Digital Commons Network^™

"I Call Them Supermoms": Therapists' Reflections On The Impact Of Youth Sexual Offending On Latina Mothers, Mauricio P. Yabar

Theses and Dissertations

Families of youth who have sexually offended often suffer significant collateral consequences following the discovery of the sexual offense. Samples in research with these families disproportionately consist of mothers and other female parental figures. This is rarely acknowledged in the literature, and the experiences of these mothers have not been explicitly examined. In addition, research on the experiences of these families has largely ignored factors related to race and ethnicity. This is a significant oversight considering the prevalence of systemic racism and discrimination in the United States, particularly in the systems with which these families must interact (e.g., juvenile justice …

Wellbeing And Indigenous Aymara Orphans In Perú: An Empirical Study At Hogar De Niñas Virgen De Fatima De Chejoña, Puno, Lee Fergusson, Javier Ortiz Cabrejos, Anna Bonshek

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a wide spectrum of well-documented adverse mental health outcomes for children and adults, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), self-harm, suicide, and other detrimental impacts to the well-being of young people. These impacts have extended to Perú where 216,000 people in a population of 33 million died from the disease, despite that country being the first to fully lockdown in Latin America. It is predicted that about 200,000 children will become orphans or lose their guardians as a consequence of this unprecedented surge in mortality. Compelling and sustained international research since the 1970s …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Volume 50, Issue 4 (2023)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Lessons From Critical And Transnational Disability Perspectives For Social Work, Katie Savin, Eunkyung Chung, Nev Jones, Paul Sterzing, Vandana Chaudhry

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper calls on social work to incorporate anti-oppressive paradigms in research, practice, education, and policy by developing a critical understanding of disability. Critical disability studies is an interdisciplinary field that challenges hegemonic framings that individualize and pathologize disability and recognizes the ways in which ableism intersects with other systems of oppression. Transnational disability studies provides explicit attention to the power dynamics between the Global North and the Global South. Adopting a perspective grounded in these two frameworks offers direction for social workers to apply the principles of disability justice in their choices for clinical interventions, policy goals, classroom strategies, …

The Potential Of Humor To Joyously Dismantle Ableism+: Considerations For Social Workers, Mia Ocean

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Social workers are often well-positioned but not adequately equipped to disrupt, unsettle, or counteract ableism. Humor is one approach to disability justice work that can move the social work profession forward in a novel way. Within this practice brief, I use first-person narrative to illustrate the potential and limitations of humor to dismantle ableism+ in everyday interactions between social workers, clinical social work practice, and policy transformation. First, I share an example of how to use humor as a direct, call-in strategy to confront social worker-initiated ableist interactions. Second, I describe how a mixed disabled/abled couple can laugh together at …

A Path Wayward: Resisting “Evidence-Based” Discourse In Favor Of Critical Access, Engaged Relational Pedagogy And A Politicized Somatics, Erin Elizabeth Hipple, Nev Jones

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In contemporary MSW programs in the United States, clinical and mental health coursework frequently centers evidence-based practices (EBPs), communicates and explains problems of living (“psychopathology”) through the narrow lens of the APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), and rarely provides students with a deeper critique of the recalcitrantly medicalized mainstream of psychiatric services and interventions. In spite of a rich history of ecological thinking in social work, these increasingly dominant approaches foreground diagnosis and biopsychological treatments, stripping experiences of distress and/or mental diversity of their sociocultural contexts and promoting practices that implicitly locate primary problems at the level of the …

Promoting Justice For People With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: Strategies For Advancing Anti-Oppressive Social Work Education And Practice, Jade Presnell, John M. Keesler, Jessica Curd, Danny Carroll

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The social work profession has been instrumental in supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). However, the lived experiences of people with IDD, particularly the systemic oppression and marginalization they encounter in all aspects of life, have not been given due importance in social work education and practice (Slayter et al., 2023). Genuine anti-oppressive practice necessitates that social workers: (1) dismantle and confront ableism, mirroring the profession’s response to other oppressive systems (e.g., racism), (2) adopt a critical disability framework that acknowledges disability as an identity, culture, and community, (3) address the intricacies of intersectionality, and (4) participate in …

Mandatory Supporting As A Radical Ethic Of Care: Supporting, Not Reporting, Black Disabled Mothers, Siobhan M. Pokorney

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Racism and ableism are intricately linked in the United States. Since the antebellum period, disability has been weaponized against the Black population. As the overriding punitive institution of white supremacy has shifted from slavery to mass incarceration with time, the experiences of Black disabled people within this institution have changed little. Black disabled individuals are at greater risk of harm at every step of the criminal legal system. Furthermore, the prison system exacerbates and creates debilitation and disability for those who are incarcerated. The family regulation system is the adjacent punitive system to mass incarceration, disproportionately impacting Black disabled women …

