Description
Book SynopsisThis book represents the work of the European Research Network: Inclusive Society and the Role of Social Work, which comprises researchers from Barcelona, Spain; Koblenz, Germany; Maastricht, The Netherlands; and Zagreb, Croatia. The authors present research results and reflections from these four different European countries to provide a comprehensive introduction and discussion of the ambivalences of inclusive processes in society and social work.
The development towards an inclusive society is a subject of ongoing discussion in Europe. How the subject is addressed, through an examination of political and social characteristics, differs significantly by country. Each country-specific chapter includes evidence-based reflections on inclusive society and the role of social work:
- In The Netherlands, there is evidence of a top-down process implementing inclusive social policy and social work principles through the self-proclaimed ‘participation society’.
- In Spain, the process to inclusion is accompanied by the third sector often replacing governmental responsibilities, namely through the bottom-up activities of non-governmental organizations in social work.
- In Croatia, inclusion is a state initiative in transitioning society and an academic approach to deinstitutionalising social work.
- In Germany, inclusion is discussed in social systems theory and the reform of school systems. In the migration discourse it was introduced as a less-loaded alternative to integration.
Ambivalences of Inclusion in Society and Social Work: Research-Based Reflections in Four European Countries is a useful resource for learners, teachers, practitioners, and researchers in social work, as well as those who have an interest in social policy, social welfare, and sociology.
Table of Contents1. Introduction (Càndid Palacín and further authors, TBD)1.1. Presentation: About the Elaboration of this Publication1.2. Around two Fundamental Concepts: Participation and Inclusive Society1.3. Social Inclusive Policies1.4. Social Movements1.5. The Role of Social Work in Europe1.6. Regarding the Content of this Book
AbstractThe introduction presents the subject matter of the book and gives an insight in how the publication has been developed in the “European Research Network: Inclusive Society and the Role of Social Work”. In addition, it provides an overview of the structure and the chapters of the book.
2. Country Studies
2.1. Inclusive Society and Social Work – The Netherlands (Maria José Freitas, Jhoy Dassen, Chantal van Lieshout, Samira Louali, MarijkeSniekers, Carin Wevers)
2.1.1. Inclusive Society – A Developing Discourse2.1.2. Illustrating the Participation Paradox2.1.3. Observations
AbstractConcepts like inclusion have been overtaken by the rhetoric of the Dutch Government’s restructuring of national welfare policy and its proclaimed ‘participation society’. Dutch citizens are being called upon to find ways to realize their own well-being and to build a better society together. The underlying ideal of the participation society – everybody is included and everyone can take part – can also be deemed as a moral imperative. For some participation is a legal obligation. Those unable to meet that standard run the risk of exclusion. As a result, the demand for participation, and the requirements as to the how and where of this participation, combine to achieve the exact opposite of its intended purpose: the participation paradox. Social workers are part of the change processes occurring in the Netherlands and they are taking on a variety of new roles in their plight to support the more vulnerable members of society.
2.2. Inclusive Societies and Social Work: the Spanish Case (Càndid Palacín, Josefa Fernández Barrera, Josep Maria Mesquida González, María Virginia Matulič Domandzič, Ariadna Munte Pascual, Irene de Vicente Zueras)
2.2.1. The Main Actors Involved in the Discussion for an Inclusive Society: The Role of the Public and the Third Sectors2.2.2. The Case Study: The Four Pieces of Research Involved2.2.3. Social Work and Inclusion in Relation to Target Groups Being Part of the Research
AbstractThe subject is the notion of inclusive society in relation to Social Work role, and the objective is to investigate the trajectories through the social space of four groups whose circumstances question the mentioned concept. The subjects of the research are homeless people, immigrants, older gays and Roma migrant women. They have been examined separately in four research studies, looking for the common aspects of all of them in relation to the issue of the inclusive society and the role of Social Work. Most of the research shows the importance of relational processes through the concepts of the generation of spaces of trust, proximity, accompaniment and identification mechanism, with the knowledge of the other. In addition, collective interventions have facilitated actions to raise awareness, social transformation, networking and participation. The third sector is configured as a space of attention, confidence and reference that seems absent in public services.
2.3. Inclusive society within the frame of transition society: an example from the Republic of Croatia (Nino Žganec, Ana Opačić)
2.3.1. Meaning, Challenges and Context of Introducing the Concept of Inclusive Society2.3.2. Description of a Phenomenon of Inclusion2.3.3. Conclusion: Social Work’s Role
AbstractInclusive society in Croatia is limited to the idea of inclusion within inclusive education and deinstitutionalization. Regarding several meanings of inclusion, the current role of Social Work profession is outlined in this chapter. What seems to be the most important driver for Social Work practice in Croatia is its profiling within formal structural frame, including legislation and institutional organization. In process of post-socialist transition of social welfare system, the system is becoming more complex in its structure. This complexity is nowadays visible in transformation from vertical to more and more horizontal structure where wider range of local stakeholders are involved. It is a transformation from sustainable forms of functioning to more unsustainable and insecure management, and from unified and prescribed procedures to more participatory processes of decision-making. Social work shifts from top-down approaches to more bottom-up approaches where new practices are developed.
