As human beings, we have a great longing for community, to feel part of something. Despite this apparent need, the opposite tendency is evident everywhere: a growing individualism leading to the breakdown of relationships, conflict and war. How can we connect meaningfully with our fellow human beings and build successful communities, whilst also cultivating a healthy individuality? Karl Koenig considered that finding answers to these questions was one of the central tasks of anthroposophy, as well as its greatest potential downfall. Seventy years ago, he founded the Camphill Movement as a search for social renewal and healing from new sources. As part of a growing dialogue between people within and outside of Camphill, a conference called Community Building in the Light of Michael took place at the Goetheanum in 2009. The contributions in this book originate from there; contributors include Cornelius Pietzner, Virginia Sease, Penelope Roberts-Baring, Sergei Prokofieff, Peter Selg and Bodo von Plato.

To understand political change in contemporary China it is crucial to understand the position of intellectuals in that society and their often troubled relation to the state. This book explores the ideas of prominent Chinese intellectuals, their relationship to the pro-democracy movements and the changing relationship between intellectuals and the Chinese state. It is a sociological study of the ideological formation of Chinese intellectuals, and their place in the social structure and their role in influencing and effecting social and political change. It will make an important contribution in our understanding of political development in China.

This volume takes the unexplored and timely approach of studying the differences between the rural and urban poor. The studies presented conclude that rural poverty is more likely than its urban counterpart to be caused by inadequate unemployment compensation, rising unemployment, depression in the agricultural sector (the farm crisis), and discriminatory welfare regulations. As well as establishing the differences, the contributors elucidate the alternate strategies necessary to reach this less visible but equally needy group. They also suggest alternate reforms designed to mitigate poverty in rural America. Inequitable treatment of the rural poor is evidenced by the fact that although, by conventional measures at least, poverty rates are higher in rural than in urban regions of this country, the rural poor are far less likely to receive assistance. One significant reason is that the rural poor are more often employed and more likely to have assets that make them ineligible for benefits. This is only one of several indications that rural poverty requires specifically tailored programs to address its unique causes and problems. The work begins with an examination of ways of measuring poverty and goes on to look at the utilization of welfare programs. Two essays are then devoted to the role of the labor force. The work concludes with three approaches to reform. An index and a bibliography complete the volume, which will provide fresh research and insights for courses in poverty, rural sociology, and rural economic development.

What does it mean to call a place home? Who is allowed to become a member of a community? When can we say that we truly belong? These are some of the questions of place and belonging that renowned cultural critic bell hooks examines in her new book, Belonging: A Culture of Place. Traversing past and present, Belonging charts a cyclical journey in which hooks moves from place to place, from country to city and back again, only to end where she began--her old Kentucky home. hooks has written provocatively about race, gender, and class; and in this book she turns her attention to focus on issues of land and land ownership. Reflecting on the fact that 90% of all black people lived in the agrarian South before mass migration to northern cities in the early 1900s, she writes about black farmers, about black folks who have been committed both in the past and in the present to local food production, to being organic, and to finding solace in nature. Naturally, it would be impossible to contemplate these issues without thinking about the politics of race and class. Reflecting on the racism that continues to find expression in the world of real estate, she writes about segregation in housing and economic racialized zoning. In these critical essays, hooks finds surprising connections that link of the environment and sustainability to the politics of race and class that reach far beyond Kentucky. With characteristic insight and honesty, Belonging offers a remarkable vision of a world where all people--wherever they may call home--can live fully and well, where everyone can belong.

Stereotypes continue to dominate contemporary Anglo-German relations. This volume brings together views from psychology, history, cultural theory, literature, pedagogy, but also business and management studies to elucidate the origins, forms, and possible strategies of dealing with cliches of "the British" and "the Germans". By assessing their impact on the personal sphere and that of communication, the media, business, and politics, they demonstrate how an awareness of stereotypes can be part of a realistic assertion of identity in a changing world.

Violence is a more and more ubiquitous phenomenon. While a great deal of attention has been paid to certain aspects, terrorism for example, it has not been studied as a political phenomenon in and of itself. In The Legitimization of Violence eight well-known specialists explore various types of violence, from ideological to fundamentalist movements, within a framework of comparative theory.

