Institutionen för Socialt arbete Umeå Universitet
Umeå 2019
Socialtjänsten och familjen
Socialarbetares konstruktion av familj och insatser i familjerelaterad komplexitet
Ahmet Gümüscü
Akademisk avhandling
som med vederbörligt tillstånd av Rektor vid Umeå universitet för avläggande av filosofie doktorsexamen framläggs till offentligt försvar i S213H, samhällsvetarhuset,
onsdagen den 18 oktober, kl. 10:15.
Avhandlingen kommer att försvaras på svenska.
Fakultetsopponent: Professor Sven Trygged,
Avdelningen för socialt arbete – akademin för hälsa och
arbetsliv/Högskolan i Gävle, Gävle, Sverige
.Organization Document type Date of publication
Umeå University Doctoral thesis 27-09-2019
Department of Social Work
Author
Ahmet Gümüscü
Title
Social services and family. Social worker's construction of family and interventions in family-related complexity
Abstract
The aim of this dissertation is to describe and analyse how social workers in Swedish social services define “family” and handle complexity when they work with families, and especially “families with complex needs” as the target of their interventions.
Whereas families with complex needs can be understood to involve one or more family members having two or more simultaneously occurring needs or problems (e.g. mental health issues, addiction, financial problems, dysfunctionality, child abuse, ageing, disabilities, and family violence), complexity in social work extends beyond that which exists in families.
The empirical material in studies I and IV consists of telephone interviews with 60 social workers working in five different sectors in four municipalities. Study II is based on five focus group interviews with social workers working in five different sectors in one larger municipality. Study III is based on focus groups with vignettes with social workers working in child welfare in three municipalities.
A main conclusion is that the concept of family is understood and targeted differently in different sectors of social work. In some cases, the use of the family concept can be related to the clients' specific needs. Families who social workers meet often have combinations of needs and problems that result in numerous interventions from the social services. When social workers meet these families, they can feel ambiguity and uncertainty because of the complexity of the needs or other complexities. And, in individualised social services, a narrow focus on the needs of individuals can make it difficult to see the situation of the family as a whole. This research highlights the importance of bringing this web of complexities to the forefront of practice.
Keywords
complex needs, complexity, family-based social work, social services, social workers, Sweden, focus groups, vignettes
Language ISBN ISSN Number of pages
English & Swedish 978-91-7855-120-0 0283-300X 90+ 4 papers
