Effective Social Work Policing - Research Proposal Example

Social work, as they say, is a vocation and not a profession. In this paper, the complexities and rewards of social work with a particular vulnerable population, which is single-parent families, will be explored. Various factors revolving around the issue will be explored, such as the nature and composition of single-parent families, educational achievement and economic opportunities of single-parents, and the impact to children of belongingness to a single-parent family. Moreover, assessment and interventions for effective social work policing will be presented at the conclusive part of the paper. I. Background and Analysis A. What is the problem you are studying? This paper will focus on the recent trend in family lifestyle, which is single-parenthood. This alternative family arrangement has not only increased in number but also in problems brought to the single-parent and the child/children. These problems are wide-range since it includes not only family aspects but also economic, social and political. The commonplace belief among people is that single-parenthood is burdened with too much difficulty in money, time and social life. It is widely believed that single-parent families are more likely to be poor than those two-parent families. However, because of the growing uncertainty on the present circumstances confronted by single-parent family nowadays due to changes in the society, studies on the economic, social and political welfare of single-parent families, particularly in relation to social work have increased over the years. Therefore, the problem of this study will concentrate on the analysis of empirical, both quantitative and qualitative studies, conducted on single-parent families. The objective of this endeavor is to trace if there is continuity between commonplace opinions regarding single-parent families and the researches completed just recently. These changes in family life have created great insecurity in children’s lives and have resulted in several speculations among policy makers and the community about the effects of father absence. Several scholars argue that growing up with a single mother is the basic cause of numerous of the nation’s most grave social problems, including poverty, high rates of school dropouts, early pregnancy and criminal behavior. Some claim that poverty and economic insecurity are the real causes, resulting in both father absence and adolescent ill-behavior. Meanwhile, others still emphasize that the problem related with family trouble is linked in marital disorder that starts way before the parents’ separation or divorce (Maluccio et al 2002). As the numbers of single-parent families in the United States have continued to increase nowadays, so have related concerns on the wellbeing and security of such families and their young children. The following percentages show the increasing number of one-parent families, “In 1998, the relative numbers of one-parent families in the United States with children under 18 were 27% of White families, 62% of Black families, and 36% of Hispanic families. Moreover, the 1998 figures were 10% higher than the equivalent 1980 percentages for each group” (Ricciuti 2004: para 1). In relation to demography, the majority of single parents are women, and they are more likely to be poorer, less educated, younger, and more prone to suffer racial prejudice than is the situation for women in two-parent families. Moreover, single-mother families are expected to be more inadequate than are two parent families regarding the economic, social and parenting resources that sustain and improve the wellbeing, socialization and educational progress of youngsters. Studies show, for instance, that single parents are more probable to be less capable to bear their children’s educational needs through care and supervision of their school tasks and they may have inferior expectations with respect to their children’s educational accomplishments. Apparently, the repercussions of single parenthood are manifested in the children’s school performance and behavior (ibid). B. Why is it important for social workers to understand? Recently, programs for the improvement of education, preventive mechanisms and other human services have been successful because of several studies done on resilience, which imply the effort of people to surpass their problems in order to have a convenient and good life. Apparently, social workers are the forerunners when it comes to lessening of human life difficulties hence it is important for social workers to understand the causes of the dilemmas and the needs of vulnerable populations such as single-parent families. Moreover, it is important for social workers to have a broader horizon regarding the problems faced by single parent families in economic, social and political aspects through consulting recent researches on human problems. Social workers should be updated of the latest paradigms and thinking with regard to social work. As of now, social workers are expected to adjust their welfare systems based on the demands of families and to cooperate with the families and community groups (Saleebey 2006). Furthermore, social workers should clearly understand the plight of single-parent families because controversies on children’s ill-behavior and dire situations are commonly blamed on such family arrangement; nevertheless, the availability of literatures regarding the percentages of children who in reality endure negative outcomes in “psychological, behavioral, social and academic” (ibid 204) domains due to growing up in a single-parent family warrant close examination. A case in point is the recent thorough comparative study between children raised in single