Pedagogy associated with engaging with the arts in social work education is a developing area of exploration and research. This conceptual article explores the potential use of Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), which is a methodology where students look at artwork and discuss with peers. It draws on some existing literature on visual thinking or a similar pedagogical approach to stimulate thought and debate on the use of the methodology in contemporary social work education. The links discovered between VTS, critical inquiry and visual literacy highlight the relevance, and the potential of this methodology to contribute to student learning outcomes in direct practice social work courses through connecting skills-based competency with cognitive processes, such as critical inquiry and creativity. Engaging social work students in VTS can advance skills in observing, processing and communicating reasoning to peers in situations of ambiguity, which are critical for assessment and decision making in their future professional practice. There is a potential for students to engage with VTS in inter-professional education with medical, nursing and allied health students to facilitate communication and collaborative problem-solving. The article identifies the need for research to evaluate the use of VTS in the context of art-based pedagogies in social work.
{"title":"Integrating Visual Thinking Strategies in Social Work Education: Opportunities for the Future?","authors":"D. Lynch","doi":"10.1093/BJSW/BCAB121","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/BJSW/BCAB121","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Pedagogy associated with engaging with the arts in social work education is a developing area of exploration and research. This conceptual article explores the potential use of Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), which is a methodology where students look at artwork and discuss with peers. It draws on some existing literature on visual thinking or a similar pedagogical approach to stimulate thought and debate on the use of the methodology in contemporary social work education. The links discovered between VTS, critical inquiry and visual literacy highlight the relevance, and the potential of this methodology to contribute to student learning outcomes in direct practice social work courses through connecting skills-based competency with cognitive processes, such as critical inquiry and creativity. Engaging social work students in VTS can advance skills in observing, processing and communicating reasoning to peers in situations of ambiguity, which are critical for assessment and decision making in their future professional practice. There is a potential for students to engage with VTS in inter-professional education with medical, nursing and allied health students to facilitate communication and collaborative problem-solving. The article identifies the need for research to evaluate the use of VTS in the context of art-based pedagogies in social work.","PeriodicalId":48259,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Social Work","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46228850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In this article, we formulate a new bicultural model of social work with ethnic minorities. The suggested model connects acculturation orientations, professional interventions and burnout amongst social workers working with ethnic minority clients. We tested this model in a sample of Arab Israeli social workers (n = 299). The study results confirmed that ethnic minority social workers working with ethnic minority clients used interventions that may be classified as either rooted in the minority or the majority culture. Arab Israeli social workers used slightly more often interventions rooted in the minority than the majority culture; however, the two types of intervention were complementary rather than contradictory. Acculturation orientations of Arab Israeli social workers were connected to their choice of professional interventions. Specifically, a higher preference for separation was associated with more frequent use of professional interventions rooted in the minority culture. In contrast, a higher preference for integration was associated with more frequent use of interventions rooted in both minority and majority cultures. More frequent use of interventions rooted in the majority culture was associated with a lower level of burnout and a higher level of personal accomplishment, whilst more frequent use of interventions rooted in the minority culture was associated with a higher level of burnout. Based on the obtained results, an integrative approach to education and training of social workers and social work practice with ethnic minorities is advocated.
