Suchergebnisse

The emerging discourse on science in social work (SW) has generated much-needed analysis of the profession's status as a scientific enterprise. Brekke raised critical issues that must be addressed for SW to become a science. This response examines the contextual factors that led to the call for SW science. It also relies on a comparative analysis of attempts by other professions and disciplines to become scientific to discuss critical challenges and opportunities for SW to evolve to science status in the highly contentious scientific environment of the 21st century.

The emerging discourse about the science of social work has urged doctoral social work programs to reexamine assumptions about conducting research and responding to new expectations for scholarship. This article examines three promising models to guide scientific research in social work (evidence-based practice, team science, and multi- and transdisciplinary models). We first conducted a systematic review of social work publications (1985–2016) and found a notable increase in publications that discussed either research-informed or evidence-based practice or multidisciplinary approaches, but not team science or transdisciplinary approaches. Next, we engaged in a comparative analysis of each model's purpose, number of researchers, and breadth of disciplinary focus. Finally, we completed an exploratory assessment of PhD program websites to identify the presence of these models. Information provided on these websites followed a similar pattern as noted in the publications. Implications of these models for doctoral education in the 21st century are discussed.

Family relationships influence children's beliefs and behaviors. This work examined qualities associated with communication about alcohol among 176 mothers and the influence of this communication on daughters' alcohol use. Path analyses by maternal HIV status indicated significant differences. Relationship satisfaction was associated with self-efficacy for both HIV-positive (β = 0.545, p < .001) and HIV-negative (β = 0.557, p < .001) mothers. Maternal self-efficacy was associated with communication for both HIV-positive (β = 0.364, p < .01) and HIV-negative (β = 0.310, p < .05) mothers; maternal attitudes toward alcohol use were associated with communication among HIV-negative mothers (β = 0.20, p < .05). Relationship satisfaction was indirectly related to daughter's alcohol use in HIV-positive dyads (β = 0.153, p < .05). In families with interfamilial and environmental stressors, investing in the mother–daughter relationship, in part by discussing issues related to alcohol use, is protective in nature.