This book systematically analyses state responses towards Maoism in India and studies the role of state policies in prolonging conflict. It looks at how the structural maladies that once gave rise to conflict have now found a place in the government responses meant to address it. The book studies the socio-political conditions of Adivasis and lower caste groups that make up large sections of the cadre and highlights the exclusionary nature of the Indian political landscape. It discusses various themes such as state legitimacy, the political landscape through exclusion, the agency of Maoist foot soldiers, limitations of government welfare responses, and the idea of the marginalised in India. Rich in empirical data, the book will be useful for scholars and researchers of development studies, political studies, political sociology, minority studies, exclusion studies, sociology and social anthropology. It will also be of interest to policy-makers.

"Waldren's engaging book is carefully crafted ... a superior guide to both the structure and meaning of community and the pleasures of daily life." . Choice

..". solid accounts of the concepts and social practices related to the casa ... patronage, and social hierarchy ... Waldren] also devotes attention to some less traditional concerns, such as gender, conceptions of social space, tourism, and economic development." . American Anthropologist

The indigenous population of Deia has lived side by side with increasing numbers of foreigners over the past century, and what has occurred there over this period offers an example of how the population of one Mediterranean village has gained full advantage from the economic opportunities opened up by foreign investments, without losing the fabric of social relations, the meaning and values of their culture. Deia has been able to continue as a community with its own symbolic boundaries and identity, not in spite of the outsiders (some of whom are well-known literary personalities, artists and musicians) but because of their presence. This study shows how, under the impact of wars, migration, national politics, global economic and technological developments and especially tourism, the categories of Insider and Outsider are contracted and expanded, and reinterpreted to fit the constantly changing "reality" of the society; they assume different meanings at different times. The conflicts and resulting compromises over a hundred-year period have provided a sense of history that allows each group to define, develop, adapt and sustain their sense of belonging to their own communities.

This book is considered to be one of the pioneering studies in this area. Theoretical research on picture books and empirical research on children reading picture books greatly increased, in many cases as a result of the influence of the previous editions of this book, and continues to be a growing field Includes case studies, new and old, draws readers' attention to all the significant theoretical work in the field, provides structured advice for teachers and for those who wish to carry out their own research of this kind. Considers competing technologies and looks ahead to future developments of the picturebook on the internet, in the classroom, in the museum/gallery and in publishing. Includes a new focus on art museum education Whilst many books about picturebooks, few others explore children's response to picture books

Edited by a leading scholar in the field, this new title in the Routledge Major Works series, Critical Concepts in Sociology, is a four-volume collection of canonical and cutting-edge research on the intellectual origins and the development of 'socal exclusion', a critical concept in the social sciences in general and sociology in particular. The pervasiveness of the concept is well illustrated by the fact that it is almost impossible to access a policy document from most governments or international agencies dealing with issues of poverty, inequality, under-development, poor educational attainment, poor health, rural development, or urban regeneration, without finding 'social exclusion' identified as a problem and methods for including the excluded proposed as solutions. And yet the term is a protean one and has been employed in different ways by academics across a range of disciplines and fields. Moreover, it is translated into practice in different ways which reflect its complex and contested meaning. Researchers and students in all the core social science disciplines and in a range of professional programmes-including those in health, education, social work, housing, planning and training for religious ministry-must contend with the concept, the reality it seeks to describe, and the ways in which the term has influenced both the development and implementation of public policy in the widest sense of that term. This four-volume collection draws together key texts relevant to this important topic. Volume One reviews the nature and history of the term 'social exclusion' and examines ways in which the idea has been used in social research. Volume Two covers income distribution; the nature of class in post-industrial societies and the related dimensions of inequality in relation to gender, ethnicity and age; social exclusion in the changing city; and the general political context of post-democracy with special reference to partnership and participation. Volume Three explores the use of the term 'social exclusion' and programmes of social inclusion in specific policy areas including taxation and cash benefits, urban regeneration, health, education, housing, and transport. The final volume in the collection gathers together material to examine programmes specifically directed towards countering social exclusion, with particular reference to community development, and 'joined-up' government policy. It also considers radical alternatives to those policies. Fully indexed and with a comprehensive introduction newly written by the editor, which places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context, Social Exclusion will is an essential reference work, destined to be valued by scholars and students as a vital research resource. It will also be of especial interest to policy-makers and practitioners engaged with 'social exclusion' as a social problem.

