bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Role of State, Power, and Politics in Social Work Management Education in Germany
Authors: Arnold Maik 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Social work managers do not only have to acquire leadership and entrepreneurial knowledge and competencies, but they must also possess skills such as ethical reasoning, citizenship, sustainability, and global awareness, all linked to the role of the state, its sociopolitical and ideological underpinnings, and existing power relations and social policy. This raises the question of how such skills are implemented in current social work management curricula. The purpose of this chapter is to present the results of an analysis of curricula, pedagogy, and teaching practices in social work management courses in Germany. After describing the German welfare system, its sociopolitical and ideological foundations, different theoretical models of economic behavior, and the power dynamics in social work institutions are discussed from a critical management perspective. Then the historical evolution of the academic discipline of social work management is briefly described. The central focus is then on a document-based and systematic analysis of the curricula, pedagogy, and teaching practices in German social work management programs at under- and postgraduate levels. The findings emphasize the constant need to develop the study programs’ learning outcomes, content, and teaching and learning methodologies. The chapter concludes with implications for future research and development.
Direct Practice and Social Change
Authors: Saar-Heiman Yuval , Krumer-Nevo Michal 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Part III provides a comprehensive overview of practice social work and practice teaching in social work and the relationships between different power dynamics related to practice agency, practice settings, and supervisor-student relations in practice learning and practice education. It is very well known that social and political action are at the core of the social work profession, and social workers practicing policy advocacy and policy activism apply the skills, knowledge, and experience that they have gained from their professional social work training. It is also important that social work training across the globe aims to educate, prepare, and sensitize graduates for their role in bringing about social change and transformation in a modernized, business-oriented, and technology-driven human society.
The Influence of Neoliberal Economic Policy on the Emancipatory Mission of Social Work
Authors: Janebová Radka , Kappl Miroslav 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Neoliberalization of society places severe limitations on the emancipatory mission of social work. Through economic policy, one of the four policies described by Loïc Wacquant through which neoliberalization is promoted, neoliberal states seek to promote market principles throughout the entire society, including in public services. This also applies to social work systems, which in this paradigm are subjected to market conditions to minimize costs and even to generate a profit. The aim of this chapter is to present connections among selected aspects of neoliberal economic policy along with the influence of these features on the fulfillment of the emancipatory mission of social work. The chapter will present three original qualitative research projects conducted in the Czech context which deal with the effects of underfunding and budget cuts, outsourcing services, as well as enforcing the principles of competition in the implementation of social work in the Czech Republic. In the conclusion, it will be discussed how the education system of social workers might respond to these trends.
Specifics of the Supervision of Social Workers in the Slovak Republic
Authors: Boriščáková Miriama , Balogová Beáta 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
This chapter analyzes and presents the specifics of the supervision of social workers in Slovakia. The chapter deals with the social and political situation in Slovakia and the legislation stipulating the performance of supervision in social work. After the revolutionary changes in the 1990s, supervision in social services facilities was carried out only on a voluntary basis. At present, supervision is mandatory for all social services facilities and all organizations and institutions providing social services. The application of several types of supervision may result in failures but also in encouragement and further education of social workers in dealing with clients. The chapter addresses the practical aspect of social work supervision in Slovakia, emphasizing its theoretical and conceptual groundwork prepared by supervisors. Selected results of qualitative research studies are presented, in which experts in social work supervision in Slovakia explore supervision approaches and their impact on the components of this work. In addition, the chapter focuses on theoretical concepts underpinning supervision in Slovakia, presents selected definitions of supervision, a taxonomy of supervision as understood by various experts which may eventually trigger comparison with performing supervision in other countries.
Collaborative Social Work Student Supervision
Authors: Beesley Paula , Agu Lorraine 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
This chapter on developing knowledge and skills within collaborative social work student supervision will first consider societal and institutional oppression, before turning to the individual power dynamic within social work student supervision, where French and Raven’s classifications of power will be presented and applied. Drawing on Beesley’s doctorate study on social work student supervision, research will be presented that identified the importance of practice educators having an awareness of the inherent power differential in the supervisory relationship. Furthermore, student research participants’ narratives identified a lack of student awareness of power within supervision unless an “authoritarian” supervision style was used. This enabled the identification of collaborative social work student supervision as a recommended supervisory style, as it reduced the power differential through working in partnership to develop students’ social work knowledge and skills.
