Social Problems

TO WHAT EXTENT ARE SOCIAL WORK STUDENTS IN ENGLAND AND DENMARK EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE?

by Kevin Perry

Published in the Irish Journal of Social Work

This article reports the findings from my Msc. (cand.scient.soc) from Aalborg University. My masters dissertation is a... more This article reports the findings from my Msc. (cand.scient.soc) from Aalborg University. My masters dissertation is a comparative research project which compares the English and Danish social work educations to see how they equip students to tackle child sexual abuse in society.

Between reforms and birth rates: Germany, Japan and family policy discourse', Social Politics, 18: 331-360

by Tuukka Toivonen

This paper examines the development of employment-oriented family policy in Germany and Japan, two countries united by... more This paper examines the development of employment-oriented family policy in Germany and Japan, two countries united by conservative welfare legacies and very low birthrates, through a close analysis of discourse. Why have recent reforms in Germany moved well beyond those in Japan despite remarkably similar “human capital” discourses? The relative strength of interpretative patterns—in this case, discursive patterns that successfully frame family policy reform as an economic imperative—and the role of employers are identified as critical explanatory factors. Further comparative attention is called to the role of the state as a guarantor of new family policy entitlements.

'"Don't let your child become a NEET!": The strategic foundations of a Japanese youth scare', Japan Forum, 23: 407-429

by Tuukka Toivonen

Toivonen, Norasakkunkit & Uchida.

This article contributes to the growing body of literature on Japanese youth problems by tracing and unpacking a... more This article contributes to the growing body of literature on Japanese youth problems by tracing and unpacking a recent moral panic surrounding young people identified as ‘NEETs’ for being ‘not in education, employment or training’. While sharing many key features with other mainstream youth problems in Japan, the case of ‘NEETs’ illuminates particularly well the strategic interplay of social labels and more technical policy categories. To this end, a clear distinction is made between the social category nīto and the policy target group ‘NEET’. Close attention is paid to how these were re-defined in the Japanese context, including how the latter came apply to a remarkably expansive age group (15–34-year-olds). Most importantly however, the account highlights the central actors and interrogates their respective interests, providing strong support for the argument that the ‘NEET problem’ amounted ultimately to a strategic campaign designed to clear the way for new youth policies. The findings explicated will contribute to our understanding of high-profile youth scares as well as other social problems in Japan that operate through the media but are intimately linked to policy-making.

Médiatisation des sociologues: accord entre deux logiques antagoniques?

by David Pichonnaz

The Negative Impact of Capitalism on the Global Society

by Tobias-René Wilczek

Written for SOC101Y while a Grade 11 Student

Contentious care: Foster care grants and the caregiver-orphan relationship in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

by Chris Hearle

Co-published with Kanchana N. Ruwanpura, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Geography, University of Southampton.

Published in 2009 in Oxford Development Studies Journal.

It is widely recognized that HIV/AIDS has devastating but also uneven effects on afflicted communities. While much... more It is widely recognized that HIV/AIDS has devastating but also uneven effects on afflicted communities. While much research has rightly focused on the impact of HIV/AIDS on families, communities and countries, less attention has been paid to foster carers' experiences and to the network of care. Based on qualitative fieldwork carried out over a 3-month period in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, this study analyses the experiences of those caring for orphans who receive a state-funded Foster Care Grant. Conversations with caregivers suggest the contentious nature of care; this is worth exploring further, as it can cast light on how such macro-level interventions are shifting what it means to be an orphan at the community level. The main reason for bringing these issues to the fore is to make development interventions better informed and therefore better able to address those factors giving rise to the challenges faced by caregivers.

Discours, espace public et constitution des collectifs politiques : la démarche sociologique de Jean Widmer

by Philippe Gonzalez

Acklin, Dunya, Alain Bovet, Philippe Gonzalez, Cédric Terzi. 2009. « Discours, espace public et constitution des collectifs politiques : la démarche sociologique de Jean Widmer. » in Y. Guillaud & J. Widmer (éds), Le juste et l'injuste. Émotions, reconnaissance et actions collectives. Paris : L'Harmattan, 19-43.

