Suchergebnisse

Chapter 1: Social class: What is it and why does it matter? -- Chapter 2: Psychology and social class: The working class as 'Other' -- Chapter 3: Conceptualising social class: Towards a critical social psychological approach -- Chapter 4: Class discourse and the media -- Chapter 5: Classed identities: Submergence, authenticity and resistance -- Chapter 6: Critical analyses: 'Real world' applications -- Chapter 7: Debates, issues and future directions.

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.

Del análisis y reflexión de parte de la literatura que se ocupa de los temas referidos en el título del presente trabajo, se desprende que en mayor o menor medida, y atendiendo a las perspectivas desde las que se expresan -ideológicas, políticas, sociales, económicas, antropológicas, sociológicas, etc.- resulta imposible intentar conceptualizar a cualquiera de ellas, sin que venga afectada por cómo se entiende y sobre qué se soporta las otras. Los Estados presentados a sí mismos como democráticos, suman constantes fracasos en la superación o evitación de obstáculos que impiden que las sociedades existan y vivan mejor, donde la inclusión social pueda ser realidad y, por ende, que la exclusión social sea extirpada. Todo ello ha motivado que los gobiernos adopten medidas dirigidas a que los ciudadanos participen en la definición y conceptualización de lo que sería su propio bienestar social, protagonizando las decisiones que afectan tanto a su presente como a su futuro, favoreciendo y propiciando el asociacionismo, la implicación de las individuos en las organizaciones sociales, de modo que reconocen a las organizaciones no lucrativas como interlocutores válidos de sus intereses. Hoy, la dificultad a la que se hace frente es en cómo hacer efectivo esta propuesta dado que sobre este modo de operar circunda el espectro de las representaciones sociales, convirtiéndose éstas, en no pocas ocasiones, en el núcleo del problema. Por tanto, se hace necesario revisar e intentar consensuar qué se está entendiendo por democracia, por participación social y por bienestar social, desde la reflexión teórica y desde las vivencias y prácticas sociales. ; The analysis and reflection on literary works related to the topics mentioned in the title of the present work, leads to the conclusion that it is impossible to define any of these topics from different perspectives –i.e. ideological, political, social, economical, anthropological, sociological, etc- without affecting their meaning and interrelations. Many states which claim to be democratic have constantly failed to overcome and avoid obstacles which impede societies from existing and living in a better way, with social inclusion being a reality and social exclusion thus eliminated. All of this has encouraged governments to adopt measures to promote the participation of citizens in the definition and conceptualisation of their own social welfare, taking part in the decisions that may affect both their present and their future, favouring and promoting associationism, individual involvement in social organisations, so that they can recognise non lucrative organisations as valid representatives of their interests. Nowadays, the main difficulty is how to put this proposal into effect since social representations usually become the root of the problem concerning this modus operandi . Therefore, it is necessary to review and reach a consensus about what democracy, social participation and social welfare actually mean from a theoretical perspective and from the point of view of social experiences and practises

This article is a descriptive review of the historical and theoretical conditions of social pedagogy and social work in Poland. It pertains to the definition, tradition and development of social pedagogy and social work in Poland. Using the insiders' expert overview of the latter, it identifies the disciplinary boundaries, commonalities and differences that shape both social work and social pedagogy today. The authors present the academic roots, methodology, research scopes, theoretical framework for practitioners and finally, the practical application for both disciplines. The discussion is based on literary sources and extensive experience in the field presented by an associate professor of social pedagogy and a qualified social worker, both employed at a social pedagogy department. This combination ensures scientific honesty and a double-screening procedure of the content from the perspective of practitioners representing both disciplines. This approach provides a balanced view, since the interdependency and separation of the two fields may be seen as an area of potential negotiation.

The return of social pacts in the context of the current economic crisis, as seen in southern European countries, invites the revival of the discussion about the development of social dialogue practice in its specific context. Based on a longitudinal analysis we examine the agenda of Spanish tripartite social pacts. We do this by assessing their priorities and the actors' strategies for their involvement in social dialogue by taking the overall political, legal and social context into account. The results are then used to discuss the future implications for Spanish social partners. Challenges regarding the future role of the social partners in collective bargaining, their political exchange and their dependence on political allies are observed.