Download or read book Social Measurement written by Donald T. Campbell and published by SAGE Publications, Incorporated. This book was released on 2001-02-02 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This essential work in social measurement includes: arguments as to why qualitative approaches belong with quantitative ones; a debate with deconstructionists and social constructionists on measurement validity, and an expansion and further explanation of the multitrait-multimethod matrix.
Download or read book The Handbook of Social Work Research Methods written by Bruce Thyer and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2010 with total page 1345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In the field of social work, qualitative research is starting to gain more prominence as are mixed methods and various issues regarding race, ethnicity and gender. These changes in the field are reflected and updated in "The Handbook of Social Work Research Methods, Second Edition". This text contains meta analysis, designs to evaluate treatment and provides the support to help students harness the power of the Internet. This handbook brings together leading scholars in research methods in social work." --Book Jacket.
Download or read book Practicing Rights written by David Androff and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-07-03 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social work Codes of Ethics of professional organizations around the world appeal to the concept of people having ‘rights’ that social workers need to respect and advocate for. However, it isn’t always clear how social workers can actually incorporate human rights-based approaches in their practice, whether domestic or international. This book fills this gap by advancing rights-based approaches to social work. The first part gives an overview of the relationship between human rights and social work, and outlines a model for how rights-based approaches can be integrated into social work practice. The second part introduces the rights-based framework across five mainstream areas of practice – poverty, child welfare, older adults, health, and mental health. Each of these substantive chapters: introduces the area of practice and traditional social welfare interventions associated with it outlines relevant human rights frameworks explores case studies showcasing rights-based approaches presents practical implications for implementing rights-based social work practice. The book ends with a discussion of the limitations and criticisms of rights-based approaches and lays out some future directions for practice. This accessible text is designed for all those interested in learning how to introduce human rights-based interventions into their practice. It will be of particular use to social work students taking direct practice, macro practice, social policy, international social work and human rights courses as part of their program.
Download or read book Measurement Theory and Applications for the Social Sciences written by Deborah L. Bandalos and published by Guilford Publications. This book was released on 2018-01-31 with total page 686 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Which types of validity evidence should be considered when determining whether a scale is appropriate for a given measurement situation? What about reliability evidence? Using clear explanations illustrated by examples from across the social and behavioral sciences, this engaging text prepares students to make effective decisions about the selection, administration, scoring, interpretation, and development of measurement instruments. Coverage includes the essential measurement topics of scale development, item writing and analysis, and reliability and validity, as well as more advanced topics such as exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, item response theory, diagnostic classification models, test bias and fairness, standard setting, and equating. End-of-chapter exercises (with answers) emphasize both computations and conceptual understanding to encourage readers to think critically about the material. ÿ
Download or read book Social Support Measurement and Intervention written by Sheldon Cohen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2000-10-19 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Surgery and pharmaceuticals are not the only effective procedures we have to improve our health. The natural human tendency to care for fellow humans, to support them with social networks, has proven to be a powerful treatment as well. As a result, the areas of application for social support intervention have expanded dramatically during the past 20 years. As these areas have expanded, so too has the literature on the theory and measurement of social support. Yet, the literature has focussed on very particular areas. Investigators in the social sciences have mainly focused on the protection that social support confers in the context of stressful life events and transitions, whereas studies in the health sciences have concentrated on the effects of social networks and supports on population mortality and morbidity. Although no single theoretical framework has been widely accepted, there is consensus that both the psychological sense of support and actual expressions of support play critical roles in maintaining health and well being. This book is a state-of-the-art resource for the selection and development of strategies for social support assessment and intervention. Designed for use by behavioral and medical scientists conducting studies of physical illness, psychological adjustment, and psychiatric illness in human populations, this volume presents a broad conceptual framework addressing the role of social support in mental and physical health. The book is divided into four sections. The first provides some historical context as well as a conceptual overview of how social support might influence mental and physical health. The second discusses techniques for measuring social networks and support, and the third addresses the design of different types of support interventions. The final section presents some general comments on the volume and its implications for social support research and intervention. This resource is meant to aid researchers in understanding the conceptual criteria on which measurement and intervention decisions should be made when studying the relations between social support and health. Furthermore, the information provided on both measurement and intervention will be valuable to practitioners interested in designing and evaluating prevention and treatment initiatives. Sponsored by the Fetzer Institute as a follow up to their successful 1995 publication, Measuring Stress, this book will provide the most up to date research on the effects of social support interventions on physical and mental health.
