11 research outputs found
Chicken or the egg? The biological-psychological controversy surrounding hyperemesis gravidarum
Women's somatic complaints are more likely to be labeled by physicians and other health care professionals as psychologically based when the condition has an obscure etiology. Perhaps because of this, there are a number of medical conditions which have been underinvestigated and where erroneous assumptions about them exist. Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)--severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy--is an example of such an illness. HG remains a puzzling condition for both physicians and patients because there is no known cause or cure. By its very nature, HG has a clearly established biological cause--pregnancy. Yet, because the exact causal pathophysiological mechanism is unknown, the organicity of the pregnant state is either minimized or ignored. This paper examines how HG is characterized in the literature and the empirical basis for psychogenesis. Analysis of the literature reveals a tension in the discourse such that both biologic and psychologic approaches to HG have existed in parallel tracks throughout history. Still, results support that sociocultural factors rather than scientific evidence have shaped the overarching and predominant illness paradigm of psychogenesis. Implications for women's health care and HG, in particular, are presented.Hyperemesis gravidarum Pregnancy complication Social construction of illness Psychogenic attribution
Connectivity and discontinuity in social work practice: Challenges and opportunities of the implementation of an e-social work system in Romania
To increase the efficiency of the social work system in Romania, âinvestments in improving the current IT system in order to build an efficient electronic social work systemâ (Romanian Government, 2015b, 85) and the âdevelopment of a modern payment systemâ (Romanian Government, 2015b, 85) are key-points in the National Strategy concerning Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction for the period 2015-2020. Among other utilisations, the e-social work system is meant to be used by potential clients when submitting a request to benefit of means-tested measures. The current level of digitalisation of the Romanian society, particularly among vulnerable groups, leaves room for constructive debate regarding the feasibility and the potential challenges of such a project. The purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges posed to social workersâ daily practice by the introduction of digitalisation in the work place, as well as its potential effects on the social worker-client professional relationship. We discuss based on the national strategies and data provided by the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) (connectivity infrastructure and quality, digital skills of human capital, use of internet by citizens, integration and digital technology, and digital public services). We identify gaps between the aims and the proposed solutions concerning the e-social work system. Our study contributes to understanding the potential changes in social workersâ traditional roles brought forth by the implementation of a digitized social work system
Quantocentric Culture: Ramifications for Social Work Education
Social work students' responses to research tend to reflect their anxiety about the acquisition of competency in statistics and research methods. Their desires to attain social work education and subsequently become practitioners are viewed by them as at odds with research as taught. Yet, within the current quantocentric cultureâwhich the authors define as one in which quantitative research methods are privileged over other lines of inquiryâsocial work education is increasingly emphasizing research as a central component of practice. Using a âculture as disabilityâ framework to understand quantocentric culture and its impact on the educational environment, we suggest an educational approach designed to interest students in a broad view of research allowing for the wholehearted inclusion of nonâquantitative and practiceârelated facets of research. The approach encourages students to: (a) fully articulate their perceptions of research, both positive and negative; (b) link these views and experiences to the antiâoppressive social work literature and to examine research methods from the perspective of quantocentrism; and (c) develop an inclusive typology of research that integrates qualitative approaches encompassing historical, philosophical, narrative and other avenues that are relevant to their future social work practice careers