This phenomenological qualitative study explores the lived experiences of Kentucky parents seeking Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE) for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Guided by the research questions—How do parents experience this process, and what barriers or supports do they encounter?—the study highlights systemic challenges despite legislative efforts such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. In-depth interviews with five parents revealed three themes: (a) parental transformation and the pursuit of meaningful work, (b) systemic challenges in accessing CIE, and (c) overcoming protective instincts: navigating fear, independence, and self-advocacy. Findings suggest a shift from passive support to active advocacy, underscoring the need for improved vocational support services and targeted policy interventions.
The purpose of this study is to explore social work students’ knowledge, attitudes, and support for reparations for African American descendants of chattel slavery and persistent structural discrimination. A 44-item self-administered online survey instrument was used to gather data. A total of 91 social work students across the United States responded to the survey. The findings demonstrated that there is a knowledge deficit about reparations. An overwhelming majority of students reported that they had never taken a college course that included content on reparations. To address this void, nearly 95% of the respondents indicated that they would like to learn more about H.R.40, a legislative bill that seeks to establish a commission to study proposals for reparations in the United States. Reparations align with the mission, values, and competencies of social work; therefore, students’ desire to learn more about this topic should serve as a motivator for U.S. social work educators to include this content in graduate and undergraduate courses.
A faith-based global reparations movement has the potential to unite diverse religious communities around shared values and beliefs, leveraging a commitment to justice that could push for systemic changes and reparative policies. Using a Christian lens, the concepts of reparations for the damages of chattel slavery, Jim Crowism, colonialism, and racism can be framed as a moral and spiritual duty to acknowledge past wrongs, seek forgiveness, and restore relationships. Social workers, guided by their commitment to justice, human rights, and community well-being, can be pivotal in mobilizing efforts for an equitable and reconciled world through a faith-based global reparations movement. This article proposes a theological framework grounded in Christian theology, the principles of restorative justice, and social work values and ethics to redress the human rights violations of the Transatlantic Slave Trade and ongoing racism. Key elements include moral accountability, reparative justice, and global solidarity.
In this paper, we examine the effect of the 2003 mandated change in board composition on CEO pay-for-performance sensitivity. Following the scandals of Enron and other companies, AMEX, NYSE, and NASDAQ required all companies listed on their exchanges to have a majority of independent directors on the board. Agency theory argues that outside directors will demand more stringent pay-for-performance incentives that better align CEO compensation packages with the interests of shareholders. The goal of this mandate was to strengthen corporate governance measures employed by publicly traded firms. Using changes in total compensation with respect to change in shareholder wealth as a proxy for CEO pay-for-performance sensitivity, we find that pay-for-performance sensitivity increased in the long run following the mandated change to independent boards. This result holds even after controlling for differences in sizes of two groups as well as new pay disclosure requirements.
