Between local practice and global science. Factors behind patterns of social work research in Sweden

Transcription

1 Between local practice and global science. Factors behind patterns of social work research in Sweden Peter Dellgran Staffan Höjer Department of Social Work University of Gothenburg

2 Today s presentation The quest for research in social work Academicisation: Dual rationalities and dual legitimacies The Swedish case (some characteristics and achievements) How can this be explained? Between excellence and evidence or how to navigate between Scylla and Charybdis

3 Background Not at all new any profession need to claim to have a knowledge base. Build on research From Flexner (1915), Richmond (1917), Reynolds (1942), Greenwood (1960), Etzioni (1969), Kirk & Reid (2002)

4 Background (2) Different routes for social work research 1. The unnecessary road (social work is art) 2. The borrowing road (social work research in other disciplines Denmark, Germany??) 3. The own-discipline road (discipline with professorships and PhD programs US, Sweden, Finland) 4. All roads lead to Rome A spectrum of different possibilities: ordinary PhDs; PhD by publication (compilation of a earlier writings); Professional PhD ( taught often with certain links to practice) UK?

5 Theory about the academicisation process in any professional field Academicisation processes will have similarities for social workers, nurses, teachers etc. What do we mean by academicisation? Academics and academic knowledge is being ascribed higher value in, and impact on, society as a whole as well as in the specific field we are investigating (eg. social work)

6 Academicisation will create tensions Between academic knowledge and other stakeholders claims and interest and factors influencing social work practice and education

7 Disciplinarisation creating a discipline raises other tensions Scientific rationalities, demands, standards and considerations versus needs and demands articulated outside academia about the aims, scopes and content of the research Independence or dependence on other disciplines (socially as well as cognitive)

8 Paradigmatic development tensions within the discipline The need for unity and consensus about tasks, theory and epistemology versus Specialisation and development of certain areas of research

9 Social work research in Sweden some characteristics and achievements Established as an academic discipline in the late 1970 ies (when social work education was integrated into the universities) Significant and conditional factors behind the establishment: the profession, the state, social work education, other disciplines, and research institutes PhD-programmes at twelve universities Growing numbers of professors, senior researchers and PhD s (>260) Growing degree of faculty self-recruitment Rapid growth of publications and high productivity Distinct trend towards publication in international journals

10 Characteristics topical landscape Heterogeneity in topics (from social phenomena, social problems, social policy, organisation and legal matters to working conditions, professionalization, methods and client studies) Some larger areas of research: social care, child welfare and alcohol and narcotics abuse and treatment But still: a rather rural landscape with some urbanisation, unbalanced production of research A long way to go: the number of professors and PhD s per 1000 professionals, are forty times higher in medicine compared to social work

11 Characteristics: Research methods and theory Pluralism and eclecticism in methodology and research methods Pluralism and eclecticism in theoretical orientations Sociology dominates Knowledge import and paradigmatic openness Import of theory and export of empirical findings? A strength or a weakness? No clear consensus within the discipline about the object (s), epistemology, theory or the ultimate task for the discipline (what is actually our mission?)

12 Some general factors behind Vested interests, path dependency and genealogy The need for specialisation and competition for funding (national och local) Small bodies of sector-wise, earmarked research (lack of research institutes) Areas of long-term general and political concern The complexity-pluralism nexus Absence of incentives for unity?

13 Between excellence and evidence Scientific demands: Allocation of resources by (certain) achievements and results (measurable vs. less-measurable) Apply for (and get!) external funding! Publish, publish, publish! Publish internationally! Political and professional needs and demands: Relevance: What works and how do things better? Evidence-based practice!

14 Between excellence and evidence (2) Contemporary Swedish research policy and strategies for excellency on both national and local level disfavours social science in general and social work research in particular! The introduction of EBP is in Sweden mostly a top-down project (National Board of Health and Welfare). Social work research has been criticized for not paying enough attention and effort to evaluate the effects of social work interventions, which, in turn has lead to some tensions between academy and actors embracing EBP.

15 Odysseus dilemma So, how to navigate between the rock shoal of Scylla (striving for excellence and chasing big money) and the whirlpool of Charybdis (evidence-oriented research) without loosing possibilities to uphold our dual legitimacy? Between the devil and the deep blue sea?

16 Dilemma? There is no option trying to totally avoid them! Social work needs to uphold its dual legitimacy In what ways do they represent threats, or risks? What does it mean to get too close? Too close to excellence: risk loosing relevance? Too close to evidence: risk loosing critical science and critical practice (remember Sue White), disciplinary status and funding?

17 Thank you for your attention!