Perspectives on Social Work
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Perspectives on Social Work is a publication of the doctoral students of the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston. The journal was founded in 2003 to provide an opportunity for the college's social work doctoral students to showcase their work. Since that time, the journal has expanded and now accepts submissions from social work doctoral students nationwide and internationally. See the journal's home page [link] for more information.
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Item The Affect of School Status on the Health Behaviors of Young Fathers(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2005) Nevarez, LucindaLucinda Nevarez discusses teen fatherhood and its risks.Item Afrocentricity Theory Revisited: An Alternative Framework for Assisting Black Youth(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2015) Lateef, HusainThe current paper explores Afrocentricity theory as an alternative non-western framework to guide social work practice with Black American youth. Very little research has been conducted in recent years concerning Afrocentricity, one of few non-western African theoretical frameworks employed by social work practitioners. This paper provides clarity on what is the theory of Afrocentricity, by providing an overview of the theory’s historical foundations and assumptions. This paper concludes with an application example of the use of Afrocentricity theory within a prevention program for Black youth.Item After the Storm: Reflections on Volunteering at Shelters after Hurricane Harvey(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2017) Zhou, Shu; Crawford, ClaireAs climate change increasingly devastates all areas of the globe through natural disasters, vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected. People with unstable housing, little income, and poor health prior to a major disaster will have access to even fewer resources after their homes, jobs, and environments have been destroyed. Natural disasters such as Hurricanes Harvey in Houston, Irma in Florida, Maria in Puerto Rico, fires along the West Coast of the United States, monsoons in India, and earthquakes in Mexico have ended and disrupted thousands of lives in 2017 alone. The effects of Hurricane Harvey drew social workers from the city of Houston, Texas, to volunteer in droves, whether at shelters, churches, homes, schools, food banks, or other places in need. It was inspiring to watch as social workers from macro and clinical settings, from administration and medicine, from private practice and schools appeared across the city to give their time.Item Alignment of Early Childhood Programs in Colorado: Review of a Legislative Response(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2014) Brown, SamanthaA dearth of coordination and collaboration among early childhood services can have negative consequences for children and families. Alignment of developmental programs for young children is shown to mitigate adverse outcomes and improve access to early childhood care and education. Several policies have been introduced that help to ensure children receive adequate resources in an effort to improve their physical and mental health, development, school performance, and family environment. On May 7, 2013, Colorado Governor Hickenlooper signed House Bill 1117 (2013), which requires the alignment of several early childhood programs under the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). This article describes problems associated with fragmentation of early childhood programs, Colorado’s mission to address these problems through more effective and streamlined systems of care, and how such an approach has promise for implementation in additional states. Implications for social work professionals are also discussed.Item An Analysis of Texas’ Bullying Policies & Practices(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2016) Sainato, ScottBullying is a serious problem affecting youth, families, and communities. Bullying is not an individual problem, but a family and societal one as well. Schools play a vital role in combating this issue. This study evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the state of Texas’ policy addressing bullying through a comprehensive policy analysis. This study also outlines and provides a guide to future policy makers, school officials, and families on how to reduce and hopefully eliminate bullyingItem An Analytical Framework for Policy Practice: A Value Perspective(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2007) Hayes, JaneIt is the intent of this paper to examine the frameworks available to social workers for policy practice. Analyzing policy requires a social worker to integrate a variety of frameworks to produce one that is applicable to the policy/political arena. It also requires that a distinction be made between policy analysis to inform decision making and policy analysis for political action. Policy analysis to inform decisions requires a social worker to maintain an objective and value neutral perspective to generate policy recommendations. Policy analysis for political action also informs the decision makers, but requires the social work policy practitioner to analyze the policy in relation to social work values as well as to take action to implement the