On the Cultivation of the Practical Capability of the Master of Social Work Degree—Based on the MSW Program at The University
Authors: Chen Hui 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
This chapter focuses on empirical work conducted to explore the cultivation of the practical capability of the degree of Master of Social Work (MSW) at universities, applying qualitative research with an in-depth interview. The aim was twofold: first, to explore the phenomena of social work cultivations concentrating on the experience of MSW students who learned in class; second, to explore the experience of their internships. Findings from this research suggest that the professional status of social work is low compared with other disciplines and that there are disconnections between theoretical learning in class and practical capability in practice, internship, and supervision. Possible reasons to account for these are that MSW programs are at the beginning stage and lack experience. The implications of this research are that theoretical learning and practical capability do not get a consistent and reliable response in the practical context. Therefore, more emphasis should be put on the integration of social work education, social work agencies, MSW students, and social work policies involving the related parties to improve the cultivation of the MSW program.
“We Are Open, the Door Is Just Very Heavy”
Authors: Bald Caroline 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The professionalization agenda in English social work seemed complete when registration came into being in 2000 under the oversight of the General Social Care Council. Since 2005, anyone using the title “social worker” must be registered, and failure to adhere to regulatory standards risks removal from the register. Two decades and two regulatory bodies later, the interrelationship between social work and politics remains as contested. Where one might have anticipated the professionalization agenda to have satisfied power, it has in effect achieved the opposite, with growing demands to further standardize, validate, and regulate the profession. This chapter considers social work education admissions decision-making as illusio praxis, a politically constructed site of power within social work education as a gateway to the profession. Using a political discourse analysis, this chapter posits that far from emancipation, the populist professionalization movement has colonized social work for politically presented commonsense ends. Through a logic of construction analysis, this chapter exposes a moralizing gray area when considering whose capital counts in meeting “suitability” to study social work. In conclusion, it will be possible to question the ethical presumption of professionalization as modernization or populist mission creep reasserting labor power and claiming new sites of capitalism.
Social Service Reform, Education, and the Professionalization of Social Work
Authors: Dhëmbo Elona , Diebold Alishau , Akesson Bree 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Part IV of the handbook discusses issues related to social service reforms, social justice, poverty, professionalization of social work in Italy, and the challenges of bureaucratization and the role of communist heritage in shaping social work in Poland. It contains eight chapters, focusing on Hungary, India, the European Union, Ukraine, Italy, Poland, and the United States. The chapters set the background for social work education and practice based on the principles of social justice. Overall, the contributions demonstrate that by virtue of their training and education, social workers are capable of addressing the unjust practices that take place in a society. Social workers are expected to question injustice, unequal treatment, discriminatory practices and unhealthy environments in any society in which they practice.
A Comparative Analysis of Visits by the UN Special Rapporteur to the United States and to the European Union
Authors: Cummins Ian , Gómez-Ciriano Emilio José 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
This chapter uses Somers’s model of citizenship to present a comparative analysis of the reports issued by the UN Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights after his visits to the European Union and the United States. The two reports were based on visits by the UN Rapporteur that followed periods of welfare retrenchment and austerity in the European Union and the United States. The chapter examines the discourse of human rights that the reports use to outline the impact of welfare retrenchment in the United States and the European Union.
The Policy of Decentralization in Ukraine
Authors: Semigina Tetyana , Yeroshenko Kateryna 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
After proclaiming its independence in 1991, Ukraine inherited Soviet ideology, a centralized public governance system, the neglect of human rights, and paternalistic social services. Gradually, the national policies were shaped. Social work practice and education were introduced. This chapter explores political and ideological transformations in Ukraine in the 1990s–2020s. Special focus is on the decentralization policy and its intersection with social work. International organizations supported the launch of the bachelor’s and master’s training programs. But social work didn’t turn out to be a fully recognized profession in demand. It is still an “unfinished” professional project, with a lot of para–social workers engaged in service provision, and their informal training is sometimes more flexible than in formal educational settings. The chapter ends with a suggestion to revise the educational programs and to incorporate into them the concepts of social justice, human rights, and activism as core social work ideas to reflect European and professional values.