Find out how housing options for the elderly are changing-and not always for the better To maintain or improve their quality of life, many seniors in the United States will move to new locations and into new types of housing. Housing for the Elderly addresses the key aspects of the transitions they'll face, examines how housing programs can help, and looks at the role social workers can play to ensure they remain healthy, happy, and productive as they age. Housing for the Elderly provides the tools to build a comprehensive understanding of how housing is changing to support the growing number of elderly persons in the United States. This unique resource examines a full range of housing options, including assisted-living communities, elder friendly communities, and homelessness; looks at the effects of the Olmstead Decision of 1999, which requires states to place persons with disabilities in community settings rather than in institutions; and summarizes current research on Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs). The book also presents a historical perspective of housing issues for the elderly, with a special focus on the discrimination of African-Americans. Topics in Housing for the Elderly include: creating elder friendly communities homelessness among the elderly in Toronto housing disparities for older Puerto Ricans in the United States grandparent caregiver housing programs how the Olmstead Decision affects the elderly, social workers, and health care providers New York State's experience with NORCs relocation concerns of people living in NORCs the integration of services for the elderly into housing settings-particularly low-income housing moving from a nursing home to an assisted-living facility assisted-living and Medicaid and much more! Housing for the Elderly is an essential resource for social work practitioners, administrators, researchers, and academics who deal with the elderly.

Find out how housing options for the elderly are changing-and not always for the better To maintain or improve their quality of life, many seniors in the United States will move to new locations and into new types of housing. Housing for the Elderly addresses the key aspects of the transitions they'll face, examines how housing programs can help, and looks at the role social workers can play to ensure they remain healthy, happy, and productive as they age. Housing for the Elderly provides the tools to build a comprehensive understanding of how housing is changing to support the growing number of elderly persons in the United States. This unique resource examines a full range of housing options, including assisted-living communities, elder friendly communities, and homelessness; looks at the effects of the Olmstead Decision of 1999, which requires states to place persons with disabilities in community settings rather than in institutions; and summarizes current research on Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs). The book also presents a historical perspective of housing issues for the elderly, with a special focus on the discrimination of African-Americans. Topics in Housing for the Elderly include: creating elder friendly communities homelessness among the elderly in Toronto housing disparities for older Puerto Ricans in the United States grandparent caregiver housing programs how the Olmstead Decision affects the elderly, social workers, and health care providers New York State's experience with NORCs relocation concerns of people living in NORCs the integration of services for the elderly into housing settings-particularly low-income housing moving from a nursing home to an assisted-living facility assisted-living and Medicaid and much more! Housing for the Elderly is an essential resource for social work practitioners, administrators, researchers, and academics who deal with the elderly.

The strengths of families from culture to culture, when compared to each other, are remarkably similar and give us common ground around the world upon which to unite and develop mutual understanding. Strengths-Based Research and Perspectives: Strong Families Around the World, provides a conceptual framework for global family strengths, discussing the diverse strengths and challenges that families face regardless of location. This book presents 43 expert authors from 18 countries in all seven major areas in the world who explain what it means to be a family in the context of their country and the challenges their country faces in the world today. Focusing on the latest studies of similarities between strong families of different cultures, Strengths-Based Research and Perspectives: Strong Families Around the World presents a wide variety of disciplines, including family studies, family education, family therapy, modern languages, psychology, social work, sociology, cultural anthropology, and nursing. This insightful text centers on the Family Strengths Perspective, a paradigm that not only recognizes that there are problems in families today, but demonstrates clearly how these can be dealt with successfully. This valuable resource provides case study examples, quotations from literature and cultural mythology, tables, figures, and extensive references to give readers an in-depth understanding of the issues from strengths-based perspectives. Topics in Strengths-Based Research and Perspectives: Strong Families Around the World include: an introduction into the Family Strengths Perspective the International Family Strengths Model the propositions of the Family Strengths Perspective how the Family Strengths Perspective fits with other conceptual frameworks families from a global perspective a conceptual framework for understanding global family strengths and challenges Strengths-Based Research and Perspectives: Strong Families Around the World is useful as a text in marriage and family relationships classes, cross-cultural family patterns classes, strengths-based practitioner training classes, and family therapy and family educator training classes. This valuable resource will also be of great interest to family educators, family therapists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and religious counselors.

