Transnational social workers in Aotearoa New Zealand
While much has been written about social worker migration to the northern hemisphere, prior to the current decade little was known about the experiences of social workers, with professional qualifications gained elsewhere, who were practising in Aotearoa New Zealand. The cultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand brings particular challenges to transnational social workers, and their professional perspectives were little understood. Both qualitative and quantitative strategies were used in a three-phase project to gain greater insight. The findings provided understanding into the nature of the transitional experience for migrant professionals and new vantage points on views of social work as practised in different contexts. We identify perceptions reflecting ‘enduring professional dislocation’ arising from limits to the portability of any ‘universal’ constructs of social work and demonstrating the need for structured support and education for transnational social workers.