Journal of Comparative Social Work
type: channel
description: JCSW publishes articles on subjects of importance for social work with a special emphasis on comparative research.
publisher: University of Stavanger, Department of Social Studies
language: en
publication name: Journal of Comparative Social Work
issn: 0809-9936
items: Care, Inclusion and Justice
items: Decolonizing Social Work in Africa
items: Exploring Frontline Workers Perception of Interprofessional Collaboration Within Drug Courts in Norway
items: Exploring the Perspectives of Key Adults towards Sibling Relationships of Children in Contact with Child Protection Services (CPS)
items: Work inclusion as part of social work
items: Caregivers' experiences with kinship care and Child Welfare Services
items: Comparing Expectations of Social Workers in Norwegian Trauma-Informed Care Institutions: Perspectives from Social Work Leadership and Young Unaccompanied Refugees
items: Beyond the Prison Wall
items: Intersections between Ubuntu and Social Work in Humanitarian Settings in Uganda
items: Continuities and differences in a Norwegian welfare service context
items: Special Issue: What is going on? Digitalization in social work
items: A chief editorial within a special issue of JCSW
items: An Ecological Approach to Understanding the Complexities of School-To-Work Transitions Among Youth with Intellectual Disabilities
items: The Role of Social Work in Empowering People Living with HIV (PLHIV) for Poverty Alleviation in the Huye District in Rwanda
items: Engaged Scholarship through Community Social Labs
items: Navigating Tensions between Indigenous Norms and International Frameworks Protecting Women from Gender-Based Violence in Tanzania
items: Citizens’ experiences of enablers and barriers to obtaining digital citizenship
items: Self-care and Productive Ageing Practices among Rural Pensioned Retired Primary School Teachers in Tanzania
items: Economic Participation among Older People
items: Bildung, capabilities, human freedom and human flourishing
items: Iterations of work inclusion beyond the standard service
items: Political Contestations, Human Rights Violations and the Human Victims in Uganda
items: Activation by technology
items: Caseworkers on the digital streets
items: Is it all about the money?
items: ‘I feel good here’
items: Professional work in the balance between care and control
items: Ethical considerations in research when building predictive risk modelling in child and family welfare
items: Experiences of child sexual abuse survivors with formal child protection systems
items: Deconstructing Social Work in Africa

Care, Inclusion and Justice
type: item
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
creator: Aleksandar Bozic
creator: Ayan Handulle
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Aleksandar Bozic, Ayan Handulle https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-12-16
publication date: 2025-12-16
starting page: 1
ending page: 4
doi: 10.31265/f5mtek27

Decolonizing Social Work in Africa
type: item
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
creator: Janestic Mwende Twikirize
creator: Ayan Handulle
creator: Ann Christin E. Nilsen
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Janestic Mwende Twikirize, Ayan Handulle, Ann Christin E. Nilsen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-07-08
publication date: 2025-07-08
starting page: 1
ending page: 13
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v20i1.905

Exploring Frontline Workers Perception of Interprofessional Collaboration Within Drug Courts in Norway
type: item
description: This qualitative study examines the perceptions of interprofessional collaboration among frontline workers involved in Norwegian drug courts. Using the Perception of Interprofessional Collaboration Model (PINCOM), and Goffman’s theory of front stage and backstage communication, the study explores the complexities and informal dynamics of collaboration processes. Semi-structured interviews with 16 frontline workers revealed key factors influencing collaboration, including motivation, personality style, group leadership, organizational culture, and organizational environment. Findings suggest that both formal and informal aspects of collaboration, such as physical proximity and interpersonal relationships, play significant roles in achieving successful outcomes. The study highlights the challenges of interprofessional collaboration in addressing the complex, multifaceted needs of drug court participants, and underscores the importance of continuous reflection on informal dynamics to enhance collaboration.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: interprofessional collaboration
  topic: keywords
subject: PINCOM
  topic: keywords
subject: drug courts
  topic: keywords
subject: substance abuse
  topic: keywords
subject: frontline workers
  topic: keywords
subject: Norway
  topic: keywords
creator: Bjørn Kjetil Larsen
creator: Atle Ødegård
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Bjørn Kjetil Larsen, Atle Ødegård https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-12-16
publication date: 2025-12-16
starting page: 143
ending page: 166
doi: 10.31265/gkz2yf23

Exploring the Perspectives of Key Adults towards Sibling Relationships of Children in Contact with Child Protection Services (CPS)
type: item
description: This integrative literature review examines the perspectives of key adults, including social workers, foster parents, and adoptive parents, on sibling relationships of children in contact with Child Protection Services (CPS). A systematic analysis of 13 peer-reviewed papers highlights the significant role sibling relationships play in the well-being, identity development, and stability of children in care. Findings reveal that positive sibling relationships, characterized by warmth, support, and closeness, are often viewed as critical in promoting children’s resilience and sense of continuity. Consequently, both social workers and foster/adoptive parents advocate for the co-placement of siblings when relationship quality is high. However, strained or negative sibling dynamics, including aggression, hostility, or instances of sibling sexual abuse (SSA), frequently lead to decisions for separate placements. Comprehensive therapeutic interventions and strict safety protocols are underscored as essential in such cases to address the emotional and relational needs of all parties involved. Despite the consensus on maintaining sibling bonds, challenges persist due to logistical, bureaucratic, and resource constraints. Social workers cite limited time, restrictive policies, and difficulties in locating suitable foster homes for sibling groups as barriers to supporting these relationships. Similarly, adoptive and foster parents report emotional exhaustion, complex family dynamics, and inadequate agency support as significant obstacles. The findings underscore the necessity of multidisciplinary collaboration, increased training for foster parents on sibling dynamics, and clearer documentation and communication between CPS, caregivers, and other stakeholders. Proactive strategies, including facilitating sibling contact and providing targeted interventions, are deemed critical to sustaining sibling relationships and enhancing child welfare outcomes.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Sibling Relationships
  topic: keywords
subject: Child Protective Services (CPS)
  topic: keywords
subject: Key Adults' Perspectives
  topic: keywords
subject: Siblings in CPS
  topic: keywords
subject: Preserving Sibling Bond
  topic: keywords
subject: Child Welfare
  topic: keywords
subject: Integrative Literature Review
  topic: keywords
creator: Prizma Ghimire
creator: Sarah Catherine Patricia Duff Hean
creator: Wenche Hovland
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Prizma Ghimire, Sarah Hean, Wenche Hovland https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-12-16
publication date: 2025-12-16
starting page: 167
ending page: 203
doi: 10.31265/90c18840

