Summary

Trans Latina immigrants experience violence and discrimination in their countries of origin and the United States. As a result, many trans Latina immigrants have utilized their individual and collective strengths to resist oppression and generate change in their local and global communities. However, there is limited research on the lived experiences of these generators of change. The current study aimed to explore the meaning that trans Latinas make of their lived experiences as they generate change in the Southern U.S. This study was guided by interpretive phenomenological qualitative analysis and was informed by Latina feminisms. Six trans Latina immigrants from Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas were part of the study. Their testimonios were gathered through multiple semi-structured interviews in Spanish, and data were triangulated using participants’ online posts and videos. Data were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three thematic patterns were constructed: (1) “Mi comunidad transgénero tiene muchas necesidades”: Trans Latina immigrants’ struggles; (2) “Me llamo luchadora social”: Being and doing social change; and (3) “Juntas todas”: Strength in caring for each other. Overall, the participants’ lived experiences were linked to their experiences with intersectional violence, discrimination, and struggles at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. However, by building community and caring for each other, the participants overcame these challenges. Additionally, becoming luchadoras sociales and doing social change was informed by their trans, Latina, and immigrant identities. This presentation aims to encourage social work researchers, practitioners, and educators to engage in trans-informed research and practice, advocate for the human rights of this group, and support systemic change that addresses the needs and struggles of the community. 

Keywords (separate with commas)

transgender, immigrants, social action, Southern United States, Chicana feminism, Latina feminism

Summary

This presentation showcases the findings of a groundbreaking book that scrutinizes the political histories of social work, challenging the often-assumed politically neutral and benevolent character of the profession. The presentation critically examines social work’s dual legacy of both resistance and complicity with oppressive and punitive practices, offering a fresh, global perspective that contrasts starkly with conventional narratives.\ Using an international comparative approach, we expose social work's role in politically fraught episodes of recent history. We delve into anti-racist struggles in the US, the impact of colonialism in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, and even the profession's involvement in apartheid and Nazi regimes. We critically interrogate whether social workers resisted or complied in these contexts, offering poignant examples such as the assimilation policies towards First Nation children in Australia and Canada, and institutionalization of women and children in Ireland.\ The presentation navigates social work's collective political past while contemplating its future. After three years of intense research, we present an international social work collection that uncovers social work's historical legacies of oppression and complicity, alongside its radicalism and resistance.\ Crucially, we explore how contemporary social work, social services, and state institutions remember and respond to these legacies. Proposals range from public apologies and transformative justice, to selective amnesia and outright denial. By posing and answering provocative questions, our symposium aims to challenge attendees to reflect deeply on the profession's past and consider its future, encouraging a critical re-evaluation of social work's political role and responsibilities.

Keywords (separate with commas)

history, radical, complicity, historiography, legacies, oppressive, colonialism

Summary

At the School of Social Work at Lund University there is a strong tradition of involving service users in education. This tradition has several motives. It relates to a perspective on evidence based social work practice, where evidence-based practice is seen as consisting of three kinds of knowledge: research, professional expertise, and the perspective of the user. The involvement of service users in education also relates to a perspective on the developing of social work knowledge and practice as characterized by unequal power relations between professionals and service users, which means that we, from a democratic perspective and a perscpective on empowerment, must work actively to involve the service user’s perspective and knowledge in the social work education and practice.\ \ The transformation from experience to knowledge is a condition of service user involvement in social work education as well as in social work practice. When the experience of service users is transformed from experience to knowledge the service users become actors and part in the creation of knowledge within social work, with a voice in its own rights. When experience is transformed to knowledge it becomes a source to empowerment that can bridge the gap of power relations. Though it has been questioning whether service users become professionalized when they engage in developing in social work education and practice, and if the authenticity of the experience hold by service users is weakened.In the paper I will develop perspectives related to the transformation from experience to knowledge:What are the differences between experience and knowledge?What does it take to develop experience to knowledge?In which way can experienced knowledge be a part processes of empowerment and democracy.Does the transformation from experience to knowledge change the authenticity of service users experience or does it in fact become a strength.\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Experince based knowledge, \ powerrelaltion, empowerment, democrathy, social work education and practice

