Social work’s ‘black hole’ or ‘Phoenix moment’? Impacts of the neoliberal path in social work profession in Portugal

ABSTRACT

This article proposes a reflection about the transformation of social work practices in the context of a neoliberal path, particularly in Portugal. Within this context, social workers try to adapt their professional practices combining, by several processes, the core values and goals of the profession and the new demands of efficiency under the so called ‘impact philanthropy’ model. Several paradoxical effects derive from such changes. Not only relevant negative constraints and substantial transformations on the core goals of the profession are emerging, but also new forms of work are being shaped. So, are we witnessing a renewed opportunity to revalue social work (the ‘Phoenix’ moment) or an increased possibility of its depletion and emptiness (the ‘black hole’ moment)? To discuss this thesis are presented data from a study based on interviews with Portuguese social workers about the impacts of neoliberal management assumptions in their practices, as well as their processes of adjustment. Results show, in fact, many impacts (negative and positive) concerning the management of work processes and the conception of the practice’s teleological basis and values. Additionally, adjustment processes or procedures (‘tactical’ or ‘strategic’ adjustment) used by professionals are identified.

RESUMO

O presente artigo propõe uma reflexão sobre a transformação das práticas do Serviço Social, particularmente em Portugal, sob influência do paradigma neoliberal. Neste contexto, os assistentes sociais tentam adaptar as suas práticas profissionais combinando, através de diversos processos, os valores e objetivos centrais da profissão e as novas exigências de eficácia sob o chamado modelo de ‘filantropia de impacto’. Diversos efeitos paradoxais decorrem de tais mudanças. Não apenas constrangimentos negativos relevantes e transformações substanciais nos objetivos centrais da profissão emergem, mas também novas formas de trabalho se moldam. Deste modo, estaremos testemunhando um momento ‘Fénix’ ou um momento ‘buraco negro’ no desenvolvimento do Serviço Social? Para discutir esta tese serão apresentados dados de um estudo baseado em entrevistas a assistentes sociais portugueses sobre os impactos nas respetivas práticas dos pressupostos da gestão neoliberal, bem como nos processos de ajustamento que desenvolvem. Os resultados mostram, de fato, diversos impactos (negativos e positivos) na gestão dos processos de trabalho e na concepção da teleologia e dos valores da prática. Além disso, são identificados os processos de adaptação (‘táctica’ ou ‘estratégica’) utilizados pelos profissionais.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work
• neoliberalism
• managerialism impacts

PALAVRAS-CHAVE:

• Serviço Social
• Neoliberalismo
• Impactos Gerencialistas

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Cristina Pinto Albuquerque has a Ph.D. in Humanities (specialty in Social Work and Social Policy) from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland (2004). Presently, she is Professor of Social Work, Social Policy and Social Entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra (PT), where she co-coordinates the Interuniversity Ph.D. in Social Work (University of Coimbra and Portuguese Catholic University). She is an integrated researcher at the Centre of Interdisciplinary Studies of the XXth Century (CEIS20) of the University of Coimbra and of the Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences of the Nova University of Lisbon (CICS.NOVA) within the research group on Inequalities and Social Action.

ORCID

Cristina Pinto Albuquerque http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4194-8554

Notes

1. Mostly women (one man) and with more than ten years of professional experience.

2. Strategy and Tactics are used, in this article, in the perspective presented by Michel de Certeau in the 1980’s (1984). He defines strategy ‘as a calculus of force relationships when a subject of will and power [ … ]’ can ‘capitalize on its advantages, prepare its expansions, and secure independence with respect to circumstances’ (p. xi). In contrast he understands tactics in a more labile way ‘in which the weak are seeking to turn the tables on the strong”. Tactics must depend on “clever tricks, knowing how to get away with things, the hunter’s cunning, manoeuvres, polymorphic simulations, joyful discoveries’ (p. xii).

3. Many authors used the term ‘social imaginary’ in very different ways (e.g. J. Thompson, J.M. Lacan, C. Taylor, among others). The concept used in this article is more associated with the perspective of Castoriadis (1975): each society constructs a meaning for itself, a singular way of living, conceiving and constructing its own existence in a particular historical time.