policy. Within this policy/political arena, a framework must address substantive, value, and environmental issues. No one framework can address all these issues, thus the necessity of integrating basic concepts of a number of frameworks. The frameworks to be examined for their contribution to this discussion include the analytical descriptive ((Dobelstein, 2003), value critical (Chambers & Wedel, 2005), value committed (Chambers & Wedel), and policy advocacy (Jansson, 2003).Item Answering the Critics: The Inherent Value of Social Work(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2006) Kindle, Peter A.Birthed in the squalor and hardship of the late 19th century ethnic slums of Chicago and New York, social work has struggled since its inception. This struggle has been on two fronts: first, social work has struggled to make a difference in the lives of the destitute; and secondly, social work has struggled to develop a self-confident professional identity. Nearly a century since Abraham Flexner’s denial (1915) of professional status to social work, these struggles have yet to be clearly resolved.Item Application of Conflict Theory to Welfare Policy(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2008) Gezinski, LindsayConflict theory represents a useful perspective in the conceptualization of welfare policy. Frances Fox Piven and Richard A. Cloward (1971) theorized that government distributes financial assistance (e.g., welfare) in response to conflict (e.g., rioting by the poor masses). Thus, welfare is a mechanism of control used in an effort to squelch rebellious poor people’s movements. The goal of this paper is to analyze the validity of Piven and Cloward’s thesis through a review of empirical literature that supports and challenges this thesis. Conflict theory will be utilized in a discussion of how it may inform further research in the field of welfare policy.Item Application of the Feminist Perspective in Social Work Practice with Women in Abusive Relationships(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2009) Mellinger, Marcela SarmientoWorking with women who have been abused by an intimate partner is something many social workers do at some point in their careers. Most have heard, and were likely taught, that approaches to working with abused women are based on the feminist perspective. However, although feminist theories have been developed, it is still difficult for some social workers to explain what they mean by “feminist perspective”. This paper will briefly discuss how the feminist perspective differs from feminist theories, will address five tenets of the feminist perspective as applied to situations where intimate partner violence (IPV) is present, and discuss areas where the application of this perspective can be strengthened.Item Asians Americans Living In the United States of America(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2011) Sesay, EdwardMany Asian Americans come to the United States of America searching for a better life and for better opportunities that were not available in their native countries. However, this is not always the case for many Asian Americans who travel to America especially early Chinese immigrants during the California Gold Rush. They encountered mistreatment, deportation, discrimination and government laws that were enacted to prevent them from coming or returning to America. Soon after the United States and China became allies after the Second World War, older Asian Americans who immigrated back to the United States held on to their traditional lifestyles; while younger generations are more in line with American popular culture. All the culture shock they had to endure, learning a new language while maintaining old traditional lifestyles caused them frustration and mental health issues. For that reason, a social worker working with this diverse population needs to be culturally competent. He or she needs to have knowledge about Asian American culture in order to help them meet their challengesItem Black Males, Trauma, and Mental Health Service Use: A Systematic Review(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2018) Motley, Robert; Banks, AndraeObjective: To systematically review the evidence of and synthesize results from relevant studies that have examined barriers and facilitators to professional mental health service use for Black male trauma survivors ages 18 and older. Methods: A thorough search of selected databases that included EBSCO, ProQuest, and Web of Science Core Collection and careful consideration of inclusion and exclusion criteria yielded a final six studies for detailed review. Results: Black male trauma survivors were significantly less likely to be utilizing mental health services than other sex-ethnic groups. High levels of daily crises, a lack of knowledge of steps to obtain services, and service eligibility issues were significant individual barriers to mental health service use for Black males, whereas social support, occupational disability, and PTSD symptoms severity were significant facilitators for mental health service use. Conclusion: Exposure to trauma, whether through witnessing or direct victimization, is often a daily reality for many Black males. Findings from this review suggest that 56-74% of Black males exposed to traumatic events may have an unmet need for mental health services. Future research examining the