Student Study Site for Social Policy and Social Change
Jillian Jimenez


Journal Articles

Looking for some interesting research to review? You'll find it here! The following articles illustrate key concepts introduced throughout Social Policy and Social Change. Review questions are below. Abstracts are provided for each article, as well as the full-text articles themselves (in PDF). If you do not have a PDF reader, please visit http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Review Questions

1. Identify any American ideologies in this article. How do these ideologies influence the reasoning and conclusions reached in the article?

2. Identify the political stance taken by author of the article. How does this political stance influence the conclusions reached in the article?

3. Select a policy that is mentioned, discussed, or implicated in the article. Analyze this policy using the policy analysis framework provided in your textbook.

4. Select a social problem or issue mentioned or referenced in the article. What policy(ies) are presently in place to address this social problem? Do you believe these policies are effective?

5. What roles could a social worker have in addressing the social problem or issue mentioned or referenced in the article? How would the social worker act in this capacity to effect change?

Note: Click on each link to expand and view the content then click again to collapse.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Crewe, S., Brown, A. and Gourdine, R. Inabel Burns Lindsay: A Social Worker, Educator, and Administrator Uncompromising in the Pursuit of Social Justice for All. Affilia, Nov 2008; vol. 23: pp. 363 - 377.

Abstract
Described as an activist, educator, researcher, and administrator, Inabel Burns Lindsay served as the first dean of the Howard University School of Social Work, and her extraordinary accomplishments have served as a beacon for generations of social work educators and practitioners. During her formative years as a social worker, she honed in on the importance of examining culture in delivering services in the public welfare system. As she built a school of social work, which she described as "second to none," she served as a moral conscience for the profession and repeatedly demonstrated through her writings and actions an uncompromising pursuit of social justice for all, both inside and outside the profession. This article profiles the courage and leadership skills of this transformational leader and uses her struggle against racism and sexism to inform the current realities of the profession.

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Quadagno, J. and Street, D. Recent Trends in U.S. Social Welfare Policy: Minor Retrenchment or Major Transformation?, Research on Aging, May 2006; vol. 28: pp. 303 - 316.

Abstract
Many scholars have characterized the United States as a welfare state "laggard," less generous than most other nations because of a peculiarly American set of historical circumstances and values. This article explores "American exceptionalism" in the context of welfare state reforms over the past two decades. The authors first describe recent social policy innovations in Western democracies, considering two competing views of welfare state change. The first asserts that welfare states have been fundamentally transformed into "enabling" states, characterized by efforts to promote work, privatize benefits and services, and target benefits to the most needy. The second holds that policy structures have remained essentially intact because of "path-dependent" processes that create institutional continuity. Although evidence for the United States is somewhat mixed, the general direction of policy decisions and current frameworks of policy debates is consistent with a transition toward an enabling state.

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Sanders, D. Social Work's Challenge in the Years Ahead in Policy Formulation and Change. International Social Work, Jan 1973; vol. 16: pp. 44 - 49.

Abstract
No abstract available

 

Chapter 2: The Nature of Social Policy

Banerjee, M. Realities of Life Before and After Welfare Reform: Perspectives of Women of Color. Qualitative Social Work, Dec 2003; vol. 2: pp. 411 - 433.

Abstract
This article presents a case study of four women of color who were facing the welfare reform of 1996. The women narrate how they grew up and came to be on welfare, their on-going struggle in and out of welfare, their current life realities as they cope with welfare reform, and their recommendations for welfare reform. Eventually, two of these women leave while two others remain in the welfare system. The article compares and contrasts these four narratives, and applies choice, expectancy, class-culture, and social support theories (Bane and Ellwood, 1994; Edin and Lein, 1997) to arrive at a framework that explains their welfare exit/stay. The article recommends social work interventions in welfare policy, program, and practice contexts.

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Gibson, E. Tales of Two Cities: The Administrative Facade of Social Security. Administration & Society, Sep 2003; vol. 35: pp. 408 - 437.