The Children of Hobbes: Education, Family Structure, and the Problem of Social Order

by Carl L Bankston

Rozrywkowe skrzywienie - kiedy dokuczliwość społeczna gier komputerowych przekroczy dopuszczalny poziom? (Entertainment curvature - when social bothersome of computer games will cross acceptable level?)

by Andrzej Klimczuk

A. Klimczuk, Rozrywkowe skrzywienie - kiedy dokuczliwość społeczna gier komputerowych przekroczy dopuszczalny poziom? (Entertainment curvature - when social bothersome of computer games will cross acceptable level?), PTBG and UAM, Poznań, „Homo communicativus” 2008, 2(4), p. 103-111.

Computer games (video games) are becoming increasingly popular way to relax, or even to maintain social relationships... more Computer games (video games) are becoming increasingly popular way to relax, or even to maintain social relationships with other people. However, they are not just only entertainment. Treated as a mass media become a source of income, knowledge and social problems, which may distort the reality presented in them. It may also become the basis for manipulation and propaganda, to serve the struggle for cultural dominance, and indicate social problems.
**
Gry komputerowe (wideo) stają się coraz bardziej popularnym sposobem na relaks, a nawet na podtrzymanie stosunków społecznych z innymi ludźmi. Nie służą one jednak już tylko rozrywce. Potraktowane jako środek masowego przekazu stają się źródłem dochodów, wiedzy i problemów społecznych, co może wypaczać przedstawioną w nich rzeczywistość. Może także stać się podstawą do manipulacji oraz propagandy; służyć walce o dominację kulturową oraz wskazywać na wymagające rozwiązania kwestie społecznie.

Bridging a Gap But Transplanting the Divide?: Sex Offender Reintegration and Circles of Support and Accountability: Community Responses, Theory, and …

by Melanie Greene

Common Issues In Marriage Counseling

by Daniel Keeran MSW

by Daniel Keeran, MSW, RMHC-S

Practical approaches are presented to addressing problems of infidelity, time spent together, physical abuse, sexual... more Practical approaches are presented to addressing problems of infidelity, time spent together, physical abuse, sexual intimacy, sharing household duties, child care, finances, and more.

This paper is adapted from a chapter on Couple Counseling Strategies in the course text "Effective Counseling Skills" by the author published for the College of Mental Health Counseling.

A Social Evaluation of the Ethics of Immigrant Entrepreneurship

by Hadi Zarei

This article takes the concept of "making it" in America as the central
thrust behind immigrante... more This article takes the concept of "making it" in America as the central
thrust behind immigrante ntrepreneurshipT. he social values behind
"making it" are dissected, and closely linked to the capitalist ethic of
utilitarianismI.m migranetn trepreneurasr ef oundt o playt hep arto f both
oppresseda ndo ppressorsT. heya ret ools of largec orporationst,h eirh ard
work used by the corporationst o makem oney. On the other hand,t he
immigrantsa lso oppresso thers,i ncludingw orkerso f their own ethnic
group, family members, and the American underclass. The dual oppressed-
oppressorro le makest he immigrantsu sefulm iddlemena, s they
oppress those beneath them for the benefit of those above. The article
endso n a note of hopet hats eeingt heser elationsc learlyw ille nablep eople
to break out of them.

Constructing social problems in an age of globalization: A French-American comparison

by Rodney Benson

Co-authored with Abigail C. Saguy
Published in American Sociological Review, 2005, vol. 70 (April: 233-259).

Despite growing academic interest in political and cultural globalization, sociologists have failed to systematically... more Despite growing academic interest in political and cultural globalization, sociologists have failed to systematically account for the factors that favor cross-national
convergence or divergence in the form or content of public political debates in news media. This article uses two original data sets on American and French news reporting
on immigration and sexual harassment to test the effects of four factors potentially relevant to such convergence or divergence: 1) cultural repertoires, 2) legal constraints,
3) journalistic field relations to the state and market and competition among journalistic outlets, and 4) global position of nation-states. Differences in dominant national cultural
repertoires correlate with persistent cross-national variations in media frames. Legal reform related to the two issues offers a strong explanation of shifts in framing over time.
Lesser news media autonomy vis-à-vis the state is associated with fewer journalistic enterprise stories on immigration and less reporting on sexual harassment scandals, while greater competition may make sensationalized reporting on immigration more
likely. America’s dominant position in the global political economy correlates with substantially greater visibility of U.S. policies and personalities in France, than vice
versa. There is some evidence for greater cross-national divergence in issue frames over time, as U.S. global visibility and influence have increased.

Social Problems: Globalization in the Twenty-First Century

by Brian Klocke