“We can only see the top of the mountain” A study of social workers’ approach to their work with disabled children in Moshi, Tanzania
Author
Wickenhauser, Nicole
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2013
Submitted on
2013-08-05
Pages
88
Abstract
Dette feltstudie undersøger socialarbejderes praksis på en institution for børn med handicap i Moshi, Tanzania. Formålet er at beskrive deres konkrete tilgange og analysere, hvordan disse påvirkes af strukturelle, kulturelle og diskursive forhold. Studiet tager udgangspunkt i en kritisk realistisk position, som ser handicappedes vilkår som et komplekst socialt problem, der formes af dybereliggende samfundsstrukturer. Honneths anerkendelsesteori og Bourdieus begreb om kulturel kapital bruges til at forstå relationer, værdier og ressourcer, mens Allardts behovsteori inddrages for at belyse basale behov. Empirien bygger på deltagerobservation og kvalitative interviews med to socialarbejdere. Analysen er gennemført med Norman Faircloughs kritiske diskursanalyse, som undersøger, hvordan sprog og dominerende måder at tale og tænke (diskurser) former praksis. I praksis omfattede socialarbejdernes tilgange blandt andet at ledsage børn til hospitalsbehandling og støtte medicinsk opfølgning. De arbejdede med den amerikanske metode Gentle Teaching, en relationsbaseret tilgang med fokus på kærlighed, omsorg og tryghed. Organisationen havde også en familieindsats med mikrokreditlån til forældre, så de kunne købe hjælpemidler til børnene eller starte små virksomheder. Strukturelle udfordringer som fattigdom og begrænset statslig støtte prægede familiernes muligheder og socialarbejdernes handlemuligheder. Religion spillede en stor rolle i lokalsamfundet: Projektet havde kirkeligt afsæt, og samtidig påvirkede religiøse forestillinger synet på handicap. Nogle forældre kunne opfatte et barns handicap som en straf fra Gud, hvilket i nogle tilfælde førte til omsorgssvigt. Derfor omfattede tilgange i det sociale arbejde også undervisning i menneskerettigheder rettet mod forældre. Diskursivt var arbejdet præget af vestlige diskurser, især menneskerettigheder og Gentle Teaching. Deres betydning blev diskuteret med henblik på, om de bidrager til at opretholde eksisterende forhold eller kan medvirke til forandring. Studiet peger overordnet på, at socialt arbejde med børn med handicap i Moshi formes i spændingsfeltet mellem hverdagspraksis, teorier og brede samfundsmæssige vilkår.
This field study examines the practices of social workers at an institution for children with disabilities in Moshi, Tanzania. It describes their day-to-day approaches and analyzes how these are shaped by structural, cultural, and discursive factors. The study adopts a critical realist perspective, which views the situation of children with disabilities as a complex social problem shaped by deeper social structures. Honneth’s theory of recognition and Bourdieu’s concept of cultural capital are used to understand relationships, values, and resources, and Allardt’s needs theory is included to frame basic needs. The empirical material comes from participant observation and qualitative interviews with two social workers. The analysis draws on Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis, which explores how language and dominant ways of talking and thinking (discourses) shape practice. In practice, the social workers’ approaches included accompanying children to hospital treatments and supporting medication management. They used the American method Gentle Teaching, a relationship-based approach emphasizing love, care, and safety. The organization also ran a family initiative with microcredit loans to parents to purchase assistive equipment for their children or start small businesses. Structural challenges such as poverty and limited state support constrained families’ opportunities and the scope of social workers’ actions. Religion played a prominent role in the local community: the project originated in the church, and religious beliefs also influenced how disability was perceived. Some parents viewed a child’s disability as a punishment from God, which in some cases led to neglect. Social workers therefore also focused on educating parents about human rights. Discursively, the work was influenced by Western discourses, notably human rights and Gentle Teaching. These were discussed in terms of whether they help maintain existing conditions or can support change. Overall, the study shows that social work with children with disabilities in Moshi is shaped by the interplay between everyday practice, theoretical frameworks, and broader societal conditions.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Keywords
Documents