Work inclusion as part of social work
type: item
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
creator: Dorte Caswell
creator: Heidi Moen Gjersøe
creator: Sara Hultqvist
creator: Siv Oltedal
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Dorte Caswell, Heidi Moen Gjersøe, Sara Hultqvist, Siv Oltedal https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-02-28
publication date: 2025-02-28
starting page: 1
ending page: 9
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v19i2.832

Caregivers' experiences with kinship care and Child Welfare Services
type: item
description: Kinship care placements are significant for meeting the need for alternative care in child welfare systems worldwide. This qualitative evidence synthesis develops a comprehensive understanding of the role of the Child Welfare Service (CWS) in kinship foster care from the perspectives of kinship caregivers. We reviewed 14 qualitative empirical studies that explore caregivers' perspectives on contact with- and support from the CWS. Our synthesis indicates that most kinship caregivers encounter challenges when interacting with CWS. Three overarching themes were identified: 1) CWS’ role when becoming a kinship carer; 2) common concerns and how these are met by CWS, and 3) expected to manage on their own, afraid to seek help. Findings show that kinship carers often feel unprepared to be caregivers. They face financial constraints, challenges related to their children's needs, and struggles with their own health, all of which can make the responsibilities of caregiving overwhelming. Additionally, many new caregivers fear reprisals from CWS if they seek help and support, so they are left to deal with difficulties on their own. The implications of these findings are discussed.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: kinship care
  topic: keywords
subject: child welfare
  topic: keywords
subject: social work practice
  topic: keywords
subject: qualitative evidence
  topic: keywords
subject: caregivers
  topic: keywords
creator: Anne Apeland Svalastog
creator: Hulda Mjöll Gunnarsdottir
creator: Ingunn T. Ellingsen
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Anne Apeland Svalastog, Hulda Mjöll Gunnarsdottir, Ingunn T. Ellingsen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-12-16
publication date: 2025-12-16
starting page: 33
ending page: 57
doi: 10.31265/q71yjh24

Comparing Expectations of Social Workers in Norwegian Trauma-Informed Care Institutions: Perspectives from Social Work Leadership and Young Unaccompanied Refugees
type: item
description: Research: Balancing the expectations of social work leadership and minor, unaccompanied refugees is a key part of the social worker’s professional practice, in the context of Norwegian residential care institutions that have trauma-informed care at the centre of their work. Although there is some understanding in international literature about the expectations of social work leadership and the expectations that unaccompanied minors have of social workers, these expectations have typically been considered in isolation. The nature of any dilemma for social workers arising from conflict between these two sets of expectations is not yet fully understood. This study aims to understand these dilemmas, and we explicitly compare the expectations of social workers held by social work leadership with those held by unaccompanied minors, finding similarities, but also disagreements, which may cause tension for social workers in their practice with the minors in the institution. Methodology: In an explorative, qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 young male Afghan unaccompanied refugees and seven social work leaders in two Norwegian municipalities. A qualitative thematic analysis was followed by a two-stage cross-comparison of the expectations held by social work leaders and unaccompanied minors to identify agreements and disagreements between expectations. These expectations were interpreted through Bath's trauma-informed care pillars, a well-established theoretical model for social work practice in Norway. Findings: Both groups value empathy, respect, support, extra care, trust and a safe environment. However, different expectations about the flexibility of boundaries, and about emotional closeness, create dilemmas for social workers. By understanding the tensions highlighted in this article, leadership will be better equipped to identify and address the conflicting situations that social workers face due to mismatches between the expectations o…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
creator: Linda Natalie Borho
creator: Sarah Catherine Patricia Duff Hean
creator: Wenche Hovland
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Linda Natalie Borho, Sarah Catherine Patricia Duff Hean, Wenche Hovland https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-12-16
publication date: 2025-12-16
starting page: 5
ending page: 32
doi: 10.31265/nqm1s462

Beyond the Prison Wall
type: item
description: In Ethiopia, the impact of imprisonment on motherhood remains significantly under-researched, despite motherhood being central to Ethiopian cultural identity. This study adopts a descriptive phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of nine formerly incarcerated Ethiopian mothers. The findings illuminate their struggles with societal stigma, poverty, and fractured family dynamics, alongside their resilience and commitment to rebuilding maternal bonds. Central to the study are the implications for social work practice. The results emphasize the urgent need for culturally sensitive, trauma-informed support programmes to assist mothers in overcoming stigma, and successfully reintegrating into their communities. Key recommendations include the development of gender-responsive, community-based initiatives to address the psychological, economic, and relational challenges these mothers encounter. Vocational training, parenting education, and advocacy against discriminatory practices are identified as critical tools for social workers to promote sustainable reintegration. The study also highlights the limited availability of non-custodial measures in Ethiopia, underscoring the detrimental effects of incarceration on maternal roles and child wellbeing. Drawing on global frameworks such as the Bangkok Rules, it advocates for non-custodial alternatives and restorative justice approaches, particularly for mothers with dependent children. This research contributes to global social work knowledge by situating the experiences of Ethiopian mothers within broader discussions on reintegration and motherhood. It underscores the importance of incorporating diverse cultural perspectives into social work practice, policy, and research, thereby advancing a more inclusive understanding of post-incarceration challenges.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: criminal justice system
  topic: keywords
subject: Ethiopia
  topic: keywords
subject: incarcerated women
  topic: keywords
subject: motherhood
  topic: keywords
subject: qualitative approach
  topic: keywords
creator: Eden Begna Gobena
creator: Sarah Hean
creator: Vanessa Heaslip
creator: Ingunn Studsrød
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Eden Begna Gobena, Sarah Hean, Vanessa Heaslip, Ingunn Studsrød https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-12-16
publication date: 2025-12-16
starting page: 58
ending page: 88
doi: 10.31265/nrjf7f42

