THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS FOR THE APPLICATION OF EMPOWERMENT IN THE MEDIATION OF PARENTAL CONFLICTS ABSTRACT Empowerment is a process which enables the mediation participants to gain or regain the ...control of their own lives and which includes the recognition of the sources of their inability and learning of the ways and methods to achieve the desired outcomes by activating the strengths and resources of the participants. Empowerment enables the establishment of the balance of power in the relationships and emphasises the role of the participants, their right to self-determination and their own decision-making, which is of key importance in the process of the mediation of parental conflicts. Even when an agreement was reached in the mediation of parental conflicts, it has been shown that its implementation is often very complex, especially if it was reached directively, since the needs of the family parent and children are more complex than that. Therefore the paper presents the concept of empowerment and the possibility of its implementation in mediation and some other theoretical concepts significant for understanding of the complex family and parental dynamics during and after the divorce. The understanding and application of these theoretical concepts in the family mediation practice is important for the mediators in order to empower the participants in a timely and effective manner to, even if they fail to reach an agreement, improve their level of readiness to reshape the conflicted relationship which, when the parents are in question, continues even after the termination of partner relationships. Key words: family mediation, parental conflicts, empowerment.
ABSTRACT This paper presents some of the key organisational aspects of conducting field practice for the students of social work in six study programs of social work in the Republic of Croatia and ...the region in the light of the results of current research and key understanding of experiential learning and the demands imposed by the Global standards for the education of social workers. The purpose of the paper is to deepen our understanding of the representation and the role of supervisory support to students during experiential learning in the field practice but also to provide insight into the context within which field practice is conducted within individual study programs. Social work as a profession puts great demands on experts and raises numerous questions about how to act and why to act in casework, what are the values and standards connected to a particular situation and decision, and to what extent are we aware of our blind spots and how to address the norms and rules of an individual role, position, organisation and wider environment, both professional and social one. Social workers can find the answers to these and many other questions that derive from immediate practice in supervision. Supervision, as a specific manner of providing professional support, aims to find answers to such questions through the reflection of one’s actions, promotion of professionalism and finally, through the preservation of quality of service provided to the ultimate user. Supervision has proved to be not only an effective way of monitoring and providing support to students during practice, but also an appropriate way to acquire new knowledge and skills. Additionally, due to its theoretical and ethical essence, given specific features of learning in adult age, supervision provides a good place for reflection and it encourages the development of the professional identity of future social workers. These are also the processes that are intensely taking place during the study, so this paper will focus on the supervision of the students of social work as an approach and tool that is important for facing new challenges of study and work. Key words: supervision; field practice; experiential learning; students of social work.
The motivation for this text are the outcomes of the First research days on supervision that were organized by the Doctoral Program “Social Work and Social Policy” (PDS SWSP) and the Postgraduate ...University Specialist Study Program “Supervision in Psychosocial Work” in April, 2023. The plenary lecture on the conceptualization of qualitative research on the doctoral level and two panel discussions with doctoral students and their mentors showed that the process of preparation of doctoral theses on supervision is an intense process during which a transition of the roles from supervisors into researchers occurs, with a gradual integration of these two roles into a new, expanded professional identity. Apart from that, the preparation of a qualitative doctoral thesis is often a lonely process accompanied by numerous insecurities, and therefore it is necessary to develop new forms of support for doctoral students that would enable a creative space and time for doctoral students to reflect on the development of their supervisory and scientific-research identity. The analysis of methodological aspects and outcomes of specialist final papers, as well as a panel discussion among supervisors, decision-makers and users of supervision in different systems (e.g. social welfare education, penal system) pointed out the need for further improvements, for example designing more complex research projects in which a team of postgraduate students and their mentors would take part. To maintain the quality of specialist final papers and doctoral theses, methodological workshops for students and mentors are needed. Key words: research on supervision; development of scientific-research identity of supervisors; applied value of research on supervision; workshops for qualitative research.
