Journal of Human Rights and Social Work最新文献

Abstract

Food justice is centered on the principle that food is a basic human right. Despite a mandate to include human rights and social justice content in the social work curriculum, food insecurity and food justice receive scant attention in social work academia. Food insecurity affects a substantial portion of the population, with a disproportionate impact on women and Black, Latinx, and Native American communities. A human rights-based approach to food requires more than access to food; it demands that food also be available, adequate, and culturally acceptable. A right to food framework also calls on policymakers to immediately address disparities in food security, which are prevalent in the USA due to historical and ongoing systemic racism. This paper provides a conceptual understanding of food justice and its historical connections to social work, outlines the requirements of a right to food, and concludes by offering strategies to integrate food justice into the micro, mezzo, and macro social work curriculum.

There is increasing contractual hiring since the economic reforms of 1991 which led to the subsequent vague implementation of labour laws in factories, resulting in a detrimental impact on labour rights. It makes the understanding of the on-going contractualisation of work and the impact on labour rights critical for the protection of human rights at workplace. This study uses inductive methodology for analysis grounded on secondary data and literature review. The secondary data is drawn from publicly available reports of national and international agencies. Findings of the study suggested economic and labour reforms played a considerable role in contractulisation of work and followed by the adverse impact on labour rights and dignity of work. Extensive use of contractual labour has led to massive devaluation in working conditions, making worker’s situations highly vulnerable and informal caused by non-attendance of labour rights. This process of contractualisation of work in sweatshops has expedited the dehumanisation of labour while weakening labour rights in India.

Sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts (SOGICE) remains a threat to LGBTQ + young people throughout many parts of the USA, increasing risks for many mental health problems, including suicidal behaviors. Little research, though, has examined the strategies activists use to ban licensed professionals (e.g., social workers) from practicing SOGICE. The present study, therefore, involved semi-structured interviews with 15 LGBTQ + individuals affiliated with a grassroots organization focused on banning SOGICE in one Southern state in the USA. Thematic analysis generated six themes: knowledge is power, empathy and communication, utilizing media platforms, professional development, awareness of diversity, and growth areas. Findings suggest LGBTQ + grassroots activism organizations should focus on educating members and volunteers about SOGICE, history, and the legislative process, strengthen empathy-related skills, amplify their voices through media platforms, provide opportunities for job skill development, and foster inclusive environments. Social workers can use these findings to strengthen activism-related skills among LGBTQ + individuals interested in becoming activists to ban SOGICE in Southern states.

Abstract

Despite an unending commitment to social justice and equality, social work remains among the lowest paid professions in the United States (U.S.). This issue ultimately rises to the level of an economic human rights violation for both practitioners and their clients. Furthermore, since social workers consist of among the highest rates of women and women of color in the field compared to all other professions, this raises additional questions about human rights violations related to the gender, racial, and ethnic inequalities. Social work professors, who typically make much higher salaries than social work practitioners, have a moral responsibility to raise awareness and advocate for higher pay for practitioners, through both their research and advocacy. This article describes how increases in pay for social workers could simultaneously improve pay for women and women of color and improve the level of services provided to the disadvantaged populations to whom social workers are of service. Additional suggestions are made on what specifically social work professors can do to help increases wages for practitioners and therefore increase human rights.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are fundamental for human well-being and development. This descriptive phenomenological study examines the mothers’ perspectives on SRHR of adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The study involved 21 participants selected through purposive sampling, and data saturation criteria were applied. Data was gathered through face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The participants were from backgrounds marked by poor socio-economic conditions that may have influenced their experiences and perceptions. The study identifies key themes, including “neglect and denial of sexual and reproductive health education (SRHE),” “fear of sexual abuse,” and “healthcare inequity.” It is essential to prioritize inclusive SRHE and ensure accessible healthcare services. The paper discussed social work implications also. In this scenario, it is crucial to enable parents and educators with the knowledge for informed discussions—needed innovative interventions aimed at promoting the SRHR of adolescents with IDD.

In Myanmar (formerly Burma), there is a long history of human rights violation against the Rohingya, an ethnic minority, predominately Muslim and stateless. The international society started giving stronger consideration after the holocaust in 2012 involving over 200 Rohingya, instigated by the majority ethnic group, Rakhine, who are predominately Buddhist. Stakeholders of global and regional governance express concerns for populations who had to flee their residential homelands, whereas stateless people are generally excluded. Typically, refugees with recognized legal nationalities have been the predominant focus of the international community. However, following Myanmar’s military attack against the Rohingya and their subsequent forced relocation in August 2017, international organizations as well as the US government openly criticized the Myanmar government for violent attacks that were labeled as “crimes against humanity,” “genocide,” and “ethnic cleansing.” In the case of the Rohingya, the statelessness status became an additional aspect of a violation of human rights. The authors analyzed the state of global governance in regard to the Rohingya Crisis with constructivist framework which focuses on multiple perspectives among stakeholders. With the results of the analysis, the authors examined the implications for social work practice, including increased sharing along with more involvement of social workers to end this long history of human rights violation.

The purpose of this study is to identify the role of autism centers in enhancing the social skills of autistic children from the point of view of social workers working in autism centers as well to identify the major obstacles and needs of the autism centers to enhance the social skills of autistic children. The participants in the study consisted of 128 social workers working in autism centers in the emirates of Ajman and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. This descriptive study was based on a questionnaire consisting of 40 items was designed and randomly distributed to social workers at different autism centers in the emirates of Ajman and Sharjah. The results of the study revealed that social workers have a high-perspective point of view on the important role of autism centers in enhancing autistic children’s social skills, the necessity to provide social and psychological support programs for autistic children at the center, and increasing the number of competent social workers inside the autism centers. The study also showed that the role of autism centers in enhancing the social skills of autistic children varies according to the gender of social workers in favor of male social workers, and there were no statistically significant differences according to the variables of academic qualification and the experience of social workers. The study recommended more studies on children with autism and autism centers.

The paper adds to a growing body of social work research that examines service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. The advent and spread of COVID-19 is a global phenomenon and social work is a global profession. Yet context is important, and the pandemic was experienced differently, as the literature on inequality has shown. Narratives of social workers in their own contexts illuminate differences and similarities and provide leads for practice in a future which many predict has forever changed. This paper is derived from qualitative interviews with ten social workers across three fields of practice in the United Arab Emirates and focuses on mental health issues from a human rights perspective.

Education is one undeniable pathway from poverty. Research has consistently shown the positive effects of higher education level on lifetime earnings. Financing to achieve this can lead to student loan debt, which has become a crisis affecting financial and health wellbeing among some borrowers and disparities in higher education access further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the fact that access to higher education has been deemed a right in Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the student loan crisis threatens access for some. Lack of ratification of the document by the U.S. further pushes the need for critical discussion. Therefore, the purpose of this narrative review was to examine the state of the student loan debt crisis and raise implications for policy. WorldCat, SocINDEX, and Academic Search Complete databases were searched utilizing a combination of key words associated with college student loans and debt, economic justice. Findings showed student loan debt, repayment challenges, and inequities in higher education access remain widespread. There is a need for more social work–based empirical research on student loan debt and social work engagement that promotes critical conversations utilizing an economic justice perspective. Implications for social work practice, policy, and research are discussed.