Journal of Global Social Work Practice, Volume 4, Number 2, November/December 2011
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The November/December Issue 2011 The manuscripts in this issue of the Journal of Global Social Work Practice include a feature article, scholarly contributions, articles addressing issues in child education, social work with ethnic minorities and immigrant populations, the role of domestic violence upon the international community, and case studies. The timely feature article presents insight into the global awareness of Korean social work practitioners. One article presents a unique intervention against the problem of gender-based violence. Another two address issues in education: one on cross-disciplinary work in international social work practice, and the other on the social issues surrounding child education. The two following articles present case studies to address vulnerable populations: one addresses the issue of caregiver strain among HIV/AIDS patients, and the other presents a model for economic development to the families of orphans and vulnerable children. This issue concludes with two articles addressing vulnerabilities among ethnic minority groups in the United States: domestic violence, and poverty. The continents reflected in this issue span across the globe, focusing on the countries of Korea, Pakistan, Turkey, Kenya, Zimbabwe and the United States. The feature article of this issue, Korean Social Work Practitioners: Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Globalization, is written by Terrence Henderson. This article focuses on the perceptions and attitudes of Korean social workers towards globalization. The author’s findings are important in that social workers see the importance of being a global citizen and its relevance to social work practice and to their clients. However, social workers are less likely to utilize global policies such as United Nations documents in their practice. Although social workers are able to link the local with the global, they are less likely to recognize the importance that South Korea has on other countries in terms of influencing social work policy at a global level. This article may assist readers in evaluating their own view of globalization and its impact on practice. The second article, Human Rights Education for Women in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities by Florence M. Critelli, focuses on women who are vulnerable to human rights violations emerging from discrimination and gender inequality. This article, a case study, presents a model of human rights education for local women in Pakistan. The training emphasizes paralegal training to empower them in their local communities regarding their human rights. The author examines strengths and limitations of the model. The third article focus on issues in education. “Education is important but…”: Low-income Kurdish migrant mothers’ beliefs about child education and child labor by Ozge Sensoy Bahar, presents a case study of seven Kurdish mothers’ attitudes towards child education and other factors surrounding child labor. The article also addresses the effect of parental ethnotheories on their decisions regarding child labor. Household size, child birth order, and other contextual factors were also assessed. The fourth and fifth articles focus on issues of NGO development work. Kenya HIV/AIDS Patients: Voices of their Caregivers, by Charnetta Gadling-Cole and Sandra Edmonds Crewe, identifies findings and challenges by caregivers in FBOs (Faith Based Organizations) and NGOs (Non-governmental Organizations) for HIV/AIDS for caregivers as well as patients in Nairobi, Kenya. Challenging areas for caregivers include family instability caused by the disease, stigmatization encountered with the disease, treatment inadequacies, and the need for implementation of caregiver training. The article captures the day-to-day challenges as well as political, social, economic and cultural challenges. Home–Based Care as a Model of Social Development by Dickson Masindano, Rosemary Wasilwa and Jon Singletary look at children and their families made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. This article is a case study of Buckner Kenya making a shift from relief efforts to an innovative effective approach with families to social and economic development approaches through microeconomics. Buckner Kenya utilizes a case management example that utilizes two specific development efforts called merry-go-round funding and table-banking. The concluding articles present social justice and human rights concerns within ethnic minority groups and immigrant populations within the United States of America. International Problems of Intimate Partner Violence and Its Impact Upon Immigrant Groups in the United States by John Muldoon, Maureen V. Himchak, and Daniel Lemond, describes Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) as a global concern that particularly affects ethnic minorities in the United States. Historical trends of IPV throughout the globe are highlighted as examples of how it is accepted in different parts of the world. Three interrelated factors of patriarchal family structure, immigrant status and religiosity were noted as contributors to IPV. Authors give general statistics, cultural perspectives and practice implications for Latino Americans, East and Southeast Asian Americans, South Asian Americans, West Indian Americans, and Arab Americans and ends with the implications for social workers. Factors Influencing Welfare Participation Rates among Vietnamese, Other Asian Immigrants and Native-born Caucasians and African Americans from 1980-2008 by Martha Vungkhanching and Vu P. Nguyen studied whether the length of time in the U.S. is negatively associated with welfare participation rates among Vietnamese and Asian immigrants. The authors utilize the 1980-2000 U.S. Census and 2006-2008 American Community Survey (ACS) data among Vietnamese and other Asians including Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Indian. The study supported that the length of time living in the U.S. and education was significantly associated with lower welfare participation rates for Vietnamese from 1980-2000 Censuses. Thank you all for your continued participation and support. Enjoy the seventh issue of the JGSWP!
Jan A. Rodgers, LCSW, BCD, MLIS |