Kylie Agllias

Perspectives on Neoliberalism for Human Service Professionals

This article provides an overview of recent perspectives on neoliberalism, which serve as a foundation for the assessment of neoliberalism’s influence on human services practice. Conventionally, neoliberalism has been conceived of as an ideology, but more recent perspectives regard neoliberalism as an art of government, a thought collective, and an uneven but path-dependent process of regulatory development. We argue that these new perspectives have the potential to contribute to our critical capacity and open avenues for the analysis of contemporary transformations of public policy and its delivery.

Keeping safe: teaching undergraduate social work students about interpersonal violence

While most social work graduates will not practice in organizations specializing in the threat or aftermath of violence, they will encounter clients affected by interpersonal violence and trauma in almost all fields of practice. Therefore, the social work curriculum should provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work with these clients. In developing a suitable curriculum it is important to be mindful of the adverse reactions students might experience when exposed to traumatic material, especially those who have experienced prior trauma. This article discusses a third-year social work course that examined social work interventions in response to interpersonal violence, with a focus on sexual assault and domestic violence. It describes four “safety strategies” implemented in 2010; (a) ongoing recognition of, and education about, self-care and vicarious trauma, (b) development of a supportive culture in the classroom, (c) accessible avenues of personalized support and debriefing, and (d), providing transparent and diverse curriculum. Finally, it draws from relevant research and student feedback to discuss the strengths and limitations of each “strategy.”

No longer on speaking terms: the losses associated with family estrangement at the end of life

Family estrangement is the physical distancing and loss of affection between family members, often due to intense conflict or ongoing disagreement. While the concept is rarely referred to in the research literature, it is not an uncommon issue raised in clinical practice. This article provides a brief overview of the literature pertaining to later-life intergenerational family estrangement, primarily between adult children and their parents. It then examines later-life family estrangement in relation to Bosss (2006) concept of ambiguous loss and Dokas (1989) ideas about disenfranchised grief. Finally, the article comments on the practice implications when working with elders experiencing family estrangement toward the end of life.

Utilizing Participants’ Strengths to Reduce Risk of Harm in a Study of Family Estrangement

In this article I examine some issues involved in researching vulnerable populations and sensitive issues, and the challenges and risks of researching issues of a deeply personal nature. Participants might have complex needs and vulnerabilities, but they also have many resources to ensure their own well-being. I ask researchers to move beyond the minimum standards espoused by human ethics committees, and utilize participant strengths to further reduce the risk of harm. My reflections on a study of older people who were experiencing family estrangement highlight some of the actions that participants used to increase their personal safety. I discuss the usefulness of “strengths” questions in assessing risk and facilitating participant strengths to minimize harm. Finally, I propose a three-way model for reducing risk that involves the “lessons learned” from ethics committees, researchers, and the participants themselves.

Disconnection and Decision-making: Adult Children Explain Their Reasons for Estranging from Parents

Abstract This article reports on a qualitative study of adult children who were estranged from at least one parent. Twenty-six Australian participants reported a total of 40 estrangements. Of these, 23 estrangements were initiated by the participant and 16 were maintained by the participant after being initiated by the parent or occurring after a mutual lessening of contact. Participants reported three core reasons for estrangement: (i) abuse, (ii) poor parenting, and (iii) betrayal. However, estrangement was predominantly situated in long-term perceived or actual disconnection from the parent and family of origin. Most participants had engaged in cycles of estrangement and reunification, using distance to assess the relationship and attend to their own personal development and growth across time. Estrangement was generally triggered by a relatively minor incident or a more serious act of betrayal considered to have been enacted by the parent.

The Gendered Experience of Family Estrangement in Later Life

This qualitative study examined the experiences of 25 parents who were estranged from their adult children in later life. Most participants experienced estrangement as an unanticipated, unchosen, and chronic loss for which they felt ill prepared. Most described a traumatic loss, ambiguous because of its uncertainty and inconclusiveness, and disenfranchised by societal ideologies embedded in constructs of parenting and motherhood as essential, natural, and universal. Many participants said they were subjected to the social stigma associated with tainted or devalued parenthood. In many cases, the gendered stigma accompanying estrangement positioned the female participants precariously for social rejection.

Difference, Choice, and Punishment: Parental Beliefs and Understandings about Adult Child Estrangement

Abstract This article reports on qualitative research that examined the experiences of 25 Australian participants aged over 60 years who were estranged from at least one adult child. When participants were asked about their perceptions of the cause of the estrangement they described events prior to and at the time of the estrangement, possibly perceived as a form of parental rejection or relational devaluation by the estranged children. Findings suggested a complex interplay of long-term factors that appeared to contribute to an eroded relationship between parents and children, including divorce, third-party alienation, and multiple family stressors. Ultimately participants said that the adult children responded by: (1) choosing what they perceived to be a less rejecting or less dangerous relationship over a relationship with their parent; (2) choosing to stop contact or reduce emotional interactions with their parent; or (3) using estrangement to punish their parent for the perceived rejection.

Missing Family: The Adult Child’s Experience of Parental Estrangement

This qualitative study examined the experiences of 25 adult children who initiated or maintained estrangement from one or both parents. Participants often stated that they initiated or maintained estrangement to provide relief and space to heal from a difficult relationship, but it was also experienced as a considerable loss that impacted them across the lifespan. They missed having a family and the benefits of such a relationship, including emotional, financial and physical support. However, the majority stated that they did not miss ‘their own family’ or the person they were estranged from, often taking active measures to keep the estrangement status intact. Estrangement also appeared to affect participant’s experiences of other relationships with non-estranged family members, work colleagues, and potential partners and friends. These findings suggest social work practice that is focused on understanding and addressing grief reactions, a critical examination of family, stress reduction, and reconnection to safe and trusting relationships.

Athena's Legacy: Preparing Women for a Mentoring Program

ABSTRACT A community-based research study conducted in 2004 identified a number of women from disadvantaged communities who sought mentoring in personal, educational, and vocational aspects of their lives. Informed by this earlier research, a program titled Map Your Future was developed, and a pilot mentoring program commenced in 2005. This article describes the group program that was developed to prepare the women for a mentoring relationship, and the research methodology underpinning its development. It concludes with an exploration of the womens experiences of the program.

Australian Workers’ Narratives about Emergency Relief and Employment Service Clients: Complex Issues, Simple Solutions

Abstract This paper illuminates two under-investigated, and often intersecting, frontline services accessed by unemployed people. It reports on the narratives of 32 Australian service providers working in emergency relief or employment services during 2012, including perceptions of clients’ presenting issues and problems, and rationale for intervention. Workers tended to use reductionist and individualistic terms to describe complex client issues suggesting self-motivation and personal responsibility were key to gaining employment or alleviating poverty. Clients were often viewed as having the power to change their circumstances, while workers appeared unaware of their positional power and drew from dominant conservative discourse about welfarism and unemployment to fortify their compliance requirements. The findings are discussed in relation to service delivery and reform.