ESWRA Newsletter November 2016

Dear ESWRA Members,

Here is the November 2016 ESWRA Newsletter with the latest information on the work of

the Association and the board. This newsletter will tell you about the board’s recent

activities and keep you up-to-date with what is happening in the Association and around

social work research.

We welcome Sigrid James as a new ESWRA board member! Sigrid, as you may have

seen, has worked for many years in the United States and is now back in Europe at the

University of Kassel. She has wide and diverse experience and will certainly provide fresh

stimuli and contributions to the Association.

The main board activities in the last few months, as well as the usual tasks, have been:

A meeting with EASSW and IFSW European section on 13th May in Zagreb. This

meeting provided the chance to introduce ESWRA to the other two major social

work organisations in Europe. A memorandum of understanding is in preparation.

There was an agreement that an ESWRA board member, in this case Emilio Jose

Gomez Ciriano, would sit on the scientific committee for the Paris EASSW

conference.

ESWRA, thanks to the perseverance of Mhairi Snowden, is in the process of

becoming a member of the European Alliance for Social Science and Humanities,

which is one of the main lobby groups for promoting the social sciences in Europe.

The ESWRA website www.eswra.org has been renovated and the space for SIGs

is now much more user-friendly and open.

We are now at the last stages of designing a strategy for ESWRA for the next five

years. The last draft has been discussed by the board and will be ready for the

General Assembly of members at ECSWR 2017.

In this newsletter:

Good news! ESWRA together with Policy Press will publish a series dedicated to

research titled ‘Research in Social Work’. Ian Shaw and John Gal are editors of the

series and they are looking for proposal ideas – see below for more details;

Inge Bryderup gives us the latest news on ECSWR 2017 in Aalborg University 19th-

21st April;

The deadline for the ESWRA Awards for Outstanding Publications is getting close –

2nd December. Francisco Branco gives us the latest information about this.

An overview of the activities of two SIGs: the Gerontological Social Work SIG

convened by Marjaana Seppanen and Mo Ray; and the Arts-based Research in

Social Work SIG convened by Ephrat Huss.

Silvia Fargion, Chair of ESWRA

November 2016

Major ESWRA Publishing Development!

Discussions have been proceeding for over a year with Policy Press, a leading UK publisher,

regarding the launch of a series to be called Research in Social Work.

We are delighted to announce that the Acquisitions Committee of Policy Press agreed in early

October this year to go ahead with this initiative. This will be a research-based monograph series

on social work, published by the European Social Work Research Association (ESWRA) and the

publisher. Together, the books will form a collection of the best research on social work aimed

primarily at the European library market, but also at wider international audiences. Titles may be

offered to members at discount or as a member benefit.

As the only monograph series focused on social work research for Europe, the series will seek to:

Strengthen the credibility of the profession, and professional education, by providing

leading research evidence to inform social work policies and practice

Promote social work research to benefit practitioners, service users, educators,

researchers, graduate students, and those responsible for service development and

delivery.

Increase networks by creating new opportunities for collaboration with sister organisations,

such as the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) and the European Association of

Schools of Social Work (EASSW).

Establish ESWRA and the publisher as international leaders of research in Social Work.

The agreement is that we plan to commission four initial titles in time for the 2017 conference, and

two per year thereafter for a minimum period of 5 years. One title has already been contracted.

The Management Board will be the series editors and a representative from Policy Press. The

series will be steered by an Advisory Board comprising ESWRA Board members, ESWRA general

members, the publishers and other key figures. This Advisory Board is already in place. The series

will be edited by John Gal (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) and Ian Shaw (University of York).

While all the titles in the series will be primarily for a social work audience in Europe, we fully

expect that a significant proportion will be of equal scope and relevance to a full international

readership. The series offers a ground-breaking opportunity for members of the association, but

authors are not restricted to ESWRA members.

We have been developing key briefing documents, submission templates for proposals, and

management processes.

