Mending the gaps in social work education and research: two examples from a Swedish context
Heule, Cecilia LU ; Knutagård, Marcus LU
and Kristiansen, Arne
LU
(2017)
In European Journal of Social Work
20(3).
p.396-408
- Abstract
- The gap-mending concept is an analytical tool that helps teachers and researchers in social work to reflect upon what, in their practice, increases, maintains or mends gaps between professionals and service user groups. The article suggests a theoretical background on how gaps in social work practice can be challenged. This includes theories about power and recognition. It then moves on to describe the development of gap-mending strategies in research and education at the School of Social Work at Lund University. Lund University was one of three partners that took the initiative to the international network PowerUs that has focused on gap-mending strategies in social work education. The authors have been working over 10 years in... (More)
- The gap-mending concept is an analytical tool that helps teachers and researchers in social work to reflect upon what, in their practice, increases, maintains or mends gaps between professionals and service user groups. The article suggests a theoretical background on how gaps in social work practice can be challenged. This includes theories about power and recognition. It then moves on to describe the development of gap-mending strategies in research and education at the School of Social Work at Lund University. Lund University was one of three partners that took the initiative to the international network PowerUs that has focused on gap-mending strategies in social work education. The authors have been working over 10 years in collaboration with service user participation in the education of social workers and in different research projects. In the article, they give examples of gap-mending practices and of challenges that they have faced. The first example is an experimental course that has been given since 2005 where social work students study together with students from service user organizations in a university course. The second example is an attempt to combat homelessness in several Swedish municipalities. Supported by researchers, the development project has been a collaboration between homeless groups, politicians and social workers. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Konceptet gap-mending är ett analytiskt verktyg för att ge socialarbetare, lärare och forskare i socialt arbete stöd för att reflektera över faktorer i deras arbetssätt som förstärker och upprätthåller klyftor mellan socialarbetare och olika brukargrupper. I artikeln ges, med utgångspunkt i teorier om makt och erkännande, en teoretisk bakgrund till hur klyftor i socialt arbete kan problematiseras och utmanas. Därefter beskrivs utvecklingen av gap-mendingstrategier inom forskning och utbildning på Socialhögskolan vid Lunds universitet. Lunds universitet var en av tre parter som tog initiativ till det internationella nätverket PowerUs, som verkar för att utveckla gap-mendingstrategier i socialarbetarutbildningar. Författarna har samarbetat i... (More)
- Konceptet gap-mending är ett analytiskt verktyg för att ge socialarbetare, lärare och forskare i socialt arbete stöd för att reflektera över faktorer i deras arbetssätt som förstärker och upprätthåller klyftor mellan socialarbetare och olika brukargrupper. I artikeln ges, med utgångspunkt i teorier om makt och erkännande, en teoretisk bakgrund till hur klyftor i socialt arbete kan problematiseras och utmanas. Därefter beskrivs utvecklingen av gap-mendingstrategier inom forskning och utbildning på Socialhögskolan vid Lunds universitet. Lunds universitet var en av tre parter som tog initiativ till det internationella nätverket PowerUs, som verkar för att utveckla gap-mendingstrategier i socialarbetarutbildningar. Författarna har samarbetat i mer än tio år med olika brukarorganisationer i socialarbetarutbildningar och i olika forskningsprojekt. I artikeln ger de exempel på gap-mendingstrategier och utmaningar som de har mött. Det första exemplet är en experimentell kurs på Socialhögskolan vid Lunds universitet, som startade 2005, där socionomstudenter studerar tillsammans med studenter från brukarorganisationerna. Det andra exemplet är ett försök att bekämpa hemlöshet i flera svenska kommuner, som har byggt på ett samarbete mellan hemlösa grupper, politiker och socialarbetare. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/966c34c4-cfd2-42e7-b707-dab4efca19d7
- author
- Heule, Cecilia
LU
; Knutagård, Marcus
LU
and Kristiansen, Arne
LU
- organization
- alternative title
- Gap-mending i utbildning och forskning i socialt arbete: två exempel från Sverige
- publishing date
- 2017-05-04
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- European Journal of Social Work
- volume
- 20
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 396 - 408
- publisher
- Routledge
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85011278133
- wos:000402075900010
- ISSN
- 1369-1457
- DOI
- 10.1080/13691457.2017.1283589
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- doi: 10.1080/13691457.2017.1283589
- id
- 966c34c4-cfd2-42e7-b707-dab4efca19d7
- date added to LUP
- 2017-02-01 23:52:29
- date last changed
- 2022-04-16 23:03:19
@article{966c34c4-cfd2-42e7-b707-dab4efca19d7,
abstract = {{The gap-mending concept is an analytical tool that helps teachers and researchers in social work to reflect upon what, in their practice, increases, maintains or mends gaps between professionals and service user groups. The article suggests a theoretical background on how gaps in social work practice can be challenged. This includes theories about power and recognition. It then moves on to describe the development of gap-mending strategies in research and education at the School of Social Work at Lund University. Lund University was one of three partners that took the initiative to the international network PowerUs that has focused on gap-mending strategies in social work education. The authors have been working over 10 years in collaboration with service user participation in the education of social workers and in different research projects. In the article, they give examples of gap-mending practices and of challenges that they have faced. The first example is an experimental course that has been given since 2005 where social work students study together with students from service user organizations in a university course. The second example is an attempt to combat homelessness in several Swedish municipalities. Supported by researchers, the development project has been a collaboration between homeless groups, politicians and social workers.}},
author = {{Heule, Cecilia and Knutagård, Marcus and Kristiansen, Arne}},
issn = {{1369-1457}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{05}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{396--408}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
series = {{European Journal of Social Work}},
title = {{Mending the gaps in social work education and research: two examples from a Swedish context}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2017.1283589}},
doi = {{10.1080/13691457.2017.1283589}},
volume = {{20}},
year = {{2017}},
}