Cross-Cultural Social Work

Evidence-based practice has become an important approach to social work practice. This paper highlights some of the ethical dilemmas which may be implicated by this approach, and encourages social workers and social work researchers to carefully consider these potential quandaries.

This article will discuss how two theoretical frameworks can be useful in the analysis of conflict situations in social work practice. By viewing situations from the perspective of competing and differing values, social workers are able to come to respect the positions of those with whom they are in conflict. The respect that emanates from being empathic and validating towards another's values is crucial for negotiating resolution to difficult conflict situations.

This paper examines the issues involved in developing indigenous social work practice. Several African writers are making an interesting contribution to the important debate on indigenisation in the social work literature in Africa (work is at an exploratory stage in that they have introduced and probed questions relating to indigenisation but not developed fully the way in which Western social work differs from relevant indigenous social work practice in Africa. In this paper we view social work as a Western invention and a product of modernity, and indigenisation as a postmodern notion, a form of resistance to the cultural homogenising and universalising effects of globalisation. We argue that the difference between Western and African understanding of culture is an integral aspect of the indigenisation debate and that to progress the debate further, it is necessary to establish a framework for a clear and logical articulation of the values located in each set of cultures. We explore the notion of 'indigenisation as cross-cultural practice' for, as the international literature on cultural diversity shows, there needs to be an extensive dialogue between cultural groups on principles, ethical norms and appropriate practice if a truly cross-cultural world is to take shape. A cross-cultural or intercultural dialogue needs to precede any ideas about cross-cultural practice. Thus there is still a long way to go in developing indigenous social work practice in Africa. The paper ends with suggestions as to how indigenous practice models might be developed.

“As we know, well-led groups provide many member benefits: feelings of universality, a sense of hope, altruism, acquisition of knowledge and skills, and mutual support...This text is affordable, easy to use, and very suitable for providing group work material in BSW or MSW practice courses.”

— Greg Tully, West Chester University



AN EXPERIENTIAL APPROACH TO GROUP WORK
Second Edition

Rich Furman, University of Washington, Tacoma
Kimberly Bender, University of Denver
Diana Rowan, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

An Experiential Approach to Group Work is not your typical group work text! Using dozens of exercises that build practice-tested skills, the authors' approach is in perfect step with CSWE's competence-based education requirements. The book is organized into three sections—the first addresses stages of group practice, the second looks at major types of groups, and the final section looks at examples of group work practice with special populations.

Features of the Second Edition

    Expanded! Discussion of the theory of group process and dynamics
    New! Content regarding Canadian, British, and Australian group work practices
    New! Chapters on anti-oppressive practice, group work with immigrants, and macro-practice group work
    New! Content on the use and development of technology to aid group work
    Contains customized exercises for each group work topic, designed to build the student and practitioner’s skills for use in group work sessions
    Special emphasis on how to bring individual sessions or groups to closure
    Provides examples of group work in specialized settings: conflict resolution groups within elementary schools, pregnant teens, Latinos, and HIV/AIDS clients

This article explores a new paradigm or model for the professional social worker: The poet/practitioner. The training and practice of the poet are congruent with many aspects of social work practice. An examination of the practice of the poet, and the congruence of these practices to social work, reveals a paradigm with the capacity to focus social workers on the essential values of our profession. This paradigm, which highlights the humanistic, creative, and socially conscience role of the social work practitioner, may be particularly important today given the medicalization of social problems and the conservitization of society.

This article addresses the reasons why too few social workers are prepared for practice with first- and second-generation Latino indi- viduals and families, primarily from Mexico and Central America. To do so, the authors explore the social and contextual reasons for this paucity. Social risks and vulnerabilities of Latinos are assessed and are connected to social work’s mission to serve at-risk populations. The authors make suggestions for steps the profession can take to increase the number and quality of social workers who are equipped to practice with this growing population

This study explored the use of simulation with Master’s level students to determine the efficacy of this approach in practicing advanced social work skills with diverse client populations.  Three instructors jointly developed a case scenario in which cultural beliefs differed strongly between a biracial couple. Instructors found that the simulation offered an opportunity for students to create an inquiring, respectful, and supportive environment for the couple to resolve their dilemma. Students were able to engage, assess and intervene in a way that developed their skill and confidence, while responding to this diverse couple in a culturally sensitive manner.

This article presents a model for infusing international content into the social work curriculum in the United
States. It provides a rationale for including issues pertaining to international social work, including the impact
of globalization and the interconnectedness of social welfare issues internationally. Social workers and social
work educators throughout the world are encouraged to explore the relationship between social work practice
and global issues.

Las políticas culturales se han ampliado y diversificado en las dos últimas décadas. En este
proceso, se evidencia un crecimiento de iniciativas que trabajan con propuestas artísticas con
fines de inclusión y/o transformación social, ya desde colectivos de la sociedad civil organizada o desde las políticas públicas estatales. No solo se han ampliado los sentidos atribuidos a
las prácticas artísticas sino que se ha diversificado la cantidad de agentes que intervienen en
políticas culturales, configurándose un espacio social integrado por artistas y públicos, pero
también colectivos, militantes, talleristas, gestores culturales, mediadores, técnicos. Así, los
cambios en las políticas culturales dialogan con los que atraviesa el trabajo cultural. Este artículo se propone realizar una primera exploración sobre las características del trabajo en políticas culturales con orientación social, analizando condiciones materiales y subjetivas que
experimentan trabajadores/as de este ámbito en Uruguay y Argentina.
Palabras clave: políticas culturales; trabajo cultural; inclusión social; derechos culturales.