Use of Oral History Methods in Social Work: A Scoping Review

PURPOSE

Oral history as a method of understanding the lived experience spans multiple disciplines including education, women and gender studies, history, and disability studies. Oral histories can be a vehicle for people on the periphery to tell their stories, a method well suited to pursuits related to social justice and social work. The purpose of this manuscript is to report on a scoping review that was conducted to better understand how oral history methods have been used in social work.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

To answer our review question, we use an established scoping review framework. Based on eligibility criteria, 23 manuscripts were identified - all published in peer-reviewed English language journals between 2005 and 2023 and written by social work-credentialed authors.

RESULTS

The authors identified three themes that reflect the uses of oral history studies in social work: oral history used as a teaching tool in social work education, oral history used to document the experiences and knowledge of social service trailblazers, and commentaries about using oral history and other biographical methods in social work.

DISCUSSION

This review highlights how oral history, as a method, has contributed to social work research and scholarship.

CONCLUSION

Recommendations are made as to the usefulness of oral history to address social problems and practice issues important to the field of social work.

Mentoring Social Work PhD Students to Help Re-imagine Long-term Care

This commentary explores the role of mentoring in creating the next generation of gerontological social work scholars through examining the mentoring of Dr. Rosalie Kane. We review how Rosalie exemplified some of key characteristics of an exceptional academic mentor based on communications with many of her former mentees, provide an account of her last formal mentoring relationship with a graduate student, and discuss how Rosalie's mentorship related to her hopes for re-imagining long-term care and the future of gerontological social work.

Child safeguarding practices in light of the Deserving/Undeserving paradigm: A historical & contemporary analysis

BACKGROUND

Contemporary child protection systems in the UK need to be seen in light of the late nineteenth century child rescue movement, at a time of curbs in public spending, shifts in attitudes towards children's welfare and the development of social work. There are similarities in the social, institutional and legal contexts, between the nineteenth century and today, centralising 'deservedness', that determined and determines children's access to services.

OBJECTIVE

The current article compares historical data and practices of children in care in the UK, encompassing 1881-1918, with contemporary data and practices, through the lens of the deserving/undeserving paradigm, inherited from the Poor Law of 1834.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Drawing on two data sets, namely historic children's case files (N = 108), 1881-1918 from the Children's Society (a philanthropic institution) highlighting the perception of custodians, doctors, professionals, as well as children and parents, and current data from interviews with young care leavers and safeguarding practitioners (N = 42), our research focuses on the most disadvantaged children with complex needs and damaging (pre)care experiences.

METHODS

Data is analysed using thematic content analysis, framed within critical realist ontology, taking account of stratified non-linear dynamics of processes at different levels.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

In both data sets the inability to support certain children is justified by referring to their complex needs and mental health and behavioural problems., Here, the child is held accountable and placed in the 'undeserving' category and consequently misses out on help and support, highlighting a need for awareness, and reflective and reflexive practice among practitioners/professionals.

A History of Social Work in Public Health

Social work is a core health profession with origins deeply connected to the development of contemporary public health in the United States. Today, many of the nation's 600 000 social workers practice broadly in public health and in other health settings, drawing on a century of experience in combining clinical, intermediate, and population approaches for greater health impact. Yet, the historic significance of this long-standing interdisciplinary collaboration-and its current implications-remains underexplored in the present era. This article builds on primary and contemporary sources to trace the historic arc of social work in public health, providing examples of successful collaborations. The scope and practices of public health social work practice are explored, and we articulate a rationale for an expanded place for social work in the public health enterprise.

Social Justice for Crossover Youth: The Intersection of the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems

Social workers are critical to promoting racial and social justice. "Crossover youth," a term used to describe youths who have contact with both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, are an especially vulnerable but often overlooked population with whom social workers engage. A disproportionate number of crossover youth are African American. Empirical research on crossover youth is growing, but such scholarship rarely engages with a human rights and social justice perspective. African American children and youths have a distinct place within the history and current context of the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. These systems have historically excluded them or treated them differently; now, African American youths are overrepresented in each of them, and evidence suggests they are more likely to cross over. The purpose of this article is to describe the historical and current context of crossover youth, with a particular focus on African American youths, to provide the foundation for a discussion of what social workers can do to promote racial and social justice for crossover youth, including specific implications for practice and policy, as well as broader implications for human and civil rights.

