The Purpose Of Research In Social Work Social Work Essay

The Purpose Of Research In Social Work Social Work Essay This essay will focus on how EBP and practice wisdom should be combined and not seen as opposing opposites as together they have great value for social work practice. Also both should determine the practitioners decision making processes in practice because failing to do so could actually be oppressive to both service users and practitioners. Also this integration could facilitate and encourage the use of research amongst social work practitioners in day to day practice. EBP in social work has been implemented at a slow pace and has not been greatly embraced and valued by practitioners (McNeill, 2006; Pignotti and Thyer, 2009; Mitchell 2011, Nevo and Nevo, 2011). Epstein (2011) highlights how practitioners have voiced that they resent EBP as it presents as a threat to their autonomy and creativity. This idea of EB knowledge solely determining practice could be perceived by practitioners as disempowering. An approach that devalues practice wisdom and professional judgement in favour of objective, manualised, and empirically supported interventions (Webb, 2001; Nevo and Nevo, 2011) can be seen to undermine professional autonomy as it places authority of science over the authority of the practitioner (Nevo and Nevo, 2011). Furthermore it can actually be seen to oppress practitioners as it seems to be controlling their decision making process that may often conflict with their practice wisdom. An approach that alongside EB knowledge also embraced practic e based knowledge may be of more use and value to practitioners and may be more likely to be used in practice as it detaches EBP from its solely scientific and thus its oppressive nature. It is now increasingly being recognised in the EBP literature that social work values and practitioner wisdom need to be integrated with practice; however this integration is often unclear (Epstein, 2009; Mitchell, 2011; Nevo and Nevo, 2011). A shift towards evidence informed practice (EIP) rather than evidence based practice is now being recognised (Epstein, 2009; Haight, 2010; Nevo and Nevo, 2011). However practice is wisdom is still not acknowledged amongst some EIP advocates for example Haight (2010) but is greatly valued amongst others such as Nevo and Nevo (2011). Stoesz (2010) argues that the social work profession is too subjective and reflexive and argues that only scientific evidence is acceptable and ethical as anything else could be depriving an individual of effective treatment (Stoesz, 2010; Gambrill, 2010). Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are seen to provide gold standard evidence for practice to be based on. Qualitative research and practice wisdom or clinical judgments are valued the least as are less scientific (Corby, 2006; Epstein, 2002; Dodd and Epstein, 2012). Epstein (2009) rejects the use of RCTs on ethical grounds as the methodology deprives the one group of intervention. RCTs may have value for research findings and in turn practice but its research methodology is unethical to some service users. Ethics is of great importance within social work as it is of importance that social workers be ethical professionals and work anti oppressively. And also be guided by research (Nevo and Nevo, 2011). BASW (2012) code of ethics states that evidence informed knowledge derived from research and practice evaluation is the basis of methodology in social work. However if practitioners are not using EB knowledge and are using only practice wisdom this could be depriving service users from an effective treatment and is not integrating evidence into practice. What would be of more value is to encourage and accept EB knowledge and practice wisdom so that not one or the other, but both are valued and used by practitioners so that research is being incorporated into and informing social work practice as BASW (2012) states. Also BASW (2012) states that knowledge should also come from practice evaluation and mentions acknowledging context but does not mention practice wisdom. This evidence informed approach whereby acknowledging being specific to context but that does not mention practice wisdom is similar to EIP advocated by Haight (2010). To ignore the existence of practice based wisdom and its perceived value by practitioners in influencing their decision making process will only further limit the potential of integrating EB research into practice. McNeill (2006) highlights how practitioners decision making is not driven by research findings, even when provided with evidence of intervention effectiveness. Gambrill (2006) acknowledges how in social work practice a number of unsupported interventions are conventionally used and accepted in practice that are based on professional authority and clinical experience and not research evidence. Pignotti and Thyer (2009) concluded that just because social workers valued and used EBP interventions they also valued and used Novel unsupported therapies (NUTs) in practice. This could suggest that practice wisdom is valued in the decision making process and could be of priority even when provided with evidence of an interventions effectiveness (Gambrill, 2006; McNeill, 2006). It also could suggest that both EBP and practice wisdom are also co-existing in the decision making process in practice (Pignotti and Thyer, 2009). Pignotti and Thyer (2009) highlights how little is known about why social work practitioners choose NUTs. Similar Research could be of value in potentially identifying how Practice wisdom as well as EB knowledge together both are being used and are of value to practice. Mitchell (2011) illustrates how the sole use of EBP had limited valuable application in real world practice. Mitchell (2011) found that when attempting to implement EB services for young people with complex needs, this was limited without the integration of practice wisdom. As most research focuses on a single disorder or problem it is difficult to implement such research when faced with complex factors that interact in complex ways in real world settings. Also it could be seen as unethical and oppressive to arrange and reduce human beings using solely scientific EB interventions. Corby (2006) states how human beings are too complex to assume a one size fits all approach. In such complex cases as encountered by Mitchell (2001) practice wisdom and EBP were integrated in order to make a decision based not only on evidence but of relevance to the case at hand. Fook (2012) describes how a reflective practitioner situates themselves and their knowledge in the specific context of a situati on, looking at the situation as a whole and in relation to their own experiences. Although the term of practice wisdom is not used this seems to reflect some of the nature of practice wisdom and how it can be of use to each individual case. With exclusion of their own experiences Fook (2012) also seems to reflect BASW (2012) concerning Evidence informed knowledge. It seems to be now increasingly acknowledged that practitioners are not passive recipients or implementers of information, however in addition to this practice based wisdom should also be acknowledged as of value. The understanding of the processes of how EB knowledge and practice based knowledge are integrated into practice is of importance to the purpose of research in social work. The integration of research and practice may then be of perceived value to practitioners. One of Mitchells (2011) main arguments was that the main barriers to implementation and value of EBP in real world practice is the oppositional construction that remains concerning EBP verses practice based wisdom. Fook (2012) describes the notion of dichotomous thinking whereby most phenomena are seen to fit into binary and oppositional categories, with one being devalued in relation to the other. This dichotomous thinking appears to be occurring within social work research and practice in relation to EBP and practice wisdom.

