Evidence-based practice: from medicine to social work

The last 10 years have witnessed an increasing interest in evidence-based practice in the field of medicine. The product of a time characterised by the explosion of information technology, a heightened sense of risk, and the enshrining of the principles of economy, effectiveness, transparency and consumerism, evidence-based practice has rapidly expanded from medicine to other fields, including social work. The new paradigm has generated not only great enthusiasm in many areas of the social work profession but also an intense debate about the transferability of the principles of evidence-based practice from medicine to a discipline that operates amidst particularly complex and multifaceted societal factors. Similarly, the concept of evidence upon which social work practice should be based has been the object of considerable discussion, though initial emphasis on results from randomised controlled trials seems to be gradually shifting towards broader approaches to defining evidence. Although organisational constraints and job pressures are likely to favour the use, among practitioners, of ‘preappraised’ resources, this should not prevent social workers from acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary to make independent and critical appraisal of evidence.     

Can Klein and Kohut work together in a group?

This paper addresses the usefulness of recent contributions of psychoanalytic theory to treatment in groups. Current concepts of Klein and Kohut are described and illustrated with clinical examples. The Kleinian emphasis upon innately destructive features of personality, such as envy, is juxtaposed with Kohut's attention to the need for emphathic responses to deficits in mirroring, soothing and identification. Reconciliation of these differing points of view is considered practical and worthwhile.     

Mother–Adolescent Conflict: Adolescent Goals,Maternal Perspective‐Taking,and Conflict Intensity

Younger and older adolescents were interviewed about their goals in recent disagreements with their mothers. Six goals were identified: instrumental (simply gaining their immediate desire); dyadic concern; achieving emotional support; autonomy; dominance; and nonengagement (avoidance of conflict). Younger adolescents reported significantly more instrumental and significantly fewer emotional support and dominance goals than did older adolescents. Maternal perspective‐taking predicted more dyadic concern and fewer dominance goals, as well as more nonengagement goals for younger adolescents. Dominance goals mediated the effect of maternal dyadic perspective‐taking on conflict intensity for older adolescents.     

Participation or practice innovation: tensions in inter‐agency working to address disciplinary exclusion from school

This paper explores dilemmas and tensions between two models of school based inter‐agency meetings to prevent disciplinary exclusion from school. The first model is characterised by innovative practice developed through long established professional relationships and addresses both individual and strategic issues in supporting young people who are at risk of disciplinary exclusion from school. The second model strongly emphasises the right to participation of young people and their families in school based inter‐agency meetings. Research participants in three Scottish councils (parents, pupils, teachers and other professionals 1 ) had identified school based inter‐agency meetings as key to the process of inter‐agency working to prevent school exclusion.     

EXCHANGE PROCESSES IN HISTORY: INTEGRATING THE MICRO AND MACRO LEVELS OF ANALYSIS

The existing form of social exchange theory has serious flaws. Yet, this article argues that exchange theory should and can be a powerful tool for analysis at both the micro and macro levels. A model of exchange is developed that: (1) includes temporality; (2) includes both positive and negative sanctions; (3) defines rationality and voluntariness in such a way as to account for long-term, stable systems of unequal exchange; and (4) links the micro and macro levels of analysis. Selective historical materials are introduced to analyze the problem of routine, peaceful, unequal exchange between Romans and barbarians inside the Roman Empire. In interpersonal exchange, it shows, all the terms of exchange are not negotiated by the partners to exchange. Governing rules have been established by collective actors at the macro level for social exchange at the micro level. Traditional exchange theory has failed to identify the historically distant conflict of macro level actors over governing rules.     

Australia's Enviro-Economic Dilemma and the World View Of Buddhism

Australia sits uncomfortably in a troubled and changing world economy with new criteria for the direction of flow of material wealth between nations. Ecocatastrophe based fears may be far less powerful forces of value confrontation than potential social conflict from loss of national income and deepening inequality in in the allocation of resources. The world view of Buddhism offers one Utopian means of resolving the current Australian enviro-economic dilemma. The inevitably of radically different economic circumstances, and the rationality and idealism of the social and environmental dimensions of a Buddhist solution, are briefly examined in the Australian context.     

The role of social skills in encoding posed and spontaneous facial expressions

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between social skills and the abilities to express emotions intentionally and spontaneously. Students were videotaped during two tasks: a) while watching a series of emotionally arousing slides; and b) while posing emotional facial expressions. Judges viewing the videotapes determined how accurately the subjects could express emotions. Results suggested that certain social skills do underlie the ability to express emotions. Specifically, the ability to be emotionally expressive, but not ability to control emotions, is related to spontaneous sending ability. Expressive ability, coupled with role-playing skills, is related to posed sending ability. Additionally, the abilities to express emotions intentionally and spontaneously are positively related, suggesting that these two abilities involve some common, underlying social skill components.The authors would like to thank Charles Salinas for his assistance in the data collection.