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Full-Text Articles in Social Work
Factors Influencing The Political Activity Of Social Workers: A Comparative Study Among Swiss And United States Social Workers, Tobias Kindler, Jason Ostrander
Factors Influencing The Political Activity Of Social Workers: A Comparative Study Among Swiss And United States Social Workers, Tobias Kindler, Jason Ostrander
School of Social Work Faculty Publications
Various international and national social work ethical principles call social workers to participate in politics, yet not much research exists in the field of a political social work. Little is known about the actual voluntary political engagement of social workers as well as factors influencing their political activity. Especially, few studies with an international comparison focus have been conducted. Consequently, this study used cross sectional survey design to better understand the factors influencing the political activity of social workers in Switzerland (n = 1242) and in the United States (n = 3033). The results indicate that the political activity of …
Who Is A Social Worker?, Patrick Meehan, Jason Ostrander, Shannon R. Lane
Who Is A Social Worker?, Patrick Meehan, Jason Ostrander, Shannon R. Lane
School of Social Work Faculty Publications
Defining social workers for the purposes of research is not as straightforward as it sounds. To date, researchers who have examined social workers as a group have used a variety of sampling methods. Multiple methods speak to the variety of options for defining social workers. Understanding membership within the profession is a precondition to understanding research about the behavior of those within the profession. This research note explores these sampling methods in detail. Each has its advantages, but none are without their own disadvantages, some of which bias their view of the profession. As researchers who have considered the political …
Creating A Culture Of Voting In Direct And Generalist Practice: Training Field Instructors, Shannon R. Lane, Katherine Hill, Jason Ostrander, Jenna Powers, Tanya Rhodes Smith, Mary E. Hylton
Creating A Culture Of Voting In Direct And Generalist Practice: Training Field Instructors, Shannon R. Lane, Katherine Hill, Jason Ostrander, Jenna Powers, Tanya Rhodes Smith, Mary E. Hylton
School of Social Work Faculty Publications
Social workers have an ethical responsibility to be engaged in policy change, regardless of their practice area or specialization. Voter engagement and the importance of political power through voting is often overlooked in the literature as a valid and important component of social work practice. Creating a culture of nonpartisan voter engagement in practice settings can help empower individuals who have been historically and intentionally disenfranchised from our electoral system. Training for field instructors, faculty, and field staff is a key aspect of voter engagement in social work education. Unfortunately, social work education is unlikely to include substantive content on …
Collective Power To Create Political Change: Increasing The Political Efficacy And Engagement Of Social Workers, Jason Ostrander, Shannon R. Lane, Jennifer Mcclendon, Crystal Hayes, Tanya Rhodes Smith
Collective Power To Create Political Change: Increasing The Political Efficacy And Engagement Of Social Workers, Jason Ostrander, Shannon R. Lane, Jennifer Mcclendon, Crystal Hayes, Tanya Rhodes Smith
School of Social Work Faculty Publications
Because social workers are called to challenge social injustices and create systemic change to support the well-being of individuals and communities, it is essential that social workers develop political efficacy: belief that the political system can work and they can influence the system. This study explored the impact of an intensive political social work curriculum on political efficacy and planned political engagement among social work students and practitioners. The findings suggest this model of delivering a political social work curriculum effectively increases internal, external, and overall political efficacy, and that increasing political efficacy has promise for increasing future political engagement.