Professionalism is a topic that has a fairly chequered history in social work. At one time social work professionalism involved adopting a medical model, as if some of the prestige and respect afforded to doctors would rub off on social workers. This was reflected not only in the use of medical terminology (diagnosis and treatment rather than assessment and intervention), but also in a model of practice that predominated, one based on notions of prescribing a (psychosocial) cure for the individual's or family's (psychosocial) ills. Part of this was an emphasis on psychological, individualistic aspects of the situation. Although the term 'psychosocial' was used, the focus was predominantly on the psychological rather than the sociological elements. While the hearts of the people involved were no doubt in the right place, the failure to address broader social issues was a serious drawback.
This medically inspired model of professionalism was to a certain extent premised on elitism and privilege. It therefore came as no surprise when the development of radical social work, based on more sociological and political understandings of social welfare, led to a rejection of professionalism as an impediment to social justice and progressive models of practice. However, this turned out to be problematic, in so far as it amounted to 'throwing the baby out with the bathwater' - rejecting professionalism as a whole rather than simply those aspects that were incompatible with a social work premised on promoting equality. We entered a period of 'anti-professionalism' in which professionalism became a dirty word. While it was good that elitism was being rejected, the target of the attack was too broad, as all the positives of professionalism were rejected too. And this was something for which we have paid a heavy price over the years.
Radical social work laid the foundations for anti-discriminatory practice and the move towards more empowering forms of practice, and so it clearly has much to commend it - there is much we owe to the 'pioneers' of that movement. However, the downside of this has been the undermining of the positive contribution professionalism can make.
What, then, are the positive elements of professionalism that are worth promoting? I would propose the following as a bare minimum:
• A professional knowledge base Social work involves working with very complex issues at a number of levels. So-called 'common sense' knowledge is far from adequate. The development of the degree in social work is in part a reflection of the recognition that good practice has to be well-informed practice. An underpinning professional knowledge base is therefore a very important foundation for practice.
• A professional value base The importance of values to underpin practice has long been recognised. An explicit set of professional values to guide practice and help deal with the many dilemmas involved is therefore an important requirement.
• Accountability The introduction of professional registration is in part a recognition of the importance of accountability. In working with some of the most disadvantaged sectors of communities, the potential for making matters worse is a serious one, as is the possibility of unscrupulous practitioners abusing their position of trust. Professional accountability is therefore another essential requirement.
• A commitment to high standards of practice While the self-serving privileges of elitism that are closely associated with the traditional model of professionalism can be quite rightly criticised, it would be unduly cynical and unfair to fail to recognise that the majority of practitioners are highly committed to achieving positive outcomes for the people we serve. Professionalism's commitment to high standards of practice is therefore not something we should reject.
What professionalism should not entail is elitism and a model of social work that is geared towards helping people 'adjust' to their circumstances. But there is nothing inherent in the notion of professionalism that makes any of this inevitable. What we now face is the challenge of developing more empowering forms of professional practice that recognise the positives of professionalism and the dangers of abandoning professionalism altogether, while not falling into the trap of re-adopting elitism or paternalistic modes of practice. It is a significant challenge, but a very worthwhile one.
Dr Neil Thompson is an independent author, educator and adviser. For more information about Neil and his work, visit http://www.neilthompson.info. This article first appeared in the THE humansolutions BULLETIN. For details of this and other free resources, visit http://tinyurl.com/freeresourcesfromneil
0 comments:
Post a Comment