Disrupting, destabilising and declassifying: Jacques Rancière’s potential contribution to social work

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Michael Garrett
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Short Introduction ◽  
Philosophical Perspective ◽  
The World

Jacques Rancière’s main philosophical thematic preoccupations stem from an understanding that human beings are equal in all respects. This article is a short introduction to key conceptual formulations central within his diverse body of work. Rancière prompts us to think more critically about how people are apt to be fixed in particular political and cultural locations. His philosophical perspective on ‘police’ and ‘politics’ pivots on a subversive endeavour to dis-order dominant ways of perceiving the world and the roles which groups and individuals are expected to fulfil. Rancière also furnishes a range of concepts which can be fruitfully disruptive of particular fields and the more encompassing economic and political frameworks in which they are located. On account of his engagement with these themes, it is argued that Rancière’s work may aid social workers’ critical reflection.

Social Work: A Very Short Introduction

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Holland ◽  
Jonathan Scourfield
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Work Relationships ◽  
Social Suffering ◽  
Short Introduction ◽  
What Works ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The World ◽  
International Human

Social workers spend their time trying to ease social suffering. They encounter the extreme casualties of social inequality: the victims of poverty, illness, addiction, and abuse; they work with abusers and offenders; and operate in the space between the state and the poor or marginalized. Social Work: A Very Short Introduction explains what social work is and looks at its rich historical development. Reflecting international human stories of social problems and social work relationships, as well as the philosophies behind the practice and the evidence about what works throughout the world, it looks at the various definitions, history, and debates about purpose and effectiveness, theory, and methods.

scholarly journals Emotional intelligence as a part of critical reflection in social work practice and research

2021 ◽  
pp. 147332502110247
Author(s):  
Mari D Herland
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Emotional Aspects

Social workers often experience higher levels of burnout compared with other healthcare professionals. The capacity to manage one’s own emotional reactions efficiently, frequently in complex care settings, is central to the role of social workers. This article highlights the complexity of emotions in social work research and practice by exploring the perspective of emotional intelligence. The article is both theoretical and empirical, based on reflections from a qualitative longitudinal study interviewing fathers with behavioural and criminal backgrounds, all in their 40 s. The analysis contains an exploration of the researcher position that illuminates the reflective, emotional aspects that took place within this interview process. Three overall themes emerged – first: Recognising emotional complexity; second: Reflecting on emotional themes; and third: Exploring my own prejudices and preconceptions. The findings apply to both theoretical and practical social work, addressing the need to understand emotions as a central part of critical reflection and reflexivity. The argument is that emotions have the potential to expand awareness of one’s own preconceptions, related to normative societal views. This form of analytical awareness entails identifying and paying attention to one’s own, sometimes embodied, emotional triggers.

A complicated welcome: social workers navigate policy, organisational contexts and sociocultural dynamics following migration to Canada

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Brown ◽  
Annie Pullen Sansfaçon ◽  
Stephanie Éthier ◽  
Amy Fulton
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Cultural Capital ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Cultural Dynamics ◽  
Better Life Index ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
Natural Beauty ◽  
The World ◽  
Work Education

Canada is promoted as a land of opportunity, with its natural beauty purportedly matched by the generosity of its people. Since 1994, Canada has been ranked in the top 10 places to live in the world, and in 2013 it placed third in the global ‘better life index’, recognised for its comfortable standard of living, low mortality rate, solid education and health systems, and low crime rate (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], 2013). It is a promising option for migrant professionals looking to leave their home countries for a variety of reasons related to social, political and economic conditions. This chapter reports on the experiences of 44 social workers who undertook their social work education outside Canada and migrated to Canada with the intent of continuing to practise social work. We bring analysis to three key areas experienced as problematic: policy, including immigration, recognition of foreign credentials, and registration with the licensing body; organisational context, including issues related to the search for employment and process of hiring; and socio-cultural dynamics, the more subtle relations required to ‘fit in’ and feelings of ‘difference’ in relation to one’s colleagues. The findings for each of these are discussed in detail below, drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1986).