Intersections between Ubuntu and Social Work in Humanitarian Settings in Uganda
type: item
description: Understanding the context and complexities of humanitarian settings and the intersections between Ubuntu and social work is crucial, yet it has not received considerable attention in Africa. With the increasing number of refugees in African countries such as Uganda, it is imperative to examine how Ubuntu manifests itself in humanitarian responses, and how it shapes social work interventions in these contexts. This paper investigates the interface between Ubuntu and social work values, focusing on how this influences the reception of refugees and their interactions with authorities, service providers and host communities. It further explores how Ubuntu and social work intersect to help facilitate the social integration of refugees into host communities, particularly in protracted refugee situations. The study employs a qualitative approach, integrating a desk review of 60 scholarly publications and primary data from semi-structured interviews with refugees and key informants. Using an intersectional lens, we analyse how Ubuntu is understood and practiced, and how it mutually influences social work values in humanitarian settings. Findings reveal that Ubuntu fosters collective responsibility, shared humanity and solidarity, which aligns with social work values of empathy and mutual respect, facilitating the integration of refugees into host communities. However, certain aspects of Ubuntu, such as communal decision-making, may conflict with social work’s emphasis on individual agency and self-determination. By situating the discussion within the framework of decoloniality, the study highlights how the cultural resources embedded in Ubuntu can contribute to the indigenization and decolonization of social work practices, while critically examining aspects of Ubuntu that may conflict with social work values, such as self-determination and individual agency, emphasizing the need for cautious engagement with these tensions.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Ubuntu
  topic: keywords
subject: refugees
  topic: keywords
subject: host communities
  topic: keywords
subject: humanitarian settings
  topic: keywords
subject: social work values
  topic: keywords
subject: social integration
  topic: keywords
subject: intersectionality
  topic: keywords
subject: decolonization
  topic: keywords
subject: indigenization
  topic: keywords
creator: Lambert Buzaare
creator: Martha Nababi
creator: James Thomas Ssenfuuma
creator: Paul Bukuluki
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Lambert Buzaare, Martha Nababi, James Thomas Ssenfuuma, Paul Bukuluki, PhD https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-07-08
publication date: 2025-07-08
starting page: 47
ending page: 78
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v20i1.755

Continuities and differences in a Norwegian welfare service context
type: item
description: Welfare and social work aim for social justice and self-determination, and the work is sensitive to both its institutional context and to the worker-client relationship. In this article, we re-analyse and compare two sets of collected data (Oltedal, 2000; Olsen, 2022). The data consists of institutional talks between frontline workers and clients in a Norwegian welfare-to-work-service context; the social services (Sosialkontoret) in 1992, and an integrated labour- and welfare service (NAV) in 2015.The institutional framework of the two services shares many similarities, including the overall policy goal of securing people’s financial livelihood, as well as labour market inclusion. We investigate the following question: How is moral and control dealt with in institutional welfare conversations in Norway in both 1992 and 2015, related to clients’ financial and unemployment problems? The aim of the study is to explore changes in institutional talk by identifying and discussing contextual and relational-dependent similarities and differences. The employment control aspect is more visible in 2015 data through social workers’ emphasis on a step-by-step approach wherein measures are reframed, while social workers in 1992 are more inclined to leave it up to clients themselves to make work-life connections. While the financial control aspect is more visible in 1992 through social workers’ emphasis on the client’s moral responsibility, this is less dominant in 2015, in which social workers are acting more neutral and descriptive. The institutional discourse has changed. In 1992, the framing of the talk between frontline workers and client has a stronger moral focus than in 2015. This is due to the animator footing (Goffman, 1981), where workers bring the context and the societal perspectives regarding norms for social welfare recipients into the discussion. In 2015, the principal footing (Goffman, 1981), where the possibility for the frontline worker to voice their own judgem…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: institutional talk
  topic: keywords
subject: welfare-to-work
  topic: keywords
subject: social work
  topic: keywords
subject: financial problems
  topic: keywords
subject: comparative
  topic: keywords
subject: footing
  topic: keywords
subject: moral
  topic: keywords
subject: control
  topic: keywords
creator: Siv Oltedal
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Siv Oltedal https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-12-16
publication date: 2025-12-16
starting page: 118
ending page: 142
doi: 10.31265/2p5rss23

Special Issue: What is going on? Digitalization in social work
type: item
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
creator: Tea Torbenfeldt Bengtsson
creator: Heidi Esma Dahl Bønnhoff
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Tea Torbenfeldt Bengtsson, Heidi Esma Dahl Bønnhoff https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2024-10-03
publication date: 2024-10-03
starting page: 1
ending page: 12
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v19i1.801

A chief editorial within a special issue of JCSW
type: item
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
creator: Siv Oltedal
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Siv Oltedal https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2024-10-03
publication date: 2024-10-03
starting page: 127
ending page: 128
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v19i1.800

