This thesis examines the role of private charity in the ‘mixed economy of welfare’ available to the rural poor in Northamptonshire in the first half of the nineteenth century. It is the first major study of this kind, as hitherto, historians of welfare have largely concentrated on the public charity of poor relief. It covers the basic needs of the poor, food, money, clothing, housing and access to land for fuel and cultivation and examines the various sources of private charity that addressed those needs. These were the endowed charities, the benevolence of individuals, mainly the major landowners and the clergy, and the establishment of the self-help charitable initiatives of allotment schemes, clothing societies and coal clubs. For each source, this thesis explores the key questions of how valuable the resource was to the poor, who were the main recipients and what factors affected the choice of recipients. Thus, it examines the gender, the stage in the life cycle and the respectability of the recipients. It also analyses the importance of residency in an ‘open’ or a ‘close’ parish in terms of the amount and quality of assistance given to the poor. This thesis also examines the extent of changes in national attitudes to private charitable provision with an emphasis on self-help and on more discrimination in the choice of recipients, mirroring the changes in poor relief in the period. Although these changes were in their infancy in the early decades of the nineteenth century, they became prominent in rural parishes in the second half. Thus this thesis shows that the years up to 1850 were critical in that the changes in charitable provision which arose out of the pressures encountered by rural society in that period came to be widely adopted by the end of the century

I samband med tillströmningen av flyktingar till Sverige har det uppmärksammats att mottagningssystemet av ensamkommande barn och unga präglas av olika brister. Syftet med denna studie är att ur ett personalperspektiv undersöka hur socialtjänstens mottagande fungerar samt vilka förbättringar som önskas. Detta har studerats med hjälp av barnperspektivet som har utgångspunkt i barndomssociologin. Utifrån fyra intervjuer med socialarbetare framkommer att mottagningssystemet upplevts bristfälligt men att förbättringar på olika nivåer upplevs som genomförbara. Resultatet visar på en önskan om bättre samverkan mellan myndigheter och en förbättrad organisatorisk ledning. Vidare betonas ett behov av mer tid och resurser för att kunna utföra noggrannare utredningar som grundas på barnets bästa och där barnets rättigheter tillvaratas. En mer anpassad metod och tydligare riktlinjer efterfrågas där barnen ges likvärdiga möjligheter samtidigt som dess individuella behov beaktas. Inför framtiden önskas bättre beredskap och bredare kunskap för att möjliggöra ett kvalitetssäkert mottagande oberoende av yttre omständigheter. / In association with the influx of refugees into Sweden, it has been noticed that the reception system of unaccompanied children is characterized by various deficiencies. The purpose of this study is to examine, from a staff perspective, how the reception system within the Swedish social services works, and what improvements are requested. This has been studied and analysed through utilising a child-perspective theory that embodies a part of childhood sociology. Four interviews with social workers show perceptions of the reception system as generally underperforming, although improvements at various levels are perceived achievable. The result also highlights requests for a better interaction among authorities, alongside an enhanced top-management commitment. Moreover, the staff expressed the need of more time and resources in order to carry out thorough investigations based on the child's best interests, in which the child's rights are safeguarded. Besides, a more customised method and clearer guidelines were demanded, where the children are given equal opportunities while taking their individual needs into account. For the future, a request for a better preparation and broaden knowledge was highlighted, which would enable a higher quality of reception’s performance in spite of external circumstances.

Abstract   The aim of this study was to reach a deeper understanding of how social workers and police officers collaborate and what perceptions they have of young victims of crime and their needs. The study is based on a qualitative approach consisting of three group interviews and four individual interviews with police officers and social workers from the social service’s victim support center, Stödcentrum. The study's empirical data has been analyzed by using Danermark’s collaboration theory and social constructivism and has been discussed in relation to previous research. The results showed that social workers and police officers generally have a positive attitude towards collaboration with each other. The respondents felt that engaged managers, co-location and personal relationships had a positive impact on collaboration. Insufficient routines, employee turnover, privacy laws and limited insight contribute to negative experiences. It also emerged that, while both groups had shared perceptions of victims of crime, the police chosed in their response to distinguish between the roles of victims and perpetrator in their contact.

Syftet med denna studie har varit att erhålla en djupare kunskap om ungdomars användning av cannabis. För att göra detta utgår denna studie från en kvalitativ intervjumetod där vi har intervjuat fyra socialarbetare samt en polisman. Samtliga informanter har erfarenhet av arbete med ungdomar som brukat cannabis. För att analysera resultaten som uppkommit under intervjuer har vi valt att använda oss av de teoretiska perspektiven social konstruktionism samt utvecklingspsykopatologi. Vidare har vi i studien använt risk och skyddsfaktorer för att analysera vilka faktorer som kan påverka att en ungdom använder sig av cannabis. Resultaten pekar på att bakomliggande faktorer vid bruket är psykisk ohälsa, neuropsykiatrisk diagnos såsom ADHD eller ADD och en problematisk hemmiljö. I resultatet diskuteras vidare om riskfaktorer såsom en bristande skolgång samt huruvida könet har någon betydelse eller skillnad bland de som använder sig av cannabis som berusningsmedel. Ett av de viktigaste resultaten som framkommer är att psykisk ohälsa är den vanligaste gemensamma riskfaktorn hos de ungdomar som använder sig av cannabis och som blir aktuella på socialtjänsten. Nyckelord: cannabis, socialarbetare, social kontruktionism, socialtjänst, ungdomar / The aim of this study was to obtain a deeper understanding of young people's use of cannabis. To do that is this study made out of a qualitative interview method where we have interviewed four social workers and one policeman. All informants have experience of working with young people who used cannabis. To analyse the findings raised during the interviews, we have chosen to use the theoretical perspectives of social constructionism and the development of psychopathology. Furthermore, we have in the study used the risk and protective factors to analyse the factors that can influence a young person use of cannabis. The result indicates that the factors behind the use of cannabis are mental illness, neuropsychiatric diagnosis as ADHD or ADD and a problematic home. This result further discussion of risk factors such as a lack of schooling and whether sex has any significance or difference among those who use cannabis as an intoxicant. One of the main results that emerge is that mental illness is the most common risk factor for young people who use cannabis, and who is current to the social services. Keywords: cannabis, social constructionism, social service, social worker, young people

Thesis (MA (Social Work))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / A study combining the explanatory and exploratory research methodologies was undertaken relating to the value base of social work and the application of social work values by social workers at a Government Department. An interest of the history, development and importance of the value base of social work, as well as the relative absence of specific South African literature and research results concerning the application of social work values in the South African context, prompted this particular study as a contribution to both the social work profession in the South African context and the service agency involved. An empirical study based on the literature study was performed on a test sample comprising 20 social workers at a District office of a Government Department in the Western Cape. The literature study investigated and explored the history and development of the value base of social work both as a profession and specifically in the South African context. The empirical study, by means of a questionnaire investigated the participants’ understanding of certain values as well as the nature, objectives and functions of social work. It also explores their application of basic social work values in their daily practice situation, together with obstacles faced by them in applying these values.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work