and two-parent households residing in Sweden which shows that the former is doubly more likely than the latter to develop mental illness, commit or attempt suicide, and develop substance abusive behavior (Weitoft et al 2003, as cited in Saleeby 2006). This study became widely publicized. However, the problem with the public exposure is that they did not acknowledge the findings that only 2% of the girls and only 1.5% of the boys raised in a single-parent family developed mental illness as children (ibid). Given this discrepancies in studies on single parent families, social workers should then be keen to identify the micro and macro factors underlying the increase in single-parent families and the problems along with it. C. What are the main factors involved in the problem (micro and macro)? The primary factors involved in the study of single parent families, both in the micro and macro aspects, are demographic factors such as the allegations that there are more African-American single parent than white single parent, or that single-parent families are commonly headed by lone mothers or father absent arrangement, or that single parents are on average low in educational achievement hence more likely to be jobless or to be assigned to menial jobs; another factor is the social context such factors such as the weakening of children’s educational accomplishment due to growing up in a single parent family, or the negative impact of single parent family in children’s behavioral performance, or parenting styles; and lastly are vulnerabilities and risk factors such as those that strengthen weakness, in case of single parents, are the realities of poverty, unemployment of parents, single-parents standing, inferior educational background and parenting constraints, as well as other upsetting incidences. D. What theories and research exist to help explain the existence of these factors? 1. Demographic Factors According to Amato (2000), with respect to population, the “majority of single parents are women and they tend to be poorer, less educated, younger, and more likely to experience racial discrimination than is the case for women in two-parent families” (as cited in Ricciuti 2004: 196). Provided with these demographic, it can be assumed that single-mother families are on average probable to be significantly more limited than are two-parent families with regard to accessibility to resources that sustain and nurture the protection, care, socialization and cognitive development of youngsters (ibid). On the other hand, according to the study of Latimer (2003), approximately 70 percent of African-American children are raised out-of-wedlock. The constantly changing family lifestyle of the African-American community is equally striking when analyzed at a different lens; “86 percent of today’s young women are single when they have their first baby” (ibid 26). The underlying assumption for these figures is that the painful history of slavery had greatly affected the plight of the African-American towards economic equality which made them hopeless when it comes to starting a strong family of their own. Because of the economic instability and insecurity experienced by African-American males due to negative stereotypes, they tend to think that it is worthless to have their own family whom they wouldn’t be able to feed and support (ibid). Furthermore, McCreary and Dancy (2004) conducted a research which provided vivid depictions of family interactions, particularly for the low-income African-American single parent families which are on the average headed by mothers with children. This research was undertaken because of the increasing number of low-income African American which constitutes a significant portion of families which are not known for their functioning and interactions. In the United States, “mother-headed single parent families are a growing family form and the most prevalent family form (55%) among African-American families with children under 18” (U.S. Census Bureau 2002b, as cited in ibid: 690). Aside from the findings that African-American constitutes the largest portion of single-parent families, it has also been discovered that single mothers head majority of the single parent families; nevertheless, father-only families has been gradually increasing in the recent years. This numbers show the rapid increase in single-parent families headed by the father: “In 1980, father-only families constituted about 13% of all single parent families; by 1998, almost one in five single-parent families were maintained by a father” (Capser & Bryson 1998, as cited in Zhan & Pandey 2004: 661). This rise in father-only families has been explained in the result of the study as caused by the more stable financial stability of the fathers than the mothers. As the study shows, fathers are more likely to attain higher educational achievement hence they are more probable to get higher income jobs than the mothers. However, the study also discovered that poor single mothers and fathers have striking socioeconomic resemblance such as that they tend to be younger, African-American and unmarried than those higher-income parents; moreover, they are inclined to have had more children and to be under-educated (Zhan & Pandey, 2004). 