The Interplay of Social Work Education and the Heritage of Communism in Shaping the Engagement of Social Work Students as Social Change Agents
Authors: Przeperski Jaroslaw , Cuprjak Magdalena 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The importance of the concept of political social work is rather absent in social work practice, education, and research in Poland. This may be the result of Polish history and particularly Soviet domination of Poland. Political engagement at the time was equal to collaboration with the communist regime, and the government was identified with the persecution of citizens. Poland still faces the heritage of communism although it collapsed over 30 years ago. This explains why social work practice is more focused on individual and family work rather than on changing local communities or shaping the country’s policies. Social work students of the present generation were born in a free Poland. This chapter examined their opinions and decisions on possible engagement as social change agents in our society. The first step was a review of social work curricula and identification of elements which can help in decisions on engagement in political movements. The second step was a survey in which a group of students from different universities in Poland were examined. The survey was based on the Civic Voluntarism Model, which identifies core factors that predict whether an individual will choose to participate in political activities. The model indicates three key factors influence individuals’ political participation: resources, psychological engagement, and political efficacy. The results of the curriculum review and student survey identify the level of preparedness to serve as change agents in society and lead to recommendations for social work education.
Prefiguration Theory in Political Social Work
Authors: Moxley David P. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Taking root in transformative social movements, but building on older grassroots efforts to bring about change from within societies by creating alternatives to established politics, particularly hierarchical and authoritarian ones, prefigurative practice in social work offers possibilities for influencing the future society through the present formation of alternative helping institutions at local levels. This chapter considers how prefiguration theory can influence social work practice, how alternative helping institutions can form in distressed communities, and how prefiguration practice in social work can anticipate a more equitable and equal society of the future. Within this chapter, the author offers a rationale for prefiguration as a focus of political social work. The author frames prefiguration theory and amplifies how this theory can serve as a potential strategy in social change. Value constellations and tensions influencing prefiguration in social work practice highlight the issues that politicize prefiguration that can then influence strategies social workers can use in advancing the well-being of marginalized groups and populations. Those strategies can stand as exemplars for future social workers seeking to respond effectively to social problems.
The Professional Status of Social Work in the Republic of Cyprus
Authors: Parlalis Stavros K. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The chapters in Part V of the handbook examine a range of issues related to the professional identity of social work in different parts of the world. These issues focus upon the challenges of gaining professional recognition, the challenges of implementing social policy, professional imperialism in social work, reshaping the curriculum and pedagogy, tracing the trajectories of social work education and practice, co-creation of social work knowledge, and the role of the state in the development and professionalization of social work. The professional identity of social work in several countries, especially developing countries and less developed countries, has been low and deteriorating in recent decades. There are several reasons, including socioeconomic, political, and cultural factors, that contribute to the low level of professional identity for social work.
The Influence of the Imagined Community of Social Workers on the Constructed “Correctness” of Social Work Performance in Education and Practice of Social Work with Families
Authors: Glumbíková Kateřina , Špiláčková Marie 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Social work practice is uniquely shaped and influenced by social, political, and cultural aspects in each country. Social work students and social work professionals are continually exposed to various explicit and implicit meanings of the “correctness” of social work performance. An imagined community of social work professionals is formed from the sense of belonging or the existence of something in common, which determines the “correctness” of social work. The chapter aims to understand and describe the connection between the imagined community of social workers during two periods of performance of social work practice and the constructed correctness of social work performance. Thematic analysis of data obtained from a qualitative research design discovered two strategies for constructing “correctness,” namely, community generation of correctness and isolated generation of correctness in community-generated incorrectness.
