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Dear readers,
The year 2009 marks for the Social Work Review, the journal edited by the Sociology and Social Work Faculty - University of Bucharest, in cooperation with Polirom Publishing House, its eight year of existence. As a novelty, the year 2009 also marks the 80th anniversary of a similar journal entitled the Social Work or the Newsletter of the Superior School of Social Work “Principesa Ileana”, that was printed between 1929-1936. The first issues of this review are available at Romanian Academy Library. It came out biannually and it usually included the curriculum of the Social Work School, case studies, presentations on different Social Work Centers and specialized book reviews as well.
Starting with no.3-4/2009, the Social Work Review is presenting you a new concept, a new format and a new editorial team formed by Doru Buzducea, social worker and Vice-Dean of the Faculty, Theodora Ene, Florin Lazăr, Valentina Rujoiu, Anamaria Szabo and Cristina Tudor, most of them social workers and lecturers of the same Faculty. The team is completed by associated editors from other national university centers.
We take on the challenge of adjusting the review to the international requirements imposed on specialty publications. The new Advisory Board includes prestigious professors from Europe and the United States of America. In trying to be more of use to the practitioners, we partnered with the Romanian National College of Social Workers who provides subscription to this journal to its own members.
The current volume, consisting of issues 3-4/2009, is dedicated to social work for vulnerable groups. As a result, we start with papers dedicated to modern social problems and programs addressed in the following articles: Social problems caused by undocumented work authored by Eugen Blaga, University of Bucharest, known for his constants interests in labor policy and programs, and Liana-Roxana Moştenescu, Ministry of Labor, Family & Social Protection; Guidelines for Adult Education in the Murani-Pișchia Phenomen by Corneliu Dragomir, based on a performed research in that area. We continue with the study Putting children first in Wales: The evaluation of Extending Entitlement, signed by well-known European researchers - Kevin Haines şi Stephen Case, followed by another as interesting study ”Home alone” Phenomenon at Valea Danului, Argeș County by Simonei-Florina Marica.
The following section consists of articles that address already classical social problems: Quality of life for persons with disabilites written by Teodor Mircea Alexiu, Head of Social Work Department within University of West, Timișoara that is based on an international research coordinated by the above-mentioned author. In the same area, we can include the article Elderly: a psycho-social perspective by Daniela Niţă, Master student at the Risk Groups & Support Social Services Master Program at our school. Another social group facing exclusion risks and social marginalization is formed by a part of the Roma population and the article Exclusion from accommodation of Roma population signed by Adrian Dan continues the debates regarding accommodation policy, a field that gained in interest at national level due to author’s involvement in this area.
Besides the groups mentioned above, there can be met in public space other numerous social groups exposed to multiple social risks as: homeless, HIV/AIDS persons, women practicing commercial sex, drug users, victims of human trafficking, etc. All these face risks due to lack of family and community support, lack of specialized social services, or due to lack of local authorities involvement in supporting the social work system. Considering the increased interest at international level regarding the study of high risk groups, we also have included articles that approach these subjects. As a result, the research Application of Respondent Driven Sampling to collect baseline data on injecting drug users (IDUs) for HIV risk reduction interventions in Bucharest, Romania performed by a group of experts from UN Office on Drugs and Crime (Alina Bocai – Program Director, Cătălina Iliuţă, Marian Ursan & Mihai Corciova) brings some novelty both to theoreticians and practitioners as well. There is also the article Commercial Sex in Romania: A social problem that needs social solutions written by Eduard Petrescu, Director at UNAIDS România. Within the same section there can be found two complementing articles: Human Trafficking. Conceptual clarifications by Alina Anghel, from Valahia University, Târgovişte and Human Traffikcing Victims by Monica Alexandru, faculty member of our school. There is also the article The Woman-victim of domestic violence in Romania by Virginia Georgiana Bonea.
The following section includes two articles focused on delinquency issues: Family environment & value definitions created by the delinquent minor within the crime act by Oxana Andrei Sargarovski, and On the Pains of Probation by Ioan Durnescu, Editor of European Journal of Probation, which brings into discussion a classical paradigm in this field – the desisting paradigm.
We close this volume with the article Roman Law Elements in Documents regarding Human Rights Protection. Part One signed by Claudia Oprea Popa, faculty member of our school, article that is inaugurating a series dedicated to legal aspects in social work.
Finally, the readers can find three book reviews on new titles that had been published in the latter six months as well as the latest approved government’s decisions in regard to social work.
For the upcoming issues, invitations have been launched to the members of the Advisory Board to coordinate special issues on specific social work themes. Therefore, the issue no.1/2010 is coordinated by our colleague, Florin Lazăr, with the central theme on development of the social work profession. The coordinating editor of issue no. 2/2010 is Mrs. Professor Maria Roth, the Head of Social Work Department at the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, focusing on clinical social work.
Editorial Staff
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