Nonie Harris

Comparative, Feminist, and Qualitative: An Uncommon Perspective on Cross-National Social Policy Research

In this article, the author reflects on the comparative, feminist, qualitative research process based on cross-national doctoral research recently undertaken on child care policy in California and Australia. This type of comparative social policy research is still in its infancy and poses methodological and conceptual problems not present in other types of social research. Examining these implications and problems, as well as the outcomes and benefits of feminist, cross-national social policy research, contributes to a methodological framework that promotes qualitative welfare state theorizing in complex international contexts.

International student exchange in Australian social work education

ABSTRACT International student exchange is pursued by Australian schools of social work as a strategy to engage with the internationalisation agenda set by government, universities, and the profession. However, little concrete information about the nature and scope of these activities exists. The study reported here aimed to address this gap. Twenty-seven of the 30 Australian universities that offer social work programs participated in an online survey about international student exchange activities. The results indicate that a majority of schools (n = 23) do engage in such activities, with international field placements the most frequent form of exchange. Exchanges are most likely to be facilitated and managed by social work staff. The findings, and their implications for the development of good practice in international student exchange, are discussed. This research provides a “point-in-time” snapshot of international exchange in Australian social work education and a benchmark for future analyses of this expanding practice in the profession.

Stepping Forward to Learn: Thai Students Reflect on Hosting Australian International Exchange Students

The value of international student exchange programs is well documented—from the perspective of visiting students and sending institutions. This article reports on research that aimed to capture different perspectives by talking with host Thai students who interacted with and translated for visiting Australian social work students. This focus on the experience of international exchange from the perspective of the hosting Thai students foregrounds these seldom-heard voices, highlighting the potential benefits of engagement and reflective learning for host students and institutions. The analyzed data show that there are numerous opportunities for host students to benefit from international exchange and to develop the attitudes, knowledge, and skills that are necessary prerequisites for intercultural learning and sensitivity. The article illustrates the high demands on hosts and can inform good practice in the planning and design of exchange programs.

Sustaining quality learning abroad opportunities in Australian schools of social work

Student learning abroad experiences are encouraged to develop students’ intercultural understanding and global citizenship. This article reports internationally collaborative research exploring social work student short-term mobility programmes and international field education placements. Findings from interviews with staff from Australian schools of social work are presented. Themes developed from the data explore the establishment and ongoing resourcing and sustainability of international exchange programmes, including implications for risk and safety, relationships and partnerships, and reciprocity. The complex landscape of student international experiences is discussed, and it is proposed that the lack of adequate resourcing of learning abroad opportunities threatens their sustainability.

Teaching research methods to social work students in India and Australia: reflections and recommendations

Abstract This paper draws on the reflections of two social work educators who have, for many years taught research methods to undergraduate and postgraduate social work students in India and Australia. The intent is to suggest measures for enhancing the quality of social work research education. The reflections are embedded in a social justice and human rights framework, privileging the educators’ unique social and cultural contexts and their commitment to engage with indigenous knowledge. The authors recommend effective social work research education requires the educator to draw on a deep understanding of their own context, as well as globally accepted research traditions. Particularly, we encourage research teachers to adopt student-centred approaches that emphasise a broad ‘research mindedness’ (in their students and themselves), building students’ practical capacities and confidence to become effective, research informed practitioners; capable of contributing to their own communities and to the social work profession more broadly.