Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Perspectives Of Employed People Experiencing Homelessness Of Self And Being Homeless: Challenging Socially Constructed Perceptions And Stereotypes, Micheal L. Shier, Marion E. Jones, John R. Graham

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In a study that sought to identify the multiple factors resulting in homelessness from the perspective of 65 individuals in Calgary, Alberta, Canada who were both employed and homeless, we found that participants' perceptions of being homeless emerged as a major theme which impacts their entry to and exit from homelessness. Four sub-themes related to these perceptions were identified: (1) perceptions of self and situation; (2) impact of being homeless on self-reflection; (3) aspects of hope to consider; and (4) perspectives on having a permanent residence. Analytically, these findings help challenge present stereotypes about homelessness and usefully inform social service …

‘‘The Map Proves It’’: Map Use By The American Woman Suffrage Movement, Christina E. Dando

Geography and Geology Faculty Publications

In the early twentieth century, American suffragists used ‘‘a suffrage map’’ showing the spread of women’s suffrage on posters, pamphlets, and broadsides. The map was part of a shift in tactics used by the suffrage movement: leaving the parlours and taking to the streets, the suffragettes were claiming public space. This article explores the verbal and graphic rhetoric of these persuasive maps, as well as the politics of their placement, exploring how suffragettes moulded and used these traditionally masculinist ways of knowing to advance their cause while simultaneously marginalizing women of colour. Their adoption of maps represents an early example …

Information Placed In Trust: Older Gay Men And Social Workers On Talking About Sexual Identity In Aged Care, Mark Hughes

Professor Mark Hughes

As more men who openly identify as gay approach older age, it is important for health and aged care professionals to consider the appropriateness of talking with these men about their sexual identity. This paper reports findings from a pilot study that examined how sexual identity should be acknowledged in aged care practice. The paper draws on qualitative data from two focus groups; one with older gay men and one with social workers. An analysis of the themes that overlapped the two groups highlighted the extent to which participants thought sexual identity should be discussed openly, the value placed on …

University Scholar Series: Laurie Drabble, Laurie A. Drabble

University Scholar Series

Alcohol and Drug Addiction Among Marginalized Populations of Women

On September 29, 2010 Laurie Drabble spoke in the University Scholar Series hosted by Provost Gerry Selter at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Laurie Drabble is an associate professor in Social Work with her research focusing on understanding alcohol and drug-related problems among marginalized populations of women and she has conducted a number of studies exploring collaboration between addiction treatment and child welfare fields. She has worked as Executive Director of the California Women's Commission on Alcohol and Drug Dependencies and a consultant in prevention strategies, strategic planning, and …

The Relevance Of The Natural Environment To Social Work : A Comparison Of Fields That Consider The Natural Environment In Social Problems : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, John D. Ritchie

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

Given the natural environment's importance to humans, this study was undertaken to understand how social work has considered the natural environment in approaching social problems compared to other fields that consider the natural environment. In addition, comparing literature from several fields, the author sought to evaluate the adequacy of social work's attention to the natural environment as the field analyzes and conceives solutions to social problems and carries out its mission. The study examined the gaps in social work literature regarding the natural environment. The author compared published literature from social work, psychology, environmental health and medicine, and environmentalism to …

Assessment Of Social Workers’ Attitudes Towards People With Physical Disabilities, Ann Charlotte Eubank

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes of social workers in Tennessee towards people with physical disabilities. A non-probability, convenience sample of social workers who were members of the National Association of Social Workers Tennessee Chapter (NASW TN), and accept email communication, were sent the on-line survey. Two hundred sixty five social workers responded to the survey and one hundred sixty eight respondents (N=168) completed the survey in its entirety and were included in analysis. The respondents’ attitudes were assessed as either empowering or oppressive based on concepts and constructs of empowerment and oppression identified by disability …

Liminal Living At An Extended Stay Hotel: Feeling "Stuck" In A Housing Solution, Terri Wingate-Lewinson, June Gary Hopps, Patricia Reeves

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

As a result of unaffordable housing, many of America's working poor are forced to seek shelter in hotels to avoid homelessness. The concept of liminality has been used in discussions of place to describe the subjective experience of feeling in-between two states of being. Research is scant on the liminal experiences of low-income hotel residents, who are culturally invisible in society. This paper draws from data qualitatively collected via semi-structured interviews from ten low-income residents living in an extended-stay hotel. Descriptions of these residential experiences are presented along with recommendations for social workers practicing with families in this liminal situation.