2.4. Social Work and Inclusive Society in Germany (Stephan Bundschuh, Ines Arendt, Marion Felder, Robert Frietsch, Esra Herzog, Dirk Holbach, Nadja Högner, Jana Kluge-Wirz, Martin Schmid, Katrin Schneiders)
2.4.1. Three Discourses of Inclusion2.4.2. The Practice of Inclusion: The description of Different Living Situations and the Role of Social Work2.4.3. Current Debates about Inclusion
AbstractThe distinction between inclusion and exclusion has become a central concept of welfare state analyses and Social Work theory in Germany. One of at least three approaches is the concept of inclusion and exclusion as developed in social systems theory and in studies on social inequality and poverty. Secondly, in the field of social and education services the discourse is dominated by the project of an inclusive school system. Finally, in the migration debate the term inclusion is introduced as an unspent alternative to the term integration. The realization of inclusive and participative principles in everyday life, societal institutions and specific fields of Social Work are far away from a realization of afully inclusive society. However, there are new solidary tendencies, which are not dominant in present society, but have concrete roots in existing organizations or projects.
3. Inclusion – A Real Utopia. Concluding Remarks (Stephan Bundschuh and further authors, TBD)3.1. Inclusion – Reality and Utopia3.2. Key Topics of Comparison3.2. The Future of Inclusion
AbstractThe concluding chapter outlines the concept of inclusion and inclusive societies as a real utopia. It reflects the ambivalence of different paths towards a more inclusive society as well as of the concept itself. Moreover, key topics of comparison are identified and discussed with regard to their impact on Social Work and the future development of an inclusive society.
ContributorsInes Arendt, Federal Centre for Health Education, Köln, Germany, and Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 56075 Koblenz, Germany, arendt@hskoblenz.de
Jhoy Dassen, Faculty of Social Studies & Education, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Postal address: Postbus 69, 6130 AB Sittard, The Netherlands, Visiting address: Ligne 1, 6131 MT Sittard, jhoy.dassen@zuyd.nl
Marion Felder, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 56075 Koblenz, Germany, felder@hs-koblenz.de, +49 261 9528 253
Josefa Fernández Barrera, Universitat de Barcelona, Unitat de Formació i Recerca de Treball Social, Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain, +34 934034919
Robert Frietsch, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 56075 Koblenz, Germany, frietsch@hs-koblenz.de, +49 261 9528 226
Esra Anne Herzog, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 56075 Koblenz, Germany, eherzog@hs-koblenz.de, +49 261 9528 246
Dirk Holbach, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 56075 Koblenz, Germany, holbach@hs-koblenz.de, +49 261 9528 226
Nadja Högner, blindenpaedagogik@googlemail.com
Jana Kluge-Wirz, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 56075 Koblenz, Germany, jwirz@hs-koblenz.de, +49 261 9528 246
Chantal van Lieshout, Research Center Social Integration, Faculty of Social Studies & Education, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Postal address: Postbus 69, 6130 AB Sittard, The Netherlands, Visiting address: Ligne 1, 6131 MT Sittard, chantal.vanlieshout@zuyd.nl
Samira Louali, Research Center Social Integration, Faculty of Social Studies & Education, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Postal address: Postbus 69, 6130 AB Sittard, The Netherlands, Visiting address: Ligne 1, 6131 MT Sittard, samira.louali@zuyd.nl
María Virginia Matulič Domandzi, Universitat de Barcelona, Unitat de Formació i Recerca de Treball Social, Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain, mmatulic@ub.edu, +34 93 403 49 12
Josep Maria Mesquida González, Universitat de Barcelona, Unitat de Formació i Recerca de Treball Social, Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain, jmesquida@ub.edu, +34 606452636
Ariadna Munte Pascual, Universitat de Barcelona, Unitat de Formació i Recerca de Treball Social, Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain, amunte@ub.edu, +34 934034913
Ana Opačić, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law, Department of Social Work, Nazorova 51, Zagreb, Croatia, ana.opacic@pravo.hr, +385 1 4895 801
Martin Schmid, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 56075 Koblenz, Germany, schmid@hs-koblenz.de, +49 261 9528 254
Katrin Schneiders, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 56075 Koblenz, Germany, schneiders@hs-koblenz.de, +49 261 9528 245
Marijke Sniekers, Research Center Social Integration, Faculty of Social Studies & Education, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Postal address: Postbus 69, 6130 AB Sittard, The Netherlands, Visiting address: Ligne 1, 6131 MT Sittard, marijke.sniekers@zuyd.nl
Irene de Vicente Zueras, Universitat de Barcelona, Unitat de Formació i Recerca de Treball Social, Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron 171, 08035 Barcelona, Spain, ide_vicente@ub.edu, +34 934 034 913
Carin Wevers, Faculty of Social Studies & Education, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, Postal address: Postbus 69, 6130 AB Sittard, The Netherlands, Visiting address: Ligne 1, 6131 MT Sittard, carin.wevers@zuyd.nl
