Download or read book Sanctified Snake Oil written by Susan K. Sarnoff and published by Praeger. This book was released on 2001-03-30 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Government supported junk social science-or sanctified snake oil as Sarnoff terms it-exists in all policy arenas along the entire political spectrum, as policy advocates seek to justify the continuation of ineffective programs and to block alternative solutions. This form of junk science is particularly dangerous and wasteful in terms of tax dollars because professional confirmation, media investigation and government support lend it an unwarranted imprimatur of validity. Sarnoff argues that it confuses the public and convinces them to support programs as ends in themselves, rather than determining whether or not such efforts actually achieve purported goals. Ineffectiveness, incompetence, lack of technology, ideology masquerading as policy, and even outright fraud serve to perpetuate the general confusion. This situation is exacerbated by the proliferation of media attention, much of it unmonitored for accuracy or bias. Sanctified snake oil, Sarnoff contends, spawns industries that drain public resources and attention from real, serious cases and distort public perceptions of the magnitude of the issues involved. This study sheds new light on this muddle and offers recommendations which will make it more difficult for junk science to represent itself as legitimate social policy.
Download or read book Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy written by and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Social Work Ethics written by Eileen Gambrill and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-05-15 with total page 471 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of essays highlights ethical issues in social work which are often overlooked as well as recurring clashes that influence how they play out, for example among different values and related moral judgements. A wide range of ethical issues are addressed such as the types of technologies incorporated into social work; issues raised by the common position of social workers as 'double agents' required to carry out state mandates while also honoring obligations to clients; and issues concerning the distribution of scarce resources. These topics are integrally related to other often neglected concerns such as harming in the name of helping; the ethics of claims making regarding what is true and what is not, and related concerns regarding empowerment and social justice. This collection, which includes essays from an array of professions and disciplines, is designed to bring these neglected topics to the attention of readers and to offer suggestions for addressing them in a manner that is faithful to obligations described in social work codes of ethics.
Download or read book Snake Oil Science written by R. Barker Bausell PhD and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-07-31 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Millions of people worldwide swear by such therapies as acupuncture, herbal cures, and homeopathic remedies. Indeed, complementary and alternative medicine is embraced by a broad spectrum of society, from ordinary people, to scientists and physicians, to celebrities such as Prince Charles and Oprah Winfrey. In the tradition of Michael Shermers Why People Believe Weird Things and Robert Parks's Voodoo Science, Barker Bausell provides an engaging look at the scientific evidence for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and at the logical, psychological, and physiological pitfalls that lead otherwise intelligent people--including researchers, physicians, and therapists--to endorse these cures. The books ultimate goal is to reveal not whether these therapies work--as Bausell explains, most do work, although weakly and temporarily--but whether they work for the reasons their proponents believe. Indeed, as Bausell reveals, it is the placebo effect that accounts for most of the positive results. He explores this remarkable phenomenon--the biological and chemical evidence for the placebo effect, how it works in the body, and why research on any therapy that does not factor in the placebo effect will inevitably produce false results. By contrast, as Bausell shows in an impressive survey of research from high-quality scientific journals and systematic reviews, studies employing credible placebo controls do not indicate positive effects for CAM therapies over and above those attributable to random chance. Here is not only an entertaining critique of the strangely zealous world of CAM belief and practice, but it also a first-rate introduction to how to correctly interpret scientific research of any sort. Readers will come away with a solid understanding of good vs. bad research practice and a healthy skepticism of claims about the latest miracle cure, be it St. John's Wort for depression or acupuncture for chronic pain.