Abstract
This article presents history (stories) about a political landmark—Social Security—long topical in the discourse on societal versus individual responsibility to provide for retirement and disability. These stories are necessarily abbreviated and simplified because of their subjects: buildings—the locations of the Social Security Administration and its precursors in Washington, DC, and Baltimore. The perspectives of the built environment and of sociotechnical integration provide a distinct vantage on the program's growth into our nation's insurer; on the tensions between principle and compromise, original purpose and ultimate achievement, and neutral competence and political belief; and on the evolution of intent, preserved in unwritten artifacts, into mature program principles.

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Ruggles, S. The Effects of AFDC On American Family Structure, 1940-1990.Journal of Family History, Jul 1997; vol. 22: pp. 307 - 325.

Abstract
The "end of welfare as we know it" in the United States was predicated on the belief that the welfare system was responsible for a dramatic upsurge of single- parent families. This article addresses the issue historically, examining the poten tial impact of interstate differences in Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) benefit levels on family structure from 1940 to 1990. The author's results reveal that the impact of AFDC on family structure was considerably smaller in the period from 1940 to 1970 than in 1980 or 1990. It is concluded that increasing welfare benefits cannot account for a significant portion of the increase in illegitimacy, divorce, or separation in the postwar period. Nevertheless, rising benefit levels are significantly associated with changes in the living arrangements of unmarried mothers.

 

Chapter 3: Historical Values Influencing Social Problems and Social Policies

Dolgoff, R. What does social welfare produce? International Social Work, Jul 1999; vol. 42: pp. 295 - 307.

Abstract
In many parts of the world unemployment and budget concerns militate against the humane goals of social welfare. International economic competition fosters increased reliance on the market. In this era, social welfare cannot be defended or advocated solely on the basis of social justice. Along with social welfare’s "fairness", additional societal benefits are proposed: human capital; social and economic benefits; societal morale and cohesion; and civility and aesthetics.

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Gainous, J. Who's Ambivalent and Who's Not? Social Welfare Ambivalence Across Ideology. American Politics Research, Mar 2008; vol. 36: pp. 210 - 235.

Abstract
This study uses a fresh approach to measure social welfare ambivalence, addressing the question of who is more ambivalent about such policies— liberals or conservatives. The findings presented here challenge previous assertions that liberals are typically more ambivalent. I argue that conservatives are now more ambivalent than liberals because a change in the tone of elite discourse altered the priming of the potential sources of such ambivalence. The models of ambivalence presented suggest that these primed sources are conflicting thoughts or beliefs (cognitive conflict), conflicting feelings (affective conflict), or beliefs in conflict with feelings (cognitive—affective conflict). The implications of these findings are discussed.

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Henderson, T. Transforming the Discussion About Diversity, Policies, and Law: An Introduction to the Special Issue, Journal of Family Issues, Aug 2008; vol. 29: pp. 983 - 994.

Abstract
The impact of laws and policies on diverse families are vital to transformative discussions held in our journals, classrooms, conferences, and local, state, and federal communities. To this end, transformative discussions serve as a reminder about our values as U.S. citizens—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; equal protection; and social justice. One aspect of this transformative discussion may include how laws place some families in the margins of society while privileging others. In this special collection, the authors lay a foundation for a transformative discussion, unveiling and highlighting some of the negative consequences of child welfare laws, family laws regarding marriage and family, and criminal laws. The collection closes with an example of an action-oriented article on how to conduct a policy analysis.

 

Chapter 4: The Economic System and Social Justice

Martin, G. Social movements, welfare and social policy: a critical analysis, Critical Social Policy, Aug 2001; vol. 21: pp. 361 - 383.

Abstract
This article proposes that theories of ‘new’ social movements (NSMs) may illuminate contemporary welfare struggles and inform research into collective action in social policy. NSM theory is relevant because it focuses on social movement cultures, identity politics and symbolic struggles for the recognition of difference. However, it does this to the exclusion of ‘traditional’ issues such as material redistribution and inequality. A critical social policy, on the other hand, has retained a regard for these issues, but is also concerned with struggles for recognition. It is argued that all social movements raise issues about redistribution and recognition, although these will coexist to varying degrees. Using work carried out in the United States into women's self-help movements, this article shows how movements that are largely cultural may change social policy by posing symbolic challenges.

