When Watching A Sunset Can Help A Relationship Dawn Anew: Nature‐Guided Therapy For Couples And Families

Based on the case of a couple in conflict who were available for only two sessions of Therapy, this article explores the application of a brief, integrative ecopsychology, Nature‐Guided Therapy, in relationship work. It discusses what nature‐guided Therapy is, where it fits in the spectrum of Therapypeutic interventions, and how it can be applied. As there is a paucity of literature linking the growing field of ecoTherapy with family and couple Therapy, the relevance of nature‐guided approaches is discussed. Its goal goes beyond problem resolution, aiming at the creation of positive, effective and joyful relationships. Step‐by‐step procedures for applying nature‐guided interventions in family and couple work are presented.     

A COMPUTER SIMULATION APPROACH TO THE TEACHING OF MAIL SURVEY STRATEGY ALTERNATIVES AND CHOICE

The author uses a computer simulation of mail questionnaire response rates to acquaint students with trade-offs in terms of survey cost, accuracy, and time. In the absence of a theoretical base in the literature, the approach familiarizes students with current issues and problems, and helps to develop a decision-making framework for this survey method. A step-by-step procedure emphasizing student involvement is described.     

A new variant of dual-record population estimation with an application in remote indigenous communities

Dual-record system methods are commonly used as a basis for population estimation. A basic assumption is that the units sampled are drawn only from the population to be estimated. This assumption cannot be met for remote Indigenous communities in Australia. A new variant of dual-record population estimation is presented, which relies on the availability of specific additional information to relax the assumption of perfect frame specification. This variant is applied to two remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory of Australia, using locally available data sources. Further theoretical exploration of this method is presented along with possible applications in estimating area-enumerated populations and census coverage.     

AP(E)L as a guidance and support mechanism in the Diploma in Social Work

In order to contextualize the multi-interpretative paradigms that characterize the present HE, we propose a model in which the Assessment of Prior and Experiential Learning, AP(E)L, focuses more on assessment and less on accreditation, with a four phase application of the interrelationship between AP(E)L and Learning Development for pre-entry, entry, on-programme and exit of a student's time within a programme of study. In turn, this brings into focus the way experience has now become a contested space that reflects paradigm shifts in the focus of learning and the way learning is to be acknowledged in the new universities. This account details the application of this model within the social work subject area at the University of East London. In many ways, this reflects not only the pre-supposition, central to the AP(E)L policy, that learning should be recognized wherever it takes place, but also the shift from interior intellectual systems to a more open epistemology that has been shaped by the relationship of knowledge producers and knowledge users in specific markets.     

Intercultural Experience as an Impediment of Trust: Examining the Impact of Intercultural Experience and Social Trust Culture on Institutional Trust in Government

Government is an important institution in every society, but public trust in government has been declining worldwide. Like social trust, institutional trust in government manifests in two forms—goodwill-based (based on intentions and purposes) and competence-based (based on competence and performance). Using archival data of the AsiaBarometer (2004), I found a cross-level interaction effect of intercultural experience and social trust culture on goodwill-based, but not competence-based, institutional trust in government. Intercultural experience was negatively related to goodwill-based institutional trust in government within regions of low social trust but not within regions of high social trust. Both types of institutional trust in government within regions of high social trust were lower than those within regions of low social trust. Furthermore, both types of institutional trust in government were positively related to socioeconomic, public, and personal life satisfaction. These findings shed light on the tension between institutional trust in government and social trust as well as a government’s dilemma posed by intercultural experience.     

Trends in Domestic and International Social Work Research: A 10-Year Review of American Research Journals

ABSTRACT

This article presents a typology of international social work research and analyzes trends over a 10-year period (1995–2004) based on reviews of 707 articles from three major American social work research journals: Social Work Research, Journal of Social Service Research, and Research on Social Work Practice. The analysis revealed there was a considerable increase (3.5%) in the total amount of research articles, particularly a higher increase in international social work research (2.8%) than national social work research (0.8%). A small decline was detected in transnational comparative research (?0.4%).