A profession with dual foci: Is social work losing the balance?

Abstract

Individual and social are the two foci of the mission of change that drives the social work profession. This dual-focus provides not only a cultural mechanism by which the profession can negotiate its professional boundaries but the flexibility for the profession to adjust its focus when its social assignment changes. However, the uncritical pursuit of a full-fledged professional status within a neoliberal ideology is upsetting the balance of these two foci and may weaken the long term adaptability of the profession.

個人和社會是推動社會工作專業使命的兩個焦點。這雙焦點不僅提供一個文化機制，令專業可以就其界限進行協商，而且在社會使命出現變化時，專業可以靈活地調整其重點。然而，在新自由主義的意識形態下，不加批判地追求完整的專業化會破壞這兩個焦點的平衡，並可能削弱該行業的長期適應性。