ACTION: if members have preliminary ideas for proposals that fall within the aims of the series,

please contact either of the series editors, John Gal (john.gal@mail.huji.ac.il) or Ian Shaw

(ian.shaw@york.ac.uk). We would be glad to hear from you, and would be able, if appropriate, to

send you details about the rationale and aims of the series together with a template for submitting

proposals.

The seventh European Conference for Social Work Research at Aalborg University Denmark 19th - 21st of April 2017

The conference committee of the 7th European Conference for Social Work Research is happy to announce that around 500 abstracts have been submitted for the conference. It is now time to proceed with the reviewing process, and we much appreciate that so many accomplished colleagues have agreed to participate in this valuable part of the process. The peer review process is blind and double: The authors of the abstracts will not be revealed, and each abstract will be read and evaluated by two reviewers. The first reviews have already been done, and the authors will be notified on the 1st of December 2016. We are continuing with the organization of the conference and the planning of an interesting and engaging programme for all participants. As you probably know, the theme of the conference is Challenges in social work research – conflicts, barriers and possibilities in relation to social work. The diversity of interests and different stakeholders raises a range of challenges in social work research. Challenges in the form of controversies, barriers and dilemmas but also challenges providing new possibilities in the field of social work. Researchers in social work are expected to know about the different interests and to collaborate with many partners within the research processes. But not only are researchers expected to be aware of these issues. All partners in research processes must be aware of the melting pot they are part of when collaborating – both to make it possible to safeguard their own interests and to be able to participate in the processes in the complex meetings. We are looking very much forward to discussing these important issues. In the meantime, please bear in mind these important dates:

Registration deadlines:

January 15th 2017 | Early bird registration closes

March 1st 2017 | Registration deadline for paper authors

April 3rd 2017 | Final deadline for registration

We would also like here to introduce the keynote speakers for the conference:

Jaber F. Gubrium is professor and chair of sociology at the University of Missouri in the US. He has a

longstanding program of research on the social organization of description in human service institutions.

Interviews and Stories as Descriptive Events

Interviews and client narratives are a significant corpus of research data in social work, providing

descriptions of the troubles and problems that inform human service policy and intervention. The

interpretive insights of ethnographic studies of descriptive practice bear significantly on this.

Interview and narrative material taken from a longstanding program of work on the “eventfulness”

of descriptions in human service institutions is presented, providing two sets of challenges for

social work research.

Walter Lorenz is Professor for Applied Social Science at the Free University of Bozen in Northern Italy. He

holds honorary doctorates from the universities of Ghent and Aalborg.

Social work research and accountable practice – challenging dogma in uncertain times

In affirming its place in an evidence-obsessed academic and political context social work research

has two options: to bow to prevailing dogmas or to ground the process of knowledge creation by

engaging comprehensively with producers of knowledge as well as scrutinising the political context

in which knowledge is produced, framed and applied. Far from being a marginal academic

discipline social work has the chance to spearhead epistemological innovation that breaks with the

stagnation and resignation prevalent in a post-modern era in a spirit of shared accountability.

Maria Appel Nissen is Ph.D. in Sociology and Associate Professor at Aalborg University, Department of

Sociology of Social Work. She is the head of a Master in Knowledge Based Social Work.

The productive human being – Or on the construction of alternatives in social work research

The governance of contemporary European societies is increasingly based on rationales

combining a strong focus on productivity with economic restraint or austerity. In Denmark, this

constitutes a focus on how people considered to be ‘unproductive’ can become ‘productive’ in a

cost-effective way. How do social workers approach this view on human beings? An in depth study

shows how Danish social workers embrace, reflect on and contribute to broaden prevailing views

on human beings. From this point of view it is asked, if social work research can contribute to

alternative perspectives on human life? What kind of approach may this entail?

Peter Sommerfeld is professor of Social Work at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern

Switzerland, School of Social Work, Institute Social Work and Health. He is a board member of the

European Social Work Research Association.