{"title":"Acculturation Orientations, Professional Interventions and Burnout amongst Ethnic Minority Social Workers Working with Ethnic Minority Clients: A Case of Arab Citizens of Israel","authors":"E. Tartakovsky","doi":"10.1093/BJSW/BCAB112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/BJSW/BCAB112","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 In this article, we formulate a new bicultural model of social work with ethnic minorities. The suggested model connects acculturation orientations, professional interventions and burnout amongst social workers working with ethnic minority clients. We tested this model in a sample of Arab Israeli social workers (n = 299). The study results confirmed that ethnic minority social workers working with ethnic minority clients used interventions that may be classified as either rooted in the minority or the majority culture. Arab Israeli social workers used slightly more often interventions rooted in the minority than the majority culture; however, the two types of intervention were complementary rather than contradictory. Acculturation orientations of Arab Israeli social workers were connected to their choice of professional interventions. Specifically, a higher preference for separation was associated with more frequent use of professional interventions rooted in the minority culture. In contrast, a higher preference for integration was associated with more frequent use of interventions rooted in both minority and majority cultures. More frequent use of interventions rooted in the majority culture was associated with a lower level of burnout and a higher level of personal accomplishment, whilst more frequent use of interventions rooted in the minority culture was associated with a higher level of burnout. Based on the obtained results, an integrative approach to education and training of social workers and social work practice with ethnic minorities is advocated.","PeriodicalId":48259,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Social Work","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47817115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Regehr, J. Paterson, Karen M. Sewell, A. Birze, M. Bogo, B. Fallon, G. Regehr
Social workers and other professionals providing mental health services are regularly required to make high-stakes decisions in situations characterised by conflicting demands. To better understand the factors that drive clinical decision making in situations of risk and uncertainty, we used a design-based research framework to pilot a new approach for improving professional decision making. The programme, which combined simulated interviews, a master class series and personal monitoring of real-time decisions, was designed to focus explicit attention on biological, emotional, cognitive and contextual influences on decision making. Preliminary results from a pilot study suggest that during and immediately following the intervention, clinicians demonstrated new insights into their decision making processes. In addition, they reported benefitting both from the opportunity to reflect individually and share reflections with others. Physiological data demonstrated an association between stressful decisions in real-world clinical practice, elevated heart rate and emotional responses. Qualitative data suggested that client risk represented only one aspect of decision making that resulted in emotional and physical responses, and others included team dynamics, socio-evaluative stressors and organisational and societal factors. This innovative decision making programme creates new opportunities for integrating research, practice and education and shows promise of improving social work practice.
{"title":"Improving Professional Decision Making in Situations of Risk and Uncertainty: A Pilot Intervention","authors":"C. Regehr, J. Paterson, Karen M. Sewell, A. Birze, M. Bogo, B. Fallon, G. Regehr","doi":"10.1093/BJSW/BCAB131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/BJSW/BCAB131","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Social workers and other professionals providing mental health services are regularly required to make high-stakes decisions in situations characterised by conflicting demands. To better understand the factors that drive clinical decision making in situations of risk and uncertainty, we used a design-based research framework to pilot a new approach for improving professional decision making. The programme, which combined simulated interviews, a master class series and personal monitoring of real-time decisions, was designed to focus explicit attention on biological, emotional, cognitive and contextual influences on decision making. Preliminary results from a pilot study suggest that during and immediately following the intervention, clinicians demonstrated new insights into their decision making processes. In addition, they reported benefitting both from the opportunity to reflect individually and share reflections with others. Physiological data demonstrated an association between stressful decisions in real-world clinical practice, elevated heart rate and emotional responses. Qualitative data suggested that client risk represented only one aspect of decision making that resulted in emotional and physical responses, and others included team dynamics, socio-evaluative stressors and organisational and societal factors. This innovative decision making programme creates new opportunities for integrating research, practice and education and shows promise of improving social work practice.","PeriodicalId":48259,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Social Work","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44228838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The social work profession is a practice-based profession that promotes social justice and advocacy for marginalised individuals. In spite of the fact that the policy practice is considered as crucial component of social work practice, the real participation of social workers in policy practice seems very less. It has a potentially significant influence on social work profession, both as a field of study and an area of practice. History is filled with an evidence showing that the policy practice paved the way for the development of social work profession as people used different social work skills to campaign for the formalisation of the social work profession. Social workers have been held up as exercising substantial power to influence policy being policy implementers (Schorr, A. L. (1985) ‘Professional practice as policy’, Social Service Review, 59(2), pp. 178–96; Scott, W. R. and Davis, G. F. (2007) Organisations and Organising: Rational, Natural, and Open System Perspectives, Upper Saddle River, Pearson Prentice Hall). Social workers having practice experience make them excellent advocates because they understand clearly the challenges confronted by their clients, including clients’ presenting problems, holistic environmental factors, and client strengths that can be drawn on so as to assist them. This article throws light on linkages between social work and social policy, policy practice in social work and role of social worker as a change agent in policy practice.