Download or read book Social Work Research and Evaluation written by Richard M. Grinnell, Jr. and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-08-26 with total page 1196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over thirty years of input from instructors and students have gone into this popular research methods text, resulting in a refined ninth edition that is easier to read, understand, and apply than ever before. Using unintimidating language and real-world examples, it introduces students to the key concepts of evidence-based practice that they will use throughout their professional careers. It emphasizes both quantitative and qualitative approaches to research, data collection methods, and data analysis, providing students with the tools they need to become evidence-based practitioners.
Download or read book Graduate Research Methods in Social Work written by Matthew P. DeCarlo and published by . This book was released on 2020-07-10 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Practice of Research in Social Work written by Rafael J. Engel and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2016-01-14 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors are proud sponsors of the 2020 SAGE Keith Roberts Teaching Innovations Award—enabling graduate students and early career faculty to attend the annual ASA pre-conference teaching and learning workshop. The Fourth Edition of The Practice of Research in Social Work introduces an integrated set of techniques for evaluating research and practice problems as well as conducting studies. Evidence-based practice comes alive through illustrations of actual social work research. Updated with new examples, the latest research, and expanded material on technology and qualitative methods, this popular text helps readers achieve the 2015 EPAS core competencies essential for social work practice..
Download or read book Clinical Assessment for Social Workers written by Catheleen Jordan and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-08-31 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Clinical Assessment for Social Workers provides a wide range of standardized assessment tools, derived from different perspectives, to give readers greater flexibility in information gathering and intervention planning. Incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods, the authors encourage readers to approach assessment as both an art and a science. They advocate for discovering the balance between scientific, evidence-based approaches and the development of personal practice wisdom.
Download or read book Measuring and Improving Social Impacts written by Marc J. Epstein and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-09-08 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Identifying, measuring and improving social impact is a significant challenge for corporate and private foundations, charities, NGOs and corporations. How best to balance possible social and environmental benefits (and costs) against one another? How does one bring clarity to multiple possibilities and opportunities? Based on years of work and new field studies from around the globe, the authors have written a book for managers that is grounded in the best academic and managerial research.It is a practical guide that describes the steps needed for identifying, measuring and improving social impact. This approach is useful in maximizing the impact of different types of investments, including grants and donations, impact investments, and commercial investments.With numerous examples of actual organizational approaches, research into more than fifty organizations, and extensive practical guidance and best practices, Measuring and Improving Social Impacts fills a critical gap.
Download or read book Measuring Social Change written by Alnoor Ebrahim and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2019-07-16 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The social sector is undergoing a major transformation. We are witnessing an explosion in efforts to deliver social change, a burgeoning impact investing industry, and an unprecedented intergenerational transfer of wealth. Yet we live in a world of rapidly rising inequality, where social sector services are unable to keep up with societal need, and governments are stretched beyond their means. Alnoor Ebrahim addresses one of the fundamental dilemmas facing leaders as they navigate this uncertain terrain: performance measurement. How can they track performance towards worthy goals such as reducing poverty, improving public health, or advancing human rights? What results can they reasonably measure and legitimately take credit for? This book tackles three core challenges of performance faced by social enterprises and nonprofit organizations alike: what to measure, what kinds of performance systems to build, and how to align multiple demands for accountability. It lays out four different types of strategies for managers to consider—niche, integrated, emergent, and ecosystem—and details the types of performance measurement and accountability systems best suited to each. Finally, this book examines the roles of funders such as impact investors, philanthropic foundations, and international aid agencies, laying out how they can best enable meaningful performance measurement.
