In this issue…On being human

Human beings are not by nature kings, or lords, or courtiers, or rich. All are born naked and poor; all are subject to the miseries of life…It is the weakness of the human being that makes us sociable; it is our common miseries that turn our hearts to humanity; we would owe humanity nothing if we were not human. Every attachment is a sign of insufficiency. If each of us had no need of others, he would hardly think of uniting himself with them. Thus from our weakness our fragile happiness is born… (Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, Book IV)

Summer tends to be filled with adventures, a break from everyday life, and a chance to ponder novel cityscapes and vistas. As such, summer journeys are also ripe times to marvel on the myriad of way humans live out their lives. In July, I visited Barcelona Cathedral, a gothic 14th century edifice set in the center of what is now a bustling shopping district in Barcelona. Outside the church, a giant Ninja Turtle happily take selfies with tourists and street musicians play their instruments while selling their latest CD. Inside the church, however, the din of modern life fades and one is left with the hush of the past. At first glance, it is easy to mistake that the quiet cloaks an antiquated religion and smugly, perhaps even politely, discount a way of life long past.

However, as I contemplated the epic basilica vaulted over five aisles, I found myself wondering about a world without medicine and advanced technology. In such an era, each day would hold an ever-present reminder about the fragility of life. In many ways, however, our predecessors were aware of a truth that modern society, with all its distracting complexities and infinite possibilities, frequently muffles. The humans that gazed upon the very same archway centuries ago understood that alongside their naked humanity, rests the possibility of awe and inspiration. Amidst their helplessness, they clung to community and tangible reminders, usually in form of saints and relics, that miracles are possible even in the direst of circumstances. They understood the importance of hope and awe, perhaps more so than their 21st century, smartphone-toting counterparts. Don’t misunderstand me; I prefer modernity to medieval life, but in the hustle of everyday life I think it’s easy to lose sight of how fragile and temporary human existence is. We underestimate our need for community, beauty, and that which inspires awe. Perhaps, this is why the event that Karen Staller writes about in her opening editorial garnered so much international attention; it inspired awe (Staller, 2018). In a rare moment, the children trapped underground underscored the fragility of life, the importance of community, and our deep-seated need for miracles. Yes. You read this right. We need miracles; we need things to astound us and remind us that our helplessness is not something to be ashamed of but the necessary ingredient for joining with others and being part of something miraculous. The event showed the power of community to harness human ingenuity and bring about the impossible and by doing so, inspire millions of others. In this final issue of volume 17, QSW brings you seven articles; some seek to shed light on difficult problems, others excavate the past. In each paper, we can marvel at the manifold ways qualitative methods enable us to understand the intricacies of the human enterprise and the endless ways we as a collective can seek to improve it.

Chan Simon and Tsang Wallace bring us a study that describes male victimization in abusive intimate relationships. They argue that because men are perceived as masculine and strong, their victimization in intimate relationships is frequently overlooked. Through an in-depth study of eight men in China who survived abusive relationships, they examine factors related to the disclosure of abuse, including how service providers can affect that experience. Their study provides insight into how service providers who work in the domain of intimate partner violence can construct gender sensitive practices.

Fiona Buchanan and Sarah Wendt have led multiple feminist-based qualitative research studies and they reflect on how research participation can create positive experiences for women who have survived domestic violence. The authors use the metaphor of ‘opening doors’ to show how women can construct their research participation experience to identify new insights and find alternative ways of describing their experiences in ways that contrast from counselling experiences. As such, researchers can draw on social work skills to enhance positive experiences for participants.

Maya Kagan and colleagues analyze verbal aggression in cyberbullying against social workers in Israel. Their analysis demonstrates that such incidents depart from isolated or momentary outbursts of anger or frustration. Instead, the authors show a pattern of content and style employed to enhance public support, which in societies saturated by round the clock online media, can have dire consequences for social workers and social services.

Theda Rose and colleagues used photovoice, a method used to co-create meaning from photographic images taken by participants, to understand how urban adolescents experience coping. Twelve Baltimore City high school students photographed images they felt represented coping and discussed in focus groups how their pictures related to decision-making, development, and academic success. The teenagers described different types of coping strategies, how such tactic evolve, and the long-term consequences of various approaches. They shared their findings with key stakeholders such as a congressional representative, the Baltimore City School Board, and various community members.

Barbara Simon provides a historical study of the early work by social workers (1902–1922) at Greenwich House, a settlement house on the west side of Greenwich Village in New York City. She found evidence for both interpretive and positivist research; the workers pursued diverse case studies, conducted ethnographic depictions of worker strikes and documented through participant-observation methods various social situations. In addition, the social workers conducted social surveys on the sanitary conditions and housing congestion in the neighborhoods surrounding Greenwich House.

Kylie Meyer explored how informal caregivers access social care services and supports in England since the passage of the Care Act of 2014, which sought to increase the responsibility of local governments to provide information to informal caregivers. Thematic analysis of interviews revealed a tension between the varying levels of knowledge and experience the caregivers had of the social care system on the one hand and a one-size-fits-all approach to providing information employed by institutions on the other hand. Such findings highlight a need for outreach and flexibility that considers the fact that some carers will be less familiar with the social care system and will require more supports than others.

Jussi Turtiainen and colleagues study the occupational discussions of Finnish social workers’ documented in their trade union journal from 1958 to 1999. The journal highlights their quest for professionalization and fair pay. The authors show how job complexities relate to the transformations in welfare policy and the development of the Nordic welfare state.

Finally, this issue provides a list of our amazing referees and reviewers whose unfailing goodwill and generosity manifests in their attentive feedback to our submitting authors throughout the year. Such behind-the-scene works have enhanced the quality of the journal. We publish their names at the end of this issue as a special acknowledgement of their efforts. Without their steadfast (and anonymous) contribution to the peer review process, we could not produce six issues of QSW each year. In addition, we extend special thanks to our administrative assistant, Samantha McDermott, who unstintingly provides technical (and moral!) support behind the scenes. With courage and wit, she keeps us all on track and we are grateful to have her on our team.