Guest Editor Note Hamido
- 1. Guest Editorial From the Guest Editor: Introduction to Research on Social Work Practice In Egypt and the Arab World Hamido A. Megahead1 It has been accepted by social work academic specialists in the Arab World Region the importance of research on social work practice. For example, the problem-solving and task-centered models have been used to develop Egyptian female social work students’ style of thinking (Al-Sharqawy, 2007). This research revealed that there is statistically significant positive relation- ship between these female students’ practice models of prob- lem solving and task centered and developing their thinking in problem solving. Further, the influence of social work students’ practicing task-centered model in a specific neighborhood on the activating voluntarism has been examined (Al-Sharqawy & Kandeal, 2008). It revealed that there is statistically significant positive relationship between the practice of task-centered model by social work students and the activating voluntarism. Moreover, Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index was used for the assessment process of Kuwaiti children who suffered the terror of invasion and occupation by Iraqi forces (Nader, 2008; Nader, Pynoos, Fairbanks, Al-Ajeel & Al- Asfour, 1993). These traumatized Kuwaiti children were treated by applying the interactive trauma grief focused therapy with them (Nader, 2004; Nader & Mello, 2008). Relating to developing specific scales and measures, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, a specific assess- ment tool, has been used, where countries in the Arab World Region have undertaken a collaborative mental health social work practice (Seif Eldin et al., 2008). Moreover, to measure the transparency of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Egypt, a scale of transparency in NGOs has been developed (Helal, 2012). Regarding the validation of scales and tests, the Arabic version of the English Eating Attitude Test-26 has been validated (Al-Subaie et al., 1996), the English version of Alcohol Craving Questionnaire was translated into the Arabic language and validated in the Saudi Arabian context (Albrithen, 2013). The Arabic version of the English index of Spouse Abuse has been validated within the Kuwaiti context (Alkhurinej, 2012). Additionally, a series of evaluation studies have been conducted in Egypt and Saudi Arabia: for example, in Egypt, evaluation of the effectiveness of older people residential care (Sarhan, 1993), evaluation of programs of protection of children at risk (Mahmoud, 2001), and evaluation of drug training program (e.g., Soliman, 2004) and in Saudi Arabia, evaluation of charity associations (e.g., El-Sagheer, 1999). Two major roadblocks have impeded research on social work practice in the Arab World Region and in publishing this in English and European journals. Firstly, mainstream social work journals in the Western countries seldom contain research arti- cles with international content in general and Egypt and the Arab content in particular (Midgley, 1994). Content from Eastern countries has been very rare. Few social work researchers and social work practitioners inthe Eastern countries areable to have their ideas or research findings published in the Western coun- tries (e.g., Tessler, Palmer, Farah, & Ibrahim, 1987). Many social work researchers and social work practitioners in Eastern countries do not understand the procedures and techniques of securing acceptance of their articles and few are encouraged by journal editors to submit or revise. In turn, few even attempt to submit their research work to leading social work journals in the Western countries (Midgley, 1994). Secondly, I have witnessed that a great many social work faculty in the Arab World Region have difficulty writing for Western social work journals. Abdel- Mageed (2015) identified three main obstacles faced by Arab social workers in their efforts to contribute to Western social work journals. The first main difficulty is related to proficiency in written English and the international standards of Western social work journals (e.g., the American Psychological Associ- ation publication style). The second difficulty is connected to publishing norms that differ between Arab and Western jour- nals. A very clear example of this difference has been the num- ber of pages of research published in Arabic Journals (40–70 pages per article) and research published in Western journals (25–30 pages per article or less). The third main difficulty is that there has been no encouragement to people from the Arab World Region to publish in Western social work Journals. Therefore, I have attempted and helped to begin this special issue for social 1 Faculty of Social Work, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt Corresponding Author: Hamido A. Megahead, Lisburn Avenue, Belfast, BT97FX County of Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK. Email: megahead2001@hotmail.com Research on Social Work Practice 1-3 ª The Author(s) 2017 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1049731516644839 journals.sagepub.com/home/rsw