My Goal in Life Essay

At the age of 8 we change our minds about what we want to do when we grow up about every week. At the 18 and a few months away from graduating some of us still don’t know what we want to do or where we want to go in life. Excluding all of those soon to be high school graduates, I already know what I want to do after high and know where I want to go. Since the age of 10, I’ve always dreamt of being a police officer. I cant see myself doing anything other than patrolling the streets and keeping people safe. After graduating high school, Im going to go to college for at least four years. When my four years is done and after I turn twenty-one, I’m going to join the police academy. Im going to work hard and do whatever it takes to get in and pass all my tests. My goal is to be the best police office on the force. When the time comes after a couple years of patrolling, I would love to work my way up to be a special agent or maybe even be a member of the SWAT team. I know a lot of people may doubt me and a lot of people may say, â€Å"A little girl like you can’t do a job like that.† but I will prove them wrong. I want to be able to say â€Å"I did it† instead of â€Å"I tried,† Failing is not an option, the key is to never give up and push yourself as far as you can go.

Nuclear Weapons & Cold War Essay

1) How did nuclear weapons affect the course of the cold war? The Cold War period of much conflict and tension was between the United States and the Soviet Union, along with their respective allies, was from the middle of the1940s until the early part of the 1990s. The building up of nuclear weapons was maybe, the most important of the many arenas that the rivaling countries played in. It became known as the nuclear arms race or the â€Å"competition for supremacy† The discovery that uranium was a plenty around the world shortly after the second world ar, helped to solidify the nuclear monopoly held by both the United States and USSR. While the United States had their own resources for uranium, they soon discovered that Eastern Europe was providing a steady supply to the Soviets, until they could develop a source of their own. The United States, who had predicted that the USSR would not have any nuclear weapons until the mid-1950s, was massively surprised when the Soviets detonated their first bomb â€Å"Joe One† on August 29, 1949. It was much like the bomb that the US had dropped on Japan in 1945 nown as the â€Å"Fat Man†. From that point on both governments devoted massive amounts of money, time and resources to increasing their nuclear arsenals. First off, it was the hydrogen bombs and then next came the Intercontinental ballistic missile or â€Å"ICBMs† as they are known. And on Oct. 4, 1957 the Soviet Union launched the â€Å"Sputnik†, the US followed with their own on Oct. 31, 1959. During this period of innovation, the world became nervous and scared; they discovered just how vulnerable they were. Large underground bunkers were built to save the presidents and he leadership of the nations, individuals were encouraged to construct fallout shelters and they were often taught how to react in the case of a nuclear attack. When both sides realized that any attack upon the other would be suicide for themselves as well, a new policy know as the â€Å"Mutually Assured Destruction† was adapted, and this would, in theory restrain both sides from attacking one another. â€Å"The number of nuclear weapons held by the two superpowers during the Cold War increased drastically because of the need for a first strike and later a second strike force. The highest numbers of nuclear warheads held by these powers was approximately 12,000 for the USSR and 10,000 by the US. This many nuclear weapons has the potential to destroy life on earth more than 1,500 times over† http://www. pwc. k12. nf. ca/coldwar/plain/armsrace. html. And yet, both sides kept exploring and spending large amounts of money and resources on developing nuclear weapons. In many respects, the stockpiling of these weapons was by far the most important contribution made to the world during the cold war period, than any other resource added by any other country. 2) Why has the European Union found it so difficult to achieve political, social and economic integration amongst the member states?  