This paper addresses the complex historical/political scenarios of Spanish-speaking people in the Southwestern USA and of Gaelic speakers in the Outer Hebrides. It examines (1) the historical background and current status of Spanish in the Southwestern USA and Gaelic in the Outer Hebrides; (2) comparative issues in relation to the use of dual languages; and (3) the challenges that communication in more than one prevalent language present to social work service providers. It is based on field research in the Southwestern USA (primarily Arizona) and the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar region (Outer Hebrides, Scotland). While these two areas might appear totally different, the commonalities created by English as the default but not always the primary language of clients in both settings make the comparisons intriguing.
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- Dual Language Contexts in Social Work Practice: The Gaelic in the Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar Region (Outer Hebrides, Scotland) and Spanish in the Southwestern United States
- Martinez-Brawley, Emilia (Author)
- Zorita, Paz (Author)
- Rennie, Frank (Author)
- College of Public Service and Community Solutions (Contributor)
- Digital object identifier: 10.1080/13691457.2011.618117
- Identifier TypeInternational standard serial numberIdentifier Value1369-1457
- Identifier TypeInternational standard serial numberIdentifier Value1468-2664
- This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in the European Journal of Social Work. The final version: Martinez-Brawley, Emilia E., Paz M-B Zorita, and Frank Rennie. "Dual Language Contexts in Social Work Practice: The Gaelic in the Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar Region (Outer Hebrides, Scotland) and Spanish in the Southwestern United States." European Journal of Social Work 16.2 (2013): 187-204. (c) 2013 Taylor & Francis, is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13691457.2011.618117, opens in a new window.
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Martinez-Brawley, Emilia E., Paz M-B Zorita, and Frank Rennie. "Dual Language Contexts in Social Work Practice: The Gaelic in the Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar Region (Outer Hebrides, Scotland) and Spanish in the Southwestern United States." European Journal of Social Work 16.2 (2013): 187-204.