Download or read book Families in Society written by and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 680 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Child Welfare Research written by Aron Shlonsky and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2008-04-25 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research has already been a significant factor in child welfare policy in recent years, but this essential new volume demonstrates that it has taken a leading role in the field to spur and guide change. In the incisive chapters gathered here, some of the field's top investigators present their work and assess its effect on the full spectrum of child welfare services. Future generations of researchers, as well as students, practitioners, and service providers, will find the resulting text indispensable. Edited by Duncan Lindsey and Aron Shlonsky, two of the discipline's most articulate voices, the book covers every base. The opening chapters situate child welfare research in the modern context; they are followed by discussions of evidence-based practice in the field, arguably its most pressing concern now. Recent years have seen historic rises in the number of children adopted through public agencies and, accordingly, permanent placement and family ties are critical topics that occupy the book's core, along with chapters broaching the thorny questions that surround decision-making and risk assessment. The urgent need for a more effective use of research and evidence is highlighted again with looks at the future of child protection and how concrete data can influence policy and help children. Finally, in recognition of the growing importance of a global view, closing chapters address international issues in child welfare research, including an examination of policies from abroad and a multinational comparison of the economic challenges facing single mothers and their children. With its insightful treatment of child welfare services in terms of the broader welfare system and acknowledgment of the myriad problems child welfare agencies face, this exceptional compendium offers a rich understanding of the social conditions that influence contemporary child welfare and enables the field to move ahead without losing sight of valuable lessons that have been learned.
Download or read book Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice written by Eileen Gambrill and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-04-26 with total page 676 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Praise for Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice, Third Edition "Eileen Gambrill is unparalleled in her ability to describe common flaws and biases in clinical decision making. The result in this revised edition is a steadfast call for change that also acknowledges the demands of practice. A must-read for clinicians and researchers alike." —Elizabeth K. Anthony, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Arizona State University "This Third Edition builds upon the impressive strengths of Gambrill's prior treatments of the topic to support the notion that critical thinking is a teachable skill and one essential for contemporary practice in the human services. This book should be the default authority on the topic of critical thinking for human service professionals and would be an excellent textbook." —Bruce A. Thyer, PhD, LCSW, Professor and former Dean, Florida State University College of Social Work "I was skeptical about how Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice could be improved, but Eileen Gambrill has succeeded! Her articulation of critical thinking skills for clinical decisions ultimately will benefit the people we serve." —Joanne Yaffe, PhD, ACSW, Associate Professor of Social Work and Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Utah A balanced and illustrative guide to incorporating critical-thinking values, knowledge, and skills into clinical education and practice Now in a third edition, Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice is written for helping professionals who want to think more clearly about the decisions they make and the context in which they make them. It is a practical volume for clinicians who would like to expand their knowledge of common pitfalls and fallacies in clinical reasoning. As in earlier editions, this Third Edition draws on research related to problem solving and decision making, illustrating the relevance of research findings to everyday clinical practice and policy. Revised throughout, the new edition includes discussion of: The influence of pharmaceutical companies on the helping professions, including disease mongering—the creation of bogus risks, problems, and needless worries Different kinds of propaganda in the helping professions that compromise informed consent Additional coverage of classification, pathology, reliance on authority, and hazards in data collection The development of decision aids of value to both professionals and clients The relative contribution of specific interventions compared to nonspecific factors to positive outcome Factors related to decision making in multidisciplinary teams New developments regarding intuitive and analytic reasoning The pragmatic theory of fallacies Designed to enhance the quality of services offered to clients, Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice, Third Edition is filled with insightful examples, useful lists, websites, and guidelines, presenting an essential resource for all helping professionals and students in the helping professions.
Download or read book Think Tank Research Quality written by Kevin G. Welner and published by IAP. This book was released on 2010-05-01 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Education policy over the past thirty years has been powerfully influenced by well-funded and slickly produced research reports produced by advocacy think tanks. The quality of think tank reports and the value of the policies they support have been sharply debated. To help policymakers, the media, and the public assess these quality issues, the Think Tank Review Project provides expert third party reviews. The Project has, since 2006, published 59 reviews of reports from 26 different institutions. This book brings together 21 of those reviews, focusing on examining the arguments and evidence used by think tanks to promote reforms such as vouchers, charter schools and alternative routes to teacher certification. The reviews are written using clear, non-academic language, with each review illustrating how readers can approach, understand and critique policy studies and reports. The book will be of interest to practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and anyone concerned with the current debates about educational reform.
Download or read book Comprehensive Handbook of Social Work and Social Welfare Social Work Practice written by and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-05-16 with total page 697 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comprehensive Handbook of Social Work and Social Welfare, Volume 3: The Profession of Social Work features contributions from leading international researchers and practitioners and presents the most comprehensive, in-depth source of information on the field of social work and social welfare.
