Časopis Sociální pedagogika | Social Education

ročník 4, číslo 1, rok 2016 / volume 4, number 1, year 2016

ISSN 1805-8825

Časopis pro sociální pedagogiku

The journal for socio-educational theory and research

www.soced.cz

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education

Časopis pro sociální pedagogiku

ročník 4, číslo 1, rok 2016

The journal for socio-educational theory and research

volume 4, number 1, year 2016

Monotematické číslo:

Nedořešený hlavolam: Sociální pedagogika a/versus Sociální práce

Vydává

Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně

Fakulta humanitních studií

Mostní 5139

760 01 Zlín

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education

Vydává Fakulta humanitních studií Univerzity Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně

Redakce časopisu

Hlavní redaktor: Jiří Němec, Pedagogická fakulta MU, Brno.

Výkonná redaktorka: Jitka Vaculíková, Centrum výzkumu FHS UTB, Zlín.

Redaktor studií: Radim Šíp, Pedagogická fakulta MU, Brno.

Redaktorka studií: Radana Kroutilová Nováková, Fakulta humanitních studií UTB, Zlín (MD).

Redaktorka studií: Anna Petr Šafránková, Fakulta humanitních studií UTB, Zlín.

Redaktor recenzí a informací: Jakub Hladík, Fakulta humanitních studií UTB, Zlín.

Redakční rada časopisu

Stanislav Bendl, Pedagogická fakulta UK, Praha; Christian Brandmo, Fakulta pedagogických věd UiO,

Oslo; Adele E. Clarke, Katedra sociálních a behaviorálních věd UCSF, San Francisco; Miroslav Dopita,

Pedagogická fakulta UP, Olomouc; Jolana Hroncová, Pedagogická fakulta UMB, Banská Bystrica;

Jim Johnson, Pedagogická škola a Katedra psychologie PLNU, San Diego; Vladimír Jůva, Fakulta

sportovních studií MU, Brno; Michal Kaplánek, Jabok – Vyšší odborná škola sociálně pedagogická

a teologická, Praha; Blahoslav Kraus, Pedagogická fakulta UHK, Hradec Králové; Roman Leppert,

Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy, Bydgoszcz; Peter Ondrejkovič, Pedagogická fakulta

UP, Olomouc; Milan Pol, Filozofická fakulta MU, Brno; Andrea Preissová Krejčí, Filozofická fakulta

UP, Olomouc; Miroslav Procházka, Pedagogická fakulta JU, České Budějovice; Jiří Prokop,

Pedagogická fakulta UK, Praha; Ewa Syrek, Katedra Pedagogiki Społecznej UŚ, Katowice; Petr Vašát,

Sociologický ústav AV ČR, Praha; Soňa Vávrová, Fakulta sociálních studií OU, Ostrava.

Kontakt

Časopis Sociální pedagogika | Social Education

nám. T. G. Masaryka 1279, 760 01 Zlín

E: editorsoced@fhs.utb.cz

T: +420 576 038 007

W: www.soced.cz

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education, ročník 4, číslo 1, 2016. Vydává Fakulta humanitních studií

Univerzity Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně. Vede hlavní redaktor Jiří Němec s redakční radou. Časopis vychází

dvakrát ročně v elektronické podobě. V časopise jsou uveřejněny pouze původní recenzované práce,

které nebyly doposud publikovány.

ISSN 1805-8825

OBSAH

Editorial (Redakce)

Thoughts from the editor’s office (Pár slov z redakce) .................................................................................8

Introducing a monothematic issue (Představujeme monotematické číslo) .................................................9

Studie

Ewa Marynowicz-Hetka

Social Pedagogy and Social Work: An analysis of their Relationship from a Socio-pedagogical

Perspective (Sociální pedagogika a sociální práce: Analýza vztahů ze sociálně-pedagogického

hlediska) .................................................................................................................................................13

Klaus Kraimer, Lena Altmeyer

The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy – Similarities in Theory and Profession

from a German Perspective (Vztah mezi sociální pedagogikou a sociální prací – teoretické a

profesní podobnosti z německé perspektivy) ........................................................................................25

Jitka Navrátilov á, Pavel Navrátil

Educational Discourses in Social Work

(Vzdělávací diskurzy v sociální práci)......................................................................................................38

Blahoslav Kraus, Stanislava Hoferková

The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work

(Ke vztahu sociální pedagogiky a sociální práce) ...................................................................................57

Andrej Mátel, Andrea Preissová Krejčí

Convergent and Divergent Aspects of Social Work and Social Pedagogy (Konvergentní a

divergentní prvky sociální práce a sociální pedagogiky) ........................................................................72

Helena Skarupská

Selected Methods of Intervention Suitable for Work Social Educator with Children at Risk of Social