Summary

This study focuses on how racialized migrants build communities and cultivate collective well-being, using the Photovoice methodology as an anti-racist and decolonial practice. Particularly, this study focuses on the ways in which communities resist systems of oppression while promoting cultural identity and knowledge, which is fundamental in supporting the well-being of racialized migrants. This study repositions racialized migrants as productive disrupters of mainstream narratives, using participatory action research as a tool that can effectively intervene into hegemonic understandings and scholarly traditions. Three themes emerged from the images and stories created: 1) the importance of informal networks and collective action for belonging and resisting systemic discrimination, 2) food, stories, and art as conduits for physical and emotional connection within and between communities, and 3) the need for systemic changes to address language barriers, unemployment, limited access to services, and physical and mental well-being. The findings suggested that organizations that work with migrants should increase opportunities for cultivating social connections with each other in order to engage in collective healing and action. The women underscored the importance of these relationships as newcomers. Additionally, community building and well-being occur through engagement with food, stories, and art as the women expressed creating deep connections within their communities and other communities through sharing their culture. Lastly, there is a need for systemic changes to address barriers that prevented them from leading healthy lives, including the recognition of credentials, translation services, tailored employment services for women, and increasing access to services and mental health support.

Keywords (separate with commas)

racialized migrants, diaspora, community, cultural connection, anti-racism, systemic discrimination, social support, migration, participatory arts-based methods

Summary

Social work is a dynamic profession that requires the ability to adapt to complex and diverse circumstances. Its effectiveness is not only determined by its underlying principles and values but also by its application in different contexts. With changing societal, familial, and individual needs, social work must rethink its core knowledge and skills to better respond to these changes. This is why many higher education institutions offering social work programs are now internationalizing their curricula to integrate responsive, transformational, and socially just frameworks. The need for international social work as a specialized field that promotes comparative measures to address contemporary social problems is increasing. This paper reports on the learning from the online workshops held in March and June 2022, and February 2023 with over 500 social work attendees from over 18 countries. The workshops were supported by the European Association of Schools of Social Work and the University of Greenwich, London, UK. The aim of the workshops has been to facilitate an international dialogue about the need for international social work in social work education and research, and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper highlights the need and demand for international social work and examines how these specialized skills can be integrated into social work curricula and training. By doing so, social work can move towards more sustainable futures and better respond to the changing needs of society. International social work involves applying social work knowledge and skills across different countries, cultures, and contexts. It requires an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in different regions and an appreciation of diverse perspectives. This specialized field aims to promote social justice, human rights, and equality while addressing the unique needs of individuals, families, and communities. 

Keywords (separate with commas)

glocal, international social work, policy practice, advocacy, human rights 

Summary

Thousands of Indigenous women are missing or murdered, constituting an international human rights crisis of gender-based, racialized violence. This crisis is perpetuated by indifference to the humanity of Indigenous women and inadequate law enforcement responses.\  Colonial values of heteronormative patriarchy and structures that create risks including marginalization, poverty, and racism, make Indigenous women particularly vulnerable to violence. Disproportionate policing, mental health challenges, and addiction further heighten vulnerabilities. “Man camps” that house workers for extractive industries near Indigenous territories are frequent sites of rape, violence, and sex trafficking where Indigenous women are targeted due to a belief that perpetrators will not be prosecuted. Intergenerational trauma is compounded by losing a mother, sister, or daughter, accompanied by dismissive, victim-blaming attitudes prevalent in settler societies. A strong activist movement is responding to this crisis, particularly in Canada. There, Indigenous communities, women’s associations, and human rights groups demanded an inquiry for years before Amnesty International issued a 2004 report calling for action. In 2012, the hashtag #MMIW was created with later versions expanding to include other Indigenous people. Only in 2021 did the US establish an awareness day and unit within the federal government. Most other nations have yet to respond. \ Devaluation, exploitation, violence, and murder of Indigenous women knows no borders. Unfortunately, social work as a profession has been largely absent from this movement. The Indigenous Commission of IFSW has called for action. Social workers must raise awareness and challenge societal conditions that perpetuate vulnerabilities experienced by Indigenous women. We are equipped to confront injustice and facilitate societal change, becoming stronger when we participate in joint social action. This presentation will provide information on the magnitude of the problem, describe how colonization has created vulnerabilities that enable violence, and how social workers can become informed and engaged in joint social action.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Indigenous, MMIW, women, violence

