Since the late 1960s, community work had emerged in its own right as an occupation with an increasingly important contribution to make both to ways of thinking within the field of social policy, and to day-to-day social work practice and the resolution of pressing community issues. Its practitioners had grown in numbers and experience, while community work ideas and methods continued to influence developments in a variety of other ‘neighbouring’ occupations. Originally published in 1980, the editors of this NISW collection suggest that if community workers are to remain effective, then they must stay on the boundaries of the agencies that employ them and of the groups with whom they work. This theme of the ‘boundary nature’ of community work is examined in detail in the Introduction and is subsequently taken up by the other contributors to the book. This title is organised under three main headings – a survey section on the history, philosophy and theories of community work in the United Kingdom; a series of case studies that suggest the diversity of the interests of community work; and an analysis of the growth of community work as an occupation and the spread of its influence through related professions and disciplines. This mix of theory, practice and analysis made the book of special importance both to practising community workers and to community work teachers and students at the time. In addition, the book would have been of direct interest to community oriented administrators, professionals, teachers and students in other human service fields such as health, education, housing, planning and the personal social services, as well as to elected members and administrators in central and local government more generally. It will now be welcomed by anyone who seeks a critical account of the historical activities of community work, written by experienced practitioners and teachers.

In Boundaries of Care, Ryan I. Logan details the lived experience of community health workers (CHWs) – a present yet often invisible facet of the healthcare workforce. These workers participate in nonclinical services to enhance the health and well-being of their communities outside the walls of the clinic and social service agencies. Logan examines the boundaries of and barriers to care present in the experiences of CHWs, their relationships with clients, issues of professionalization, impacts of burnout and self-care, and the critical impacts of CHW advocacy. Told through first-hand accounts and interwoven with theory, Logan presents the key challenges facing this workforce and their potential to foster even greater well-being within their communities. The findings and recommendations from participants found within Boundaries of Care can inform and shape CHW programs both in the United States and abroad.

Global social work: crossing borders, blurring boundaries is a collection of ideas, debates and reflections on key issues concerning social work as a global profession, such as its theory, its curricula, its practice, its professional identity; its concern with human rights and social activism, and its future directions. Apart from emphasising the complexities of working and talking about social work across borders and cultures, the volume focuses on the curricula of social work programs from as many regions as possible to showcase what is being taught in various cultural, sociopolitical and regional contexts. Exploring the similarities and differences in social work education across many countries of the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Pacific, the book provides a reference point for moving the current social work discourse towards understanding the local and global context in its broader significance.

Between youth and adulthood, kids are faced with complex questions and equally difficult answers. Transition is a daily theme. This honest and insightful book includes poems for young adults that confront and question issues of transition, new experiences, difficult choices, and a search for truth.

Though there are still just twenty-four hours in a day, society's idea of who should be doing what and when has shifted. Time, the ultimate scarce resource, has become an increasingly contested battle zone in American life, with work, family, and personal obligations pulling individuals in conflicting directions. In Fighting for Time, editors Cynthia Fuchs Epstein and Arne Kalleberg bring together a team of distinguished sociologists and management analysts to examine the social construction of time and its importance in American culture. Fighting for Time opens with an exploration of changes in time spent at work—both when people are on the job and the number of hours they spend there—and the consequences of those changes for individuals and families. Contributors Jerry Jacobs and Kathleen Gerson find that the relative constancy of the average workweek in America over the last thirty years hides the fact that blue-collar workers are putting in fewer hours while more educated white-collar workers are putting in more. Rudy Fenwick and Mark Tausig look at the effect of nonstandard schedules on workers' health and family life. They find that working unconventional hours can increase family stress, but that control over one's work schedule improves family, social, and health outcomes for workers. The book then turns to an examination of how time influences the organization and control of work. The British insurance company studied by David Collinson and Margaret Collinson is an example of a culture where employees are judged on the number of hours they work rather than on their productivity. There, managers are under intense pressure not to take legally guaranteed parental leave, and clocks are banned from the office walls so that employees will work without regard to the time. In the book's final section, the contributors examine how time can have different meanings for men and women. Cynthia Fuchs Epstein points out that professional women and stay-at-home fathers face social disapproval for spending too much time on activities that do not conform to socially prescribed gender roles—men are mocked by coworkers for taking paternity leave, while working mothers are chastised for leaving their children to the care of others. Fighting for Time challenges assumptions about the relationship between time and work, revealing that time is a fluid concept that derives its importance from cultural attitudes, social psychological processes, and the exercise of power. Its insight will be of interest to sociologists, economists, social psychologists, business leaders, and anyone interested in the work-life balance.

Today's marketplace is fueled by knowledge. Yet organizing systematically to leverage knowledge remains a challenge. Leading companies have discovered that technology is not enough, and that cultivating communities of practice is the keystone of an effective knowledge strategy. Communities of practice come together around common interests and expertise- whether they consist of first-line managers or customer service representatives, neurosurgeons or software programmers, city managers or home-improvement amateurs. They create, share, and apply knowledge within and across the boundaries of teams, business units, and even entire companies-providing a concrete path toward creating a true knowledge organization. In Cultivating Communities of Practice, Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder argue that while communities form naturally, organizations need to become more proactive and systematic about developing and integrating them into their strategy. This book provides practical models and methods for stewarding these communities to reach their full potential-without squelching the inner drive that makes them so valuable. Through in-depth cases from firms such as DaimlerChrysler, McKinsey & Company, Shell, and the World Bank, the authors demonstrate how communities of practice can be leveraged to drive overall company strategy, generate new business opportunities, tie personal development to corporate goals, transfer best practices, and recruit and retain top talent. They define the unique features of these communities and outline principles for nurturing their essential elements. They provide guidelines to support communities of practice through their major stages of development, address the potential downsides of communities, and discuss the specific challenges of distributed communities. And they show how to recognize the value created by communities of practice and how to build a corporate knowledge strategy around them. Essential reading for any leader in today's knowledge economy, this is the definitive guide to developing communities of practice for the benefit-and long-term success-of organizations and the individuals who work in them. Etienne Wenger is a renowned expert and consultant on knowledge management and communities of practice in San Juan, California. Richard McDermott is a leading expert of organization and community development in Boulder, Colorado. William M. Snyder is a founding partner of Social Capital Group, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

This timely Research Handbook offers new ways in which to navigate the diverse terrain of community development research. Chapters unpack the foundations and history of community development research and also look to its future, exploring innovative frameworks for conceptualizing community development. Comprehensive and unequivocally progressive, this is key reading for social and public policy researchers in need of an understanding of the current trends in community development research, as well as practitioners and policymakers working on urban, rural and regional development.