FROM GHOST TO ANCESTOR: SÁNDOR FERENCZI'S IMPACT ON CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK

Beginning in the 1920s, Freudian psychoanalytic theory had a deep impact on social work practice and education and helped to professionalize clinical social work. Not as well-known was the role that Freud's patient and colleague Sándor Ferenczi played in this evolution. Through a review of the relevant literature and primary sources-some presented here for the first time-I will explore the ways in which Ferenczi's work directly impacted the development of clinical social work.

PART 2. NEPHROLOGY SOCIAL WORK: LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD

The field of nephrology social work has undergone considerable change since the release of the 1976 federal regulations requiring a master's level social worker to be part of the renal team. Moderated by veteran nephrology social worker Stephanie Johnstone, LCSW, those who have served patients in the front lines of kidney care speak here about the past-"What has nephrology social work contributed in the last three decades, and what it has struggled to accomplish?" - and about the future: "How can nephrology social workers best serve patients in the years ahead? Where is their greatest potential to advance the industry?" Ms. Johnstone, an NN&I Editorial Advisory Board member, has worked for Fresenius Kidney Care for over 33 years. She is currently the Field Support Liaison, Clinical Innovations Team and Lead Social Worker, So Cal Region for FKC, and is based in San Diego.

Financial Capability in Early Social Work Practice: Lessons for Today

During the profession's first decades, social workers tried to improve their clients’ financial capability (FC). This article describes the methods used by early social workers who attempted to enhance the FC of their clients, based on contemporary descriptions of their practice. Social workers initially emphasized thrift, later adding more sophisticated consideration of the cost of foods, rent, and other necessities. Social work efforts were furthered by home economists, who served as specialists in nutrition, clothing, interior design, and other topics related to homemaking. Early home economists included specialists in nutrition and family budgeting; these specialists worked with social services agencies to provide a financial basis for family budgets and assisted clients with family budgeting. Some agencies engaged home economists as consultants and as direct providers of instruction on home budgets for clients. By the 1930s, however, social work interest in family budget problems focused on the psychological meaning of low income to the client, rather than in measures to increase client FC. Consequently, social workers’ active engagement with family budget issues—engagement that characterized earlier decades—faded. These early efforts can inform contemporary practice as social workers are once again concerned about improving their clients’ FC.

Professional Resistance in Social Work: Counterpractice Assemblages

The goal of this article is to deepen understanding of the concept of professional resistance. Studies show that social workers in various parts of the world are increasingly confronted with regulations, programs, and policies that challenge their ability to carry out their professional mission in an ethical manner. Social workers may also find themselves under the pressure of periodic retrenchment resulting from budgetary constraints and subjected to worsening working conditions and threats of wage or social benefit reduction. Therefore, it is not surprising that social workers are sometimes required to engage in actions to oppose these negative realities or, in other words, to practice professional resistance. However, despite its growing relevance, the term "professional resistance" remains both theoretically obscure and marginal to social work practice. This article traces the presence of the concept in social work history, examines divergent uses of the concept in social work literature, introduces theoretical perspectives that may help practitioners enlarge their professional repertoire, provides concrete cases of resistance in different contexts, and finally proposes some paths to professional resistance.

Family Planning for Low-Income African American Families: Contributions of Social Work Pioneer Ophelia Settle Egypt

Historically, African Americans made huge contributions to the field of social welfare and the social work profession, yet little has been written about them in the professional literature. This article explores the contributions of pioneering social worker Ophelia Settle Egypt. A thorough assessment of her pioneering role would reveal her unique work as an educator, researcher, and grassroots social worker, but the focus here is on her innovative commitment to the Planned Parenthood movement. Egypt's work around population control in her Southeast Washington, DC, neighborhood with low-income African American families in the early 1950s became a labor of love in her community that can help inform current practice approaches in urban environments with African American populations.