Summary

The relationship between conscientization, consciousness, and advocacy is a sine qua non condition in all social movements (Deveaux, 2018; Diemer \\& Rapa, 2016; Freire, 1970; Glassman \\& Erdem, 2014). To critically understand the structuration of systemic injustices and power dynamics in motion, conscientization can drive a deeper and more informed consciousness that serves as a foundation for meaningful advocacy efforts. This process must empower communities as a catalyst for societal change that aligns with the principles of equity and social justice. Therefore, developing communities requires transformative influences that are both ontological and praxeological (Jost \\& Kay, 2010; Pascal \\& Bertram, 2012). Knowing that Haiti’s past and current conditions are marked by a legacy of resilience and resistance against oppression and adversity (Dupuy, 2005; Ferrer, 2012; Hammer \\& White, 2019), this project, grounded in cultural-historical-activity theory (CHAT), illuminates how communities in Haiti harness the power of consciousness-raising in social movements, activism, and advocacy to understand and challenge enduring social problems. In that respect, the presenter will begin by discussing the historical productions of collective consciousness in Haiti (i.e., foundations and phases). Second, the presenter will examine the core components of praxeological consciousness as a theoretical construct. Third, the presenter will explore the role of praxeological consciousness as a driving force in (re)defining the pathways to community development. Lastly, the presenter will outline the implications of historical formations of praxeological consciousness for research and practice for the Haitian communities and other related global spaces.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Praxeological Consciousness, Theory, Advocacy, Haiti

Summary

This paper explores the role of national social work academic associations in the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and provides reflections from the Association of South African Social Work Education Institutions (ASASWEI).\ The constitution of IASSW states that its mission is “to represent and promote social work education around the globe in partnership with national, regional and international associations”. In the case of national representation, the IASSW constitution gives voting rights to “one member nominated by each national association that is, in principle, inclusive of all schools in the country and has at least five school members of IASSW”.\ In South Africa, the constitution of ASASWEI stipulates that “the Association will be managed by an Executive Committee which shall comprise a President, Vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer and a person elected to represent the Association on the IASSW”. It is critical to note that the IASSW representative is not the national association’s president or vice president (who serves for only two years). In South Africa one of the Committee members is elected to specifically represent ASASWEI on the IASSW Board for a minimum four-year term. Herein lies one of the keys to the disproportionally high level of historical involvement and service of South Africans. Many of the other IASSW Board Members are simultaneously also the presidents of their own national or regional organisations and some may only be in this position for a two-year term. Since ASASWEI’s formation in 1938, South Africans have been actively involved in the IASSW committees providing leadership in global activities such as the development of Global Standards for Social Work Education; the Social Work Definition, the Global Agenda, and the Global Census) and many others.\ A model of bulk membership that can encourage greater IASSW representation and involvement by academic associations will be discussed.

Keywords (separate with commas)

National Associations, South Africa, IASSW, ASASWEI, Global Social Work Education

Summary

According to the political scientist Fritz Reheis, politicial education – civics education – is “the entirety of all processes by which a person is shaped for life in the community and shapes themselves” (Reheis, 2016). While Social Work is a profession that supports and educates people in all phases of their life in communities, the scientific discourse in Germany is unsure whether and how political the profession and its’ members can or should be. Nevertheless, Social Workers are working in civics education when they help to shape clients’ lives or communal endeavours (Schmidbauer, 2021). In order to fulfill this task and its’ political mandate, Social Workers need to be competent in politics and civics themselves – otherwise they would not be able to pass it along. For my doctoral thesis, I have compared ten different Social Work curricula at as many Schools of Social Work in Germany. My goal was to find out if and how future social workers are receiving – or are at least able to receive – training for political situations and political work and if the skills taught are the ones that are needed in practice. In addition to a content analysis of Social Work study programmes I held focus groups to let students of Social Work and Social Workers discuss my findings about “their” study programme. In additions, participants were asked if the skills taught on paper were also the ones that are taught in reality – and if they are the ones that are needed in practice. What transpired was that while civics education takes up a very small part of the, it is seen as a cross-sectional teaching task. Furthermore, it became visible that formal learning spaces are not the only aspect of university education where learning happens. I wish to present my full findings in the presentation.