Find out how best to develop HIV prevention programs that work Community Collaborative Partnerships: The Foundation for HIV Prevention Research Efforts is a must read for anyone interested in developing prevention programs within high-risk urban environments. Illustrative case studies, quality research, revealing personal stories, and helpful tables and figures provide valuable insights on innovative ways to partner in the prevention of the spread of HIV in youths. Leading experts in the field offer practical strategies to dissolve the distrust individuals in a community hold for researchers not a part of that community, fostering an effective collaboration to deal with problems. The book also describes ways to go beyond the United States' model to reveal how to replicate the same dynamic relationships in international communities. Active participation with the community and families has been found to be vital for the success of HIV/AIDS prevention efforts. Community Collaborative Partnerships: The Foundation for HIV Prevention Research Efforts solves the common problem of forcing ineffective program models onto an unreceptive community. Program developers get the necessary tools to develop relationships and cultivate substantive input from those in the community to help ensure better program results. The research here is up-to-date, and the suggestions invaluable. Topics in Community Collaborative Partnerships: The Foundation for HIV Prevention Research Efforts include: the role of parenting in mental health and HIV risk research findings about frequency of sexual intercourse among adolescents racial socialization and family role in HIV knowledge family influences on exposure to situations of sexual possibility preadolescent risk behavior influence on parental monitoring strategies for collaboration between community and academic HIV prevention researchers involving urban parents as collaborators in HIV prevention research motivatorsand barriersto participation of minority families in a prevention program transferring a university-led HIV prevention program to the community Trinidad and Tobago HIV/AIDS prevention using a family-based program and much more! Community Collaborative Partnerships: The Foundation for HIV Prevention Research Efforts is valuable reading for researchers, program developers, community-based organizations, public policy/advocacy organizations, community organizers, educators, and students in the fields of social work, public health, public administration, and community medicine.

Social work curriculum changes that really work. The Boyer Report and the Council on Social Work Education have placed expectations on universities and social work programs to make sure undergraduate students know how to develop, use, and communicate empirically-based knowledge. Building Excellence is a handbook for integrating research into undergraduate curriculums, using the curriculum of the University of Tennessee College of Social Work as an example. This unique book showcases social work research conducted by UT seniors, who were paired upon graduation with doctoral students who helped them place their research in publication form. Building Excellence demonstrates how universities can develop into communities of learners by strengthening critical thinking, independent thinking, and creative imagination at the undergraduate level. For several years, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has created opportunities for students to gain professional experience in their fields of interest through research projects that establish the connection between study and knowledge. The results of several projects conducted by UT seniors are presented here, reaffirming that faculty mentoring is crucial to this effort. Student research findings presented in Building Excellence examine: emotional and behavioral symptoms of sexually abused children using two symptom scales-internalizing and externalizing stress and strain experienced by personal care assistants caring for people suffering from dementia the relationship between childhood abuse and adult suicide the effectiveness of court-mandated treatment of recidivism among juvenile offenders barriers to effective medication adherence among the elderly Building Excellence demonstrates how the University of Tennessee's social work curriculum has enhanced student capacity and practice effectiveness. The book is an essential read for social work academics working at all levels.

This comparative study looks at the laws concerning the murder of slaves by their masters and at how these laws were implemented. Andrew T. Fede cites a wide range of cases-across time, place, and circumstance-to illuminate legal, judicial, and other complexities surrounding this regrettably common occurrence. These laws had evolved to limit in different ways the masters' rights to severely punish and even kill their slaves while protecting valuable enslaved people, understood as "property", from wanton destruction by hirers, overseers, and poor whites who did not own slaves. To explore the conflicts of masters' rights with state and colonial laws, Fede shows how slave homicide law evolved and was enforced not only in the United States but also in ancient Roman, Visigoth, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and British jurisdictions. His comparative approach reveals how legal reforms regarding slave homicide in antebellum times, like past reforms dictated by emperors and kings, were the products of changing perceptions of the interests of the public; of the individual slave owners; and of the slave owners' families, heirs, and creditors. Although some slave murders came to be regarded as capital offenses, the laws consistently reinforced the second-class status of slaves. This influence, Fede concludes, flowed over into the application of law to free African Americans and would even make itself felt in the legal attitudes that underlay the Jim Crow era.

