Report of
The 4th European Conference for Social Work Research
15th – 17th April 2014, Free University of Bozen, Bolzano
Prepared by Karena Tang
Project Officer
The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
15 May 2014
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Table of Content
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 3
Evaluation of the Event Programme ...................................................................... 3
Observation/ Implication to Hong Kong................................................................ 5
Evaluation of the Event Organization .................................................................... 6
Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 7
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1. Introduction
The objective of the annual European Conference for Social Work Research
(ECSWR) is to strengthen the scientific bases of social work via providing an arena
for researcher, practitioners and policy makers to disseminate and discuss knowledge
which is relevant to social work theory and practice and social policy. In response to
the recent challenges in connecting scholars, researchers and practitioners endeavors
to the core of social work mission and the support of social solidarity, the theme of the
conference this year is “Private troubles or public issues? Challenges for social
work research”.
The 4th ECSWR was a three-day conference with four keynote speeches. In
between the keynote speeches, there were six breakout sessions for workshops,
parallel sessions and symposium under a wide range of topics. There was also one
timeslot allocated for special interest group meeting for scholars worldwide who are
interested to work together during and between conferences on specific themes.
programme detail, please refer to Appendix I)
(For
In what follows, the report will first evaluation the event programme before
coming with several important observations that worth the reflection and discussion in
the local context. After that, comments will also be made to the organization of the
programme to inform future event organizers. It will then end with a concluding
remarks and overall comment to the programme.
2. Evaluation of the Event Programme
The conference had addressed the major methodology concerns in social work
research
To start with, the conference had addressed the major methodology concerns in
social work research. Three out of four keynotes speeches had centered the
discussion over “what makes social work a science”. There were three main points
covered in the keynotes in the discussion. Firstly, the keynotes spent a better part of
the time on debating what counts as “evidence” for knowledge accumulation in the
social work discipline. To them, scholars in the social work discipline needs to
advocate a new understanding of “evidence” and “knowledge especially in human
sciences so as to counteract the mainstream understanding of “evidence” from natural
sciences. Secondly, the keynotes called for the collaboration of scholars to come up
with a set of well developed methods and tools for knowledge construction
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particularly suitable for human sciences.
For instance, participatory action research
and reflective knowledge from practices might well be useful tools for knowledge
accumulation in social work. Lastly, the keynotes also highlight the importance of
“professionalism in social work” via the promotion of evidence-based practice. It is
because without systematic review and application of knowledge in the social work
practice (i.e. to apply theories to inform practice and collect “evidence” to
review/verify the theories), hardly can the social work discipline really become real
“sciences”.
Highlighted the essential role of social work in policy advocacy for social and
human development
Another major point the conference highlighted was the advocacy role of social
work. On top of the three aforementioned keynotes, the last keynote was about a
study of “Social Workers as Policy Actor”. It reviewed the role, participation and
influence of social workers in the Legislature in Israel. Apart from concluding that
the social workers has active participation and impactful implication to policy
development in the Israeli legislature, the key point the study would like to make is
that it is also the social workers’ mission to turn seemingly “private troubles” into
“public issue”. In other words, although it seems the first priority of the social
workers is to deal with improving the quality of life of their clients by helping them
out from the “private troubles”, in fact, some of the “private troubles” comes from an
unjust policy/system. As a result, it is equally important for the social worker to be
sensitive enough to advocate policy changes so as to truly protect the vulnerable and
promote progressive social changes in human development.
Diverse coverage of topics in the symposium and parallel sessions
In contrast to the clear theme presented in the keynotes, topics covered in the
symposium and plenary sessions are far more diverse. There were sessions
discussing theoretical concerns such as the debate in realism, methods for knowledge
accumulation and construction in social work with different target groups (e.g. victims
and women) and in various service areas. As I am the sole delegate in this tour, I
managed to attend some of the sessions only and the sessions I attended are those on
participative learn process and knowledge production in social work.
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3. Observation/ Implication to Hong Kong
There were three main observations from this tour that worth further discussion.