Keywords (separate with commas)

social work, social workers, social policy, politics, social policy engagement, policy engagement, direct democracy, democracy, social activism, advocacy, politics as a job, profession, holding elected office, political mandate, biographies, civics education, political education, social work study programme, content analysis, learning,

Summary

This study examines Jewish women’s activism in Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox society in Israel who are engaged in ongoing efforts to transform their community norms and conventions, which they find discriminatory and restrictive of all women in those religious communities.\ Informed by thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with fourteen activists about their life stories, the findings indicate\ that personal or social events perceived as significant in the women’s lives as children and adolescents acted as catalysts for activism. These events were central to their personal narratives and became embedded in the women’s activist identity, as they came to perceive activism as the most “natural” response to life challenges. Specifically, two types of events were identified: events in the individual-family-community sphere, and events in the public-national sphere. Both of them affected the interviewees and led them to act, whether out of antagonism and anger at a perceived injustice, or out of a sense of power and constructive thought. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the new and unique phenomenon of religious women who, despite being educated to accept and comply with the conventions of a patriarchal society, choose to make their voice heard and lead sociocultural changes in the public space. The findings emphasize the personal-political nexus and provide insight into the activists’ motives for fighting for their values and for committing to long-term activity in the public sphere – despite considerable personal costs.\ As social workers who work with activists from minority groups, it is important to understand the meaning of childhood experiences both as a motive for action and as a sensitive area that must be given a place in development and empowerment processes.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Women activists, Social activism, Personal narrative, Life story, Religious women in Israel

Summary

This paper, inspired by Strier et al. (2012), aims to understand the extent to which, and how, social class and related terms, are being represented and discussed in the social work academy. There has been increasing neglect of social class and issues related to social structure in the U.S., in favor of other types of identity and individualistic explanation for adverse social outcomes. The paper begins by reviewing the overall state of macro practice in the profession and relates it to the issue of social class and its importance for social movements and effective activism. Next, the paper explores how social justice is understood in social work, with particular reference to the relationship between distributive justice and recognition theory, within the larger context of intersectionality. The paper then discusses how social class has been approached in scholarship and how understanding of the concept has changed over time. Insights derived from a synthesis of the literature give rise to several research questions as well a conceptual framework that is used to undertake a content analysis of several leading social work journals. Finally, after presenting methods and findings, the article discusses the results and conclusions, summarizing trends in how social class is discussed in the social work academy. It suggests the need to more rigorously apply social work ideals with respect to understanding both subjective microscopic experiences of social class, especially those of the white working class, and the objective macroscopic factors that both give rise to the former and are key to structural and systemic reforms. Concerns are raised about the declining willingness of social work scholars, and ability of the wider profession, to confront the economic hegemony of neoliberalism.\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Social class, social structure, individualistic, social work, intersectionality, identity, activism, neoliberalism, content analysis\ 

Summary

The global quest to construct social work knowledge is ongoing. Despite a commitment to research knowledge production, there is uncertainty about what constitutes social work knowledge (Jacobsson \& Meeuwisse, 2018) and how this may reproduce privileges and oppressions (Schmid \& Morgenshtern 2023). The geopolitics of knowledge production impacting how and by whom knowledge is produced in social work today requires examination for the pursuit of epistemic justice (Muñoz Arce, 2023). A responsibility of the International Association of Schools of Social Work research committee is encouraging research that builds knowledge in supporting the work of social workers. This presentation will describe a systematic review project initiated by the IASSW research committee that examines the production of social work knowledge around the world. Limited comparative studies exist and have focused on utilization of social work knowledge rather than construction of social work knowledge (Kreisler \& Marsh 2016). Respecting diversity through joint social action requires an understanding of what social dynamics and privileged ideologies influence knowledge production (Gray \& Schubert, 2013). Presenters will discuss re-positioning social work knowledge production for the future.

