Abstract

Workgroup “Occupations and professions”

Maria Tapola-Haapala

M.Soc.Sc. (social work), postgraduate student

University of Helsinki

Department of Social Policy Studies

maria.tapola@helsinki.fi

Social workers, critical realism and emancipation

The present Finnish child welfare work is facing many challenges. Those include cuts in services and benefits for children and families, growing inequality in the society and complexity of problems faced by children and youth. In addition, hurry and high mental burden characterize the social work practice. In this kind of situation supporting social workers as social reformers is very important.

In my presentation I discuss the professional licentiate education in social work with children and youth from the point of view opened by the emancipational dimension in critical realism.

One central characteristic of critical realism is the idea of ´open systems` which means that the society is not deterministic. According to Margaret Archer an important starting point for fulfilling agential projects is ´internal conversation´. I ask how the professional licentiate education supports this kind of reflection. My study material consists of interviews of the pilot group of the education made in 2001 and 2004.