Qualitative Social Work current issue

Editorial

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:09:07 PDT

Explorations of Depression: Poetry and Narrative in Autoethnographic Qualitative Research

Gallardo, H. L., Furman, R., Kulkarni, S. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:09:07 PDT

This article explores the uses of poetry in qualitative research. In this study of the first author’s lived experience with non-clinical depression and the second author’s experience of living with someone experiencing depression, poetry and responsive narrative are used as data, as means of data representation, and processes of inquiry. The authors explore the nature of poetry as a tool for investigating human phenomena and its congruence with post-modern methods of research. Autoethnographic poems are used as data and analyzed via narrative written by the original author of the poem on two separate occasions. A third researcher added an additional layer of narrative analysis for increased depth. This self-reflection provides reflexive analysis of our individual understanding of depression via narrative.

Four Scenes and an Epilogue: Autoethnography of a Critical Social Work Agenda Regarding Poverty

Krumer-Nevo, M. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:09:07 PDT

‘Back and forth autoethnographers gaze . . . outward on social and cultural aspects of their personal experience; then ... inward, exposing a vulnerable self that is moved by and may move through, refract, and resist cultural interpretations’ (Ellis and Bochner, 2000: 739). The article presents an autoethnography in a format of four scenes and an epilogue. The scenes move from personal family memories, through memories of first professional encounters with a ‘poor’ woman client, and an encounter with volunteers from a human rights organization that fight to eradicate poverty, to an educational moment as a social work lecturer who guides her students in their search for their own way to work with people in poverty. The epilogue aims to connect the four scenes and to point at the personal, social, cultural, and political roots of a critical social work agenda regarding poverty.

Understanding 'Marginal' Perspectives: Towards a Social Theory of Resilience

Bottrell, D. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:09:07 PDT

This article contributes to a social theory of resilience. It critiques aspects of developmental and individual-level analyses in the resilience literature, arguing for the significance of social identities and collective experience to resilience. Drawing on a study of the experiences of young people from an inner-city public housing estate in Sydney, key themes of the young people’s accounts engage with both classic and constructivist perspectives. Resistance based resilience is claimed to indicate the social constitution of individuals in local relations, suggesting that interventions for resilience building need to recognize the embeddedness of resilience in social inequities, social processes and the differentiated societal and ideological expectations of young people. How resilience is conceptualized is central to resilience building interventions. Here the case is put for the importance of resources to support and strengthen the resilience of marginalized youth.

Patterns of Abuse Disclosure among Youth

Ungar, M., Barter, K., McConnell, S. M., Tutty, L. M., Fairholm, J. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:09:07 PDT

Evaluation forms completed by youth following participation in abuse prevention programming by the Canadian Red Cross (RespectED) offer a unique opportunity to explore disclosure strategies among a diverse national sample of 1621 young people. The sample comprised all youth in 5 regions who made anonymous written disclosures of abuse on evaluation forms administered after workshops delivered between 2000 and 2003. Focus groups, interviews and observational data were used to ensure the trustworthiness of the data analysis. Findings show that youth who have been abused or witnesses to abuse employ five disclosure strategies: using self-harming behaviours to signal the abuse to others; not talking at all about the abuse to prevent intrusive interventions by others; seeking help from peers; seeking help from informal adult supports; and seeking help from mandated service providers (social workers and police). Findings highlight young people’s use of indirect and direct means of disclosure to ensure their safety.

A Bottom-up Definition of Self-sufficiency: Voices from Low-income Jobseekers

Hong, P. Y. P., Sheriff, V. A., Naeger, S. R. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:09:07 PDT

Self-sufficiency (SS) is the epitome of America’s ‘reluctant’ welfare state. It is generally accepted in social welfare policy circles as a concept related to independence and financial stability. Nevertheless, SS is not a term agreed upon in practice by policymakers, researchers, or service providers and is frequently used without a clear common definition. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which the top-down definition of ‘economic’ SS as the social policy goal is consistent with how the clients of job training programs perceive the term. Using a grounded theory approach, a bottom-up definition of SS was derived from a focus group of low-income jobseekers. The focus group was transcribed for a content analysis from which a client-centered definition of SS was drawn. Findings suggest that SS is a process of developing psychological strength properties and a goal-oriented progression toward realistic financial outcomes. Implications for evidence-based community interventions for client empowerment and workforce development are suggested.

Collecting Data from Mothers who have Experienced Childhood Family Violence with the use of a Feminist Methodology

Mendis, K. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:09:07 PDT

Family violence has been found to have a variety of negative impacts on children. Children exposed to violence often fail to develop positive social skills, which may impact on their ability to function as healthy, productive adults. The aim of my Masters research, titled: ‘The Impacts of Childhood Exposure to Family Violence on Subsequent Mothering’ was to investigate the long-term impacts of girls’ exposure to family violence. The interviews involved discussions of intimate and sensitive issues. In this article, I discuss the feminist methodology within which I conducted my research, highlighting the concepts that proved invaluable in collecting rich data of a sensitive nature. By sharing my field experience, I intend to make a small contribution to the research methodology literature as many others have done before me.

Engaging and Retaining Vulnerable Youth in a Short-term Longitudinal Qualitative Study

Taylor, S. A. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:09:07 PDT

This article focuses on five aspects of data collection that were effective for successfully engaging and retaining 11 vulnerable youth in a short-term longitudinal qualitative study of school and work transitions. Each youth in this study attended five meetings with the researcher over the course of three to four months, and there was no attrition. The five strategies discussed are: (1) use of self and researcher role; (2) screening procedures; (3) initial interview; (4) structure and process of participant stipends; and (5) frequency of contact. The article also reviews selected literature on retention of participants in longitudinal studies and highlights areas in which further research on engagement and retention is needed.

'Eric Sainsbury'

Orme, J. — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:09:07 PDT