scholarly journals Degrowth for transformational alternatives as radical social work practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-433
Author(s):  
Meredith C.F. Powers ◽  
Komalsingh Rambaree ◽  
Jef Peeters
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Inequalities ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
Ecological Justice ◽  
The World

Historically, and in modern times, social workers have been culpable in perpetuating the very systems of oppression that we seek to eliminate. This happens as we are part of cultures and economies that operate out of the growth ideology. Acting in accordance with the growth ideology does not lead to the outcomes that we strive for as professional social workers. Rather, the growth ideology results in growing social inequalities and increasing ecological injustices around the world. Social work can, instead, embrace an ecosocial lens and promote degrowth approaches for transformational alternatives. Rather than reinforcing the existing systems of injustice and oppression, radical social work can take an activist role and bring about urgent and radical changes to promote ecological justice through social and ecological well-being. Examples from radical social work in local and international communities demonstrate the possibility of degrowth for transformational alternatives as radical social work practice.

Industrialization and The Family1

2018 ◽  
pp. 65-75
Author(s):  
Richard M. Titmuss
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
International Conference ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Family ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

This chapter explores how there are at least three reasons why industrialization and the family is today an important subject for debate by an international conference of social workers. The first is an obvious one: the opportunities that it offers for discussion and analysis on a comparative basis. The second lies in the fact that the world is increasingly an industrial world and dominated in its values and goals by problems of economic growth. The third reason in supporting the choice of this particular subject for discussion is that social work is primarily an activity carried on in industrial, urban societies. The problems of human needs and relationships with which social work has traditionally been associated have had their origin in those societies experiencing the impact of industrialization.

Social work: a “forgotten” piece of the integration jigsaw?

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie Hudson
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Real Risk ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Professional Leadership ◽  
Managing Risk

Purpose – The article seeks to analyse the potential contribution of social work to integration debates. Social work has tended to be seen as marginal to these discussions despite the potential of social work expertise and leadership to help forge effective approaches to joined-up care. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how social work is well positioned to help lead and support practice focused change across social care and health. It also seeks to show how professional leadership can be a powerful vehicle for changing professional and organisational cultures. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on practice and research evidence to demonstrate the proposition that social work can make a powerful contribution to debates about integration. Findings – Three things could help build the cultural capital that is a pre-requisite to building integrated and joined-up approaches. First, the author needs to invest in developing the role of social workers and GPs working together as local professional and practice leaders. Second, there is a real risk that in any discussion about professional leadership and partnership, the author eclipses the singularly critical importance of engaging and involving users and carers in non tokenistic ways. Finally, the author needs to utilise better social work’s skills and knowledge in managing risk, building resilience and promoting social inclusion. Research limitations/implications – Further evaluation and research is needed about the potential for GPs and social workers to develop joined-up approaches to care for and support older and disabled people. Practical implications – Social workers need to be provided with the tools, support and space in which to develop their practice leadership role, including but not exclusively with GPs. Originality/value – This paper does not purport to offer any specifically originally research but rather some reflections on how social work expertise might better contribute to integration debates.

scholarly journals Theories in Māori social work: Indigenous approaches to working with and for indigenous people

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 5-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Awhina Hollis-English
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Ancestral Knowledge ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
Work World ◽  
Contemporary Context

Māori social work practice has been developed upon a strong foundation of indigenous knowledge, theories and values. Theories can be used to validate social work practice and to build and enhance the engagement between workers and whānau. This article describes some Māori social work theories and how they have developed both within the social work world and that of neighbouring professions. A number of theories have been described by Māori social workers from across Aotearoa as the foundations for their social work practice. Theoretical discourse in the world of Māori social workers enables one to grow and develop their practice, leaning on ancestral knowledge and valuing the skills that are gained through understanding tikanga in a contemporary context. Through enhancing one’s knowledge of Te Ao Māori and evidence-based practice, social workers can use, develop and create Māori theories in a social work context for the benefit of Māori whānau and communities.