Exclusion (Vybrané metody intervence vhodné pro práci sociálního pedagoga s dětmi ohroženými

sociálním vyloučením)............................................................................................................................87

Martin Stanoev

Study Review: Selected Methods of Intervention Suitable for Work Social Educator with Children

at Risk of Social Exclusion (Odborná reflexe studie: Vybrané metody intervence vhodné pro práci

sociálního pedagoga s dětmi ohroženými sociálním vyloučením).......................................................104

Kulatý stůl

Nedořešený hlavolam: Sociální pedagogika a/versus sociální práce ........................................................106

Odborná esej

Paradigmy jedinečných vied (Věra Tepličková).........................................................................................110

Studie

Peter Ondrejkovič

Porozumenie v spoločenskovednom výskume ....................................................................................115

Recenze

Hladík, J. (2014). Multikulturní kompetence studentů pomáhajících profesí (Miroslav Jůzl)...................125

Roman, N. V. (2015) Parenting. Behaviors, Cultural influences and Impact on Childhood Health

and Well-being (Aleš Sekot) .................................................................................................................126

Informace

Valná hromada Asociace vzdělavatelů v sociální pedagogice (Jakub Hladík) ...........................................130

Nekrolog

Ohlédnutí za panem docentem Jiljím Špičákem (1934–2016) (Antonín Bůžek) .......................................131

CONTENTS

Editorial (Editorial board)

Thoughts from the editor’s office .................................................................................................................8

Introducing a monothematic issue................................................................................................................9

Articles

Ewa Marynowicz-Hetka

Social Pedagogy and Social Work: An analysis of their Relationship from a Socio-pedagogical

Perspective .............................................................................................................................................13

Klaus Kraimer, Lena Altmeyer

The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy – Similarities in Theory and Profession

from a German Perspective ...................................................................................................................25

Jitka Navrátilová, Pavel Navrátil

Educational Discourses in Social Work...................................................................................................38

Blahoslav Kraus, Stanislava Hoferková

The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work...........................................................................57

Andrej Mátel, Andrea Preissová Krejčí

Convergent and Divergent Aspects of Social Work and Social Pedagogy..............................................72

Helena Skarupská

Selected Methods of Intervention Suitable for Work Social Educator with Children at Risk of Social

Exclusion.................................................................................................................................................87

Martin Stanoev

Study Review: Selected Methods of Intervention Suitable for Work Social Educator with Children

at Risk of Social Exclusion.....................................................................................................................104

Round table

An unsolved puzzle: Social Pedagogy and/versus Social Work .................................................................106

Essay

Unique Science Paradigms (Věra Tepličková) ...........................................................................................110

Article

Peter Ondrejkovič

Understanding in the Social Research..................................................................................................115

Reviews

Hladík, J. (2014). Multicultural Competence of Students in Helping Professions (Miroslav Jůzl).............125

Roman, N. V. (2015). Parenting. Behaviors, Cultural influences and Impact on Childhood Health

and Well-being (Aleš Sekot) .................................................................................................................126

Information

The General Meeting of the Association of Educators in Social Pedagogy (Jakub Hladík) .......................130

Obituary

Looking back: doc. Jiljí Špičák (1934–2016) (Antonín Bůžek) ....................................................................131

Editorial

Thoughts from the editor’s office / Editorial 8

Czech version/Česká verze

Thoughts from the editor’s office

Dear Readers,

You are about to read the third monothematic issue of the Journal of Social Pedagogy dealing with

the serious topic of the positions of Social Pedagogy and Social Work. Before we proceed to their

delimitation, we would like to introduce several bits of news and observations from the current

publication of our journal.

Even though the current website is satisfactory for both the editors and readers, we decided to begin

an extensive content reconstruction. The structure of information remains unchanged,

but a complete English version – a copy of the Czech one – is being added. The impulse for

communication in English is not only increasing the opportunities for being registered by

international scholarly databases but also attracting the attention of a growing number of

international authors and readers. In providing an English version, we are trying to offer an equal

influx of high quality information. Furthermore, opening the journal to the international scientific

community directly and positively influences the quality of published texts. Until now, we included

English versions in the titles of the contributions, abstracts, keywords, the table of contents and

author affiliations. Taking another step forward, we will start publishing full texts in English, German

or possibly other world languages, with the coming monothematic issue being a good example.

Moreover, the fall issue of 2016, currently under preparation, will be our first English-only issue. This

step is being taken to gradually increase international visibility for the journal and its authors.

In our future editorial plans, we count on English-written texts in combination with Czech, Slovak or

German texts. However, some conditions must be met. Primarily, we want high-quality and well-

written contributions that help advance the field of Social Pedagogy. Thus, even if an article passes

review, the editors reserve the right of rejection for failing to meet our stringent language

requirements, especially in English. For this reason, we plan to introduce on our website an English

dictionary of specialized terms in the field of Social Pedagogy that will help English language authors

properly orient themselves in the terminology.

