Unitary appreciative inquiry (UAI): A new approach for researching social work education and practice

This paper presents a methodological discussion of unitary appreciative inquiry (UAI). It considers its potential as a research tool, therapeutic intervention and an educative tool within social work practice and education due to its congruence with professional social work values. UAI seeks to gain rich and deep insight, understanding and knowledge of an experience from the person themselves. Participants are recognised as the expert of their own experience and power is shared through participatory and appreciative approaches. The aim is for participants to benefit directly from the research process as they are supported to express, analyse and reflect on their experience and to make changes which could improve their lives. Creative media such as music, art, creative writing and digital stories are used to facilitate expression and analysis. UAI seeks a synoptic perspective when viewing the wide range of data that has been generated within a research inquiry. Instead of analysing as separate parts, this is viewed as a whole and distilled to create a snapshot which seeks to capture the whole person and their experience. Insight gained from the presentation of research findings can provide a catalyst from which others can reflect, analyse and evaluate their own practice

Qualitative Research on Youths’ Social Media Use: A review of the literature

In this article we explore how educational researchers report empirical qualitative research about young people’s social media use. We frame the overall study with an understanding that social media sites contribute to the production of neoliberal subjects, and we draw on Foucauldian discourse theories and the understanding that how researchers explain topics and concepts produces particular ways of thinking about the world while excluding others. Findings include that 1) there is an absence of attention to the structure and function of social media platforms; 2) adolescents are positioned in problematic, developmental ways, and 3) the over-representation of girls and young women in these studies contributes to the feminization of problems on social media. We conclude by calling for future research that can serve as a robust resource for exploring adolescents’ social media use in more productive, nuanced ways

Is social work education life changing?: a unitary appreciative inquiry into the impact of social work education on a person's beliefs, values and behaviour.

As a Doctorate in Professional Practice, this thesis documents my personal, professional and academic development, within the field of social work education. I reflect on the current context of social work education; underpinning educational theory, research approaches and my educational practice, to find methods which are congruent with my social work values. My learning is informed by the research component of this thesis. This was conducted as a unitary appreciative inquiry which recognises “human wholeness and uniqueness” (Cowling 2004a, p202). The inquiry explores the impact of social work education on five people within the context of their lives. The findings, presented as a unitary appreciative profile (Cowling 2004b), highlight changes to the participants themselves, their relationships with others and the way they view the world. Participants talked of “seeing oppression everywhere”, experiencing changes to their value base, developing different or broader perspectives, being more knowledgeable and recognising the influence of their upbringing, background and culture on the views and beliefs they held. They reflected on learning from a wide range of experiences outside of the classroom and the influence of these on their social work practice and their personal and professional development. As a researcher and a social work educator, the findings opened my eyes to the extent to which qualifying social work education could be life changing. It led me to consider how this impact could be acknowledged more explicitly within social work education and utilised to enhance the experience for students as well as for the outcomes of the profession. This has led to an increased emphasis, in my own practice, on fostering criticality, reflexivity, curiosity and resilience, to enable learners to respond to the ever changing nature of social work practice. These are explored in the practice development component of this thesis and through the development of a new model of prac

Do challenges to students’ beliefs, values and behaviour within social work education, have an impact on their sense of well-being?

This paper draws on the findings of a unitary appreciative inquiry which aimed to illuminate the unique experiences of five student social workers approaching qualification. It identifies the impact social work education had on their whole selves; their beliefs, values and behaviour and the impact of this learning on their sense of well-being. The findings are summarised and presented within this paper as five individual profiles including the participants’ own representations of this impact. The study found that their well-being was affected significantly by changes to their sense of self; changing relationships with others and heightened awareness of oppression and injustice. Whilst all reported positive outcomes resulting from personal, academic and professional achievement, all shared examples of where their learning had impacted negatively on relationships with friends and family. This had led to internal conflict as they sought to adjust to their new ways of thinking and the implications for their behaviour past and present. The participants believed that this was best supported within social work education when values and behaviours were modelled by staff; when educators acknowledged and understood the potential impact of learning and when networks for sharing experiences, seeking support; and enabling slow, developmental change were available

Unemployment and inflammatory markers in England, Wales and Scotland, 1998-2012: Meta-analysis of results from 12 studies.

Unemployment represents for many affected individuals a substantial source of psychosocial stress, and is linked to both increased risk of morbidity and mortality and adverse health-related behaviours. Few studies have examined the association of unemployment with systemic inflammation, a plausible mediator of the associations of psychosocial stress and health, and results are mixed and context dependent. This study examines the association of unemployment with C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen, two markers of systemic inflammation.A random-effects meta-analysis was performed using a multilevel modelling approach, including 12 national UK surveys of working-age participants in which CRP and fibrinogen were measured between 1998 and 2012 (N=30,037 economically active participants). The moderating impact of participant age and UK country was explored.CRP and fibrinogen were elevated in unemployed compared to employed participants; jobseekers were also more likely (Odds Ratio: 1.39, p3mg/L), after adjustment for age, gender, education, long-term illness, smoking, and body mass index. Associations were not explained by mental health. Associations peaked in middle-age, and were stronger in Scotland and Wales than in England.Our study demonstrates that systemic inflammation is associated with an important but little-studied aspect of the social environment, as it is elevated in unemployed compared to employed survey participants. Modifications suggest the association of unemployment and inflammation is substantially influenced by contextual factors, and may be especially strong in Wales, where further investigation of this relationship is needed

Population-Based Study of Child Mortality (0-4) and Income Inequality in Japan and the Developed world 1989-91 v 2012-14: Any Excess Deaths Between the Most Unequal Countries?

Introduction: Parental child `neglect’ is usually linked to parents but can apply to nations using the criteria explicit in UNICEF statement “in the last analysis Child-Mortality-Rates (CMR) indicates how well a nation meets the needs of its children”. Hence under-five (0-4) CMR rates of Japan and twenty Other Developed Countries (ODC) are compared within the context of relative poverty. Method: WHO data yields CMR rates per million (pm), analysed between 1989-91 and 2012-14 to compare Japan against ODC. World Bank Income Inequality data used as a measure of relative poverty. Excess deaths calculated by matching the most unequal Income Inequality country’s CMR with the most equal nation. Results: All countries reduced CMR substantially. The highest CMR was in USA 1383pm, followed by three English-speaking countries. Japan at 597pm was 19th of 21. USA and New Zealand were double Japan’s CMR, whilst twelve ODC had rates 25% higher than Japan. Most unequal Income Inequality USA at 15.9 times, Japan the most equal at 4.5 times. Income Inequality and CMR were strongly correlated (+0.6188 p<0.005). The countries with the lowest Income Inequality, had lowest CMR namely Finland Japan, Norway and Sweden. America not matching Japan’s CMR, meant an average excess of 16,838 US children’s deaths annually. Discussion: The strong statistical association between higher CMR and Income Inequality, suggests that one factor in Japan’s results is the lower social inequality, unlike Canada, New Zealand, the UK and USA. Does Japan’s results indicate cultural factors suggesting Japan is more child orientated than English-speaking countries

Being in prison

In UK society, there are cultural norms and assumptions that affect many marginalised groups and this book aims to address and challenge these through the lens of the people who have lived these experiences