Om kategorisering og symbolskmagtudøvelse i det sociale arbejde

Abstract

cecilie k. moesby-jensen och tommy moesby-jensen Om kategorisering og symbolsk magtudøvelse i det sociale arbejdeMyten om de ressourcestærke forældre til børn med neuro-psykiatriske diagnoser On categorization and symbolic power in social work: The myth of the resourceful parents to children with neuro-psychiatric diagnoses Social workers often use the term resourceful about a certain group of parents to children with neuro-psychiatric diagnoses, e.g.autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.This paper discusses the consequences of this sort of stereotyping/categorization with particular regard to the collaboration between these parents and the social workers as they meet in the social services system, when the parents apply for help for their children.Drawing upon Pierre Bourdieu, it is suggested that the categorization resourceful is not only overly simplistic and a myth, but is straight out misguiding and complicates the interaction -in fact it represents an act of symbolic power.Based upon a six months long sociological field-work study it is shown, that even though social workers seem to acknowledge the difficult and grueling life-situation of the parents, they are first and foremost perceived as resourceful and knowledgeable but hence also as annoying, insufferable, demanding and basically unjustified, even though they have obvious legal rights.Parents and social workers alike described the collaboration as being conflictual and a struggle and the complex power-relations are discussed in the light of Bourdieu.Keywords: social work, categorization, conflictual collaboration, neuropsychiatric diagnoses antallet af børn og unge der får en neuro-psykiatrisk diagnose er stigende i den vestlige verden (Rose 2010;Brinkmann 2010;Langager 2011;Basse Fisker 2013; Sundhedsstyrelsen 2014).I Danmark har denne stigning sat pres på velfærdssystemet, og socialforvaltningernes Børne-og Familieafdelinger har i de seneste år oplevet en støt stigning i denne type børne-og ungesager.Dette betyder, at myndighedssocialrådgiverne 1 skal håndtere langt flere sager, hvor barnets eller den unges vanskeligheder 1 Alle socialrådgivere i undersøgelsen var myndighedssocialrådgivere, dvs.de var ansat i en børn-og ungeforvaltning og praktiserede med myndighedsansvar i henhold til Lov om social service (Serviceloven).Betegnelsen socialrådgiver anvendes ofte i teksten i stedet for myndighedssocial rådgiver for at lette læsningen.

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