Women: Practice Interventions

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josefina Figueira-McDonough
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
The Core ◽  
Gender Hierarchy ◽  
The World ◽  
Professional Intervention

Gender hierarchy is the most pervasive source of inequality in the world. In view of the commitment of social work to the goal of justice, redressing the consequences of inequality among the most disenfranchised should be at the core of professional intervention. Rather than discussing the merits of specific types of practice intervention adopted by social workers, I focus on strategies and knowledge-gathering techniques relevant to empowering women, with an emphasis on five social work methods.

Gender, Poverty Reduction and Social Work: A View from Burundi

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Wanjiku Muchiri ◽  
Serges Claver Nzisabira
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Gender Disparities ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Primary Caretakers ◽  
Education Business

Gender affects the kind of opportunities and constraints faced in life; human beings are constantly divided into hierarchies. In looking at poverty reduction in Burundi, we can see the critical role that gender plays. In Burundi, among the poor are many women as a result of being primary caretakers. The focus of this paper is to examine the interconnection between gender and poverty reduction as well as the role of social work, if there is to be any reduction in poverty. Social workers need to work with women who are at the forefront of poverty through encouragement of more opportunities for women in education, business and in areas of decision-making. In many areas women are regarded as unable to participate with men in decision-making as they are considered not to be on the same level with men, intellectually, socially, economically or politically. When a woman is educated, she is better able to provide for her children. This means that the future generations are also protected against poverty. Social workers have the role of educating women and men in Burundi about the importance of women in poverty reduction. This paper presents a brief review of literature on gender disparities and poverty as well as the role of social work in poverty reduction in Burundi.

Nascere per sbaglio / To be born by mistake

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
pp. 563-580
Author(s):  
Elena Colombetti
Keyword(s):  
Health Problem ◽  
Moral Obligation ◽  
Moral Duty ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Philosophical Perspective ◽  
Western Countries ◽  
Wrongful Life ◽  
Procreative Beneficence ◽  
The World ◽  
Wrongful Birth

Il danno da procreazione costituisce una fattispecie giuridica che da qualche decennio impegna molti tribunali di Paesi occidentali. Il testo affronta la questione dal punto di vista filosofico, analizzando il concetto stesso di danno da procreazione, nel suo duplice versante di nascita sbagliata e di vita sbagliata, e le argomentazioni che sostengono il dovere morale di non far nascere esseri umani con un problema di salute. In particolare vengono prese in esame la tesi di Harris e di Savulescu, secondo cui tale doverosità deriva dall’obbligo di non introdurre sofferenza inutile nel mondo (Harris) e dal Principio di Beneficialità Procreativa (Savulescu). L’analisi è condotta secondo due livelli: il primo rimanendo nella logica stessa della beneficialità e della non maleficienza, cercando anche di vedere se le premesse poste dai due autori portino effettivamente alla conclusione dell’esistenza di tale obbligo morale; la seconda discutendo alcune delle premesse teoriche di tali tesi. ---------- For a few decades, many courts of western countries are facing the claims for wrongful birth and wrongful life. The paper addresses the issue from a philosophical perspective, analysing the same concept of a “damage from procreation”, in its double face of wrongful birth and wrongful life, and the arguments that support the moral duty of not giving birth to human beings with a health problem. Specifically, it examines the thesis of Harris and Savulescu, according to which such dutifulness derives from the obligation not to introduce unnecessary suffering in the world (Harris) and the Principle of Procreative Beneficence (Savulescu). The analysis is conducted on two levels: the first, remaining in the logic of beneficence and non-maleficence, trying to see if the premises laid down by the two authors lead to the conclusion of the existence of this moral obligation; in the second, discussing some of the theoretical premises of these theses.

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