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Through the program Social Work and Development, the University contributes to relevant knowledge regarding social, cultural, economic, political and demographic issues in Aruba and in the region.
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Publication Nine houses, nine families: Oral history in the Rancho neighborhood(Brill, 2024) Richardson, Yolanda; Allen, Rose Mary; Bala, StrutiUsing oral historical research interviews with forty-two long-term residents of the Aruban neighborhood of Rancho, this contribution presents glimpses from the social history of a closely knit, enterprising, matrifocal community. The research formed the- basis of an exhibition held in 2009 at the National Archaeological Museum in Aruba, located in Rancho. The exhibition sought to challenge hardwired stereotypes about the area being a derelict drug den by foregrounding the daily lives of its resilient and enterprising community members, the memories of people’s involvements in political and labor struggles in the 1940s and 1950s as well as the unique relations of the community to the coastline. The contribution charts how the socioeconomic transformations during the twentieth century impacted the daily lives of Rancho residents.Publication Using Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation Approach to Rank Policy Aspirations for Child Protection in Aruba: A human development perspective.(Palgrave Publishers, 2022) Eugene, Clementia; McFee, D.; Rogers, T.Publication Conceptualizing Child Maltreatment and Human Development Using the Human Capability Approach(Association of Caribbean Social Work Educators, 2021) Eugene, Clementia; Graafsma, T. L. G.; Sanches, M.Child maltreatment is a human rights issue and social problem for the global society. Given the scientific discourses about the Human Capability Approach as a normative and evaluative framework to measure human development that captures the quality of life, human dignity, and flourishing, this article attempts to conceptualize child maltreatment as a capability impediment. The authors contend that the Capability Approach can be explored to map out those human capabilities deprived in children who experience child maltreatment. Case studies are used to explore the correlates between child maltreatment and human development using Nussbaum’s 10 Central Human Capabilities. The article concludes that child maltreatment constitutes a human development deprivation, advocates designing a Caribbean Child Friendliness Index, and valorizes child maltreatment as an indicator for human development. Implications for social work education are highlighted, and further research is recommended.Publication Using Fuzzy Synthetic Evaluation Approach to Rank Policy Aspirations for Child Protection in Aruba: A Human Development Capability Approach(2022) Graafsma, Tobi L.G.; Eugene, Clementia; Sanches, ManonPublication Children's Human Capabilities and Child Maltreatment: A Pilot Study of one Secondary School in Aruba.(Buenos Aires: Universidad de Palermo, 2020) Eugene, Clementia; Graafsma, L. G.There are no known studies that have explored a conceptual basis for valorizing child maltreatment as a human development impediment using the Human Capability Approach. The pilot study assessed the prevalence of child maltreatment amongst 68 (N=219) school-aged children 12 – 17 years in one secondary school in Aruba using Nussbaum’s list of 10 central human capabilities. Among this sample, the prevalence of child maltreatment was at 100%. The most prevalent types of child maltreatment were emotional abuse (94.2%), physical abuse (88.4%), severe physical abuse (66.7%) and neglect (42%). Sexual abuse had the lowest prevalence rate at 18.8%. The levels of functionings achieved varied according to types of child maltreatment and their prevalence. Neglect, witnessing inter-parental violence and sexual abuse were associated with lower achievements on the combined 10 central human capabilities except for emotional abuse, physical abuse and severe physical abuse which reported highest prevalence. These types of child maltreatment were too common and left little to no variability to calculate statistical relationships with the 10 human capabilities. These findings are disturbing and raise concerns about the normalization of abuse. Further research is recommended to determine the contributing factors to widespread use of emotional and physical abuse and the potential for intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. Future research is also recommended with a larger sample that may provide more meaningful analysis of the capability space of children affected by child maltreatment.Publication The Dark Web of Child Sexual Exploitative Material: the Risks Involved.(Financial Intelligence Unit of Aruba, 2021) Eugene, ClementiaPublication Child Maltreatment and Children’s Human Capabilities in Aruba.(The University of the West Indies Press, 2022) Eugene, Clementia; Graafsma, L. G.; Sanches, M.Child maltreatment violates children’s rights, and there are no known studies to theorize its relationship with the Human Capability Approach (HCA). This research explored the valorization of child maltreatment as a capability deprivation using Nussbaum’s 10 Central Human Capabilities, adapting The Netherlands National Prevalence Study of Child Maltreatment (NPM, 2010) Survey as a measurement. The sample consisted of 895 Aruban children aged 12–17 years. Results revealed lifetime prevalence of maltreatment at 78.4% and year prevalence at 50.2%. Results also revealed that as the prevalence of maltreatment increased, so did human capability scores, representing children’s failure to enjoy capabilities required for their wellbeing. Recommendations are made to replicate this study in other Caribbean islands pursuant to developing a regional Child Friendliness Index. Further recommendations include introducing the HCA in teacher education, psychology, and social work training programs in the Caribbean.