Essays and Research Papers on Social Work & Counseling

This 8 page paper examines questions and answers related to Marx, Durkheim and Weber. Six questions are posed and answers are provided. The discussion includes concepts such as alienation, anomie, capitalism, ideology and social structure. No bibliography.

This 6 page paper considers the concept of conspicuous consumption and the associated 'habit for thought' today and in the past. The paper looks at how this can be seen in mental models and behaviour today, looking at social behaviour and the portrayal of consumption in films. Special attention is paid to the concept and ...

A 5 page research paper that discusses the knowledge, skills and values required by social workers dealing with adoption. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 3 page paper looks at the practical application of ideas conveyed by Marx and Weber. Several theories of these well known sociologists are touched on. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 3 page paper discussing the plight of an urban family. A hard-working and sensible family has been derailed by circumstances beyond their control. After illness, loss of health care benefits and exhausting all savings, they face the danger of homelessness despite their best efforts. The paper provides a view of how ...

This 5 page paper analyzes how deportation affects families and the consequences to the family unit. This paper furthermore highlights the role of the social worker and his/her role in easing the impact of deportation on the family. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 6 page paper assessing two views of disability. For years, practitioners in various disciplines have attempted to apply the medical-based approach to diagnosis and management of disease to virtually every aspect of human function. Where non-physical disability exists, that approach may not be as valid as the system would cause it to ...

A 15 page paper examining terrorism from the sociological perspective, including examination of the five theories of terrorism and attempts to profile individual terrorists and groups of terrorists, both before and after September 11, 2001. The bottom line at present is that there is much anecdotal information available on terrorist groups and individual terrorists, ...

This 6 page paper looks at both of these theories and applies them to a case where two employers close in a community resulting in massive job losses followed by numbers family problem such as separation and abuse. The paper looks at how these theories would interpret the events and how they would indicate an ...

This 5 page paper examines Karl Marx's theory of alienation. How capitalism creates it, and how communism can be a solution, are issues discussed. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 4 page review of the many impacts poverty can have on young children. When children are poor, society as a whole pays. The problems these children experience can be both direct and indirect. Impoverished children are more likely to be the victim of child abuse, for example. The societal mechanisms we ...

A 5 page paper discussing the incidence of teen pregnancy and some of the consequences that follow teen parents throughout their lives. The United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancies of any other developed nation. Socioeconomic status, ethnic group identification and mothers’ level of education all appear to directly equate to ...

This 3 page paper looks at the concept of symbolic violence as defined by Pierre Bourdieu and how this is reflected in the press and the way in which reporters may perpetuate or help to reduce the levels of symbolic violence. The bibliography cites 1 source.

A 14 page paper exploring the relationship between crime, income and race in the United States. Violent crime is down, the prison population is down, but the disparity between black and white has increased. The paper provides graphical analysis of data gained from the Census and Bureau of Justice Statistics. Includes 3 ...

This 5-page paper is an example of how a student can present something on mediation and conflict. The case study in question involves conflict between a Taiwanese student who is in the U.S. to continue her education, and the overbearing aunt with whom she lives. No sources are cited.

A 7 page tutorial which presents possible experiences with invisible theater. No sources cited.

This 6-page paper focuses on a particular survey among social work students in terms of their tolerance toward clients of differing beliefs. The paper examines the method of study, as well as the questionnaire itself.

A 4 page overview of the problems encountered by minorities that are released from incarceration. The author provides statistics on the number of individuals in incarceration verses the number that are released onto the streets. Those that are minorities often have problems finding housing and jobs and, in general, encounter considerable difficulty in ...

A 10 page exploration of the interrelationship that exists between sociology and social work. Noting the work of such black pioneers in sociology as W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington, and Cornel West, the author explains that from a very broad perspective, sociologists try to understand the mechanisms of human interaction and social workers try ...

This 15 page paper reflects a descriptive study on how parental influence impacts teenage drinking. The paper begins with an abstract of the study. Sections include: problem statement that begins with data on the incidence and prevalence of alcohol use by youngsters between the ages of 12 and 20 in the U.S. These data are ...

A 3 page discussion of the problems New Zealand has encountered in balancing the needs of all of her people. The indigenous peoples of New Zealand, in particular, represent a multitude of issues that must be addressed. The author of this paper emphasizes that New Zealand is certainly not without her problems but then ...

This 4-page paper discusses the importance of vocational treaining in subtance abuse treatment programs. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 10 page paper that discuses the several authors and their views on the American prison system. The authors cited are: Angela Davis, Marc Mauer, Tara Herivel and Paul Wright and Michael Foucault. The four most recent authors believe prisons, and, in fact, the justice system needs drastic reforms. Their thoughts are explained. Foucault's ideas ...

This 3 page paper examines this well known book about how life is unfair for people on minimum wage. How the book relates to unions is examined. No additional sources cited.

This 10 page paper reviews two books: No Shame in My Game by Katherine Newman and The War Against the Poor by Herbert Gans. Newman discusses the working poor. Three examples from Newman are provided in the essay. The issue of unionizing low-wage earners is also discussed. Gans thoughts are discussed and explained, along with ...