Social Work Commons^™

Arab Refugees With Physical Disabilities: An Exploration Of Barriers Within The Resettlement Process, Qusay S. Hussein Msw, Lailea Noel Phd

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

A series of global crises—the war on terror and its subsequent geopolitical disruptions, climate change, and political and economic instability —have created new waves of refugees, primarily from the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America. Among these refugees are people with sensory disabilities (PWD). While all refugees require support and encounter challenges to adapting to their resettlement countries, those with physical disabilities face additional barriers to successful resettlement and integration into their resettlement communities. These additional barriers include access to accessibility services for alternative communication methods, orientation and mobility assistance, disability-specific medical support, as well as social support to …

Global Deaf And Disability-Led Partnerships For Accessible Emergency Response And Humanitarian Action, Alina A. Engelman, Joe Booze, Alexia Izquierdo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Disability-serving non-profit, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a critical role in fostering care networks and supporting humanitarian action for disabled people before and during emergencies, particularly in the absence of targeted philanthropic and governmental support. However, relatively few NGOs serving disabled people are led or operated by people with disabilities, especially by disabled women. This analysis, based on survey and interview data with leadership, explores the impact of two disability-led operations. Findings have profound implications for how social work practice can center disability justice both in preparing for and responding to emergencies. This paper assesses the needs and impact of two …

Diverging From Conventional Autism Research Through Meaningfully Including An Adult Autism Community: Processes Of Engaging Ottawa’S Adult Autism Community In Critical And Emancipatory Autism Research, Margaret Janse Van Rensburg, Courtney Weaver

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Traditional research practices that aim to find causes, cures, and fixes for autism, without meaningful involvement of Autistic individuals, undermine disability justice and the inherent value of the Autistic perspective and Autistic contributions to society. Limited studies address the process of inclusive research and upholding disability justice principles; therefore this paper presents the process of a participatory planning stage for a research study committed to disability justice and social change for Autistic people. Drawing from the principles of disability justice, including intersectionality, leadership, anti-capitalism, cross-movement organizing, and collective liberation, the paper outlines both the successes and obstacles encountered during the …

Does Learning About Social Policy In A Global Context Change Students’ Views On U.S. Social Policies?, Dirk De Jong, Dennis Kao

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reviews the development and implementation of a course titled “Social Policy Without Borders” and an evaluation of students’ attitudes toward social policies as a result of having taken the course. “Social Policy Without Borders” is an undergraduate social work elective and involves a cross-national analysis of social policies and an examination of the impact of neoliberalism on social policies and social welfare systems globally. This paper reports on an evaluation of outcome in terms of possible changes in students’ views on social policies in the United States as a result of learning about their global context. The evaluation …

Unlv Title Iii Aanapisi & Mcnair Scholars Institute Research Journal 2024, Jesica Godinez-Paredes, Kian Hassankhan, Apia Hickman, Robin Ruth Kee, Kevin Ayala Pineda, Briana Melendez, Kalli Ramos, Saturn L. Reyes, Fabian Leija, Selena Pepe, Silva Topchyan, Celeste Ainsley, Mayra Arzate, Jessica Balistreri, Zantana Ephrem, Mirella Jasso, Karl Panou, Nichole Pelaez, Miklo Alcala, Akshay Dave, Mey Mey Heng, Michael Finkle, Janessa Montenegro, Reynafe Naol Aniga, Victor Mejia, Angelica G. Diaz, Anayeli Flores-Garibay, Kari Lee Joe Goold, Samantha Hernandez, Lianelys Cabrera Martinez, Caitlin Reynolds, Kimberly N. Usbeck, Abdulrahman Alahdal, Angelica Diaz, Willaine Mae Kahano, Raquel Jackson, Cecia Ruiz-Hernandez, Kers Ung-Watson, Yessenia Henriquez, Vanessa Marie Booth, Alexia Brown, Darlyn Magana, Bianca Navarro, Nicholas Pereira, Gia Renemae Calip, Lucky Heng, Ralph Sagun, Lucas Abreu, Alexandra Maria Acosta, Tristan Benally, Cosset Hernandez Pena, Adrian Montenegro, Cierra Paaaina-Daquioag, Nicole Torosian, Tracy Fuentes, Julissa Martinez, Medina Mcallister, Michal Newhouse-Van Vlerin, Tiria Carr, Nima Abkenar, Isabella Aceituno, Yuhan Bi, Victoria Campos, Melika Cummings, Zachary J. Johnigan, Alexis Sotolongo-Marin

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the AANAPISI, LSAMP, and McNair Scholars Program.