An Ecological Approach to Understanding the Complexities of School-To-Work Transitions Among Youth with Intellectual Disabilities
type: item
description: Purpose: This study investigated the complexities in the school-to-work transition faced by youth with intellectual disabilities in Hong Kong. There is a lack of local research focused on such transitions for youth with intellectual disabilities. Methods: In-depth individual interviews were held with 30 participants, including youth with intellectual disabilities, their family carers and health, education and social work professionals. Data were analysed using the Framework Method. Results: Data analysis based on the ecological model revealed participants’ experiences of different challenges in different systems. Conclusion: By exploring the interplay among various interactions, this study revealed the conditions that impacted the self-determination of youth with intellectual disabilities in a Chinese context, the perspectives on work held by them, their personal aspirations and the interconnected factors within-and between systems. Recommendations for rehabilitation practice were given.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: transition
  topic: keywords
subject: vocational rehabilitation
  topic: keywords
subject: qualitative study
  topic: keywords
creator: Yuen Han Mo
creator: Fu Fai Fong
creator: Alice Yip
creator: Pui Man Chu
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Yuen Han Mo, Fu Fai Fong, Alice Yip, Pui Man Chu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-12-16
publication date: 2025-12-16
starting page: 89
ending page: 117
doi: 10.31265/1vag4d53

The Role of Social Work in Empowering People Living with HIV (PLHIV) for Poverty Alleviation in the Huye District in Rwanda
type: item
description: People in need (PIN), such as people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), are often discriminated against, isolated and disempowered. Consequently, it is not always easy for them to fight for their survival. However, the literature has shown that once empowered, PLHIV manage to cope with social problems, particularly poverty and its ramifications. This study aimed to examine and show how social work, as an empowering profession, has the potential to contribute to the mitigation of adversities, particularly poverty, that hinder the betterment of the lives of PIN. In particular, this study examined the phenomenon of social work indigenisation as a means of re-invigorating practice approaches by drawing on the case of Rwanda. This study is based on data collected in the Huye District for my PhD research project, which was completed in January 2023. The research adopted an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, with great privilege given to the participatory action research (PAR) methodology. The research results showed that social workers are key catalysts, and are well positioned to empower PIN. For effective success, it is essential that they work with intermediary social work actors (ISWAs), and use mostly developmental approaches that should integrate indigenous practices. Ultimately, the findings of this study provide evidence that PAR is beneficial to the bridging role of ISWAs in the problem-solving process, and thus may be recommended to be adopted for adequately mitigating poverty.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: social work
  topic: keywords
subject: intermediary social work actor
  topic: keywords
subject: empowerment
  topic: keywords
subject: poverty
  topic: keywords
subject: PLHIV
  topic: keywords
subject: indigenisation
  topic: keywords
creator: Charles Kalinganire
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Charles Kalinganire https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-07-08
publication date: 2025-07-08
starting page: 167
ending page: 191
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v20i1.744

Engaged Scholarship through Community Social Labs
type: item
description: The indigenisation of social work education in Africa is a response to the limitations of Western-centric approaches to addressing complex local social issues. This paper explores the role of engaged scholarship and community social labs in indigenising social work education in Uganda. The study analyses data from four focus group discussions, and student WhatsApp conversations, to examine how these approaches facilitate meaningful community engagement and the integration of local knowledge into the social work curriculum. The results show that community social labs can help with cultural sensitivity and problem-solving that is relevant to the situation. They also demonstrate that institutional constraints and power dynamics may hinder this transition. Despite these issues, the study suggests that engaged scholarship through community social labs has significant potential to make social work education and practice in Uganda more culturally sensitive and responsive to local realities. Even with these challenges, the study suggests that engaging scholars in community social labs has a lot of potential to make social work education and practice in Uganda more sensitive to local cultures and needs.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Engaged Scholarship
  topic: keywords
subject: Social labs
  topic: keywords
subject: Indigenisation
  topic: keywords
subject: Social work education
  topic: keywords
subject: Uganda
  topic: keywords
subject: field work practicum
  topic: keywords
subject: internship;
  topic: keywords
subject: field work practice
  topic: keywords
subject: community engagement
  topic: keywords
creator: Timothy Opobo
creator: Jannette Abalo
creator: Agatha Kafuko
creator: Janestic Twikirize
creator: Eric Awich Ocen
creator: Firminus Mugumya
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Timothy Opobo, Jannette Abalo, Agatha Kafuko, Janestic M. Twikirize, Eric Ocen Awich, Firminus Mugumya https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-07-08
publication date: 2025-07-08
starting page: 79
ending page: 109
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v20i1.730

Navigating Tensions between Indigenous Norms and International Frameworks Protecting Women from Gender-Based Violence in Tanzania
type: item
description: Gender-Based Violence (GBV) remains a significant health and social issue in Tanzania and Africa at large. Most GBV reduction interventions often concentrate on mitigating harmful cultural practices perpetuating it, therefore failing to identify and integrate aspects of the indigenous norms perceived to be protective to women against GBV. Thus, adopting qualitative approaches and cross-sectional design, this article: (i) explores norms considered protective to women against GBV in studied communities and the attached values; (ii) identifies and presents the tensions that emerge in the application of such norms when viewed through the analytical lens of the conventional frameworks that protect human and women rights and freedom against discrimination and abuse; and (iii) highlight potentials for the integration of these norms into social work practice to promote culturally sensitive interventions. Findings indicate varied views regarding GBV prevalence and magnitude. They also confirm the presence of deep-seated beliefs among the community members regarding the existence of some cultural norms that they perceived to be protective of women from GBV. Irrespective of this reality, findings also show tensions and clashes between some aspects of norms and human rights conventional frameworks and social work ethics on diversity and inclusion. Mindful of the importance of the integration of contextually relevant and culturally appropriate knowledge into social work, the study establishes the need for social workers to adopt a culturally sensitive and reflective mindset when designing gender-based interventions by sorting out what norms can be kept and what can be discarded.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Social Work
  topic: keywords
subject: Gender-Based Violence
  topic: keywords
subject: Norms
  topic: keywords
subject: Culture
  topic: keywords
creator: Zena Mnasi Mabeyo
creator: Joyce Nyoni
creator: Deman Yusuf
creator: William Manyama
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Zena Mnasi Mabeyo, Joyce Nyoni, Deman Yusuf, William Manyama https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-07-08
publication date: 2025-07-08
starting page: 137
ending page: 166
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v20i1.736