2. Social Context According to some studies, growing up in a single-parent family weakens children’s educational performance and also the bonding of the family. Indeed, even though early researches found limited proof of a negative impact of living in a single-parent family on the mental and behavioral performance of children, contemporary researches provides more solid evidence of an encouraging relationship. Children who grow up in single-parent families show more behavior difficulties and achieve lower on evaluations of school-based aptitude and mental achievement (Maluccio et al 2002). Although single mothers have the capability to raise mentally and behaviorally stable children, specifically if the resources to do so are accessible, there are still close relationships between single parenting and mental and behavioral outcomes. In the study of Antecol & Bedard (2007), the researchers assumed that family disruption, family stress and instability have definitely had an impact on the children during adolescence than during their premature years. Basically, families headed by single mothers have power over insufficient resources than do those with both parents. Economic difficulties has been linked to physical conditions such as lesser educational materials and games, and behaviors such as parental conflicts, harsh parenting styles, in the domestic sphere that fail intellectual stimulation and development. Also, it has been discovered that single mothers, in similarity with married couples, get not as much of human capital, particularly education, and lesser educational aspirations for themselves and their children (ibid). Moreover, it is likely, and several studies have established, that two parents, are better capable than single parent to prepare activities such as studying with their children, regulating watching of TV, monitoring school homework and balancing activities outside the home that are associated to cognitive abilities and positive social behavior (Howe 2004). Recalling the study of Zhan and Pandey (2004), the relationship between fathers’ absence and saddening child outcomes have resulted in to the belief that concerned fathers, as well as nonresident fathers, in the raising of their children can lighten the possibility of negative impacts of single parenting. Craig (2005) assumes in his study that children would be more satisfied and happy if their parents live together and their fathers contribute to their nurturance. However, it is still possible that the worth of the relationship between nonresident fathers and their children is important, not only for the children, but for the fulfillment of their mother’s responsibilities as well. E. What are the strengths and limitations of this body of theory and research? The researches aforementioned are definitely helpful in gaining knowledge of the actual circumstances confronted by single-parent nowadays. Undoubtedly, the strengths of the literature available on the subject matter are their expertise in applying empirical research in a rather intangible human aspect, such as parent-children relationship, and their proficient exploration of the various aspects revolving around the issue of single-parent families. Moreover, even though the subject matter is laden with problems, these studies were able to draw out positive things about single parenting such as the reality that even single parent has the power to produce mentally and behaviorally stable individuals. In the profession of social work, even though it is highly qualitative nature, it is also on other account empirical in characteristic. Hence, the figures and statistics given on the demography of single-parents can help in the creation of program policy for social work that would ease the economic, social and political burden that single-parent families commonly endure. On the other hand, the problem with this body of research is their overemphasis on the use of large difference between single-parent family and two-parent family, between mother-only family and father-only family, and between African-American family and white family. Because of these comparisons, particularly regarding single parenthood, the gap between those two poles intangibly widens. As one can observe, the researches merely explored and exposed these differences without providing some insights on as to how these conflicts and discrepancies can be patched up. Specifically, the African-American single parents were highlighted as low-income and less educated in the studies which only contribute to the already existing stigma on African-American single parents. Yes, it is good to make the public aware of this knowledge, but there should be ethical limitations on the extent of public exposure that should be allowed regarding the findings of the study on the human sciences. Section 2: Social and Economic Justice, Values, and Diversity Implications A. What diversity variables are relevant for the understanding of your topic? The issue of single-parent families is not one-dimensional but complex and difficult to discern at times because of its inherent diversity. The subject matter, if branched out, will produce multiple areas. As previously mentioned, single parent families are different in composition such as others are African-American, Hispanic, Asian, white, etc, or mother-only or father-only, and there is a recent trend which is heterosexual single parent and lesbian single parent; in economic context because there are some single-parent families that are under poverty which is headed by mothers with children, or those that are well-off which is provided by fathers with children; in social context, particularly educational aspect, since there are single-parent families that are headed by a lone parent either with a high educational attainment or less; in cognitive and behavioral aspect because there are single-parent families that are able to raise behaviorally stable and cognitively apt individuals while others fail to do the same. B. What social work values are most relevant here? Social work is a profession which requires an absolute compliance to the ethics or values set for the complete realization of the objectives of the vocation, which is to help vulnerable populations in their quest towards a