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Grogan, C. Political-Economic Factors Influencing State Medicaid Policy, Political Research Quarterly, Sep 1994; vol. 47: pp. 589 - 622.

Abstract
A political-economic theory is developed to explain the formation of public policy in the American states; here, I focus specifically on states' Medicaid policy decisions. I analyze three dimensions of Medicaid policy-financial eligibility, categorical eligibility, and benefit coverage-and argue that each dimension represents a different political process. My theory assumes that state politicians maximize their political utility by attempting to satisfy the preferences of voters, interest groups and their own ideology, while at the same time they minimize their political disutility by attempting to keep the political costs of their actions as low as possible However, I postulate further that the political process varies according to the degree to which consti tuents are interested in the policy, the strength of interest groups, and poli ticians' political ideology. To test this theory, I use a heteroskedastic, timewise autoregressive model for panel data. My theory is fairly well supported by the empirical results: the Medicaid policy dimensions do represent different political processes, and politicians must trade off the utility gained from increasing spending with the utility lost from increasing public expendi tures. However, contrary to my theory, politicians' political ideology plays a significant role in all the Medicaid policy decisions.

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Solas, J. What kind of social justice does social work seek?, International Social Work, Nov 2008; vol. 51: pp. 813 - 822.

Abstract
One of social work's most important practice values is social justice, as cited in the IFSW Code of Ethics. This article deconstructs what the term 'social justice' represents, since it is essential for social work - and the IFSW Code - to be clear about the type of social justice it seeks to uphold.

 

Chapter 5: Discrimination and Social Justice in the United States

Gray, K. Pride, Prejudice, and a Dose of Shame: The Meaning of Public Assistance, Affilia, Aug 2005; vol. 20: pp. 329 - 345.

Abstract
Little is known about women’s retrospective views on the receipt of public assistance, including their relationships with their caseworkers. This article examines the findings of 20 in-depth interviews with women about their experiences with public assistance after they went from public assistance to a living-wage job. The respondents’ self-stories are interpreted using a social constructionist framework.

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Longmore, P. Disability Policy and Politics: Considering Consumer Influences, Journal of Disability Policy Studies, Jan 2000; vol. 11: pp. 36 - 44.

Abstract
This historical case study of the League of the Physically Handicapped, a disability-rights activist group in Depression-era New York City, examines some of the ways in which people with disabilities have contested and endeavored to alter the public policies and social values that have affected their social identities and social careers. It also explores the interconnections among policies, values, and disabled and nondisabled identities. In addition, it suggests that there may have been an implicit disability-based political tradition.

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Abramovitz, M. Welfare Reform in the United States: gender, race and class matter, Critical Social Policy, May 2006; vol. 26: pp. 336 - 364.

Abstract
This article argues that gender, race and class matter in welfare reform. It provides a brief historical overview of the US welfare programme for single mothers; describes the main provisions of welfare reform (enforcing work, promoting marriage and limiting the role of the federal government in wider society); and identifies the impact on women and children. It concludes that welfare reform is best understood as part of the neo-liberal/Right attack on the state.

 

Chapter 6: The Social Work Profession and Social Justice

Healy, L. Exploring the history of social work as a human rights profession, International Social Work, Nov. 2008; vol. 51: pp. 735 - 748.

Abstract
The IFSW has declared that social work is a human rights profession. This historical review explores social work contributions to human rights. The compatibility of principles, accomplishments of individual leaders and professional organizations' actions are examined, with particular focus on the period of adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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Dyeson, T. Social Work Licensure: A Brief History and Description, Home Health Care Management & Practice, Aug 2004; vol. 16: pp. 408 - 411.

Abstract
This article provides a brief history of the development of social work as a profession including professional training, educational accreditation, and state licensing for professional practice. This brief history is followed by a description of the varying state licensing laws and their implications for social work practice in home health.

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Brill, C. Looking at the Social Work Profession Through the Eye of the NASW Code of Ethics, Research on Social Work Practice, Mar 2001; vol. 11: pp. 223 –234.