Discover the roots of international transracial adoption International Korean Adoption: A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice explores the long history of international transracial adoption. Scholars present the expert multidisciplinary perspectives and up-to-date research on this most significant and longstanding form of international child welfare practice. Viewpoints and research are discussed from the academic disciplines of psychology, ethnic studies, sociology, social work, and anthropology. The chapters examine sociohistorical background, the forming of new families, reflections on Korean adoption, birth country perspectives, global perspectives, implications for practice, and archival, historical, and current resources on Korean adoption. International Korean Adoption: A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice provides fresh insight into the origins, development, and institutionalization of Korean adoption. Through original research and personal accounts, this revealing text explores how Korean adoptees and their families fit into their family roles-and offers clear perspectives on adoption as child welfare practice. Global implications and politics, as well as the very personal experiences are examined in detail. This source is a one-of-a-kind look into the full spectrum of information pertaining to Korean adoption. Topics in International Korean Adoption: A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice include: adoption from the Korean perspective historical origins of Korean adoption in the United States adjustments of young adult adoptees marketing to choosy adopters ethnic identity perspectives on the importance of race and culture in parenting birth mothers' perspectives sociological approach to race and identity representations of adoptees in Korean popular culture adoption in Australia and the Netherlands much, much more International Korean Adoption: A Fifty-Year History of Policy and Practice is illuminating reading for adoptees, adoptive parents, practitioners, educators, students, and any child welfare professional.

Stop intimate partner violence before it starts Intimate partner violence touches everyone. With more than 1 million cases reported each year, this pervasive social problem has devastating effects on victims, families, and communities. Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence presents a comprehensive overview of the wide range of efforts and approaches that have been successful in preventing physical, emotional, and verbal abuse. A growing frustration with the limits of therapeutic intervention and with the costs imposed on society by intimate partner violence has created a need for greater emphasis on state-of-the-art prevention programs that really work. Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence addresses the challenges of conducting and evaluating such programs, gaps that exist in programming and research, and future trends in those areas. A panel of domestic violence experts, researchers, and healthcare professionals examines how to change the ways individuals and the current health care system think about, and respond to, intimate partner violence; how to change the ways young people deal with anger in intimate relationships; and the ways society can support families to reduce the occurrence of violence in intimate relationships. Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence examines: identifying risk factors the cost-benefit of universal and targeted programs the effectiveness of parenting, stress management, and substance abuse programs community capacity theory community development social networks media and public awareness campaigns healthcare screening programs and much more Prevention of Intimate Partner Violence documents the effectiveness of prevention interventions, encouraging prevention specialists to use evidence-based interventions to enhance the effectiveness of their own work. This powerful book is an invaluable professional resource for social workers, family life educators, researchers, and practitioners.

Asian Tsunami and Social Work Practice presents an inside look at the complicated nature of disaster preparedness and how it relates to poverty, trauma, community development, and service delivery systems. Health, human services, and mental health professionals from countries still reeling from the devastations of the Asian Tsunami of 2004 reflect on the challenges facing survivors, the effects of the disaster, and interventions by the community and social work professionals. This unique book offers real-life accounts of practice models and the experiences of recovery from natural and man-made events. When disaster strikes, social workers and other human service professionals not only are the first responders, they are also called upon to help victims with the effects of trauma and displacement, providing social and emotional support in the recovery and rebuilding of families and communities. Asian Tsunami and Social Work Practice explores social interventions used in relief efforts to aid hundreds of thousands of people who were left at risk and in need in affected areas of South Asia and East Africa, including Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, and Indonesia. Asian Tsunami and Social Work Practice examines: mental health practice in emergency response the connections between disability and disaster social and physical conditions after the tsunami of 2004 state and civil society responses in India service delivery frameworks the effective use of volunteers training programs for social workers and recovery workers the economic, social, and psychological impacts on survivors and much more Asian Tsunami and Social Work Practice is an invaluable aid for students, practice professionals, and educators in health and human services, as well as anyone working in international aid and disaster relief.

Read the latest studies on the effectiveness of religious-based services-and the problems revealed in the assessment The Charitable Choice provision and the Bush Administration's National Faith-Based Initiative have broadened the scope of social services delivered through faith-based organizations. There are expectations that these faith-based social service providers will be more effective-but how should that effectiveness be measured? Faith-Based Social Services: Measures, Assessments, and Effectiveness explains the nature and quality of religion-based social service delivery while serving as a point of reference for future research and work. This unique source tackles the important, complex issue of measuring the effectiveness of faith-based social services in comparison to secular services while providing analysis of the latest available studies. Faith-Based Social Services: Measures, Assessments, and Effectiveness provides a conceptual analysis of FBOs (faith-based organizations) that reflects the need to gather detailed studies to assess social service effectiveness while reviewing the crucial issues challenging public policy. The latest empirical research is detailed, including the problems found when comparing secular and faith-based social service providers, their organizational structures, and the types of services offered. Analysis is included of the data from a three-state evaluation of welfare to work programs, a study of four types of faith-based services found in four cities, and an assessment of a church-based program for teenage drop-outs. Topics in Faith-Based Social Services: Measures, Assessments, and Effectiveness include: discussion on how social science research shunned faith-based services and how this neglect affected effectiveness problems inherent in efficacy assessment making funding priorities decisions the causes of outcome differences a model of evaluation based on randomized controlled clinical trials using measurement practices currently used by the nonprofit sector comparative case studies in transitional housing, parent education, and residential substance abuse treatment programs latest analysis of research involving faith-based organizations and the provided services' efficacy much more! Faith-Based Social Services: Measures, Assessments, and Effectiveness is illuminating reading, perfect for social work professionals, students, educators, sociologists, religious leaders, and seminary educators.

