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Guidi, P., Scaramuzzino, R. (2023). Italian and Swedish Social Workers' Perception of Power - Between Welfare and Child Protection Systems, Professional mandates and Clients [Working paper].

Italian and Swedish Social Workers' Perception of Power - Between Welfare and Child Protection Systems, Professional mandates and Clients

Guidi, P.
Primo
;
2023
Working paper
Summary: This article aims to compare how social workers in Italy and Sweden perceive their power towards clients and to explain similarities and differences in the light of different welfare systems and other factors at organisational and individual level. As social workers implement social services and contribute to community wellbeing in accordance with the welfare system in which they operate, they have to balance and mediate between public welfare policies, the organisation in which they are employed and the uniqueness of every situation. Social workers also have, as part of their mandate, the possibility to implement coercive measures, for example in child protection cases. This study originates from a national survey carried out in the two countries involving in total 5,527 social workers. Findings: The results show that Italian and Swedish social workers represent different self perceptions of power. Far more Swedish social workers perceive themselves as possessing power as concerns clients and possibilities to intervene against clients' wills compared to their Italian colleagues. While this power perception seems to be strongly correlated with the welfare systems, other factors (at organisational and individual level) are also proven relevant. The difference in the mandate of social workers, and in particular the role of the juvenile court and of the family, in the Italian system are discussed as possible Applications: The article contributes to the discussion on power in social work related to welfare systems and to the interpretation of social workers’ mandate in terms of both professional and organizational mandate.
Social worker, Power, Child and family welfare, Social work values
English
2023
Guidi, P., Scaramuzzino, R. (2023). Italian and Swedish Social Workers' Perception of Power - Between Welfare and Child Protection Systems, Professional mandates and Clients [Working paper].
open
99 - Altro
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/561584
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