better life. Social work indeed resembles a God-sent task hence it is expected that the vocation will stay afloat within the accepted values or ethical fundamentals of social work. Commitment to Clients In dealing with single parents, social workers should primarily take into full consideration the well-being of the individuals involved in the difficulties created by single-parenthood. Social workers should prioritize the interests and needs of these involved individuals. In order for this step to be met with a degree of success, social workers assisting single-parent families should not completely rely on what is going on in the actual scene but also to the theoretical knowledge advanced by various researches in the subject matter. Social workers should be systematic and compassionate at the same time. It is essential that social workers recognize the weaknesses of single-parent families and pinpoint their strength so as to provide a balanced view of their real needs for social work policies and planning (NASW Code of Ethics 2008). Self-Determination Another social work value that could be used in dealing with single parent families is self-determination. Social workers should respect and encourage the right of single-parent families to self-determination and support them in their attempts to discover and spell out their aspirations. However, social workers should know when to intervene to the client’s rights to self-determination especially if the social worker judges that the client’s actions or future actions cause grave risk or hazards to others or themselves. For instance, if social workers observe that the intentions of single parents are shortchanging the welfare of their children or other immediate members of the family because of external pressures such as those from the workplace, it is then time for the social workers to reorient the objectives of the single parents and assist them in rearranging their priorities (ibid). Informed Consent Moreover, it is important that social workers will abide by the ethics of informed consent. Even though social work is considered a “soft” vocation because of its humanitarian nature, it is still essential for social workers to establish professional relationships with their clients through valid informed consent. In order to this, social workers should inform the clients, in this case the single- parent families, about the purpose of the services, risks that may take place while at the course of the service, restrictions or limit to the services available, the costs that could be incurred, other options that may be taken, and the amount of time needed for the services to be completed. And then, when the social workers are sure that the single-parent families are clear with everything, they should allow them to open some concerns or questions that should be addressed ahead. Furthermore, if an individual/s from a single-parent family who will be receiving the services has no means to provide an informed consent due to lack in literacy social workers should seek the help of a close third party that may translate or provide an informed consent in behalf of the individual/s (ibid). Competence In terms of competence, social workers should know their capacities such as their educational, training and experience backgrounds. Social work is an extremely sensitive vocation because it deals with the human cause hence it is important for social workers to work on their limitations and not assume responsibilities that are way beyond their capacity. In dealing with single-parent families, social workers must be aware that this vulnerable population has different needs and requirements therefore necessitate different social work competencies (ibid). Cultural Competence and Social Diversity Social workers who will be dealing with single-parent families should appreciate or understand the diverse culture of the individuals who will receive the services. In understanding this cultural attribute, social workers could predict the behavior of the members of the single-parent families. This accurate prediction of the behavior and outlooks of this vulnerable population will assist policies and procedures that would effectively cater to their needs (ibid). Moreover, it is essential that social workers are sensitive to the presence of social diversity in order to prevent oppression or discrimination with regard to birthright status such as race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age or achieved status such as religious and political beliefs, or mental and physical deficiency. This social diversity could make or break the course of social work, in this case with the single-parent families. If social workers consciously ignore the presence of social diversity, this might create a negative effect to the individuals receiving the services whereas if social workers are completely aware of these social variations then it could facilitate a successful social work accomplishment. (ibid). C. Are the theories consistent with social work values? In social work paper, two theories would be used, namely, the Bowen Family System and the Endemic Stress. Social work values are embodied in the former theory because it assumes that the family is an emotional organization or an emotional unit of the society. This means that family members are mutually dependent and function in a give-and-take relationship. Hence, social workers should be aware that carrying out one member cannot be entirely appreciated if removed from the care of the activities of the people intimately concerned with him/her. Moreover, Bowen considers the impact of anxiety on the family relationships. Increased levels of both serious and continuous anxiety result in symptom growth as family members respond to