published_or_final_version / Sociology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

The study aimed firstly to explore whether there were any differences in the quality of parent-child interactions in those children who scored high and those who scored low on the Pupil Behavior Rating Scale. Sixty-five pupils were randomly selected and rated on the Pupil Behavior Rating Scale concurrently by the teacher and the researcher. Ten of the highest performers and 10 lowest performers were then studied predominantly by the use of a questionnaire constructed by the researcher. However, the results of the study was hampered by the use of the questionnaire in that, unlike participant observation, it only showed differences in a limited number of areas. Much useful information, however, was obtained about the two groups of families, especially relating to socio-economic variables and attitudes to pre-schoo1 education. A second aim was to investigate the role of the social worker in promoting parental involvement in pre-schoo1 education. Here, the utilization of a needs assessment profile indicated that groupwork and social work intervention aimed at teachers were possible ways to promote parental involvement in pre-school education. An intervention programme was thus planned and executed by the researcher which confirmed that the social worker can be a useful resource in promoting home-school relations. Recommendations were made in regard to the role of the social worker, how the school system can be improved to promote parental involvement, and suggestions on future research. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1987.

Social work is a profession that espouses respect for the value of diversity. However, diversity is limited in social work programs as these programs focus primarily on the teaching of verbal methods of connection for social workers to engage with clients. Non verbal methods of communication are limited in social work programs. This inhibits diversity as research has demonstrated that many clients for various reasons are unable to communicate through verbal dialogue. This present study explored social workers attitudes towards the use of art in their therapy. Six social workers from a children's mental health agency were interviewed and the results indicated that social workers used art in their work and found it beneficial for their clients. The social workers limited education in non-verbal modalities of communication however, prevented them from using the art effectively. The study recommends that social work programs include nonverbal methods of communication to ensure diversity and best practice for the profession of social work.

This study focuses on the implementation of national intervention programs for street children in the province of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A two-fold research methodology was employed, a combination of analyzing the pertinent documentation relating to policy and intervention programs along with interviews of key informants from government offices and non-governmental institutions. The current programs fail to address the root causes of the economic, political, and social barriers encountered by street children. National policies and programs are not intertwined with efforts of empowerment at the provincial and regional levels. To compound these deficiencies, adaptive strategies incorporating local culture, conditions, and needs are also absent in the planning and implementation of official programs. Alternative efforts are required to rectify the inadequacies endemic to current approaches for assisting street children. A number of recommendations are presented in this study, which take into consideration the complex problems presented by existing programs and suggest a rethinking and a redesign of contemporary methodologies in Indonesia.

This thesis presents findings from a postal survey in 1991, mainly in three diverse areas in the north of England. 339 members responded from six important professions in child protection: social workers, health visitors, teachers, police, general practitioners and paediatricians. The overall response rate was 60%. It explores practitioners' varied exposure to child protection training and experience of cases, their different severity ratings of brief vignettes of abuse, their thoughts and action proposals and choice of contacts in relation to an unfolding vignette, and their perceptions of local procedures and the functioning of their local child protection networks. The work rests on a literature review published in 1991 under the title Coordination and Child Protection: a review of the literature by Christine Hallett and myself. The general findings of the survey are that interprofessional cooperation and coordination are well accepted tenets among workers in the system and that most informed respondents believe the system works fairly well, particularly in the assessment stage. However, many people, particularly among teachers and general practitioners, revealed an extremely limited involvement in or knowledge of the system. A complex network is revealed. Social workers, specialist police and consultant paediatricians clearly emerge as the core but health visitors appear to be a crucial bridge between frontline agencies and the core professions. Many other professions and agencies appear to have peripheral or episodic involvement in cases. Despite the generally favourable view of the system's functioning, many points of tension and conflict are evident. These range from discrepant evaluations of cases through many other factors to competing priorities and resource shortfalls as obstacles to coordination. A number of proposals to ameliorate some of these tensions are put forward.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (MSW) -- University of Newcastle, 2003. / School of Social Sciences. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-183). Also available online.

Thesis (Psy. D)--Indiana University of Pennsylvania. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1991.