Shortly after the Second World War at the University of Zurich, Winston Churchill gave a speech that called for a â€Å"United States of Europe† and the creation of a â€Å"Council of Europe†. This council became the oldest organization in favor of European integration since 1949. But, in spite all the enthusiasm of the European citizens, the Council’s idea of integration has struggled for many reasons. One of the main reasons is because at the same time as the evelopment of the council another â€Å"European Union† was being formed. This Union was made up of twenty-seven European countries. It was established as the European Economic Community in 1957 under the Treaty of Rome and has undergone many changes since, most notably in 1992 by the Maastricht Treaty†. At first this Union was a welcome relief, growth and restructure was happening over night. The European Union was founded upon a number of treaties, and their laws cover a wide range of topics. Both, a legislative branch and the Parliament govern them. And the politics of he European Union primarily covered the economy. However, there is still a disagreement on how far the Union should expand. Because of the disagreement, the integration and expansion of the European Union has been slow since the end of the cold war period. Enlargement or expansion, together with the signing of new treaties, are seen by some as parallel processes, vital to the Union’s welfare. To many this is known as the â€Å"bicycle theory†. â€Å"The European Union is often compared to a bicycle: if it stops moving forwards it will fall over. The bicycle theory also applies to multilateral trade talks†. Bounds, Andrew (2007). Brussels blog: Bicycle wobbles on the way to Doha, Financial Times. And like most trade talks, both parties want to come out ahead in the end. Thus, the ongoing integration of the European Union and its member states are becoming contested on the grounds that it reduces it’s members’ national sovereignty too much. Politically, the Union struggles because neither they’re laws or their political theory offer the concept of a democracy. Their attitudes remain fixed by the idea of a nation state organization and its people. Socially, this makes them still behind the times. Economically, They struggle with the different economic and resource levels of each of the member states. All these along with the concept of Euroscepticism, or better known as the opposition to the process of European integration, the Union continues to move forward and yet has been forced to make changes to its policies. Amid the post war trauma, the European Union has become a beacon for organized political growth and upbringing. And today, in spite all the worldwide turmoil and confusion, The Union still spreads forth it’s hand in every effort to encourage global peace and umanitarian aid to its member states.  There is no set standard in the process of integration, but today there is a new focus on the complex policy making of the European Union. 3) What was `containment` and how did it influence US cold war thinking? The word containment means to isolate or to make stagnate. In the terms of the cold war, it refers to the foreign policies adapted by the United States under the direction of George Kennan. In the beginning, their policy was to stop all of the outside nations from moving politically towards Soviet Union communism and to ensure that the United States continued to ave, what they thought would be, the upper hand. For ideology as we have seen taught them that the outside world was hostile and that it was their duty to overthrow the political forces beyond their borders. â€Å"(X[Kennan], Foreign Affairs, 1947). They hoped that ultimately in the end thecontainment policies would cause the fall of the Soviet Union and its ally nations. Back in the early days of history, containment was accomplished with the use of brute force or tactics much like an army taking over a castle and then came the use of treaties and political policies, thus being the cold war period. Today this is often accomplished by politically using severe sanctions, as in the United States’ dealings with Iraq and Iran. Espionage and sabotage are other ways of creating a containment among a group of people or nations. During the United States’ cold war containment period the policies adapted by President Truman experienced some major setbacks through the opposition of the Soviet Union, and by the Time the United States pulled out of the Vietnam war and the Koran conflict, there wasn’t mush credit given to the containment policies and ideas, anymore. So the United States started a new heory of â€Å"detente† or peaceful co-existence. Until the election of Ronald Reagan this was a believable concept. President Regan believed that the containment policies did not expand far enough, He felt uneasy about the weapons being held by the foreign nations. He wanted new missiles, placed in Europe to help the United States to become immune to the first strike concept. His new policies become highly controversial and very unpopular in many of the surrounding foreign countries. In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed under the direction of Gorbachev and the wanted nd result of the original containment policy had been achieved, this marked the official close of that policy. All though, the US still keeps its military and missile bases in the areas around the former Soviet Union, â€Å"just to be on the safe side they say†, many events have effected the world and the current containment policies. As of 2005, the United States are listed as having at least 700 military bases around the world, like the ones in Iceland and Germany. Some up to date estimates suggest that the real number is much higher.

