| 1. |
- Groglopo, Adrián, 1967, et al.
(författare)
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Structural Racism in Sweden: Framing Attitudes towards Immigrants through the Diversity Barometer Study (2005–2022)
- 2023
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Ingår i: Social Sciences - Socialiniai. - : MDPI. - 1392-0758. ; 12:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article presents a theoretical framework for analysing the findings derived from the Diversity Barometer, a longitudinal study that collected data on immigration and diversity-related topics in Swedish society from 2005 to 2022. This article examines attitudes towards immigrants and migration in Sweden and how the historical context of Swedish race relations and structural racism shapes these attitudes. Specifically, the article focuses on attitudes regarding immigrants’ social rights and responsibilities, workplace diversity, cultural diversity, and spatial segregation. Our findings and analysis demonstrate how structural racism manifests itself through attitudes towards individuals with immigrant backgrounds in Sweden. Research has also revealed the pervasive nature of racial discrimination across various aspects of Swedish society, contributing to a divided society based on racial markers. However, the findings also show complexity in how Swedes’ attitudes toward immigrants are to be understood when they do not follow a simple horizontal division between Swedes and immigrants. Instead, it appears as an intricate vertical division where immigrants, their culture and their labour are accepted, albeit in a subordinate manner.
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| 2. |
- Munobwa, Jimmy, et al.
(författare)
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‘Anxiety, frustration and understanding’ : Swedish personal social service workers’ cognitive appraisals of encounters with violent clients
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nordic Social Work Research. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2156-857X .- 2156-8588. ; 13:2, s. 188-201
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Workplace violence and threats from social service users towards social workers (client violence) is a problem in Sweden and internationally. This article explores the circumstances that make client violence stressful to social workers who exercise public authority in Swedish individual and family social services. The empirical data are based on qualitative inter- views with social workers (n = 19) who, according to their own perception, have been threatened or assaulted by a client in relation to work. Theory on cognitive appraisal of threat and harm is used. The results, analysed by Inductive Thematic Analysis, show that client violence is stressful because it poses a threat to social workers’ professional identity and private life, and occurs in uncertain and repetitive ways. The results suggest that a negligent safety culture in social service agencies, characterized by normalization of client violence and limited organizational support, may contribute to stress related to client violence. The results are discussed in light of how social workers and social service agencies transact and affect each other.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Munobwa, Jimmy, et al.
(författare)
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Creeping under the skin : manifestations of client violence towards social workers in Swedish individual and family services
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nordic Social Work Research. - : Taylor & Francis. - 2156-857X .- 2156-8588. ; 13:2, s. 202-216
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Client violence can affect social workers negatively. In this paper, we explore what the experience of client violence entails for social workers who exercise public authority in Swedish individual and family social services. The empirical data are based on qualitative interviews with social workers (n = 19) and analysed using inductive thematic analysis and power theory. The results show that social workers experienced physical and non-physical violence, often perpetrated through several related incidents. Clients’ use of violence was mainly in reaction to social workers’ exercise of public authority. Organization and delivery of social services seemed to create friction that agitated clients, while putting social work- ers at risk of violence. Social workers situated client violence in two arenas, i.e. the professional and private arena, with perceived aggravation of the violence as it transcended the professional boundary into their private life. The paper highlights the importance of organizational culture that values and promotes the aspirations, dignity and wellbeing of clients and social workers.
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| 5. |
- Munobwa, Jimmy, et al.
(författare)
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Helping or Controlling? Choice of Coping Methods When Dealing with Violent Clients in Statutory Social Work
- 2023
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Ingår i: Social Sciences. - : MDPI. - 2076-0760. ; 12:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Client violence in social work is a workplace problem in Sweden and internationally. Frontline workers in public agencies have the discretion to decide how they deal with clients to cope with challenges like violence and threats. The coping methods may favour some clients while disadvantaging others. Ultimately, the coping practices may become de facto policy, which may not match official organisational policy. This article explores coping methods statutory social workers use to manage violence and threats in their day-to-day dyadic interactions with clients. The article is based on qualitative interviews with social workers (n = 19) who, according to their perception, were victims of client violence. Theory on street-level bureaucracy and frontline workers’ discretion is used. Based on thematic analysis, the results show that social workers draw from four groups of coping methods depending on their moral and normative dispositions. These include (1) the forced helper, (2) the compassionate helper, (3) the distanced helper, and (4) the authoritarian helper. Social workers oscillate between different dispositions depending on situational needs, striving to find the appropriate balance between helping and controlling clients. Studying social workers’ day-to-day dyadic interactions with clients highlights how coping methods could shape social work policy and practice.
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| 6. |
- Munobwa, Jimmy
(författare)
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"I know where you live" : Statutory social work, client violence, and dilemmas for safety and practice
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Violence from service users towards social workers (client violence) has been a growing concern over the last decades. Statutory social work is among the occupations with a high risk of client violence. Sweden has a long history of legislation on workplace safety, yet client violence in social work is perpetual. Few studies have investigated the qualitative experiences of statutory social workers regarding client violence. This dissertation aims to increase understanding of statutory social workers’ experiences of client violence with a focus on social workers’ descriptions of the manifestations of client violence, circumstances that make client violence stressful, coping methods used to deal with client violence and proposed countermeasures to prevent the recurrence of client violence and injuries.The dissertation compiles four papers based on two studies. Study I (papers I-III) involves thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with social workers. Study II (paper IV) utilises content analysis of occupational injury reports by social workers (Paper IV).The results show that client violence involves continuous encounters in client-social worker interactions that result in hostility. Violent encounters transcending workplace boundaries (usually the agency office) are often perceived as more stressful than encounters in the workplace. When dealing with violent clients, social workers strived to balance helping and controlling the clients. However, they sometimes experience powerlessness that compromised their ability to act according to professional requirements. To deal with client violence, social workers mainly propose countermeasures related to the psychosocial work environment and the organization of work. Over the years, psychosocial and organizational countermeasures have become more predominant than individualization of responsibility.This dissertation provides insight into spatial influences when appraising client violence and the limits to social workers’ perceived power and control when dealing with clients. The dissertation adds to the literature positing that client violence should not be studied as one-off encounters. These aspects further suggest the need to rethink the concept of the workplace and how to conduct systematic work environment management.
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