A Qualitative Study of the Perceptions of Individuals with Disabilities Concerning Health and Rehabilitation Professionals

This paper examined the perceptions of persons with disabilities concerning their interaction with health and rehabilitation professionals. Data were collected and analysed with grounded theory methods, and resulted in a typology and a thematic analysis that found that: (a) most persons who perceived themselves to be disadvantaged by social oppression or stigma were also dissatisfied with health and rehabilitation professionals; and (b) those persons who de-emphasised the impact of disability either reported satisfaction with health and rehabilitation professionals or perceived their own efforts as being the primary factor in their ability to live with disability. The perceptions of respondents were, in most instances, mediated by dominant gender stereotypes.     

同情及其超越

讨论同情或怜悯这种情感及其相应的德性，可首先把同情这种情感置于道德概念图景中，经由批判目前占主导地位的观点，即由玛莎?纳斯鲍姆发展出的一种亚里士多德版本的观点，转而支持同情作为情感的非认知性概念。由此可以勾勒出另一种新亚里士多德主义的解释。同情之德性与其他德性的关系由此得以展开，同时也播下了同情之实践意义的怀疑种子。     

Selected characteristics of research on lesbian women: 1995-1997

This study examined characteristics of social science research that specifically included lesbians in their sample and was published from 1995-1997. A search of the PsycINFO data base identified 59 articles for analysis. Characteristics of the research that were examined included sampling issues, topics studied, and funding sources. Findings revealed: (1) snowball sampling and friendship networks were the most frequently used method of obtaining respondents; (2) lesbians were the only group studied in 22 (37.3%) of the studies; (3) family and relationships were the most frequently studied topics; and (4) 18 (30.5%) of the studies indicated receipt of at least one external funding source. Findings suggest that while lesbians are a population increasingly worthy of study. challenges remain in identifying respondents for participation in research.     

Not the Same: A Comparison of Female and Male Clients Seeking Treatment from Problem Gambling Counselling Services

Previous studies of problem gamblers portray this group as being almost exclusively male. However, this study demonstrates that females comprised 46% of the population ( n = 1,520) of persons who sought assistance due to concerns about their gambling from the publicly-funded BreakEven counselling services in the state of Victoria, Australia, in one 12-month period. This suggests that the model of service delivery which is community based counselling on a non-residential basis may be better able to attract female clients than treatment centres where males predominate such as veterans centres. A comparative analysis of the social and demographic characteristics of female and male gamblers within the study population was undertaken. As with previous studies, we have found significant differences between males and females who have sought help for problems associated with their gambling. Gender differences revealed in this study include females being far more likely to use electronic gaming machines (91.1% vs. 61.4%), older (39.6 years vs. 36.1 years), more likely to be born in Australia (79.4% vs. 74.7%), to be married (42.8% vs. 30.2%), living with family (78.9% vs. 61.5%) and to have dependent children (48.4% vs. 35.7%), than males who present at these services. Female gamblers (A$7,342) reported average gambling debts of less than half of that owed by males (A$19,091). These gender differences have implications for the development and conduct of problem gambling counselling services as it cannot be assumed that models of service which have demonstrated effectiveness with males will be similarly effective with females.     

Clinical supervision in child protection for community nurses

Community nurses have been recognized as having a key role in the protection and care of children, particularly in relation to the identification and detection of child abuse. In order to fulfill this role in a competent manner, they need to have access to appropriate supervision. The aim of this paper is to explore community nurses' and health care managers' understanding and experience of clinical supervision in child protection. The findings presented here were collected as part of a larger study commissioned by the Greater Glasgow Primary Health Care National Health Service (NHS) Trust. Ninety‐nine nurses and nursing managers were interviewed, either individually or in groups, about their professional involvement in child protection issues and support for their involvement in child protection work, as well as their current knowledge and perceived training needs. The interview data was subjected to a thematic analysis. A lack of consensus was found among nurses and managers in Glasgow as to what constitutes clinical supervision and a good deal of variation in nurses' experiences of clinical supervision in the field of child protection. The historical difficulties with regard to supervision were attributed to several aspects of nursing culture. However, both nurses and managers emphasized the need for formal, regular, systematic supervision for all nurses regardless of their specific role with regard to child protection. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment methods in social work education: A review of the literature

Student assessment is an important component of social work education, and consumes considerable effort on behalf of both students and staff members. Social work educators in higher education face the challenge of constructing assessment methods, which encourage the development of reflective and critical learning, as well as enabling students to demonstrate acquisition of required knowledge and/or skills. While there is now a substantial literature on field education, the assessment of classroom-based units has warranted less attention. This paper examines the range of assessment methods reported in the social work education literature, the evidence which supports the use of these methods and issues associated with the identified assessment methods.     

A fundamental rethink of practice learning in social work education

A common response to the need to place increasing numbers of social work students in field education or practice learning placements has been to broaden the range of organisations in which placements are sought. While this strategy has provided many beneficial learning opportunities for students, it has not been sufficient in tackling ongoing difficulties in locating work-integrated learning opportunities for social work students. We argue that new approaches to finding placement opportunities will require a fundamental rethink as to how student placements are understood. This paper introduces an innovative project which started with a consideration of learning opportunities and built a structure to facilitate these, rather than rely on organisational availability to host students on placements.     

What (a) Difference a Degree Makes: The Evaluation of the New Social Work Degree in England

After many years of debate in the UK about the need for a degree-levelqualification in social work, the arguments for a minimum degree-levelqualification were accepted. The requirements for the degreein England were developed drawing on work from a number of sources,including a benchmark statement for undergraduate degrees insocial work and focus groups with stakeholders. The new degreein England, launched in 2003, involves one extra year’sstudy; improvements in the qualifying standard for social work;and specific curriculum and entrance requirements. At the timeof launching the degree, the government department responsiblefor funding (Department of Health) commissioned a three-yearevaluation of the implementation of the new degree to establishwhether the new qualifying level leads to improvements in thequalified workforce. The aim of the evaluation is to describethe experiences of those undertaking the degree, collect theviews of the various stakeholders about the effectiveness ofthe degree and measure the impact of a degree-level qualificationon those entering the workforce. This article, written by theteam undertaking the evaluation of the England degree, exploresthe reasons for the methodological approach adopted and theissues that have arisen in setting up the research.