Understanding social work professionalism through organisational lens : a study of social workers in Sweden
Svensson, Kerstin LU
(2026)
In European Journal of Social Work
29(3).
p.613-626
- Abstract
- This study delves into the relationship between social workprofessionalism and organisational dynamics. It addresses a notable gapin social work literature by examining how social workers perceive andengage with the organisations they serve. Drawing on a surveyconducted among Swedish social workers, data from 2018 is analysed.The findings reveal a wide array of job titles for social workers inSweden as well as divergent perspectives among them, highlightingcontrasting attitudes towards professional identity, autonomy, andorganisational affiliation. Through a theory-based analysis the studyoffers insights into the cognitive bases of social workers regarding theirtasks, shedding light on the prioritisation of knowledge, skills, andvalues... (More)
- This study delves into the relationship between social workprofessionalism and organisational dynamics. It addresses a notable gapin social work literature by examining how social workers perceive andengage with the organisations they serve. Drawing on a surveyconducted among Swedish social workers, data from 2018 is analysed.The findings reveal a wide array of job titles for social workers inSweden as well as divergent perspectives among them, highlightingcontrasting attitudes towards professional identity, autonomy, andorganisational affiliation. Through a theory-based analysis the studyoffers insights into the cognitive bases of social workers regarding theirtasks, shedding light on the prioritisation of knowledge, skills, andvalues within different professional and organisational roles.Additionally, it identifies discrepancies between idealised notions ofsocial work and the realities in various organisational contexts. Byelucidating the interaction between social work professionalism andorganisational influences, the study reveals variation in social workers’professional roles, tasks, and perspectives. In conclusion, the resultspoint to the necessity of moving beyond generic perspectives of socialworkers to acknowledge the specific organisations in which they areexpected to apply their expertise – also when studying the social workprofession itself. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/a461debd-e28b-4320-90e6-3ed011a045f7
- author
- Svensson, Kerstin
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-04-21
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- European Journal of Social Work
- volume
- 29
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 613 - 626
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105011732185
- ISSN
- 1369-1457
- DOI
- 10.1080/13691457.2025.2535347
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a461debd-e28b-4320-90e6-3ed011a045f7
- date added to LUP
- 2025-08-05 23:45:40
- date last changed
- 2026-10-03 17:29:34
@article{a461debd-e28b-4320-90e6-3ed011a045f7,
abstract = {{This study delves into the relationship between social workprofessionalism and organisational dynamics. It addresses a notable gapin social work literature by examining how social workers perceive andengage with the organisations they serve. Drawing on a surveyconducted among Swedish social workers, data from 2018 is analysed.The findings reveal a wide array of job titles for social workers inSweden as well as divergent perspectives among them, highlightingcontrasting attitudes towards professional identity, autonomy, andorganisational affiliation. Through a theory-based analysis the studyoffers insights into the cognitive bases of social workers regarding theirtasks, shedding light on the prioritisation of knowledge, skills, andvalues within different professional and organisational roles.Additionally, it identifies discrepancies between idealised notions ofsocial work and the realities in various organisational contexts. Byelucidating the interaction between social work professionalism andorganisational influences, the study reveals variation in social workers’professional roles, tasks, and perspectives. In conclusion, the resultspoint to the necessity of moving beyond generic perspectives of socialworkers to acknowledge the specific organisations in which they areexpected to apply their expertise – also when studying the social workprofession itself.}},
author = {{Svensson, Kerstin}},
issn = {{1369-1457}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{04}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{613--626}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{European Journal of Social Work}},
title = {{Understanding social work professionalism through organisational lens : a study of social workers in Sweden}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2025.2535347}},
doi = {{10.1080/13691457.2025.2535347}},
volume = {{29}},
year = {{2026}},
}