Download or read book Propaganda in the Helping Professions written by Eileen Gambrill and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-02-20 with total page 584 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Propaganda in the helping professions has grown by leaps and bounds in recent decades, with alarming implications for clients and their families, as well as the professionals who try to help them. There is a fog that has been generated by corporate interests and organizations attempting to sell their services and products to desperate or poorly educated consumers. Propaganda in the Helping Professions is a guide to lifting the confusion. From phrenology to institutional crib-beds for adult psychiatric patients, from Roman bird-beak masks to drugs designed to combat overurination, readers are taken on a tour across the centuries of egregious practices of professionals and quacks including the present-day medicalization of our lives. The author, one of the field's most relentless critics of fads, phonies, and fallacies, shows readers how to think critically about both research and advertising in order to deliver effective services to clients and not be bamboozled by bogus claims about alleged problems, risks, and remedies. Incisive, interesting, eminently readable, and passionately argued, this book places responsibility for client well-being both on consumers--to raise questions--and on the professionals who claim to help them--to accurately answer them.
Download or read book Critical Thinking for Helping Professionals written by Eileen Gambrill and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-03-25 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Critical thinking values, knowledge, and skills are integral to evidence-based practice in the helping professions. Practitioners must be able to think clearly, on a daily basis, about decisions that may change their clients' lives. Critical Thinking for Helping Professionals, 3rd Edition, is designed to engage readers as active participants in honing their critical thinking skills, mastering a coherent decision-making process, and integrating the evidence-based practice process into their work with clients. In this interactive skills-based workbook, 37 hands-on exercises offer rich opportunities for students in professional education programs to learn how to make informed decisions. Unique material exploring the use of propaganda in advertising and discussing the research on judgment and problem solving highlight the connection between critical thinking and evidence-based practice. For students in social work, nursing, counseling, and psychology, this new edition of a unique workbook is a fun and thought-provoking way to sharpen and maximize their decision-making skills so that they can provide their clients with the best care possible. * Fun, interactive exercises emphasize learning by doing * Integrates research and practice, practice and policy, and critical thinking and evidence-based practice * Helps readers to recognize how to recognize propaganda, avoid pitfalls in decision making, critically appraise research, and improve their practice * Ideal for graduate and undergraduate courses in research and practice
Download or read book International Social Work Policy and Practice written by Carolyn J. Tice and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-10-07 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Authoritative coverage of social work policy and practice from a global perspective In order for social and economic justice to flourish globally, a greater understanding of practice and policy efforts from around the world is essential for today's professional in the human services. International Social Work Policy and Practice: Practical Insights and Perspectives provides practitioners and students with contemporary examples and thought-provoking activities to promote in-depth insight and analysis of global social welfare issues such as poverty and the environment. Thorough and practical, this book examines social work policy and practice within the context of global interdependence and culturally appropriate modes of everyday practice. Its country-by-country coverage includes Peru, Mongolia, Portugal, Malawi, Costa Rica, and South Africa, following a consistent structure that, in addition to offering real-life examples, delves into the theoretical underpinnings, ethical dilemmas, policy concerns, and strategies for promoting social and economic justice. Each example of international practice-contributed by internationally recognized professionals who have lived and worked in the nation they are writing about-allows readers to immerse themselves in that country's cultural, social, historical, political, and economic context. Reflective exercises and Web-based, interactive activities give readers the chance to connect and apply what they've learned. Serving as an impetus for learning more about the unique struggles and strengths of those in countries around the world, International Social Work Policy and Practice offers intriguing firsthand observations and perspectives on the relevance of social work's leadership role in grappling with the human elements and challenges associated with globalization.
Download or read book Mental Disorders in the Social Environment written by Stuart A. Kirk and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social workers provide more mental health services than any other profession, yet recent biomedical trends in psychiatry appear to minimize the importance of their traditional concerns, which focus on the social environment that accompanies mental disorders and their treatment. In twenty-four chapters written by distinguished scholars this book not only calls attention to this emerging problem and challenges conventional mental health beliefs and practices, but also raises provocative questions: Has social work become too closely associated with psychiatry and too quick to adopt a medical approach? Has the focus on the therapeutic relationship negated social work's commitment to social reform? Is the social worker marginalized by the emphasis in mental health on biochemistry and psychopharmacology? This book calls on social workers and other health care professionals to be more skeptical about diagnosis, community treatment, evidence-based practice, psychotherapy, medications, and managed care.
