Does it get better? LGBTQ social work students and experiences with harmful discourse

Although the field of social work is grounded in social justice, the social work educational experience, including classrooms, may not live up to this value, especially for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, this study examined the experiences of harmful discourse in social work classrooms for LGBTQ students. Findings indicate that students experienced being misgendered, tokenized, and erased through cis-/heteronormative language and classroom teachings. Although social work is guided by frameworks of social justice, microaggressions and discrimination may be vaguely glossed over, if addressed at all. This study highlights the gap between the values social work teaches and how social work education is delivered.     

Differences in Experiences of Discrimination in Accessing Social Services Among Transgender/Gender Nonconforming Individuals by (Dis)Ability

Transgender and gender nonconforming (GNC) individuals frequently experience discrimination and potentially a lack of respect from service providers, suggesting they have decreased access to professionals with cultural competency. Similarly, people with disabilities experience higher levels of discrimination in social services than their nondisabled counterparts. From an intersectional perspective, this study examines rates of discrimination in accessing social services faced by transgender and GNC people, comparing across ability. Data indicate that although transgender and GNC individuals of all abilities experience gender-based discrimination when accessing social services, those with disabilities experience higher levels of antitransgender discrimination in mental health centers, rape crisis centers, and domestic violence shelters.     

The air we breathe

Public attitudes toward smoking are complex, but the facts for businesses are clear. Second-hand smoke is a major health hazard, and the most unhealthy places for second-hand smoke are bars and restaurants. While there is little support for a total smoking ban, selected bans are more popular. Even if new federal rules don't force restaurants to ban smoking, businesses can gain a competitive edge by going smoke-free.     

Sexist talk: Gender categories,participants’ orientations and irony

This paper uses a discursive social psychological approach to develop and extend what we know about the constitution of sexist talk. Using data from a variety of sources where the topic under discussion is gender and leisure, I examine actual instances of sexism in action. Specifically, I examine the ways in which participants use arguments about possible injury to justify women’s non–participation in certain sport and leisure activities. I identify three resources that participants use to sustain sexist accounts, and bolster their arguments against attack. A fourth resource problematises just what counts as sexist talk, and provides evidence for the ways in which participants themselves can exploit sexist arguments in an ironic fashion to expose and challenge sexist assumptions. I end by considering the implications of this approach for future work on sexist talk, and discursive work on the relationship between gender and language more generally.     

Race,Wealth, and Class Identification in 21st‐Century American Society

This study examines the determinants of Americans’ subjective class identities, using General Social Survey data from 2006. In particular, this study addresses the question of whether individuals’ objective class positions, including wealth, account for differences in class identification between whites and blacks. The principal finding is that self‐identified blacks have lower odds of identifying as middle class or upper class than self‐identified whites, net of their objective class positions and their class origins. This finding suggests that the class identities of blacks are shaped by experiences of racial discrimination or by other elements of racial inequality.     

A survey of mental health district structure and effectiveness

A national survey using a mailed questionnaire was undertaken to clarify issues of mental health district governance. CMHC, state hospital and district management and governance staff from 49 identified districts classified their districts on 20 types of decision authority and 14 measures of district effectiveness. Each respondent type thought their districts: (1) dealt with state money issues, seeking regional money, and coordinating/changing programs and services, and (2) effectively enhanced planning capabilities. Service providers did not find planning capabilities to be systematically related to specific decision authorities. CMHC management perceived less district control than district officials and, with state hospital management, perceived less effectiveness. District and CMHC officials see a direct relationship between district control and effectiveness. In a subsample of 11 districts each described by multiple respondent types, no item of authority or effectiveness was rated universally positive by all groups. District management subjectivity and legislative implications are discussed.