Liminal Living At An Extended Stay Hotel: Feeling "Stuck" In A Housing Solution, Terri Wingate-Lewinson, June Hopps, Patricia Reeves

Terri Lewinson

As a result of unaffordable housing, many of America’s work- ing poor are forced to seek shelter in hotels to avoid homeless- ness. The concept of liminality has been used in discussions of place to describe the subjective experience of feeling in-between two states of being. Research is scant on the liminal experi- ences of low-income hotel residents, who are culturally invis- ible in society. This paper draws from data qualitatively collected via semi-structured interviews from ten low-income residents living in an extended-stay hotel. Descriptions of these residen- tial experiences are presented along with recommendations for social workers practicing with …

Hippotherapy And Therapeutic Riding: Practicing Social Workers And Undergraduate Social Work Students, Devin Smith

Social Work Theses

This study attempted to explore, through the use of surveys, what practicing social workers and undergraduate student social workers know about hippotherapy and therapuetic riding. In addition, this study made an effort to examine what the key means of learning participants had when it came to these alternative methods of therapy. The hypothesis that undergraduate social work students would collectively not be familiar with hippotherapy or therapuetic riding and that practicing social workers would have a better knowledge base in this area, was tested through the use of surveys. These surveys were distributed in a handful of undergraduate social work …

Leadership As Legacy, Elias Sussan

New England Journal of Public Policy

I joined the House of Grace twenty-three years ago when I was looking for a job as a social worker and, very soon after, I found myself taking part in important and fulfilling social and community work, in an ever-renewing and developing institute — a house that is a home for people in distress. I chose social work and not one of the professions because I had a strong desire and a need to do something for the community: to work with prisoners, women survivors of violence, the homeless — with underprivileged and disadvantaged people. In my childhood and youth, …

The President's Emergency Plan For Aids Relief (Pepfar): A Social Work Ethical Analysis And Recommendations, Robert J. Barney, Stephan L. Buckingham, Judith M. Friedrich, Lisa M. Johnson, Michael A. Robinson, Bibhuti K. Sar

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is the most recent international social program instituted by the U.S. Government to combat HIV/AIDS. Since its inception in 2003, this foreign policy initiative has dedicated $63 billion for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in foreign countries. Despite PEPFAR's many accomplishments, it continues to promote controversial prevention strategies. This paper analyzes these prevention strategies, utilizing social work values as described in the NASW Code of Ethics. Policy, practice, and research implications are discussed.

Liminal Living At An Extended Stay Hotel: Feeling "Stuck" In A Housing Solution, Terri Lewinson, June Gary Hopps, Patricia Reeves

SW Publications

As a result of unaffordable housing, many of America's working poor are forced to seek shelter in hotels to avoid homelessness. The concept of liminality has been used in discussions of place to describe the subjective experience of feeling in-between two states of being. Research is scant on the liminal experiences of low-income hotel residents, who are culturally invisible in society. This paper draws from data qualitatively collected via semi-structured interviews from ten low-income residents living in an extended-stay hotel. Descriptions of these residential experiences are presented along with recommendations for social workers practicing with families in this liminal situation.

Overcoming Msw Students’ Reluctance To Engage In Research, Jeanette Harder

Social Work Faculty Publications

Social work students are typically reluctant to engage in research. The Research Partnership model takes a service-learning approach, allowing students to work with data from a community agency and resulting in a final paper with all the sections of an empirical journal article. Use of this model in teaching social work research enhances student motivation, learning, and skills through hands-on activities within an authentic context, and by using group support with individual accountability, structured and incremental learning opportunities, and teaching from a strengths-based perspective.

Empowering Female Offenders To Reach Success In Probation And Parole, Patricia Lewis

Senior Research Projects

Responding to the need for gender specific programs within the criminal justice system, this study evaluates a women’s life skills group that is geared towards education and empowerment for female offenders at the Board of Probation and Parole (BOPP) in a small southeastern city. The researcher evaluated the effectiveness of this group using a single system model. The desired outcome of the group was to enhance the women’s knowledge in areas such as self-esteem, parenting, domestic violence, job readiness, and health. Findings reveal overall satisfaction of the participants with the life skills group as well as improvement in individual life …

Search For Advocacy: A Measure Of Local Attentiveness To Homelessness, Courtney L. Aldrich

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

From urban capitals to rural countryside, and every locality in between, homelessness is a national phenomenon that affects every community. Each locality responds to it differently through the variety of homeless programs and services it offers. By doing such, each locality displays a certain level of attentiveness to their homeless population. This article explores how 10 small southeastern cities respond to their local homelessness and seeks to compare the homeless attentiveness of Bowling Green, Kentucky to similar localities. An evaluative measure of municipal attentiveness based on a range of homelessness program areas is used to score each city’s response to …

Person-Organization Incongruence As A Predictor Of Right-Wing Authoritarianism, Social Dominance Orientation, And Heterosexism, Kristie L. Seelman, N. E. Walls

Kristie L Seelman

Using a sample of 124 incoming social work graduate students, we examined whether levels of perceived incongruence with social work values and the perceived culture of a graduate social work program significantly correlate with social psychological constructs. The social psychological constructs are associated with maintenance and support for social stratification in general and with prejudicial attitudes based on sexual orientation more specifically. Results suggest that higher levels of cultural incongruence are associated with significantly higher levels of right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, hostile heterosexism, aversive heterosexism, and paternalistic heterosexism. Nonsignificant results emerged for amnestic heterosexism and positive stereotypic heterosexism. Implications …

The Five Year Bsw—Msw Program: A New Curriculum Option, Shirley Simon, Edward J. Gumz, Susan Grossman, James Marley, Yolanda Golden

Shirley Simon