3. Level 1: Basic academic level (1st cycle) module

3.2. Lesson 2 (2 hours) preparatory considerations – the personal context

Theme Topic Guiding
Motivation

Social work is a profession that expresses a certain
“vision” of society – Orientation options could be
- A just society
- A well functioning society
- A clearly structured society
- ….

What were the basic
motivations for you wanting to be a social worker?
Awareness

All action and interaction take place within personal
value systems that include preconceptions, biases,
cultural traditions and fundamental personal beliefs.


Elements that make up a personal profile
Elements that make up a professional profile

In what situation do I become aware of my “guiding beliefs”?

Where do they coincide with
/ conflict with what is
expected of a social worker?
Reflection

Preparation for and accompaniment of participative learning processes must therefore be guided by explicitly organised and guided opportunities for reflection.

Learning from reflection can only take place in a non- authoritarian context and relationships that allow also for ambiguity and mistakes to be openly
recognised (Sicora, 2017)

What kind of situations make me reflect?
What categories of topics does my reflecting activate? What circumstances and conditions facilitate my reflecting?

Resources:

Adams, R. (2008). Empowerment, participation, and social work (4th ed.). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Sicora, A. (2017). Reflective Practice, Risk and Mistakes in Social Work. Journal of Social Work Practice, 31(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/02650533.2017.1394823.

*Sterling, J., Jost, J. T. a Hardin, C. D. (2019). Liberal and Conservative Representations of the Good Society: A (Social) Structural Topic Modeling Approach. SAGE Open 9 (2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019846211