Affilia current issue

Gender, the Media, and the Presidential Candidates

Bailey, D., Dinerman, M. — 2008-06-30

Culturally Competent Feminist Social Work: Listening to Diverse People

Gentlewarrior, S., Martin-Jearld, A., Skok, A., Sweetser, K. — 2008-06-30

Feminist social work seeks to identify and redress oppression and its aftereffects. Models of culturally competent practice have been proposed to aid in these efforts. Yet it is not clear whether members of marginalized groups agree with feminist social workers' ideas regarding cultural competence. This article presents recommendations for culturally competent social work services that are based on in-depth interviews with 40 members of a range of oppressed groups. The recommendations support theoretical work in this area and offer achievable standards for feminist social workers who are seeking to enhance cultural competence that is grounded in the words of disenfranchised individuals.

Lessons Learned in the Sandwich

Petrovich, A. — 2008-06-30

In this personal account of caring for an aging father until his death in her home, the author reflects on the personal and professional challenges of being a "sandwich-generation" professional social worker. Both the poignant rewards and stresses of caretaking are described, as are the conflict and confluence of professional and personal roles. The ironies of appearing competent in the professional role while feeling overwhelmed in one's personal life and the need for support from professional colleagues are elaborated on, with concluding comments concerning future challenges and lessons to be learned.

Lessons in Resilience: Undocumented Mexican Women in South Carolina

Campbell, W. S. — 2008-06-30

South Carolina has one of the fastest-growing Hispanic/Latino populations in the United States, and the majority of the immigrants are of Mexican descent. Historically, most of these immigrants were young men, but in recent years, more women and children have moved from Mexico to South Carolina and other parts of the Southeast. The study presented here investigated the lives of 20 undocumented Mexican women in South Carolina using a grounded theory approach. It found that undocumented women from Mexico have mustered a tremendous amount of strength and resilience in overcoming the cultural, social, economic, and legal barriers of living in the United States. The findings suggest that more research is necessary on the resilience and assets that undocumented women from Mexico bring to the United States.

How Child Protection Workers Support or Further Victimize Battered Mothers

Johnson, S. P., Sullivan, C. M. — 2008-06-30

This study explored battered mothers' perceptions of their interactions with child protectiv services (CPS) workers to increase understanding about how child welfare workers and pol cies can have negative as well as positive impacts on women's and children's lives. Th research was guided by two feminist frameworks: structured action theory and social entrap ment theory. Twenty women participated in the in-depth, qualitative interviews. Most felt mi understood and unsupported by their CPS workers and thought that this treatment directl harmed them and their children. Many batterers manipulated caseworkers and escaped sanc tions, which contributed to negative consequences. Some women received helpful response from their caseworkers and viewed such support as invaluable. Implications for social wor practice are discussed.

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Nonclinical College Women: Lessons From Foucault

Kokaliari, E., Berzoff, J. — 2008-06-30

This article presents a qualitative study that explored nonsuicidal self-injury among relatively psychologically healthy college women. It examines the phenomenon of self-injury through a social theoretical perspective using Foucault's concepts. Key arguments are that self-injury in women may be a reaction to an insidious form of social control and a reflection of the social pressures for productivity that are enacted on the body. Self-injury may regulate socially unacceptable affects and modify states of the ego so that women can regain their capacity to produce within a competitive and capitalist society. Implications for social work practice are discussed.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies: Changing Conceptions of Motherhood?

Hammons, S. A. — 2008-06-30

American society has typically associated motherhood with biology. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART's) challenge this view by fragmenting motherhood into the social, the genetic, and the gestational. To ascertain the extent to which such a challenge has actually succeeded in changing societal understandings of motherhood, this study explored court cases involving four types of ART's. The findings suggest that although these ART's have the potential to re-create societal conceptions of motherhood, such a change has yet to occur in toto. Rather, certain aspects of biological motherhood continue to be seen as more permanent than social motherhood.

Portrait of a Pioneer: An Intellectual Biography of Lena Dominelli

Moosa-Mitha, M., Ross-Sheriff, F. — 2008-06-30

Lena Dominelli is a scholar, social justice activist, and public intellectual. A pioneer in the field, she has long put social work under the microscope, revealing its gaps and contributions. In her work she analyzes the complex nature of the interrelationships among various social structures, including social work, which result in social injustices. Always inclusive of the distinctive voices of other scholars and activists, she also aims to make social workers effective participants in eliminating injustices in society. Her presence leaves an indelible mark on the profession.

Still Life With Grandmother; Reading a Poem by Harvey Shapiro; I Should Like to Grow Old

Katcher, A. — 2008-06-30

Activist Formation in the Neoliberal Era: A Journey With Multiple Dimensions

Curry-Stevens, A., Lee, C., Datta, J., Hill, E., Edwards, V. — 2008-06-30

In one Canadian feminist classroom, four students with diverse social locations share their journey toward an engaged activist practice, moving through internal challenges and external barriers and assisted by the feminist activist classroom. Features of these transformational practices are identified as the instructor works with students to identify core features of this experience that are helpful in catalyzing and supporting these transitions.

Book Review: Heffernan, M. (2007). How She Does It: How Women Entrepreneurs Are Changing the Rules of Business Success. New York: Viking Penguin, 274 pp., $25.95 (hardcover)

Clark, M. S. — 2008-06-30

Book Review: Weinberg, J. A. (Ed.). (2006). Still Going Strong: Memoirs, Stories, and Poems About Great Older Women. New York: Haworth Press, 293 pp., $49.95 (hardbound), $22.95 (paperback)

Aldredge, P. A. — 2008-06-30

Book Review: Hunter, S. (2005). Midlife and Older LGBT Adults: Knowledge and Affirmative Practice for the Social Services. New York: Routledge, 268 pp., $39.95 (hardbound), $24.95 (paper): Claassen, C. (2005). Whistling Women: A Study of the Lives of Older Lesbians. New York: Routledge, 284 pp., $44.95 (hardbound), $19.95 (paper)

Schmitz, C. L. — 2008-06-30

Book Review: Ofahengaue Vakalahi, H. F., Hardin Starks, S., & Ortiz Hendricks, C. (Eds.). (2007). Women of Color as Social Work Educators: Strengths and Survival. Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education, 320 pp., $37.95 (paper)

Liebert, R. — 2008-06-30