The Social Work Reinvestment Initiative: advocacy and social work practice

In 2006, NASW launched the Social Work Reinvestment Initiative by granting each state chapter $15,000 in seed money to address the most pressing social work needs in the state. This article describes how NASW-SD, with 246 members, launched an epic campaign that resulted in the establishment of the only MSW program in South Dakota. Using historical research methods, this article demonstrates the power of social work advocacy when members unify in pursuit of a common goal and describes how the social workers rallied to educate policymakers and the public on the value of social work and its delivery of necessary social services at all levels and in all fields of practice. The research highlights an uphill battle of advocacy and the skillful planning and implementation of a campaign to secure state funding to establish the first MSW program in the state, at the beginning of the most difficult economic recession since the Great Depression.

Eugenics in the community: gendered professions and eugenic sterilization in Alberta, 1928-1972

Scholarship on Alberta's Sexual Sterilization Act (1928-1972) has focused on the high-level politics behind the legislation, its main administrative body, the Eugenics Board, and its legal legacy, overlooking the largely female-dominated professions that were responsible for operating the program outside of the provincial mental health institutions. This paper investigates the relationship between eugenics and the professions of teaching, public health nursing, and social work. It argues that the Canadian mental hygiene and eugenics movements, which were fundamentally connected, provided these professions with an opportunity to maintain and extend their professional authority.

The first lady almoner: the appointment, position, and findings of Miss Mary Stewart at the Royal Free Hospital, 1895-99

This article examines the professional roots of the hospital almoner, a position which has been widely neglected in medical history. The first almoner was Miss Mary Stewart, a former Charity Organization Society employee, appointed at the Royal Free Hospital of central London in 1895. The Royal Free was a charitable hospital which offered free medical treatment to patients considered morally deserving but unable to afford medical care elsewhere. The role expected of Stewart was to means test patients in order to ensure that only those deemed "appropriate" received free medical treatment, and to establish the extent to which the hospital was being abused by those who could afford to contribute toward their medical care. While in office, Stewart continually reshaped the role of almoner. She fashioned the position into that of a medical social worker and undertook such duties as referring patients to other means of medical and charitable assistance, visiting patients' homes, and training almoners for positions at other voluntary hospitals. Through the examination of Mary Stewart's Almoners Report Book, this article considers the circumstances of her appointment, the role she performed, and the findings of her investigations.

Grassroots responsiveness to human rights abuse: history of the Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights

The purpose of this article is to discuss how a community agency based in Washtenaw County, the Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigration Rights (WICIR), emerged in response to increasing punitive immigration practices and human rights abuses toward the Latino community. The article discusses how WICIR is engaged in advocacy, community education on immigration issues, and political action toward a more humane immigration reform. Detailed examples of human rights abuses and the WICIR activities described in response to the abuses serve as illustrations of social work advocacy, education, and policy formulation that affect the general public, policymakers, and law enforcement officials.

Seeing the countryside through medical eyes: social service reports in the making of a sickly nation

This article explores sanitary reports sent by early generations of social service year medical students who wrote about their first encounters with rural diseases and the people who suffered them. By exploring what was reported we see how, instead of questioning the roots of rural illness, poverty, and the hunger that they witnessed, young doctors often unwittingly reinforced urban prejudices and concerns that blamed indigenous Mexicans for their own poverty and diseased status. Because sanitary reports were authored by medical students, they were often perceived as 'scientific' evidence of the living conditions and unhealthy choices of rural Mexicans. The author argues that as in the case of travel narratives, medical students' written assessments influenced how the rest of society came to understand rural Mexico.

The founder of the Friends Foundation--Tessie Soi

Tessie Soi is well known in Papua New Guinea and beyond for her work with HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome) patients, including through the Friends Foundation, an organization that focuses on helping families affected by HIV and AIDS. This article explores Tessie's early life and childhood, providing insight into some of the values she learned from her parents. Providing details about the Friends Foundation and the Orphan Buddy Systems program, a program Tessie established to support AIDS orphans, the article offers insight into Tessie's beliefs and compassion, simultaneously highlighting the value she places on her family.

