What happens to the social in social work?

Abstract

While international authoritative bodies of social work still keep the social tab high, with clear instructions to challenge the structures that create inequality, poverty and oppression, practitioners and researchers in social work increasingly report a practical reality that increasingly deviates from the professional policies. It is a widespread concern that the ‘social’ in social work is about to be diluted through processes such as individualisation, standardisation and demands for evidence-based practice. But what do we actually mean by the ‘social’? The purpose of this article is to examine the idea of the disappearance of the ‘social’ in social work. Capitalising on theoretical resources derived from Bruno Latour and actor-network theory, we argue that the ‘social’ is not a property or dimension of its own that can expand or decrease. Instead, the ‘social’ comprises the relations and connections making up the sociomaterial practices in which people live and struggle with their lives. The article contend that it is not the ‘social’ as such that is about to fade, but rather the understanding of the complexities of human struggle, which in turn undermines forms of knowledge and practice central to social work.

Keywords:

• social work
• sociology
• actor-network theory
• evidence-based practice
• standardisation
• individualisation

Notes

1. http://www.iassw-aiets.org/uploads/file/20121025_GA_E_8Mar.pdf.

2. http://www.iassw-aiets.org/uploads/file/20130506_Ethics%20in%20Social%20Work,%20Statement,%20IFSW,%20IASSW,%202004.pdf.