Social Work Commons^™

Internalizing A Social Justice Identity Through Hip Hop Values In The Beats, Rhymes, And Life Academy : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At Beats, Rhymes And Life, Alfredo E. Laris

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This mixed method study investigates how the Beats, Rhymes, and Life Academy helps its members subvert systems of oppression. Through a quantitative survey and a qualitative 1.5-hour semi-structured interview, participants assessed their experience with social justice activism while in the BRL Academy. The study outlined three ways subversion of systemic oppression occurs: by developing one’s feeling of individual agency and empowerment to achieve one’s goals, developing a social justice identity, and empowering their community with the use of the first two factors.

The study found that Academy members felt like they had developed their own strength and were more aware …

"You Are In A Better Position To Protect People When You Feel Like You're Protected Yourself" : To What Extent Does Union Membership And Ethical Clinical Social Work Practice Align? : An Exploratory Study, Robyn K. Douglass

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the question: “to what extent does union membership and ethical clinical social work practice align?” by interviewing Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) working within unionized environments. The study focused on the experience of these clinicians within their current working environment and how being a union member allowed them to be able to provide ethical clinical social work practice to their clients/patients. The most compelling findings from this research were that the clinicians felt that union membership did align with providing ethical clinical social work practice to their populations within their agencies or …

Host Community Narratives Of Volunteer Tourism In Ghana: From Developmentalism To Social Justice, Danielle E. Lediard

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

It is evident from the research around volunteer tourism that local perspectives are sorely lacking. Instead of the focus of research being on the communities that volunteer tourism is meant to help, the emphasis remains on the experiences of the volunteers. Although many researchers identify the lack of attention directed towards host communities as a problem, there remains a lack of research in this area. The importance in the existing research, then, remains on the ‘us’ in developed countries instead of the those in developing countries that volunteer tourism is meant to help. The primary objective of this research is …

The Need For Social Work Advocacy To Create Social Justice For Transgender People: A Call To Action, Justin Lerner, Gabriel Robles

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Transgender people in the United States experience high levels of employment discrimination. The Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) is one mechanism that would provide basic workplace protections for this population. We argue, however, that passage of ENDA is only one of many preliminary steps to help transgender people experience an essential basic version of social justice. Using Bonnycastle's (2011) social justice relational illustrative model, we develop a conceptual framework that argues that social workers need to advocate for transgender people on a policy level in order to move them from their current nonexistent version of social justice to a basic version …

Grand Challenges: Social Justice And The Need For Evidence-Based Sex Offender Registry Reform, Jill S. Levenson, Melissa Grady, George Leibowitz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Sex offender registries, though popular, bring with them enormous fiscal costs and unintended consequences for offenders and communities. Consistent with the Grand Challenges, social workers can play a role in advocating for sex offender management policies that are better informed by evidence and thus a better use of resources. Registry reform would also moderate the stigma resulting from the sex offender label, and reduce barriers to offender reintegration. First, a brief history of registration laws and the research around their effectiveness will be provided, followed by a rationale for needed improvements in sex offender management policy. Finally, evidence-based recommendations for …

Advocacy In Action: A Framework For Implementation Of The American Counselors Association Advocacy Competencies On A Local Level, Jeffrey M. Lown

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Despite calls from within the professional field and external forces, counselors have faced ongoing challenges in their efforts to be effective advocates for their clients and themselves. A review of the literature reveals that throughout the history of the profession, prominent figures have called on counselors to assume advocacy roles, and that some initiatives have been successful in fostering lasting change. However, as counselors and their clients’ needs continue to evolve, so too must strategies to address these needs be reevaluated and new initiatives put into place.

In this paper, I have outlined a committee structure and agenda that seeks …

Social And Environmental Justice And The Water-Energy Nexus: A Quest In Progress For Rural People, Karen V. Harper-Dorton Ph.D., Stacia J. Harper

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Access to affordable and reliable clean water and energy is necessary for economic development, health, and well-being of all people worldwide. Unavailable, unaffordable, or unreliable water and energy resources represent social and environmental injustices that disproportionately burden poor people, especially those in rural areas. Furthermore, there is an inextricable link between water and energy: clean water requires power for delivery and sanitation, and power production requires large amounts of water. This water-energy nexus connects two vital resources for humanity with more attention to economic concerns than to human or environmental issues. This paper addresses social and environmental justice issues that …

An Examination Of The New York State Workers' Compensation Reform Act Of 2007, Julia Ostrov

