The social work profession, which traditionally relied on face-to-face interactions with clients, has been increasingly using digital communication. Though research has directed its attention to this phenomenon in a post Covid-19 era, very little data is available from professionals’ perspectives, particularly those working with children and families. Thus, this study aimed to explore how social workers from the Swedish Child Welfare Services have adapted to the new era of digital communication with children and youth placed in out-of-home care. We interviewed four social workers working in three different municipalities. A thematic analysis was used to interpret the results through the lens of Goffman’s interaction order theory. The findings show that digital communication has become part of the social workers’ daily routine. However, its application has both opportunities and challenges, and the participants’ responses indicate that a hybrid and reflective practice tailored to the children’s individual needs would be beneficial.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hig-42505 |
Date | January 2023 |
Creators | Shumye Tessema, Yayneabeba, Aoust, Tigrane Viviane |
Publisher | Högskolan i Gävle, Avdelningen för socialt arbete och kriminologi |
Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
Language | English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
Format | application/pdf |
Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
Page generated in 0.0446 seconds