Similar challenges faced Europe and Hong Kong in the Social Work research
and Social Work as a profession
First of all, from the observation in this conference, Social Work in Europe also
faces the challenges on whether this discipline can be qualified as “sciences”. And
they view it as the problem of lacking “scientific evidence” to support the everyday
social work practice and the weak knowledge accumulation due to the lack of
sophisticated tools for systematic review. That may well be why they see the
promotion of evidence-based practice and “professionalism in social work” as the key
solutions to the problem in addition to the philosophical debates in what counts and
“evidence” and “knowledge”. In this area, the situation in Hong Kong is more or
less on par with the European experience.
Practice Research Collaboration in Europe: A top down and academia
dominated approach
Secondly, even though speakers at the conference also agree that evidence-based
practice and professionalism in social work in the trend in the social work discipline
and take NGOs and academia collaboration seriously, the European experience seems
lag a bit behind the trend in Hong Kong. In the plenary sessions, there were several
presentations on the experience on practitioners and academia collaboration.
However, the collaborations are more likely a very top-down on with the domination
of the scholars in the partnership. According to several speakers who are either
scholars or doctoral students, they all said that the collaborations were kick start by
funding the project/ service from the institutions and then a student/ scholar will work
on field together with the frontline workers so as to collect the data needed for
analysis. In the process, the involved frontline social workers have very limited
participation or involvement in the research work. When I raised a question in the
Q&A session asking if they have taken the opportunity to engage and enhance the
capacity of the frontline workers and the NGOs in the project in the research, the
speaker said they have never thought in that way and thanks me for bring up such an
angle. However, from my experience in organizing and participating in the local
evidence-based practice conferences in the past few years, this is just a very
commonly asked question.
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A new way to engage and empower frontline workers in practice research
Thirdly, instead of relying on the academia and practitioners’ collaboration to
engage and empower frontline practitioners in practice research, a softer way I learn
from this conference is the use of the “reflective learning process” to facilitate
frontline workers to recap observations and lessons learn from practice to reach the
goal of knowledge accumulation. There was a presentation entitled “Methodical
Principle in Girl’s Work” in one of the parallel sessions 1 . It was about the
development of a gender specific protocol and guideline to deal with young girls in
need. Seeing that there is no gender specific protocol and guidelines available for
the NGOs whose clients are all young females she works with, the speaker decided to
develop a gender specific protocol and guidelines for their service. She invited a
group of students from a master class in social work professions who had experience
in teenage girl services to attend reflective sessions so as to identify the tacit
knowledge they have gathered from their practice. They brainstorm and discuss the
principles with the cases they work on. As a result, nine methodological principles
of gender specific social work with girls have been formulated and they are now
testing the protocol and guidelines in various affiliated service centers and the
participants in this reflective learning group meet regularly to review and update the
protocol. It is a good case to illustrate how reflective learning group can also be a
good means to produce “knowledge” from practice while frontline workers can also
feel empowered to do so. Even though the immediate output of such exercise can
hardly be classified as “scientific knowledge”, it is definitely practical knowledge
useful for practice. After continuous applications and reviews, evidence can be
accumulated to testify if these principles can stand against time and applicable to
various scenarios.
4. Evaluation of the Event Organization
Generally speaking, the organization of the event is satisfactory.
Interest group meetings – participant engagement and platform for collaboration
In terms of event organization, the idea of organizing “interest groups meeting” is
a very good idea for participants’ engagement. Before the conference, the organizer
1
Parallel Session – Evidence and uncertainty: Reflections on Social Work Knowledge production and
dissemination on 16 April 2014 (11:45-13:15)
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had sent out an invitation to all participants to call for topic and abstract submission
for the organization of interest group meetings during the conference. In the
meantime, for participants who have not submitted any topic and abstract are free to
enroll to any of the proposed interest group. Once an interest group got more than 8
enrollments, the organizer would provide an official venue for the group to meet up
during the conference and the proposed topic would become a breakout session of the
conference next year. Such arrangement aims not just at providing a platform to
facilitate scholars/ workers working on the same topic to look for opportunities for
further collaboration, it also engaged the participants to decide the programme of the
upcoming conference to enhance their ownership of the conference and make sure the
issue covered in the conference fits the taste of the participants.
