Social work and countering violent extremism in Sweden and the UK

ABSTRACT

Social Work in Europe, is now being tasked with managing the ‘problems’ of terrorism, i.e supporting those affected by terrorist attacks, managing returnees affiliated with Terrorist groups in the Middle East, or, as will be discussed here, identifying those at risk from radicalisation and extremism. Both Britain and Sweden have Counter-Terrorism policies, but recent developments in both countries have made it a statutory requirement for social workers to work within such policies. This paper seeks to explore the policies in both countries, utilising a comparative approach to consider the similarities in not only policy and practice but also in the ethical consequences such policies pose for social workers across Europe. The exploration considers; the extent to which anti-radicalisation policies influence social work practices in Sweden and the UK and how they might undermine social work as a human rights profession. The results indicate that anti-radicalisation policies run the risk of reducing social work to become a ‘policing profession’ practising social control. This has substantial consequences for social work and its global ethics, which should be considered and struggled against by social workers committed to principles of social justice and human rights.

ABSTRAKT

Det ställs allt större krav på det europeiska sociala arbetets praktik för att hantera ‘problemen’ med terrorism, som bl.a. att hjälpa drabbade av terrorist attacker, att ta hand om återvändande som har varit inblandade i terroristaktiviteter i Mellanöstern, eller, som ska diskuteras i denna artikel, att identifiera de som riskerar radikalisering och extremism. Både Storbritannien och Sverige har anti-terrorist policyn, men under senare år ställs allt högre krav på socialarbetare att implementera sådana policyn. Föreliggande artikel undersöker genom en komparativ ansats genomförandet av dessa policyn inte bara likheter i policy och praktiker av socialt arbete, utan också de etiska konsekvenserna dessa medför för socialarbetare i europeiska länder. Studien undersöker hur anti-radikaliseringspolicy påverkar socialt arbete i Sverige och Storbritannien och hur sådana policy riskerar att underminera det sociala arbetet som en profession för realisering av mänskliga rättigheter. Resultaten indikerar att anti-radikaliseringspolicy riskerar att reducera det sociala arbetets profession till att bli en profession för social kontroll. Detta har betydande konsekvenser för socialt arbete och dess globala etik, vilket måste beaktas och bekämpas av socialarbetare trogna principer om social rättvisa och mänskliga rättigheter.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work
• counter-terrorism
• radicalisation
• extremism
• racism

NYCKELORD:

• Socialt arbete
• anti-terrorism
• radikalisering
• extremism
• rasism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jo Finch

Dr Jo Finch is a Reader in Social Work, Deputy Director of the Centre for Social Work Research, and Programme Leader for the Professional Doctorate in Social Work at the University of East London, UK. She has published widely in the areas of social work practice learning and assessment with a focus on managing struggling and failing students. She is author of the Book ‘Supporting Struggling on Placement: A Practical Guide’ (2017, policy Press) and coauthor of  ‘SHARE’: A New Model for Social Work’ (2018, Kirwin Maclean Associates. She is also interested in the politics of social work.

Jessica H. Jönsson

Dr Jessica H. Jönsson is an associate professor and research fellow in the School of Law, Psychology and Social work at Örebro University, Sweden. Her research area concerns social work as a globalised and socio-political field facing increasing theoretical and practical challenges caused by socioeconomic, political and cultural transformations. She has been studying the impact of global neoliberalism on social welfare; austerity and social work; migration, welfare nationalism and social work; global social problems; social work education including professional and field training.

Masoud Kamali

Masoud Kamali is Professor of Social Work and Sociology. His research includes questions of linearity of modernity, integration and exclusionary practices, racism, war and violence related to current and future challenges for social work, neoliberalism and austerity policies and their consequences for increasing political racism, institutional discrimination and anti-Muslimism in Europe and beyond.

David McKendrick

David McKendrick is a Lecturer in Social Work at Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland and is the Programme Leader for the undergraduate BA (Hons) programme. David's research interests focus on the application of sociological and political theories in social work. David has written on a variety of topics but is particularly interested in how social work can be deployed as an instrument of oppression rather than an opportunity to challenge existing political structures and settlements. David has written extensively on the PREVENT policy and its implications for social work policy and practice.