Political Professionalism and Social Injustice
Political professionalism of social workers working with(in) communities facing societal injustices
How do social workers in the Netherlands working with(in) communities facing societal injustices incorporate social justice work in their everyday practices? And if they indeed do so, how does this impact them as practitioners, as citizens and humans. This research aims to make a modest contribution to uncover and sustain hopeful practices.
Focus on Participation
Currently, after periods of decentralizations and budget cuts, we see in the Netherlands a social domain that has increasingly become incorporated in and dependent on state systems. Influenced by a mantra of participation and self-reliance (‘zelfredzaamheid’), social work predominantly focuses on helping people deal with problems or strengthen talents, rather than addressing structural or collective injustices that marginalized communities can face.
Social Justice
Recently social justice and politicizing practices have been regaining attention. However, an adequate collective approach to do the social justice part of social work sustainably is lacking. Practitioners can find themselves in an acrobatic split between the needs and empowerment of communities they support and the demands of organizations and state-set policy frameworks.
Etnographic fieldwork and action research
This research project explores the everyday social justice practices of social workers engaged in community causes in the Netherlands, how this relates to their professional morale and the impact it has on them as practitioners, as citizens and humans. It will put a particular focus on social work with communities that are already strongly politicized. Ethnographic fieldwork will be conducted alongside practitioners working with(in) the sex work community. The objective is to gain insight into the complexity of power relations, social interactions, and collaborations that shape this work. The findings from the fieldwork will then be compared, highlighted, and contrasted with various social work practices in the Netherlands that work with(in) communities facing societal injustices. Elements of participatory action research (PAR) will be employed to explore the potential for strengthening and nurturing social justice practices among social workers.