社会工作专业是一个以实践为基础的职业,促进社会正义和为边缘化个人辩护。尽管政策实践被认为是社会工作实践的重要组成部分,但社会工作者在政策实践中的真正参与似乎很少。它对社会工作专业有潜在的重大影响,无论是作为一个研究领域还是一个实践领域。历史证明,政策实践为社会工作专业的发展铺平了道路,人们使用不同的社会工作技能来推动社会工作专业的正规化。作为政策执行者,社会工作者一直被认为行使着影响政策的实质性权力(Schorr, a.l.(1985)“专业实践即政策”,《社会服务评论》,59(2),第178-96页;Scott, W. R.和Davis, G. F.(2007)组织和组织:理性的、自然的和开放的系统视角,Upper Saddle River, Pearson Prentice Hall)。具有实践经验的社会工作者是优秀的倡导者,因为他们清楚地了解客户所面临的挑战,包括客户提出的问题,整体环境因素,以及客户可以利用的优势,从而帮助他们。本文阐述了社会工作与社会政策的联系、社会工作中的政策实践以及社会工作者在政策实践中作为变革推动者的角色。
{"title":"Social Work and Policy Practice: Understanding the Role of Social Workers","authors":"Ankur Saxena, Sneha Chandrapal","doi":"10.1093/BJSW/BCAB073","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/BJSW/BCAB073","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The social work profession is a practice-based profession that promotes social justice and advocacy for marginalised individuals. In spite of the fact that the policy practice is considered as crucial component of social work practice, the real participation of social workers in policy practice seems very less. It has a potentially significant influence on social work profession, both as a field of study and an area of practice. History is filled with an evidence showing that the policy practice paved the way for the development of social work profession as people used different social work skills to campaign for the formalisation of the social work profession. Social workers have been held up as exercising substantial power to influence policy being policy implementers (Schorr, A. L. (1985) ‘Professional practice as policy’, Social Service Review, 59(2), pp. 178–96; Scott, W. R. and Davis, G. F. (2007) Organisations and Organising: Rational, Natural, and Open System Perspectives, Upper Saddle River, Pearson Prentice Hall). Social workers having practice experience make them excellent advocates because they understand clearly the challenges confronted by their clients, including clients’ presenting problems, holistic environmental factors, and client strengths that can be drawn on so as to assist them. This article throws light on linkages between social work and social policy, policy practice in social work and role of social worker as a change agent in policy practice.","PeriodicalId":48259,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Social Work","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42221453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Children’s Charities in Crisis: Early Intervention and the State, Alison Body","authors":"Ray Jones","doi":"10.1093/BJSW/BCAB120","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/BJSW/BCAB120","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48259,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Social Work","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46733457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
V. Leung, Weijia Tan, Deng-Min Chuang, K. Tsang, D. Lai
In multicultural societies, social workers often work with people of diverse cultural backgrounds. As one of the strategies to facilitate social workers’ cultural competence in diverse settings, they are often matched with clients of the same or similar cultural backgrounds. This practice is called ethnic matching and is commonly utilised in ethno-specific and immigrant-serving organisations. This practice has been extensively studied in the literature and is believed to be beneficial to treatment acceptability and service quality. Nonetheless, most of the existing literature focuses on the practitioner–client dyad without taking the broader context into consideration. This study adopted a multidimensional cultural competence approach to examine Chinese practitioners’ lived experiences of serving Chinese immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Six focus groups were conducted (n = 34), and data were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Results show themes across four levels: (i) personal: personal experience as a motivator; (ii) interpersonal: shared culture and language as a double-edged sword; (iii) organisational: service target shifts and increased difficulty to ethnically match and (iv) community: intracommunity heterogeneity and mismatch. This study provides recommendations for social workers, educators and policymakers to consider when applying ethnic matching in cross-cultural settings.
