Impact of neo-liberalism in Spain: research from social work in relation to the public system of social services

ABSTRACT

After the economic crisis, neo-liberal policies in Spain established cuts in the public social welfare systems, which have had to face the increase in social demands from the population with fewer economic and human resources. The effects have been particularly hard on the population. The European Commission, in the Commission Staff Working Document, Country Report Spain 2017, notes an increase in inequality in Spain in spite of its macroeconomic improvement. The article summarises the impact that the economic crisis had on Spanish families and the austerity measures from the neo-liberal policies implemented by the government. Concerned by the social services’ capacity to respond to them, the General Council of Social Work carried out Research Projects (2014–2015). Their analysis is presented here. The research started from 32,127 social workers, a confidence level of 95.5%, and a margin of error of ±3 in the worst-case scenario of P = Q. The sample comprised 2406 professionals. The results can be extrapolated to the totality of social workers in Spain and confirm the serious consequences the austerity measures have had on the population, social welfare systems and social workers who have dealt with neo-liberalism using social critical theory and militant practice.

RESUMEN

Las políticas neoliberales españolas, tras la crisis, han establecido recortes en los sistemas públicos de bienestar social que han tenido que afrontar el aumento de las demandas sociales de la población con menos recursos económicos y humanos. Los efectos han sido de extraordinaria complejidad para la ciudadanía y los profesionales del trabajo social, situación denunciada por la European Commission en la Commission Staff Working Document. Country Report Spain 2017, al constatar un incremento de pobreza, exclusión social y desigualdad entre ricos y pobres en España a pesar de los datos macroeconómicos. El artículo sintetiza el impacto que la crisis económica tuvo en las familias españolas y las medidas de austeridad de las políticas neoliberales implementadas por el gobierno. Preocupado por la capacidad de los Servicios Sociales para responder a ellos, el General Council of Social Work from Spain llevo a cabo dos proyectos de investigación (2014 y 2015) con la finalidad de conocer el impacto de la austeridad en la ciudadanía, en los sistemas de protección social y en las intervenciones de los profesionales de los trabajadores sociales. El artículo presenta los resultados de ambas investigaciones empíricas basadas en la administración de un cuestionario validado a un universo de 32.127 trabajadores sociales, participando un total de 2406 profesionales del trabajo social en activo de toda España, muestra estratificada con un nivel de confianza del 95.5%, margen de error del ±3 y en el supuesto más desfavorable de P = Q, siendo sus resultados extra extrapolables a la totalidad de los trabajadores sociales en España. Los resultados constatan los graves efectos de la crisis en la ciudadanía, en los sistemas de protección social y en las intervenciones profesionales, los cuales han afrontado el neoliberalismo desde la teoría social crítica y una práctica militante.

KEYWORDS:

• Neo-liberalism
• austerity
• Spanish social work
• General Council of Social Work
• social critical theory

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• Neoliberalismo
• Austeridad
• Trabajo Social
• Teoría social crítica

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Enrique Pastor Seller holds a PhD in Sociology, and is a Professor and Researcher in the Department of Social Work and Social Services (University of Murcia). He is Principal Investigator of the Research Group: “Social Work and Social Services” and Vice-president of the General Council of Social Work of Spain.

Carmen Verde-Diego holds a PhD in Political and Moral Philosophy. She is Full Professor in the Department of Analysis and Psychosocioeducativa Intervention of the University of Vigo (Spain) and a member of the Governing Board of the General Council of Social Work.

Ana Isabel Lima Fernández graduated in Social Work and is the President of the General Council of Social Work of Spain.

ORCID

Enrique Pastor Seller http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8693-5138

Notes

1. Press Release 27 July 2017. Labour Force Survey. Institute of Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.ine.es/daco/daco42/daco4211/epa0217.pdf.

2. European Commission (EC), European Central Bank (ECB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

3. The Spanish GCSW is an organisation comprising the professional bodies of social workers in Spain, representing more than 30,000 social workers.

Expand in Press Release 21 November 2013: Social workers condemn the increase in demand for emergency social benefits while funding is cut. Retrieved from https://www.cgtrabajosocial.es/comunicaciones/los-y-las-trabajadoras-sociales-denuncian-el-aumento-de-la-demanda-de-ayudas-de-emergencia-social-mientras-se-recorta-la-financiacion/65/view.

4. The response was inferior to what was initially expected, probably due to the excessive caseload of the interviewees, as shown in the own research findings, where social workers report working beyond their office hours to meet the increasing demand.

5. After the Movimiento de los indignados (Taking to the streets) (15-M, 2011), other workers of different public social service systems in Spain started to protest along with the population, as equals, protesting against the austerity policies and defending public services. Each professional sector was assigned a colour, with social work being orange.

6. See release 4 April 2013: Social workers protest that the local administration reform will lead to the privatisation of primary care social services. Retrieved from http://www.cgtrabajosocial.com/comunicaciones/los-trabajadores-sociales-denuncian-que-la-reforma-de-la-administracion-local-permitira-privatizar-los-servicios-sociales-de-atencion-primaria/31/view.

7. Press Release 19 February 2013: Social workers demand that Congress, in the State of the Nation debate, commits to maintaining the public social welfare system. Retrieved from http://www.cgtrabajosocial.com/comunicaciones/los-trabajadores-sociales-exigen-que-el-congreso-en-el-debate-del-estado-de-la-nacion-se-comprometa-a-mantener-el-sistema-publico-de-servicios-sociales/20/view.

8. Press Release 3 March 2015: The General Council of Social Work meets with the minister Alfonso Alonso. Retrieved from https://www.cgtrabajosocial.es/noticias/el-consejo-general-del-trabajo-social-se-reune-con-el-ministro-alfonso-alonso/2645/view.

9. http://www.serviciossocialesypoliticasocial.com/. Particularly numbers 96, 103, 106, 108, 113.

10. Presented by Streaming, by the GCSW and the El Diario.es newspaper on 17 March 2015, followed by a very interesting debate. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3IFUeKy0rI.