the interruptions, such as for single-parent families, in the wellbeing of the emotional status (Austin 2002). Therefore, in relation to the issue of single-parenthood, the purpose of the Bowen theory is quite aligned with social work values since it aims to assist single-parents and their children in becoming less tired, but not removed from, their family units. This can be fulfilled through reflecting upon and appreciating the emotional progress in one’s own family, aside from creating genuine, face-to-face relationships with members of the family. With respect to social work values, the Bowen system guides focus on achieving a more purposeful and unbiased outlook of family emotional growth, family relationships and anxiety expressions (ibid). It also reduces anxiety brought about by single-parenthood from personal disorder towards understanding the individual within the emotional orientation and recognition of the single-parent family’s unique process. In relation to the second theory, the Endemic Stress, it is believed that single-parenthood is stressful in many ways. Stress in a single-parent family is defined by the responses of the members to their whole relationships; to the expectations or burdens they and other people put on their shoulders; the expectations or burdens these members of single-parent families lay upon other people and their own families. Stress is a combination of all these expectations and burdens (ibid). Marc Fried concept of ‘endemic stress’ is applicable in the study of the consequences of single-parenthood to the members of the family, particularly to the single-parents and the children (Feldman, 2005). Single-parents are obviously experiencing endemic stress, according to some studies, due to the buildup of incidences of continuous conflict, economic difficulties, unemployment and poverty. These then not only affect merely the single-parents but also the other members of the immediate and extended family. However, not all these individual and endemic stress are negative. The main processes of individual and social improvement necessitate for much stress. This can explain some instances wherein single-parent families perform better economically, socially, educationally and psychologically than two-parent families. The negative effect of endemic stress, which becomes harmful to growth and life, takes place when the single-parent family members become stressed way beyond the limit of their capacity to cope successfully (ibid). This can happen to single-parents who have low educational achievement and impractical objectives in life. Therefore, social work values should then take into account the presence of this endemic stress which is brought about by negative circumstances such as lack of education, unemployment and poverty. This theory indicates that social work should be sensitive to the social diversity of single-parent families. D. Do the theories represent attention to equity, fairness, and social justice? The two theories, the Bowen Family System and Endemic Stress, signify consideration to equity, fairness and social justice. It put emphasis on the requirements on social work values particularly to social diversity. The theories take into account both birthright status such as race, ethnicity, nationality, gender and achieved status such as religious and political beliefs. In relation to single-parent families, the theories imply to social work that even though single-parent families are classified as vulnerable population one fact still remains, which are that single-families need unique assistance, based on their cultural and experience backgrounds. For instance, it is established in various studies that African-Americans are more likely to belong to a single-parent family than the Whites. There are then various factors surrounding this finding. Some are educational achievement and economic opportunities. Therefore, social workers should be skilled in properly handling these differences and transform these to something positive. Early childhood programs are examples of programs that aim to reverse the negative impacts of single-parenting. Such programs attempt to counterbalance the risks related to childhood poverty. Social work contributions normally include participations that improve parent-child relationship, family cohesion, and availability of necessary resources. Social work cultivates a more constructive family background and more family time and effort spent in educational activities, protective strategies that benefit children in relation to successive social and mental adjustment in school (Maluccio et al. 2002). Section 3: Conclusions and Recommendations A. Based on what you have presented in section 1 and 2, what are the most important ideas that stand out? Single-parenting is a complex problem. It is surrounded by different factors that make the lives of single-parent families more difficult than those families with two parents. There are various important ideas that were presented above. One is that single parent families show that the roles of maternal psychological health and parenting is related to employment in the job market with low-compensation rates which proves negative to the development of black children. Second, few studies have put emphasis specifically on previous social work services receivers nowadays in the labor market. Third, majority of the maternal employment studies is all ears on middle-class, wedded, mainly white mothers. Employment may have various effects for single black mothers and their children than their white counterparts belonging from the middle-class, since the former are less prosperous and the income of black mothers consists of generally a large percentage of the total family earnings than those of white