Critical literature on social work ethics and practice in the current neoliberal context identifies the complex tensions generated for practitioners by the restructuring of increasingly residual public programs and by the market-modelled organizations in which they work. Pressed by employing organizations’ expectations to narrow and standardize their practice, social workers face collisions between their own values and the managerial and budget-driven requirements that dominate their organizational worlds. Building on the growing body of literature in this area, the research reported here examined how social workers articulate their own values and ethical commitments, understand the value collisions they experience, and work to navigate them in the interest of those they seek to serve. A small qualitative study was conducted to explore these questions. In semi-structured interviews, five social workers were invited to share their experiences of ethical tensions generated in their organizational settings. The members of the sample all held social work degrees; their ages and length of practice experience ranged considerably and they spoke from experiences in a wide array of service sectors and settings. Analysis of participants’ experiences illuminated the texture of their struggles and their efforts to covertly and overtly challenge or evade organizational requirements that were at odds with their values and their conceptualizations of good practice. Their accounts point to the importance of politicized understandings of social work ethics. They also suggest the importance for social work education and professional development programs to foster dialogue on the complexities of ethical action and support the development of the analytical and practical skills that enable practitioners to find the ‘cracks’ in dominant neoliberal structures and create spaces for change. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

No description available.

No description available.

As social workers we understand that service users are the most impacted stakeholders involved in service delivery models at various agencies. When it comes to the field of child welfare, there are added barriers and complications that impact a worker’s ability to develop relationships with service users. What do child welfare service users consider to be “good” social work practice, and what do they expect from their workers? This thesis will focus on the voices of those who have been most impacted by the system: those who are or have been in the care of a child welfare system. At McMaster University, a program is being initiated in partnership between the School of Social Work and various local Children’s Aid Societies in Hamilton and the surrounding areas, which will explore how child welfare service users can be incorporated into the education of social work students who plan to work in the field of child welfare. This thesis will explore what individuals who are or have been youth in the care of an Ontario Children’s Aid Society want to teach the students of this program before they become child welfare social workers. This expert feedback will then be incorporated into the curriculum of McMaster’s program, entitled: “Preparing for Critical Practice in Child Welfare” (PCPCW), which will be carried into practice by the students who graduate from the program to become child welfare social workers. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