- 2. work academic specialists in the Arab World Region. I have worked with them to help them learn to write for this special issue. Often these authors have worked with me so that they could learn to write and gain confidence. When the editor of Research on Social Work Practice approached me with the idea of guest editing a special issue on the Arab World, I become very excited by the possibilities. When I have been working in this special issue, I have been making a demonstrated example of undertaking a more proac- tive attitude toward supporting the publication of research find- ings from the Eastern countries. In this way, we can all play a major role of fostering the international dissemination of poten- tially important scholarly work (e.g., Midgley, 1994). More- over, each Western social work scholar has something to offer in the area of ideas of research on social work practice and in the area of personal support for others regarding research on social work practice. We must all work together to get it to the point where the flow of ideas of research on social work prac- tice will be reflected in the improved research on social work practice everywhere. Also, when I have worked on this special issue, I have encouraged social work academic specialists in the Arab World Region to cross these two roadblocks of inter- national publication. If my working process in this special issue is not sufficient to remove these two roadblocks, I am hoping it might help to reduce them. Therefore, the reader of this special issue is strongly encouraged to assess their own personal strengths to make a personal commitment and contribution toward improved international communication of research on social work practice in the most effective way possible (e.g., Catterall, 1977). This special issue of research on social work practice in Egypt and the Arab world is timely useful for following three reasons. First, it has provided a forum to pull together selected research work undertaken by social workers in the Arab World Region. This forum is significant, as the readers of this special issue are not limited to Arab World Region communities but also belong to the international social work community. Sec- ond, it has highlighted the importance and feasibility of empiri- cal social work intervention studies and psychometric reports in the Arab World Region. This point is particularly important because evaluating of the effectiveness of social work inter- vention is sorely needed (e.g., Badawee, 1998; Gabel, 1995a, 1995b; Hakem, 2009; Omran, 2003; Zedan, 1990, 1995). Third, within the context of January 25, 2011, Youth Revolution in Egypt and its continuous upheavals (e.g., June 30, 2013), the call of this today is to achieve the accountability and transpar- ency and to overcome the widespread corruption. The current special issue has been thought to be a response to this calling. A word of gratitude is due to the editor of Research on Social Work Practice and also to those who have made this special issue possible, especially the contributing authors. They will be repaid when each social worker who reads this special issue identifies and carries out the above–mentioned specific plan of action, which will increase international communi- cation of research on social work practice and effectiveness in our field. References Abdel-Mageed, H. (2015). The problems of scientific research and contemplate social work future: The challenges and ambitions. A paper presented at the 28th academic conference, Faculty of Social Work, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt, March (in Arabic). Albrithen, A. (2013). Measuring alcohol craving in Saudi Arabia with possible implications for social work intervention. International Journal of Social Welfare, 22, 384–395. Alkhurinej, A. (2012). Violence against women: The psychometrics properties of the Arabic version of the index of spouse abuse: Preliminary study. Presented at the 5th Annual International Con- ference On Mediterranean Studies, Athens Institute for Education and Research, Athens, Greece, 4–7 April. Al-Sharqawy, N. A. (2007). The effectiveness of female social work field education, the practice of both problem solving model and task centred model to develop their style of thinking in problem solving. Presented at the 20th academic conference, Faculty of Social Work, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt, March (in Arabic). Al-Sharqawy, N. A., & Kandeal, S. (2008). The activating neighbour- hood voluntarism by using tasks of revising study habits to address of preparatory school under-achieved pupils. Journal of Studies and Research on Social Work & Social Sciences, 25, 1461–1524 (in Arabic). Al-Subaie, A., Al-Shammari, S., Bamgboye, E., Al-Sabhan, K., Al- Shehri, S., & Bannah, A. R. (1996). Validity of the Arabic version of the eating attitude test. International Journal of Eating Disor- ders, 20, 321–324. Badawee, H. (1998). Professional intervention of community organi- zation method by using the model of social planning to meet the needs of unplanned population areas. Journal of Studies and Research on Social Work & Social Sciences, 4, 235–284 (in Arabic). Catterall, C. D. (1977). Psychology in the schools in international perspective (Vol. 2). Columbus, OH: International School Psychol- ogy Steering Committee. El-Sagheer, S. (1999). An evaluation study of charity associations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The Ministry of Social Affairs (in Arabic). Gabel, A. (1995a). The effectiveness of task centered model in improving self-esteem of children of divorced families in urban areas. Journal of Childhood Barriers, 4, 188–221. Gabel, A. (1995b). The relationship between the practice of cognitive therapy with absent father students and increase their ability of internal locus control. Presented at the 8th academic conference, Faculty of Social Work, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt, March (in Arabic). Hakem, H. (2009). Evaluative study for initiative of girls education programs in Fayom. Master’s Thesis, Faculty of Social Work, El- Fayoum University, El-Fayoum Egypt (in Arabic). Helal, N. (2012). Commitment range of non-governmental organiza- tions of applying transparency and accountability norms and its processes. Doctoral Dissertation, Faculty of Social Work, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt (in Arabic). Mahmoud, M. T. (2001). Programs’ evaluation of protection of children at risk. Presented at the 20th academic conference, Faculty of Social Work, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt, March (in Arabic). 2 Research on Social Work Practice
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