Breaking free of the neoliberal paradigm: refocusing the lens for social work and the social work curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand (part II)

ABSTRACT

This article is the second of two detailing the outcomes of an extensive study exploring a largely unrecognised role for social workers as educators in their everyday practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. The first focused on the quantitative aspect of the study. The second, smaller phase of the study is discussed in this article. In a series of semi-structured interviews, social workers from a range of settings and positions shared short narratives describing their practice. While their accounts gave clear examples of undertaking educative tasks in their everyday practice, the social workers did not always recognise them as such. In addition, content analyses showed that the role is hardly recognised in position descriptions, and educational theory and practice skills are not included in the Social Work Registration Board’s requirements for curricula for professional programmes. It is considered that making the role explicit and incorporating education theory into the social work curriculum would create an opportunity to refocus the lens for practice away from the current pervasive neoliberal paradigm. The article concludes by arguing that, as is being considered in a number of western countries, the European discipline of social pedagogy has much to offer in this endeavour.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work
• education
• practice
• educator
• social work roles
• social pedagogy

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Jo Campling Social Work Education Research Scholarship Fund.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Jo Campling Social Work Education Research Scholarship Fund. [N/A];

Notes on contributors

Sarah Fraser

Dr. Sarah Fraser currently holds the position of Programme Coordinator for Social Work at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology in Aotearoa New Zealand. She teaches professional practice, theory and skills papers on the 4-year Bachelor of Social Work. Her research interests are in the areas of social work professional practice, the history of social work and in social education and social pedagogy. She is a registered social worker, a current full member and Past President of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers, and a current member and immediate Past-President of Council of Social Work Educators, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Lynne Briggs

Dr. Lynne Briggs is an Associate Professor and Head of School at Griffith University. Her main research focus is on health and mental health outcomes with a specific interest on the impact of resettlement on refugee and migrant mental health and social work practice in natural disasters. A primary goal has always been to make research and evaluation a much more lively activity in education and clinical settings. Professionally, Lynne is New Zealand Registered Social Worker, a member of ANZASW and in Australia is a board member on ANZSWWE