Citizens’ experiences of enablers and barriers to obtaining digital citizenship
type: item
description: This article focuses on citizens’ experiences of enablers of- and barriers to obtaining digital citizenship. E-applications for social assistance are used as an exemplar. In Sweden, as in many countries, there is political pressure on welfare services to become more digitalized, and to offer different kinds of self-service technology such as e-applications. Even if the goals of implementing these technologies are to increase efficiency and transparency and offer faster services to citizens, there is a risk of expanding the ‘digital divide’. and making it more difficult to obtain one’s digital citizenship and gain access to social rights. This article draws on a qualitative interview study. and explores citizens’ experiences using e-applications in two Swedish municipal social assistance agencies. Results show that most citizens had positive experiences applying for social assistance online, but there were some potential barriers. There were also differences in experiences in the two municipal social assistance agencies. We discuss how the increased digitalization of welfare services seems to push towards a blend of digital and social rights. In this process, social workers play an important role in countering new types of inequalities that emerge in evolving social assistance organizations. The article identifies several areas that merit further research.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: self-service technology
  topic: keywords
subject: e-applications
  topic: keywords
subject: digital divide
  topic: keywords
subject: social assistance
  topic: keywords
subject: digital citizenship
  topic: keywords
subject: Sweden
  topic: keywords
creator: Gabriella Scaramuzzino
creator: Kettil Nordesjö
creator: Rickard Ulmestig
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Gabriella Scaramuzzino, Kettil Nordesjö, Rickard Ulmestig https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2024-10-03
publication date: 2024-10-03
starting page: 41
ending page: 67
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v19i1.614

Self-care and Productive Ageing Practices among Rural Pensioned Retired Primary School Teachers in Tanzania
type: item
description: Productive ageing as a global agenda and initiative aims to improve the productivity of the older population, evidenced to be gradually increasing and living longer. Older people are a significant resource in most African communities. Understanding their productive ageing practices and experiences in their localities informs social work practitioners on how they can promote and support productivity for other older people in their respective communities. This study conducted in Iringa, Tanzania explored two questions: (i) What practices do retired primary school teachers engage in to achieve productive ageing in their local communities? (ii) In what ways can social work practitioners integrate the practices of productive ageing towards enhancing the well-being of older people in their communities? We applied a case study design that involved 14 purposively selected participants, with data gathered through interviews and thematically analysed. The findings reveal that older people actively engage in several practices and activities that nurture their productive ageing, while empowering them to be relevant and providing support within their local communities. Self-care practices revealed include proper hygiene, diet and exercise engagement. Furthermore, the types of socio-economic activities and participation that include farming, livestock keeping, self-help groups and community shared events are shaped and influenced by cultural factors, community values, individual preferences, the abilities of older people and the availability of resources at their disposal. The productive ageing practices and engagements are practical and relevant to rural contexts. Despite commonalities in some aspects of productive ageing informed by international literature, this study reveals distinct variations in activities and other dimensions of productive ageing, such as self-care. Consequently, this study highlights the necessity for upholding and encouraging local and context-based prod…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: productive ageing
  topic: keywords
subject: pension benefits
  topic: keywords
subject: local practices
  topic: keywords
subject: social work practice
  topic: keywords
subject: productive practices and activities
  topic: keywords
creator: Rukia Mwinyi
creator: Julius Omona
creator: Zena Mabeyo
creator: Heidi Esma Dahl Bønnhoff
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Rukia Mwinyi, Julius Omona, Zena Mabeyo, Heidi Esma Dahl Bønnhoff https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-07-08
publication date: 2025-07-08
starting page: 217
ending page: 244
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v20i1.706

Economic Participation among Older People
type: item
description: Economic participation studies often emphasize challenges of accessing and engaging in formal employment after retirement. However, they tend to overlook personal factors, traditional values, and culturally specific elements in rural settings that influence participation in informal work. This study explored the factors that influence older people’s participation in handcraft activities in the Masasi District in Tanzania. It provides a deeper insight into their continued engagement, and highlights its implications for social work practice. This study explored the factors that influence the participation of older people in handcraft activities to provide a deeper insight into their continued engagement and its implications on social work practice. A phenomenology method was used, and in-depth interviews were employed to collect data from purposively sampled older people working in handcraft through the lens of decolonial theory. The analysis revealed that older people’s participation in handcraft activities was triggered by poor living conditions, the need for income to meet essential needs, a lack of formal and inadequate informal support, parenting and grand-parenting obligations, as well as the desire to maintain personal agency and avoid dependence syndrome. The findings suggest that the traditional role of extended family and community, as a pillar of care and protection of older people, should be enhanced to improve their working lives and well- being. Older people working in handcraft activities should be empowered in their socio- economic issues to improve their working and quality of life in rural communities. Collaboration between social workers and the community at the grassroots level is crucial, and social work knowledge and practice that reflect and promote indigenous knowledge and practices should be developed and adopted.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: economic participation
  topic: keywords
subject: older people
  topic: keywords
subject: handcraft
  topic: keywords
subject: social work
  topic: keywords
subject: indigenous knowledge
  topic: keywords
creator: Catherine Aquiline Manda
creator: Narathius Asingwire
creator: David Mafigiri
creator: Randi Kroken
creator: Joyce Nyoni
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Catherine Aquiline Manda, Narathius Asingwire, David Mafigiri, Randi Kroken, Joyce Nyoni https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-07-08
publication date: 2025-07-08
starting page: 245
ending page: 270
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v20i1.733

