Towards Democratising Social Knowledge: A Political–Economic Analysis of the Departments of Social Work in Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences

Abstract

In Switzerland, the relatively new social work departments are located in so-called universities of applied sciences (UASs), which provide a university-based and practice-oriented education. At the beginning, UASs were required to carry out ‘applied’ research and their teaching had to be ‘non-academic’, unlike in traditional universities. Although this definition is no longer present in the legal framework of tertiary education, it shapes policymakers’ representations. In reality, research and teaching agendas in UAS departments of social work have become similar to those of the social sciences departments in traditional universities. However, two aspects differentiate them from their counterparts in traditional universities and from other UAS departments today: Less research funding is available and social work students are more likely to accumulate socio-economic disadvantages compared to elsewhere. In this article, I discuss the role of social work departments in Switzerland, with a focus on the social knowledge they produce and transfer into teaching programmes and society. In addition, I use Arendt’s thoughts about knowledge, education and democracy to reflect on the existing gap between political representations of—and what takes place in—UAS departments of social work in Switzerland. The article ends with recommendations for policymakers in Switzerland and abroad.