By juxtaposing theoretical and legal frameworks and conceptual contexts alongside a wide distribution of geographical and temporal case studies, this book throws light upon the risks, and the realizations, of art and heritage destruction. Exploring the variety of forces that drive the destruction of heritage, the volume also contains contributions that consider what forms heritage destruction takes and in which contexts and circumstances it manifests. Contributors, including local scholars, also consider how these drivers and contexts change, and what effect this has on heritage destruction and how we conceptualise it. Overall, the book establishes the importance of the need to study the destruction of art and cultural heritage within a wider framework that encompasses not only theory, but also legal, military, social, and ontological issues. The Routledge Handbook of Heritage Destruction will contribute to the development of a more complete understanding and analysis of heritage destruction The Handbook will be useful to academics, students and professionals with an interest in heritage, conservation and preservation, history and art history, archaeology, anthropology, philosophy and law.

Find out how group care for children has changed in the last 20 years Group Care Practice with Children and Young People Revisited focuses on the core issues that shape the quality of care that's provided in institutional and residential care settings, as well as day care services that rely on the group process. Leading authorities on residential group care practice from around the world examine practice concepts centered on three broad themes: working directly with children; working indirectly to support children and their families; and organizational influences on practice. This unique book offers valuable insights for dealing with the daily challenges of working with young people in responsive group care. Group Care Practice with Children and Young People Revisited builds on contemporary themes that were explored by the editors more than 20 years ago in Group Care for Children: Concept and Issues, and Group Care Practice with Children, both out of print. Contributors to this updated collection put a fresh spin on the original material, as well as cross-cultural analysis from both sides of the Atlantic, Australia and New Zealand, Malaysia, China, and the United Arab Emirates. They revisit the key issues identified in the earlier books and provide personal and professional reflections on what has happened to their practice themes since the early 1980s. Special attention is paid to how social policy imperativesnormalization, de-institutionalization, mainstreaming, least restrictive environment, minimal intervention, and diversionhave reshaped the field, group care methods and skills needed for direct and indirect care, and group care as an occupational. Group Care Practice with Children and Young People Revisited examines (and re-examines): the relationships between group care practice and education how group care programs can become hostile to families primary care in secondary settings the importance of shared language in a group care center group development how group composition can influence the overall functioning of the group managing occupational stresses in group care practice patterns of career development in child and youth care economic influences that impact group care challenges facing the future of group care services for children and much more Group Care Practice with Children and Young People Revisited is a must-read for youth case workers, child and youth care educators, and anyone working in child welfare, including youth justice managers, administrators, and policymakers.

Learn to use the latest technological advances in evidence-based social work Social work practice can be positively or negatively impacted by the advance of technology. Advances and applications must be up-to-date as possible, yet they may be ineffective if not simple enough to easily learn and use. InformationTechnology and Evidence-Based Social Work presents leading social work experts exploring the latest technological advances and the innovative practical applications which can be used effectively in evidence-based social work. Students and practitioners get creative practical advice on how best understand technology and apply it to their work. Information Technology and Evidence-Based Social Work is divided into four sections. The first section provides the context for understanding the technological link between social work and evidence-based practice. The second section presents examples of how information technology can be used to effectively teach students and practitioners in the field. Section three explores ways to implement technology for use by clients. The fourth section summarizes and then takes a look at the future of technology in evidence-based social work. Chapters include questions for practitioners and for clients to illuminate the current and future issues surrounding technology and evidence-based practice. The text also includes extensive references, and useful tables and figures. Topics in Information Technology and Evidence-Based Social Work include: the impact of technology on social work computer-assisted evidence-based practice customized web-based technology and its use in clinical supervision enhanced technology-based evidence-based practice model and its applicability to large human service organizations. using information technology to provide evidence for planning and evaluating programs using technology in advocacy the geographic information system (GIS) as a useful tool in all aspects of programs and policies evaluating practice through information technology the development and evaluation of an online social work service psychotherapeutic group intervention for family caregivers over the Internet support group online chat a case study of how Internet chat group technology can be implemented with cancer survivors technology as a service learning mechanism for promoting positive youth development in a community-based setting a model which can be used to collect information and-by using best evidence available-arrive at a confident decision and more! Information Technology and Evidence-Based Social Work is timely, stimulating reading for educators, undergraduate students, graduate students, and practitioners in the fields of social work, psychology, and public administration.