Complexities and dynamics of a transdisciplinary discipline – challenges for research and

community building

Melting pot’, as used in the Call for Papers, is a nice metaphor for the challenges in which Social

Work has been developing since its very beginning. Diversity and integration in respect to both

knowledge and people is the leading polarity to explore. The proposition is to think about

transdisciplinarity, or at least a couple of its implications, so as to point in the direction of

something like an ‘integrated diversity’ instead of a (con-) ‘fusion of anything’.

The conference is held at Nordkraft in the center of Aalborg:

Conference venue Nordkraft originally contained the coal-burning power station in the city of Aalborg. Today it’s a platform for activities,

culture, sports and leisure. At the same time it is a meeting place for debates, events and conferences. A part of Aalborg University is

located at Nordkraft.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Aalborg!

For further information about the conference, please visit: http://www.ecswr2017.dk/

ESWRA Annual Awards for Outstanding Publications Francisco Branco

Aiming to contribute to the achievement of the European Social Work Research

Association goals, the annual ESWRA Awards for Outstanding Publications in European

Social Work were created. These include both a general award for an Outstanding

Publication in European Social Work Research and an award for research based on a

Doctoral Thesis/Dissertation.

Why are they relevant?

In accordance with ESWRA’s mission, the Awards aim to stimulate and support social

work research across Europe in seeking to promote a social work marked by knowledge,

evidence, understanding and justice.

In light of this, the ESWRA Awards intend to identify the most significant research in the

social work field, characterised by high quality standards and potential impact for policy-

makers, practitioners and other research users.

How are the Awards organised?

The awards are made for research papers in social work published for the first time in

2016 by members of ESWRA. The awards may be made to the individuals whose

research publication is deemed to have made the most significant contribution to research

in social work of those put forward for consideration.

In each year The ESWRA Award for an Outstanding Publication in European Social Work

Research relates to a research paper by a general member of ESWRA published either in

an Advance Access format or in hard copy during the period 1st January to 31st

December.

The ESWRA Award for an Outstanding Publication in European Social Work Research

Based on a Doctoral Thesis/Dissertation relates to a research paper published either in an

Advance Access format or in hard copy during the period 1st January to 31st December.

The degree will have been awarded not longer than three years prior to the award year.

‘Awarded’ means when the University formally wrote to confirm the acceptance of the PhD

thesis rather than the graduation ceremony.

Candidates for the award must be members of ESWRA at the time of nomination.

NB. Award for year 2017 is for an article published during the period 1st January to 31st

December of year 2016.

Nominations must demonstrate a significant contribution to research against the following

criteria:

— Overall research quality, including appropriate rigour, transparency and validity.

and one or more of the following:

— Carried out in a demonstrably new area of research

— Demonstrates methodological innovation

— Makes a significant conceptual or theoretical contribution to its field

— Has a (potential) impact for policy-makers, practitioners and other research users'

Detailed information about nomination, forms and other relevant topics are available on

ESWRA webpage [http://www.eswra.org/]

Upcoming deadlines

Nominations for the year 2017 must be received by Friday 2nd December 2016.

All nominees will be notified of the outcome by no later than Friday 13th January 2017.

The awards will be announced and presented during the ESWRA Annual Conference in

Aalborg 19th-21st April 2017.

An invitation to participate

As the Awards are a relatively recent ESWRA initiative, it is very important that all ESWRA

members contribute to their consolidation. For this reason, we would like to invite all

members to participate, either by directly nominating your own research publication, and/or

indirectly by encouraging colleagues and PhD students to participate.

Please note! The prizes are: a certificate of award, 500 Euros and the conference fee for

ECSWR 2017 and the conference dinner, and the winner will receive their award at an

awards ceremony during the conference!

GAIN RECOGNITION FOR AN OUTSTANDING PUBLICATION, AND WIN PRIZES!