Bildung, capabilities, human freedom and human flourishing
type: item
description: There is international interest in approaches to social work focussing on human development and service users’ real freedoms to act. One such example, established in social work, is the capabilities approach. This paper introduces a related, but internationally less well-known concept from German-language philosophy of education discourses, Bildung. It argues that Bildung represents a valuable additional framework for understanding social work in terms of human growth and human flourishing. The concept of Bildung has taken many forms. The term’s changing notions are sketched, starting from its late enlightenment-period origins. Two particular variants are highlighted: the original 18th-century Bildung, which focussed on helping the individual reach a state of agency and Mündigkeit (maturity), a late 20th-century critical theory-influenced Bildung, which focussed on the relationship between the growth of the individual and the society of which they are part. A brief consideration of the capabilities approach provides a context for this discussion of Bildung, with parallels to the capabilities approach noted in the course of outlining Bildung theories. It is suggested that due to their shared tenets, both variants of Bildung can be seen a single concept, one with a strong conceptual closeness to the capabilities approach. When applied to social work, Bildung suggests a shift away from thinking about the person in terms of utilities and outcomes, towards instead an understanding of a person’s humanness in their freedom to choose their own path and become the author of their own life. To conclude, consequences for a Bildung-informed social work are considered. Four are highlighted: the role of the social worker stimulating the service user’s dispositions in the context of their social environment; shifting to a relationship-oriented practice, centring on direct work; utilizing community settings in practice and the importance of refraining from using guidance, persuasio…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Bildung
  topic: keywords
subject: capabilities
  topic: keywords
subject: Germany
  topic: keywords
subject: critical theory
  topic: keywords
subject: social pedagogy
  topic: keywords
subject: human growth
  topic: keywords
creator: Magnus Frampton
creator: Günter J. Friesenhahn
creator: Jonathan Parker
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Magnus Frampton, Günter J. Friesenhahn, Jonathan Parker https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2024-10-03
publication date: 2024-10-03
starting page: 129
ending page: 156
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v19i1.727

Iterations of work inclusion beyond the standard service
type: item
description: Employment services are repeatedly criticised for building barriers to service user participation and decent employment due to combinations of conditionality, bureaucratic logics, high caseloads and scarce resources. However, a range of newer service approaches recognise some of these shortcomings, and aim for personalisation, service coordination, and/or increased connection to employers. In this article, we compare four programmes and their key worker roles, implemented in Norwegian postreform welfare and employment services (NAV) in the 2010s, as iterations of work inclusion beyond the standard follow-up service. These approaches are sensitive to gaps in the current service system, and they invest in the relationship between the professional worker and the service user, working both within and beyond social work approaches. Situated in the broader research literature on activation, personalisation and street-level organisations, we provide an analysis of how these approaches go beyond “business as usual” through strengthened key worker roles. We argue that the relational work approach adopted in these measures has the potential to foster the participation of service users, and to smoothen and sometimes tone down the conditional aspects of services, but that different organisational demands and accountability mechanisms produce a different space of action for key workers and users to shape the path towards labour and social inclusion.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: active labour market policies
  topic: keywords
subject: personalisation
  topic: keywords
subject: caseloads
  topic: keywords
subject: supported employment
  topic: keywords
subject: complex family interventions
  topic: keywords
subject: street-level organisations
  topic: keywords
subject: relational social work
  topic: keywords
creator: Kjetil G. Lundberg
creator: Suzan M. Skjold
creator: Arnhild Melve
creator: Astrid O. Sundsbø
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Kjetil G. Lundberg, Suzan M. Skjold, Arnhild Melve, Astrid O. Sundsbø https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-02-28
publication date: 2025-02-28
starting page: 63
ending page: 88
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v19i2.663

Political Contestations, Human Rights Violations and the Human Victims in Uganda
type: item
description: In Uganda, the social work profession was introduced by the British colonial government, and therefore activated as a tool of colonial state control. Consequently, the profession adopted Western philosophies with a disregard for indigenous social support philosophies. It used a non-political stance to counter political dissent, resistance and activism against the colonial administration. In the decades that have followed, the profession’s invisibility in politics and activism has undermined its critical contribution to challenging injustice in social policy and society. In this article, we challenge this apolitical epistemology of social work in Uganda rooted in the profession’s colonial past, the country’s violent political history and contemporary neoliberal economic choices. We use a case analysis of the political contestations, human rights violations and human victims in the 2021 presidential elections in Uganda. We conducted a thematic analysis of data sourced from both print and electronic media, election observer reports and human rights reports. From this analysis, we argue that Uganda’s political contestations produce widespread state- and non-state-driven human rights violations. We articulate that the resultant countless human victims can no longer be ignored, and should compel social work as a profession that seeks to promote social justice into action. From a decolonial standpoint, we stress that social work’s continued inaction cannot safeguard the profession’s social justice mission amidst Uganda’s political contestations. Since the outcomes of these political contestations profoundly impact social justice, human rights and the well-being of the majority of the communities, we argue that the social work profession in Uganda must galvanise the commitment to engage in the politics of the day vigorously and publicly. We conclude by making calls for social work actions that utilise indigenous pathways in building a credible political leadership that safe…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Critical social work
  topic: keywords
subject: decolonial social work
  topic: keywords
subject: indigenous social work
  topic: keywords
subject: human rights
  topic: keywords
subject: social justice
  topic: keywords
subject: political social work
  topic: keywords
subject: Uganda
  topic: keywords
creator: Venesio Bwambale Bhangyi
creator: Mette Rømer
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Venesio Bwambale Bhangyi, Mette Rømer https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-07-08
publication date: 2025-07-08
starting page: 271
ending page: 298
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v20i1.726

