International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice

Malaysia is experiencing " graying of the planet " and would fall into the category of Ageing Pop... more Malaysia is experiencing " graying of the planet " and would fall into the category of Ageing Population in 2030. This is a phenomenon caused by an increase of elderly in a developing country. Although depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in the elderly, it is commonly not recognized, misdiagnosed and under treated as depression is perceived as part of normal ageing. The untreated depressive elderly have significant social implications as these disorders decreases an individual's quality of life and increases dependence on others. This paper reports the preliminary findings from a current research done in Penang. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is a 30 item self-report assessment used to identify depression among the elderly. The GDS questions are answered " Yes " or " No " , instead of a five category response set. This simplicity enables the scale to be used with ill or moderately cognitively impaired individuals. Among the factors affecting depression among with the elderly is loneliness, chronic health issues and pain, impairment, loss of loved one/ones, tragic episode, lack of care givers, financial issues, suicide and the loss of interest in living. Elderly females were found to be almost three times more depressed compared to elderly men. These factors need to be addressed immediately for better social and physical functioning among the elderly.

Although there has been an increase in research on postpartum depression (PPD) among migrant Asia... more Although there has been an increase in research on postpartum depression (PPD) among migrant Asian women, there is particularly limited attention given to migrant South Asian women. This is a significant limitation considering the rapidly changing demographics in Canada. Migrant South Asian women face a plethora of unique challenges, which affects their mental health and further prevents them from receiving adequate and equitable mental healthcare services. For migrant South Asian women, many of these stressors are especially amalgamated in the vulnerable postpartum period, resulting in variances of postpartum mood disorders such as postpartum blues, non-psychotic postpartum depression, and in more severe cases, postpartum psychosis. While cultural values and rituals may be protective in curbing PPD symptoms in some instances, in other cases, however, they exacerbate and perhaps even worsen PPD. The objective of this literature review is to provide a basic understanding of postpartum depression among the migrant South Asian community in Canada. It aims to answer questions pertaining to the types of postpartum mood disorders that women can potentially suffer from, its risk factors, its prevalence among migrant women, as well as the socio-cultural and gender-related barriers to attaining access to mental healthcare services and treatments for PPD in Canada. Around 40 documents were examined, summarized and synthesized for this literature review. These included scholarly journal articles, non-scholarly articles, health-related websites, position papers, and medical journals.

This paper is aimed to highlight the current trends, changes and issues affecting the elderly. Ma... more This paper is aimed to highlight the current trends, changes and issues affecting the elderly. Malaysia will experience Aging Population in 2030 when the population over 60 years old will be 15%. The Malaysian population is experiencing an increase in life expectancy. Declining Fertility in late marriage, reduction in the family size, more women in the work force and urbanization are among other current changes. However, as the elderly continue to adjust to these changes and trends, there are more challenges which they face silently. Some of the elderly experience Depression which affects their inability to make accurate decisions and slows down their social and physical function. More adult care facilities and support groups needs to be initiated to look into the various problems of the elderly and help them overcome them.

The NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Law passed by the Israeli Knesset in 1980 replaced the Ot... more The NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Law passed by the Israeli Knesset in 1980 replaced the Ottoman law prevailing in place since 1909 (The Amutot Law, 1980). Since its enactment, the NGO Law oversees the activities and administration of more than thirty thousand NGOs in Israel. This essay presents a critical approach of the NGO Law and the social and economic impact on the third sector in Israel in three different areas in the context of the NGOs organizations. The first area relates to the procedures for setting up the organization and defining the goals of the organization. The second area will address the NGO's mandatory institutions and ways of functioning, and alights fields that are not treated in the law institutions and suggests needed solutions that should been included in the law. The third area deals with the concept of "transparency" of the law spread in five incrementing stages that complement each other to achieve total public transparency. Finally, suggestions will be presented for improving the effectiveness of the NGO Law achieving social goals.