{"title":"A Multidimensional Approach to Explore the Experiences with Ethnic Matching amongst Chinese Social Service Practitioners in the Greater Toronto Area","authors":"V. Leung, Weijia Tan, Deng-Min Chuang, K. Tsang, D. Lai","doi":"10.1093/BJSW/BCAB122","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/BJSW/BCAB122","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 In multicultural societies, social workers often work with people of diverse cultural backgrounds. As one of the strategies to facilitate social workers’ cultural competence in diverse settings, they are often matched with clients of the same or similar cultural backgrounds. This practice is called ethnic matching and is commonly utilised in ethno-specific and immigrant-serving organisations. This practice has been extensively studied in the literature and is believed to be beneficial to treatment acceptability and service quality. Nonetheless, most of the existing literature focuses on the practitioner–client dyad without taking the broader context into consideration. This study adopted a multidimensional cultural competence approach to examine Chinese practitioners’ lived experiences of serving Chinese immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Six focus groups were conducted (n = 34), and data were analysed using a grounded theory approach. Results show themes across four levels: (i) personal: personal experience as a motivator; (ii) interpersonal: shared culture and language as a double-edged sword; (iii) organisational: service target shifts and increased difficulty to ethnically match and (iv) community: intracommunity heterogeneity and mismatch. This study provides recommendations for social workers, educators and policymakers to consider when applying ethnic matching in cross-cultural settings.","PeriodicalId":48259,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Social Work","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46582203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Munro Review highlighted obstacles hindering the realisation of an ‘effective’ and ‘child-centred’ English child protection system, including the ‘risk’ associated with the social worker’s discretionary space. The review called for reform to enable practicing social workers to exercise their discretion in the best interests of the individual child. This article reports on the results of an iterative qualitative mixed-methods case study of one local authority child protection team, utilising focus group, questionnaire, interview, observation, documentary analysis and critical realist grounded theory, to explore whether, on encountering a discretionary space, social workers were willing to employ discretion, and the factors influencing this decision. The main findings included that social workers were experiencing discretionary space in an entrepreneurial, de jure and de facto sense and that practitioners were more likely to choose to exercise their discretion within the managerially sanctioned discretionary space. Whilst the research does offer some evidence in favour of Munro’s image for discretion within the system, it also suggests that further efforts may be required to better imbed ‘sanctioned’ discretionary space into local policy and procedures so that child protection social workers can more consistently employ their discretion in the interests of the individual child.
{"title":"A More ‘Child-Centred’ System? Child Protection Social Workers’ Willingness to Employ Discretion","authors":"Ciarán Murphy","doi":"10.1093/BJSW/BCAB118","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/BJSW/BCAB118","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The Munro Review highlighted obstacles hindering the realisation of an ‘effective’ and ‘child-centred’ English child protection system, including the ‘risk’ associated with the social worker’s discretionary space. The review called for reform to enable practicing social workers to exercise their discretion in the best interests of the individual child. This article reports on the results of an iterative qualitative mixed-methods case study of one local authority child protection team, utilising focus group, questionnaire, interview, observation, documentary analysis and critical realist grounded theory, to explore whether, on encountering a discretionary space, social workers were willing to employ discretion, and the factors influencing this decision. The main findings included that social workers were experiencing discretionary space in an entrepreneurial, de jure and de facto sense and that practitioners were more likely to choose to exercise their discretion within the managerially sanctioned discretionary space. Whilst the research does offer some evidence in favour of Munro’s image for discretion within the system, it also suggests that further efforts may be required to better imbed ‘sanctioned’ discretionary space into local policy and procedures so that child protection social workers can more consistently employ their discretion in the interests of the individual child.","PeriodicalId":48259,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Social Work","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42753597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Child Sexual Exploitation, Why Theory Matters, Jenny Pearce","authors":"K. Fitzpatrick","doi":"10.1093/BJSW/BCAB098","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/BJSW/BCAB098","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48259,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Social Work","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42101923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lore Dewanckel, T. Schiettecat, K. Hermans, R. Roose, W. Van Lancker, G. Roets
In the face of growing social, economic, political and demographic challenges, many European welfare states have been confronted with barriers in realising the social rights of certain groups of citizens. This phenomenon has often been referred to as ‘the non-take up of social rights’. Considering the core mandate and key principles of social work as a practice-based profession and academic discipline, we argue that social work should have a key role in knowledge and practice development on understanding and combating the non-take up of social rights. Our integrative contextual literature review, nonetheless, demonstrates that there is a tangible scarcity of theoretically and empirically grounded social work research that generates fruitful and in-depth insights into the socially unjust situations and complex dynamics behind these processes of non-take up. This article therefore aims to identify and discuss the key knowledge gaps in the existing body of research on non-take up. As a result, we address critical foci for a future empirical social work research agenda to munition social work practice development that strongly accentuates the substantial realisation of social rights and accordingly contributes to social justice.