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Workers' compensation, a critical safety net for injured and ill workers in the form of medical care and wage replacement benefits, emerged on the heels of the Industrial Revolution as the first extensive social insurance program in the United States. Over the past two decades, workers' compensation policy in New York State has followed a national trend of severe retrenchment in benefits to workers. This paper takes as its focus an examination of the most recent workers' compensation reform legislation in New York, and provides a discussion of the important role social workers can play in promoting social justice within …

Social Work Advocacy: Professional Self-Interest And Social Justice, Mary Ellen Brown, Michelle M. Livermore, Annahita R. Ball

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study employed an analysis of the advocacy-related resources and materials available through the 50 NASW state chapter websites. Results revealed that a large number of states had no information about advocacy on their websites (42%). One third of the mission statements reviewed contained language indicating that advocacy was part of the chapter mission, while nearly as many included no content related to advocacy or social justice on their homepages. Nearly two thirds of the websites contained no resources, tools or links to help with advocacy practice, promotion or education. Thirteen advocacy themes emerged, which represented policy issues within the …

Strengthening A Social Justice Lens For Addictions Practice: Exploration, Reflections, Possibilities And A Challenge To Our Shared Work To Promote Recovery Among The Most Vulnerable, Laura Burney Nissen

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Addiction is commonly conceptualized as a personal problem, a family problem, a neighborhood problem, a community problem, and even a social problem. But how might addiction be understood as a social justice problem?

Substance abuse problems, addictions, and addiction treatment and the related preparation of professionals to fill its treatment ranks exist within an ideological and political infrastructure. Issues of social justice are often conspicuously absent as a primary consideration of the experience of people seeking treatment (acknowledging the treatment gap that impacts some people more than others), for communities ravaged by addiction (acknowledging that some communities are affected more …

Self-Reflections Of A Gay Immigrant Social Worker, Jonghyun Lee, Kate Willow Robinson

Social Work Faculty Publications

Social workers strive to end various forms of social injustice that cause the marginalization of people and their suffering. One way to dismantle social injustice is to engage in a self-reflective process. As a form of self-discovery, self-reflection guides us to recognize our own experiences of privilege and power as well as inequality and oppression. In this article, I utilize intersectionality as a method of self-reflection to examine the ways race/ethnicity, sexuality, and immigration status intersect and create a particular form of vulnerability. Making private experiences public takes courage. Nevertheless, through self-reflection, I reinforce my moral and ethical commitment to …

Distributive Justice And Equity In Grading: A New Instructor’S Reflections, Molly Malany Sayre

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

The author reflects upon early teaching experiences to identify a conflict between minimal distributive justice, or the distribution of goods that ensures all individuals have an acceptable level of that good (Deutsch, 1985), and grading of students’ assignments. Instead of addressing the unequal distribution of college preparedness among her students, the author’s grading reflected and potentially reinforced educational, racial, and economic inequalities. In agreement with Anastas (2010), an ethic of social justice is recommended for use in social work education. Social work educators can provide greater access to resources (e.g., the instructor’s time) for students experiencing disadvantages that affect their …

Conceptualizing Social Determinants Of Maternal And Infant Health Disparities, Susanne Klawetter

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research demonstrates that women and children within marginalized ethnic and racial groups and those living in poverty experience disparate health outcomes. These disparities have immediate and long-term consequences. Exploring two theories used to examine social determinants of health— life course perspective and historical trauma response, this article will explain the major premises of each, provide application examples, compare and examine utility for practice, and highlight areas for future research. A theoretical critique will be included, as well as insight into how these theories together might address gaps as an approach to maternal and infant health research and practice.

An Examination Of The Motivations Of Attendees At Cal Poly's "Change The Status Quo" Conference, James Statton

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

The social activism community exists to address the collective responsibility of meeting needs and fighting for the rights of the disadvantaged and/or marginalized populations. The Change the Status Quo conference aims to educate, motivate, and activate attendees. The purpose of this study was to measure the motivations of attendees at the Change the Status Quo conference at Cal Poly to become involved in social activism. The study was conducted through a questionnaire distributed and collected during the final workshop of the conference. The findings from 72 participants indicated that most were female and college students. Most were also frequently involved …

A Survey-Based Study Of Social Workers' Critical Consciousness And Practice With Lgb Clients, Cynthia Lynn Bott

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Social workers are responsible for providing the majority of mental health and substance abuse services in the United States in the role of direct service. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LBG) individuals utilize these services at rates that are believed to be higher than other populations. The field of social work embraces social justice as one of its core principles. This cross-sectional survey of 220 BSW and/or MSW social workers investigates two questions: what is the relationship among key aspects of social worker critical consciousness, i.e., attitudes about social justice, change agency, and awareness of heterosexism; and in what ways does …

