Jan Fook: Social Work: Critical Theory and Practice & Karen Healy: Social Work Practices: Contemporary Perspectives on Change

In his recent book on the contemporary politics of social work, Powell (2001) nominates Jan Fook and Karen Healy as two Australian authors who have made significant contributions to the radical or critical social work tradition. I have chosen to review them together, as each, in different ways, attempts to achieve the same purpose. That is, they attempt to provide a convincing account for adopting a critical approach to practice in the contemporary conditions of the 21st century and, in doing so, re-invigorate the radical tradition of social work practice. My first comment, important for the readership of this international journal, is that both books easily 'travel' beyond the Australian context.

Lower Benefits to the Refugees in Denmark: Missing Recognition?

This article is a study of the contrast between the Danish law concerning reduced economic benefits for newly arrived refugees and immigrants (known as Start Help or as introductory benefit) and the idea of recognition as the condition for individual self-realization and justice. Our assumption is that Start Help both implies economic discrimination against newly arrived persons in Denmark (especially refugees and their families under family reunification rules) and symbolizes a lack of recognition. We have chosen to adopt the theories of recognition (and redistribution) propounded by Axel Honneth and Nancy Fraser to explore our queries about Start Help and the discriminatory impact on its recipients. Empirically the article is based on in-depth qualitative interviews with six refugees who all receive Start Help.

Book Review of “At Risk: Social Justice in Child Welfare and Other Human Services” by Karen J. Swift and Marilyn Callahan, 2009, Toronto: University of Toronto Press

The newest book by Canadian social work scholars Karen Swift and Marilyn Callahan is exemplary of how other disciplines can invigorate social work theory. “At Risk” uses child welfare practice as an entry point for exploring the continuing movement away from addressing needs and towards the management of risk in the human services.

From The Hague to Geneva: The protection of civilians and refugees in the perspective of legal history, 1899-1951

The presentation proposed here shall focus on international (and as far as possible some cases of national) legal protection of civilians and refugees between the first Hague Convention of 1899 and the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Refugees in 1951. An analysis of international legal texts as well as, if possible, some exemplary national constitutions will form the core of the presentation, which will try to find out, to what extent not only the civilian population remaining close to front-line fighting, but also under occupation was supposed to be protected by legal norms, but also to what extent the issue of forcing civilian to leave their homes became part of the international legal discourse as well as of international legal norms.

Rights at Risk: Refugees in the New South Africa

This thesis seeks to analyze the relationship between public attitudes toward refugees in a refugee receiving state and the realization of the legal rights afforded refugees (de facto rights). I hypothesize that the more negative a host culture is toward refugees, the less refugees are able to realize their rights. Conversely, the more positive a host culture is toward refugees, the more refugees are able to realize their rights. I test the hypothesis through a case study of refugee populations in Cape Town, South Africa, based on research conducted from May to June 2007. The orientation (positive or negative) of the host culture's perceptions toward a refugee group (Independent Variable) is measured through: (1) a coded content analysis of the South African media, (2) a coded content analysis of semi-structured interviews, and (3) an assessment of secondary source public opinion surveys and reports. The realization of refugee rights (Dependent Variable) is operationalized as a function of two rights: (1) the right to personal physical integrity and (2) the right to protection from unlawful detention. These rights are measured by coding (1) media reports and (2) interviews, and by (3) assessing NGO reports and secondary source public opinion surveys. My empirical data shows that the cultural orientation toward refugees is not overwhelmingly negative, and the realization of rights is not conclusively "low." However, the frequency of data coded "negative" and "low" versus "positive" or "high" suggest that South Africans regard refugees somewhat negatively and that rights are not fully realized. This finding is strengthened by the analysis of secondary sources and field notes.

Coping Methods and Meaning Making of Liberian Refugees in the Buduburam Refugee Camp of Ghana

The mental health of war-impacted individuals has been an issue of growing concern to many researchers and practitioners internationally (Miller, Kulkarni, & Kushner, 2006). According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2006a), Africans are disproportionately impacted by conflict-related displacement. To date, however, much of the research on the mental health of refugees has been based mostly on Western views of health and trauma. The current study is a mixed-methods investigation of stressors, coping strategies, and meaning making of Liberian refugees in the Buduburam Refugee Camp of Ghana. Results from the Brief COPE, focus groups, and semi-structured ethnographic interviews are discussed. Understanding stressors and coping among this population can contribute to culturally informed research and practice.

Na 1 Nachlass Max Horkheimer, 707 - "German Refugees from Eastern Zone" (p. IX 183.1-2 - IX 184.2-18)

