Whispers on the wind: the small quiet voice of rural social work
The rural social work literature includes work on the provision of social work services in rural and remote settings, the challenges of addressing those communities’ needs, and the issues of the funding and staffing of service provision agencies. Rural sociology addresses the social, political and economic factors impinging on contemporary Australian rural life. What is missing from the discussion is extensive exploration of practitioner experience - the voices of the workers are largely unheard, particularly with regard to personal and professional role boundary issues. Social workers are confronted daily with ethical dilemmas arising from being engaged in dual and multiple relationships within their communities. Numerous practitioners have presented anecdotes from their work, some small studies have been undertaken, and a few larger studies have been reported. These examples, which whet the appetite with regard to how social workers experience the boundary issues of rural practice, provide an introduction to the phenomenon that is Australian rural social work.
This paper, through an analysis of the professional literature, seeks to stimulate discussion in the field of rural social work about what it is like living and working in rural communities, and how ethical practice is achieved. It considers some of the published reflections of social workers in this context, and gives voice to some previously unheard practitioners.