Masking hegemonic masculinity: reconstructing the paedophile as the dangerous stranger

This paper reviews the social constructions of the paedophile as these are embodied in clinical and journalistic discourses. It considers how these discourses have influenced community perceptions of risk and professional responses to the concerns they portray. It then locates these professional constructions within a context of hegemonic masculinity and unsafe families. It concludes that community safety is not adequately addressed by professional assessments of risk that focus primarily on the problems posed by known paedophiles. It is important to consider the problem of sexual violence in a much wider context that problematises the context in which sexual abuse occurs.</p

Ethics and governance in social work research in the UK

The application of formal research ethics and governance structures in social work research have lagged behind those applicable in health, although in the UK, social care has been deemed to be covered by those that were used in the NHS. Whilst this link is useful, it does not facilitate researcher involvement in the small-scale qualitative studies that feature in social work more than in health. Our exploration of the subject reveals that the dominance of the natural sciences paradigm in the social science is evident nationally, regionally and internationally. So, in this sense, the UK follows the usual paths that favour quantitative studies. In this article we explore the trajectory of governance structures in social work research in the UK to argue that social work needs its own ethics and governance structures, but that some agreement should be sought with other professions, particularly in those projects that cross professional and discipline boundaries so that social work research does not have to undergo dual processes for ethical approval. This implies a broader recognition of social work research ethics and governance structures than currently exist. © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved

Educación para el trabajo social bajo un sistema de globalización : corrientes y cambios en Gran Bretaña

La educación para el trabajo social en Gran Bretaña ha sido influenciada por las fuerzas de globalización, administración, armonización y las demandas del consumidor. Esto ha resultado en un currículo que cambia constantemente y que esta muy influenciado por los deseos de los empleadores. El trabajo social esta sujeto a las demandas internacionales, a la competición, al modelo comercial en la provisión de servicios. Los educadores no han tenido mucha influencia en estas arenas movedizas. Irónicamente, las dimensiones internacionales, la necesidad de llegar a un grupo profesional bien pagado y bien entrenado han sido marginalizadas. El lugar académico y la posición del trabajo social como disciplina adelantada por las investigaciones continúan siendo dudosos.British social work education has been shaped by the forces of globalisation, the ‘new’ managerialism, European harmonisation, devolution, and user empowerment. This has created a constantly changing curriculum which has been dominated by employer concerns with routine practice. These developments have subjected social work to the demands of international competition and commercial providers with the state losing provider status. Educators have been unable to exercise much influence in these shifting sands. Ironically, the international dimensions of social work and the need for a truly professionalised, highly paid and well-trained workforce able to deliver empowering practice, have been marginalised. The place of social work education in the academy remains suspect and social work’s position as a research-led subject remains wea

Learning from our past: climate change and disaster interventions in practice

Social work has a lengthy history of intervening in disaster situations – natural and human-made, especially in philanthropic work with faith-based organisations and individuals. This changed with institutional forms of solidarity enshrined in the welfare state following World War 2. These impulses were coupled with the formation of the United Nations and its affiliated bodies, formed to rebuild a war-devastated Europe. These now have a remit to respond to any humanitarian disaster anywhere. In this chapter, I describe these developments, and include how the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) also became involved in such initiatives, highlighting the creation of co-produced solutions in locality-specific culturally relevant ways through community partnerships that include the social sciences like social work working alongside the physical sciences. I also argue that disaster interventions should form part of mainstream social work curricula and that humanitarian aid workers should have a social work qualification

Neglected Families: Developing family-supportive policies for ‘natural’ and (hu)man-made disasters

Disaster policies are not noted for being family-friendly, although they presuppose that family members and neighbours will immediately provide assistance in an emergency situation. This chapter by Dominelli uses empirical evidence gathered from disaster-survivors to argue for the development of family-supportive policies that take account of the different risks, vulnerabilities and needs of family members, particularly those affected along the social dimensions of gender, age, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, culture including language and religion, and economic status. Such policies should consider the specific needs of these groups within the family and ensure the delivery of appropriate needs-led responses throughout the disaster cycle – prevention, preparedness, immediate relief and recover, and reconstruction. Their formulation should draw upon coproduced solutions that have been devised by involving all the stakeholders concerned, including children who can help shape and own the provisions and facilities that will have been developed. This approach, advocated by green social workers, has the advantage of empowering people so that they can think about mitigating hazards and preparing themselves before a disaster strikes and so that they can demonstrate resilience as individuals and communities when it does

Marxist approaches to social work

This chapter explores the diversity within Marxist approaches to social work, outlining key aspects of Marxism and the implications for social work under capitalist states, in situations where states break down, and under socialist states. Within each of these contexts, key examples are explored to demonstrate the range of approaches taken. The entry argues that there has been a neglect in the English-language literature of Marxist approaches to social work under socialism, and suggests that recent moves to open up the definition of social work through the concept of ‘popular social work’ offer one approach to begin filling this gap

The Road Not Taken

The future of social work in England as a degree-based profession linked to a career ladder needs stalwart defenders. Its capacity to stand among those leading world developments in research, education and practice is in doubt because it is being undermined by politically-motivated attacks on its professionalism and commitment to protecting the interests of society’s most vulnerable people and constant changes to its professional and educational base. The turbulence caused by an unending stream of government policy shifts including Frontline, Step-up, Think Ahead and reductions in bursaries for a profession that sorely needs them, have sapped continuity within its ranks; led to declining numbers of students joining the profession; produced high rates of turnover among practitioners; and encouraged a flight away from statutory services to the voluntary sector, and, for some, a complete exit from the profession. These developments constitute a waste of public money spent on raising standards and the profession’s standing

Social Media and Social Work: The Challenges of a New Ethical Space

Social media and other online technologies have transformed communication between social workers and service users, with many practitioners engaging and working with clients through social networking sites. While there are numerous ethical issues associated with online practice related to confidentiality, dual relationships, and boundary crossing, there is lack of clarity about how to deal with such issues. This article uses a case example to develop a nuanced understanding of ethical issues and ethical behaviour in online spaces. We argue that social workers need to link their knowledge of the complex interplay between discourses that underpin daily practice like those related to power, permanency, authorship, audience, embodiment, and professionalism to social media created spaces. In doing this, social workers must retain their commitment to ethical values and critical reflective practice. We conclude with recommendations for education, research, and practice

Green social work and its implications for social development in China

Green social work has been significant in introducing new issues into environmental debates and increasing its centrality to social work practice. These have included: the mainstreaming of environmental considerations; a widening of the theoretical and practice base to ensure that social and environmental justice are considered integral to any environmental involvement by social workers; highlighting the need to think of innovative approaches to socio-economic development; and making disaster interventions core elements in the social work repertoire of knowledge, skills, capacity building and curriculum formulation. This paper considers the challenges of China’s rapid industrialisation and its implications for rural people migrating into cities, the urban populations that receive them and environmental degradation. It introduces the idea of green social work and discusses the implications of green social work for social development in China in the context of environmental crises precipitated by the country’s rapid economic development