Suchergebnisse

This volume collects some of the contributions presented at the Italian session of the International Social Work Education and Development Online (ISWED 2021) conference, jointly organised by the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), and the International Council of Social Welfare (ICSW) and, for the Italian language sessions, by the National Foundation of Social Workers.
Its aim is to contribute to the debate that was opened with the creation of the Global Agenda, an initiative taken by the three international organisations in the 2010/2020 decade and renewed for the 2020/2030 decade. In particular, the volume offers reflections on the role of social work in promoting human relations, justice and social solidarity, showing how research, training and professional practice can have an impact in translating the goals guiding the Global Agenda into practice.
While the first eight chapters deal specifically with the Italian context and address different themes, such as social work in the face of social emergency, qualitative research as a means of reconstructing social action, perspectives in decision-making processes for the protection of minors, and reciprocity in the exchange between social work and the homeless, the agapic relationship in social work, the production of knowledge in the process of aid, and finally the practices of training in Italian universities, the ninth chapter is dedicated to a historical analysis of social service and training in the State of Espirito Santo in Brazil.
Keywords: social work, social justice, social solidarity, human relations, global agenda
We believe that this volume can offer an articulate and complex panorama of what is being debated and realised in contemporary social work and can be of interest to all those who,
teachers, students, professionals working in the social field.

Entrevista com Annamaria Campanini, presidente da AIETS.

The article tackles the characteristics of social work in Italy, focusing on some specific features of this professional domain within the broader frame of the Italian welfare system. Indeed, given the historical roots of Italian welfare regime and the model of governance of policies, social assistance benefits and services are the less developed component of welfare provisions. This is one of the reasons for the late full acknowledgement and regulation of the social worker at the national level. In the first part of the article, we present the development of social work in Italy, with particular attention to the creation of academic courses and the formal regulation as a profession. Then we present the current situation of social work and social workers in Italy, taking into consideration the weakness of social assistance and the effects of the financial crisis. In fact, the crises had an impact on the dimensions and composition of vulnerable population, which is more and more large and fragmented, putting a growing pressure on social workers. At the same time, because fiscal austerity, resources for welfare benefits have been reduced in these years, changing the organizational settings and worsening the working conditions of social workers.

This paper draws on two experiences of undertaking comparative research in England, Sweden and Italy, and offers a discussion of the kinds of dilemmas raised in relation to language and meaning surfaced by these. Its primary focus is to examine the reflexive construction of meaning, both in relation generally to the workings of an international research team and, more specifically, how such construction of meaning impacts on the process of qualitative interviewing across linguistic and cultural boundaries. The article argues that a culture of reflexive research practice is helpful for approaching national differences, to facilitate understanding in internationally mixed research teams and to support and empower participants in research, in second languages and differing cultures. Overall, the paper attempts to advance some tentative ideas that other international researchers may be able to consider and deploy in relation to their own research ambitions.