Search results

This paper offers an account of my own epistemological journey over four decades of social work practice and research. It traces the journey from my early years as a practitioner working from an approach largely grounded in what we called practice wisdom, to my current situation as a professor of social work, undertaking research and guiding students on their own research and practice journeys. The paper begins with a vignette from a research field trip in the early 2000s – mid point in my journey and then takes a more chronological turn exploring disability research and the theme of voice and activism in research. Finally, I offer some reflections on the journey itself, what has influenced and guided my own learning, the challenges and the insights.

The present paper outlines and analyzes Australia's welfare reform policies as they have been implemented over the past decade. While there have been numerous social policy initiatives over this period, welfare reform provides an interesting site for analysis and review. This suite of policies and programs is of particular importance from several standpoints. First, its target groups – those needing income security assistance, including the unemployed, people with disabilities, and single parents – are historically and traditionally of concern to social work and social welfare. Second, welfare reform policies have had significant impact on social welfare agencies, and the social workers and welfare workers employed in them. Finally, welfare reform has had a wider impact on inequality in Australia and our attitudes to those in need. This paper first provides a brief overview of the context of Australian social policy and welfare, its origins and current situation. It then outlines the key operational elements of welfare reform and how it has been implemented. The third section of the paper offers a critical analysis of these policies and programs and finally poses some questions and issues requiring further discussion and research.

PurposeA schema for more clearly understanding the emotional and psychological abuse and neglect of people with intellectual disability was developed to support a narrative study with people with intellectual disability, families and other supporters about the lived experience of this maltreatment in disability accommodation services in Australia. This paper aims to describe the underpinning review of emotional and psychological abuse and neglect and the evolving new framework.Design/methodology/approachA review of existing understandings of this form of abuse in research and policy was conducted, and a framework developed and tested for "trustworthiness" with participants in the research.FindingsA framework of emotional and psychological abuse and neglect is presented. It centres on the misuse of power and control, details behaviours and interactions which can occur when it is inflicted, and is tested against the experiences of people who have experienced this sort of abuse and neglect.Research limitations/implicationsThis is an evolving framework, applied through one study only. Further application and research is needed to test the robustness of the framework.Originality/valueA more complex construction of emotional and psychological abuse and neglect may inform the development of service policy and support education for people with disability, families, and workers.

Sozialarbeit wird als ein Phänomen des Sozialstaates in den Industriegesellschaften, das einen wesentlichen Beitrag zur sozialen Stabilität leistet, dargestellt. Sie entwickelt sich im Rahmen von unterschiedlichen Arbeitsregimen, die auf jeweils spezifischen konzeptuellen Annahmen basieren. Die Untersuchung dieser Annahmen sowie ihrer Konsequenzen für die Sozialarbeit wird als ein unterbeleuchtetes Forschungsgebiet gekennzeichnet. Die Veränderungen dieser Annahmen stellen einen institutionellen Wandel dar, der unmittelbare Folge für die Professionalisierung der Sozialarbeit haben. Auf der Basis einer Auseinandersetzung mit theoretischen und empirischen Arbeiten zum Zusammenhang zwischen dem institutionellen Wandel und der Professionalisierung untersuchen die Verfasser die Dynamik der Kriterien von Professionalität im Bereich der Sozialarbeit. Vor diesem Hintergrund zeigen sie die Potenziale, die Förderung von Führungsqualitäten, die zur Stabilisierung der Profession beitragen können. (ICF)