THE SWEDISH SOCIAL LANDSCAPE IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH VULNERABLE YOUNG POPULATIONS

A substantial number of young people in Western countries are facing severe difficulties due to wider social, political and economic change. Using a review of the literature and a descriptive approach, this paper explores issues of youth education, training, employment and social capital on the Swedish welfare landscape, as important factors in the education of the social professions, to understand and meet the needs of young vulnerable populations. The research found growing uncertain conditions in young populations, growing socio-economic vulnerability, mental ill-health and insufficient access to the labour market.   Furthermore, the results of the paper suggest shortcomings in the social services for disadvantaged young people, and current socio-political programmes seem to reinforce the existing pattern of inequality. The insights generated by this study have the ability to inform international, national and local evidence bases in this area. It may contribute to the support of reflective future practitioners who use research as an integral element of improving their holistic client-centred interventions. The article has been prepared in the frame of the project „Social Professions for Youth Education in the Context of European Solidarity“*  with participation of Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, and Swedish universities that deliver programmes of training social professionals.Key words: health and society, social professions, youth welfare, vulnerability, health and society.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/tbb.v83i2.206

FROM EXCLUSION TO INCLUSION: INVOLVING PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES IN RESEARCH

The de-institutionalisation of the last two decades brings a poignant focus on social inclusion, exclusion and how to facilitate informed lifestyle choices among people with intellectual disabilities. This study explores some of the developments and challenges in participatory inquiry involving lay experts such as people with intellectual disabilities, their advocates and service staff in sheltered occupational sites. The core outcomes in this study are the collaboration between all involved actors identifying and implementing the service improvements needed.  It was concluded that an inclusive joint research methodology may be a key and fundament for the development of supporting and empowering social care practice for this said population.KEY WORDS: vulnerable population, learning disability, social inclusion, collaboration, inclusive research, occupational programs.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/tbb.v72i3.117

Collaborative Creativity in International Social Pedagogy Educational Settings

My contribution to understanding the various creativity logics stemmed from the research outcomes of a three-year educational developmental project. Based on previous experience and collaborative work, five universities started a project aiming to develop their teaching practice. The project was carried out with help from participating students, teachers, managers, and professionals working with youth issues. This study explored the elements of co-influencing collaborative creativity in the context of bachelor of social work programs. The repertoire of development strategies includes such techniques as research overviews regarding actual issues in the young people’s living conditions, studying formal documentation, joint work in developing a course curriculum, and piloting pedagogical practice. I investigated the practices retrospectively, since the subject may be of interest to professionals and students in social sciences disciplines, who make use of qualitative research methods where the investigator may interact with research subjects and produces data from narratives, written texts, and discourses

Globalisation brought into the classroom – reflections from the local context in social work and nursing education

In increasingly globalised societies higher education meet challenge to integrate the international and intercultural dimensions into their services, strategic plans, education programmes and research. There were few discussions around the concept of “Internationalization at home” (IaH) during the last years in the academic community. This article generally outlines a process of IaH in higher education, by giving examples from the bachelor programmes of Social Work and Nursing Education at Malmö University, Sweden. The internationalisation of the curriculum at home was shown to have a much greater impact than individual mobility alone. The authors of the article present their own analysis about possibilities to understand the culture, profession in the process of IaH improving professional and intercultural competences. Modern society poses a challenge for professionals – to think globally and to act locally.KEYWORDS: higher education, internationalization at home (IaH) social work, nursing, intercultural competences, global, glocal.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/tbb.v74i2.136

A proposal for inquiry of network and challenge-based learning in social work education

Today’s welfare system faces a variety of social challenges in terms of social vulnerability, inequality and the presence of segregated and parallel societies. Within this complexity, the professional practitioner meets opportunities for action, institutional frameworks, and the role of higher education as a future social innovator. The objective of this paper is to suggest an inquiry concerning how social work students form their conception on the complexity of every-day social work practice and professional expertise. The focus is to investigate social work students’ process and formation of knowledge regarding challenge based learning (CBL). Methodologically the examination will be based on multi-method data triangulation design. In conclusion this paper suggests the use of socio-ecological and social learning theory to develop more dynamic teaching models to enhance the understanding of the challenging pathways linking social structures in development of students’ professional self.KEY WORDS: higher education, collaboration, health and welfare services, social pedagogy and social workDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/tbb.v79i2.177

Clinical pathways in community care

The essential principles of the Swedish health care structures are that the public sector is responsible for providing and financing health services for all citizens. Local health centers, which employ several categories of medical professionals, provide primary health and community care services. For patients requiring hospital treatment, medical services are available at county, regional and municipality levels. Since last decades the resources allocated to health care have been constantly reduced, a trend that is expected to continue along with the increased service costs. Initially, the discussion about medical services was restrained to structural matters. Examples of implemented changes are the closing of hospitals, separating of emergency care as well as caring responsibilities, supporting collaboration between and among various hospitals, and increasing cooperation between hospitals and other parts of the health care system. With the help of economic directives and mandatory referrals, patients are guided to primary and community based health care providers instead of the more expensive hospital care providers. This presentation introduces the students to the distinctive qualities of Swedish community care service organizations and the dilemmas and possibilities that follow

Student exchange within health care education : from partner search to learning outcome

A present-day universitys faces the demands of growing globalization. In consequence the graduating and post-graduating educations are forming more mobile and globalised students exchange programmes. The Malmö University, Department of Nursing offers students and teachers a continuous exchange programme within international exchange networks. The programmes contain lectures, seminars, debates and social events focusing on improvements of patient care. However, after many years of this exchange programmes there is still lack of knowledge about its efficiency and its benefits to the students’ professional role development. Through a qualitative methodology, the study explores how students´ experience of international exchange as a professional learning environment influence their nursing skills. The preliminary results show that students during their exchange programmes perceived a broader view of nursing and the nature of care. The students reported some memorable aspects during their international exchange period that facilitated them widen insights to nursing in various social contexts and health care systems. Some of these experiences were reported as challenging their attitudes and influential on their selection of further career direction

Centrala samarbetbegrepp och utgångspunkter

Offentliga institutioner och verksamheter består av en mängd aktörer vilka skall kunna samarbeta för att gemensamt lösa uppgifter och uppkomna problem. I kapitlet belyses synvinklar och utvecklingstendenser inom den offentliga sektorns tjänster relevanta för samarbete

Preventive interventions in socio-pedagogical social work

Artikel behandlar socialpedagogiska angreppssätt för preventiva sociala insatser inom socialt arbeteGlobal economic, cultural and ideological process in society affect social work and the Welfare regimes in developed countries. The article identifies four preventive bases for operating schemes in social pedagogy within social work practice. They are empowering strategies, an appreciatopn of client´s cultural and ethnic preferences, responsive communication and promoting collaboration, along with cultivating alliances with clients and significant actors around the client