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Poetry matters: a case for poetry in social workThis article seeks to contribute to an unfortunate decline in literature that explores the importance of the arts and humanities to social work practice, education and research through an exploration of the role of poetry in social work. The authors explore the metaphor of the poet/practitioner, identifying what practitioners can learn from the poet. Second, the authors explore the use of poetry in therapeutic settings, identifying the strengths of using this tool in clinical practice. Third, the authors address the use of poetry within the context of research, exploring how the research poem can be used as a tool of post-modern qualitative research to help social workers understand the lived experiences of their clients. Finally, the authors explore current and future consequences of the profession ignoring the arts and humanities.
The needs of hospitalized male patients are often unrecognized and unmet. Men occupy greater than half of all inpatient hospital beds and incur a broad array of illnesses and injuries at higher rates than women--yet often receive health care that pays surprisingly little attention to the concept of patient masculinity, or to masculinity's influence on the male patient's perspectives, behaviors, goals, interests, needs, and challenges. Little emphasis is placed on considering hospitalized male patients as men , understanding their need for patient-centered care within this context, and intervening in ways that regularly allow strengths to be adequately recognized and utilized. In this article, we explore how hospital social workers can reconsider masculinity as a vibrant and formative component of male patients' lives and actively view its characteristics as comprising more than just potential challenges to medical treatment--but also as untapped sources of resilience and strength.
Abstrac:This paper explores the concept of meaning as a focus area for expanding core values and practice realities in social work. By focusing on helping clients develop a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives, social workers can help clients maximize their personal and cultural strengths in the service of meeting their developmental and social aims. A case example is used, and concepts discussed are applied in the area of finding meaning in life.Keywords: Social work practice, meaning, existentialism.
Resumen:En este trabajo se explora el concepto de significado como un área de interés para la expansión de los valores fundamentales y las realidades de la práctica en el trabajo social. Al centrarse en ayudar a los clientes a desarrollar un sentido de significado y propósito en sus vidas, los trabajadores sociales pueden ayudar a los clientes a maximizar sus fortalezas personales y culturales al servicio del cumplimiento de sus objetivos sociales y de desarrollo. Se utiliza un ejemplo de caso, y conceptos tratados se aplican en el ámbito de la búsqueda de sentido de la vida.Palabras clave: la práctica del trabajo social, significado, existencialismo.
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