Knowledge as a catalyst for change : social work in a divergent landscape

• Knowledge has become a key word in social work and a central catalyst for change when it comes to social justice. Not least in a society that is increasingly divergent and in need of handling different crises. Through knowledge there is an ability for creating spaces and practices of emancipation that can tackle these crises. At the same time, knowledge is perceived and used in different ways within social work. An ongoing debate across the fields of social work, and a contemporary challenge, is how to tackle these different perspectives on knowledge. In this workshop we take this debate as our starting point to explore how we can continue developing the concept of knowledge within social work. We will introduce a discussion by presenting results from a study of perspectives on knowledge. 30 focus groups have been done with actors within and around the social services, from users via case workers, development leaders, managers to politicians and policymakers, and also with universities. By highlighting the variation of perspectives on knowledge needed in social work, we want to initiate a discussion of how we, theoretically and empirically, can create a more advanced understanding of the concept of knowledge in the divergent landscape of social work. Are other concepts of knowledge needed in social work to handle this divergent landscape? How are these concepts linked to seeing social work as a catalyst for change when it comes to social justice? Can these concepts be used for creating spaces and practices of emancipation? 

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Socialt arbete (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Social Work (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

intervention

implementation

social work

theory

practice

Health and society

Hälsa och samhälle

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)