Turning negatives into positives: the life and work of Naomi Yupae

This article explores the life story of Naomi Yupae, one of the founders and the first executive director of Eastern Highlands Family Voice (EHFV), an organization based in Goroka, Papua New Guinea (PNG). A proud Bena Bena woman, Naomi was one of only a handful of women in the pre-Independence era to gain a scholarship to pursue secondary schooling in Australia. The article discusses Naomi's experiences as a student and her determination to come back to PNG to maintain her cultural connections with her people and contribute to development in PNG. Naomi's professional contributions as a researcher and social worker are discussed and evaluated.

The transformative potential of social work's evolving practice in dementia care

Social workers in diverse service systems throughout the United States encounter many opportunities for improving quality of life for people with dementia and their families. Yet practice with this population is unclearly defined and a core set of competencies for such practice does not yet exist. Instead, it is shaped by roles within aging and health systems. These roles are informed by a biomedical disease model of dementia. This article examines social work practice and its connection to evolving views on aging and senility throughout the 20th century. New directions for practice are recommended to improve services for individuals with dementia.

Moving among friends: the establishment of professional social work education at the University of Melbourne, 1929-1941

Despite the reputation of Melbourne, Australia, as a socially advanced city in the early twentieth century, professional social work training did not commence at what was then the city's only university, until 1941. This article describes the strategies by a coalition of wealthy philanthropists, welfare organizations, medical practitioners, social workers, and The University of Melbourne itself to establish such professional training. It does so with exploration of the hitherto unrecognized influence of New York Social Work and the unique intellectual leadership of the director of training of the founding Social Work course in Melbourne, Miss Jocelyn S. Hylsop.

Economic inequality and economic crisis: a challenge for social workers

To social workers, extreme economic inequality is primarily a violation of social justice, but this article shows how growing economic inequality since the mid-1970s was not only unjust, but also dysfunctional to the U.S. economy and linked to the recent economic crisis with its devastating effects, particularly on the social work clientele. The article identifies interrelated changes in ideology, the market economy, and government policies since the mid-1970s; contrasts the political economy of this period with the preceding post-World War II decades when the trend was toward a "shared prosperity"; and shows how increased economic inequality and political consequences that undermined democracy itself contributed to the economic meltdown. The analysis has implications for the direction of social reform and for broadening the constituency of social movements in pursuit of the social work mission of social justice. How social workers can contribute to such movements and to a reduction of economic and political inequality is explored.

The nurse as a social worker

In the early twentieth century the role of the public health nurse (PHN) was expanding to meet the needs of individuals, families, and communities. Among the ideas discussed in the early nursing literature was that of the social nurse. This role was conceptualized as a combined nurse and social worker. Much of the PHNs work was with people of the poorer classes who needed assistance with both the medical aspects of their disease, as well as help with social needs such as food, rent money, and bedding. In this reprint from The Visiting Nurse Quarterly (1911), Ellen La Motte, Nurse-in-Chief with the Tuberculosis Division of the Baltimore Health Department, argued for this combined role based on economic efficiency. As she pointed out, it was "economic waste" to have two sets of workers going into homes when the nurse was capable, with additional education, of carrying out both roles. Additionally, from La Motte's perspective the only way the nurse could move beyond her role as the "physician's handmaiden" was through "social training" that prepared her for a broader scope of practice than that received in the hospital-based nursing schools. In the end, however, she left it open to nurses as "reasonable beings" to determine the direction the profession would take on this issue. La Motte's words provide historical context for issues contemporary public health nursing leaders are addressing, such as inter-professional boundaries between nurses and public health workers, reductions in the public health workforce, and economic constraints faced by the healthcare system. The Institute of Medicine mandate for inter-professional practice within the healthcare system, however, presents opportunities for exploring new roles and practice models for nurses in conjunction with our partners in public health.

