/1473325015578946, 15 , 1, (70-85), (2015). Crossref
• Michele Cascardi, Cathy Brown, Svetlana Shpiegel, Ariel Alvarez, Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going? A Conceptual Framework for Child Advocacy, SAGE Open, 10.1177/2158244015576763, 5 , 1, (215824401557676), (2015). Crossref
• Karmen Toros, Michael C. LaSala, Marju Medar, Assessment of Children in Need in a Post-Soviet Context: Reflections of Child Protective Workers in Estonia, Journal of Family Social Work, 10.1080/10522158.2015.1065458, 18 , 4, (267-287), (2015). Crossref
• G.G. van Bijleveld, C.W.M. Dedding, J.F.G. Bunders-Aelen, Seeing eye to eye or not? Young people's and child protection workers' perspectives on children's participation within the Dutch child protection and welfare services, Children and Youth Services Review, 10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.09.018, 47 , (253-259), (2014). Crossref
• Julie Ridley, Cath Larkins, Nicola Farrelly, Shereen Hussein, Helen Austerberry, Jill Manthorpe, Nicky Stanley, Investing in the relationship: practitioners’ relationships with looked‐after children and care leavers in Social Work Practices, Child & Family Social Work, 10.1111/cfs.12109, 21 , 1, (55-64), (2013). Wiley Online Library
• Sara Johnsdotter, European Somali Children Dumped? On families, parents, and children in a transnational context, European Journal of Social Work, 10.1080/13691457.2013.844682, 18 , 1, (81-96), (2013). Crossref
• C. Larkins, J. Ridley, N. Farrelly, H. Austerberry, A. Bilson, S. Hussein, J. Manthorpe, N. Stanley, Children's, Young People's and Parents' Perspectives on Contact: Findings from the Evaluation of Social Work Practices, British Journal of Social Work, 10.1093/bjsw/bct135, 45 , 1, (296-312), (2013). Crossref
• Karmen Toros, Anne Tiko, Koidu Saia, Child-centered approach in the context of the assessment of children in need: Reflections of child protection workers in Estonia, Children and Youth Services Review, 10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.03.011, 35 , 6, (1015-1022), (2013). Crossref
• Jane V. Appleton, Peter Sidebotham, Making an Impact for Children, Child Abuse Review, 10.1002/car.1208, 20 , 6, (391-394), (2011). Wiley Online Library

Volume 20 , Issue 6 November/December 2011

Pages 395-406     

Social Problems Work: The Cases of Children and Youth

This article reviews the literature on social problems work concerned with children and young people. Social problems work involves assessing particular people, events and circumstances as instances of social problems. We focus on how social problems work is organized within discourses of childhood and youth, how it is a site for holding children and young people accountable, and how normalization is an aspect of social problems work. Our review brings together analytic themes in the literature on social problems and that on children and young people. We also point to topics that might be elaborated upon in future research on social problems work concerned with children and young people.     

The future of universities in a global risk society

This contribution concurs with Mittelman and also considers the quest for truth a core purpose of universities. However, it rejects the idea that there is one panoptical view of the world, one single truth that could guide such a quest. Drawing on a systems-theoretical perspective and its emphasis on specialization and fragmentation, I rather explore the role of universities in a world that can only partially be known. Such a perspective sheds fresh light on the rise of external quality assurances agencies as a second-order observation that enables further specialization of universities. The study of the rise of this remote steering mechanism reminds us of the limits of a country comparison that does not account of the multiscalarity of policy making, particularly in Europe. However, I will also highlight how most recent changes in higher education policy are characterized by a return to a stronger governmental oversight, undoing some of the liberalization steps taken in the late 1990s, early 2000s. This transformation not only indicates that we are moving towards an end of globalization as we know it. It can, but does not have to, undermine the universities capacity to deal with complexity, as I will show.     

The Historical Importance of Social Justice in the Founding of the National Career Development Association

The authors discuss the role of social justice in the founding of the National Career Development Association (NCDA). They discuss the historic context of the founding, the social justice work of the pioneers of vocational guidance, and the social justice influences that permeate the fabric of NCDA even today.     

The Importance of Social Cues for Discretionary Health Services Utilization: The Case of Infertility

Infertility is a discretionary health condition; although it carries with it important life course implications, treatment is rarely necessary for health reasons. Sociological theories of medical help‐seeking emphasize demographic factors, perceived need, and enabling conditions in health services utilization, but we find that social cues are also strongly associated with health services utilization for infertility. Adjusted for conventional predictors of medical help‐seeking, several social cue indicators have significant associations with utilization, including having friends and family with children, perceiving infertility stigma, and having a partner and/or family member who encourages treatment. Perceived need accounts for the largest portion of the variation in utilization. Enabling conditions explain less of the variance than social cues. Social cues should be especially important for discretionary health services utilization. Studies of service utilization for discretionary health conditions should explicitly incorporate a range of measures of social cues into their models.     

The Importance of the Coparental Relationship for Nonresident Fathers’ Ties to Children

We examine the importance of the coparental relationship for nonresident fathers’ ties to their children. Using data from Wave 2 of the National Survey of Families and Households, we focus on the link between two dimensions of coparenting, cooperative coparenting and conflict over childrearing, and three dimensions of nonresident father involvement, contact, relationship quality, and responsive fathering. Cooperative coparenting predicts more frequent father‐child contact, which in turn predicts higher relationship quality and more responsive fathering. Conflict over childrearing, however, is not significantly related to nonresident father involvement. Findings are consistent across different groups of children. Results suggest that cooperative coparenting between parents who live apart is associated with stronger ties between nonresident fathers and their children.     

Know Your Counterparts: The Importance of Wording for Stakeholder Communication in Social Franchise Enterprises

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - Social enterprises pursue a dual mission: on the one hand, they strive for social purpose, while on the other, they try to...     

The Ethics of Social Research with Children: An Overview1

This paper attempts to provide an overview of ethical issues related to social research with children. It sets the discussion in the context of current debates about researching children in the UK, and explores the extent to which children should be regarded as similar to, or different from, adults in social research, focusing on how children are positioned as vulnerable, incompetent and relatively powerless in society in general, and how this conceptualisation of children needs to be taken into account in social research. The paper concludes with some practical and methodological suggestions.