17th SocNet98 IUW "Methods and Methodology of Social Work - Reflecting Professional Interventions

Workshops 2015

We will have three time blocks of workshops, please choose one workshop from each time block:

Workshops A1)-A5): Tuesday, 21st, 10-12:30

Workshops B1)-B4): Tuesday, 21st, 13:30-16:00

A1) Religion and spirituality in assessment

Prof. Dr. Sara Ashencaen Crabtree / Prof. Dr. Jonathan Parker (Bournemouth University): The place of religion and spirituality in social work assessment: sociological reflections and practical implications (Tuesday, 21st, 10-12:30)

This round table discussion will consist of a subject introduction of 10 minutes followed by country reflections from participating academics and 20 minutes of open debate with all attendees. The introduction will locate the increasing importance of spirituality in social work and in social work assessment and identify social work’s religious roots, especially within European traditions, and continuing influence. It will pose some questions for our fluid, late modern society. Short country reflections will present practice and ideas from participating countries on these questions. A short summary will be presented which can form the basis for open debate.

A2) Neighbourhood-based approaches of social work with immigrant communities

Prof. Dr. Can Aybek (HS Bremen): Establishing contact, facilitating dialogue: Neighbourhood-based approaches of social work with immigrant communities (Tuesday, 21st, 10-12:30)

The aim in this workshop is to get a basic overview how social workers who are involved in neighbourhood-based projects can approach immigrant groups who are living in this neighbourhood and facilitate a sustainable dialogue with them. Real-world examples are going to serve as a point of departure for our discussions. These discussions are going to cover questions such as how to incorporate theoretical knowledge from migration and integration research into practical social work. Eventually the examples presented should make clear where potential difficulties on a basic level lie that could hamper such a contact and how strategies could look like that support a sustainable exchange between the involved parties.

A3) Building your professional identity

Monique Bas / Gwendolyn Verhulst (PXL University of Applied Sciences, Hasselt): Building your professional identity in social work – the method of core quadrants (Tuesday, 21st, 10-12:30)

Each individual has positive qualities. Searching for these positive traits and strengthening them will empower the individual and will also help to build your professional Identity as a social worker. The theory on core quadrants presents a method for identifying and strengthening each individual’s positive characteristics. Combining theory and practice, you will learn in this workshop how to construct your own core quadrants, and how to use this tool to gain inside in your core qualities, pitfalls, challenges and allergies, those of others and those of organisations.

A4) Activating approaches in social work and welfare

Dominique de Boer and students (Hanzehogeschool Groningen): Activating approaches in social work and welfare – examples, chances and limits (Tuesday, 21st, 10-12:30)

A new law New Style Social Work in The Netherlands that puts the responsibility back at the client, offers threats and possibilities. We as social workers expect many threats, but what we see is that a lot of clients do take charge of themselves and need less professional support. In this workshop, we will look at what we, as citizens, are willing to do, what chances it gives us as a society and especially the clients. We will show you examples of successful interventions and hope to inspire you.

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B1) Creation of OneMinute video films as a method of social empowerment

Kristiina Hämäläinen / Kari Keuru (HUMAK Helsinki): The creation of OneMinute video films as a method for social empowerment (Tuesday, 21st, 13:30-16:00)

The workshop is based on an introduction to the concept of social empowerment in the context of Finnish Youth and Social Work. Here, participation and preventive work are the most important keywords. In this context the workshop follows the question how to create OneMinute video films in groups with iPads and how to use them as a tool to increase knowledge and awareness about specific issues, for example domestic violence, drug abuse, risk of social exclusion or poverty.

B2) The “five pillars of identity”: Social diagnosis and intervention planning

FH-Prof. DSA Mag. Dr. Irene Hiebinger (FH Linz): Social diagnosis and intervention planning along the model of the “five pillars of identity” (Tuesday, 21st, 13:30-16:00)

In this workshop, we will discuss the structure of a care and counselling process as a circular process. The main topic will be the helpfulness of the “five pillars of identity” (H. Petzold 1993, 2001p) as an instrument for the social diagnosis/assessment process as well as for the intervention planning. The main question will be: How useful is the concept of the five pillars of identity for the social worker in a case work process?