GSW activities and news

Marjaana Seppanen and Mo Ray

The gerontological social work SIG (GSW SIG) had its inaugural meeting at the

ESWRA conference in Lisbon, earlier this year. The gerontological social work SIG

was established because the current status of academic activity in this area

highlights:

There are fewer social work academics with an active interest in older people

Research focusing on ageing exists – but gerontological social work research – or the social work contribution to inter disciplinary gerontogical research, is often not very visible

Improved structures for gerontological social work research are needed

Disseminating research and involving practitioners in research and research into practice is an ongoing area of need

Celebrating and recognizing the importance of social work with older people is an area of development.

Taking these areas of development together, the overarching aim of the SIG for

GSW is to bring together social work academics, researchers, practitioners and

policy makers with an interest in GSW. It is hoped that the SIG will provide a

positive forum to create networks, taking forward knowledge production and

knowledge transfer as well as creating a platform for sharing experience,

strengthening the position of GSW and developing research collaboration.

Thirteen people attended our inaugural meeting and, following discussion, a

number of preliminary decisions were made. As a means of communicating with

each other a Facebook page has been opened and of course, we have a web page

on the ESWRA web site.

A key activity is to gather information about the position of GSW in different

countries represented by SIG members and we are currently developing a

framework to collect this information. We are also in the process of collating

profiles of SIG members including their areas of research interest and expertise.

We look forward to hosting a pre-conference event at the 2017 conference and very

much look forward to seeing everyone – including we hope – new members to the

SIG!

About the Arts in Social Work SIG Ephrat Huss

The Arts in Social Work SIG is a new and exciting space to explore, theorize upon, and develop the

innovate use of arts within social work research, practice, teaching and supervision. It aims to create

together a coherent

Image of social worker drawing herself and her service user

theoretical base for including arts in social work through the examples of the participants. It is

relevant for those people who research on the interface between community art, arts based research,

art therapy and social work.

In our group we explore these connections and ideas through participants’ own research teaching

and practice, and aim to provide ideas, links to events, articles, recourses, and the power of a group

- to these brave explorers of these innovative frontiers. You definitely don’t have to be artistic to

join this group- as we are concerned with arts as expression and method, rather than as a final

product. When we meet it is worth it to see the light in the group participants’ eyes as they realize

that there are other people who share this belief in the connections between arts- humanities and

social work.

Activities of our SIG have so far included: introductions of everyone in the SIG in a paragraph;

exchange of our published materials and suggested literature and events on the subject; opening of a

group on Facebook so that anyone can join; collaboration with a similar group in the international

social work society; and most importantly, Professor Eltje Boss and myself are writing an edited

book on arts and social work that is based on people within the group (Call for papers was sent out

by ESWRA). We have also created panels for the next ESWRA conference, and for additional

social work conferences.

The Arts in Social Work SIG aims to explore, deepen and characterize this connection. Group

members use arts as intervention, method, product, subject, or as additional data in their research.

This can be qualitative, quantitative, participatory, intervention or descriptive research.

Anyone interested in the theoretical base of arts in social work- read on! Our SIG thinks that

the arts have much to contribute to social work. Compositionally, arts are constructed through the

relationship between the central subject and a background or surroundings, even if all of these

elements are abstract. On this level, images can be understood as opening up different ways of

thinking about the connection between personal identity and society, the central concern of social

work. There is at present an explosion in arts-based research, visual culture, visual anthropology,

and community art, that all agree that the indirect and embodied character of images is important

for researching marginalized populations who may have complex power relations with both

researchers and dominant verbal groups in their society. Although this direction clearly corresponds

to the aims of social work, there is very little literature on the use of arts as embedded within social

work theories and practice. Within the literature of social work, the word 'arts' is more often used as

a general metaphor than as a methodology and theoretical orientation for research.

Prof. Ephrat Huss

Chair: Arts in Social Work Masters Specialization Charlotte B. and Jack J. Spitzer Dept. of Social Work

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B 653, Beer-Sheva 84105Office: 972-8-6428136,