Another problem area seems to be the lack of appropriateness for the specialized field.

We constantly see the ongoing search for the delimitation of the field of Social Pedagogy, which

often results in receiving contributions that are thematically too distant or content inappropriate

from the point of view of Social Pedagogy. It can be argued that this is the exact reason why a journal

like this exists; however, we would appreciate more thorough authorial deliberation on the focus of

the journal. In other words, texts directly focused on the discipline of Social Pedagogy and connected

practices are highly valued, unlike texts written for other disciplines. Geographical and thematic

diversity remain much appreciated.

The other novelty is offering a wider variety of formats in which the published texts are available.

A PDF (containing metadata) will be available along with HTML and MOBI versions. Checking for

plagiarism and self-citations remain unchanged (self-citations at the maximum level of 20%). As we

are interested in the most user-friendly journal web presentation (especially shortening the

information search), we decided to implement the widened search options located in a search line in

the top right corner of the screen. Now searching for contributions is quick and easy by title, key

words or author name. We also implemented a new audio-visual dimension of the journal by

launching a YouTube channel. The published recordings can be viewed via a Journal Videos link in the

first slide of the journal web presentation. See and judge for yourself by visiting www.soced.cz.

The editors wish you pleasant reading.

Editorial

Introducing a monothematic issue / Editorial 9

Czech version/Česká verze

Introducing a monothematic issue

An unsolved puzzle: Social Pedagogy and/versus Social Work

What is the relationship between Social Pedagogy and Social Work? Sometimes the two seem to

compete with each other, sometimes they cooperate nicely, and sometimes the two look like two

sides of the same proverbial coin. The truth remains that their origins and their approaches have

unique geographical specifics that, over time, became intersected and cross-linked, their original

motivations forgotten and new ones established. This complicated origin and development often

veils an important issue. Both Social Pedagogy and Social Work appeared as professions of practical

activities and later as professions supported by theoretical studies in the times when the one-sided

development of modern society needed compensating for. The aim of this monothematic issue is to

try and clarify, at least partially, the puzzle of this mutual relationship. As the birth of modern society

was not an event and a process that took place in a geographically clearly delimited area, no

nationality can consider their understanding of the relationship between Social Pedagogy and Social

Work as the only generally accepted truth. That is why we do not confine ourselves to the

Czechoslovak space. We established a dialogue with distinguished foreign authors, and we are proud

to present their academic contributions in this issue. We also highly appreciate that some Czech

scholars tried to ground their work in the international perspective. Thus we provide our readers

with at least a partial transnational view of the problem. To encourage the breach of local limitations,

the editorial board decided to publish, in the Studies section of this issue, contributions in English

(with one exception representing the varia – see later).

The current issue opens with an invited study from abroad. It is our pleasure to introduce the study

Social Pedagogy and Social Work: Analysis of the Relationships from the Socio-pedagogical

Perspective. The author, Ewa Marynowicz-Hetka, introduces an unusual interpretation of the

relationship between Social Pedagogy and Social Work, where Social Pedagogy is interpreted from a

broad perspective. She proceeds from the philosophy of John Dewey, who understood socialization,

education and social work as “forming a joint experience.” Such understanding of Social Pedagogy is

not strictly a pedagogical discipline and does not focus strictly on education. It is an environment

where problems of social reality can be analysed. Thus, it can offer a meta-theory to Social Work for

analysis of its activities, methods and target groups. As will be described below, such a view can be

shocking for a Czech reader, but it has its deep rational justification.

Another article, The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy – Similarities in Theory

and Profession from the German Point of View, is again an invited study by foreign scholars, Klaus

Kreimer and Lena Altmayer. Their contribution focuses on a relatively new approach in Social Work –

the so-called case-reconstructive Social Work. This approach is, according to the authors, reflected

only rudimentarily and insufficiently in the Federal Republic of Germany, but the authors consider it

to be highly stimulating and perspective. It is based on three dimensions in which the client is worked

with: somato-psycho-social integrity, law and justice based on applicable laws, and the methodically-

explicit verification of applicability in notional and sensual perception. The description of work with a

client culminates in the final section where a goal is formulated that helps a client cope with risks by

basing their autonomy on realistically-chosen goals. The style and depth of this approach suggests

that an important role is played by what used to be reserved for Social Pedagogy. This contribution

also suggests that Social Pedagogy and Social Work have had more in common than could have been

understood fifty years ago.

