Rejecting ‘the child’, embracing ‘childhood’: Conceptual and methodological considerations for social work research with young people

This article examines how the social studies of childhood can inform social work research. The first half of the article considers how notions of ‘childhood’ as a social construction diverge from normative, uniform and universal ideas of what might otherwise constitute ‘the child’. The second half then considers this discussion in regards to social work research. It considers the extent to which childhood scholarship has been used within the discipline of social work and illustrates this point by drawing upon recent empirical contributions to the foster care literature in the UK

Women from the Middle East and North Africa in Europe: Understanding their marriage and family dynamics

The aim of this article is to assist the understanding of social workers in Europe of marriage and family dynamics among women from Middle East and North African countries who have moved to Europe. The focus of this article is on husband selection processes and family dynamics after marriage in Egypt, which is used as a case study reflecting culture and norms surrounding marriage in this region. This article reports on the findings of doctoral studies which examined marriage patterns and family dynamics in North Africa and in particular in Egypt where more in-depth data were available. The authors reflect issues surrounding values and process of marriage not only in terms of the implications for practice with social work clients or service users, but also in relation to the potential of women from this region who may join the social care workforce

The meaning and making of childhood in the era of globalization: Challenges for social work

Little attention has been paid in social work literature to the ways in which forces of globalization are shaping understandings of childhood, policies affecting children and youth, and the everyday lives of young people. The authors argue that this lack of attention is problematic given the growing evidence of the effects of globalization on the experiences of children and youth and the implications for social work practice with young people in the U.S. The authors explore the relationship between childhood and globalization, paying particular attention to the social construction of childhood and the logic and practices of neoliberalism. Five distinct yet interrelated processes through which globalizing forces affect children's lives are put forth and addressed: marketization, marginalization, medicalization, militarization, and mobilization. The authors argue that these processes shape not only the experiences of children and youth but also social work policies and practices. They offer diverse examples of ways in which these forces play out and consider the implications for contemporary social work practice.Childhood Globalization Neoliberalism Marketization Marginalization Medicalization Militarization

It Should Not Be a Pit Stop: Voices and Perspectives of Homeless Youth on Labeling and Placement in Special Education

Although the incomplete school histories of homeless youths are often highlighted, little is written about their school careers involving special education. This study is based on the educational narratives of homeless youths in special education. Their narratives were constructed using “direct scribing” and narrative ethnography. The article highlights the stigma and bullying experienced by youths as a result of being labeled, and shares their perspectives about special education being similar to a “pit stop”—a brief transitory stop with very short-sighted designs and benefits. It also discusses the benefits of direct scribing and the need to listen to the perspectives of students themselves on how labeling and placement in special education affect them