Abstract
This article examines what the NASW (National Association of Social Workers) Code of Ethics says about issues faced by contemporary social work practice and considers its implications for the acceptance of social work as a profession. How social work measures up to Flexner’s attribute of a profession "altruistic in motivation" is examined in greater depth. Concern is raised about the growing gap between social work practice and social work ethics. Social workers’ acting more assertively on the social justice responsibilities contained in the code is seen as crucial for the future of the profession.

 

Chapter 7: Policies to Support Income: Welfare and Social Security

Miranne, K. Income Packaging as a Survival Strategy for Welfare Mothers, Affilia, Jul 1998; vol. 13: pp. 211 - 232.

Abstract
Drawing on the results of a national study and a series of focus groups, this article argues that most women, including welfare recipients, package income, that is, combine resources from men, the market, and the state to support their families. Accepting the concept of income packaging and incorporating it into social welfare policies would reduce the stigma attached to the receipt of welfare and, in the long run, would decrease the dependence of poor women and their families on welfare benefits.

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McPhee, D. and Bronstein, L. The Journey From Welfare to Work: Learning From Women Living in Poverty, Affilia, Feb 2003; vol. 18: pp. 34 - 48.

Abstract
This multiphase study was designed to gain a qualitative understanding of the experiences of single-mother welfare recipients and the effect of welfare reforms on recipients’ perceived ability to care for themselves and their families. The findings were drawn from the first phase of the study in which individual interviews were conducted with 39 current or former recipients, all of whom were women of color living in socioeconomically disadvantaged urban neighborhoods. Eight themes are analyzed, and the implications for social welfare policy and practice are discussed.

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Wycoff, S., Bacod-Gebhardt, M., Cameron, S., Brandt, M. and Armes, B. Have Families Fared Well from Welfare Reform? Educating Clinicians about Policy, Paradox, and Change, The Family Journal, Jul 2002; vol. 10: pp. 269 – 280.

Abstract
This invited article examines findings from lower profile studies suggesting another side of the bipartisan declaration that America’s experiment with welfare reform has been a resounding success. The authors draw on national survey data, studies by state and private research institutions, and available figures from informal community based monitoring projects. Findings reveal evidence of an escalation of inadequately paid employment, an increase in extreme nationwide childhood poverty, signs of mounting family hardship, and challenges affecting the survival and well-being of this vulnerable population leaving welfare.

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Cleaveland, C. A desperate means to dignity: Work refusal amongst Philadelphia welfare recipients, Ethnography, Mar 2005; vol. 6: pp. 35 - 60.

Abstract
Sentiments favoring a sweeping overhaul of the United States’ social welfare system culminated in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) in 1996 - a law that mandates states to move almost all recipients from cash assistance on welfare to paid work. This ethnographic study examined work refusal among women who left menial jobs to return to welfare, or to subsistence by other means. Seventy interviews and 18 months of participant observation revealed a pattern of confrontations with authority figures at various job sites as well as resentment of the subservience often demanded of workers in the lowest tiers of the primary economy. Confrontations in training programs and at work afforded impoverished women the chance to express their resentments about being relegated to unrewarding, low income work and to maintain vestiges of even a defiant dignity in the face of a hostile social order.

 

Chapter 8: Responses to Child Maltreatment: Child Welfare Policy

Bank, D., Landsverk, J., and Wang, K. Changing Policy and Practice in the Child Welfare System Through Collaborative Efforts to Identify and Respond Effectively to Family Violence, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Jul 2008; vol. 23: pp. 903 - 932.

Abstract
The Greenbook provides a roadmap for child welfare agencies to collaborate and provide effective responses to families who are experiencing co-occurring child maltreatment and domestic violence. A multisite developmental evaluation was conducted of six demonstration sites that received federal funding to implement Greenbook recommendations for child welfare agencies. Surveys of child welfare caseworkers show significant changes in several areas of agency policy and practice, including regular domestic violence training, written guidelines for reporting domestic violence, and working closely and sharing resources with local domestic violence service providers. Case file reviews show significant increases in the level of active screening for domestic violence, although this increase peaks at the midpoint of the initiative. These findings, coupled with on-site interview data, point to the importance of coordinating system change activities in child welfare agencies with a number of other collaborative activities.