Osnaživanje je proces koji omogućava sudionicima medijacije da steknu ili vrate kontrolu nad vlastitim životima, a uključuje prepoznavanje izvora njihove nemoći te učenje načina i metoda za ...postizanje željenih ishoda aktiviranjem snaga i resursa sudionika. Osnaživanje omogućava uspostavljanje ravnoteže moći u odnosima te naglašava ulogu sudionika, njihovog prava na samoodređenje i donošenje vlastitih izbora, što je od ključnog značenja u procesu medijacije roditeljskih sukoba. Čak i onda kada je u medijaciji roditeljskih sukoba postignut sporazum, pokazalo se da je njegova provedba često vrlo složena, pogotovo ako je bila postignuta direktivno, s obzirom da su potrebe obitelji, roditelja i djece kompleksnije od toga. Pod vidom toga, u radu je predstavljen concept osnaživanja i mogućnost njegove primjene u medijaciji te neki drugi teorijski koncepti značajni za razumijevanje složene obiteljske i roditeljske dinamike tijekom i nakon razvoda. Razumijevanje i primjena ovih teorijskih koncepata u praksi obiteljske medijacije važna je za medijatore kako bi pravovremeno i učinkovito mogli osnažiti sudionike da, ukoliko i ne uspiju postići sporazum, unaprijede razinu spremnosti za preoblikovanje sukobljenog odnosa koji se, kada je riječ o roditeljima, nastavlja i nakon prekida partnerskih odnosa.
Za razliku od prethodnih »razvojnih razdoblja« socijalnog rada, kada smo se intenzivno bavili otkrivanjem patološkog, traženjem problema i njihovim rješavanjem, u jednom od aktualnih pristupa ...suvremenog socijalnog rada, postmodernom pristupu, u fokusu je odnos između sudionika u pomažućem procesu. Pomoć se zajedničkim snagama su-ostvaruje putem odnosa, u okviru kojeg socijalni radnik i korisnik pronalaze nova rješenja u postojećem korisnikovom povijesnom, socijalnom i kulturnom kontekstu. U radu su opisana obilježja postmodernog pristupa u pomažućem procesu tijekom kojeg se od odnosa između socijalnog radnika i korisnika razvija jedna kvalitativno nova interakcija, tzv. »radni odnos« sa svim specifičnostima koje u njega unose sami sudionici. Upotrebom termina »radni odnos« socijalni radnik i osoba koja traži pomoć postaju suradnici u zajedničkom »projektu«, oni otkrivaju, planiraju promjene, problematiziraju, reflektiraju, vode dijalog i zaključuju odnos. U tom suradničkom »projektu« socijalni radnik ulaže svoje profesionalno znanje, vještine, ali i pozitivna osobna iskustva, dok korisnik ulaže svoje poznavanje sebe, situacije i svojih resursa.
The article presents the results of a research conducted with the persons with disability included in the teaching process at the Department of Social Work in Zagreb. The participants of the research ...were persons with disability who, for a number of years, have been participating as exterior collaborators in the education process of social work students as lecturers from the practice or field instructors in associations in which the students complete their placements. The aim of the research was to gain insight into the perception and the experience of participation of the persons with disability in the teaching process in the field of social work. The data were gathered during conversations in the focus group. The analysis of participants, statements reveal four categories related to different themes of user involvement in the education process: (1) Experience of user participation in the teaching process; (2) Importance of personal user experience which the users wish to convey to the students; (3) User review of the quality of teaching; (4) Recommendations for a better involvement of users in the teaching process. Adapted from the source document.
U radu su prikazani rezultati istraživanja provedenog s osobama s invaliditetom uključenima u nastavu Studijskog centra socijalnog rada u Zagrebu. Sudionici istraživanja bili su osobe s invaliditetom ...koje u ulozi vanjskih suradnika već dugi niz godina surađuju u obrazovanju studenata socijalnog rada kao predavači iz prakse i kao terenski nastavnici u udrugama u kojima studenti obavljaju praksu. Cilj istraživanja bio je dobiti uvid u doživljaj i iskustvo sudjelovanja osoba s invaliditetom u nastavi studenata socijalnog rada. Podaci su prikupljeni razgovorom u fokusnoj grupi. Analizom izjava sudionika dobivene su četiri kategorije koje se odnose na različite teme uključenosti korisnika u nastavi studenata socijalnog rada: (1) Iskustva sudjelovanja korisnika u nastavi; (2) Značaj osobnog korisničkog iskustva koje korisnici žele prenijeti studentima; (3) Osvrt korisnika na kvalitetu nastave; (4) Preporuke za bolju uključenost korisnika u nastavu.
