- Volume 11, Number 3 (2023)
BEYOND THE REPORT: REIMAGINING FLEXNER'S IMPACT ON SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
Michael Anthony Davis
In a pivotal address on May 17, 1915, Abraham Flexner fundamentally shaped the discourse surrounding the professional standing of social work. Speaking before the National Conference of Charities and Correction, Flexner's inquiry, "Is Social Work a Profession? reverberated within the Mount Vernon Place Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland. His resolute conclusion contended that social work had not yet attained the status of a profession, primarily due to its inadequately defined methodologies for instructional dissemination. Instead, Flexner perceived the role of social work as that of a mediator between client and agency, stopping short of designating it a full-fledged profession....
CUTTING THROUGH THE CRISIS: YOUTH, BLADES, AND THE PANDEMIC'S INFLUENCE ON KNIFE CRIME
Maria Katerina Papadopoulos, Georgios Antoniou Christopoulos
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly influenced youth development and social behavior, necessitating critical examination. This study addresses the escalating concern surrounding youth involvement in serious youth violence, particularly knife crime. The pandemic's impact on adolescents extends beyond physical health, encroaching upon their social, emotional, and mental well-being. Such encounters with trauma during a crucial developmental phase can potentially yield enduring repercussions throughout their lifespan. Consequently, adolescents grapple with the imperative to adapt their social routines in response to the pandemic's challenges. Historical discourse has frequently deliberated the exposure of adolescents to shifts, crises, and risky circumstances encompassing social, familial, economic,...
BRIDGING ETHNIC DIVIDES: INCOME INEQUALITY IN MALAYSIA'S ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE
Yuki Nakamura
Income inequality among Malaysia's major ethnicities, namely the Malay (Bumiputera), Chinese, and Indian communities, has persisted as a pressing issue since the end of colonial rule. Colonial policies left a legacy of high inequality and poverty rates, largely affecting the Malay majority and fostering an enduring urban-rural divide. The introduction of the Preferential Bumiputera Policy in 1971 aimed to uplift the ethnic Malays but inadvertently led to significant emigration of non-Bumiputera citizens due to education and employment restrictions imposed by the policy. This policy, focusing on Bumiputera share ownership and mandatory employment quotas, lasted for two decades, and its repercussions...