Activation by technology
type: item
description: Modern welfare agencies are increasingly offering clients digital tools in their service delivery. Since young people are prolific users of digital technology, this trend should be to their advantage. However, the quantitative study presented in this article investigates how citizens under the age of 30 use public digital services, compared to those over 30. The study found that clients were less active than older clients in using a digital plan while receiving support from the government. Accordingly, they may be less able to receive help from public agencies when it is offered digitally. Yet, the choices made by caseworkers in how they prioritized clients for more personal support may have reduced the risk of this disadvantage.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: digital government
  topic: keywords
subject: digital divide
  topic: keywords
subject: public administration
  topic: keywords
subject: youth unemployment
  topic: keywords
creator: Karl Kristian Larsson
creator: Marit Haldar
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Karl Kristian Larsson, Marit Haldar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2024-10-03
publication date: 2024-10-03
starting page: 68
ending page: 101
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v19i1.623

Caseworkers on the digital streets
type: item
description: It is an intrinsic feature of many public agencies that they are dependent on street-level bureaucrats making important decisions regarding their clients. While some have claimed that such decisions are in danger of being corrupted by the bureaucrats’ discretionary powers, Lipsky argued that this discretion was necessary for the proper implication of social policy. However, the digitalization of government has altered the way in which many public servants reach their decisions. For instance, Bovens and Zouridis have argued that digitalization limits or removes bureaucrats’ processional discretion when making decisions, which can have a negative effect on public services. While decisions are singular events, the process of reaching them is complex and drawn out over time. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to explore the process of decision-making in a public service context, and how digitalization has impacted caseworker discretion. The context of this study is the Norwegian child welfare service, where we have conducted focus group interviews with 26 caseworkers. Our analyses of the decision-making process uncovered several points in which digitalization has increased the need for caseworker discretion, i.e., an increased availability of caseworkers, information gathering and the admissibility of private information online. Our study demonstrates how even though digital technology such as social media presents new opportunities for information gathering, it also poses a danger for the creation of discriminatory practices toward citizens that could negatively affect the quality of service provision. Furthermore, conceptually deconstructing the decision-making process was beneficial to understanding how digitalization impacts different aspects of the case-handling process.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Digital government
  topic: keywords
subject: discretion
  topic: keywords
subject: street-level bureaucracy
  topic: keywords
subject: social media
  topic: keywords
subject: child welfare services
  topic: keywords
creator: Minela Kvakic
creator: Karl Kristian Larsson
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Minela Kvakic, Karl Kristian Larsson https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2024-10-03
publication date: 2024-10-03
starting page: 13
ending page: 40
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v19i1.624

Is it all about the money?
type: item
description: This article is about meetings between frontline workers in the Norwegian labour and welfare administration (NAV), and young people outside work or school - NEETs. This group often has few or no financial rights beyond financial social assistance, which is granted from the social services in NAV. One of NAV's intentions is to ensure a work-oriented focus and comprehensive follow-up across various benefits. Based on a qualitative study in five NAV offices, the article investigates how organizational measures, in this case the specialization of work tasks, which seeks to put work-oriented aspects in the foreground of service provision, and separate it from traditional casework on benefit decisions. The study consists of 14 observations of conversations between frontline workers and young social assistance recipients. Additionally, five focus group interviews were conducted with the frontline workers. The findings suggest that the frontline workers' follow-up appears fragmented, so that these young people can end up with up to three frontline workers at the same time, who are respectively responsible for finances, work and follow-up. This specialization can have implications for the quality of the service provision, and it seems that the nature and dynamics of social problems are not taken into account.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: Social assistance
  topic: keywords
subject: Frontline work
  topic: keywords
subject: NEETs
  topic: keywords
subject: client-oriented work
  topic: keywords
subject: Social Work
  topic: keywords
subject: Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration
  topic: keywords
creator: Michaela Nilsen
creator: Heidi Moen Gjersøe
creator: Lise Cecilie Kleppe
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Michaela Nilsen, Heidi Moen Gjersøe, Lise Cecilie Kleppe https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-02-28
publication date: 2025-02-28
starting page: 145
ending page: 177
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v19i2.696

‘I feel good here’
type: item
description: The aim of this article is to understand how a group of subsidised employees constructed a collective identity and symbolic community, and the role the municipal labour market programme played in that process. Further, it explores whether and how a shared collective identity and symbolic community may provide an explanation for how the ‘successful intervention/lock-in effect paradox’ occurs when using subsidised employment as an activation intervention. The article is based on a qualitative interview study with eight social workers and 11 subsidised employees from a Swedish municipal labour market programme that offered subsidised employment as its main intervention. The interviews were analysed using the concepts of social identity and symbolic community. The article shows that subsidised employment plays a crucial role in subsidised employees constructing their identity as ‘persons with a job’, as distinct from the activation interventions usually associated with social assistance. The labour market programme serves as a transformative space where receiving a salary becomes a symbol of distinction, marking a significant departure from past experiences of receiving social assistance. The article also highlights the role of social workers in subsidised employees’ identity processes. The social workers perceived the subsidised employees as participants with special needs, and subsidised employment as an intervention which could influence the planning and support provided during the subsidised employment. The collective identity developed by the participants fostered a sense of community, but also led to reluctance to leave the programme, driven by the fear of reverting to social assistance, and once again being excluded from the labour market. The article concludes that the subsidised employees risked getting stuck in a borderland between work exclusion and work inclusion and, therefore, that subsidised employment can potentially place participants in a state of ‘mar…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: activation practice
  topic: keywords
subject: symbolic boundaries
  topic: keywords
subject: qualitative study
  topic: keywords
subject: shame
  topic: keywords
subject: recognition
  topic: keywords
creator: Ellen Parsland
creator: Gabriella Scaramuzzino
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Ellen Parsland, Gabriella Scaramuzzino https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-02-28
publication date: 2025-02-28
starting page: 38
ending page: 62
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v19i2.657