Printed abstract books matter
However, one major drawback of the event organization is that there was no
printed version of abstract book for the participants. Without the aid of the abstract
book, participants can only pick the breakout session by guessing through the session
and presentation topics. Even though the abstract book has gone online before the
conference, there was no notification in advance and it did not available till the last
few days of the conference.
A better balance between presentations and discussion needed
Besides, the role of moderator is essential to facilitate the discussion in the
breakout session. Although the moderators have done a good job in time
management, time allocated to discussion for each and across presentation was very
limited. In fact, there was nearly no discussion across presentations in under the
same topic across symposium. Without much discussion, there was little chance for
participants to ask for clarification or ideas exchange.
5. Conclusion
Over and above all, the European Conference for Social Work Research has
provided the participants with a fruitful experience to grasp the latest development
both in the Social Work discipline and in the field. It is particular good at introduce
the participants with the tools that can be used for social work research with the
illustration of tons of studies and cases from various European countries. However,
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there were only limited service insights from the conference as the presentations focus
much on the debates in methods and theoretical concerns. There was not enough
focus on the findings on the service studies given the time limits for presentation and
discussion. However, this is a really good event to get practitioners ready to try
conducting practice research.
Appendix I – List of sessions attended
Keynote
Date
Time
1. ‘From objective to subjective – social work research as 15/4
professional responsibility’
Speaker: Walter Lorenz
17:00 –
18:00
2. The Idea of ‘Evidence’ in Evidence –based Policy and Practice
Speaker: Edward Mullen
16/4
9:00 –
10:00
3. ‘Policy Practice: Social Worker as Policy Actor’
Speaker: Idit Weiss
16/4
17:30 –
18:30
4. ‘Science and Social Work: a Paradoxical Vision’
Speaker: Ian Shaw
17/4
9:00 –
10:00
Workshop – “Practice-based Research” and “Research-based 16/4
Practice” – lessons learned from a Practice – Research
10:15 –
11:15
Workshops/parallel sessions
1
Collaborative
2
Parallel Session – Evidence and uncertainty: reflections on 16/4
social work knowledge production
11:45 –
13:15
3
Parallel Session – Research in social work as participative 16/4
learning process 1
14:15 –
15:45
4
Workshop – Social work professionalism and the politics of 17/4
knowledge generation, dissemination and implementation:
exploring the current contours
10:15 –
11:15
5
Parallel Session – Social Work Social Policy and Political 17/4
11:45 –
Action
13:15
Parallel Session – Research in social work as participative 17/4
learning process 2
14:15 –
15:45
6
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Appendix II – Conference Programme of the 4th European Conference for Social
Work
Tuesday – April 15, 2014
14.00 – 20.00
Registration Open
Welcome speech: Prof. Konrad Bergmeister -
17.00
President of the Free University of Bozen/Bolzano
Welcome speech: Dr. Thomas Mathà
Director of Department Ressort Gesundheit und Sport, Arbeit, Soziales
und Chancengleichheit
Keynote: Walter Lorenz: ‘From object to subject - social work
research as professional responsibility’
Chair: Silvia Fargion
Launch of the European Social Work Research Association:
Ian Shaw, Jeanne Marsh and Annamaria Campanini
19.00