The Experience Of Growing Up Deaf In A Hearing-Abled Family: A Phenomenological Study, Alison B. Wetmur

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

d/Deaf Americans constitute a cultural and linguistic minority in America. Most d/Deaf people, 90–95%, are born to hearing-abled parents. By a wide margin, hearing-abled families prefer that their d/Deaf children learn spoken English and enroll their children in oral-education programs. Existing literature must highlight the unique struggles d/Deaf people face when growing up in hearing-abled families. By interviewing 14 d/Deaf adults born into hearing-abled families, this study explored the lived realities of growing up different in ability than other family members. These d/Deaf adults spoke about their childhood feelings of shame and isolation and ongoing frustrations. Respondents also often spoke …

Dismantling Ableism In Social Work Employment: A Call For Disability Justice, Shannon M. Trecartin, Twyla Smith, Terrance P. Trecartin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This call to action confronts ableist employment practices in the social work profession and emphasizes the core values of the profession, the profession’s call for anti-oppressive and inclusive approaches to justice, and Principles of Disability Justice as avenues to rectify such systemic disparities. Grounded in the lived experiences of the authors, it sheds light on the barriers faced by disabled social workers seeking employment and offers context for understanding both the challenges and opportunities in the field. The authors collectively advocate for reform in social work employment to foster a more inclusive and equitable environment. Drawing on their own experiences, …

Call To Action: Disability Justice As A Framework To End Punishment Of And Advance Liberatory Education For Disabled Students, Jacy Hornsby, Jelena Todic

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The absence of disabled students in higher education, including social work, is a problem not only because of the missed educational opportunities and adverse effect on their earning potential but because disabled people’s knowledge, lived experiences, and skills can enhance social work services, advance innovation in knowledge production, and contribute to transformative organizational and movement leadership. School punishment, including suspensions, expulsions, and arrests, contributes to the absence of disabled people in higher education and begins as early as preschool. However, even for disabled students who graduate from high school and enroll in higher education, punishment continues covertly throughout higher education. …

Re-Imagining Neoliberal Ideologies In Social Work Education Using Critical Feminist And Disability Theories: A Phenomenological Autoethnographic Account, Stephanie L. Baird, Ami Goulden

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This brief commentary paper provides a phenomenological autoethnographic account of our personal and reflexive experiences of re-imagining dominant neoliberal ideologies in social work education. We draw upon our involvement as instructors of an individual and families social work practice course to illustrate how we problematized and disrupted traditional bio-medicalized and ableist practice approaches by adopting an intersectional crip lens. Our reflections are organized into four areas of consideration: 1) the theorization of an intersectional crip lens, 2) re-envisioning course content and traditional frameworks of practice, 3) examining and disrupting ableism within social work education, and 4) centering the voices of …

Action Steps Toward Dismantling Ableism In Social Work Education, Laura J. Wernick, Rose C. B. Singh, Natasha M. Lee-Johnson, Shanna K. Kattari, Brendon Holloway

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Despite social work’s commitment to social justice, ableism remains rampant among social work programs. Students and faculty often have to fight in order to have their basic accommodations and access needs met, disability is frequently missing from social work education’s discussions of diversity, and it is often implied that disabled people will be our clients, while social workers themselves are non-disabled. There is a glaring gap in our profession when it comes to engaging with and supporting disabled individuals. More than that, basic access is not enough; rather, we must work towards active inclusion and affirmation in order to be …

“Everyone Else Gets To Have The American Dream:” How Social Security Disability Policy Shapes Disability Identity, Katie Savin

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In the United States welfare state, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is the primary institution that shapes the disability experience through its disability benefit programs. This study used qualitative methods to explore 33 disabled adult beneficiaries’ experience with SSI/SSDI policy administration and the impact on their sense of worth, self-concept, and identity. Critical Disability Studies and a constructivist grounded theory approach drove data analysis. What emerged from the data was a negative disability identity experience referred to as the Social Security model of disability. Capitalist ideals that assign morality to formal work meant that disabled participants faced exclusion and stigma …

Historical Trauma And The Disability Community, Susan Neely-Barnes, Melissa Hirschi, Laura Taylor

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The theory of historical trauma has emerged as an important perspective for understanding historically oppressed communities, especially communities racialized as black or brown. The theory has been given relatively little attention in disability studies and in practice with people with disabilities. People with disabilities have experienced historical marginalization, oppression, and genocide and continue to experience oppression today. This paper explores the elements of historical trauma and how they apply to the disability experience. Future research in disability studies and social work should consider the historical trauma perspective. An understanding of historical trauma would tie social work practice more closely with …

