{"title":"Christianity and mental illness stigma: critical and constructive perspectives on blame and social distancing","authors":"C. Lehmann","doi":"10.1080/15426432.2021.1971593","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2021.1971593","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Despite tendencies among some Christians to ostracize people with mental illness, the Christian emphasis on love for one’s neighbor discourages such stigma. This article reviewed the empirical research literature on two components of mental illness stigma, blame and social distancing, and offered commentary in proposing a more nuanced view informed by Christian theology. In regards to blame, Scriptural warnings about the risks of false, harsh, or oppressive blaming indicate considerable agreement with the research literature’s concerns about blaming. At the same time, the importance of moral responsibility in Christian theology suggests that some forms of rebuke, if done gently with concern for the well-being of the person, can promote a sense of responsibility and efforts to change problematic behavior. In regards to social distancing, the practices of hospitality and fellowship, especially toward those who are in need or oppressed, are crucial aspects of Christ’s teaching. Nevertheless, theological perspectives seem to suggest that exclusion, rather than mere distancing, was the primary concern of Scripture, as boundaries are often necessary to protect against harm toward other members of the community. Important lessons for Christians from the psychological literature on stigma toward mental illness are reviewed.","PeriodicalId":45302,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN SOCIAL WORK","volume":"17 1","pages":"66 - 89"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89966374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“They are my family”: exploring the usage of spiritual and religious supports by survivors of intimate partner violence","authors":"Morgan Braganza, Sandy Hoy, G. Lafrenière","doi":"10.1080/15426432.2021.1955427","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2021.1955427","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The study of help seeking experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors typically focus on traditional supports such as mental health and community services. Spiritual or religious supports are utilized in ways often overlooked because issues of spirituality and religiosity are infrequently discussed in IPV scholarship and social services. Using qualitative interviews and focus group data of 104 women who survived IPV from three geographic areas in Ontario, Canada, this article explores the usage of intrinsic, informal, and formal spiritual and religious supports by a subset of participants. Implications for social work professionals, including those working in the area of IPV are discussed.","PeriodicalId":45302,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN SOCIAL WORK","volume":"102 1","pages":"23 - 50"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80619953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Z. Hatta, Z. Saad, Tulshi Kumar Das, Isahaque Ali, Md. Anwar Hossain, Mohd Haizzan Yahaya
{"title":"Islamic and local knowledge on social work in Malaysia and Bangladesh","authors":"Z. Hatta, Z. Saad, Tulshi Kumar Das, Isahaque Ali, Md. Anwar Hossain, Mohd Haizzan Yahaya","doi":"10.1080/15426432.2021.1949425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2021.1949425","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Professional social work emerged on the basis of secular and Eurocentric worldview in the West in the late 19th century. As emerging nations in the 1940s, Asian Muslims were not spared being colonized in ways more than just physical presence by foreign powers. This article describes briefly how professional social work entered Malaysia and Bangladesh. The focus is to show how Western-based social work knowledge influenced the respective curriculums in the two mentioned countries. Muslims, in terms of knowledge and their religion of Islam have not made an imprint on the body of knowledge in social work. With the current ongoing discourses on the definition of social work, this article presents how Islam and local knowledge can play a mainstream role in questioning the colonial assumptions inherent in much accepted social work knowledge. While there are similarities between Western and Islamic values in reference to helping, there are also differences in which the latter is more suitable for the local population. Therefore, this article is also an initiative to start a dialog and a determined effort toward putting Islamic and local knowledge as a part of social work curricula and practice in Malaysia and Bangladesh.","PeriodicalId":45302,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN SOCIAL WORK","volume":"53 1","pages":"475 - 493"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81144567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Finding their way: young adults, Progressive Christianity and social work","authors":"S. Ball, B. Crisp","doi":"10.1080/15426432.2021.1955428","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2021.1955428","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six young Australians aged 18 to 30 who identify as Progressive Christians, exploring their experiences of belonging. Being true to one’s own beliefs invariably brought change to relationships, with all participants reported seeking out new forms of community, either in person or online. However, some also continued their involvement in communities which did not accept their Progressive stance, citing a responsibility to support others on the margins of these communities. Social workers can support Progressive Christians through experiences of change, grief and loss associated with their involvement in a faith community.","PeriodicalId":45302,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN SOCIAL WORK","volume":"17 2 1","pages":"51 - 65"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83150861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Social work & religion: “problems and possibilities” in 2021","authors":"Eileen A. Dombo","doi":"10.1080/15426432.2021.1950384","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2021.1950384","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45302,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN SOCIAL WORK","volume":"49 1","pages":"237 - 238"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74710581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What impacts Jewish orthodox womens’ mikvah experience?","authors":"Naomi Rosenbach, M. J. Salamon, Leora Levine","doi":"10.1080/15426432.2021.1912687","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2021.1912687","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Jewish