[The historical environment from which Social Service emerged]

The historic background in which Social Service appeared dates back to the time when L. Cárdenas (1934-1940) was president of Mexico. In 1935, the reaction of the University to the reformation of article 3 was considered as an antirevolutionary behavior and was seen as opposite to the State's education project. Our history begins in this scenario. During L. Chico Goerne's term, the University signs a new agreement with the Government in which, among other things, the Social Service as a mandatory requirement to obtain a university degree is established. Thus, the mandatory Social Service organized by G. Baz, director of the Facultad de Medicina, who reinforced it as the University rector. Since the establishment of the Social Service, the University did not have to fight for financial support and also restored its prestige and social usefulness before the government that used to exclude the University from its project.

The challenges of health care reform for hospital social work in the United States

This article examines the potential impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 on the practice of hospital social work in the United States and its implications for social work education and training. It briefly traces the history of hospital social work, outlines some contemporary issues in the health care field, particularly those that create persistent health disparities, summarizes the major provisions of the Act that have implications for social work practice, and discusses how social workers in hospital settings might respond effectively to the changes produced by the legislation.

Faith-based social services: saving the body or the soul? A research note

Faith-based organizations might be ideal social service providers, claiming to transform clients' lives with holistic support while meeting immediate needs. While organizations have such goals, their success is impacted by constituencies with differing goals for the organization. Clients with goals not commensurate with an organization's may compromise its ability to attain its goals. Three questions are examined here: What are the goals of faith-based service providers? When asked what they think about the services, do clients share the organizational goals? Are organizations likely to meet either set of goals? Homeless persons patronizing faith-based soup kitchens were interviewed; service activities of organizations were observed. Clients' goals focused on survival in their current situation. Organizations' goals ranged from meeting clients' immediate needs to transforming clients through spiritual restoration. Congregations studied met clients' immediate needs. However, clients' accommodational goals were potentially problematic for organizations with spiritual goals.

Girls Incorporated of Alameda County at 50: a voice for girls (1958-2008)

Girls Incorporated of Alameda County is nonprofit human service organization that has delivered education, counseling, and advocacy services to girls aged 6 to 18 for 50 years. The organization began as a small, local girls club and has grown into a large multi-faceted service delivery organization attached to a national governing body. The history of Girls Incorporated of Alameda County introduces struggles in relation to external and internal factors that altered the way that the agency financed and managed and exemplifies the important role of nonprofit leadership. The organization's many accomplishments have also presented multiple challenges, particularly related to the changing roles of women in American society.

What is a "health" professional? The changing relationship of occupational therapists and social workers to therapy and healthcare in Quebec, 1940-1985

Studies regarding the medicalization process generally focus on the way various physical and psychological conditions have been identified as "health" problems, within specific historical contexts. Less well known is how the therapeutic roles of certain "health" professionals were also a result of the confluence of particular historical events. By comparing the professional trajectories of Quebec's occupational therapists and hospital social workers from 1940 to 1985, this article demonstrates how professionals originally outside of the world of health care created new therapeutic roles for themselves within the constantly expanding institutional health care system.

The Unity Council at 40: a pioneering community development and service organization (1967-2007)

The Spanish Speaking Unity Council (Unity Council) is a community development nonprofit organization that was established in 1964, during the civil rights movement, by a group of community members who wanted to ensure the political representation of the Latino community. Over its 45-year history, the Unity Council has grown into a $12 million community development organization that delivers a range of programming, including social services and employment training as well as facilitating the development and support of local businesses, low-income housing, and neighborhood improvement activities. The history of the agency presents the multiple challenges and rewards associated with development in an underserved community and an example of the important role that leadership plays in the growth of a nonprofit.

Larkin Street Youth Services: helping kids get off the street for good (1982-2007)

Larkin Street Youth Services is a pioneering nonprofit organization that was established in 1981 to serve the growing urban homeless and runaway youth population. What began as a neighborhood effort has evolved into a $12 million organization over the course of its 25-year history. Larkin Street Youth Services delivers a continuum of services to homeless youth including counseling, housing, education, employment, and HIV services. The agency has received significant local and national attention for the success of its targeted program model and continuum of care services. The history of Larkin Street Youth Services provides an example of the important role of internal operations in an agency's ability to re-invent itself and respond to a larger community need.

