Appreciative supervision in social work. New opportunities for changing the social work practice

The practice of social work focuses mainly on solving problems, on reducing dysfunctions, on diminishing deficiencies etc. More often then not, allocating resources for providing problem-centred social services does not solve the problems for which the services were designed. Our initiative consists in experimenting appreciative supervision and in identifying the potential differences between the two approaches, the one centred on problems and the appreciative one. The results we have obtained in the practice of social work through the application of appreciative supervision underscore the advantages of this approach, an approach which is capable to produce profound changes in the practice of social work. We chose a pair of similar cases in terms of the child’s risk of abandonment and we managed each of them differently, according to opposing views on supervision; the results showed that the desired changes can be brought about more easily when using appreciative supervisionAppreciative supervision; Appreciative inquiry; Social work; Parallel process; Problem-centred supervision; Appreciative case management

Disorder control in crystalline GeSb2Te4 and its impact on characteristic length scales

Crystalline GeSb2Te4 (GST) is remarkable material, as it allows to continuously tune the electrical resistance by orders of magnitude without involving a phase transition or stoichiometric changes, just by altering the short-range order. While well-ordered specimen are metallic, increasing amounts of disorder can eventually lead to an insulating state with vanishing conductivity in the 0K limit, but a similar number of charge carriers. These observations make disordered GST one of the most promising candidates for the realization of a true Anderson insulator. While so far the low-temperature properties have mostly been studied in films of small grain size, here a sputter-deposition process is employed that enables preparation of a large variety of these GST states including metallic and truly insulating ones. By growing films of GST on mica substrates, biaxially textured samples with huge grain sizes are obtained. A series of these samples is employed for transport measurements, as their electron mean free path can be altered by a factor of 20. Yet, the mean free path always remains more than an order of magnitude smaller than the lateral grain size. This proves unequivocally that grain boundaries play a negligible role for electron scattering, while intragrain scattering, presumably by disordered vacancies, dominates. Most importantly, these findings underline that the Anderson insulating state as well as the system's evolution towards metallic conductivity are indeed intrinsic properties of the material

The social economy. An integrating approach

The first part of this article analyses the normative approach of the social economy. The social economy is developed in order to create an alternative economic and social space for the people excluded from life necessities and, furthermore, it is not a recent phenomenon; it relies on historical practices which have developed over several centuries in order to meet people’s needs. The social economy institutions from Romania and Greece are then presented. The purpose is to show that clear regulations contribute to the acceptance of the social economy as an alternative and complementary form of producing social welfare. In order to accomplish the normative purposes of meeting life’s necessities and of changing the existing social conditions, the social economy actors must start to think of themselves not as individual agents, but as belonging to a large movement acting within the continuum between the market and state intervention for welfare production

The European Social Fund within the context of the economic crisis from Romania

The paper shows the positive traits of the European Social Fund proved by the history of this mechanism which has been applied in the European Community for almost half a century, as well as the measures adopted in order to improve the measures in the field of employment during the period of the economic crisis. The European Social Fund (ESF) helps increasing the adaptability of the workforce and of the enterprises; it helps increasing the access to the labour market; it prevents unemployment and prolongs the active life; it increases the participation of women and of the immigrants to the labour market; it increases the social inclusion of the disadvantaged people and fights discrimination. In Romania, workforce employment is a priority goal, and POSDRU1 contributes to the implementation of the measures set by the European Strategy for Employment. The paper shows the need to identify solutions to the crisis of employment in Romania using the funds allocated to the Operational Program, Human Resources Development, which produce measurable effects with regard to the unemployment rate in Romania

The social economy. An integrating approach

The first part of this article analyses the normative approach of the social economy. The social economy is developed in order to create an alternative economic and social space for the people excluded from life necessities and, furthermore, it is not a recent phenomenon; it relies on historical practices which have developed over several centuries in order to meet people’s needs. The social economy institutions from Romania and Greece are then presented. The purpose is to show that clear regulations contribute to the acceptance of the social economy as an alternative and complementary form of producing social welfare. In order to accomplish the normative purposes of meeting life’s necessities and of changing the existing social conditions, the social economy actors must start to think of themselves not as individual agents, but as belonging to a large movement acting within the continuum between the market and state intervention for welfare production

The European Social Fund within the context of the economic crisis from Romania

The paper shows the positive traits of the European Social Fund proved by the history of this mechanism which has been applied in the European Community for almost half a century, as well as the measures adopted in order to improve the measures in the field of employment during the period of the economic crisis. The European Social Fund (ESF) helps increasing the adaptability of the workforce and of the enterprises; it helps increasing the access to the labour market; it prevents unemployment and prolongs the active life; it increases the participation of women and of the immigrants to the labour market; it increases the social inclusion of the disadvantaged people and fights discrimination. In Romania, workforce employment is a priority goal, and POSDRU1 contributes to the implementation of the measures set by the European Strategy for Employment. The paper shows the need to identify solutions to the crisis of employment in Romania using the funds allocated to the Operational Program, Human Resources Development, which produce measurable effects with regard to the unemployment rate in Romania

Micro-SR-XRF and micro-PIXE studies for archaeological gold identification – The case of Carpathian (Transylvanian) gold and of Dacian bracelets