Welcome Reception *
Wednesday – April 16, 2014
08.00
-
Registration Open
12.00
Keynote:
9.00 – Edward Mullen ‘The Idea of ‘Evidence’ in
10.00
Evidence-based Policy and Practice’
Chair: Mike Fisher
10.15
Symposium - Can we get close to reality? Critical realism and empirical
-
research in social work
11.15
(Kjorstad Monica, Pekkarinen Elina, Lunabba Harry)
Symposium - Multi-Perspective Research – Chances and Challenges
(Rieker Peter, Schnitzer Anna, Mörgen Rebecca, Wegel Melanie, Humm Jakob)
Workshop - 'Practice-based Research' and 'Research-based Practice' Lessons learned from a Practice - Research Collaborative
(James Sigrid)
Workshop - Decisions and Use of Knowledge
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(Taylor Brian, Killick Campbell)
Workshop - Reciprocal Relationships and Social Work
(Törrönen Maritta, Munn-Giddings Carol, Sharpe Darren, Kimiko Tanaka, Borodkina
Olga, Cameron Claire, Vornanen Riitta, Korvela Pirjo, Babic Bernhard, Heino Eveliina,
Juvonen Tarja, Veistilä Minna)
Parallel session - Social Work education: preparing future social workers
to stand up
(Negron Gisela, Van den Bosch Dries, Koen Hermans, Dedotsi Sofia, Young
Alys, Broadhurst Karen)
Parallel session - Research in social work as participative
learningprocess3
(Karvinen-
Niinikoski Synnöve, Beddoe Liz, Ruch Gillian, Ming-sum Tsui, Seim Sissel, Sagatun
Solveig)
Parallel session - Reserach as a participative process 4
(Marrable Tish, Gant Valerie, Naujanienė Rasa, Ruskus Jonas, Mazeikiene Natalija,
Motieciene Roberta)
Parallel session - Exploring practices 2
(Sobocan Ana Marija, Muurinen Heidi, Svensson Kerstin, Ponnert Lina)
11.15
-
Coffee Break
11.45
11.45
–
13.15
Symposium - Knowledge production and utilization in Europe and US
(Marsh Jeanne, Kreisberg Nicole, Jenson Jeff, Gredig Daniel)
Symposium - Reinterpreting the history of social work –Standing up to
complexity in the history of social work(Koengeter Stefan, Hauss Gisela,
Köngeter Stefan, Reutling Christian, Branco Francisco, Maurer Susanne)
Parallel session - Researching professional development
(Shardlow Steven M , Carpenter John, Blewett James, Halton Carmel, Staffan, Shanks
Emelie)
Parallel session - Evidence and uncertainty: reflections on social work
knowledge production and dissemination
(Alastair Christie, O'Leary Donna, Fitzgerald Tony, Mäntysaari Mikko, Boendermaker
Leonieke, Busschers Inge, Metz Judith, Roth Maria, Raiu Sergiu, Pop Florina, Bernath
Anna)
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Parallel session - Researching disadvantage and stigma
(Zavirsek Darja, Shears Jane, Anand Janet Lazar Florin)
Parallel session - Standing up to complexity: social work and social
inequality
(Rantakeisu Ulla, Rystedt Ingrid, Starrin Bengt, Krumer-Nevo Michal,
Iarskaia-Smirnova Elena, Yaskaya Valentina, Gomez-Ciriano Emilio José)
Parallel session - Older people gender and diversity
(Roldan Elena, Leyra Begona, Karl Ute, Kühn Boris, Ramos Anne Carolina, Ciobanu
Oana, Bolzman Claudio, Ray Mo, Sullivan Mary Pat)
Parallel session - Social work and political action 1
(Aila-Leena Matthies,Närhi Kati, Sicora Alessandro, Podstreshnaya Eugenia, Teater
Barbra)
Parallel session - Researching across the borders(McDonald Kelly, Boccagni
Paolo, Romanov Pavel, Kononenko Rostislav, Iarskaia Smirnova Ellena, Ulčáková
Šárka)
13.15
-
Lunch and Poster session
14.15
14.15
–
15.45
Symposium - Welfare under pressure: Shifting roles of government, social
professionals and citizens
(Bos Eltje, Gradener Jeroen, de Kreek, Mike, van Vliet, Pieter or Stam Martin, van Vliet
Pieter, Wildeboer Marijke)
Symposium - Knowledge production and knowledge use through
cooperation betwen sicence and professional practice(Sommerfeld Peter,