Poverty is multi-dimensional. However, people naturally want to escape from it. Nowadays, microcr... more Poverty is multi-dimensional. However, people naturally want to escape from it. Nowadays, microcredit's didactic evidence is used in many developing countries including Bangladesh to fight against poverty. In a patriarchal society of Bangladesh, women are vulnerable in terms of security, autonomy, self-confidence, and status. Because of gender discrimination, inequality, less control over assets and income, etc. women continue to face chronic forms of poverty. Generally, the well-being of a family greatly depends on the contribution of women rather than men. Slum women have to work within and outside their family. They gather crueler experience in life when compared to their rural counterparts. This is largely because of lack of skill and education; they are confined to employment in petty works. The key purpose of this qualitative research is to examine the extent to which the microcredit programme among slum women in Sylhet has been successful in lifting women out of poverty. Microcredit program was introduced in the slum areas of Sylhet to improve the living conditions, increase awareness level, and empowerment of the poor women. Using purposive sampling techniques and seeking help from NGO workers, 35 semi-structured interviews were conducted with the women microcredit slum dwellers. The findings unravel that most women failed to understand the process and effectiveness of microcredit programs. They took loan for meeting the cash-demand of the male(s) within family. They feel microcredit as a medium to fulfill their emergency requirements. This study found that lack of education, awareness, unwillingness to join other programs of microfinance institutions, pessimistic thinking about microcredit programs, hostile family structure, negligent attitude towards repayment of loan(s), limited investing opportunities, etc. are the main causes that hinders the road to development.

This paper aimed to explore the causes of human casualty and property damage by cyclone Aila and ... more This paper aimed to explore the causes of human casualty and property damage by cyclone Aila and associated storm surge in southwestern coastal Bangladesh as well as the mechanisms, which contribute towards the creation of resilient community in the aftermath of cyclones. This paper revealed that at risk people employed various coping and adaptive strategies with their level of exposure and abilities to keep themselves safe in the face of cyclones. Massive destruction occurred due to cyclone and associated storm surge that breached the earthen embankment as well as inundated agricultural land and households. However, early warning dissemination by the cyclone preparedness program volunteers significantly reduced unexpected human casualty. It is realized that climate change is not preventable, but it is possible to protect societies and economies from nature's vicissitudes to some extent by devising appropriate structural and non-structural measures such as providing better information, improved planning and more climate-resilient infrastructure. People from cyclone Aila affected area have been suffering due to livelihood damage and asset base that put community people into poverty trap even though disaster related deaths have been reduced significantly due to different types of structural and non-structural measures. However, people have resorted to different adaptation strategies to come out from the disaster situation and tried to make themselves resilient to disasters. The study clearly illustrates that hand in hand activities of members of the community is needed to develop their capacities to prevent, prepare for, cope with and respond to disasters.

The current paper examines the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of adult students on matters ... more The current paper examines the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of adult students on matters of behaviour that entail high-risk, but also on matters of health protection (sexually transmitted diseases) as factors directly related to and influencing their life on issues of prevention. First, a short overview of behavioural researches with statistical data is presented about the sexual activity of young people in Cyprus. It is followed by the research on the correlation between high risk sexual practices and habits of young adults. The research endeavours to explore practices young people use to identify the risks they are exposed to, take precautions and behave rationally in order to prevent serious conditions that may lead to insurmountable problems decisive for their life. The method used for data collection was structured questionnaires. The investigation results are presented with the formulation of specific research hypotheses/questions, which were examined by using the method of qualitative data analysis. The conclusion emphasizes the prevalent mentality in conjunction with the influence the family has in Cyprus, since parents function as powerful role models for their children.

This paper gives an overview of the brief history and current situation of social work education ... more This paper gives an overview of the brief history and current situation of social work education in Indonesia. The Social work education system is divided into two categories: an academic education program and a professional education program. This paper highlights some of the imminent issues that cause concern, such as the search for a theoretical model of social work education and practice suitable for Indonesian society, standardization of curriculum design, teaching and learning, fieldwork and supervision, online education in social work education, accreditation and licensing for social workers. It's important to discuss some issues of concern and the direction in which a strong and sound social work education can be developed.

This research attempts to build strategies to empower Saudi women's educational attainment and wo... more This research attempts to build strategies to empower Saudi women's educational attainment and work through reframing of social welfare strategies. The findings of a major study are reported here.

It has been observed that increasing the rate of adoption dissolution compromises children's righ... more It has been observed that increasing the rate of adoption dissolution compromises children's rights. This study set out to investigate adoption dissolution including its causal factors and risk factors. It also set out to identify coping strategies to help avoid the situation leading to adoption dissolution. The study adopted qualitative and quantitative methodology to collect and analyze data. The research methods included a questionnaire survey, focus group discussions and interviewing. 44 questionnaires of adoption dissolution were collected and 44 interviews and some focus group discussions were conducted. The findings revealed a range of risk factors of adoption dissolution including adoptee characteristics (e.g. older age, emotional and behavioral disorder, sibling separation , special needs.); adopter family characteristics (e.g. their elders forcing them to adopt kids, too high expectation for child's performance, lack of parenting skills, lack of caring experience, an unstable marriage, pregnancy after adoption, step parent adoption); and agency characteristics(e.g. unprofessional in matching, insufficient service quality and assistance, unfit family needs, inadequate information). The research found that most of minor child adoption dissolution occurs in private adoption contexts. The perspective of adoption is still conservative and traditional, and focuses on adults' themselves, not concerns the best interests of the child. Thus, Taiwan' s Government and adoption agencies should actively provide assistance for adoption, and make post-adoption supportive services available and accessible to protect the best interests of the child.

