International Human Rights and Social Work: A Comparative Study of Global Approaches

Abstract

The international human rights frameworks provide a universal platform of guaranteeing dignity, equality, and justice, their application in the social work practice is not evenly spread both in the national and cultural context. Despite the growing globalization of Punjab, Pakistan discourse of social work, with the emergence of global human rights discourses, has very little empirical research on how international standards are interpreted, borrowed and enacted into the local contexts of the practice. To investigate the interpretation and application of international human rights principles to the social work practice in Punjab, Pakistan. In order to make a comparison between the practice of human rights based social work in Punjab and particular contexts elsewhere in the world, they need to define their similarities and differences in policies, education, and practice. To determine the most significant obstacles and facilitating variables that can affect the implementation of international human rights frameworks in social work education, policy, and practice in Punjab, Pakistan. The social work practice in Punjab and the chosen global models of rights-based social work are examined in the light of comparative case study approach. Applications of case studies are particularly used to answer questions of a how-and-why nature given the real world context and to obtain the insight on variation across settings The sample will be social workers, educators, policymakers and NGO practitioners in human rights related service in Punjab. The sample size is determined by the data saturation which typically occurs at the point when 15-25 interviews are made in the context of qualitative research. The primary data is collected through semi-structured interviews so that the subjects can talk extensively since the discussion is centered on the core issues. The method would be applicable in exploring the perceptions, practices, and barriers of rights-based social work. The primary instrument is an interview guide containing open-ended questions, as per the research purposes and questions. Among the issues that are covered in the guide, there are understanding of human rights, training experiences, institutional support, and practice challenges. The data analysis is presented by the thematic analysis and consists of entail coding the interview transcripts and identifying the significant themes and patterns. The thematic analysis case makes qualitative research suitable because it facilitates the systematic meaning system of textual information.