This comparative case study investigates the use of adult education as a strategy for social development in rural Uganda and Tanzania. Specifically, the study examines two programsthe Functional Adult Literacy program in Uganda and Integrated Community-Based Adult Education (ICBAE) in Tanzaniato determine whether or not these programs are people-centered and meet the needs of adult learners. Content analysis of various documents from primary and secondary sources and interviews with key informants related to the two adult education programs provided data used to answer the research questions: 1) To what extent are current adult education programs in Uganda and Tanzania (FAL and ICBAE) engaging adult learners in people-centered development? 2) How do the current adult education programs and practices align with the countries adult education policies? 3) What are the views of stakeholders (policymakers and adult educators) regarding Ugandas FAL and Tanzanias ICBAE programs? 4) What similarities and differences exist between the FAL and ICBAE programs? Individual cases and cross-case analysis identify categories and themes related to adult education policies and practices, and people-centered social development. At the core of this study is the assumption that adult education, if appropriately designed and coordinated, can serve as a strategy for people-centered social development. Based on document analysis and interviews with key officials, this comparative study found that the prevailing adult education strategies in Uganda and Tanzania lack consensus, structure, vision, and political will. The intent of the findings is to inform adult education policymaking and practices in Uganda and Tanzania by providing practical strategies for people-centered social development.

Globally, poverty affects millions of people’s lives each day. Children are hungry, many lack the means to receive an education, and many are needlessly ill. It is a common scene to see an impoverished town surrounded by trash and polluted air. There is a need to debunk the myths surrounding the impoverished and for strategies to be crafted to aid their situations. Sociological Perspectives on Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction in Rural Populations is an authored book that seeks to clarify the understanding of poverty reduction in a substantive way and demonstrate the ways that poverty is multifaceted and why studying poverty reduction matters. The 12 chapters in this volume contribute to existing and new areas of knowledge production in the field of development studies, poverty knowledge production, and gender issues in the contemporary African experience. The book utilizes unique examples drawn purposely from select African countries to define, highlight, raise awareness, and clarify the complexity of rural poverty. Covering topics such as indigenous knowledge, sustainable development, and child poverty, this book provides an indispensable resource for sociology students and professors, policymakers, social development officers, advocates for the impoverished, government officials, researchers, and academicians.

This book makes an important contribution to the international understanding of domestic violence and shares the latest knowledge of what causes and sustains domestic violence between intimate partners, as well as the effectiveness of responses in working with adult and child victims, and those who act abusively towards their partners. Drawing upon a wide range of contemporary research from across the globe, it recognises that domestic violence is both universal, but also shaped by local cultures and contexts. Divided into seven parts: • Introduction. • Theoretical perspectives on domestic violence and abuse. • Domestic violence and abuse across the life-course. • Manifestations of domestic violence and abuse. • Responding to domestic violence and abuse. • Researching domestic violence and abuse. • Concluding thoughts. It will be of interest to all academics and students working in social work, allied health, sociology, criminology and gender studies as well as policy professionals looking for new approaches to the subject.

Focussing on the epistemic – the way in which knowledge is understood, constructed, transmitted and used – this book shows the way social work knowledge has been constructed from within a white western paradigm, and the need for a critique of whiteness within social work at this epistemic level. Social work, emerging from the western Enlightenment world, has privileged white western knowledge in ways that have been, until recently, largely unexamined within its professional discourse. This imposition of white western ways of knowing has led to a corresponding marginalisation of other forms of knowledge. Drawing on views from social workers from Asia, the Pacific region, Africa, Australia and Latin America, this book also includes a glossary of over 40 commonly used social work terms, which are listed with their epistemological assumptions identified. Opening up a debate about the received wisdom of much social work language as well as challenging the epistemological assumptions behind conventional social work practice, this book will be of interest to all scholars and students of social work as well as practitioners seeking to develop genuinely decolonised forms of practice.

Prevalent poverty and related problems in the East African region call for substantial action from various stakeholders, including social workers. This book, based on comprehensive empirical research, portrays an emerging yet powerful profession that has a significant role to play in the endeavour towards social development, social justice, human rights and gender equality. The book is the first of its kind to provide first-hand theoretical and empirical evidence about social work in East Africa.

Now more than ever, an increased emphasis is needed on educational changes and innovations to effectively prepare health and social service professionals for 21st-century practice. Earlier work of the Lancet Independent Global Commission has been instrumental in validating the need for curricula change to include a focus on social determinants, public health priorities, and strategies to sustain healthy communities. The need to further strengthen the public health focus within health and social service education has been fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing recognition of specific issues challenging society such as that highlighted within the technical report recently released by the World Health Organization recognizing Parkinson’s Disease as a public health issue. Each is an example of the need to prepare a future health and social service workforce well equipped in responding to major public health issues while contributing to global health and human wellbeing. The goal of this Research Topic is to provide additional evidence-based contributions to strengthen the public health focus in health and social service education. We aim to commission and publish a broad range of works including original research, case studies, pedogeological innovations, curriculum developments, program evaluations, and debate.

This book offers practical advice for building organizations with social responsibility and sustainability organically built in – based on two-way communication between human resources (HR) and public relations (PR) departments working together as an organizational conscience touchstone benefiting People, Planet, and Profit.