Social work, Vol. 50 (2011), Issue 6
ARTICLES
Ethnicity and gender: The situation of Roma women in private and public sphere - 357, (Abstract)
Second parent adoptions in same-sex families in social work practice - 369, (Abstract)
Comparative view of foster care arrangements between Sovenia and Austria - 379, (Abstract)
Abstracts
Špela Urh
Ethnicity and gender: The situation of Roma women in private and public sphere
Sensitivity theories in regard to Roma women are relatively rare, which also results in ethnically non-sensitive social work practice. Understanding their ethnic reality and disclosure of exclusion are two of the core values of ethnically sensitive social work. The article reflects upon the private and public sphere where evidence of racism is documented. In private sphere, a Roma women is seen as a victim of discrimination in patriarchal relationship, in her low level of employment and poor educational skills. She is most commonly reduced to the role of a housewife, child carer etc. Examples of discrimination in the public sphere are seen in health condition of Roma women, in the relationships with health workers and in the field of reproductive rights. Roma women in comparison to Roma men and non-Roma women are recognized to be a more vulnerable social group, facing at least double discrimination – on the basis of gender and ethnicity. This all is relevant knowledge for ethnically sensitive social work. The author also appeals for a more clear and direct affirmative strategies for Roma women in Slovenia, which are, despite evident facts of their deprivation, which have been recognized in many research reports and political documents, still rare.
Keywords: Roma, ethnically sensitive social work, discrimination, private sphere, public sphere
Špela Urh has a PhD of social work. She is an assistant lecturer at the Faculty of social work in Ljubljana in the department for social justice and inclusion on the field of disability, gender and ethnicity. Her primary focus is on studying social inclusion of Roma ethnic minority. Contact: spela.urh@fsd.uni-lj.si.
Ana Marija Sobočan
Second parent adoptions in same-sex families in social work practice
The paper discusses social work in the field of child adoptions with special attention to second-parent adoptions in same-sex families. It shortly presents a debate on same-sex families, overviewing international and national research works and studies available. The paper also discusses the findings, collected during a training for social workers in the field of child adoptions, which took place at the Faculty for social work of the University in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in March and April 2011. It also presents some current legislative changes in the area of family matters. Its central focus is a discussion on challenges of social work in the field of – until know invisible – family realities.
Keywords: family regulation, homosexuality, social workers
Ana Marija Sobočan, Master in gender studies, is a junior researcher and an assistant at the Faculty of Social work at the University of Ljubljana. Besides ethics in social work, she is interested in researching various (stigmatized, discriminated and excluded) social groups. Contact: ana.sobocan@fsd.uni-lj.si.
Iva Gajšek
Comparative view of foster care arrangements between Sovenia and Austria
The basic purpose of the foster care is the protection and education of children who, for various reasons, can not live in their parents' family. The article deals with the comparison of foster care between the Republic of Slovenia and Austria. The differences and similarities in the number of children living in foster care, the duration of foster care, qualified foster care providers and the process of placing in foster care are shown. It appears that in Austria foster care providers are better educated than those in the Republic of Slovenia. Comparison of the number of children in foster care between Austria and Slovenia showed that there are more children in foster care in Slovenia than in Austria. There are also differences in the types of foster care between Slovenia and Austria. In Austria, there are two types of foster care: short term and long-lasting form of foster care. In Slovenia, there is no short term foster care. Short term foster care in Austria is intended only for children up to two years of age and for children who live with a foster family up to 12 weeks.
Keywords: foster care, education of foster parents, duration of foster care, foster children, Law on Foster Care.
Iva Gajšek holds a Bachelor of Laws and is a student of doctoral programme at the Faculty of Law, University of Maribor. Contact: gajsekiva@gmail.com.