Gredig Daniel, Hüttemann Matthias, Rotzetter Fabienne, Amez-Droz Pascal, Julkunen
Ilse, Gray Mel, Soydan Haluk, Palinskas Lawrence)
Symposium - Making the Invisible Visible – The relationship of knowledge
and power and how it is made visible in research and practice
(Fook Janis, Schulze Heidrun, Hefel Johanna, Höblich Davina)
Parallel session - Child and family social work: a critical view
(Waterhouse Lorraine, McGhee Janice, Beddoe Liz, Saltiel Daniel, Schrøder Ida Marie,
Blom Bjorn, Evertsson Lars, Perlinski Maerek))
Parallel session -Exploring practices 1
(Van Robaeys Bea, Mullineux Judith, Hietamäki Johanna, Kääriäinen Aino, Nygren
Lennart,Oltedal Siv)
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Parallel session - Research in social work as participative learning process
1
(Fisher Mike, Rainer Sylvia, Braye Suzy, McDonnell Liz, Hutchinson Aisha, Galvani
Sarah, Dance Cherilin, Allnock Debra)
Parallel session - Knowledge production and public accountability
(Bool Martijn, Bertotti Teresa, Nagy Andrea, Berger Elisabeth, Lawrence Julie, Roets
Griet , Dewilde Lieselot, Roose Rudi, Bruno, Vanobbergen)
Symposium - International Mental Health Social Work Research:
Knowledge Production and Transfer
(Webber Martin, Jobling Hannah, Hardy Mark, Joubert Lynette, Scott Charlotte,
Newlin Meredith, Webber Martin, Morris David, Howarth Sharon)
Symposium - The Challenges and Opportunities in Communicating with
Children and their Families
(Ruch Gillian, Holland Sally, Hallett Sophie, Cree Vivian, Ruch Gillian, Winter Karen,
Lefevre Michelle, Pösö Tarja, Skivenes Marit)
15.45
-
Coffee Break
16.15
16.15
–
Special Interest Group Meeting
17.15
Critical realism and social work research
Social Work, History and Research 5
Human Rights, Health and Migration - Ageing, migration and care – Social Work
Research perspectives - It takes two to tango: Social work with immigrants and with
the receiving Population
Reflective practice in Social Work Social Work Practice Research
Media representation of social workSocial Work in Film and Television (SWIFT)
Discussion: Beyond the Childcatchers: International perspectives on the
representation of social work in film and television
LGBT Issues in Social Work Research - Sexuality in Social Work Special Interest Group
(SSWSIG)
Creating Networks for PhD-students in Social Work
Practice Near Research with Children and Young People: Opportunities and
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Challenges
Service user studies with hard to reach groups (e.g. clients with language barriers,
people with a cognitive impairment, sans-papiers)
Creative arts in social work theory and practice - Police social work: balancing welfare
vs. Justice - Practice Learning (Field Education): Contexts, Challenges and
Collaboration
17.30
18.30
20.00
Keynote: Idit Weiss ‘Policy Practice: Social Workers as Policy Actors’
Chair: Silviana Mordeglia
Social Dinner **
Poster session
Thursday – April 17, 2014
Keynote : Ian Shaw 'Science and social work: a paradoxical
09:00 – 10.00
vision'
Chair: Jeanne Marsh
Symposium - The implications of media representation of social
10.15 – 11.15
work and social workers
(Puhl Ria, Niermann Klara-Marie, Turski Yelena, Allegri Elena, Shulamit
Ramon)
Workshop - Workshop on Developments and Applications in
Archival Research in Social Work
(Gal John, Shaw Ian, Chambon Adrienne)
Workshop - Social work professionalism and the politics of
knowledge generation, dissemination and implementation:
exploring the current contours
(Harlow Elizabeth)
Workshop - Researching Moral Panics: Issues for Social Work
Practice and Research
(Cree Viviene, Clapton Gary, Smith Mark)
Workshop - Giving participants a voice?