Towards Addressing Poverty And Inequality In Nigeria: Rethinking Social Protection Strategies, Olanrewaju O. Ogunnubi

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Poverty and inequality are major issues that fuel agitations and violent conflicts in Nigeria today. Although the Nigerian government continues to implement various social protection strategies, these have not been able to bridge the vast poverty and inequality gap in the country. This study examines social protection programs in Nigeria. It draws out observable challenges in the implementation of these programs and provides recommendations for improving social protection schemes in the country. The study adopts a qualitative historical analysis approach with data obtained from secondary sources. The study reveals that social protection schemes have largely failed to bridge the widening …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Volume 51, Issue 3 (2024)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

Teaching About Black Adolescents’ Exposure To Trauma: A Mixed Methods Study, Bridget E. Weller, Winifred Wilson, Jaimie E. Sullivan, Brittney E. Ivy, Bakari A. Wallace

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Black adolescents are exposed to race-based forms of historical, structural, cultural, and interpersonal dimensions of trauma. However, social work educators have little evidence-based guidance on how to teach this content in a way that improves graduate students’ sense of self-efficacy (i.e., belief in their ability) to work with Black adolescents who experience trauma. The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to examine and understand possible reasons for changes in students’ self-efficacy after completing a graduate-level, elective course in social work that aimed to prepare students to professionally work with Black adolescents who experienced trauma. Quantitative findings from a …

Factors That Influence Clinicians' Intention To Use A Trauma-Informed Approach To Care In Women's Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Lauren Cestone

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Aims: Regardless of literature citing the effectiveness of trauma-informed care (TIC) (e.g., Capezza & Najavits, 2012; Covington, 2008; Morgan et al., 2020), implementation is lacking in settings that serve women with substance use disorders (SUD) (Bartholow & Huffman, 2023; Capezza & Najavits, 2012; Terplan et al., 2015). Not implementing TIC often results in methods that are trauma-inducing, may prevent the achievement desired outcomes, and lead to negative outcomes such as drop-out and relapse (Brown et al., 2013; Capezza & Najavits, 2012; Claus & Kindleberger, 2002; Hales et al., 2019; SAMHSA, 2014). This study aims to provide a theoretically driven empirical …

Unjust And Unsafe: The Eviction Experiences Of Latine Immigrant And Farmworker Tenants In Oregon, Natalie J. Cholula, Lisa K. Bates, Alex Farrington, Marisa Zapata, Jacen Greene, Azad Amir-Ghassemi, Colleen Carroll

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Latine immigrant households often face housing instability due to language barriers, immigration status, and limited access to government resources. Oregon farmworkers experience additional obstacles to safe and stable housing caused by low wages, a lack of affordable housing options, and social isolation. In light of the identified needs and lack of equitable access to resources that this group experiences, the Evicted in Oregon research team conducted focus groups with Latine immigrant and farmworker tenants in Multnomah, Washington, and Marion Counties. The aim was to gain insight into their experiences with eviction and understand how they navigated through evictions during the …

The Impact Of Sexual Assault And The Influence Of Leadership Within The Military, Holly Rigel

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between service member’s resilience levels and leadership’s response to sexual assault and sexual harassment. This research is conducted based on a quantitative study utilizing secondary data analysis of data collected by the Office of People Analytics on gender relations (2023) that is composed of several topics such as perception of the military and servicemembers’ resilience. Conducting both a univariate and a bivariate analysis of the data, the findings in the research revealed a statistically significant relationship between service members’ resilience levels and leadership’s response. The more positive leadership response is …

Expanded Transference: A Humanities Perspective On The Generative Core Of Ernest Becker's Theory Of Human Nature, Daniel Liechty, Jerry Piven

Faculty Publications - Social Work

The death anxiety thesis is widely considered to be Ernest Becker’s primary contribution to social theory and is associated with his most widely read book, The Denial of Death (1973). This essay suggests Becker is understood in a more sophisticated and nuanced way when his death anxiety thesis is situated in the context of his earlier work in the humanities and social sciences. The death anxiety thesis itself is one component of a much broader theoretical conceptualization of expanded transference, a constant thread through all of Becker’s writings from his doctoral dissertation through his final posthumously published works. Furthermore, the …

The Relationship Between The Working Environment And Quality Of Life Among Home Health Aides: Focusing On The Mediation Role Of Burnout, Sehyun Baek, Oejin Shin, Soobin Park, Ahra Ko, Sojung Park, Eun-Na Kang

