Social Work as an Unwitting Enabler of Oppression and Disenfranchisement of the Masses: A Freirean Analysis of Social Workers’ Perspectives on the Government of Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 Response

2022 ◽  
pp. 307-321
Author(s):  
Victor Chikadzi ◽  
Ajwang’ Warria
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Masses

Conclusion

2019 ◽  
pp. 363-378
Author(s):  
Yoosun Park
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Organizations ◽  
Mass Removal ◽  
The Government

Social work equivocated. Social work organizations did not support mass removal, landing mostly on the stance that individual adjudication of loyalty rather than wholesale removal was the preferable course. But neither, on the whole, did they oppose wholesale removal, abdicating their right to and responsibility for contesting the wisdom of the government at war. Neither the disciplinary publications nor the archival records of workers in the field provide an unmitigated critique of the events. Even the YWCA, the best of social work in these events, followed the same racist schema that enabled the removal and incarceration. The history presented here is all the more disturbing because it is that of social workers doing what seemed to them to be more or less right and good.

Unveiling Neoliberal Dynamics: Government Purchase (goumai) of Social Work Services in Shenzhen's Urban Periphery

2017 ◽  
Vol 230 ◽  
pp. 269-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mun Young Cho
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Work Practices ◽  
Full Support ◽  
Government Purchase ◽  
Migrant Youth ◽  
The Government ◽  
Party State

AbstractHow has social work, which has emerged as a distinct profession in the PRC with the full support of the party-state, come to produce neoliberal outcomes similar to those found in other, capitalist countries? In this article, I draw attention to the government purchase (goumai) of social work services, which is commonly considered as confirmation of state capacity and leadership rather than the passing on of state responsibilities to civil sectors with tight budgets. Ethnographic research on the actual social work practices in Shenzhen's Foxconn town reveals how neoliberal-style outsourcing has converged with diverse historical legacies, thus creating precarious labour conditions for frontline social workers. Neoliberal dynamics end up filling most of these social work positions with migrant youth from the countryside, reproducing and perpetuating China's rural–urban divide. Institutional efforts at social care may not only reduce the existing inequalities but may also rely upon and even reinforce them.

scholarly journals Summary of Research on Occupational Health Psychology of Social Workers

2021 ◽  
pp. 59-63
Author(s):  
Xinying Chen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Psychology ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Psychological Stress ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Occupational Health Psychology ◽  
The Government

With the cultivation of the government, the team of social workers continues to grow. The occupational mental health status of social workers has been paid more and more attention. Based on screening and combing the existing literature on occupational health psychology of social workers in China, this paper summarizes and reviews the research on psychological stress, anxiety and depression, and job burnout of social workers, extracts solutions and strategies from the existing research results, and hopes to be helpful to the construction and development of local social work talent team.

scholarly journals Lifting the veil on the government’s regulatory agenda for the social work profession in Aotearoa New Zealand

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-31
Author(s):  
Howard Randal
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Veil ◽  
Foucauldian Theory

INTRODUCTION: The article discusses the two contrasting agendas evident when statutory registration for social workers in Aotearoa New Zealand was introduced in 2003 – that of the professional association and that of the government.METHOD:  The approach taken draws on a longitudinal research study of the aspirations for statutory registration held by a sample of members of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZSW). In addition, the motives behind the professionalisation strategy introduced by the principal government social work service are examined and analysed applying Foucault’s concept of governmentality.FINDINGS: The qualitative analysis of the data shows that the profession, although aspiring to having some role in statutory registration, also held concerns about its implications. By way of contrast, the professionalisation strategy adopted by the government social work service shows it was driven by public service performance, fiscal and risk management imperatives.CONCLUSIONS: The application of the Foucauldian theory of governmentality to the data and findings shows that the introduction of statutory registration is a manifestation of the managerial and statutory controls adopted by government and a means of governmentality. This has resulted in the government holding the upper hand in providing public accountability for social work practice thereby perpetuating its hold over the profession with the risk that the ANZASW is left in its wake. 

scholarly journals THE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE CHOICE OF GROUP WORK’S SOCIAL WORK METHODS OF THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY AND NARCOTIC ANONYMOUS MODEL IN THE SOCIAL REHABILITATION CENTER FOR DRUG ADDICTION

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (15) ◽  
pp. 121-132
Author(s):  
Fajar Utama Ritonga ◽  
Adil Arifin
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Drug Addiction ◽  
Therapeutic Community ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Rehabilitation Center ◽  
Social Rehabilitation ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government ◽  
Social Affairs

This research aims to determine the factors that influence the choice of group work’s social work methods of therapeutic community (TC) and narcotics anonymous (NA) model in the social rehabilitation center for drug addiction i. The research method is a descriptive qualitative approach, the key informants are the owners of the orphanage or program managers as well as the policymakers in the social rehabilitation center for drug addiction. The main informants are social workers and counselors and staff in the social rehabilitation center. The data collection technique uses in-depth interviews and focuses on group discussions. The data analysis technique uses component analysis. Research locations is in Medan Community Partners Foundation (YAMIMAS Medan), Caritas Shelter House PSE in Medan City, Loka BNN (National Narcotic Agency) in Kabupaten Deliserdang, Permadi PutraSocial Institution ‘INSYAF’ in Kabupaten Deliserdang, Nazar Foundation in Medan. The research results are; the internal factors: for the private institution's influence by the self-desire or by joint decisions are based on careful consideration of the managers or administrators of social rehabilitation institution. For the government-owned orphanages, the choice of therapeutic community model decides by the ministry of social affairs and the national narcotics agency. The external factors: for the private institution's influence by the pieces of information from national and international seminars, or experiences in dealing with drug clients/resident, social workers, and counselors who are struggling to use therapeutic community and narcotic anonymous group work model and sharing of experiences from administrators or manager of other social rehabilitation institution. Meanwhile, institutions under the ownership of the government are not influenced by external factors because they only carry out an order from the ministry of social affairs or national narcotics agency.

