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1997, Australian Social Work
Rural social work is examined through the lens of postmodernism. Questioning modernist framings of rural social work as peripheral and deficit practice, the article offers an alternative reading that rural social work highlights the importance of reflective practitioner selves in achieving best practice in context. Working out from the actual and bodily lived experience of practitioners is suggested as a
“Rural” areas as distinct from “urban” continue to be defined by greater personal interactions and less emphasis on formal systems of support. This reality rests in contradiction to the overwhelming majority of social work scholarship and theory development which takes place in an urban context. As such the present-day act of being a “social worker” in a rural community can, in many ways, feel like a bad fit, back-applying the model of an urban generalist into an environment whose organic community ties the social work model itself was originally designed to substitute for. In recognition of this, it is necessary to develop a “combined” model of practice for social work with rural communities and peoples. The fundamental distinction to be made is that rural social work, in its most radical form, is less concerned with adapting persons to the Gesellschaft than it is with strengthening the capacity of the Gemeinschaft to provide the kind of support capacity it historically has, taking into account changes and challenges resulting from factors such as globalization, urban sprawl, and cultural change.
2012
As long as social workers have considered rural social work unique from other fields of practice there has been a search to capture the essence of rural social work. Is it a rural-urban dichotomy, is it geographically or community bound, and what are the principles that guide rural practice? Answers to these questions are important to education for future social workers and rural practice. The author examines key issues in rural social work and their influence on rural social work.
Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 2007
Two focus groups of participants at a national rural social work conference answered the research question, "What are your suggestions for engaging in effective social worker practice in rural areas?" The participants offered specific recommendations for social work practice with rural people and communities. They supported these recommendations with illustrations from their experiences as social work practitioners in rural settings. Text data drawn from transcribed audiotapes of the focus groups were coded into open, axial, and selective data themes. While generalizability is limited, this small sample of social workers offered a glimpse of their views of rural practice. They offered practical, down-to-earth advice for rural social work practitioners within main data themes of community, connections, generalist practice, and diversity.
1977
Because life styles, values, social institutions, and "survival activities" differ in undeveloped rural areas from those in industrial societies, the techniques and approaches used by rural social workers must be adjusted to meet the needs of the population being dealt with. In forager and agricultural societies, social workers and otter human service personnel intervene into kinship patterns, extended families, customs, rules, taboos, and obligations *
""In this article we argue that current reform proposals coming from Robert Pinker and others are challenging the universalist premises of generic social work. Pinker et al. argue that social work should, for the sake of efficiency and performance, be a connected set of specialist activities. This 'determinate dispersal' which we recognise as falling within the remit of postmodern strategies, we contrast with the far more libertarian ideas of the noted post-modern theorist J.F Lyotard. Thus we side the political and cultural meanings of Pinker s ideas between generic social work which upholds ideas of universal ethical values and universal provision, and those of Lyotard whose anti-foundationalism proposes a radically heterogeneous society with no central value-structure. We express our concern that the 'new specialist' remit may allow too much power to the social worker. Thus we have considerable sympathy for Lyotard's call for a radical agonistics - a field wherein the inequalities of power between say, a worker and her client, to some extent can be redressed.""
International Journal of Social Welfare, 2009
Journal of Rural Studies, 1993
In response to Philo [(1992b), Neglected rural geographies: a review. Journal of Rural Studies8, 193–207), who calls for rural studies to take the study of 'others' more seriously, we argue the need to take postmodernism more seriously. The paper focuses upon the ...
2016
This article presents an interdisciplinary approach to serving the social service and health needs of vulnerable persons living rural communities. This project, the Congregational Social Work Education Initiative (CSWEI), is funded by a health care foundation. Persons in rural areas are often at risk for poverty, homelessness and lack of access to needed health and social services. The project demonstrates the opportunities for collaboration between professional social work, religiously affiliated organizations (RAOs) and nursing in order to reduce health and mental health disparities among residents in rural areas. Key Words: social work internship, elderly, social work and rural religious affiliated organizations, congregational nursing, collaboration, interdisciplinary practice.
Forum on studies of society - International Conference on Social and Human Science : third edition : conference proceedings, 2023
The report reviews the advantages and disadvantages of social work in small settlements. The pros and cons are considered through the prism of the specifics of life and traditions in small towns and villages. Each of the features discussed can be seen as a challenge or opportunity for the helping professional. Advantages include a slow pace of life, better physical safety, emphasis on family ties, a higher degree of trust between people, the importance of traditional values, greater autonomy and flexibility for social workers, the possibility of integrated general practice, less professional competition and greater opportunities for career development, easier and complete acceptance by the community. The main disadvantages discussed in the report are related to many ethical dilemmas such as dual relationships and carrying out activities outside the competence of a social worker, also the problem of constant community control over the behavior of the social worker and his family, few opportunities for additional training and qualification, lack of social support from colleagues and professional supervision.
