Academic discussions: social work as a profession and disciplineLolita Vilka, Assoc. prof., Dr. phil.

Riga Stradins University, Latvia

The Global definition of social work The social work profession

promotes social change,

problem-solving in human relationships,

and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance wellbeing.

Utilizing theories of human behavior and social systems,

social work intervenes

at the points where people interact with their environments.

Principles of human rights and social justice

are fundamental to social work.

 International Federation of Social Workers

Social work - a profession

“This is one of my basic assumptions that social work a necessary part of societal differentiation that emerges as soon as the “secondary problems” of the modernisation process structured by a capitalist political economy occur.

We can observe this emergence of social work in all the transition countries of eastern Europe which might by interpreted as an empirical evidence for the argument that

social work is a logical element of capitalist and functional

differentiated societies.

[Peter Zommerfeld 1]

Social work profession in the context of social policy in Latvia (1)

First stage: 1991-1995 was a transition from a centralized commanding economic system to free market economy

-1992 is noted as the beginning of establishment of the system of social services - laws on social protection were stated and introduced :- “On social security” (1995), which is the basic law on social legislation, and “Law on social assistance” (1995).

Second stage is Reform of Welfare of Latvia (1997-2002) 5 main areas: - Development of social insurance system, - Legislation and supervision of private pension fund,- Development of social aid,- Supervision and assessment of social policy,- Project coordination

Social work profession in the context of social policy in Latvia (2)

2003.- “Law on Social services and social assistance”(LSSSA) - a new page in the development of social security system.

It envisaged several innovations: duty of municipalities to establish social service, allocation of social aid, determining client participation duties, ensuring of social services only after assessment of client’s needs, rendering of social services possibly close by client’s living place, legitimization of social work services, separation of duties and

tasks of social work specialists.

social work becomes one of the most important instruments in provision with

social services.

Social work is a complex field...

Social work is not only something social workers do; it is a phenomenon consisting of three parts: research, education and professional practice.

Research must help not only the professional practice, but also the teaching of social work methods. The education of professionals requires skills and knowledge, and, of course, professional practice requires skills that have their roots not only in education and research but also in practice itself. This is a complex field...

(E.Engelke, 1999)

The first challenge for social work profession: the school and education for social workers

1991. -The first higher school of Social work and social pedagogy “Attīstība” -was the private initiative.

Profesor Lydia Šilneva - the founder of the first higher school of Social work and social pedagogy called together enthusiasts who held the same views, in order to, step by step, form a new profession.

At present, education in social work is offered by:

University of Latvia

Rīga Stradins University

University of Liepaja

Higher School of social work and social pedagogy – „Attīstība”- (private school)

Latvia Christian Academy – (private school)

Psychology Higher School – (private school)

P.Stradins Health and Social Care colleges

Social work as a sub-branch of sciences 1995 collection of first scientifically methodological articles “Dzīves jautājumi” (“Issues

of Life”) was published

1996 the first international Baltic conference “Education standards in social work” took place.

In 1996 SDSPA „Attīstība” started correspondence with Scientific Council of Latvia about nomenclature of academic and scientific degrees and place of social work in this nomenclature

2001 – publishing of the journal “Sociālais Darbinieks”(Social Worker) is started.

2006 – Association of Social workers is established

2008 - Latvia Inter-Universities Council of Social work education and research is established.

2010 – Association of Clinical Social Workers is established

Social work, among sciences, is a sub-branch of sociology “Social policy and organisation of social work”.

The main problems and trends, which challenge social work profession currently in Latvia.

socially contextual problems: the problems independent of social work specialists, but having effect on the profession

problems immanent to social work profession : the ones which result from internal self-organisation of social work profession, i.e., issues of SW education, research and conceptions, professional and education standards, acquisition of the good experience, professional organisations, etc.

Among socially contextual problems as the first:

Pre-emptive effect of the rapid social changes, which means that people’s understanding of the events taking place, frequently lags behind the events themselves.

As never before social work specialists, are expected

to show very high professional competence

and orientation in social processes of wide spectrum

Authority and image of social work

profession in society:

academic discourse

of evaluation of social work profession significantly differs from

public discourse

Discussions on identity and autonomy of SW profession are still current:

“what is social work ?” where are the boundaries of the profession ? „what are perspectives of social work?”

Internal problems of SW profession (1)

Conception issues

majority of specialists most commonly equal social work and micro (psycho)- social work

insufficient attention is devoted to evaluation of social policy

Internal problems of SW profession (2)

Sensitive and seriously disputable is the question about knowledge generation, relations between practice and experience and theory.

in social work education, disposition to “practitioners” prevails.

The slogan “experience is all- theory nothing” is one-sided and risky, and negatively affects multisided development

of the branch .

Internal problems of SW profession (3)

It is high time to put a greater effort in research in social work, as well as more seriously to develop academic direction in

social work.

!!! academic staff training not be put off

New debate on social work scientific status...

… what in one case is advantage of social work as a profession and makes it interesting, namely, its integrative character,

in other case – defining status of the branch of social work among sciences, raises doubt...

From the history of social work

1) 1915. Abraham Flexner was at that time the most famous public intellectual. He concluded that social work lacked its own theoretical and scientific knowledge base, drawing primarily on the knowledge of other professions to carry out its practice

2) Amitai Etzioni (1969) and Toren (1972) still did not see a way for social work to be a profession such as medicine and law and labeled it a “semi-profession”; Donald Schön (1983) labeled social work a “vagrant profession,” one of many unsatisfying descriptions that seem to leave social work yearning and striving for more recognition.

The scientific status of SW was hotly debated also in Italy – Poggi (1967) noted how competing definitions of social work drew upon art and science metaphors

Universities responsibility

Schools of social work have a responsibility to take leadership in anticipating, understanding and analyzing social and economic changes.

They can alter their educational programs to incorporate new knowledge and approaches to practice so that their academic programs are responsive to new societal issues and circumstances.

Universities have a mission to create new knowledge and to educate future citizens.... Meyer (1989) has identified the need for schools of social work to survive within the university context as the major reason for a shift towards an academic model of operation which emphasizes knowledge building.

Social work profession has always been changing and responsive to the changing problems of society of its time. What has not changed is its mission:

care for people and changing of those social forces, which becomeunsurpassable obstacles in people’s striving for better life, welfare andhappiness.

Social work in Latvia will develop and definitely acquire new characteristics and variety of application. Social work profession is and will be

responsible for

formation of socially responsible society,

values of democracy

and humanism.

This is an opportune time for social work to develop a cadre of public intellectuals, especially since many social science disciplines have become virtually irrelevant in public life. Once in the forefront of public intellectual life, sociology has been reduced to a service discipline in many universities because of its near obsession with arcane quantitative methods and its prolonged bouts of internecine warfare.

While political science once spawned respected commentators on public life, many of today's political scientists have been demoted to conducting electoral or public opinion polls. As such, political scientists have become measurers rather than shapers of American political opinion. The current poverty in academia permeates most social science disciplines, and their retreat into narrower and more technical domains opens a window of opportunity for social work to lead rather than follow. 1

Are we ready to use the opportunity

and take the challenge ?....

1 Howard Jacob Karger, and Marie Theresa Hernandez, "The Decline of the Public Intellectual in Social Work," Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare 31.3 (2004), Questia, 21 Jan. 2007

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