On Academic Rankings,Unacceptable Methods,and the Social Obligations of Business Schools

Inspired by recent discussions of the systematic costs that external rankings impose on academic institutions, and the undeniable shifts in the landscape of institutional data, a concerted and pragmatic re‐evaluation of ranking efforts has begun. In this study, multiple administrators and researchers representing both public and private institutions across the United States weigh in on these issues. While reaffirming the social contract we hold with society, we argue that the fundamental methodological shortcomings of existing rankings, and ultimately any ordinal ranking system, limit the value of current rankings. These shortcomings emerge from the conceptualization and the architecture of comparisons, and are evident in survey designs, data collection methods, and data aggregation procedures. Our discussion continues by outlining the minimal requirements that a socially responsible, transparent, flexible, and highly representative rating (vs. ranking) approach should employ. Ultimately, we call on academic institutions and organizing bodies to take a collective stand against existing rankings and to embrace the strategic use of multidimensional alternatives that faithfully serve prospective students, parents, and other key stakeholders. We conclude with a number of suggestions and opportunities for practice‐oriented research in the decision sciences aimed to support this fundamental shift in evaluative framing.     

Braving Human Suffering: Death Education and its Relationship to Empathy and Mindfulness

Social workers are likely to encounter clients dealing with traumatic grief and death in their practice. Though death education has gained in popularity and acceptance, few social work students receive coursework in this area and many are unprepared to deal with their clients' and their own emotions regarding death and grief. Though death-related content may evoke provider avoidance, mindfulness and empathy may help regulate provider emotions and responses. This United States-based study evaluates the effectiveness of experiential death education on mindfulness and empathy. Measures in three separate cohorts were given at the beginning and end of the course. Results show statistically significant increases on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy, indicating that such a course may be effective in increasing both mindfulness and empathy in social work students and those in related fields.     

Sustainable Social Work: An Environmental Justice Framework for Social Work Education

Environmental degradation is not experienced by all populations equally; hazardous and toxic waste sites, resource contamination (e.g., exposure to pesticides), air pollution, and numerous other forms of environmental degradation disproportionately affect low income and minority communities. The communities most affected by environmental injustices are often the same communities where social workers are entrenched in service provision at the individual, family, and community level. In this article, we use a global social work paradigm to describe practical ways in which environmental justice content can be infused in the training and education of social workers across contexts in order to prepare professionals with the skills to respond to ever-increasing global environmental degradation. We discuss ways for social work educators to integrate and frame environmental concerns and their consequences for vulnerable populations using existing social work models and perspectives to improve the social work profession's ability to respond to environmental injustices. There are significant social work implications; social workers need to adapt and respond to contexts that shape our practice, including environmental concerns that impact the vulnerable and oppressed populations that we serve.     

An Explorative Study of the Place of the Ethics of Care and Reflective Practice in Social Work Education and Practice

The moral development and identity of social work students have been shown to be enhanced by education in caring. Important aspects of this education are training in reflective practice and learning to have a perspective focused on professional loving care. In this study, we have explored how reflective processes can be implemented in both educational settings and working practice from an ethical point of view. Elaborating upon reflective practice from an ethical perspective focuses on reciprocity in relationships and relational capacity in institutional contexts. The study took the form of interviews with social work teachers and health care professionals. Interview and focus group data were analysed, three main topics were identified and statements were coded with relation to these topics. Use of both educators and practitioners in this study showed the importance of not neglecting the transition from education to practice. Responses also showed the value placed upon continuous education and development over the course of a health care professional's career.     

外国及香港政府法律顾问制度对我国内地的启示

美国、英国、新加坡以及我国香港地区都建立了完善的政府法律顾问制度。这些制度启示我们:在我国建立政府法律顾问制度,必须提升政府法律顾问的法律地位,必须推进为政府首长设立专职首席法律顾问,必须聘用大量律师为政府提供法律服务。我国已对公职律师制度进行了有益探索。尽管对这种探索还存在争议,但是法治政府建设需要法律专家协助已是一种不争的事实,其中社会律师是政府法律顾问的最佳人选。     

包头市中小学教师基于信息技术环境的专业研修情况调查

“包头地区校本培训中信息技术资源的开发与利用”课题组于2005年4月在包头市124所中小学的350名教师中进行了“基于信息技术环境下的专业研修情况”调查,结果显示:包头市中小学的现代信息技术条件已具备一定基础,绝大多数学校和教师比较重视信息技术对于教育教学及教师专业发展的作用,初步形成了使用信息技术的环境;具备了使用信息技术的一定能力,教育信息技术与教学、与教师专业研修的联系日趋紧密。存在的主要问题是:薄弱学校的信息技术条件差距较大;相当数量的教师接触的信息资源有限;好多教师对电脑的更多功能不了解、不熟悉;网络利用率偏低,而且不同学段、不同条件、不同性别、不同学科教师的使用情况存在较大差异。     

试析《天演论》的意译方式

严复在翻译《天演论》的过程中，综合运用了十多种意译方法。本文通过对《天演论》文音译文与《进化论与伦理学》白话译文的对比研究，择要举例说明，分析其意译方式，并努力探讨其得失和作用。     

浅析职业知识女性教育中存在的问题

职业知识女性在我国女性中占有一定的比例,她们是我国社会主义现代化建设的一支生力军,在各行各业中发挥着不可替代的作用。然而,在现实生活中,职业知识女性的作用与潜能并没有充分地发挥出来。制约职业知识女性成长既有社会因素,也有女性自身的因素。探讨制约职业知识女性成长的因素,并创造职业知识女性成长的有利环境,无论对于提高女性的素质,发挥她们的潜能为社会贡献其才智,还是提高整个社会的文明程度,都具有一定的意义。     

试论中国传统哲学伦理主义特征

中国传统哲学把“人道”、“天道”合二为一，按照伦理道德原则构制宇宙观。儒家哲学思想把伦理准则夸大为宇宙万物存在的本体和普遍规律，认为知识的价值在于有利于人格修养，强调美为善服务。     

我国专业社会工作在提供服务过程中的本土化特性

依据社会工作实务通用过程模式,结合一线社工的实务经验和相关理论研究,从接案、预估、计划、实施、评估和结案等六个方面,探讨我国专业社会工作在服务介入过程中,异于西方社会工作理论的独特工作方式及内容。以期深化我国社会工作本土化研究的领域,并为一线社工的实际工作提供经验借鉴。