No / This article reports ways in which applicants to the Degree in Social Work see `social problems¿, their origins and possible solutions to them. What is demonstrated is that whilst applicants are concerned about a range of problems, those which could be broadly classified as `anti-social behaviours by individuals or groups¿ predominate, in contrast to those which could be defined as `aspects of the social structure which have an adverse impact on individuals or groups¿. Applicants are much more likely to suggest `individual¿ rather than `social¿ causes and are most likely to suggest `liberal/reformist¿ solutions. It is argued, in the context of frame analysis, that pre-existing views will usually impact strongly on how students respond to the knowledge and challenges offered during training. The article aims to place discussion within consideration of wider issues, particularly whether social work in Britain can maintain its historic commitment to social justice and prevent itself becoming an increasingly uncritical tool of the UK government¿s social authoritarianism. Finally, it seeks to raise questions about whether social work education can assist qualifying workers to develop and maintain resiliently radical approaches to practice, which are also effective in bringing positive change to vulnerable and disadvantaged people.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1984.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Religion and spirituality viewed within the context of the person-in-situation gestalt, interacts with and influences social work practice and education in a myriad ways. Internationally there has been strong acceptance of a biopsychosocial and spiritual paradigm in social work practice. Accordingly, a number of Schools of Social Work have moved toward integrating religion and spirituality into the curriculum so as to prepare students for spiritually sensitive social work practice. Locally, however, the field remains relatively unheard of and local Schools of Social Work have not introduced this topic into the curriculum. This study was conceptualized to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the role of religion and spirituality in social work practice and education. Particular areas of interest included the use of spiritually based intervention techniques in practice, transpersonal social work and curricula development. The study was directed primarily toward the development of an indigenous course on religion, spirituality and social work. Developmental research methodology in conjunction with participatory research methodology guided the research endeavour. A state of-the-art review of international syllabi was undertaken to serve as a framework upon which this course was built. A national survey was undertaken to assess the views of all final year social work students with regard to the role of religion and spirituality in social work practice, and their views about the inclusion of content in this area, in the curricula. This together with data obtained about their views on specific content for an indigenous course, was used to shape the interventional innovation. The latter took the form of comprehensive guidelines, consisting of thirteen units, which covered various facets of spirituality, religion and social work. Some of the units designed focused on spiritual assessment, models of spiritual development, spiritually based intervention and research techniques in this field. The guidelines were then disseminated to all Heads of Schools of Social Work in South Africa for the purpose of evaluation. Evaluative data reflected that the programme had covered all areas sufficiently and could be used to guide the introduction and implementation of the course at South African Schools of Social Work. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research investigates the utilisation of group supervision in the practice education with undergraduate social work students. Supervision is an component in practice education, as it is the process whereby students are guided and prepared for beginner practice in social work. The practice educator is responsible to plan and organise the students' work, provide leadership in the group supervision sessions and evaluate the work performance of students as set out in the practice education programme. The practice educators grant students the opportunity to learn to integrate theory and practice in social work. The learning needs of the students are assessed and compiled within an educational assessment. These learning needs become the points for discussion for the content of the educational programme. The educational programme is presented in the supervision sessions. Literature strongly supports the utilisation of group supervision in addition to individual supervision. It is necessary that the practice educator determine the individual learning needs of the group of students. The mutual learning needs of the students are addressed within the group supervision sessions, once the learning needs of the group are determined. Group supervision is not utilised in isolation as the practice educator may have to consolidate the knowledge, skills and attitudes of students gained in the individual supervision sessions. The empirical study involved the use of qualitative and quantitative methods in order to explore the theoretical part of the research. The sample consisted of sixteen practice educators (N=16) who are presently supervising undergraduate students at the Department of Social Work at the University of Stellenbosch. This section can be divided into four sections: the nature of the training of practice educators, the knowledge, skills and attitudes of practice educators with regard to the supervision functions of group supervision, the process in group supervision and the general experiences of practice educators when utilising group supervision in practice education. The findings and responsesof the practice educators were analysed and compared with the findings from previous research undertaken by various authors. The study found that although practice educators have a minimum of training in group supervision, they have positive experiences of group supervision. The important aspects of group supervision: the planning phase, the beginning phase and the ending phase in the processof group supervision are dutifully practiced by practice educators. The utilisation of group supervision links effectively with the education system of outcomes based learning and teaching which has been adopted by the Department of Education in Higher Education. The findings of this study can be utilised to apply group supervision to a greater extent in the practice education with undergraduate social work students. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsingstudie ondersoek die gebruik van groepsupervisie in die praktykonderrig van voorgraadse studente in Maatskaplike Werk. Supervisie is 'n komponent van praktykonderrig waarlangs die studente deur die praktykopleier gelei word tot beginnerspraktyk. Die praktykopleier is verantwoordelik vir die beplanning en organisering van studente se werk; moet die leierskap voorsien in die groepsupervisie sessies en moet ook die studente se werkverrigting evalueer soos saamgestel in die onderrigprogram. Die praktykopleier stel studente instaat om teorie en praktyk in Maatskaplike Werk te integreer. Die leerbehoeftes van die studente word gesamentlik bepaal deur die studente en die praktykopleier en word binne die onderrigevaluering uiteengesit. Die leerbehoeftes van die studente is die punte vir bespreking van die onderrigprogram. Die onderrigprogram word aangebied in die supervisiesessies. Literatuur ondersteun die gebruik van groepsupervisie gesamentlik met individuele supervisie. Die praktykopleier bepaal die individuele leerbehoeftes van die studente in individuele supervisie. Die ooreenstemmende leerbehoeftes van die studente word in die groepsupervisie sessies aangespreek, nadat die leerbehoeftes van die groep vasgestel is. Groepsupervisie word nie in isolasie aangebied nie, aangesien die praktykopleier die leemtes ten opsigte van kennis, vaardighede en houdings in die individuele supervisie sessies assesseer. Die leerbehoeftes word in die groepsupervisie sessies aangespreek. Die teoretiese doel van die navorsingsverslag word uitgebrei in die empiriese ondersoek deur middel van die voltooiing van 'n vraelys. Die steekproef het bestaan uit praktykopleiers (N=16) wat tydens 2001 voorgraadse studente van die Departement Maatskaplike Werk van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch geakkommodeer het vir praktykonderrig. Die empiriese studie word in vier afdelings bespreek: die aard van opleiding in groepsupervisie van praktykopleiers: die kennis, vaardighede en houding van praktykopleiers met betrekking tot die supervisiefunksies van groepsupervisie; die uitvoering van die proses in groepsupervisie en die algemene ervaringe van praktykopleiers wanneer hulle groepsupervisie in praktykonderrig toepas. Die bevindinge en response van die praktykopleiers is geanaliseer en vergelyk met die bevindinge van vorige studies wat deur verskeie outeurs onderneem is. Die studie het bevind dat praktykopleiers groepsupervisie positief ervaar, ten spyte van 'n minimum opleiding in groepsupervisie. Die belangrike aspekte van die beplannings-, begin- en die eindfases in groepsupervisie, word baie deeglik deur die praktykopleiers aangewend in groepsupervisie. Die benutting van groepsupervisie in die praktykonderrig van voorgraadse studente ondersteun die onderrigsisteem van Uitkomsgebaseerde onderrig en leer wat deur die Departement van Onderwys in Hoër Onderwys aanvaar is. Die bevindinge van die studie kan gebruik word om groepsupervisie meer effektief in die praktykonderrig van voorgraadse studente in Maatskaplike Werk te benut.