The purpose of this study is to assess the attitudes of a select group of social workers in the Portland area. The study will focus on their attitudes about the causes of poverty and actions to deal with problems of poverty. These attitudes will be examined in the context of a theoretical framework. The sample consists of those social workers and social work-related professionals who serve as field instructors for the Portland State School of Social Work. This means that the study will also provide information about the attitudes that Portland State social work students are likely to encounter in the field during the master's program. This information may be useful to the school in evaluating, developing, or modifying curriculum.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

This study investigates attitudes toward working with older clients held by service providers in an urban social service system. Four samples were involved: three of providers (Interview Panel, n = 22; Pretest Sample, n = 89; and Survey Sample, n = 428) and one of providers and their older clients (Encounter Sample, n = 52 providers, 147 clients). The first time samples included 13 provider types: hospital doctors, nurses, and nurses aides; in-home nurses and aides; nursing home nurses and aides; mental health practitioners; and income, nutrition, transportation, housing, and interaction personnel. The Encounter Sample included: in-home nurses and aides, and interaction personnel. All samples came from the Portland (Oregon) SMSA. Data were collected during May 1977 to August 1978. Results are of three types: an analytical model, a set of measurement scales, and research findings. The model consists of elements from the general literature on attitudes which are made specific to the study of providers' attitudes toward working with older clients. Its aim is to promote comprehensiveness and comparability of research in this area, and to suggest research questions. Two kinds of scales were developed: "general attitude" scales (measuring providers' attitudes toward working with older clients in the abstract) and "specific attitude" scales (measuring providers' attitudes toward individual older clients). For general attitudes, 10 scales operationalize cognitions of older clients, 9 scales operationalize cognitions of the job situation, 3 scales operationalize affect toward older clients, 1 scale operationalizes affect toward the job globally, and 1 scale operationalizes behavioral predispositions toward older clients. For specific attitudes, four scales operationalize cognitions of older clients. The scales' internal consistency reliability coefficients range from .50 to .89. The findings address six research questions, focusing on attitude valence, attitude uniformity across provider type, and the relationships between: cognition, affect, and behavioral predisposition; attitudes toward older clients versus the job situation; attitudes and choices of clients; and antecedents (e.g., providers' age) and attitudes. Major findings included: on the average, providers reported moderate positiveness toward both older clients and the job situation; and, across types, providers reported attitudes that were non-uniform in valence.

The study is a survey of attitudes among social work practitioners and educators, both ethnic minority and and non-minority, regarding social work with minority clients. Chapter II presents a statement of the problem and the purpose of the study. Chapter III is a review of pertinent literature. Chapter IV discusses the design and methodology for the research project. Chapter V discusses the findings and limitations of the study, and Chapter VI provides a summary and further recommendations for research and practice.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

This research developed from our interest in juvenile delinquency. We wished to examine how youth workers think about the causes of delinquency, the structure of delinquency programs, and their own role as workers. These perceptions will be examined by looking at workers' responses to statements dealing with 1) juvenile delinquency causation, 2) programs for treatment and prevention, and 3) the role of the worker. The responses will be examined in the light of a theoretical framework reflecting the continuum between theories and programs based on individual causation and those emphasizing societal factors.

The purpose of this study to examine the attitudes of several (MSW) medical social workers, currently employed in hospital settings, regarding: (1) death and dying issues, (2) education and training received related to working with the terminally ill patient, (3) specific practice issues which relate to the terminal patient, and, lastly, (4) the effectiveness of each social worker's place of employment in meeting the needs of the terminally ill patient and providing for adequate training of staff in this sensitive area.

The purpose of this study was to interview the social workers that work with the homeless population within the Inland Empire. Explored were the social workers perceptions of and attitudes about the homeless population as well as hoping to understand the lack of housing for the homeless and to find out what can be done to provide housing for them.

This work examined social workers at the Riverside County Child Protective Services and their need for cross-cultural training specifically when working with ethnic minority families.