Suchergebnisse

Intro -- Dedication -- Foreword -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Part I: Social Work in Politics -- 1: Consider Yourself Asked: Introduction to Political Social Work -- Section 1: Overview -- Section 2: Consider Yourself Asked -- Section 3: Why Political Social Work? -- Section 4: What Does Political Social Work Look Like? -- What Are Political Social Work Strategies? -- In What Settings Do Political Social Workers Practice? -- Section 5: History of Political Social Work -- History: Engaging Individuals and Communities in Political Processes (Domain 1) -- History: Influencing Policy Agendas and Decision-Making (Domain 2) -- History: Holding Professional and Political Staff Positions (Domain 3) -- History: Engaging with Electoral Campaigns (Domain 4) -- History: Seeking and Holding Elected Office (Domain 5) -- Section 6: The Importance of Political Social Work in Social Work Ethics and Values -- Section 7: What Will Readers Be Able to Do at the End of this Book? -- Review of Key Terms and Concepts -- Resources -- Article -- Websites -- References -- 2: Contexts for Political Social Work Practice -- Section 1: Overview -- Section 2: Political Social Work Settings -- Section 3: Engaging Individuals and Communities in Political Processes (Domain 1) -- Voter Engagement and Social Work -- Social Workers Advocating for Expanded Political Power -- Section 4: Influencing Policy Agendas and Decision-Making (Domain 2) -- Social Workers Influencing Policy Agendas -- Social Workers Influencing Decision-Making -- Section 5: Holding Professional and Political Staff Positions (Domain 3) -- Civil Service and Social Work -- Political Appointments and Social Work -- Working Directly for Elected Officials -- Section 6: Engaging with Electoral Campaigns (Domain 4) -- Candidate Emergence -- Social Workers in Electoral Campaigns.

This research compared male and female elected social workers to discover whether they report the same gender differences as other elected officials. Few gender differences were found among respondents. Differing from elected officials as a whole, female and male social workers reported similar levels of recruitment, favorable views of power and the demands of office and family, and interest in and knowledge about a variety of issues, with the exception of the issue of abortion. The potential contribution of anticipatory socialization and implications for social work education, political recruitment, and reproductive rights work are discussed.

Fifty years after the Equal Pay Act of 1963, research continues to find disparities between the salaries of men and women across disciplines. This study examines empirical evidence about salary and gender within the social work profession from the 1960s to present day. All available articles with empirical data regarding salary and gender during the time period were included in this systematic review. Salary disparities were found between men and women in the vast majority of studies. The authors classify contributing factors into three categories (a) characteristics of the employing organizations, (b) characteristics of the position held, and (c) characteristics of the individual, and include a discussion of factors relevant to social workers in academic positions. The researchers recommend legislative policy changes, best practices in organizational policy, and proactive education within social work programs. Social workers have the opportunity to effect change in this area by promoting social justice within our society, practice, and educational institutions.

Defining social workers for the purposes of research is not as straightforward as it sounds. To date, researchers who have examined social workers as a group have used a variety of sampling methods. Multiple methods speak to the variety of options for defining social workers. Understanding membership within the profession is a precondition to understanding research about the behavior of those within the profession. This research note explores these sampling methods in detail. Each has its advantages, but none are without their own disadvantages, some of which bias their view of the profession. As researchers who have considered the political behavior of social workers, we consider six methods for sampling social workers that have been used to understand their behavior in this specific domain. Importantly, the sampling methods examined here can be applied to research about social workers outside of politics. These include sampling (1) members of professional organizations, (2) licensed social workers, (3) social work students, (4) graduates of social work programs, (5) social work faculty, and (6) members of social work-related occupations. After reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of each, we provide scholars a table for reference. The authors recommend that the Council on Social Work Education, National Association of Social Workers, and several other professional associations pull together members to explore a unified definition of social work through integrated practice and refrain from focusing on what makes us different.

Defining social workers for the purposes of research is not as straightforward as it sounds. To date, researchers who have examined social workers as a group have used a variety of sampling methods. Multiple methods speak to the variety of options for defining social workers. Understanding membership within the profession is a precondition to understanding research about the behavior of those within the profession. This research note explores these sampling methods in detail. Each has its advantages, but none are without their own disadvantages, some of which bias their view of the profession. As researchers who have considered the political behavior of social workers, we consider six methods for sampling social workers that have been used to understand their behavior in this specific domain. Importantly, the sampling methods examined here can be applied to research about social workers outside of politics. These include sampling (1) members of professional organizations, (2) licensed social workers, (3) social work students, (4) graduates of social work programs, (5) social work faculty, and (6) members of social work-related occupations. After reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of each, we provide scholars a table for reference. The authors recommend that the Council on Social Work Education, National Association of Social Workers, and several other professional associations pull together members to explore a unified definition of social work through integrated practice and refrain from focusing on what makes us different.

Political participation to create social change is considered a professional and ethical imperative for social workers. Although researchers have examined overall political participation by social workers, little is known about how clinical social workers participate and the broader societal factors that influence their political participation. A critical phenomenological methodology was used with a sample of 23 clinical social workers from New England states to (1) identify how socio-political forces influenced their political activity; and, (2) understand how the concept of power affected individuals' level of engagement or inclination toward the political process. This article describes one of the study's major findings. Female participants described themselves as unqualified and/or unknowledgeable in the political sphere, with low levels of ambition and confidence to engage in political processes. Many female participants also described the challenges of achieving a work-life balance between their careers and traditional gender-based roles with little time left for political engagement. Social work education and policy advocacy can affect change that will increase the internal and external efficacy of social workers and create a policy environment that allows more options for all social workers in balancing the demands of professional and personal lives.