global connectedness and sustainability in social work education and practice anna metteri,...

Global connectedness and sustainability in social work education and practice

Anna Metteri, anna.metteri@uta.fi

Sinikka Forsman, sinikka.forsman@uta.fi

University of Tampere,

School of Social Sciences and Humanities

Metteri & Forsman 17.8.2015

Content• Introduction: global and local• Global collaboration through IASSW and IFSW• Preliminary thoughts of sustainability in social

work

Metteri & Forsman 17.8.2015

Why are global connections important for social work education and practice? What do you think?

Connecting the global to the local (Healy 2004)

• How global economy influences local social problems?• Including colonial history

• How local policies are being influenced by international policies and decisions?

• Contextualisation of social work theories and methods• Creating solidarity across borders• Critical reflection on power relations across borders

• Adressing majority – minority issues• From cultural sensitivity to solidarity

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Metteri & Forsman 17.8.2015

International Association of Schools of Social work, IASSW International Federation of Social Workers IFSW

• Purpose and activities of the IASSW, see the home page www.iassw-aiets.org

• Regional associations e.g. Association of Schools of Social Work in Africa, ASSWA

• Sub regional associations e.g. Nordic Association of Schools of Social Work

• IFSW, regional and national associations• Shared documents: Social work definition, Ethical

principles, Global standards for social work education, Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development (other partners: ICSW and ICSD)

Social Dialogue

• Free online magazine of social work, on IASSW home page

• Articles on contemporary social issues• Social worker profiles• News• Theme of the next issue: Social work without

borders

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Global definition of the social work profession, and what it means in practice in different contexts

• Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that

• promotes social change and development, social cohesion,

• and the empowerment and liberation of people. • Principles of social justice, human rights,

collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work.

.

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Global definition of the social work profession• Underpinned by theories of social work, social

sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledges,

• social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing

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Ethical principles in social work

• Ethical awareness is a fundamental part of the professional practice of social workers.

• Their ability and commitment to act ethically is an essential aspect of the quality of the service offered to those who use social work services. 

• Some ethical challenges and problems facing social workers are specific to particular countries; others are common.

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Human rights, dignity and social Justice• Principles of human rights, dignity and social

justice are crucial values in social work.• Various UN declarations and conventions on

human rights are relevant to social work.• Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

• The International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights

• The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination

• The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

• The Convention on the Rights of the Child

• Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO convention 169)

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Globally oriented future social workers

• Social work professionals need the skills to respond to ever-ingreasing global social and environmental challenges (e.g. migration, wars and conflicts, environmental and natural disasters)

• Social workers serve vulnerable and oppressed populations

Metteri & Forsman 17.8.2015

What is sustainability in social work??

Sustainable social work contributes • to creating vital and safe communities, societies

and environments for future generations • to strenghtening participation of people in

decision making• to foster dignity and respect for all peoples

(Global Agenda theme for 2014-2016)

Metteri & Forsman 17.8.2015

Ethically sustainable social work

• Ethically sustainable social work • means self-reflection, shared reflection and dialogue in

communication. • accepts that all human beings make mistakes.

• Ethically sustainable organization is transparent an open (not perfect).

• Why ethical reflection is needed:• The loyalty of social workers is often in the middle of

conflicting interests.•  Social workers function both as helpers and controllers.• The conflicts between the duty of social workers to protect

the interests of the people with whom they work and societal demands for efficiency and utility.

• The resources in society are limited.

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Necessary social work skills in todays world• Social workers work from ’person in environment’ –

perspective, and they need to combine individual and community/system level approach

• Social workers need to understand the interdependence between people and their sociocultural, economic, and physical environments

• Social work education should help students to identitfy root causes of social problems, rather than to ’blame the victim’

• Social work education should help students to see social inequality and poverty as underlying causes of social problems and ecological degradation

Metteri & Forsman 17.8.2015

Necessary social work skills …

• Social workers should recognize strengths in diverse and oppressed groups and harness their potential for action and empowerment

• Social work education should help students to develope ability to demonstrate self-awareness of personal bias: e.g. racial, religious or socioeconomic prejudices and stereotypes

Metteri & Forsman 17.8.2015

Think of the three most important challenges from the perspective of sustainable social work in your country?

Metteri & Forsman 17.8.2015

Thank you

for your

attention!