Spatial approaches to social work – theoretical foundations and implications for practice and research

ABSTRACT

Spatial approaches have inspired and grounded the social sciences and social geography already for a longer time. Beyond these models, the theory discourse on social work developed innovative concepts and models of socio-spatial approaches. They set a special focus on aspects of individual and social development, the concept of acquirement and emancipatory approaches to spatial design. For interventions, special methods for socio-spatial analyses were developed. This article reflects the main approaches of this theory discourse and asks for its key implications for social work practice and research.

ABSTRAKT

Sozialräumliche Ansätze haben die Sozialwissenschaften und die Sozialgeographie bereits seit längerer Zeit inspiriert. Jenseits dieser Modelle entwickelte der Theoriediskurs der Sozialen Arbeit innovative Konzepte und Modelle sozialräumlicher Ansätze. Diese richten einen speziellen Fokus auf Aspekte individueller und sozialer Entwicklung, das Konzept der Aneignung und emanzipatorische Ansätze sozialräumlicher Gestaltung. Für Interventionen wurden spezielle Methoden für Sozialraumanalysen entwickelt. Dieser Artikel reflektiert die zentralen Ansätze dieses Theoriediskurses und fragt nach seinen zentralen Implikationen für Praxis und Forschung Sozialer Arbeit.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work theory
• space
• socio-spatial approaches to social work
• socio-spatial analyses
• practice research

SCHLAGWORTE:

• Theorie Sozialer Arbeit
• Raum
• sozialräumliche Ansätze Sozialer Arbeit
• Sozialraumanalysen
• Praxisforschung

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Christian Spatscheck is professor for theories and methods of social work at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Hochschule Bremen, City University of Applied Sciences, a Visiting Scholar at Lund University and a Visiting Professor at Pisa University. His main interests in research and development are theories and methods of social work and social pedagogy, especially spatial and systemic approaches, youth work, social development and international social work. He also serves as a board member of the German Association of Social Work (DGSA – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Soziale Arbeit).

ORCID

Christian Spatscheck http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5835-9620

Notes

1 In the current German debate, the term ‘Soziale Arbeit’ (social work) is used as an umbrella term for ‘Sozialarbeit’ (social work with adults) and ‘Sozialpädagogik’ (social pedagogy with children and youth). The task of social work can be regarded as the ‘prevention and coping of social problems’ (Engelke et al., 2009) or, more generally, to support citizens in their ‘leading of life’ (Lebensführung) (Otto, Scherr, & Ziegler, 2010). In both senses, social work refers to the relationship between individuals and society, and the possible conflicts and professional solutions within this relationship (Hamburger, 2007, p. 14).

2 The passages 2. and 2.1 are based on a revised version of the pages 11–36 of Spatscheck & Wolf-Ostermann, 2016, and are published here with the kind permission of Barbara Budrich Publishers.

3 All translations of German quotes into the English language by the author.

4 Even though, the German standard social work textbook ‘Methoden der Sozialen Arbeit’ (Methods of Social Work) by Galuske (2013) still defines socio-spatial orientation as a method of social work.