"German Refugees from the Eastern Zone" 1952; 1. "Outline of a Pilot Study of German Refugees from the Eastern Zone Who are presently in Berlin" a) Typoskript, 4 Blatt; b) Typoskript, 3 Blatt; 2. "Budget for a Pilot Study of German Refugees from the Eastern Zone in Berlin" a) 2 Blatt; b) 1 Blatt; c) 1 Blatt; d) 1 Blatt; "Universität und Gesellschaft" 1952-1956; 1. "Universität und Gesellschaft" Teil III: Expertenbefragung. Forschungsbericht, 1953; als Typoskript vervielfältigt und gebunden, 77 Blatt; 2.-7. Allgemeine Darstellung der Untersuchungen; 2. "Einige wichtige Ergebnisse der Universitätsstudie", 1956. Als Typoskript vervielfältigt, 5 Blatt; 3. "Vorläufige Gliederung für den Bericht der Hochschul-Untersuchung" 2 Blatt; 4. "The German University of Today. Progress Report on a Research Project" 02.11.1955 a) Typoskirpt, 12 Blatt; b) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 12 Blatt; 5. "The German University of Today. A Progress Report on a Research Project" a) Typoskript, 7 Blatt; b) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 8 Blatt; c) Typoskirpt mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 12 Blatt; 6. "Funktion und Wirklichkeit der Universität heute. Zwischenbericht über drei Studien des Instituts für Sozialforschung an der Johann Wolfgang Goethe- Universität". Typoskript, 25 Blatt; 7. "Pläne einer Untersuchung über die Vorstellung von der Finktion der heutigen deutschen Universität bei bestimmten Personenkreisen" a) Typoskirpt, 11 Blatt; b) Typoskript, 11 Blatt; 8.-10. Studentenbefragung; 8. Fagebogen zur Umfrage "Warum studieren Studenten?", als Typoskript vervielfältigt, 19 Blatt; 9. "The Economic Situation of Students at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe- University in Frankfurt am Main" Resultate der Umfrage vom Winter 1952/43; Januar 1956; a) Typoskript, 43 Blatt; b) 43 Blatt; 10. "Students and Parentl Influence. Results of a Survey" a) Typoskript, 25 Blatt; b) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen von Frederick Pollock, 25 Blatt; 11.-14. Aktennotizen; 11. "Bericht über die Verhandlungen zwischen Herrn Professor Baumgarten, Tenbruck und Habermas am 12.12.1956 im Institut für vergleichende Sozialwissenschaften in Stuttgart. Betreff: Professorenstudie" 13.13.1956 vermutlich 13.03.1956. Typoskript, 2 Blatt; 12. Gembardt, Ulrich: Aktennotiz zur Hochschuluntersuchung. 23.05.1955, Typoskript, 3 Blatt; 13. Gembardt, Ulrich: Bemerkungen zur Aktennotiz vom 23.05.1955, Typoskript, 2 Blatt; 14. "Aktennotiz über die Hochschul-Forschungsprojekte des Göttinger Soziologischen Seminars und des Frankfurter Institut für Sozialforschung, die deim Hauptausschuß der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft am 1. August 1953 zur Finanzierung vorgelegt werden" 20.07.1953. Typoskript, 2 Blatt; 15.-18. Briefe; 15. Löwenthal, Leo: 1 Brief mit Unterschrift an MAx Horkheimer, New York, 20.01.1955, 3 Blatt; 16. Horkheimer, Max [?]: 1 Brief an Chauncy D. Harris, ohne Ort, Januar 1955; a) Typoskirpt, 1 Blatt; b) Typoskirpt mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 1 Blatt; c) Typoskirpt mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 1 Blatt; d) Typoskirpt, 1 Blatt; 17. Horkheimer, Max: Drei gleichlautende Briefe an die Rektoren der Universität Bonn, Heidelberg und Koel, ohne Ort, 15.11.1953; a) Typoskript, 6 Blatt; b) Typoskript mit eigenhändigen KOrrekturen, 3 Blatt; 18. Plessner, Helmuth: 1 Brief mit Unterschrift mit Beilage an Max Horkheimer, Göttingen 02.07.1953, 4 Blatt;

Refugees from Myanmar and their health care needs in the US: A qualitative study at a refugee-resettlement agency

In response to the recent rapid influx of refugees from Myanmar, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (IM), a refugee resettlement agency, started to support them in June 2007. The study looked at the refugees' perspectives and identified the gaps in their understanding on US health care system, health seeking behaviors and challenges in utilizing health care in United States. The major issues identified were non-compliance with tuberculosis prevention medication due to barriers in obtaining medication refills, barriers in accessing specialty care services, transportation issues, written and oral language barrier, difficulties in the application for and use of Medicaid and Gold Card, misunderstanding of emergency health services, lack of resources for health education, self-treatment with Western medicine and income too low to buy private health insurance. In order to transform them to healthy citizens able to contribute to the US workforce, several multi-faceted and comprehensive approaches and better coordination among agencies are recommended. ^

THE EVALUATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH COMPONENTS OF INTERNATIONAL DISASTER RELIEF OPERATIONS: INDOCHINESE REFUGEES IN THAILAND, 1979-1982

Refugee populations suffer poor health status and yet the activities of refugee relief agencies in the public health sector have not been subjected previously to comprehensive evaluation. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness and cost of the major public health service inputs of the international relief operation for Indochinese refugees in Thailand coordinated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The investigator collected data from surveillance reports and agency records pertaining to 11 old refugee camps administered by the Government of Thailand Ministry of Interior (MOI) since an earlier refugee influx, and five new Khmer holding centers administered directly by UNHCR, from November, 1979, to March, 1982.^ Generous international funding permitted UNHCR to maintain a higher level of public health service inputs than refugees usually enjoyed in their countries of origin or than Thais around them enjoyed. Annual per capita expenditure for public health inputs averaged approximately US$151. Indochinese refugees in Thailand, for the most part, had access to adequate general food rations, to supplementary feeding programs, and to preventive health measures, and enjoyed high-quality medical services. Old refugee camps administered by MOI consistently received public health inputs of lower quantity and quality compared with new UNHCR-administered holding centers, despite comparable per capita expenditure after both types of camps had stabilized (static phase).^ Mortality and morbidity rates among new Khmer refugees were catastrophic during the emergency and transition phases of camp development. Health status in the refugee population during the static phase, however, was similar to, or better than, health status in the refugees' countries of origin or the Thai communities surrounding the camps. During the static phase, mortality and morbidity generally remained stable at roughly the same low levels in both types of camps.^ Furthermore, the results of multiple regression analyses demonstrated that combined public health inputs accounted for from one to 23 per cent of the variation in refugee mortality and morbidity. The direction of associations between some public health inputs and specific health outcome variables demonstrated no clear pattern. ^