Jewish Family and Children's Services: a pioneering human service organization (1850-2008)

Jewish Family and Children's Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and Sonoma Counties is a pioneering nonprofit human service organization that has delivered services for 157 years. Over the course of its history, the organization has transformed itself from an all-volunteer agency delivering aid to immigrant families during the Gold Rush era to a $30 million nonprofit human service organization offering a full-range of services to adults, children, and families. The history of Jewish Family and Children's Services sheds light on the importance of strong leadership, strategic planning, external relationships, and strong donor support.

Black Adoption Placement and Research Center at 25: placing African-American children in permanent homes (1983-2008)

The Black Adoption Research and Placement Center is a nonprofit organization delivering culturally specific adoption and foster care services. The organization developed as a response to concerns in the African-American community about the high numbers of African-American children entering and not exiting the public foster care system. The organization has undergone significant transformations over its 25-year history in relation to social, political, and economic changes that have altered the ways that the agency finances and delivers services. The history of Black Adoption Research and Placement Center presents an organization that has weathered many challenges because of its strong leadership, its committed governing body, its external relationships, and its internal operations.

On Lok: a pioneering long-term care organization for the elderly (1971-2008)

On Lok is a pioneering nonprofit organization that has delivered services to the frail and elderly since its founding in 1971. The agency began as a grassroots effort focused on improving the health care available to older adults living independently in the community. Over its 40-year history, On Lok has evolved into a $70 million nonprofit human service organization with a national reputation for innovation as a leading provider of care to frail elderly. The agency has developed its own model of care that has been replicated in cities around the country. The history of On Lok represents the important impact that donor and community support plays in an organization's long-term success.

Asian Community Mental Health Services at 35: a pioneering ethnic organization (1973-2008)

Asian Community Mental Health Services is a nonprofit organization that delivers mental health services to primarily Asian and Pacific Islander communities. From its early beginnings and over its 35-year history, the agency has had to overcome numerous challenges, including gaining legitimacy as a culturally specific nonprofit, combating stigma surrounding mental health issues within the Asian Pacific Islander community, building resources to fund service delivery, and developing an educated and culturally sensitive workforce. The history of the organization highlights the multiple challenges and rewards of developing a culturally specific nonprofit in an urban area as well as the important role that internal operations play in relation to nonprofit expansion and growth.

The Bayview Hunters Point Foundation for Community Improvement: a pioneering multi-ethnic human service organization (1971-2008)

The Bayview Hunters Point Foundation for Community Improvement is a nonprofit organization established in 1971 to defend the legal rights of African-Americans living in its community. Over the years, the agency diversified its services to include mental health and substance abuse treatment, violence prevention, youth programming, and HIV services. The organization has overcome multiple challenges during its 37-year history in relation to social, political, and economic changes that have influenced the way the organization has financed and delivered its services. The history of the organization presents a collaborative approach to community problem-solving and exemplifies the important role that external relationships play in relationship to nonprofit growth and survival.

Youth crime and preventive policing in post-war Scotland (c.1945-71)

This article explores debates concerning the methods and styles used by the police service in its dealings with children and young people in post-war Scotland (in comparison with England). Study of the implementation of Police Juvenile Liaison Schemes is used to consider shifting points of tension as well as cooperation between the police and other occupational groups engaged in work at the nexus of youth justice-welfare. Whilst often characterized as contradictory tendencies, the article demonstrates that a social welfare ethic and a criminal justice ethic were coexistent within the rhetoric and practice of policing, but that they operated in a state of flux. It also argues that styles of policing were subject to change, particularly as the use of discretionary and informal methods was increasingly challenged, as physical violence was increasingly seen as an outmoded recourse for the institutions of criminal justice, and as the policing of youth was increasingly politicized. The post-war period can be characterized in terms of greater levels of public scrutiny, the formalization of processes previously undertaken through informal or semi-formal mechanisms, and attempts (not always successful) to systematize procedures nationally in terms of the Scottish state.