Is Death Penalty Justified - 995 Words

Baral 1 Prayash, Baral Menchaca 12:30 T-TH Final Draft W.C. = 995 Is Death Penalty Justified? Death penalty is the capital punishment given to the person where a person is put to death who has done crime or involved in a crime. It is for those people who is doing the crime intentionally. It is given by the government to the traitors, murderer and so on. The sentence is vindicated by the type of offense committed. There are certain conditions where a death penalty can be correct and should be consider Justified by the government. The death penalty guarantees that those executed will not commit any further criminalities. The criminal is deserved to be punished and†¦show more content†¦The principle of just justice is essential to the civility of our civilization. If capital punishment exists in a judicial system then, crime rate will decrease if the case is solved immediately and the criminal of heinous crime is given capital punishment and also this is made public for other criminals to fear the judicial system and not commit the crime. Making the process of capi tal punishment being give to a criminal shown to public, may be on news channel or other media is very important, for other criminals to think 100 times before committing the heinous crime. Capital punishment also saves a lot of tax money which can be used in more important stuff like development of the country than being wasted to those people who are good for nothing and has done big crimes. There are also chances that criminals like terrorist would try to rescue by their fellow criminals and while doing that they are going to kill a lot of people. Baral 3 It is the appropriate punishment for the crime committed. It stands alone because it is not dependent on any outside empirical justifications like deterrence, cost,Show MoreRelatedIs the Death Penalty Justified?1824 Words   |  8 PagesIs the Death Penalty Justified? Jessica Valentine PHI 103 Informal Logic Professor Stephen Carter March 20, 2012 Is the Death Penalty Justified? The death penalty will always be a topic some people refuse to talk about. When in fact, it is a very serious topic and people should know how and why the death penalty is not justified. I believe the death penalty is not justified in the least bit because there are people sitting up in prison just living life because the state does not want toRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Justified1534 Words   |  7 Pagesit is ethical to kill a convicted criminal. People who oppose the death penalty often argue mistaken identity and wrongful conviction. They argue that long-term imprisonment is the better course of action, because it allows for the possibility that if a mistake was made in the conviction of a suspect, they would be able to correct it without ending the life of an innocent person. They also state that the threat of the death penalty is not a deterrent and people will commit crimes regardless, as oftenRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Justified1346 Words   |  6 Pagespast and recen t years, the death penalty has remained a huge debate between individuals that agree or disagree whether the death penalty is justifiable punishment or not. Is capital punishment truly a justified and powerful approach to the violations of specific prisoners? Many individuals believe that having the death penalty is cruel and inhumane. Others believe that people who commit such heinous crimes should be punished with the death penalty. Instilling the death penalty is the same as saying â€Å"eyeRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Justified1828 Words   |  8 PagesThe Death Penalty Daniel Heydari Professor Sheldon Philosophy 262-0 12 October 2015 1.) The author of this letter, submitted to the New York Times, claims that the death penalty is wholly and morally justified, seeing as its existence results in the lessening of violent deaths and gun use due to the perpetrator’s fear of killing a person in haste and thus being given the death penalty. 2.) The author argues his claim of the death penalty being justified as a means of punishment for violent crimesRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Justified923 Words   |  4 Pagespilots who also had to bomb innocents to win the war,† (Gorman). More recently, a common trend has been the disapproval of the death penalty, exhibited by the thirteen percent drop in the number of people on death row since Spring of 2005 (Death Penalty Info. Center). 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The debates over the constitutionality of the death penalty and whether capital punishment should be usedRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Justified995 Words   |  4 PagesThe Death penalty has been a controversial topic for many years and recently the debate about it has been getting bigger and bigger to where at some point soon a decision will have to be made. Many people will disagree with the death penalty because it goes against their moral beliefs, this is thought process is seen more in the northern states. However, here in the south the death penalty is strongly believed in by most, but who is put to death and why? Did they deserve this sentence or were theyRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Justified1603 Words   |  7 PagesTHE DEATH PENALTY Many nations have criminals to punish, but what’s changing is how they punish their criminals. Most countries, even some states, have come to the realization that the death penalty is an unfair, inhumane, unconstitutional, and irreversible punishment that’s much too severe and is an unfit punishment for a fair and just society. Internationally, the U.S. ranks fifth in terms of the number of prisoners put to death, putting America in such ill-esteemed company as the regimesRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Justified858 Words   |  4 PagesSince the foundation of our nation the Death Penalty has been a way to punish prisoners that have committed heinous crimes, however since the turn of the 20th century the practice of Capital Punishment has been questioned on its usage in America and the world as a whole. The Death Penalty is used in America to punish criminals who have committed murders, or taken the life of an innocent person, and while the death penalty seems like it is doing justice to those who have killed others it is actuallyRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is Justified1463 Words   |  6 PagesIn many eyes across the country the death penalty is widely criticized. The state of Texas has the death penalty, whereas nineteen other states in the United States do not including the state Maine. The death penalty is a way for the states to declare that they don’t tolerate the heinous crimes that some individuals commit. In Texas there are numerous ways that one could be sentenced to death row. Murdering a police officer or firefighter in the line of duty and if the individual knowing that they