ABSTRACT
The aim of the article is to present the perceptions of social work educators from Lithuania and Japan, on the role of technologies in the development of the profession. Qualitative research was based on 18 interviews. The place of technologies in the social work profession and the implications that these technologies may have on social work values, knowledge, skills and SW identity are discussed from the perspective of B. Latour, specifically, his two practices of knowledge generation—purification and translation. The article contributes to the discussion on the role and integration of technologies into social work education and practice.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to the Lithuanian Research Council for funding this project. We extend our gratitude to all research participants who have contributed to this study, and especially to the partners from Japan for their exemplary academic and practical cooperation in the implementation of this research project.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1. In Japan, in 2018, about 28% of the population is aged over 65 years with 14% aged 75 or over. Overall population is projected to decline from 126 to 88 million between 2018 and 2065 (Cabinet Office Japan, Citation2019).
2. Design and engineering of a human as a foundational emerging technology (Allenby, Citation2015).
3. Media of communication that is functionally bound to a location.
4. Sensors used to gather and monitor individuals’ physiological and movement data.
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Notes on contributors
Donata Petružytė
Donata Petružytė, Violeta Gevorgianienė and Eglė Šumskienė are assoc. professors at the Department of Social Work and Social Welfare at Vilnius University.
Violeta Gevorgianienė
Mai Yamaguchi is a professor at the Japan Lutheran College, Department of Integrated Human Studies and Graduate School of Social Work.
Miroslavas Seniutis
Miroslavas Seniutis is a PhD Student at the Department of Social Work and Social Welfare at Vilnius University.
Laimutė Žalimienė
Laimutė Žalimienė is a professor at the Department of Social Work and Social Welfare at Vilnius University.