Suchergebnisse

This book explores shifts in international social policies, looking at how they affect national trends and the context for social work practice. It investigates the responsibilities for social welfare held by the state, the market and civil society, elaborating a concept of citizenship-based social work

EnglishThis article argues that modern citizenship is a highly fruitful concept for social work. Citizenship-based social work is defined as a field of action, knowledge and research, aiming at integration of all citizens and supporting and encouraging self responsibility, social responsibility and the implementation of social rights.FrenchCet article soutient que la citoyenneté moderne est un concept éminemment porteur pour le travail social. Le travail social fondé sur la citoyenneté se définit comme un champ d'action, de connaissance et de recherche visant l'intégration de tous les citoyens et faisant la promotion de la responsabilité personnelle, de la responsabilité sociale et de la promotion des droits sociaux.SpanishEste artículo argumenta que la ciudadanía moderna es un concepto altamente provechoso para el trabajo social. El trabajo social basado en la ciudadanía es definido como un campo de acción, conocimiento e investigación, apuntando a la integración de todos los ciudadanos, que apoya y alienta la responsabilidad propia, la responsabilidad social y la implementación de derechos sociales.

In this article, we uncover the perspectives of the stakeholders of a particular social work organization regarding outcomes and working principles in a contextual–transformative practice with vulnerable people in superdiverse contexts. Our study demonstrates how the main tasks of social workers in a contextual–transformational vision of social work, namely, improving the self-reliance of people and the conditions for societal participation and social cohesion, can be combined. By adopting a practice-oriented approach to evaluation, we succeeded in expressing the type of evidence that shows the outcomes of a contextualized transformational social work practice engaged with expanding the freedoms and agency of clients. Clients and social workers emphasize the following outcomes: a sense of belonging, increased practical competences, and feelings of confidence and empowerment. To achieve these outcomes, the social workers combine different practice principles. The principle of installing an "open house" in a divers sensitive and complex way is in the perspective of clients and social workers utterly effective. In superdiverse contexts and communities, social work practices must be recognizable for their clients and emit respect for cultural differences. The investment in effective relationship building with clients shows also to be crucial. Finally, juridical, informational, and practical support is essential for helping clients to acquire their (social) rights. Social workers' crucial competence here in doing a "good" job, is their capacity to "set the problem," "provide information", and to look for improvement in the specific context.

This article examines the challenges that superdiversity and complexity pose for social workers. Taking an ethnographic approach, we focus on the 'knowledge-in-action' of social workers in a small service organization in Belgium in order to access their experiences of being professionals in superdiverse contexts. The reflections of the social workers reveal the prominence of three inter-related issues: the social vulnerability of clients, the tensions that arise in coping with differences between personal and professional frameworks and identities, and the discontinuity that challenges the professional self-confidence of social workers. The findings raise important questions for the professional identity of social work.