Download or read book Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Constructs written by Gregory J. Boyle and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2014-09-04 with total page 825 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Constructs assists researchers and practitioners by identifying and reviewing the best scales/measures for a variety of constructs. Each chapter discusses test validity, reliability, and utility. Authors have focused on the most often used and cited scales/measures, with a particular emphasis on those published in recent years. Each scale is identified and described, the sample on which it was developed is summarized, and reliability and validity data are presented, followed by presentation of the scale, in full or in part, where such permission has been obtained. Measures fall into five broad groups. The emotional disposition section reviews measures of general affective tendencies, and/or cognitive dispositions closely linked to emotion. These measures include hope and optimism, anger and hostility, life satisfaction, self-esteem, confidence, and affect dimensions. Emotion regulation scales go beyond general dispositions to measure factors that may contribute to understanding and managing emotions. These measures include alexithymia, empathy, resiliency, coping, sensation seeking, and ability and trait emotional intelligence. The interpersonal styles section introduces some traditional social–psychological themes in the context of personality assessment. These measures include adult attachment, concerns with public image and social evaluation, and forgiveness. The vices and virtues section reflects adherence to moral standards as an individual characteristic shaped by sociocultural influences and personality. These measures include values and moral personality, religiosity, dark personalities (Machiavellianism,narcissism, and subclinical psychopathy), and perfectionism. The sociocultural interaction and conflict section addresses relationships between different groups and associated attitudes. These measures include cross-cultural values, personality and beliefs, intergroup contact, stereotyping and prejudice, attitudes towards sexual orientation, and personality across cultures. - Encompasses 25 different areas of psychology research - Each scale has validity, reliability info, info on test bias, etc - Multiple scales discussed for each construct - Discussion of which scales are appropriate in which circumstances and to what populations - Examples of scales included
Download or read book Measuring the Performance of Human Service Programs written by Lawrence L. Martin and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2010 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Government and nongovernmental human service organizations are under increasing pressure to demonstrate that their programs work. As stakeholders demand more accountability, human service organizations are increasingly utilizing performance accountability and performance measurement as a way of demonstrating the efficiency, quality, and effectiveness of their programs. Measuring the Performance of Human Service Programs, Second Edition examines the reasons why performance measurement has become the major method of performance accountability today. In this second edition of their classic work, Martin & Kettner explain in detail how to develop and utilize output, quality, and outcome performance measures in human service programs. Special attention is given to the four types of outcome performance measures: numeric counts, standardized measures, level of functioning (LOF) scales and client satisfaction.
Download or read book Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2020-05-14 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.
Download or read book Qualitative Methods in Social Work Research written by Deborah K. Padgett and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2016-05-25 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Qualitative Methods in Social Work Research provides accessible, how-to instruction for carrying out rigorous qualitative research. Deborah K. Padgett’s thoroughly revised Third Edition offers a comprehensive introduction to qualitative methods based on six major approaches: ethnography, grounded theory, case study, narrative, phenomenological, and participatory action research. Readers will appreciate the book’s ease of use, friendly writing style, and helpful cases/examples that combine attention to methodological rigor with pragmatic concerns for real-world relevance.
Download or read book Taking the Measure of Work written by Dail L. Fields and published by IAP. This book was released on 2013-06-01 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a handbook for people who want to assure the use of reliable and valid questionnaires for collecting information about organizations. It significantly reduces the time and effort required for obtaining validated multi-question measures of aspects of organizational ‘health’ such as employee job satisfaction, organizational commitment, organizational justice, and workplace behaviors. It helps users in measuring some factors underlying employee perceptions of work such as job characteristics, role ambiguity or conflict, job stress, and the extent to which employees believe their values and those of the organization are congruent. All the measures in the book have been used and tested in research studies published in the 1990’s. In addition, all the measures describe the extent and types of reliability and validity tests that have been completed, a feature that organizational researchers should find particularly useful. All in all, this book is a handy tool to increase the efficiency of researchers, consultants, managers, or organizational development specialists in obtaining reliable and valid information about how employees view their jobs and organizations.
Download or read book Evaluation and Social Work Practice written by Ian Shaw and published by SAGE. This book was released on 1999-05-19 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evaluation and Social Work Practice offers a comprehensive treatment of the central issues confronting evaluation in social work that links theory and method to practical applications. Evaluation is an integral part of social work and social care provision, for both practice and service delivery. Evaluation can improve effectiveness and increase accountability and help develop new models of practice and service delivery. The authors argue that evaluation should not just be applied to practice but should be a direct dimension of practice. Appealing to the student, researcher and practitioner, Evaluation and Social Work Practice will become the standard reference source on evaluation in social work. XX