scholarly journals Primary Care Social Work Practice with Older Adult Veterans During the Covid-19 Pandemic: An Application of Ecological Systems Theory

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-121
Author(s):  
Lashawn Smith
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
The Government

In March 2020, The state of New York became the American epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic with the most vulnerable of populations including older adults being affected.  As a result of the Government shut-down to slow the spread of Covid-19, many primary care social workers, including this writer pivoted to remote telework detail on short notice. While utilizing an ecological systems theoretical framework, this article will explore how primary care social workers in the Veterans Health Administration worked through the Covid-19 pandemic to effectively provide social work services and case management to older adult Veterans.

scholarly journals Institutional Pension Service: The Role, Dilemma and Way out of Social Workers-Taking H Pension Welfare Institution as an Example

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Xinying Chen
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government ◽  
Welfare Institution

With the intensification of the Chinese population aging trend, the demand for institutional pension is rising. As a delivery system of social welfare services, social work can promote the development of institutional pension services in China. In this respect, social workers should play the roles of service providers, demand and service evaluators, emotional and action supporters, resource linkers, resource and information managers in institutional pension, and promote the orderly progress of various services. However, through the case analysis of an H pension welfare institution, it is found that social workers and the H pension institution do not have a clear understanding of the role of social workers, and social work agency adopts “stocking” pattern for social workers, both of which lead to two dilemmas of role specialization and administrative tendency. In this regard, the following methods are proposed to solve the problem of role dilemma. The social work agency establishes long-term professional training mechanisms and incentive mechanisms. The H pension welfare institution needs to enhance its awareness of the role of social workers and give them more freedom to provide services. The government promotes the establishment of a sound incentive mechanism for the social work industry.

scholarly journals Contemporary Social Work Practice: The struggles of transforming yesterday’s professional skill set

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Barbara Neale
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Political Regime ◽  
The Social ◽  
Vulnerable People ◽  
The Government

Social work is a practice-based profession that is underpinned by the principles of social justice and the promotion of empowerment. It has two key aims; to enhance the wellbeing of vulnerable people through the application of relationship-based practice and to carry out the government commissioned safeguarding duties of local authorities that are informed by law. In order to meet these dual aims, social workers need to apply a body of knowledge, skills and qualities to their work that will enable them to meet the diverse needs of vulnerable people living within the local authority urban and rural communities. Within this study, I argue that the knowledge, skills and qualities have become compromised and this has subsequently impacted on the social work profession. I consider the tensions that have arisen between the values and duties of the social work profession and successive government agendas since the 1970s, in respect to the standards and expectations of statutory social work practice. These tensions relate to both the substantial cuts to the funding of the services in which the social work profession is expected to carry out its duties and responsibilities and qualifying and practicing social workers being deemed as “ill-equipped” with the necessary knowledge, skills and qualities to carry out their statutory duties. I argue that the sequence of government interventions and the findings within more recent serious case reviews such as the tragic loss of life of Victoria Climbie (2000) have failed to consider the political regime in which social work is practiced. I consider, that as a consequence of this, relationship-based practice has been compromised in favour of a government-led administrative processes as a result of a growing culture of fear and blaming social workers for failings in practice. I argue that social workers are victims of "epistemic injustice", a concept of prejudicial injustice that rises against someone in their capacity as a knower. Through the application of qualitative methodology, I will draw on the voices of 12 social workers from a range of qualifying pathways in order to explore how social workers themselves understand these tensions and what knowledge, skills and qualities they consider are critical to carryout out contemporary statutory social work practice.

scholarly journals Social work in 1970

Social Work ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 5-20
Author(s):  
Keith Bilton
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
British Association ◽  
Action Group ◽  
Central Council ◽  
The Government ◽  
And Training

The chapter summarises the development of the idea of social work as a profession and describes the negotiations leading to the formation in 1970 of the British Association of Social Workers. It examines the considerations which led the Government to establish the Seebohm Committee on the personal social services, outlines the bold ambitions of the Committee's Report, published in 1968, and describes the only partially successful campaigns of the various associations of social workers, acting mainly through the Standing Conference of Organisations of Social Workers (SCOSW) and through the Seebohm Implementation Action Group, for their implementation in the Local Authority Social Services Act of 1970. The Act also established the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work, and the disagreements within SCOSW about whether the council should be accountable to Ministers are also considered.

scholarly journals Their stories – our history: John Fry, President of the Association 1972-4

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 39-47
Author(s):  
Mary Nash
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Government Institutions ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government

This article is based on an interview with John Fry, one-time President of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers of which he is now a Life Member. It describes, often in his own words, one man’s contribution over a 40-year period, to the social work profession and to the communities with which he worked. He is able to describe the early periods of urban drift, especially for Maori, and was respectfully working with traditional Maori communities in ways that challenged the dominant colonial attitudes present in the government institutions of the day.

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