Sharpen your social work in health care knowledge and skills Social Work, Health, and International Development: Compassion in Social Policy and Practice presents leading international experts from a range of disciplines providing the latest in research, theory, and practical solutions to advance social work in health care issues. Readers get a refreshed view on ways to put social policy into a compassionate and empathetic framework with strategies to more effectively meet today's challenges in social work and health care. This superb selection of papers from the Fourth International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health held in Quebec provides a unique perspective on social work and the development of a more compassionate world. Social Work, Health, and International Development: Compassion in Social Policy and Practice focuses on areas essential to every social worker no matter where they practice. The book explores the increased importance of compassion and solidarity among social workers, the essential need to effectively address the HIV/AIDS pandemic, strategies to more fully address aging issues, and best practices. The latest research findings and data are discussed to modify approaches and revitalize the field, all to help the world become a more caring, compassionate place. Topics in Social Work, Health, and International Development: Compassion in Social Policy and Practice include: social work interventions to lead needy countries from health to economic growth the concept of solidarity as a fundamental notion in social work the need to revisit social work's ethical foundations cultural competence in responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic a comprehensive action plan to deal with HIV/AIDS a study on grandparents' caring for children of AIDS victims multilevel interventions to promote elderly people's mental health forming partnerships that promote the diverse voices of older people recognizing deficiencies to increase cultural competency in staff "best practice" case management approach to improve patient adherence to care Internet-based intervention for caregivers of persons with dementia dyadic peer support pilot intervention for parents of children with lung disease continual education for increased professional competence much more! Social Work, Health, and International Development is invaluable reading for social workers, health practitioners, researchers, and clinicians.

Empowered youth CAN and DO make a difference! Young people become empowered by their participation in the institutions and decisions that affect their liveswhich in turn can lead to real positive change in the community. Youth Participation and Community Change presents leading authorities providing the latest research and effective approaches on how young people can be drawn to participate in organizations and communities. The diverse perspectives discuss youth participation in today's society, the models and methods of its practice, the roles of youth and adults, and the future of youth participation and community in a diverse democracy. Approaches include those which promote participatory community-based research and evaluation, and involve youth groups in poor and racially segregated areas. The mainstream view of much of today's youth is that of being victims of society rather than a being a possible positive influence on society as a whole. Youth Participation and Community Change seeks to shift the viewpoint from youth as being problems to empowering them to enact positive social change. The book explores community agency efforts to involve young people, and the process by which youth civic engagement promotes empowerment. Social work and public health approaches are examined, with cogent discussions on conceptual and theoretical issues. Empirically based case studies illustrate best practices and interdisciplinary work that draws upon psychology, sociology, social work, public health, education, and related academic disciplines and professional fields. Topics in Youth Participation and Community Change include: key dimensions of critical youth empowerment a case study of youth leadership development in Hawaiithe Sariling Gawa Youth Council the Lexington Youth Leadership Academya leadership development and community change program a new model for youth civic engagement in Hampton, Virginia three projects that engage urban youth in community change through participatory research youth engagement strategies and the benefits of youth participation in health research ten projects which used photovoice to represent, advocate, and enhance community health a participatory action research process with youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina the Growing Up in Cities project of UNESCO training students as facilitators for the Youth Empowerment Strategies (YES!) project four characteristics of engagement in the research literature and a school-community-university project differences in developmental outcomes among youth organizing, identity-support, and traditional youth development agencies Youth Participation and Community Change is thought-provoking, enlightening reading that is perfect for organizers, planners, policymakers, advocates, youth service workers, agency administrators, educators, students, and professionals in psychology, sociology, social work, urban planning, public policy, and public health.