Faculty Publications - Social Work

As South Korea’s population rapidly ages, there is an increasing demand for home aides. However, little is known about how the caregiving environment affects HHAs. Guided by the environment comfort model, we examined the association between care recipients’ home environment and HHA’s quality of life, focusing on how burnout mediates this relationship. Our data came from a national survey of home health aides in 2020 (N = 786). We conducted an exploratory factor analysis to identify six factors related to the care environment in three dimensions: physical (1. space; 2. indoor/outdoor conditions), functional (3. home appliances; 4. heating/air conditioning), and …

Ain’T I A Survivor Too: Contextualizing Black Women’S Experience Of Sexual Trauma And Healing, Danielle Alyssa Samuel

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The double bind of Black womanhood has been long documented in Black feminist literature. This dissertation seeks to greatly contextualize how Black women experience make sense of, and heal from, sexual trauma given the nature of gendered racism in the United States (U.S). Utilizing a convergent parallel design grounded in Black Feminist Theory and hermeneutic phenomenology, the lived experiences of 98 Black women from across the U.S. were investigated. Regression analyses revealed that the frequency of gendered racial microaggressions and the associated appraisal were not significant predictors of participants’ PTSD symptoms. Additionally, PTSD symptoms were inversely predictive of current perceptions …

The Development Of Internalized Sexism In Young Adult Women, Kylie Schwabe

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The present study utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in order to examine the lived experiences of young adult, cisgender women and the development of internalized sexism. Eight participants completed semi–structured interviews focused on their relationships with other women and subsequent views of womanhood. Themes found were (a) womanhood is taught by women throughout the lifespan, (b) women are sexually responsible for men, (c) women are emotional caregivers, (d) there are biological bases of womanhood, (e) women are expected to “do it all,” (f) expectations of women are fueled by media portrayal, (g) traditional femininity is seen as oppositional to the feminist …

The Pulse Of Connection: Professors' Experience Of Positive Relationships With Students–An Interpretative Phenomenology And Photovoice Study, Ileya N. Grosman

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In higher education, the focus on student success often takes center stage in research and the professor-as-teacher practice. While numerous empirical studies concentrate on the growth and development of undergraduate students, this dissertation delves into professors’ relational and felt experiences in positive teaching-learning relationships. Four terminal-degreed professors from four different schools and three different disciplines–education, humanities, and leadership–engaged in photography and were then interviewed. Participants reflected on their photographs and their experiences in a teaching-learning relationship with their students. The present study aimed to illuminate the unspoken language of connection by utilizing interpretive phenomenology and photovoice to uncover professors’ relational …

Untitled, Tyler Anserson

Writing Beyond the Prison Living Archive

Social Justice Autobiography on the topics of: Foster care; social workers; police brutality; community belonging

Protecting Foreign Victims Of Trafficking In Iceland: An Interpretive Analysis Of Policy Efforts, Hlin Saethorsdottir

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Social justice and human rights are fundamental principles of social work. Today’s globalized world requires social workers to expand their local perspectives and to be alert to the negative sides of globalization, such as trafficking in person (TIP), which affects all countries around the world. TIP is a severe form of exploitation and a grave human rights violation (Jones et al., 2007). Iceland has been categorized as a transit and destination country for foreign victims who are mainly trafficked for sexual and labor exploitation (U.S. Department of State, 2016b).

Although much has been written on TIP, some scholars have pointed …

Collaboration And Learning: Reflections On Participation In “Empowering Global Futures” International School Social Work Conferences In Essex, Uk, Leticia Villarreal Sosa, Marelize Vergottini, Stacy Gherardi

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

School social work continues to grow and make an impact across global contexts. The authors share their experiences and reflections after participation in the international school social work conference, “Empowering Global Futures: Strategies for School Social Work” held at Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford Campus, Essex, UK. The authors highlight speakers, global perspectives, practical applications, and emerging trends. Lastly, the authors make a “call to action” to advocate for increased and intentional efforts to reach across national boundaries to learn from each other and advance the knowledge base needed to address the needs of youth in schools in a global context.

Effects Of Grant Termination For Orphans, Vulnerable Children And Their Caregivers In Windhoek, Namibia, Miriam Winnie Hasheela

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Namibia faces complex child welfare policy dilemmas in providing sustainable support for the increasing number of AIDS-orphaned youth transitioning into adulthood. While Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVC) social grants have played a vital role in poverty alleviation and childhood development (Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare, 2021), the abrupt termination of these grants for youth when they reach 18 years of age without any transitional support has posed significant risks to their well-being. While much research in Namibia (Mnubi-Mchombu and Ocholla, 2014; Van Der Brug, 2012.) has examined the impact of OVC grants on children under the …