Examining Racism and Settler-Colonialism in Canadian Social Work Education
Authors: Tyler Stephanie , Ladhani Sheliza 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
This chapter examines racism and settler-colonialism in Canadian social work education and the potential to (re)shape the contours of curriculum and pedagogy toward the aims of antiracism and decolonization through engaging decolonizing pedagogies and pedagogies of discomfort that work effectively with difficult knowledges. The chapter situates Canadian higher education within settler-colonialism and the recent global events that have compelled universities to issue statements of solidarity with equity-deserving groups. It then traces the complicity of Canadian social work education with colonial projects through a review of administration, accreditation, curriculum, and pedagogy, while attuning to the distinct realities and challenges of racialized and Indigenous educators and students. Finally, the chapter considers how difficult knowledges might be more ethically engaged in social work education through embodied pedagogies, while recognizing the impossibilities of teaching and learning and surrendering to the reality of teaching without guarantee.
From England to Canada with Care and Social Control
Authors: Taiwo Akin , Lee Jasmine 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
This chapter uses the critical framework to examine the development of social work as a profession in Canada as well as the sociopolitical and economic contexts of education and practice. Canada runs a parliamentary democracy as a (con)federation of 10 provinces and three territories, with the queen/king of England as the constitutional monarch. This political and power arrangement affects how social work is structured, with implications for the provision of social welfare services for citizens. Indeed, many social welfare programs are still organized around some of the principles of the British Poor Laws, and early social workers were agents of the state, exerting social control over Indigenous and racialized populations, thereby contributing to the historic practice failure of social work in Canada. Conversely, there were also progressive elements within the same history that were connected to the Settlement House Movement upon which many schools of social work were founded. As a profession mandated by law, social work has regulatory and accrediting bodies in different provinces as well as professional organizations that manage its affairs. It also has different areas of practice and job prospects for graduates. It is part of the accreditation standard that all social work students take courses on social justice/social change and social policy. However, there is limited discussion of political social work. This chapter proposes an intentional professional commitment to political education by calling for the training of social work students to understand their own political power in a neoliberal environment.
The Role of the State in the Development and Professionalization of Social Work
Authors: Fahrudin Adi , Witono Toton 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
This chapter discusses the state’s role in developing and professionalizing social work in Indonesia, a fragile democratic regime. The development of the social work profession from independence until now still faces many obstacles, and the professionalization process is full of politicking. The professionalization of social work is dealing with a regime that does not prioritize long-term welfare processes. The welfare regime is more concerned with its popularity, providing social assistance so that the government is seen as generous, especially during the economic crisis due to the global pandemic. Such a regime hampers social work professionals even though there is a social worker law. The birth of this law was full of intrigue and exciting political lobbying, yet each political interest wanted volunteer groups to be included in the law to be recognized as social workers. After the law was enacted, its implementation was very slow, and the people did not experience many significant changes.
“Strange Bedfellows”
Authors: Laredo Erika , Hill Darren , Penson Bill 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
This chapter takes a long view of the social work profession, examining the historical dislocations of attempting a professional accommodation to this seemingly contradictory position. The chapter is informed by critical theory and draws upon poststructural, Marxist, and radical social work theory. The history explored is not set out chronologically; it is thematic and uses discourse analysis and identified themes intersecting with power relationships and social class. Social work is an intrinsic part of a system that perpetuates systemic violence, and the professional practice contributes to a system of “benevolent violence,” which oversees a complex system of both care and control that has mitigated and supported the rupture of Indigenous people from the common land in both the United Kingdom and abroad.
Training the Social Work Students of the Next Generation
Authors: Sultana A. Shahin 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The social work profession across the globe has had a constructive phase of development over the decades. People from all quarters have witnessed the significance of the social work profession as psychosocial problems have been on the rise. The growing incidents of violence, hatred, crime, social injustice, and apathy have also roused social work professionals to introspect on how the profession can be best capacitated to face the challenges in the coming generations. Social work academia can be no exception in this. Social work trainees aspire to be change agents in ensuring social justice, equality, and human dignity and also influence the state, but somehow, very few are able to do so and the reasons for their failures are not documented. This chapter focuses on social work students, both Indians and other nationals who have graduated from Indian universities and are currently working in India and many other countries. Their inputs toward capacitating the role of social work academia for future graduates are collated, deliberated, and presented in the form of a qualitative study to enhance human development and well-being.