Approaching the Concept of Change in Education for Social Work

“Change” is one of the most confused and abused terms in social work literature, practice, and education. It is a very complex concept, but has been treated very casually and simplistically, and has suffered from a lack of analysis of its many dimensions and implications. This unclear usage results in a disservice to students when it is taught without full awareness of its multiple meanings, directions, and consequences. This paper attempts an analysis of these factors, with special emphasis on the nature of individual change and the role of a helping person in that process.     

Type a behaviour and back pain

Abstract

Type A behaviour and back pain     

HOW DESTRUCTIVE IS CREATIVE DESTRUCTION? EFFECTS OF JOB LOSS ON JOB MOBILITY,WITHDRAWAL AND INCOME

We analyze short and long‐term effects of worker displacement. Our sample consists of male workers displaced from Norwegian manufacturing plants. We find that displacement increases the probability of leaving the labor force by 31%. The drop‐out rate from the labor force is particularly high in the first years following displacement. The average earnings effects for those who remain in the labor force are moderate, a 3% loss relative to non‐displaced workers after seven years. Splitting displaced workers on within‐ and between‐firm movers, we find that the estimated earnings loss is entirely driven by between‐firm movers who experience a 3.6% loss. Transfers to other plants within multi‐plant firms upon displacement are quite common. Our results support the view that human capital is partly firm specific and partly industry specific. We find no evidence suggesting that human capital is plant specific.     

Work factors related to stress and recurrent low back pain among Finnish planners and workers

Factors related both to the experience of prolonged stress and to recurrent low back pain were analysed by means of questionnaire responses of planners (n = 146) and workers (n = 315) in the Finnish metal industry. Job factors and overall satisfaction turned out to be related independently to stress in both groups. The strongest relation was found between stress and organizational job characteristics. Among the workers physical exhaustion and defects in ergonomy were also related to the experience of stress. Factors related to low back pain were mainly physical in origin, although organizational factors also made some contribution to such pain.