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(Franz Julia, Kim Strom-Gottfried, Sobocan Ana, Bertotti Teresa)
Workshop - Social work as a human rights profession:
discussions and tensions
(Reynaert Didier, Roose Rudi, Gobeyn Hildegard, De Stercke Nadine,
Nachtergaele Siebren )
Parallel session - Researching controversial issues in social
workers' role
(Selchenok Anastasiya, Capra Ruggero, Sjöström Manuela)
Parallel session - LGBTQY
(Zack Eyal,
Hughes Mark, Martin James)
Parallel session - Children and young people
(Baier Florian, Heeg Rahel, Katsama Irene, Nagy Andrea)
11.15 - 11.45
Coffee Break
Symposium - Who advocates for parents in child protection
11.45– 13.15
processes (and why)? Perspectives from England
(Featherstone Brigid, White Sue, Reimer Elisabeth, Walsh Trish, Slettebø
Tor)
Symposium - Transdisciplinary and partecipative Research for
eco-social Development
(Elsen Susanne, Lintner Claudia, Salzer Anja, Schicklinski Judith, Gasser
Michael)
Parallel session - Research with victims
(Enosh Guy, Ben-Ari Avital, Ghannamy-Hiadrey, Sucur-Janjetovic
Vesna, Bašić Sanela, Finlay Sarah)
Parallel session - Researching social work process
(Ferguson Harry, Sugman Bohin Lea, Carpenter
John, Stanhope Victoria, Tiderington Emmy, Hothersall Steve)
Parallel session - Evidence and practice
(Sharland Elaine, Grey Mel, Heinsch Milena, Schubert
Leanne, McDermott Fiona, Fellmann Lukas, Strom-Gottfried Kimberly)
Parallel session - Women voice
(Aluffi Pentini Anna, Yoshima Mieko, Reimer Julia, De Sousa Paula,
Almeida José Luis)
Parallel session - Social work and political action 1
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(Olesen Søren Peter, Nothdurfter Urban, Campanini Annamaria)
Parallel session - The challenges of researching social
work
(Satka Mirja,
Shamai Michal, Roets Griet, Dewilde Lieselot, Roose Rudi, Bruno
Vanobbergen, Närhi Kati)
Parallel session - Social Work Profession and Resilience
(Frost Elizabeth, Hurley Dermot, Krismer Sabine, Cauvain Simon)
Parallel session - Social Work Social Policy and Political Action
(Gutjahr Elisabeth, Heeb Jean-Luc, Weiler Florian,
Viganó Federica, Margot-Cattin Pierre, Dall Tanja, Caswell Dorte)
13.15 – 14.15
Lunch and Poster session
Symposium - Perceptions and attitudes of professional social
workers in different welfare systems: determining factors and
14.15– 15.45
implications for practice
(Blomberg Helena, Guidi Paolo, Mordeglia Silvana, Kallio
Johanna, Meeuwisse Anna, Scaramuzzino Roberto, Blomberg Helena,
Kroll Christian)
Workshop - Reclaiming Gerontological Social Work (aka Social
Work with Older People): Developing a European Research
Agenda
(Krokfors Ylva,
Milne Alisoun)
Parallel session - Researching history in social work
(Bryderup Inge, Shaw Ian, Jobling Hannah, Shayna
Waites, Kemp Susan, Park Yoosun)
Parallel session - Research in social work as participative
learning process 2
(Steens Roos, Koen Herrman, Van Regenmortel Tine, Uggerhøj Lars, Frei
Sabina, Janes Julia)
Parallel session - Social work Education Researching practice
placements
(Papouli Eleni, Poletti Alberto, Finch Jo, Schaub Jason, Finch Jo)
Parallel session - Social work and challanging situations
(Schofield Gillian, Novelle Michelle, Tabin Jean-Pierre, Perriard Anne,
Kirkwood Steve)
Parallel session - Child and Family social work: ways to promote
15
capabilities
(Pölkki Pirjo, Vornanen, Riitta, Colliander Riina, Serbati Sara, Ius Marco,
Di Masi Diego, Zanon Ombretta, Milani Paola, Gupta Anna, White
Sue, Featherstone Brigid, Verhallen Tessa)
Parallel session - Social work in a diverse society
(Berger Roni, Soskolne Varda, Maritta Tirronen, Vauhkonnen
Teemu, Veilstilä Minna, Heino Evelina, Wheeler Mark, Spaneas Stefanos)
Parallel session - Learning together
(Kristel Drissen, Depauw Jan, Muukkonen Tiina, Tulensalo Hanna, De
Witte Jasper, Koen Hermans)
15.45 - 16.30
Coffee Break
16.30– 18.00
Closing event
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