In this chapter the authors sketch the contours of Community Empowerment, Resilience Development ... more In this chapter the authors sketch the contours of Community Empowerment, Resilience Development and in the context of modem day challenges of community empowerment The components of the process of coping and the process of resilience closely resemble. The difference being that resilience necessarily implies successful adaptation and coping does not Individuals who use multiple resources and are flexible and appropriate in their choice of coping strategies are more likely to adapt successfully. Successful adaptation in the context of individuals and communities enhances repertoire of personal and/or environmental resources, such as increased problem-solving skills, greater self-confidence or improved social relations. In the simplest possible terms community empowerment is a process by which people living in communities take charge of their lives. By which the authors imply that people declare ownership, indulge in actions that clearly include social and often political actions.

Literature is bountiful in relation to different theories and approaches that advocate for resili... more Literature is bountiful in relation to different theories and approaches that advocate for resiliency in individuals, families and communities. One widely acknowledged fact is that people build up resilience on the basis of their experience that they gain through their day-today hardship and struggles. For those who often live in fragile environments and vulnerability, there is the capacity for resilience to become a part of the culture of a community; becoming absorbed, entrenched and then bequeathed to each subsequent generation. This paper spotlights a group of women who live in an area of Bangladesh that is known for both its poverty and its regular tendency to flood, hereby regularly putting them, their families and their communities at risk of losing lives and/or their livelihoods. Through their narrations, the authors will demonstrate the human capacity to endure adversity, loss, vulnerability and destruction and still maintain the indomitable spirit of acceptance, hope and flourishment. Coping strategy is a central theme throughout. The authors provide accounts which outline the means by which these women practically and psychologically, prepare for and endure the regular and destructive nature of flooding. A brief discussion occurs in relation to the implication of some aspects of social work assistance in the context of women and floods. 'This is every year affair. As the affected ' we don't have to lose our dreams and hopes, we need to face it and move on for survival' (research participant).

The author interviewed 338 faculty members out of a total of 2648, and interviewed 55 Shura's Cou... more The author interviewed 338 faculty members out of a total of 2648, and interviewed 55 Shura's Council members in order to understand developing strategies to empower Saudi women in the field of judiciary through the framing of social welfare policies.

Family, the basic unit of society, all over the world has been undergoing many fundamental change... more Family, the basic unit of society, all over the world has been undergoing many fundamental changes and profound transformation due to comprehensive socio-economic development and technological advancement. This paper is a humble attempt to examine the factors affecting changes in family pattern, age at marriage, practice of dowry and divorce in family life of Bangladesh. The major factors affecting changes are expansion of educational and employment opportunities, introduction of advanced technologies in production sectors, increased access to development services like micro-finance, health, education, and social awareness avenues, economic and political empowerment among the family members including legal measures for protecting women and children from negative consequences of dowry practice and divorce, in particular. Still, several problems emerged from the changed family pattern in Bangladesh that included break-down of joint family system, degradation of moral values, negligence toward the dependent and aged members, wide practice dowry and divorce, increase in new demands of the family members, development of self-centered attitude, and increased conflict in conjugal as well as family life. On the basis of above findings and discussions, some specific measures may be suggested as intervention strategies for solving the problems emerged from the changed family pattern in Bangladesh including the practice of dowry and divorce. These measures are: counseling by the trained social workers, legal literacy and social education relating to family-life, women empowerment, new employment creation, strengthening health care services at grassroots, proper enforcement of family, child and marriage related laws. The role of mass media should be encouraged in raising awareness among community people and government functionaries including the law enforcement agencies so that they should come forward to improve their life situation in accordance with the changes in family pattern of Bangladesh. Finally, in a changing society of Bangladesh, professionally skilled and trained social workers can greatly contribute to make all the social efforts and human service activities more effective and meaningful.