Download or read book Taboo Issues in Social Science written by Anthony Walsh and published by Vernon Press. This book was released on 2020-10-06 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an expedition into a number of controversial issues in the social sciences with the intention of challenging the conventional wisdom on those issues. While most social science research is interesting and important, a fair amount of social science research is thinly disguised advocacy research in which conclusions too often precede inquiries. The primary topics are those that the journal Nature described as "Taboo". In order of the degree of censure, the topics are: race, sex differences, intelligence, and violence. The only way to examine these topics with the social science seal of approval attached is through a strictly environmental lens. To bring biological factors to bear on them is politically incorrect and can bring the wrath of the academy down on one’s head. Although many researchers successfully bring biology into their research on these issues, they are said to risk career and reputation for doing so. Speech codes stifling free intellectual exchange pervade the ivory tower, and an overwhelmingly liberal faculty hell-bent on eliminating any vestiges of opposition to their ideology. This is unconscionable in an institution that is supposed to value free exchange of all ideas and opinions. The current state of academic social science is examined before entering the substantive realm to try to explore how the topics I explore have become protected from any claims of "naturalness." Because the left rejects the idea of human nature, it insists that these things are products of social learning and/or social construction and are entirely fluid. To maintain this position in light of the huge and exponential successes of the natural sciences, the left embraces such frames of reasoning as postmodernism, radical relativism, multiculturalism, and political correctness, all of which are examined in this book. Also discussed are human nature, whiteness studies, political temperaments, various criminal justice issues, and capitalism versus socialism.
Download or read book Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Clinical Social Work Practice written by Arthur Freeman, EdD, ABPP and published by Springer Publishing Company. This book was released on 2006-11-07 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Edited by a leading social work authority and a master CBT clinician, this first-of-its-kind handbook provides the foundations and training that social workers need to master cognitive behavior therapy. From traditional techniques to new techniques such as mindfulness meditation and the use of DBT, the contributors ensure a thorough and up-to-date presentation of CBT. Covered are the most common disorders encountered when working with adults, children, families, and couples including: Anxiety disorders Depression Personality disorder Sexual and physical abuse Substance misuse Grief and bereavement Eating disorders Written by social workers for social workers, this new focus on the foundations and applications of cognitive behavior therapy will help individuals, families, and groups lead happier, fulfilled, and more productive lives.
Download or read book Psychotherapy and the Social Clinic in the United States written by William M. Epstein and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-12-07 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a compelling critical analysis of American society by examining the role of psychotherapy within social policy and the culture that has fashioned it. It takes a deeply critical look at ‘the social clinic,’ defined here as a ubiquitous organizational arrangement that includes clinical and community psychology, counseling, clinical social work, psychiatry, much of the self-help industry, complementary and alternative medicine and others. Epstein’s analysis concludes that the social clinic lacks credible evidence of effectiveness and its continued popularity expresses popular but predatory American values such as romantic individualism, the triumph of the subjective, a sense of personal and political chosenness, persistent bigotry, and a preference for tribal as opposed to civic identities. This careful examination of American society through the lens of psychotherapeutic practice characterizes the social clinic as a soothing fiction of the United States. The book offers caring services as the unrealized alternative to clinical treatment, capable of achieving greater personal adjustment as well as social and economic equality. It will appeal to readers with an interest in social welfare, public policy, and public administration, as well as to students and scholars of psychotherapy, counseling, social work, rehabilitation, and community psychology.
Download or read book Principles of Psychology written by Matt Jarvis and published by . This book was released on 2019-12-27 with total page 959 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Principles of Psychology offers students a complete introduction to psychology. It balances contemporary approaches with classic perspectives, weaves stimulating conceptual issues throughout the text, and encourages students to think critically, creatively, and practically about the subject and how it applies to the real-world.
