"The neglected professionals":
social workers and their power
Assoc. Prof. Birutė Švedaitė-Sakalauskė
(Assoc. Prof. J. Buzaitytė-Kašalynienė
Assoc. Prof. L. Gvaldaitė)
WIT project, Vilnius, 26th of June 2014
European
Commission
Contracting Authority
as
With financial support from the
European Union
In 2012-2013 a scientific research project of "Social Work - Between
Dependency and Autonomy" was implemented.
Its aim was to analyse the relationship of the social workers with
power/force/authority.
A qualitative and quantitative researches.
The social workers as the “neglected professionals” or “neglected
professionalism” represent one of the empirical categories which we
reconstructed as a result of the qualitative research in the analysis
of the reports of social workers and their leadership (approx. 170
pages of text).
We were mostly interested to know what social workers do when
they are being neglected. How do they deal with "neglect"?
"The neglected professionals"
– description of the
phenomenon
Neglect takes places when:
- requirements for social workers are too low
- requirements are impossible to fulfil
- social workers are made to defy the aims, principles, values and
ethics of social work in their activities
- results are required without the corresponding measures provided.
Neglect can happen: a) within the organization of employment (neglect
by the management, colleagues, etc.), b) externally (cooperating
institutions, specialists, etc.).
Neglect can be weak – strong – very strong. The latter hurts not only
the professional role, but personal dignity as well.
Neglect is related to the relationship of dependency. (N. Elias: In so far
as we are more dependent on others than they are on us, they have
power over us...)
The reasons for "neglected
professionalism":
1) The demand for social work is formed and controlled by
entities devoid of sufficient knowledge of this field (redtape administrators guided by their red-tape logic)
2) The professional community of social workers is not
strong enough to represent its professional identity and
needs in the above mentioned institutions.
Who is the "chicken" and who is the "egg" here? 
The contextual conditions for
dealing with this phenomenon
The context in which the social workers operate has a lot of impact on
the ways to fight with "neglect".
The contexts can be of two types:
- Environment encouraging the social work professionalism (the
organization and its management method)
- Environment not encouraging the professionalism (discouraging
professionalism, ruining professionalism).
!!! Only the environment which encourages professionalism can be
relevant for the specific nature of social work.
!!! The environment which does not foster (or even ruins)
professionalism is "neglect of professionalism" in itself.
Dealing with "neglect": what
social workers do?
Robert Merton's typology of adaptation to anomie (Anomie – strain caused by
mismatch between the goals and means. Strain should be dealt with):
- Conformity: social workers conform with neglect towards them, adapt to it
and sincerely perform what they are required to do (even though they feel
that this is not good, by they do not think they can change anything).
- Innovation: social workers can not agree with the requirements, however,
can not resist them directly, thus, implement manipulations ("first do it, then
voice it"; "ignore the rules when no one notices that"; "the management
thinks that this was their own idea"; "my actions are different from what I
write on paper"; "maybe an audit or inspection can force them to act
differently")
- Ritualism: imitation of social work ("we write more than we help"; "we are
not social workers, we are here to check the gas meters"; "the main goal is
to avoid scandals"; "we document every step we make")
Dealing with "neglect": what
social workers do?
• Separation: social workers withdraw themselves externally or
internally ("resign as a social worker"; "emigrate", "get ill", "become
invisible", "regress individually or collectively")
• Revolt: social workers rise against the leadership ("work through the
trade union").
CONCLUSION: only a revolt is a chance to really change something in
the environment which does not nurture professionalism.
Unfortunately, the remaining strategies rotate the same vicious circle
of "neglected professionalism"! Moreover, they enhance the problem
in Lithuania where social work is taken for what it is not and can not
be!
What social workers
fail to do even if they
could?
• They do not rally or assemble into associated structures (large
or small – specialized), even though they are numerous and,
thus, could have power.
According to the data of the research carried out in 2013 (966 social
workers):
- 81 percent agree with the fact that they should be active members
of associations and represent the interests of the profession,
however, only 17 percent practise that and 19 percent encourage
others to do that.
Then the question is - why? It probably pays off more to complain and
suffer alone than to act in an associated manner together... Is it
more comfortable to be powerless than to gain power...?
Why do not people use their
potential powers?
For three reasons (according to B. Barry and K. Dowding):
1) When they do not see any chances of winning
2) When others do it for them
3) When they hope that others will do it for them (it is worth fighting
collectively, but not individually)
The constructivist approach is even stricter in this: they claim that it is
quite beneficial to be powerless, as you do not have to be
responsible. "Power is not as corrupt...but the myth of power is" (G.
Bateson).
The myth of power can work best when it is not spoken of, when it is
not being analysed. However, it is debunked when it comes out in
the open.
In conclusion, a few words
about Cinderella 
Social work is like Cinderella. Extremely kind, extremely beautiful, but
hurt, pushed, unloved and undervalued by all...
The fairy tale of Cinderella can be perceived from two perspectives:
1) Literal – after long sufferings a miracle will happen as the triumph
of justice when the fairies and the magic prince will come to the
rescue
2) Psychoanalytical – (according to C. G. Jung) the miracle can be
made by the profession alone. However, it should reach maturity
and emancipation. (the neglect of the social work profession is
directly related to its immaturity and dependency).
Maybe the increasing feeling of "being neglected" proves that the social
workers are finally on their way to maturity and emancipation? 

With financial support from the European Union – European Commission as
Contracting Authority
This training material is supported by the European Union Programme for Employment and Social
Solidarity - PROGRESS (2007-2013). This programme is implemented by the European Commission. It was
established to financially support the implementation of the objectives of the European Union in the
employment, social affairs and equal opportunities area, and thereby contribute to the achievement of
the Europe 2020 Strategy goals in these fields.
The seven-year Programme targets all stakeholders who can help shape the development of
appropriate and effective employment and social legislation and policies, across the EU-27, EFTA-EEA
and EU candidate and pre-candidate countries.
For more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/progress.
The information contained in this publication doesn’t necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the
European Commission.
The sole responsibility of this content lies with the author. The Commission is not responsible for any use
that may be made of the information here contained.