Cilj istraživanja bio je dobiti uvid u to kako nastavnici procjenjuju opseg, kvalitetu i smisao uključivanja korisnika u nastavu. Uzorak ispitanika sačinjavalo je osam nastavnika, nositelja ili ...sudionika u nastavi stručnih kolegija (Teorijske osnove socijalnog rada, Socijalni rad s pojedincem, Socijalni rad s obitelji, Socijalni rad s grupom, Socijalni rad u zajednici, Socijalni rad s invalidima, Socijalni rad i problemi mladih, Socijalna gerontologija) Studijskog centra socijalnog rada Pravnog fakulteta u Zagrebu, s kojima su provedeni polustrukturirani intervjui.Rezultati su pokazali da su nastavnici ili premalo informirani ili smatraju da uključenost korisnika nije dostatna. Ipak, dio njih smatra da postoje pozitivni pomaci te da se korisnici uključuju u različite oblike održavanja nastave. Postoje i bojazni kako ovakvi oblici neposrednog uključivanja korisnika mogu dovesti do njihove zloupotrebe i manipuliranja, odnosno, da korisnicima nije mjesto na fakultetu, osim u svrhu bolje ilustracije primjera iz prakse. Prema mišljenju nastavnika, studenti pozitivno gledaju na uključivanje korisnika u nastavu, stoga je važno ostvariti nužne pretpostavke (pristupačnost, poštivanje profesionalnih etičkih standarda, planiranje uključivanja nastavnim programom itd.). Među preporukama za bolju uključenost korisnika u buduće nastavne programe navedeno je planiranje sudjelovanja korisnika i postizanje obostranih dobiti, osnivanje savjetovališta na fakultetu namijenjenih edukaciji studenata, formaliziranje suradnje s korisnicima uključenim u nastavu te povećanje satnice terenske prakse.
The aim of the research was to gain insight into the way in which teachers asses the volume, quality and purpose of user involvement in the educational process. The sample consisted of eight ...teachers, directors or participants of professional courses of lectures (Theoretical Foundations of Social Work, Social Work with an Individual, Social Work with the Family, Social Work with a Group, Social Work in the Community, Social Work with the People with Disability, Social Work and Problems of Young People, Social Gerontology) at the Department of Social Work of the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, with whom semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results revealed that the teachers are either insufficiently informed or they consider that the level of involvement of users is not satisfactory. However, some of them think that there are positive changes and that the users are more included in different forms of the education process. There are also concerns that such forms of direct involvement of users can lead to their misuse and manipulation, i.e. that the users, place is not at the faculty, except with the aim of better illustration of examples from practice. According to teachers, the students react positively to the involvement of users in the teaching process and it is, therefore, important to create the prerequisites (accessibility, respect of professional ethical standards, planning of involvement in the curriculum etc.). One of the recommendations for better user involvement in future curricula included the issues of planning of the user participation and achievement of mutual benefits, creation of a counseling centre at the faculty aimed at student education, formalization of cooperation with the users participating in the education process as well as the increase of hours of field placements. Adapted from the source document.
U radu su prikazani rezultati evaluacijskog istraživanja terenske prakse studenata druge godine Studijskog centra scoijalnog rada iz perspektive korisnika, provedenog 2005. godine. Svrha ovog ...evaluacijskog istraživanja bila je dobiti uvid u doživljaj programa studentske terenske prakse iz perspektive korisnika te uključivanjem korisnika u proces vrednovanja programa otvoriti dodatne mogućnosti sustvaranja programa. Cilj istraživanja bio je dobiti odgovor na pitanje kako korisnici-iskustveni eksperti doživljavaju program studentske prakse. Specifično, cilj je bio dobiti uvid u motivaciju korisnika za sudjelovanje u programu, njihov doživljaj sadržaja i tijeka prakse te njihove preporuke za poboljšanje programa.Rezultati istraživanja govore o načinu na koji korisnici percipiraju svoju ulogu u obrazovanju socijalnih radnika, ali također i o tome da su korisnici »već uključeni«, naime, da su to oduvijek bili, budući da predstavljaju najrelevantniji izvor podataka o sebi i svojim potrebama. Dobiveni rezultati obvezujući su za nastavnike, s obzirom na to da pravo korisnika na uključivanje znači pravo na ravnopravnu poziciju pregovaranja, dogovaranja i interveniranja te ravnopravnu mogućnost sagledavanja iz vlastite perspektive. U tom smislu autori navode smjernice temeljene na rezultatima istraživanja kojima su se rukovodili u daljnjem sustvaranju programa terenske prakse i obrazovanja socijalnih radnika uopće.
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