Table of Contents

About AANAPISI

Dr. Chris Heavey, Interim President

Dr. Keith Rogers, Vice President for Student Affairs

Ms. Zhanna Aronov, Associate Vice President for Retention & Outreach

Mental Health Impacts Of Covid-19 On U.S. Young Adults: A Thematic Analysis Of Depression, Anxiety, And Ptsd Experiences, Carol Meza, Viridiana Ortiz, Pedro Hernandez

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

This study explores the yet-to-be-fully-realized effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, particularly focusing on young adults between the ages of 18-39 years of age living in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a thematic content analysis, the study seeks to deepen our understanding of the impact of this novel virus on mental well-being, filling a gap in limited existing research. The theoretical framework in this study is the Disaster Response Cycle or the Disaster Response and Recovery Cycle, and it outlines the different phases that individuals and communities may experience during and after a disaster. The …

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.

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 …

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 …

Filipina American Mothers’ Experiences Obtaining Services For Their Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Nina Chelle Boling

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted developmental condition that manifests in early childhood, affecting various aspects of neurologic, biological, adaptive, social, linguistic, and cognitive functions. A timely and accurate diagnosis of ASD is crucial for effective intervention, promoting personal and social growth, and fostering independent adulthood. However, obtaining this diagnosis can pose challenges, particularly for people of color, who often encounter disparities in healthcare access compared to their White counterparts. This study aims to investigate the experiences of Filipina mothers raising children with ASD, specifically focusing on their journey to access appropriate autism services.

As of 2019, there were …

Violence Against Women And Abortion Access: A Content Analysis Of The Impact Of The Overturning Of Roe V. Wade On Victims Of Domestic And Sexual Violence, Salika Vummarao

Honors Undergraduate Theses

On June 24, 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned, effectively eliminating the federally protected right to an abortion. Following the overturning, several state-specific restrictions or bans on abortion were passed, creating increasingly difficult conditions for people seeking an abortion. Research shows that abortion bans and restrictions disproportionately affect victims of sexual and domestic violence. Hence, this study aims to understand the specific impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade for victims of domestic and/or sexual violence by analysis of news articles. This issue has not been researched in depth, creating a gap in our understanding. The database NexisUni was …

Adjustments To Social Work Practice During The Covid-19 Pandemic In North Carolina: Effects On Burnout And Commitment, Aaron R. Brown, Jayme E. Walters, Aubrey E. Jones, Lara Cates

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for social workers in the U.S. and abroad has increased. There is demand for more social workers in North Carolina due to ongoing and increasing mental health, substance use disorder, and child welfare needs. COVID-19 has taken a toll on the personal and professional lives of social workers, and research is needed to understand the pandemic’s effects on burnout and commitment among social workers. The present study sought to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the personal and professional lives of social workers practicing in North Carolina and to determine how …

Sociodemographic Correlates Of Low Health Literacy Skills Among Cancer Survivors: National Findings From Brfss 2016 And Implications For Precision Survivorship Care, Qi Chen, John Moore, Lailea Noel, Kirk Von Sternberg, Barbara Jones

Publications and Research

Purpose: This study aimed to explore associations of sociodemographic factors with difficulties in three health literacy (HL) skills and the severity of low HL skills.

Design: Cross-sectional secondary data analysis. Subjects: Data came from 17,834 adults who responded to the HL module with a response rate of 47% in the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Measures: Independent variables included sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, employment and income. Dependent variables are three HL skills: obtaining, understanding oral, and understanding written health information.

Analysis: We conducted weighted Chi-square tests and multinominal logistic regressions.

Results: Cancer survivors younger than 65 (aged 18-39: AOR=4.46, …