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Harris, M. and Skyles, A. Kinship Care for African American Children: Disproportionate and Disadvantageous, Journal of Family Issues, Aug 2008; vol. 29: pp. 1013 – 1030.

Abstract
To highlight the individual and systemic practices that perpetuate the overuse of and reliance on kinship care and instead emphasize family reunification as the permanency plan for African American children in the child welfare system, the authors first discuss how kinship care is affected by federal child welfare policy and provide a historical perspective on how that policy has evolved. They then discuss the number and proportion of African American children entering the child welfare system and receiving kinship foster care, distinguishing between formal and informal kinship care. The conclusion addresses implications for practice and research, including the need to reevaluate child welfare policies, and demonstrates that kinship care is overused and detrimental for African American children.

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Webb, M. and Harden, B. Beyond Child Protection: Promoting Mental Health for Children and Families in the Child Welfare System, Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Jan 2003; vol. 11: pp. 49 - 58.

Abstract
The child welfare system is in a period of significant reform that offers both opportunities and challenges regarding more effective collaboration between the mental health and child welfare systems. In this article we examine recent federal, state, and local initiatives that have influenced child welfare policy and practice on a national scale, with particular emphasis on those policies that offer opportunities for better coordination of services between mental health and child welfare agencies. To plan for effective services, mental health policy makers and practitioners must be cognizant of available funding streams for child welfare, trends and innovations within the child welfare system, the contextual factors that shape services to the children and families who are under its supervision, and the special characteristics of the population that it serves.

 

Chapter 9: Health Care Policy

Quinlan-Colwell, A. Medicaid 101, Home Health Care Management & Practice, Aug 2009; vol. 21: pp. 338 - 345.

Abstract
This article provides an introduction to Medicaid as it relates to individuals who live with chronic illness. It begins with a brief historical synopsis that includes pertinent legislation. Next, the various agencies involved in the Medicaid process are introduced. The challenges with provider participation and access are discussed. Political and ethical implications are explored. It concludes with an evaluation of the effectiveness of Medicaid.

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Koyanagi, C. and Stine, L. Shifting Focus: The Impact of the Deficit Reduction Act and Medicaid Regulations on National Mental Health Policy, Home Health Care Management & Practice, Jun 2009; vol. 21: pp. 271 – 280.

Abstract
Over the past 20 years, state mental health agencies have shifted the bulk of funding for community mental health services to the federal-state Medicaid program. Over this same period, states adapted their Medicaid programs to more comprehensively address the service needs of people with mental illness. Adopting the financing mechanism that primarily funds other health care for low-income people moves mental health more toward the mainstream. But it is a policy with risks. Changes to Medicaid are now outside the purview of those most concerned with mental health issues. In 2006, Congress radically altered Medicaid, making fundamental changes to the law. These were soon followed by further proposed shifts in federal administrative policy. This article describes these federal policy changes and assesses their impact on individuals and on state mental health policy. (It should be noted that most administrative changes have since been halted by the Obama Administration).

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Taub, L. A Policy Analysis of Access to Health Care Inclusive of Cost, Quality, and Scope of Services, Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, May 2002; vol. 3: pp. 167 - 176.

Abstract
A policy analysis of access to health care was undertaken using a review of current studies and proposals for health care reform in order to uncover the issues of cost, quality, and scope of services that would be required to realize health care coverage for the 38.7 million Americans who remain uncovered. This national issue was explored at the state level, and it was also explored at the individual level by a description of those affected by age, race, ethnicity, health status, and gender. Finally, the author looks at health care reform as one of many other issues affecting the American citizen as choices are made about how to utilize limited resources.

 

Chapter 10: Housing Policy

Auh, S., Cook, C., Crull, S. and Fletcher, C. Children’s Housing Environments: Welfare Families in Iowa, Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, Dec 2006; vol. 35: pp. 96 - 117.

