Romanian social workers facing the challenges of neo-liberalism

ABSTRACT

With a history of almost 90 years, professional social work in Romania once flourished up until World War II. The Communist Party disbanded the profession in 1968 and it was reinstated after the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. Within the context of the socio-economic transition from a centralised to a free-market economy, Romanian social policy and social work have evolved from a Marxist/socialist-type ideology, one that advocates for state intervention, to a libertarian/neo-liberal-type ideology, which promotes both state withdrawal from welfare provision and individuals taking responsibility for their own welfare. These two trends continue to co-exist subject to sometimes divergent forces such as international institutions and internal Romanian social pressures. Using a qualitative approach, we explore how Romanian social workers are adapting to the neo-liberal realities and identify three types of perceived challenges: 1. those related to regulation, 2. linked with collaboration in social work activity and 3. those related to the social worker-client relationship. Under neo-liberal pressures, the social worker's role of agent of social change becomes marginalised in daily practice, leaving little power to influence agency policies that negatively impact clients.

REZUMAT

Cu o istorie de aproape 90 ani, asistența socială profesionistă din România a cunoscut o perioadă de înflorire până la Al Doilea Război Mondial. Partidul Comunist a desființat profesia în 1968, aceasta fiind repusă în drepturi după căderea Cortinei de Fier în 1989. În contextul tranziției socio-economice de la o economie centralizată la una bazată pe piața liberă, politica socială românească și asistența socială au evoluat de la o ideologie de tip Marxist/socialist, care pleda pentru intervenția statului, la o ideologie de tip libertarian/neo-liberal care promovează atât retragerea statului din furnizarea bunăstării, cât și responsabilizarea individului de asigurare a bunăstării proprii. Aceste două tendințe continuă să co-existe, fiind influențate de factori uneori divergenți precum instituțiile internaționale și presiunile sociale interne din România. Folosind o abordare calitativă, explorăm cum se adaptează asistenții sociali din România la realitățile neo-liberale și identificăm trei provocări percepute: 1. cele referitoare la reglementări, 2. cele referitoare la colaborarea în activitatea de asistență socială și 3. cele referitoare la relația asistent social – client. Sub presiunile neo-liberale, rolul asistenților sociali de agenți ai schimbării sociale devine marginal în practica de zi cu zi, aceștia având puțină putere de a influența politicile organizației care au un impact negativ asupra clienților.

KEYWORDS:

• Social workers
• public sector
• Romania
• neo-liberalism
• challenges in social work
• welfare

CUVINTE CHEIE:

• asistenți sociali
• sector public
• România
• neo-liberalism
• provocări în asistența socială
• bunăstare

Acknowledgment

This research was conducted in partnership with the National College of Social Workers of Romania with financial support from the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI, project number PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-2322/361/2015.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Florin Lazăr PhD is Professor in the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest. His most recent research examined HIV stigma and the rights of children in residential care. He is the head of the Social Work Research Commission of the National College of Social Workers. Previously, he worked as a social worker with people living with HIV and vulnerable youth.

Anca Mihai is a PhD student in sociology at the University of Bucharest. She holds a bachelor's degree in social work. Her academic interests include theories on disaster management, globalisation and international development and research methodologies in social work.

Daniela Gaba, PhD in sociology, holds bachelor's degrees in both psychology and social work. Her main academic interests are in international social work, international development and social work professionalisation.

Georgiana-Cristina Rentea, PhD, is Lecturer in the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, Social Work Department, University of Bucharest. Her academic interests include immigrants’ integration, intercultural social work, social policy and research methods in social work. She worked as social worker with migrants and asylum seekers in Romania.

Alexandra Ciocănel is a PhD student in sociology in the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest. She holds bachelor's degrees in architecture and sociology. Her general research interests are in science and technology studies, sociology of health and illness, sociology of work and professions, practice theories and discourse studies.

Shari Munch, MSW, University of Michigan; PhD, Michigan State University; LCSW, NJ is Associate Professor at the School of Social Work, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. Her research and clinical interests include health care, perinatal health care and clinical social work (e.g. medically-complicated pregnancy, patient-provider relationship, gender-bias in women's health care, compassion fatigue). Prior to entering academia, she worked primarily in health care/medical hospital settings. She currently maintains a part-time private psychotherapy practice.

ORCID

Florin Lazăr http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4078-0617

Shari Munch http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4491-3480

Additional information

Funding

This research was conducted in partnership with the National College of Social Workers of Romania with financial support from the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation, CNCS – UEFISCDI, project number PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-2322/361/2015.