Connecting knowledge and research

Connecting Knowledge with Research in Case Studies

Tolulope Moses

6200 WEEK 8 Assignment

Connecting Knowledge with Research in Case Studies

Introduction

One of the core elements of social work is the comprehensive assessment of a situation in a case which aids in developing effective interventions. In this regard, the understanding and application of knowledge are imperative in making the most profound decisions. In cases involving adolescents, among the most important knowledge is that on human behavior and social environment which is described as understanding how people relate to their environment including social interactions and relationships. According to Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman (2016), it is important to set realistic goals with the client consistent with the needs and requirements while applying obtained knowledge to implement the developed interventions. This paper entails a case study on Eboni Logan, proposed goals, and relating it with a peer-reviewed article.

Eboni Logan Case

The case used in this project is that of Eboni Logan, a 16-year-old biracial African American/Caucasian female who is two months pregnant. Eboni lives with her mother Darlene, and grandmother, May. She has been working at a fast food restaurant for 10 hours per week. Eboni has a boyfriend named Darian with whom they have been engaging in sexual activities without contraceptives. Both Eboni and Darian have no criminal records nor do they manifest alcohol or drug abuse although they take these elements occasionally. While Eboni’s mother works as an administrative assistant at a local manufacturing company, her father is a mechanic who supports Ebony through social and financial wellbeing. Eboni has recently learned she is pregnant, an aspect that introduces a number of problems for her and the social environment.

Case Problems

The case problems involve Eboni’s pregnancy. First, all her social environment including the grandmother and mother are upset with the situation. Her mother in particular hurled insults while calling her a slut. Her father was also upset although he agreed to provide her with a place to stay. The first challenge in this regard entails the broken relationship with her social environment and especially her mother. The second challenge is that Darian, who is the child’s father, states that he is not ready to support the baby and although he has not mentioned it explicitly, he prefers an abortion which Eboni does not want. The issue in this regard is how Eboni will nature her pregnancy and the baby yet she is still an adolescent and at school which might be forced to terminate for the moment. In addition, it may be worrying about how she will live with her father and stepmother considering the situation.

Goals

The goals, in this case, are informed by the above-identified problems and Eboni as the main client in the situation. The first goal would entail re-establishing the relationship with her social environment including her mother and grandmother who are upset by the pregnancy. This would not only give her peace of mind but also ensure they support her fully throughout the pregnancy and until she delivers. The second goal would be to convince Darian on the importance of not terminating the pregnancy and establishing ways through which they can support the child after being born. This would ensure both Eboni and Darian work towards the set intervention strategies on how to deal with the pregnancy and cope with the situation especially since they are all adolescents (Melchert, 2015). Among the strategies include getting support from the parents and grandparents until Eboni and Darian can support themselves.

Peer Reviewed Article

The article by Asheer, Berger, Mechstroth, Kisker, & Keating (2014) draws information from current and ongoing approaches for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. This aims at discussing early implementation experiences of new programs that are intended to reduce recurrent pregnancy among teenage mothers. In addition, these programs inform on how to relate with teen mothers, challenges associated with their participation, and the overarching service needs which reflect in Eboni’s case. Notably, the knowledge can be used to assess and engage Eboni and her social environment. The implications and contribution to practice from this article involve policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working in an effort to provide better services to teenage mothers that are challenging to reach and are at high risk of challenging health outcomes and living under extreme conditions. Through understanding these problems as identified in the article, it would be easy to develop intervention strategies and goals that relate to Eboni’s case.

Ethnocentrism and Racism

One of the apparent facts in Eboni’s case is that the issues of culture and race may come to play and affect the case either positively or negatively. This, however, depends on the perceptions of the involved individuals. Eboni is biracial, and while her parents may in the long run cope with the situation, the relationship with the boyfriend may be challenging as he is African American (Cristol & Gimbert, 2008). This may especially be the case with the dad who is Caucasian. Besides the racial aspect, both the African American and Caucasian cultures may differ in a number of ways which may affect the relationships between the different stakeholders. As suggested by Patcher, Szalacha, Bernstein and Garcia Coil (2010), understanding the different cultures and how they relate to the situation is essential in developing effective intervention strategies.

Conclusion

In social work, among the important elements is relating research with actual practice. This entails the use of theoretical knowledge regarding a subject and how it relates to a particular situation. The above case study involves Eboni who is a pregnant teen. To examine the situation, it is essential to relate current knowledge with the case such as human behavior and social environment concepts. With the goals involving re-establishing the relationship with the parent and working towards growing the pregnancy and the child, it is essential to consider the aspects of ethnocentrism and racism as they relate to the situation.

References

Asheer, S., Berger, A., Meckstroth, A., Kisker, E., & Keating, B. (2014). Engaging pregnant and parenting teens: Early challenges and lessons learned from the evaluation of adolescent pregnancy prevention approaches. Journal of Adolescent Health, 54(3), S84-S91.

Cristol, D., & Gimbert, B. (2008). Racial perceptions of young children: A review of literature post-1999. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(2), 201–207.

Melchert, T. P. (2015). Treatment planning. In Biopsychosocial practice: A science-based framework for behavioral health. Washington, District of Columbia: American Psychological Association.

Patcher, L. M., Szalacha, L. A., Bernstein, B., & Garcia Coil, C. (2010). Perceptions of racism in children and youth: Properties as a self-report instrument for research on children’s health and development. Ethnicity & Health, 15(1), 33–46.

Zastrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2016). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Chapter 5 (pp. 254-294)