B3) Social work in schools

Holger Kühl (HS Bremen): Social work in schools – methods and approaches (Tuesday, 21st, 13:30-16:00)

Social work in schools has a longer history in Germany but also an inconsistent development. After the findings of the PISA studies, some weaknesses in the German education system have been identified and a bigger consequence was the establishment of new full-day schools and the involvement of more social workers in schools. There are two different funding sources: The system of child and youth services from outside the schools and the needs especially of the pupils inside the school. So we have two different approaches, social casework and socio-educational work. Looking inside the practice of social work in schools. we recognize a confusing multiplicity of used methods. In this workshop. we will search for a thematic framework for orientation. We will search for the conceptual basis of social work’s professional orientation in school. On this basis. we then can decide about the implications for the methods we use in practical acting.

B4) Social work and reflexivity

Roundtable talk: Social work and reflexivity; moderated by Prof. Dr. Christian Spatscheck (HS Bremen), Prof. Dr. Sara Asencaen Crabtree (Bournemouth University) and Prof. Dr. Jonathan Parker (Bournemouth University); inspired by: Dr. Elisa Matutini (University of Pisa – Faculty of Political Sciences): (Tuesday, 21st, 13:30-16:00)

The social worker needs skills related to reflexivity more than other professionals working in the social field (doctors, psychologists etc.). This professional has to permanently carry out reflecting activities along the work with the clients. This operation, however, implies a continuous ability to reflect on himself and on his role within the relationship with clients. The social worker also has to develop reflective skills to work as a manager of the complex network of activities performed by different professionals working around the client. Reflexivity is also fundamental to understand the more general social context in which all these people interact. The workshop will discuss the main methodological aspects related to the possibility of building reflexive skills. This should lead to a broader understanding what may be the most important difficulties social workers meet in the implementation of an reflexive approach to working in social services.

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C1) Sociocracy – A collaborative governance method for social work

Dr. Michaela Moser (FH St. Pölten): The use of sociocracy – Exploring the potential of a collaborative governance method for social work (Wednesday, 22nd, 10-12:30)

Sociocracy is a relatively new collaborative way of governance. It is based on circular conversation and organization, consent-based decision making and a specific way of dividing responsibilities to all members of a group/organization. Based on ideas of August Comte, Frank Ward and Kees Boeke and Beatrice Cadbury, it has been further developed by the Dutch entrepreneur Gerard Endenburg to serve as a new model of governance for private enterprises. In recent years sociocracy’s potential as a structure that fosters inclusion and strengthens real participations and cooperation in any kind of organization has been increasingly recognized by a number of organisations and implemented by e.g. social NGOs, cooperative housing projects and self-organisations of people experiencing poverty and exclusion. The workshop will give an introduction into the method and explore the use of sociocracy for social work. It will thereby particularly discuss its use with regards to strengthening the ability of self-organisation of people experiencing poverty and exclusion. It will explore the potential of sociocracy to counteract power imbalances within an organization or community and discuss its ability to foster the full participation of vulnerable individuals and minorities in diverse groups.

C2) Principles & methods of conflict resolution

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Schäfer (HS Bremen): Principles and methods of conflict Resolution (Wednesday, 22nd, 10-12:30)

This workshop will focus on conflict and conflict resolution in the context of inter-personal communication. Participants will learn about different explanations for conflict generation, the importance of values, attitudes and beliefs in conflict situations, communication options in conflict situations, types of conflict and conflict resolution strategies. Furthermore they will apply these principles in simulation exercises.

C3) Perspectives on & about critical social work

Felix Seidel (HS Bremen, student): Perspectives on and about critical social work (Wednesday, 22nd, 10-12:30)

The ability to critically reflect conditions, approaches, methods and results of social work is a key necessity for social workers. On the one hand, a critical perspective enables professionals to reflect their interventions and the outcomes of their work. On the other hand, critique makes it possible to position oneself in the complex conflicts about the conceptualisation of welfare, social security, social justice and social work in general. The goal of this workshop is to discuss and exchange views, ideas and perspectives on critical reflection in social work in both senses and to provide a forum for comparative international perspectives for critical thinking in social work.

C4) Methods of social work with Roma people

David Urban, PhD (University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice): Methods of social Work with Roma People (Wednesday, 22nd, 10-12:30)

The Roma population is the largest minority living in the Czech Republic. At work with this target group, social workers use some selected theories and methods of social work. This workshop aims to introduce students to the health and social situation of the Roma people in the Czech Republic and to highlight examples of good practice in working with this target group.


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