relationship between trauma and mental health service use for Black men and factors that moderate and/or mediate this relationship is warranted.Item Blazing A New Frontier(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2009) Drake, Matthew B.My life changed drastically two years ago when my daughter was born. My wife and I prepared for parenthood as well as any other couple by attending parenting preparation classes, reading books, and talking late into the evenings. However, we were exploring the additional elements of unchartered gender roles. Now two years later, I am a stay-at-home father (SAHF). I am one of the many men across the United States taking on this new and unfamiliar frontier. The roles of men and women have been changing rapidly in today’s communities, especially how they relate to division of family labor in the home. Like me, many fathers are choosing to stay at home and raise the children while more women are staying in the work force. The U.S. Census Bureau (2002) reported an 18% increase in fathers who stayed at home from 1994 to 2001. Furthermore, the 2006 Census estimated that 159,000 men remained out of the labor force for at least one year to be the primary caregiver to a child while their wives or partners worked (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006). Despite the growing trend of fathers staying home to be with their children there is very little research in this area. This paper will address the challenges that this new frontier is presenting both men and women and I will draw from the current literature and my own personal experience.Item Book Review Cozolino, L. (2010). The neuroscience of psychotherapy: Healing the social brain. New York: Norton.(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2012) McLeod, David AxlynThe Neuroscience of Psychotherapy: Healing the Social Brain is a useful addition to the literature base and could be used as a tool to both inform the future of clinical social work and to further legitimize many of the profession’s long-held standards of practice. In his book Cozolino, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Pepperdine University, has written extensively about the social aspects of the human brain, neurological development, attachment, consciousness construction, and the conflict between needs people face in modern society and the evolutionary developments their brains continue to carry.Item Book Review Hooks, B. (1994). Teaching to Transgress - Education as The Practice of Freedom. NY: Routledge.(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2007) Gentle-Genitty, Carolyn S.Gastil (2004) writes that by engaging learners in the classroom, in daily political conversations, there is the potential for understanding and critical assessment in daily life. The challenge, no doubt, is how to engage the learners to the point that they value critical Copyright University of Houston, 2006 32 assessment? Self and worldly criticism is what truly transcends the four walls of academia, to learning that enables learners to be ready and equip to participate as active citizens in the real world. This real world becomes reality in and outside the classroom, particularly for social work educators, as the classroom is the microcosm of the world (Giroux, 2004). It is the playground of policy, political dialogue of justice and injustice, and the place for societal review, faultfinding, and engaged dialogue. As such, there must be as much emphasis in what is taught as well as how the material is imparted and conceptualized within the classroom.Item Book Review Krebs, N. & Pitcoff, P. (2006). Beyond the Foster Care System: The future for teens. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers Press.(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2008) McCormick, AdamIn Beyond the Foster Care System: The future for teens Betsy Krebs and Paul Pitcoff provide significant insight into the current foster care system’s inability to prepare teens for adulthood. The authors illustrate some of the inadequate policies and programs currently in place through the revealing stories of teens transitioning from foster care to adulthood. A compelling argument is made suggesting that expectations for teens in foster care are far too low and efforts need to be made to empower these individuals through new policies and programs that have historically been absent from the field of child welfare. By chronicling the challenges and barriers of the foster youth the authors provide a face to the current foster care crisis in the United States.Item Book Review O’Connor, A. (2001). Poverty knowledge: Social science, social policy, and the poor in twentieth-century U. S. history. Princeton: Princeton University Press.