Between Closeness and Discourse
The author has been working on a research project, which try to highlight the relation between professional education and practice, between theoretical and empirical knowledge. This is done through studies of 60 Norwegian social work students' reflection assignments from practice, follow-up interviews with some of them as newly qualified social workers, as well as analysis of curriculum and parts of the syllabus. The main approaches are:
Which ethical dilemmas and conflicts arise in various contexts in social work, and how do students and professionals deal with these situations?
How do official theory and the empirically based realities correspond?
So far the texts and the interviews indicate that students and newly qualified professionals are concerned about role conflicts which include situations where you have to balance proximity and professional distance, caring and dependence, power and the exercise of authority. More structural and political connections as contributing factors in such cases in social work practice, get less attention. Why is that? Although some may be due to methodical restrictions in the project, one assumption is that the relationship between social worker and client is strongly emphasised in the professional education. The students may therefore have an introspective point of view when they reflect upon difficult situations that often are challenging in ethical ways. A certain contrast can be seen in reflections about solutions, where both more professional autonomous ideals can be seen and expectations of more clear management. One of the study’s conclusion is that it is a challenge to the professional education in social work, as well as to practice, to balance between perspectives and actions which encourage closeness in ethics and perspectives of discourse and social justice.
The study is based on qualitative methods, and is mainly inductive in that it is based on individual student and social worker descriptions and reflections. It has a moderate social constructionist view and attempt to gain an understanding of other people's point of views by trying to see them in the light of the context where they were formed.