Looking back to look forward: a collaborative autoethnographic study of the effects of neoliberalism on social work practice, education and research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine S. Kramer ◽  
Darren Cosgrove ◽  
Jonah DeChants
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Academic Experiences ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Use Of Self ◽  
Social Work Values ◽  
Research And Education ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Practice Education

Neoliberalism emerged as a powerful force across the globe, adding market-based pressures to social work practice, education and research. Using a collaborative autoethnographic approach, we reflected on neoliberalism’s impact on our professional and academic experiences in US-based social work. Disconnection characterised our collective experiences of neoliberal social work across practice, research and education. The effects of this collective disconnecting emerged in three themes: (1) commodification; (2) compliance; and (3) disillusionment. We offer recommendations on how the field of social work can resist neoliberalism’s effects and encourage: (1) recentring social work practice, education and research around social work values; (2) a strategic use of self to form connections between the personal and the professional; and (3) the adoption of collective impact as the model for social work education and research.

Social Media

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Rodriguez ◽  
Jama Shelton
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Work Organizations ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Research And Education

Social media are defined as applications and websites that allow users to share content, usually of their own making. Social media users include individuals and organizations across a broad range of social strata. Key social work organizations, such as the National Association of Social Workers and the Association of Social Work Boards, have begun noting the proliferation of social media usage in education and practice and have begun developing guidelines to govern their use. The American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, in their Grand Challenges of Social Work initiative, highlighted social media as an important area of growth for research and education. Despite the field’s nascent enthusiasm, practical and ethical concerns persist. This article defines social media; discusses its usage in social work practice, research, and education; and discusses the ethical and practical considerations in each domain.

Conclusions and Commencements

2019 ◽  
pp. 231-238
Author(s):  
Jeane Anastas ◽  
John Brekke
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Explicit Description ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Work Education ◽  
Made In

As Brekke (2012) has noted from the beginning, the nature, aims and domains of social work science need more explicit description in order to stake out intellectual, institutional, and identity spaces for social work’s scientific activities and the support of them. This final chapter summarizes some key points about a science of social work made in the preceeding chapters. The topics include epistemology, ontology, values, theory, doctoral education in social work, and possibilities for social work practice research. There is further discussion of the implications of this work for social work education and social work practice. It ends with a plea for crafting additional opportunities to think and talk in a sustained way about issues that are key to the profession and its future like the ones the IslandWood group has enjoyed for the purpose of framing a science of social work.

Political Social Work

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Pritzker ◽  
Shannon Lane
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Work Education

Political social work is social work practice, research, and theory involving explicit attention to power dynamics in policymaking and political mechanisms for eliciting social change. It is an ethical responsibility for social workers. Political social work takes place in a variety of fields and settings and includes influencing candidates and their agendas, working on campaigns, expanding political participation, working in full-time political positions, and holding elected office. Political participation among social workers is higher than in the general public, although much variety exists within groups of social workers, and the activities that social workers engage in tend to be more passive than active. This article discusses the role of social work education in preparing generalist and specialist political social workers, and the presence of both challenges and opportunities for political social work in the context of current practice.

Ecological Social Work

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uschi Bay
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Global Consciousness ◽  
Ecological Principles ◽  
Research And Education

Ecological social work requires a shift in thinking for social workers because it does not place humans at the center of its concerns. Rather ecological social work puts the interrelationship between humans and nature at its center. This radically de-centered view of humanity aims to bring consideration of the planet and all of its environmental systems into decision making to ensure the sustainability of natural resources for the long term. Ecological principles can guide social work practice, research, and education in ways that promote a transition to sustainable practices in every sphere of life. Widespread ecological consciousness is advocated as an important focus for change by some social work authors promoting this approach. A global consciousness is understood to enable humanity’s capacity to deal with the growing concerns about the survival of planet earth as a suitable habitat for humans, animals, and plants. Humanity’s activities are understood to contribute to the ongoing degradation of fresh water, fertile soils, and pollution of the atmosphere. Drastic changes in the way humans behave and relate to the earth are considered necessary at the global, national, and local levels. Social workers are thus called on to engage with others in taking on significant roles in many areas of practice to facilitate these crucial societal transformations.

The Worker–Client Relationship Revisited

1993 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 291-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick F. Coady
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Helping Professions ◽  
Technical Aspects ◽  
Client Relationship ◽  
Research And Education ◽  
Relationship Factors ◽  
Counseling Outcomes

Despite social work's historical emphasis on the importance of the worker–client relationship, in recent years more attention has been paid to theoretical and technical aspects of social work practice than to relationship factors. At the same time, recent research has led the fields of psychology and psychiatry to place a much greater emphasis on the importance of relationship factors for counseling outcomes. The author examines the waxing and waning of interest in relationship factors within the helping professions, reviews research on the concept of the “therapeutic alliance,” and offers suggestions for a renewed emphasis on relationship factors in social work practice, research, and education.

Art in Social Work: Equivocation, Evidence, and Ethical Quandaries

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 693-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelley Cohen Konrad
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Round Table ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Research And Education ◽  
Clinical Engagement ◽  
Academic Search ◽  
Central Social

Documenting the epistemological and ethical hazards of using the arts in social work is an unusual task, especially for one who has for decades found art to be a most potent partner in teaching and a method of clinical engagement. My assignment for the June round table, however, forced me to mine the databases (e.g., ProQuest Central, Social Work Abstracts, Academic Search Complete, and PubMed, among others) in search of content that challenged the benefits and justification of arts in social work. The following commentary identifies arguments, or at the very least equivocation, about where or whether the arts belong in social work practice, research, and education; this brought me into a complex discussion that I learned has persisted since the founding of the profession.

scholarly journals Service Users as Collaborators in Social Work Practice, Research, and Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 95-105
Author(s):  
Elena Cabiati ◽  
Chiara Panciroli
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Codes Of Ethics ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Collaborative Relationships ◽  
The People ◽  
Research And Education

The idea that social work needs to be concerned with thinking and acting in a more collaborative way with the people in need is common around the world. At the international level, codes of ethics and social work principles inspire practitioners, researchers, and educators in bridging the gap between themselves and people in trouble, commonly known as service users. Beyond a common agreement around such principle, to realize collaborative relationships in practice is a challenge that requires prudence, coherence, and methodology. The Relational social work method supports the practical development of participation, collaboration, and reciprocity. Through concepts and examples, this article aims to describe how service users can assume the role of collaborators in social practice, research, and education.

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