An Exploration of Human Rights and Social Work Education in the United States.

Social work, with its commitment to social justice, knowledge about cultural diversity, and respect for the dignity and worth of the individual, has much to contribute to the modern-day human rights debate. Many international social work scholars have articulated the view of social work as a human rights profession. The profession's presence in this arena, however, has not always been apparent. Amid increasing global tensions and domestic challenges, equipping social work students with human rights knowledge and skills is critical. The limited attention given to human rights in social work education, particularly in the United States, provides a unique opportunity to explore the human rights discourse occurring in academic circles. This paper presents a review of scholarly journal articles that explore the human rights discourse related to social work education in the United States. Upon reviewing the literature, the following categories emerged: (1) general articles on integrating human rights into social work education; (2) pedagogical frameworks, models, and examples of incorporating human rights into social work education; and (3) measures and perceptions related to assessing the integration of human rights in social work education. Findings indicate that the inclusion of human rights into social work education in the United States is in its infancy. It is recommended that social work programs in the United States be more intentional about integrating human rights content into the curricula to train culturally competent and globally minded social workers.

Validation of the Energy Conservation Strategies Inventory (ECSI).

CONTEXT: In applying good energy conservation strategies to relieve cancer-related fatigue, it is critical to first identify cancer patients who are at a high risk for poor energy conservation. However, instruments have not been developed to evaluate energy conservation strategies in an oncology setting. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to validate an instrument that cancer patients may use to evaluate energy conservation strategies to overcome cancer-related fatigue. METHODS: The questionnaire development followed a four-phase process: 1) item generation and reduction, 2) construction, 3) pilot testing, and 4) field testing. Using relevant and priority criteria, as well as pilot testing, we developed a 25-item questionnaire. After field testing, five items were discarded. Finally, 20 items were included in the Energy Conservation Strategies Inventory (ECSI). Factor analysis, multitrait scaling analysis, and Cronbach's α were used to determine the construct validity and reliability. RESULTS: Factor analyses of data from 140 cancer patients resulted in the ECSI, which covers activities related to planning, overcoming distractions, labor saving, burden reducing, and comfort. All subscales (Cronbach's α range, 0.69-0.78) and total scores (Cronbach's α=0.87) were found to possess acceptable internal consistency. CONCLUSIONS: The good psychometric properties of the ECSI instrument show that it may be useful for measuring the frequency of energy conservation strategies used by cancer patients.