mothers (Johner 2007). Single black mothers are more vulnerable than others to suffer stressful incidences that place them at risk for mental problems; as aforementioned, increased level of psychological agony may result in insufficient or defective parenting and unfavorable child outcomes. Lastly, because single-employed mothers showed a combination of career and parenting in one individual, the effect of job-related incidences on parenting and children’s growth may be serious (ibid). This is significant since many young black children are being reared by a single mother. B. What recommendations would you have for improving the social work response in terms of practice, policy, education, and research? Intervention systems must begin with a consistent evaluation. This procedure means gathering of accurate data and information on relevant individuals and circumstances. If the social work services receiver desires for the service of a particular organization, then the social worker must begin through asking the individual concerned for the reason of his/her choice to come. Ordinarily, in these situations, the individual is more willing to inform the social worker of his/her troubles in life. On the other hand, this is not how most of the poor and minority single parents start their communication with social workers. Most probably, for these social groups and families, services either are extended or obliged. These individuals, or future clients, must be heartily involved. They should be motivated to participate in the recommended intervention program through particularly focused elaborations of the objectives of the social work group dealings that do not violate their good reputation (Austin 2002). Issues important to the larger environment might include functioning with other systems on the behalf of the single parents, such as the welfare organizations, educational institutions, and/or child care societies in which children may demand particular services or resources, or shaping how to manage such systems for the single parent who requires it and providing proper response. Some researches suggest that black children appear to gain advantage from the presence of nonresident fathers. This is relevant information. There are also studies suggesting that maternal employment, even low-paying jobs, may be more valuable for single mothers and their children than welfare acceptance, yet that child care resources of value are important indication for mothers who are incapable of affording the agreement of their choice. This is also relevant information (Maluccio et al 2002). Evaluation and interventions can and must be improved by such knowledge. Researches suggest, as well, that single mothers are skilled in rearing well-behaved children, particularly when economic resources are enough. Guiding mothers to bring together financial resources, including economic supplies from a range of sources, including nonresident fathers, employment, sponsored child care, communal housing, food vouchers, relatives, that support them is definitely a rational intervention program. But initially, accurate data should be acquired from the mothers regarding their material and social maintenance (ibid). They will require knowing the reason why this information is relevant. Skilled social workers are able to offer a justification for their concerns such that individuals receiving the services can easily determine the relationship of the concerns to the objectives of their task together and, by this means, provide significant answers. Social workers are in a unique position to better understand how those who keep up well in miserable economic circumstances are capable to do so and to facilitate these who manage less well to obtain access to the resources they could do with to cope more successfully. Not only are social workers responsible for the wellbeing of single-parent families but also concerned citizens who tirelessly advocate policies, outreach programs and services that are sympathetic to the needs of community’s underprivileged, several of whom are children. Works Cited Antecol, H. & Bedard, K. "Does Single Parenthood Increase the Probablility of Teenage Promiscuity, Substance Abuse, and Crime." J. Popul Econ (2007). Austin, David. Human Services Management: Organizational Leadership in Social Work Practice. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. Craig, Lyn. "The Money or the Care: A Comparison of Couple & Single-Parent Households Time Allocation to Work & Children ." Australian Journal of Social Issues (2005). Feldman, Robert S. Understanding Psychology. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2005. Howe, Brian. "Single Parents and Paid Work." Australian Journal of Social Issues 39.2 (2004). Johner, R. L. Allostatic Load: Single Parents, Stress-Related Health Issues, and Social Care. Health and Social Work , 32 (2) (2007). Latimer, Leah. "Family Matters." The Crisis (2003). Maluccio, Anthony N et al. Social Work Practice with Families and Children. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. McCreary, L. & Dancy, B. "Dimensions of Family Functioning: Perspectives of Low-Income African-American Single Parent Families." Journal of Marriage & Family (2004). Ricciuti, Henry. "Single Parenthood, Achievement, & Problem Behavior in White, Black and Hispanic Children." The Journal of Educational Research (2004). Saleeby, Dennis. Strengths and Perspectives in Social Work Practice. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2006. Zhan, M. & Pandey, S. "Post-Secondary & Economic Wellbeing of Single Mothers & Single Fathers." Journal of Marriage & Family (2004). Website: NASW Code of Ethics. http://results.myhpf.co.uk/framedresults.asp?Keyword=NASW+Code+of+ethics, 2008. Read More