Australian Social Work, 2004
This paper examines how evidence-based practice (EBP) is impacting on the professional status of social workers working in multidisciplinary health teams in rural Victoria. Questionnaires and interviews were used to investigate the use and perceived appropriateness of EBP, and the implications for the professional status of social workers. The results indicated that social workers have the lowest levels of knowledge and application of EBP. The qualitative data revealed a fundamental incompatibility between social work practice approaches and the science of EBP. The key themes identified were: how undergraduate and professional training shapes practitioner perspectives around EBP; divergent knowledge of EBP, and how this influences team perceptions around the validity of social work practice; the ways EBP validates and reinforces existing power hierarchies, frequently to the exclusion of social work practitioners; the power of EBP as a mechanism for practice legitimisation; the marginalisation of social work as a discipline resisting the science of EBP; and the way the rural context shapes the impact of EBP in the practice setting.
Since the late 1980s, a number of innovative practice approaches have appeared on the social work scene informed by postmodern thought. Yet the esoteric nature of postmodern theories often creates difficulties in accessibility for social work students and practitioners, which commonly result in the misapplication and misunderstanding of key elements to these approaches. To remedy this situation, this paper offers an introduction to the fundamental philosophical foundation upon which postmodern theories and practices rest. Designed as an aid for students and practitioners who wish to try or refine these practices, the description of this philosophical foundation-or paradigm-is light on concepts and focuses more on implications for social work practice that arise from the concepts. Examples of these implications are given for each aspect comprising the postmodern paradigm utilizing the following: the strengths perspective, narrative therapy, and solution building therapy. Lastly, the article concludes with an extended case example which serves to illustrate the application of the postmodern paradigm to practice.
Social Work Education, 2012
Australian Social Work, 2011
to kinship, and engagement with the natural world. In this regard notions of interconnectedness and interdependency are emphasised. In a separate chapter the authors extend this discussion to consider the experiences of migrant populations living in rural communities. While noting there has been little in the way of research on migrant rural living, the authors also caution against assuming that the lives of minority populations living in the countryside are ''blighted by discrimination'' (p. 77). The first half of the publication is concluded with a chapter on problems and possibilities in rural practice, the complexity of which is captured in the following statement: paradoxically many of the features of small rural communities that arise from their location and their demographics also provide opportunities for innovative practice that can improve service provision and result in social workers gaining great satisfaction from their work. (p. 100
The British Journal of Social Work, 1994
He is the author of a number of books, including most recently On Being a Client: understanding the process of counselling and psychotherapy published by Sage (1993).
Contemporary Rural Social Work, 2014
Australian Social Work, 2006
Professional Development: The International Journal of Continuing Social Work Education is a refereed journal concerned with publishing scholarly and relevant articles on continuing education, professional development, and training in the field of social welfare. The aims of the journal are to advance the science of professional development and continuing social work education, to foster understanding among educators, practitioners, and researchers, and to promote discussion that represents a broad spectrum of interests in the field. The opinions expressed in this journal are solely those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the policy positions of The University of Texas at Austin's School of Social Work or its Center for Social Work Research. Professional Development: The International Journal of Continuing Social Work Education is published three times a year (Spring, Summer, and Winter) by the Center for Social Work Research at 1 University Station, D3500 Austi...
1996
This paper is an introduction to the approach and method that I have developed in a recent study which aim is to trace the conceptual and practical history of Finnish poor relief and social work during the period when they modernized, i.e. were transformed from a voluntary activity based on local knowledge into textually coordinated professions. When planning the study and choosing the approach, I wanted to work out a method which helps to overcome the contradictions between ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ in social work in interpreting its modernization. I believe that every epoch needs a new interpretation of history; an interpretation which begins from its own premises. Many consider our time post-modern. How do we need to understand the past now in order to be able to orient ourselves for the future, calls for micro-histories rather than the great, often marxistly flavored grand stories of the modern period. This time calls for reinterpretations of modernization which speak about real a...
Australian Social Work, 2006
2021
Radical social work can trace its roots back to the beginning of the 20th century, but it exploded onto the social work consciousness with a vengeance in the 1970's. Radical social work was seen by many as the panacea to the prevailing mindset of individualising issues as opposed to viewing them within the context of broader societal ills. Over the last 40 years, with the onset of neoliberalism, radical social work has seen quite a steep decline; so much so that it is not widely practiced amongst most social work professionals. This research picks up that point and asks: What are the barriers that block practitioners from practicing radically in Aotearoa New Zealand? Using a qualitative methodological approach, 16 semi-structured face to face or phone interviews were conducted and transcribed. Through a thematic analysis of the data, key barriers to radical social work practice were identified. It was found social work education, contemporary social service funding regimes and h...
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