{"title":"Researching the Non-Take up of Social Rights: A Social Work Perspective","authors":"Lore Dewanckel, T. Schiettecat, K. Hermans, R. Roose, W. Van Lancker, G. Roets","doi":"10.1093/BJSW/BCAB117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/BJSW/BCAB117","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 In the face of growing social, economic, political and demographic challenges, many European welfare states have been confronted with barriers in realising the social rights of certain groups of citizens. This phenomenon has often been referred to as ‘the non-take up of social rights’. Considering the core mandate and key principles of social work as a practice-based profession and academic discipline, we argue that social work should have a key role in knowledge and practice development on understanding and combating the non-take up of social rights. Our integrative contextual literature review, nonetheless, demonstrates that there is a tangible scarcity of theoretically and empirically grounded social work research that generates fruitful and in-depth insights into the socially unjust situations and complex dynamics behind these processes of non-take up. This article therefore aims to identify and discuss the key knowledge gaps in the existing body of research on non-take up. As a result, we address critical foci for a future empirical social work research agenda to munition social work practice development that strongly accentuates the substantial realisation of social rights and accordingly contributes to social justice.","PeriodicalId":48259,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Social Work","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1093/BJSW/BCAB117","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44862354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The value of equine-assisted interventions that promote growth and learning is increasingly recognised in professional practice. The aim of this study was to examine how equine-assisted intervention enhanced personal and professional growth for social work professionals. Arab social workers from the social service department in the Bedouin city Hura, Israel participated in three workshops based on the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) model. Observations conducted through the workshops, debriefing sessions with participants and fourteen in-depth semi-structured interviews were analysed. Analysis exposed the importance of space in promoting development. Specifically, participants described the value of space for self-reflection, the importance of the space within and between relationships and space as a site for team building. Changes amongst the participants from dependence on external instruction to autonomous decision making, enhanced spontaneous activity with the horses and mutual assistance were identified. This is the first equine-assisted learning workshop and research conducted with social workers in Israel. The results highlight the value of equine-assisted learning as a new avenue to help grow social work professionals as they continue to work with their clientele. Results suggest that there is potential for equine-assisted interventions to support social workers internationally.
{"title":"The Significance of Space: Experiences of Arab Social Work Professionals with EAGALA Equine-Assisted Learning","authors":"Merav Moshe-Grodofsky, Nuzha Allassad Alhuzail","doi":"10.1093/BJSW/BCAB113","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/BJSW/BCAB113","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The value of equine-assisted interventions that promote growth and learning is increasingly recognised in professional practice. The aim of this study was to examine how equine-assisted intervention enhanced personal and professional growth for social work professionals. Arab social workers from the social service department in the Bedouin city Hura, Israel participated in three workshops based on the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) model. Observations conducted through the workshops, debriefing sessions with participants and fourteen in-depth semi-structured interviews were analysed. Analysis exposed the importance of space in promoting development. Specifically, participants described the value of space for self-reflection, the importance of the space within and between relationships and space as a site for team building. Changes amongst the participants from dependence on external instruction to autonomous decision making, enhanced spontaneous activity with the horses and mutual assistance were identified. This is the first equine-assisted learning workshop and research conducted with social workers in Israel. The results highlight the value of equine-assisted learning as a new avenue to help grow social work professionals as they continue to work with their clientele. Results suggest that there is potential for equine-assisted interventions to support social workers internationally.","PeriodicalId":48259,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Social Work","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2021-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48124580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}