The chapter studies the effects of the welfare crisis and the transformations that have occurred in social work, applying a street-level perspective. The decision-making process of caseworkers is analysed by examining field research conducted in a north-eastern region of Italy on the recent implementation of the minimum income measure. The research involved around 200 social service caseworkers. It highlights how they are dealing with the changes, interpreting and reinterpreting the space they have for discretion. Specifically, they are providing their own interpretations of some new and rather undefined key concepts, such as personalisation, activation, social support, and pacts with beneficiaries, introducing needed flexibility and learning by doing to absorb the change.
STELLA VOLTURO, TATIANA SARUIS (2020). Welfare Transformation and Social Work: A Learning-by-Doing Process Looking for New Balances. Cham : Palgrave MacMillan [10.1007/978-3-030-39966-5_60].
Welfare Transformation and Social Work: A Learning-by-Doing Process Looking for New Balances
STELLA VOLTURO;
2020
Abstract
The chapter studies the effects of the welfare crisis and the transformations that have occurred in social work, applying a street-level perspective. The decision-making process of caseworkers is analysed by examining field research conducted in a north-eastern region of Italy on the recent implementation of the minimum income measure. The research involved around 200 social service caseworkers. It highlights how they are dealing with the changes, interpreting and reinterpreting the space they have for discretion. Specifically, they are providing their own interpretations of some new and rather undefined key concepts, such as personalisation, activation, social support, and pacts with beneficiaries, introducing needed flexibility and learning by doing to absorb the change.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