Abstract
This study uses qualitative data to examine how rural low-income women confront the housing needs of their young children in the midst of changes in public policy. The focus is on the strategies employed and the difficulties faced in the provision of safe, affordable and stable homes. The data are drawn from in-home interviews conducted every 6 months with 13 mothers who were welfare-dependent at the start of the research. The investigation depicts several dimensions of the circumstances of poor children that have not had much previous attention in the literature: serial housing inadequacy and chronic mobility. Several families with children with disabilities reported severe housing deficiencies. This research provides initial evidence of the important role of housing in promoting the goals of family stability and economic self-sufficiency as well as the need to improve health and developmental outcomes for children living in poverty.

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Caves, R. An Historical Analysis of Federal Housing Policy from the Presidential Perspective: An Intergovernmental Focus, Urban Studies, Feb 1989; vol. 26: pp. 59 - 76.

Abstract
The Federal government in the United States has been involved in housing policy for over 80 years. The involvement has grown from a handful of programmes to a vast array of programmes dealing with numerous aspects of housing. This paper provides an historical examination of how Presidents, from Herbert Hoover to Ronald Reagan, have viewed housing, their role in initiating Federal housing policies and programmes, and the role of the Federal government in resolving the country's housing problems. Essentially, we have experienced three periods of Federal housing policy - a period where Presidents set the Federal housing policy agenda, a period where Congress became the centre of action, and a period where Presidents and Congress shared the initiative in developing and setting the Federal housing policy agenda. This paper examines Federal housing policy through these three periods.

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Menard, A. Domestic Violence and Housing: Key Policy and Program Challenges, Violence Against Women, Jun 2001; vol. 7: pp. 707 - 720.

Abstract
This article identifies key policy and program recommendations that have emerged from recent analysis and national discussions on housing and domestic violence, and urges continued attention by policy makers, community leaders, and housing and domestic violence advocates to battered women's short- and long-term safety and housing needs. Three primary courses of action are highlighted: reviewing, and modifying as necessary, existing housing policy and programs to increase their responsiveness to women with abusive partners or ex-partners; promoting policies and programs that increase all women's access to safe, affordable, and stable housing as well as housing assistance and support services, when necessary; and widely publicizing information on available subsidized and nonsubsidized housing and housing assistance programs as well as services and protections available to domestic violence victims.

 

Chapter 11: The Impact of Globalization and the Post-9/11 United States

Gross, E. Global Values Shift and Social Work in America: Making Positive Strides, International Social Work, Nov 2006; vol. 49: pp. 719 - 730.

Abstract
Advanced post-industrial countries manifest values change in the direction of greater secularity and self-actualization. Since 1980, however, America has shown evidence of regression towards authoritarian and anti-democratic values. This article explores why the regression is occurring and its negative implications for social welfare policy development and practice.

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Midgley, J. Issues in International Social Work: Resolving Critical Debates in the Profession, Journal of Social Work, Apr 2001; vol. 1: pp. 21 - 35.

Abstract
Summary: A review of the theoretical construction of international social work.

Findings: Although social workers are now more frequently engaged in international activities than ever before, they remain divided on a number of critical issues. These include the definition of international social work; the nature and impact of globalization on social work; the proper role of remedial, activist and developmental practice; and finally the place of values, cultural diversity and internationalism as an ideological position. These issues are discussed and clarified, and an attempt is made to formulate proposals that can accommodate and resolve differences.

Applications: The applications of this article concern the theoretical construction of social work, in particular, the development of transnational social work; the construction of curricula for social work education and a reconceptualization of the importance of globalization and regionalism for social work practice.

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Hare, I. Defining Social Work for the 21st Century: The International Federation of Social Workers' Revised Definition of Social Work, International Social Work, Jul 2004; vol. 47: pp. 407 - 424.

Abstract
The IFSW recently adopted a new joint international de.nition of social work, together with the IASSW. The de.nition embraces both traditional social work activities and social development, and addresses social work knowledge, values and practice in an age of globalization. This article analyzes the concepts selected and explains their meaning and signi.cance for the profession.