Zones Of Exclusion: Urban Spatial Policies, Social Justice, And Social Services, Karen H. Bancroft

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Across the United States homeless persons, prostitutes, and drug and alcohol users are subject to policies that severely limit their freedom of movement. These new policies create spatial exclusion zones that deny these groups the right to inhabit or traverse large areas of their cities, particularly in the downtown cores, where treatment centers, shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, government services, and other social services are typically concentrated. In this paper, I examine these new spatial exclusionary policies (with a focus on Washington State's policies), present a brief historical account of socio-spatial practices, contextualize the current spatial laws, and end with …

Foot Soldiers For Social Justice: Realities, Relationships, And Resilience, Carole J. Olson, Holly A. Riffe, Caroline Reid, Norma Threadgill-Goldson

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Social justice is embraced as a central mission of social work, yet how the profession defines social justice lacks a clear and common understanding. This qualitative study explored social justice as perceived and practiced by social workers in diverse practice settings in mostly rural areas, small towns, and small cities. Their experiences illustrate ways that social workers engage and advocate for their clients with the goal of improving access to tangible and intangible resources through both conventional and unconventional means. The authors provide insight into the resilience that bolsters social workers’ efforts as they navigate between practice ideals and realities.

Factors That Impact Service Delivery To Individuals Living With Hiv/Aids In Rural Northeastern Texas, Wilma Cordova, Stephen Cooper, Freddie L. Avant

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

This study surveyed participants in focus groups to identify factors that affect individuals living with HIV/AIDS in rural northeastern Texas. The average age of the respondents was 45.44. Participants included a diverse group of American Europeans, Hispanics/Latinos, and African Americans. Although results are inconclusive, other studies have supported similar results regarding factors that impact treatment and services (Zuniga, Buchanan, & Chakravorty, 2005). Some of the factors include lack of financial resources for the consumer, stigma and discrimination, and lack of understanding on the part of the consumer and the community. More studies in rural areas serving people living with HIV/AIDS …

Factors That Impact Service Delivery To Individuals Living With Hiv/Aids In Rural Northeastern Texas, Wilma Cordova, H. Stephen Cooper, Freddie L. Avant

Faculty Publications

This study surveyed participants in focus groups to identify factors that affect individuals living with HIV/AIDS in rural northeastern Texas. The average age of the respondents was 45.44. Participants included a diverse group of American Europeans, Hispanics/Latinos, and African Americans. Although results are inconclusive, other studies have supported similar results regarding factors that impact treatment and services (Zuniga, Buchanan, & Chakravorty, 2005). Some of the factors include lack of financial resources for the consumer, stigma and discrimination, and lack of understanding on the part of the consumer and the community. More studies in rural areas serving people living with HIV/AIDS …

Why You Should Care About The Threatened Middle Class, Jill Littrell, Fred Brooks, Jan Ivery, Mary L. Ohmer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In the last two decades, the income and security of the individual middle class worker has declined and the gap between the middle class and the wealthy has widened. We explain how this is bad for democracy, the economy, and the aggregate health of the nation. We examine the governmental policies and interventions that increased the middle class following the depression and maintained its vigor through the post-World War II period. The impetus for these changes in governmental policies in the 1930s was to end the Great Depression. We pose the question of whether a nation can recover from a …

Social Justice Implications Of The Organism Metaphor, Gerald V. O'Brien

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The denigration of marginalized groups is frequently supported through the widespread employment of metaphors that present a pejorative image of the group in question. The organism metaphor, wherein the target group is portrayed as a threat to the integrity of the social body, is a particularly important metaphoric theme in the advancement of social injustice. Drawing largely from primary source documents, this paper provides an overview of the organism metaphor as it has been employed historically to denigrate various social subgroups. Implications for the social work profession are discussed.

