The voice of social workers in Italy’s reception field: The challenges of doing qualitative research between world cafés and photovoice

Over the last two decades, the migration phenomenon has acquired central importance in the global demographic landscape. Furthermore, the recognition of the importance of social work in the context of migration has led researchers to focus on its impact in reception contexts and on the development of intervention models and good practices in various countries. However, research from this perspective is still limited, especially in Italy. This study aims to investigate with innovative qualitative tools, such as world café and photovoice, the work experiences of 46 social workers in the Italian context. Most participants were female and lived in the North-West regions of Italy. The objective is to investigate the perception of critical issues in the hospitality field and the possible solutions that the community could consider for better management of services. Therefore, this research aims to promote critical thinking processes that could help empower participants by finding solutions to introduce into the working contexts where they operate or to propose to decision makers. In particular, the results shed light on various issues, including complex bureaucratic procedures, insufficient project planning, and the inefficiencies in services provided to migrants. These concerns collectively contribute to what the participants perceive as a disorganized and uncoordinated system. Moreover, the study explores potential solutions that promote more efficient network practices, coordinated project management, and a more positive approach towards cultural diversity. We will discuss the main results found and the challenges that participatory research with these tools has raised.