Keywords (separate with commas)

social work knowledge, epistemic justice, knowledge construction

Summary

Bangladesh achieved its independence in 1971. The year 2021 marks its 50th anniversary. The country has come a long way since its birth and, in 2020, graduated as a member of the middle-income countries category by maintaining a steady economic growth of 6-7 percent over the years. It has been able to hold on to its democratic processes over the years, despite the numerous obstacles thrown at it periodically. However, currently there is a serious concern about fairness of national elections, freedom of speech, growing inequality, and gross violation of human rights.This paper will explore the multidimensional aspects of poverty, including social, political, environmental, economic, and psychological. It will examine factors that are contributing to inequality such as population, economy, politics, education, religiosity, inclusion and diversity, corruption, leadership, and disaster impacts. All these elements have severe consequences for the limited social safety net prevalent in the country. The residual approach of the social safety nets is a major impediment to human security in Bangladesh. Inequality caused by poverty will be analyzed based on population as well as several other indices: poverty line, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Human Development Indicator (HDI), and Human Poverty Index (HPI). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are further deteriorating the socioeconomic and political condition of Bangladesh and widening the inequality that threatens its democracy and human security.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Inequality, Democracy, Human Security, Governance, Human Rights

Summary

Book Chapter-Those of us who live in the imperial core and embrace political praxis know that the United States has been in decline for a while. A country in decline will undoubtedly find some of the most significant battles within its educational institutions. This chapter offers a combination of lived experience and political and professional insights into the hurt done not only to an individual in the classroom but to entire communities. One wonders where it will all end between censorship, erasure, student loan debt, meritocracy, the centering of industry needs, and the urgent desire to suppress critical thinking in the classroom. This chapter is a call to action for educators within the helping professions to leverage their power in the classroom and co-construct learning spaces with students that invite criticality and history, including the social, economic, political, and power dynamics that shape the students’ lives. An empowered community of learners can co-create a space where problem-solving happens, tensions are held, contradictions are thought through, and solutions that can transform our social conditions are born.\ \ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Liberation psychology, Critical pedagogy, Epistemic violence, Intersectionality, Inequity

Summary

Homelessness continues to grow as a significant social issue facing individuals and families in England and beyond. Social work is well placed to respond to the multiple sources of exclusion that homelessness intersects with, including mental distress, substance use, experiences of trauma and poverty. At present, homelessness is not a well developed specialism for social work in England and there is evidence that social workers are ill-prepared for work with people facing homelessness when encountering such issues in their practice. No previous studies have considered the extent of homelessness being embedded on social work curricula in England. This presentation will outline the results of a call for evidence survey which was sent to all social work education providers in England. Responses were from 42 higher education institutions across England, which represents approximately 50% response rate. All responses indicated that homelessness was incorporated in their social work qualifying programme curricula but the strategies adopted ranged from limited, passing reference up to a minority of institutions offering more than a single lecture on the topic. However, most responses indicated that they offered placements in homelessness settings. Follow up interviews with 10 academics, 10 students and 5 placement providers provided further insights. Academics emphasised the pressure of time in tight curricula and the lack of staff specialism. Students and placement providers discussed the lack of preparation for placement and the complexity of homelessness. The presentation will outline recommendations for social work education, drawing on the most innovative practices we encountered, to enable students to prepare appropriately for this complex work. The presentation particularly corresponds to conference theme 17b - Social Work and Homelessness and conference theme 4 - Poverty and Social Inequalities.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Homelessness, Social work education, Social Inequalities

Summary

Historically, domestic slavery has been made invisible (PEREIRA, 2021, p. 168), which is related to the fact that the majority of victims are women (HADDAD; MIRAGLIA, 2020, p. 16). Thus, data on this type of exploitation is still scarce. This paper aims to analyze the infraction notices relating to domestic slave labor formalized in Brazilian states between 2020 and 2022. The purpose of this analysis is to trace the profile of the victims of this crime, considering age, gender, race, education and the period in which they were subjected to slave labor conditions, as well as the profile of those responsible.Using a data collection methodology, the research is carried out through the investigation of Notices of Infraction in Brazil, from the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, provided by DETRAE (Inspection Division for the Eradication of Slave Labor). Based on these reports, the profiles of the victims and employers are drawn up, as well as information about the post-rescue period and the prospects for the effective reintegration of the rescued people invto society. The profiling takes into account the race, social class, gender and schooling of those involved.Based on the readings already made and the infraction reports analyzed so far, it is possible to outline a profile marked by central issues of gender, race and class. So far, most of the victims can be identified as black women with low levels of income and education.The second partial conclusion is the possibility of underreporting. Considering the circumstances in which these people were rescued - often after years of forced labor; without known relatives; at risk of social and state abandonment after the rescue - it is likely, or at least possible, that the number of complaints is derisory in relation to the number of workers in this type of situation.\\ 

Keywords (separate with commas)

Domestic slavery; modern slavery; work fiscalization.