Bridging Social Capital Formation In A Faith-Based Organization, Angela Kaiser

Wayne State University Dissertations

Previous research on faith-based organizations suggest that these organizations are highly effective at forging relationships between individuals from different racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, known as bridging social capital. This study examines the process of bridging social capital formation within MOSES, a faith-based organization located in Detroit, Michigan. Through the use of in-depth interviews, participant observation, archival research, and a member survey, I documented the forms of social capital present within the organization. I also explored whether bridging relationships were forming within the organization and the strategies that facilitated their formation. Diversity within the organization, recognition of member differences, and …

Restorative Justice: A Systematic Review Of The Social Work Literature, Edward J. Gumz, Cynthia L. Grant

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

Restorative justice is an alternative paradigm for dealing with the effects of crime and wrongdoing that seeks to bring healing to victims, offenders, and the community. Although a key element of social work’s ethical code is the obligation to work toward social justice, this has been viewed primarily as efforts to ensure a fair distribution of resources and opportunities. Yet justice is also restorative in nature—seeking to restore and enhance victims, offenders, and communities to fuller functioning. This article systematically reviews 80 social work peer-reviewed articles dealing with restorative justice. The role of social workers in restorative justice programs remains …

Globalization, Welfare Reform And The Social Economy: Developing An Alternative Approach To Analyzing Social Welfare Systems In The Post-Industrial Era, Vanna Gonzales

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Our understanding of the relationship between globalization and contemporary social welfare systems is heavily influenced by three conventional approaches to studying welfare reform: the political economy, moral economy, and mixed economy approaches. In addition to analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each of these approaches, a central aim of this article is to introduce the social economy approach as an emergent alternative. Drawing from a growing body of work on institutional innovation within the European third sector, I argue that the social economy approach makes a valuable contribution to understanding the role of welfare networks in reconfiguring globalizations' impact on …

Perspectives On Globalization, Social Justice And Welfare, James Midgley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Although the social science literature on globalization has proliferated, social policy and social work scholars have not adequately debated the consequences of globalization for social welfare and social justice. Drawing on different social science interpretations of globalization, four major perspectives that offer different analytical and normative insights into globalization are identified and their implications for social welfare and social justice are briefly examined. The implications of these perspectives for social policy and social work scholarship are also considered.

The Response Of Social Work To The Multicultural Reality In The United States: Reflections And Implications For Taiwanese Social Work, Muh Bi Lin

Faculty Publications - College of Social Work

The multicultural reality in the United States entails a harsh reality of oppressions and various forms of socio-economic injustice. The evolution of policies in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) represents a shift of recognition and response to this phenomenon. There has been increasing concern in academia for the importance and urgency of enhancing multicultural competence of social work practitioners. This paper introduces and critiques existing NASW and CSWE policies relating to multicultural competence in social work practice and evaluates various conceptual models on multicultural social work practice and education. Implications …

Social Theory & Its Relation To Social Problems: An Essay About Theory And Research With Social Justice In Mind, Richard K. Caputo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This essay examines the relationship between social theory and social problems, the truth-value of theories, and the importance of theorizing about the role of the state, i.e., national government, in the resolution of social problems and the achievement of social justice. The author argues that much contemporary social theory has lost its moorings in regard to amelioration ofsocial problems, that Popper's criterion offalsification is a requisitefor more meaningfully applied social theory, and that the state should be part of any social theory meant to address social problems. Moral and political philosophy is used to provide criteria to justify a positive …

Health Care Poverty, Lisa Raiz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper introduces and describes health care poverty. Underinsurance and its consequences for access to health care are highlighted. Definitions of underinsurance and its prevalence are presented. Groups that experience disproportionate barriers to obtaining medical care are identified. Manifestations of underinsurance are explicated and their relationship to receipt of medical care, such as vaccinations and medications is discussed. A refraining of the health care debate is suggested with emphasis moving from uninsurance to access to health care.

Applying Rawlsian Social Justice To Welfare Reform: An Unexpected Finding For Social Work, Mahasweta M. Banerjee

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper sketches social workers' understanding of social justice and reliance on Rawls (1971), highlights findings about "hard to employ" welfare recipients facing welfare reform, and articulates the parameters of Rawlsian justice (Rawls, 1999a; 2001) with particular emphasis on people who have been on welfare for long. The paper shows that social workers do not have any space to maneuver in Rawlsian justice to uphold justice for long-term welfare recipients, and welfare reform's "work first" stipulation does not violate Rawlsian justice. The paper raises some questions about social workers' continued reliance on Rawls. It suggests social workers update the literature …

Honoring The Elders: Interviews With Two Lakota Men, Deborah E. Bowen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The beliefs that honoring the elders, commitment to family, and the connectedness to all creation are paramount are intrinsic to Lakota culture. Two Lakota elders, Albert White Hat, Sr. and Sylvan White Hat, Sr. are interviewed for this article. They express their concerns with major social justice issues, and offer hope for future generations of Lakota children. A strengths-based perspective of social work practice is compared to traditional Lakota customs and practices.