(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2009) Kindle, Peter A.In less than 300 pages of text, Alice O’Connor, currently associate professor of history at the University of California at Santa Barbara, unveils how knowledge is constructed and how, once constructed, knowledge can become fodder for ideology and political manipulation. Thus used (or abused), knowledge shapes both the institutions (i.e., policies, procedures, eligibility standards) and the broader cultural meanings associated with the concept of poverty. Her central premise, written self-consciously in the frustrating (to liberals) period following the end of welfare promised in the 1994 Clinton welfare reform, is that future solutions to the problem of poverty are contingent upon “a redirection in contemporary social scientific poverty knowledge” (p. 4). Yet this volume does not contain a detailed blueprint for a future research agenda. In fact, she claims that “reconstructing poverty knowledge is more than simply a matter of generating new research questions for social scientists to pursue” (p. 8). What O’Connor is attempting to do is to awaken in her readers a deeper understanding of how knowledge is socially constructed. Her history of poverty knowledge becomes, then, a kind of case study or primer on how social scientists who desire to make a contemporary impact on social policy need to reflectively process the institutional, societal, and cultural import of their work.Item Book Review Poulin, J. (2000). Collaborative social work: Strengths-based generalist practice. Itasca, IL: F.E. Peacock Publishers, Inc.(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2008) Clark, Trenette T.The term strengths perspective seems to now be as popular in the social work field as solution-focused once was in the profession. However, according to Saleeby (1996), many practitioners that purport to conduct strengths-based practice, in fact, do not. In addition, although a focus on clients’ strengths is a value of the profession, Saleeby adds that the strengths perspective is “a dramatic departure from conventional social work practice (p.3).” Therefore, social work texts that clearly and extensively discuss the use of practice models that emerge from the strengths perspective are warranted.Item Book Review: Arnold S. Relman, M. D. New York: Public Affairs, 2007. 205 pp. $24.00 hardback, ISBN- 10: 1586484818, ISBN-13: 978-1586484811. A Second Opinion: Rescuing America’s Healthcare(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2009) Elias-Lambert, NadaWith healthcare reform at the forefront of political debate, Dr. Relman’s book comes at a timely point in American history. With the prevailing rhetoric and healthcare reform proposals being touted by recent presidential candidates, the general public may be having a hard time separating myths and self-serving claims from reality. In A Second Opinion, Dr. Relman provides a ‘second opinion’ about the state of our healthcare system and the major reforms it requires. He outlines a thoughtful and measured approach on how to effectively rescue America’s healthcare system. A Second Opinion does an excellent job of dispelling the confusion about healthcare reform and helps readers understand key facts and issues that demand new policies. Dr. Relman’s background as a practicing physician, author, professor and medical journal editor, in addition to his clear compassion for people, provide him with a solid background to write this book.Item Book Review: Berns, Nancy S. (2004). Framing the Victim: Domestic Violence, Media and Social Problems. Piscataway, NJ: Aldine Transaction.(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2006) Sheffield, SherryNancy Berns presents a compelling argument for how the popular media influences public opinion about domestic violence and other social problems. Her book is the result of her research of the popular media portrayal of domestic violence. Berns’ defines popular media as television, radio, newspaper, movies, internet, books, and magazines. She argues that the general public uses the media as their only resource for information about social problems. Berns’ presents four main points about the problem of domestic violence and how the phenomenon is portrayed in the mainstream media. First, she maintains that the media frame domestic violence as a private matter warranting intervention only in extreme cases. Second, she argues that the media’s focus on the victim holds the victim responsible for ending the violence. Third, the media’s portrayal of the perpetrator emphasizes external factors for the abuse and negates personal responsibility. Finally, the media ignores social and cultural norms that foster abuse. These points are then considered in light of how they construct a common set of beliefs about domestic violence that influences public policy.Item Book Review: Brené Brown, B. (2004). Women & shame: Reaching out, speaking truths & building connection. Austin, TX: 3C Press.(University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, 2005) Russell, AmyDr. Brené Brown presents Women & Shame, a painful and universal topic for women and anyone who loves women, in a very enlightening, edifying, and intriguing style. She gracefully makes a gender-specific concern a matter of growth and empowerment. I have not been as excited about a book in some time, evidenced through my purchasing multiple copies for Christmas gifts for female family members. Dr. Brown presents the tenets of shame so honestly that the reader not only cries tears of release and discovery, but also laughs out loud; Dr. Brown’s insights and interpretations originating from the interviews are bittersweet and poignant. This book is critical for women, a must-read, testament to our university and Social Work program. Dr. Brown speaks to those of us who are PhD students by revealing that research can be many things and does not have to be dry and difficult. Women & Shame covers vital issues relevant to the shame continuum in three areas: research methods, content, and impact.