law requires married females to immerse in a ritual bath conducted under the observation of a female mikvah attendant, in order to resume marital sexual relations post menstruation. Previous research suggests that while some women describe their mikvah experience as pleasant and spiritual, others find it difficult and unpleasant. A preliminary survey was constructed to test variables that may influence female mikvah experience. A total of 368 women responded. Mikvah attendant respect, mikvah attendant intrusiveness, history of abuse and self-rated, knowledge of mikvah laws were all significantly correlated with mikvah experience. Participants’ qualitative responses were analyzed and themes regarding female empowerment and choice in the mikvah process emerged suggesting the need to reflect the mikvah users.","PeriodicalId":45302,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN SOCIAL WORK","volume":"20 1","pages":"239 - 251"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88556638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"On a theology of social work: Historical teachings in contemporary clinical applications","authors":"Widian Nicola","doi":"10.1080/15426432.2021.1939226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2021.1939226","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT A Christian identity, coupled with clinical social work, can offer a unique lens through which continued clinical work around trauma and healing is both informed and directed. I have leaned heavily on a theology of social work, which fuses clinical knowledge with Christian teachings on healing, sin, and grace. Of paramount importance, however, has been the translation of traditional understandings of these concepts into modern comprehensions and contemporary language, based on well-informed developmental interpersonal neurobiology research, and nearly twenty years of clinical encounters. Through clinical vignettes, a clarified perspective and application of historical Christian teachings is offered, one that esteems relationality and the therapeutic alliance, prioritizes the intersubjective experience, contextualizes contemporary culture, and embraces the principal tenants of attachment theory as foundational to our understanding of the lived experience of grace and healing clarified in the scriptures.","PeriodicalId":45302,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN SOCIAL WORK","volume":"50 1","pages":"3 - 22"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87376945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Arab Muslim social workers between the Sharia and Western interventions and their coping mechanisms","authors":"Ibrahim Mahajne, N. Alhuzail, A. Bar-on","doi":"10.1080/15426432.2021.1924099","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2021.1924099","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This exploratory study of 34 religious, traditional, and secular Arab Muslim social workers in Israel traces the dilemmas caused by potential clashes between their professional and religious values. The findings suggest that although all the interviewees were aware of such clashes, only the religious ones adopted coping strategies to address them. The traditional workers regarded the conflicts in universal moral terms, and the secular workers distanced themselves from their religion. None of the respondents were familiar with the Islamization of social work in the Arab world that might have helped them resolve their dilemmas.","PeriodicalId":45302,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN SOCIAL WORK","volume":"26 1","pages":"459 - 474"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89128423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Graduate social work program leaders’ perceived support and barriers to integrating spirituality in the curriculum","authors":"K. Moffatt, Holly K. Oxhandler, S. Baldwin","doi":"10.1080/15426432.2021.1919591","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2021.1919591","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This paper describes the qualitative responses of a national survey of 56 Master Social Work (MSW) program leaders concerning their perceptions of factors that support or hinder the integration of religion and spirituality (RS) into the MSW curriculum. The overarching themes regarding what supports the inclusion of a RS course or infusion of RS content include faculty interest, religious affiliation of the university, and student interest. Themes describing what hinders the inclusion of a RS course or infusion of RS content include lack of time, lack of resources, and lack of faculty experience. Implications for MSW programs and future curricula development are discussed.","PeriodicalId":45302,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN SOCIAL WORK","volume":"103 1","pages":"443 - 458"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85848955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The yamas and niyamas of ashtanga yoga: relevance to social work practice","authors":"Arielle Dylan, Kody Muncaster","doi":"10.1080/15426432.2021.1912686","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2021.1912686","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Yoga has gained popularity in the West as not only a method of physical exercise, but also for many, as a source of healing, social transformation and a way of life. Despite this, little literature exists examining the utility of yoga and its philosophical roots for social work. This paper explores the first two limbs of the eight-limbed ashtanga yoga system, the yamas (ethical restraints) and the niyamas (spiritually conducive practices), discussing their relevance to social work practice, particularly in the context of social work ethical theory. The yamas are the ethical restraints of ahimsa (nonviolence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacarya (sensual abstinence or restraint), and aparigraha (non-avarice, non-possessiveness). The niyamas are practices conducive to spiritual development: sauca (purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (persistence), svadhyaya (study of sacred scriptures), and isvara pranidhana (contemplation of the divine). The yamas and niyamas are an example of the coalescence of deontological, consequentialist, virtue, and feminist ethics. This piece explores each yama and niyama, describing both their traditional roots and their implications for social work ethical theory and practice.","PeriodicalId":45302,"journal":{"name":"JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY IN SOCIAL WORK","volume":"87 1","pages":"420 - 442"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2021-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89870765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}