Transformations in social work: From help towards social inclusion to the management of exclusion

Scherr, Albert

doi:10.1080/13691459908413802

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…In the German literature, there is a considerable body of work applying and developing Luhmann's general theory of social systems to the case of organized social help and its relation to society (Baecker, 1994;Bommes & Scherr, 2000b;Fuchs, 2000). However, as there is scarcely any work published in international journals (among the exceptions are Scherr, 1999;Villadsen, 2008;Wirth, 2009), the aim of this article is to provide a systematic introduction to the Luhmannian theory of society with respect to the inclusion/exclusion distinction and its relation to social work to an English-speaking audience. We will draw on Luhmann's original work as well as on that of the most important Luhmann scholars in Social Work.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Luhmannian approach to exclusion/inclusion and its relevance to Social Work

Schirmer

Michailakis

2013

Journal of Social Work

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Although the concept of social exclusion is central to the academic discipline of social work, there is not much theoretical clarity about what it actually means. For instance, exclusion is used as a synonym for poverty, marginalization, detachment, unemployment, or solitude. We argue that the systems-theoretical framework developed by the German social theorist Niklas Luhmann provides the conceptual tools to understand inclusion and exclusion in a theoretically adequate way that is highly relevant to Social Work. Since there is scarcely any literature on Luhmann's work in the field of social work not written in German, this article aims to provide a systematic introduction to the Luhmannian theory of society with respect to the distinction of inclusion/exclusion and its relation to social work to an English-speaking audience.Findings: After a presentation of some basic concepts, it will be argued that exclusion is not a problem per se nor is inclusion always and per se unproblematic. The Luhmannian approach suggests that inclusion and exclusion are operations of social systems that treat human beings as relevant addresses for communication. Against that background, systems theory gives a clear and accurate description of what social work can (and cannot) do in terms of inclusion/exclusion.Applications: The main purpose of social work is exclusion management. Exclusion management involves working on the social addresses of individuals with the aim of

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Luhmannian approach to exclusion/inclusion and its relevance to Social Work

Schirmer

Michailakis

2013

Journal of Social Work

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“…There are also indications that this interest is international. While there has been a longstanding interest in participation in North America (Arnstein, 1969;Shera and Wells, 1999), there are signs that this is now also developing in Europe (Stevens et al, 1999;Scherr, 1999;Otto et al, 2002).…”

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confidence: 99%

Service Users’ Knowledges and the Social Construction of Social Work

Beresford

Croft

2001

Journal of Social Work

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This article considers the implications for social work and social care education, policy and practice of including the viewpoints and knowledges of service users. The development of policy and practice for user involvement is critically discussed and the role of service users and their organizations in the construction of social work explored.• Findings: Disabled people's and service users' organizations have developed their own knowledges, theories and models, based on their first-hand experience. This paper examines the implications of such users' knowledge for social work and social care theory, policy and practice. It draws on discussions and developments in the disabled people's and other movements whose members are the subjects of social work theory and practice. It is informed by the authors' work and experience as service users, educators and practising social workers, as well as writers, activists and researchers in this field. • Applications: The article examines the progress that has been made in involving service users in social work education, theory building, research, practice development and standard setting. It explores some of the practical and philosophical issues involved in developing a more inclusive and socially constructed social work and suggests that this may offer a route to restoring social work to its core values.

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“…Dessa val är dock inte val av den enskilde socialarbetaren. De är val av en kod som styrs av program och det är betydelselöst för systemet vem den konkreta individen är som genomför dessa val (Scherr, 1999;Luhmann, 2005Luhmann, [1973; Wirth, 2009).…”

Section: Avsnitt 1: Mångfald Av Teorier Mångfald Av Praktikerunclassified