This study explores the role of exercise and nutrition in burnout rates of social workers. Through convenience and snowball sampling 100 workers were asked to complete a questionnaire, with 82 returned. Burnout was assessed on three subscales, Emotional Exhaustion (EE), Depersonalization (DP) and Personal Accomplishment (PA), using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). The exercise questions were adapted from Canada's Physical Activity Guide of Healthy Living. The nutrition questions were adapted from Healthy Eating Worksheet from the Canadian Cancer Society. Those employed in child welfare had significantly higher levels of EE and DP and significantly lower levels of PA. Results of a multiple regression analysis indicated that higher exercise scores were significantly related to lower levels of EE. Higher nutrition scores were significantly related to lower levels of EE, and DP, and higher levels of PA. These effects were found even when setting was controlled for.

Adult learning models have emerged that help social work students to make links between their lived experiences, narratives, and their developing identity as practitioners. This educational methodology involves students exploring and co-constructing their own personal and professional narratives through dialogue, sharing them within a reflecting team format. Reflecting teams emerged out of the work of family therapist Tom Andersen, and have been further developed for practitioner education by narrative therapist, Michael White. A detailed description of the learning model is provided, with an overview of the orienting principles and some guidelines for application. / The educational practice of reflecting processes is examined through a conceptual framework drawing on the ideas of Mikhail Bakhtin (1895-1975) and Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934). Bakhtin was a literary theorist, philosopher, and teacher who was interested in language, literature and human consciousness, and was fascinated with dialogue in relationship as a site of knowledge construction as well as a model for understanding the dialogic nature of human consciousness. Vygotsky was a psychologist, cultural theorist, and activist who conceptualized learning as a social process that occurs in relationship. He also investigated language as a psychological/cultural tool, and was curious about human consciousness as "inner speech." Their writings act as a theoretical foundation for the dissertation, providing a series of heuristic devices or lenses through which to view reflecting processes: individual/social, self/other, outer word/inner speech, language, monologue/dialogue, and authoritarian/internally persuasive discourse. / The dissertation includes an alternative to traditional academic rhetorical style in the form of conversations between various writers. Drawing on Bakhtin and Vygotsky, a dialogical genre is developed as an approach to engaging with the texts of Andersen and White. In developing this methodology, the dialogic form of inquiry is expressed in a conversation between Bakhtin, Vygotsky and a student persona. This dialogic genre also occurs as an extended series of conversations in the format of a reflecting process between Andersen, White, Bakhtin, Vygotsky, and a student, Mishka. The dissertation concludes with an overview of Bakhtin's exploration of moving from monologue to dialogue and from authoritarian to internally persuasive discourse, and how this is accomplished by means of the "penetrated word" and transformative discourse in the context of relationship.

This thesis addresses the question of educating for democratic development from the perspective of women leaders in community development organizations. The goal of this study is to expand our current understanding of education by giving voice to women's insights and experiences while considering their philosophical and practical contributions to the field. / Education is first considered in its traditional form as a static phenomenon which promotes hierarchy and perpetuates the status quo. The deconstruction of oppression is then addressed in order to develop a theoretical framework of critical, feminist and engaged pedagogies. This framework offers insight into a reconstruction of education as an instrument for promoting social responsibility and social action. / Nine women leaders in social action are interviewed using qualitative and phenomenological research methodologies. Their motivations, philosophies and organizational practices, and ideas are considered in the context of education. As a result, the insight that these women offer to the field of education is revealed and illustrated.

Over the past decade, the theoretical basis for composition research and pedagogy has expanded. A social perspective on writing has been added to the cognitive view which dominated composition studies throughout the 1970s and early 80s. This social perspective has radically altered conceptions of the writing process. Whereas cognitive theory placed a creative and isolated individual at the centre of the writing act, social theory locates the writer in community, and shifts much of the control of discourse from the individual to the group. / This research takes the form of a case study of social workers attached to Quebec's Youth Court system. The specific focus within that setting is the preparation of reports about adolescents in trouble with the law. Data were collected through "think-aloud" protocols and interviews, including discourse-based interviews. The study offers a detailed description of the complex and dynamic relationship between the individual writer and the community, and provides a new perspective on the concept of "audience" and the notion of genre as social action.

Transracial adoption continues to be a widely debated and controversial subject matter. The purpose of this study was to complete an examination of what adoption social workers do to teach adoptive parents regarding their adoptees' differing cultural and ethnic background. A questionnaire was sent to all adoption social workers employed by Children's Aid Societies in Ontario; 90 responded. The questionnaire included questions regarding demographic information, opinions of transracial adoption and also explored the actual actions taken to teach adoptive parents about their adoptees' differing cultural and ethnic background. Findings were that the majority of adoption social workers in Ontario are Caucasian, and that they have a high level of agreement with the appropriateness of transracial adoptions. The total actions taken by social workers to educate adoptive parents were found to be quite low; a higher number of actions taken was associated with: (1) The social workers being older; (2) The fact that they adopted transracially themselves; (3) Longer experience in social work, and specifically in adoption; (4) More transracial adoptions facilitated.

This research examines the concept of quality as it relates to the social work practitioner working within the large statutory organisation. It explores the practitioners perceptions about what constitutes quality practice, and how they know whether they are providing a quality service to their client groups. / While practitioners have individual views as to what constitutes quality practice, there are clear indications that this quality can be determined through a number of means, largely those that based on personal assessment or institution, and those processes determined by external review or evaluation criteria. There is however, evidence to suggest that practitioners would like to see the implementation of other review processes that would provide them with further input as to the nature and quality of service they are providing as individual practitioners, and as a team of agency. However, factors such as insufficient time, and lack of opportunity and resources, often prevent this from happening to the satisfaction of the practitioner. / This investigation also examines social work practitioners views as to their respective agencys and departments views on quality practice and the review process, particularly as it relates to the social worker. Practitioners are of the belief that workplaces and departments with whom they are employed support the development and implementation of review processes in principle, but in reality, the supports and opportunities to undertake such endeavours are not available. / Thesis (MSoSc(SocialWorkSocPolicy)--University of South Australia, 2000.

Thesis (MSocWk)--University of South Australia, 2001

This thesis examines the factors that influence staff retention and turnover of Australian rural social workers and the process of personal and professional adjustment that they often experience after relocating to commence practice. / Thesis (PhD(SocWk))--University of South Australia, 2001

Thesis (PhD) -- Australian Catholic University, 2006. / Submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Bibliography: p. 369-394. Also available in an electronic format via the internet.

Zugl. Kurzfassung von: Magdeburg, Univ., Diss., 2003 u.d.T.: Müller, Monika: Berufsbiographie und Orientierungskerne des beruflichen Handelns in zwei unterschiedlichen Gesellschaftsformationen