Abstracts of papers written or co-written by Neil
Men and Anti-Sexism
Neil Thompson
British Journal of Social Work, Volume 25, Number 4, August 1995, pp. 459-475
This paper explores the negative impact of sexism on both women and men and considers what active part men can play in challenging and undermining sexism. The costs of living and working in a patriarchal society are outlined, and related to the differing experiences of women and men. It is argued that, although women clearly bear the brunt of sexism, gender stereotyping is not without significant costs for men.
This leads us into an exploration of possible anti-sexist strategies that men can promote and implement as part of the development of anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice. The aim is not for men to ‘colonize’ or take over the struggle to achieve emancipation from oppressive gender norms. Rather it is for men to play a part in the collective struggle to remove the inhumanity of patriarchal social relations.
The paper is grounded within a professional value base premised on a commitment to combating discrimination and oppression and within a theory base informed by existentialist philosophy. (Thompson, 1992a)
Promoting Anti-Discriminatory Practice
Neil ThompsonInternational Perspectives in Social Work, Volume 1, September 1995, pp. 21-29
This paper reviews the development of anti-discriminatory practice and explores why this is such an important aspect of good practice. It highlights a number of key issues which have played a major part in developing current approaches to understanding and challenging discrimination and oppression. The basic components of anti-discriminatory practice are explored, potential barriers to progress identified and possible strategies for promoting further development are outlined.
The Ontology of Disaster
Neil Thompson
Death Studies, Volume 19, Number 5, September-October 1995, pp. 501-510
The considerable number of major disasters in the last decade have had a significant impact on very many children. Some have been victims, some bereaved, others just generally anxious and frightened by their proximity to, or awareness of, such disasters. Additionally, many personal disasters – accidents, illness, family breakdown, and, of course, child abuse – befall children and their caregivers, producing a traumatic, crisis-torn existence for large numbers of children, a proportion of whom will come to the attention of the caring professions. One dimension relatively unexplored in the growing literature on the subject of disaster work is that of the existential or “ontological”. A number of existentialist concepts can help us piece together a picture of this missing dimension. This article explores some of these key aspects to show their applicability to this complex and demanding area of health and social welfare practice. To explore the basic questions of ontology I shall draw on existentialist philosophy, particularly Jean-Paul Sartre. I shall introduce some of the key ontological concepts which underpin existentialism and consider how they apply specifically to the experience of children in disaster situations.
Stress and Organizational Culture
Neil Thompson, Steve Stradling, Michael Murphy and Paul O’Neill
British Journal of Social Work, Volume 26, Number 5, October 1996, pp. 647-665
The relationship between social work and stress is a complex one which remains relatively under-explored. This paper examines issues arising from a comparative study of stress in three local authority social services departments.
The main focus is on the human resource management issues underpinning the experience of social work staff. In particular, the role of organizational culture is explored and the notion of a ‘culture of stress’ is introduced. This is a key aspect of the theoretical account presented. It offers an explanation of the identified differences amongst the three authorities studied in terms of the subjective experience of common stressors.
The paper concludes with a discussion of the major implications for social work agencies in which such an organizational culture has developed
Children, Death and Ageism
Neil Thompson
Child and Family Social Work, Volume 2, Issue 1, February 1997, pp. 59-65
The position of children in the social order can be seen as an ambiguous one. On the one hand, they are highly valued, at a rhetorical level at least, as the basis of the future generation. On the other hand, however, they can be seen to be marginalized and disenfranchised, protected from more aspects of social life than is strictly necessary. This paper explores some of the important issues relating to children’s disenfranchised social position, with specific reference to issues relating to death, dying and bereavement.
The Ontology of Ageing
Neil Thompson
British Journal of Social Work, Volume 28, 1998, pp. 695-707
Ageist ideology presents old age as a time of dependency and disengagement, a withdrawal from life, rather than a part of life. While this can be recognized as a stereotypical view of ageing, its influence has to be acknowledged as profound and far-reaching. This raises a number of questions about the ontological status of old age – that is, questions about the nature of old age as a feature of human existence. This paper focuses on two particular aspects of the ontology of old age: selfhood and loss. The notion of self is one that has received considerable attention in social theory as a result of the postmodernist critique in recent years. However, little or no attention has been paid to the role of selfhood in old age. Old age can be seen as a stage in the life course characterized by loss, or more specifically, a variety of less. Loss is also a significant factor in relation to selfhood in particular and ontology in general, especially as loss so often involves a loss of meaning.
Older People, Crisis, and Loss
Susan Thompson and Neil Thompson
Illness, Crisis and Loss, Volume 7, Issue 2, April 1999, pp. 122-133
Older people are no less prone to experiences of crisis and loss than any other age cohort. Indeed, it could be argued that this group is even more prone to such experiences, although both the therapeutic literature on crisis intervention and the thanatological literature on loss and grief pay relatively little heed to the needs and circumstances of older people. This article therefore seeks to go someway toward redressing the balance by exploring the significance of crisis and loss as part of the lived experience (le vécu) of older people. The arguments presented are set in the context of the need to recognize and challenge the significant role of ageism
Empowering Older People: Beyond the Care Model
Neil Thompson and Sue Thompson
Journal of Social Work, Volume 1, Number 1, April 2001, pp. 61-76
This article explores models and strategies for developing empowering forms of social work practice with older people.
Social work with older people has strong roots in a predominantly medical model in which the primary objective is to ensure that care is provided. While social work with other client groups has made major steps forward in developing less medicalized approaches, the work undertaken with older people has seen far less progress. This article examines the differences between a care model and an empowerment model, identifies some of the barriers standing in the way of movement from one to the other and considers ways of responding to such barriers.
Social Movements, Social Justice and Social Work
Neil Thompson
British Journal of Social Work, Volume 32, 2002, pp. 711-722
This paper explores the relationship between social movements, social justice and social work. It examines the role of social movements in promoting social justice and considers the influences of such movements in the development of emancipatory forms of social work practice. It also considers the question of whether social work can be viewed as a form of social movement in its own right. A central theme of this paper is the fundamental tension between social work as a force for social regulation and as a force for social development and emancipation.
The Social Basis of Loss and Grief: Age, Disability and Sexuality
Denise Bevan and Neil Thompson
Journal of Social Work, Volume 3, Number 2, 2003, pp. 179-194
A review of the neglected area of the relationship between loss and grief and the less well-documented areas of discrimination in relation to age, disability and sexuality.
There is an extensive and long-standing literature base relating to loss and grief. However, the major focus of such work is predominantly psychological and individualistic in its focus. Only recently a solid body of work relating to the sociological dimensions of loss and grief has begun to build up. This new literature has largely followed the pattern of the development of anti-discriminatory practice in social work, with a major emphasis on class, race and gender, and little attention paid to the less well-established forms of discrimination such as ageism, disablism and heterosexism.
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