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Initially considered as a theme based issue, the current issue of Social Work Review transports and exposes the readers to a variety of subjects starting from the international dimension, passes through the national dimension and ending up with a locally existing social services and benefits.
Firstly, we start with the article of Daniela Gaba that decided to approach a scarcely analyzed subject: the interactions between the Social Work and International Development. As the author mentions, there is a need to fill in the existing gap in the literature on this matter, so she developed a framework of analysis between social work and international development based on two criteria – common areas of connection/social issues addressed and the level of which such interaction occurs (either theoretical, practical and deontological). The multileveled analysis of the interaction between social work and international unfolded by the author had been constantly weighed against the implications of four main phenomena visible in social work: the professionalization, internationalization, politicization, and westernization phenomena. As a result of this, a series of specific points of connection were identified: poverty, health, gender, environmental, cooperation and education.
In the following article, Montero Perez de Tudela and Durnescu are also trying to diminish the gap this time to the literature on foreign prisoners in national prisons. Their article is attempting to study and share how a specific sub-group of prisoners experience the prison life. As a result, the article is focusing on evidencing the pains of imprisonment of Romanian prisoners in Spanish prisons. The designed methodology included a mix of qualitative techniques: individual interviews and group interviews. Even if during the timeframe available to undergo the study a reduced number of prisoners was able to become part of the search, the findings of the study should be considered as it opens the pathway for the new pursuits. The pains of imprisonment identified on this group of prisoners and explained within the search are: the limited access to benefits which are not always made available to Romanians or not as often as they would like; the discrimination operated by the prison staff, associated with the decision making process regarding the access to benefits; the language and the legal knowledge – with reference especially to the lack of good understanding of the legal terms and their legal consequences -; the rules and the regulations, actually the lack of a clear understanding of them.
With the article authored by Scorcia-Popescu, we are back on Romanian grounds, and the road is unlocked with the issue of child abandonment – mainly on the prevention of child abandonment through the provision of support to mothers at risk. The theoretical framework is based on Bowen’s family systems theory and Bowlby`s and Ainsworth`s attachment theory and there is a qualitative methodological framework used on 45 couples of mother-child identified with a third of them becoming in-depth interviewed. The search had a descriptive and exploratory aim and presented the mother-child relationship at three significant life moments: residential period in Maternal Centre, departure from Maternal Centre and post-departure of Maternal Centre. Within the study, the author analysed a series of elements with impact on mother-child couple: housing, recognition of paternity, support network, child’s profile, etc.
Floarea`s article addresses a related subject also in the field of child protection. In her article, the author attempts an examination of the legal and procedural changes recorded within the child and family protection system in Romania during the latest years while considering the adopted Strategy for Protection and Promotion of Children’s Rights within the period of 2014-2020. The author is realist and points out that the child abandonment social phenomenon will not be terminated during the timeframe of the above mentioned strategy but at least there will be an improvement in the functioning of the placement centers through a series of measures as: limited number of children present in residential type programs; increasing the ratio of employees-assisted beneficiaries; diversification of offered services and improvement of services quality.
The article authored by Alexandru presents a snapshot of the social services and benefits currently existing in Giurgiu County. In order to create an accurate image on the situation in this county, the author used a mix of methodology – a document analysis of pieces of papers issued by the county and local authorities and performed a focus group attended by professionals from both public services as well as nongovernmental organizations operating in the respective county. The search identified two key groups of issues: on specialized staff and on community services coverage. The issues related to staff are referring mainly to lack of professional training, deficit of qualified personnel, task overloading and lack of home visits for performing the social work assessments. The identified issues on community services are the lack of a social mapping at county and local level, poor communication between the county or local authorities and community on informing on available services to population in need, lack of motivation on authorities side to access extra-budgetary financing tools through projects, etc.
In his article, Sârbu reviews the main patterns and determining factors either social or cultural that are usually used in the elucidation the suicidal behaviors. Considering that suicide is extremely a social fact, the author highlights the need to approach it with professionalism and by considering the entire social and culture context of the suicide subjects. In the article, there are analyzed the following patterns and determinants: depression and psychic disorders; alcoholism; religious affiliation; groups and social networks; place of residence; gender and sexual orientation; occupation, unemployment and social exclusion; family environment, marriage status and divorcing; age; previous attempt, family history, media exposure and Werther effect, etc.
In the article she authors, Popa undertakes an overview of the main theories in the field of communication. By analyzing the different communication theories and theoretical models, and with their support, the author is trying to explain the how the mass media is influencing the manner we perceive social reality. The author states that the new communication theories transcend the paradigms of informatic or linguistic models, and the accent moves towards the fabrication of a common reality of a common space with certain norms and rules.
From the general subject of communication we are moving on to the institutionalized communication, appreciated as an essential resource in the proper functioning of the organization. In her article on change and organizational culture, Constantinescu refers to the professional nature of the communication process and its importance in ensuring the organization transparency and contributing to creation of the sense of belonging of the employees.
The article of Ursan and Oprea is approaching the subject of the importance of availability of electricity access. The authors highlight that there is a constant preoccupation regarding availability of electricity since the access to electricity might improve de quality of life of people that are in poverty. The article also presents the results of an explorative study performed in Bucharest regarding de situation of disadvantage persons and their usage habits, specifically of electricity, water, heating and sewage. In regard to electricity, the respondents pointed out that they are aware of the legal consequences caused by the illegal connection to the electricity networks as well as of the vulnerabilities and dangers of using improvised electrical systems.
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