Abstract Trace-elements are more significant for provenancing archaeological metallic artifacts than the main components. For gold, the most promising elements are platinum group elements (PGE), Sn, Te, Sb, Hg and Pb. Several small fragments of natural Transylvanian gold – placer and primary – were studied by using micro-PIXE technique at the Legnaro National Laboratory AN2000 microbeam facility, Italy and at the AGLAE accelerator, C2RMF, Paris, France and by using micro synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (micro-SR-XRF) at BESSY synchrotron, Berlin, Germany. The goal of the study was to identify the trace-elements, especially Sn, Sb and Te. A spectacular application to five Dacian gold bracelets authentication is presented (Sn and Sb traces)

Dacian bracelets and Transylvanian gold: ancient history and modern analyses

The recovery of the Dacian gold bracelets was the most thrilling archaeological event of the last years in Romania. The artefacts are exhibited in the Historical Treasure section of the National History museum of Romania, Bucharest, being recovered from the international antique markets through a concerted effort of the Romanian, French, and German authorities. This paper reviews the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyses carried out on these exquisite artefacts. These measurements followed the visual examination of qualified experts, which concluded that the gold spiralled bracelets showed strong stylistic similarities with the Dacian silver bracelets discovered until that date in archaeological contexts. Since the most likely source – for geographical and historical reasons – for the metal used to manufacture these artefacts was the Transylvanian Apuseni mountains, additional measurements on several fragments of natural Transylvanian gold, both from placers and primary deposits, were performed using Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Fluorescence (SR-XRF) at the BESSY synchrotron, Berlin, and micro Particle Induced X-ray Emission (micro-PIXE) at the AGLAE accelerator, Paris, and at the AN2000 accelerator of LNL, Padova. The conclusion of this study was that the recovered spirals are genuine Dacian artefacts, made by cold hammering, chiselling and punching Transylvanian unrefined gold – gold panned from riverbeds mixed with primary gold, most likely extracted from surface veins.La saisie des bracelets en or de Dacie a été un des événements archéologiques les plus remarquables de ces dernières années en Roumanie. Les objets sont exposés dans le Trésor Historique du musée National d’Histoire de Roumanie, Bucarest, et ont été récupérés du marché international d’antiquités grâce aux efforts concertés des autorités Roumaines, Françaises et Allemandes. Cet article fait le bilan de l’analyse de ces objets exquis, réalisée par fluorescence à rayons X (FX). Ces mesures suivent l’examen visuel par des experts qualifiés qui ont conclu que les bracelets en or à spirales montrent des similitudes stylistiques fortes avec les bracelets en argent de Dacie découverts en contexte archéologique. Comme pour des raisons historiques et géographiques la source la plus probable du métal utilisé pour la fabrication de ces objets se trouve dans les Carpates transylvaniens, des mesures complémentaires ont été réalisées sur différents fragments d’or natif de Transylvanie, provenant tant de placers comme de gisements primaires, par fluorescence de rayons X avec radiation de synchrotron (SR-XRF) au synchrotron BESSY, à Berlin, et par émission de rayons X induite par particules chargées (micro-PIXE) à l’accélérateur AGLAE, à Paris, et à l’accélérateur AN2000 du LNL à Padoue. L’étude à permis de conclure que les bracelets en spirale récupérés sont des objets Daciens authentiques, produits par martelage à froid, ciselure et poinçonnage d’or de Transylvanie non affiné – de l’or de rivière obtenu par batée et mélangé avec de l’or primaire, certainement extrait de filons de surface

Think and Act: Reflective Tool for professionals working with families (TART). Summary version

The IO3 aims to help organise and articulate reflection by the professional who works with families in situations of vulnerability or that are at risk and encourages professionals to continue questioning themselves about the processes of accompanying families with a broad, systemic, and ecological perspective. - The content of TART (IO3) is focused on a series of specific challenges of attention and intervention with today’s families in Europe. These challenges are listed in the previous IO by describing situations (IO1) and mentioning the main challenges that were identified by the professionals, parents, and young people (IO2). - The tool can be used both by the direct care professionals themselves to address their own practice, as well as by professionals who are dedicated to supervising teams, or by professionals who guide the professional practices of university students

Think and Act: Reflective Tool for professionals working with families (TART)

This tool, Think and Act: Reflective Tool for Professionals working with Families (TART) (hereinafter TART) has been created within the framework of the Erasmus + Grow in Family Today project (hereinafter GIFT) (2018-FR01-KA202-0488115) with the participation of 4 European countries (France, Spain, Italy and Romania) represented by 4 entities and/or professional services that attend families in vulnerable situations (Caminante-FR, Consell Comarcal del Vallès Occidental-ESP, Casa di Ramia-IT and Holtis-RO) and the universities of 4 European countries (Pau et Pays de l’Adour University-UPPA-FR; Barcelona University and Lleida University-ESP; Padova University and Verona University-IT; Iasi University-RO). Within the framework of the GIFT project, two previous intellectual outputs have been created that are antecedents to and complement this current output. The first of them "Growing in family today: the challenge of diversity" addresses the issue of the family and the exercise of parenthood in the family today from the perspective of diversity, and identifies the main challenges in terms of intervention, defined by the components of the aforementioned partnership. The second output, entitled “Representations of growing in family today” focuses on the view held by families, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters, as well as professionals, of what it means to grow in a family today. Both intellectual outputs are antecedents of this third intellectual output and contribute valuable elements to nurture the reflective processes that are proposed here..