In spite of the long history, of social work-oriented activities, Vietnam's social work education... more In spite of the long history, of social work-oriented activities, Vietnam's social work education dates back to the 1980s as the policy of Doi Moi (Renew) was applied which required the comprehensive and systematic transformation in Vietnam. In the early 1990s, some academic institutions in Vietnam introduced the subjects of social work in the curriculum and trained social work students in related programs. However, such training was not focused and dispersed, and social work education really emerged in Vietnam in 2004 when the Ministry of Education and Training approved the national curriculum for social work. At the turn of 2010, Vietnam Government supported the urgent need for social work professionals to solve various social problems and to build the welfare, democracy of the socialist state. Since then, Vietnam's social work education has developed rapidly. Currently there are around 50 universities and colleges in the national and provincial levels that are offering social work programs. Social work education in Vietnam is facing challenges in different aspects. This paper aims at exploring the voices of social work students on social work education challenges in different layers of education, licensing, materials, practicum and from students themselves, based on a survey of 17 universities in Vietnam. The paper also aims at providing suggestions for maintaining the social work education in Vietnam with professional training direction.

This paper discusses the role of visual and performing arts in regenerating and developing commun... more This paper discusses the role of visual and performing arts in regenerating and developing communities and the opportunity for creative collaborations between arts and strengths based social work practices in community development. The visual and performing arts have resided in abundance on the fringe of communities and community development and remain as a tool to release the untapped cultural capital. The paper identifies commonalities and shared concerns between arts and strengths based social work to present a practice narrative. We include voices from the marginalized individuals and communities to strengthen our argument for consideration of arts practice within the prevailing ethos of social work and community development

Bangladesh is a Muslim dominated country in south Asia where sex trade is mainly illegal but open... more Bangladesh is a Muslim dominated country in south Asia where sex trade is mainly illegal but open secret. Only few workers have license and provide service in registered brothels. Banisanta brothel is one of the registered bawdyhouses in Khulna where 110 sex-workers were living in 2014. They entered into the profession because of a variety of socio-economic reasons. The factors of entering women into sex work in Banisanta brothel were observed by cross sectional study in July 2014. The sex-workers were mainly illiterate, aged range between 25-35 years, from rural areas, as well as landless families. About half of them entered the profession willingly because of low family income. Some other reasons identified by survey were being cheated, sold to the brothel and forced. More than half had experience with other labour market before sex work but left job because of harassment, poor income coupled with physical assault and sexual abuse, as well as poor working condition. Majority was aware of STI/STD as a result of receiving counselling, advice to use condom and other health related services from different organizations. Although drinking water was not enough and hard to collect, as well as using unhygienic latrine mainly, they were not suffering frequently from water borne diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery or jaundice.

Every 30 seconds, a child goes missing in India and majority of them are girls and from poor soci... more Every 30 seconds, a child goes missing in India and majority of them are girls and from poor socioeconomic background (Singh, K.P, 2014). Referring to government figures accepting that only 55 percent of them are fortunate to reach their homes, the Supreme Court observed that " Nobody seems to care about missing children. This is the irony, " (TNN, 2014). Many of these missing children tragically find themselves being trafficked to an unknown and dangerous world which is sometimes thousands of miles away from home and end up as child labour, begging, inmates of a shelter home, or forced into sex trade. It is possible to ensure child protection and address the problem of missing children with active support of the civil society and fortunately there is growing involvement of the NGOs. The present paper described the processes utilised by a team of volunteers with limited resources that successfully assisted 370 missing children reunite with their families. The paper while presenting the broad learnings in this field suggests practical measures that are replicable, prominent amongst these is the role of civil societies, volunteers, media and ICT.

In recent decades, as a consequence of environmental degradation and poor resource management in ... more In recent decades, as a consequence of environmental degradation and poor resource management in the marginal hilly areas of Uttrakhand (India) forced the males of the region to out-migrate in search of better employment. Due to lack of off-farm activities in these hilly areas, the burden of livelihood directly falls upon the womenfolk, who are considered as a 'Milieu Managers'. This has been reflected in the increasing participation of women in the economy of the study area. The present paper focuses on the pattern of migration and its adverse impact of increasing workload on the women of the study area. The study uses primary data collected through household surveys in Khulgad watershed, Almora district of the Kumaun Himalaya, Uttrakhand (India). Therefore, the key objective of the study is to analyse the increasing work participation of women operating at different subsystems , impact of environmental degradation and role of women in sustaining the traditional agro-ecosystem in Khul Gad micro-watershed of the Kumoun Himalaya.

International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice | Australian Catholic University (original) (raw)

Papers by International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice