Asian Social Work Journal
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Meneroka Kesediaan Ibu Bapa dalam Menjaga Anak Kurang Upaya Pembelajaran : Satu Kajian Kualitatif di Pulau Pinang
Full text linkKajian ini meneroka kesediaan ibu bapa menjaga anak kurang upaya pembelajaran di Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Dengan menggunakan reka bentuk kualitatif, 28 ibu dan bapa telah dipilih daripada Pusat Pemulihan Komuniti (PDK) di sekitar Pulau Pinang. Temu bual separa berstruktur telah dijalankan untuk mengenal pasti pengalaman peribadi, emosi dan strategi daya tindak ibu bapa. Data di analisis menggunakan analisis tematik. Empat tema yang dikena pasti antaranya persediaan emosi, pemerkasaan maklumat, rangkaian sokongan sosial serta advokasi dan proses membuat keputusan. Penemuan menunjukkan bahawa kesediaan ibu bapa merupakan proses dinamik yang dibentuk oleh dimensi emosi, maklumat, sosial dan advokasi. Implikasi amalan kerja sosial di Malaysia termasuklah penyediaan kaunseling, maklumat, rangkaian komuniti dan sokongan advokasi
Legitimacy and Public Trust in Coalition Governments: A Malaysian Perspective
Full text linkThis article examines the issue of legitimacy in coalition governments in Malaysia following the 15th General Election (GE15), which for the first time produced a hung parliament and subsequently a unity government. While constitutionally valid through parliamentary majority support and the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, public acceptance of this government remains fragile. Adopting a qualitative approach, the study draws on 31 informants through in-depth interviews (IDI) and focus group discussions (FGD), complemented by secondary document analysis. The findings highlight five major themes undermining popular legitimacy: perceptions of a “forced coalition,” concerns about party dominance, the persistence of identity politics based on race and religion, unclear and inconsistent policy communication and economic confidence. These results are interpreted using Easton’s theory of specific versus diffuse support, Schmidt’s framework of input, output and throughput legitimacy and Public Choice Theory (Buchanan & Tullock). The study also underscores the Sarawak GPS model as an alternative example of coalition stability, achieved through a collective identity, ethnic consensus, and development-oriented politics. Overall, the article contributes to the literature by emphasizing that the legitimacy of coalition politics does not rest solely on parliamentary numbers, but also on the government’s ability to rebuild public trust through transparent communication, balanced power-sharing, and inclusive policymaking
#ONtheLINE: The Role of Information and Communications Technology in the Delivery of Likhaan Center’s Programs during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Full text linkThe unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 brought significant changes to how Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is leveraged in various industries, including social work and community development. This research analyzes the role of ICTs on the delivery of Likhaan Center for Women’s Health’s programs from March 2020 to December 2022. Likhaan is a non-government organization aiming to promote the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women and young people from disadvantaged communities. This study considers the perspectives and experiences of Likhaan’s beneficiaries, community mobilizers, and social service providers. A mixed-methods design was utilized, beginning with an online survey-questionnaire for the collection of quantitative data from Likhaan’s beneficiaries, which garnered 90 completed responses. The quantitative data was used to identify eight beneficiaries to participate in in-depth individual interviews for the collection of complementing qualitative data. Individual interviews were also conducted with four project coordinators and clinicians from Likhaan. Additional qualitative data was collected through focus group discussions (FGDs) with 16 community mobilizers from various Likhaan clinics. The results revealed that ICT accessibility and integration has a direct impact on the delivery of social services, which is felt and experienced by beneficiaries, community mobilizers, and social service providers in different ways. The findings have implications for the aforementioned groups, along with policymakers, program implementers, and researchers, providing insights into opportunities, challenges, and barriers in utilizing ICT in the delivery of SRHR social services. The study underscores the need for further research, collaboration, and innovation in leveraging ICT to address the complex and multifaceted challenges related to SRHR and how it can be used in the context of social work and social welfare
The COVID-19 Panic and the Strengthening of Team Spirit to Combat Pandemic
Full text linkThe outbreak of respiratory disease caused by COVID-19 brings a significant impact towards various areas of human life such as the growing panic among the populations. Accordingly, the Movement Control Order (MCO) has been executed by the governments around the globe to prevent the citizens from getting infected, thus lessening the panic. Therefore, during the MCO there appears to be a great opportunity for the consolidation of team spirit among the citizens. This is especially true in Malaysia where it seems that although the disease is mainly a medical issue, it also prevails the way the citizens eradicate panic and strengthening the team spirit. It is argued that though the disease brings problems, the outbreak provides opportunities for a more thorough way of eradicating panic and strengthening team spirit among the citizens. This paper presents a preliminary discussion on the method of eradicating panic and strengthening team spirits for combating pandemic among the citizens of Sabah, Malaysia. The study in which this paper is based applies a qualitative method of document and media social analysis. It thus unveils the prospects of eradicating COVID-19 panic and strengthening team spirit among the citizens
Content Validity, Face Validity and Reliability for Malay Version of The Stages Of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale for Smoking Cessation (M-SOCRATES-S) and Malay Version of Smoking Self-Efficacy (M-SSE)
Full text linkA set of questionnaires on smoking behaviour are required in order to conduct a full assessment of smoking issues in Malaysia. Therefore, this study was conducted to ensure that the Malay Version of The Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale for Smoking Cessation (M-SOCRTAES-S) and Malay Version of Smoking Self-Efficacy (M-SSE) questionnaires can be used systematically in Malaysia. The permission to adapt these two questionnaires for the publishers was made and permission was obtained. This questionnaire has been translated into Malay using the direct translation method. Two experts were involved in the content validity process while eight lay adult smokers were involved in the face validity process while a total of 50 adult smokers were involved in the reliability assessment process. The results of the study found that the S-CVI/Ave and S-CVI/UA values for M-SOCRATES-S are 0.97 and 0.94 while the S-CVI/Ave values and S-CVI/UA values for M-SSE are 1.0 and 1.0. The S-FVI/Ave and S-FVI/UA values for M-SOCRATES-S are 0.99 and 0.95 while the S-FVI/Ave and S-FVI/UA values for M-SSE are 0.98 and 0.83. There are three domains in the M-SOCRATES-S questionnaire, namely the recognition domain, the ambivalent domain and the taking action domain, these three domains recorded Cronbach's alpha values of 0.85, 0.80 and 0.89. While there are two domains in the M-SSE, namely internal and external, which recorded Cronbach's alpha values of 0.81 and 0.77. The findings of this study show that the content validity, face validity, and reliability of these two questionnaires are acceptable and that they may be utilised among Malaysian adult smokers who can speak and write Malay
How Can the Capabilities of Child Protection Workers Be Enhanced? A Report from Kuwaitis Child Protection Workers
Full text linkThis article establishes empowerment strategies to enhance child protection workers' capabilities in Kuwait. It utilized a phenomenology design and a qualitative method to collect 12 Kuwaiti child protection workers' experiences with daily challenges while protecting and safeguarding children who attend the Child Protection Office. The study collected its data using semi-structured interviews with 12 child protection workers. The findings show that the capabilities of child protection workers can be improved using several approaches, including salary increments, training opportunities, supportive organizational policies, and the introduction of performance evaluations. Despite the numerous challenges that child protection workers in Kuwait face, the identified interventions could significantly improve their effectiveness. Therefore, the government and the relevant organizations should invest in realizing the identified interventions.
 
The Relationship between Structural Empowerment, Attitudes and Competencies Practice in Malaysia Welfare Department
Full text linkThis study meticulously examines the intricate relationship between structural empowerment, attitudes (specifically job satisfaction, commitment, and trust), and behaviors, on their impact on practical competencies in the realm of social work. The participants, drawn from the Department of Social Welfare's Social Scheme, underwent analysis using the SPSS survey and revealed a statistically significant and positive correlation between structural empowerment, attitudes and behaviors with practical competencies as indicated in the motion. Crucially, the study also identifies resources and support as key variables which exert a pivotal influence on competencies at workplace. The findings underscore the critical imperative of enhancing structural empowerment, attitudes, and behaviors to elevate competencies within the social work domain. The study also strongly advocates for organizational prioritization of structural empowerment improvements and the provision of substantial support, fortifying social workers' competencies and thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of social services
Hospital Social Work Development in Vietnam Today: Limitations and Several Solutions
Full text linkHospital social work has been being currently quite popular in the world, particularly in developed countries such as United States of America, Australia, Singapore, etc. However, hospital social work in Vietnam, like many other developing countries, has been still being in the challenging process to perfect and meet practical needs. So as to have an effective and sustainable strategy for hospital social work development, it is necessary and important to carry out research and evaluation of difficulties and limitations in hospital social work in Vietnam today. This study was conducted based on the methods of document collection and analysis, thereby finding important examples for evaluating the difficulties and limitations of hospital social work in Vietnam. A total of 42 documents were included in the evidence and cited to ensure the scientific and convincing nature of research content. The findings show that the Vietnamese Government and the Ministry of Health, and other ministries and departments, have made many efforts in providing a legal framework for the formation and development of hospital social work, particularly from 2010 to 2015. Thanks to that, a network of social work departments / teams has been formed in almost every hospital system in the country. However, hospital social work in Vietnam, after 14 years of establishment and practical operation, has revealed many inadequacies to be resolved in relation to the legal framework, human resource development, appropriate model selection, and activity content determination. Therefore, a system of comprehensive solutions should be researched and put into practice for the purposes of developing hospital social work, meeting practical needs in the Vietnamese context, and adhering closely to the international standards, so as to improve the above situation
Research Status, Hot Spots and Trends of International Talent Cultivation: A CiteSpace-based Visualization Analysis
Full text linkInternational talent cultivation is an important part of the internationalization of higher education, and the cultivation of international talent is the trend of the times in line with the development of globalization. With the help of CiteSpace software, this paper combed and analyzed 618 pieces of related literature in the field of internationalization talent cultivation in the Web of Science database from 1996 to 2023. The results show that the research mainly focuses on China, and is mainly on international talent cultivation, teaching reform, and international talent management in various majors; the future research trend is mainly on international talent management, international talent education, and global competence. Among them, research on the training of international talents in social work is not sufficient. Currently, the research is mainly based on discursive suggestions, and more empirical research can be carried out in the future to summarize the advanced experiences at home and abroad, to provide a strong practical and theoretical basis for the cultivation of international talents
Historical Approach and Analysis of Roles and Functions of Indonesian Mosques
Full text linkSeveral studies show how mosques become a symbol of Islam, entities of Muslims and civilizations, and play important roles in society. Using historical approach and social welfare perspectives, the study aims to explore roles and functions of mosques in two periods of early Islam and modern era. The last provides description of mosques in some Muslim and non-Muslim countries such as in Indonesia, Turkey, Morocco and United States. The study also shows the need for revitalizing the role of mosques by applying short survey, in-depth interview and secondary data in collecting, analysis and explain solutions in the eyes of congregations of some Indonesia mosques in improving programs, activities and services particularly for special needs such as interfaith, youth and women groups.