Professional work in the balance between care and control
type: item
subject: Editorial
  topic: section
creator: Aleksandar Bozic
creator: Siv Oltedal
rights: Copyright (c) 2023 Aleksandar Bozic, Siv Oltedal https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2023-12-21
publication date: 2023-12-21
starting page: 88
ending page: 94
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v18i2.712

Ethical considerations in research when building predictive risk modelling in child and family welfare
type: item
description: This article presents and discusses ethical issues and implications in research when building a predictive risk model for potential use in Danish child and family welfare. The idea is to build a predictive risk model in order to study whether such a model can be valuable to child and family welfare services in the assessment of risk – aimed specifically at the decision-making process regarding notifications. Based on a framework developed especially for this field, we present and discuss ethical considerations, reflections and actions in relation to four main ethical principles: non-maleficence, autonomy, justice and explicability. We hope that our reflections on these ethical challenges can inspire research – and potentially also the field of practice when taking a deep dive into the difficult field of digitalization in social work.
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: ethics
  topic: keywords
subject: child and family welfare
  topic: keywords
subject: Child Protection
  topic: keywords
subject: predictive risk modelling
  topic: keywords
subject: machine learning
  topic: keywords
subject: decision-making
  topic: keywords
subject: notifications
  topic: keywords
creator: Anne Marie Villumsen
creator: Michael Rosholm
creator: Simon Tranberg Bodilsen
creator: Sanne Dalgaard Toft
creator: Line Svolgaard Berg
creator: Liesanth Yde Nirmalarajan
rights: Copyright (c) 2024 Anne Marie Villumsen, Michael Rosholm, Simon Tranberg Bodilsen, Sanne Dalgaard Toft, Line Svolgaard Berg, Liesanth Yde Nirmalarajan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2024-10-03
publication date: 2024-10-03
starting page: 102
ending page: 126
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v19i1.619

Experiences of child sexual abuse survivors with formal child protection systems
type: item
description: Preventing abuse in childhood and providing services to the victims requires a comprehensive child protection framework. Even when the government of Uganda has made deliberate efforts to facilitate protection of children, research shows that their efforts have largely been inadequate. Adopting an indigenous perspective that centers the structural inequalities that inform social relationships in families, communities and the society rather than the individual is paramount. Thus, this study examined how indigenous child protection systems can be integrated to complement formal approaches in responding to child sexual abuse. This article presents experiences of five adult women from Luuka district, Uganda who experienced rape during their childhood. Narrative inquiry was used to explore survivors’ experiences. This information was complemented by information from social workers who were purposively selected and interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the findings and four major themes relating to survivors’ experiences emerged from this study. Survivors reported challenges with investigations, access to justice, lack of protective shelter and challenges in accessing medical services. In addition to formal child protection systems, survivors utilised services from indigenous child protection systems which included; Local Council 1, community volunteers, social groups and savings groups. Indigenous practices based on mutual aid and community organising addressed broader welfare needs of survivors, including enabling them to access education, linkage to services and access to shelter. The social support provided through indigenous models involved multiple social welfare functions, and addressed different child protection needs. However, poverty at the household and community level limits the scalability of such approaches. Accessing formal child protection services was found to be costly for the survivors. The Informal Ch…
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: child sexual abuse
  topic: keywords
subject: child protection
  topic: keywords
subject: experiences
  topic: keywords
subject: formal child protection systems
  topic: keywords
subject: indigenous child protection systems
  topic: keywords
subject: indigenous
  topic: keywords
creator: Florence Turyomurugyendo
creator: Eddy J. Walakira
creator: Cecilie Revheim
creator: Janestic M. Twikirize
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Florence Turyomurugyendo, Eddy J. Walakira, Cecilie Revheim, Janestic M. Twikirize https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-07-08
publication date: 2025-07-08
starting page: 110
ending page: 136
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v20i1.711

Deconstructing Social Work in Africa
type: item
description: In the dominant debate, dialogue and literature, there is an assumption that Africa had no form of social work before colonisation. In this article, we deal with the historical question pertaining to the existence of social work in Africa, and deconstruct the term ‘social work’, its origin and meaning in an African context. We employ an autoethnographic approach to describe the knowledge and skills known as social work in African communities using Indigenous Knowledge. We conclude that the Western epistemological paradigm facilitated the idea that social work was non-existent in the pre-colonial era, which distorted and distracted knowledge and skills construction in post-modernism theory and practice
subject: Articles
  topic: section
subject: social work
  topic: keywords
subject: deconstruction
  topic: keywords
subject: autoethnography
  topic: keywords
subject: indigenous knowledge
  topic: keywords
subject: Africa
  topic: keywords
creator: Zibonele Zimba
creator: Nolwazi Shongwe
creator: Sinenhlanhla Nyoni
rights: Copyright (c) 2025 Zibonele Zimba, Nolwazi Shongwe, Sinenhlanhla Nyoni https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
date: 2025-07-08
publication date: 2025-07-08
starting page: 14
ending page: 46
doi: 10.31265/jcsw.v20i1.707