Scholars Jitka Navrátilová and Pavel Navrátil, in their study Educational Discourses in Social Work,

focus mainly on the topic of the identity of Social Work in relation to the discipline of Social

Pedagogy. Referring to academic sources, they claim the identity is not easy to determine because

Introducing a monothematic issue / Editorial 10

Social Work appears to be a multiparadigmatic, discursively-open discipline. They identify the four

most important discourses: social-pedagogical (here the overlap with Social Pedagogy), scientific,

reflexive and competence (understood as placing emphasis on competences to solve a problem).

Based on the analysis of these discourses, they clarify the identity of the discipline within the given

discourses. In the end, they present the results in a clear table, which shows the individual discourses

as representing individual emphases rather than understandings of Social Work itself.

If we look at the section “key values” (proof – scientific discourse; competence to solve problems

– discourse of competence; reflexion leading to understanding a client – reflexive discourse;

empowerment/development – social-pedagogical discourse), then we cannot imagine effectively

helping the needy with any of the mentioned values absent. That leads us back to the question of the

overlap of Social Pedagogy and Social Work, since reflexive and socio-pedagogical values are

primarily the integral part of the curriculum of educating social pedagogues in the same way as

emphasis on the scientific analysis of a problem and on the ability to help effectively.

The fourth article in the issue is The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work. The authors,

Blahoslav Kraus and Stanislava Hoferková, analysis the development of the relationship between

Social Pedagogy and Social Work in the Czech Republic and abroad. Further on, they typify three

relationships among the mentioned disciplines: identifying, differentiating and converging.

Ultimately, they state that the “trend towards multiparadigmatism” is starting to prevail in both

disciplines. This trend is not accidental since, according to the authors, Social Work is not strictly

distinguished from Social Pedagogy by work methods or target groups. Both disciplines used to be

differentiated on the basis of simplifying principles. For example, it used to be believed that Social

Work offered primarily help in the material sphere while Social Pedagogy concerned social

education. The authors determine that the tendency of blending both disciplines is increasing. This

article can thus be read also as a claim that both Social Work and Social Pedagogy have focused too

intensively on their mutual differences to justify the independence of their disciplines, and they tend

to forget the object of their interest – human beings in need of help. In other words, one cannot be

helped by material means without the social-educational reconstruction of their relationship with

themselves and their surroundings. Material help without help in social education is ineffective.

Fortunately, this erroneous trend of simplification has dissipated.

The authors of Convergent and Divergent Aspects of Social Work and Social Pedagogy are Andrej

Mátel and Andrea Preissová Krejčí. Their article focuses on an analysis of academic sources (primarily

Czech and Slovak) dealing with both disciplines. The analysis is profiled through the following

themes: character of the discipline, actors, objects of the activity, character of the activity, and space

of the activity. Based on the analysis of the current state, the authors describe the convergent and

divergent elements. In the final section, they introduce two typologies of the relationship between

the two disciplines (from J. Schilling and from P. Ondrejkovič). Even though the authors find the

traditionally-mentioned differences to be in the core of both disciplines (Social Pedagogy is more

theoretical and general; Social Work is more practical and rather an applied science), they

nevertheless claim “the importance of intensive cooperation.”

The last study in the monothematic issue, by Helena Skarupská, is Selected Methods of Intervention

Suitable for Work Social Educator with Children at Risk of Social Exclusion. The author examines the

growing exigency of expanding excluded localities. She recommends that social pedagogues working

in these localities should adapt and use some methods of social workers. To clarify, she begins by

referring to the concept of “culture of poverty” (O. Lewis) as critically examined by C. Murray. She

proceeds by detailing three intervention techniques (goal-oriented approach, reality therapy, anti-

oppressive approach) and two broader strategies (case social work and the social-ecological model of

work) that social pedagogues should adapt, thereby broadening their work methods especially in

excluded localities.

The study by Skarupská is subject to the study review of Martin Stanoev. He appreciates the overall

aim of the study but warns of dangers that can arise from utilizing Murray’s concept of the “culture

Introducing a monothematic issue / Editorial 11

of poverty” in order to assess the essence of poverty. He mentions the work of the office of D.

Drábek, Czech Minister of Work and Social Affairs, as a cautionary tale of how applying this approach

can be economically counterproductive and socially dangerous.

Stanoev’s reflections close the section on studies, and that is where the language switches to Czech^1,

for the current issue, as agreed upon by the editorial board, was never intended to be monolingual.

Moreover, a media change follows. For this issue, instead of the typical interview, the editorial board

decided to organize a round table discussion on the current topic, of which an audio-visual recording

is available. This shift marks a permanent change in course, and coincides with the editors’ desire to

transform what was a primarily read-only medium into a modern multi-media space that will take

into account the latest trends in the development of scientific journals.

The round table, which discussed the topic, An unsolved puzzle: Social Pedagogy and/versus Social

Work, was held on February 16, 2016 at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. Four

participants met; two of them representing academia and two from the field of practice, each

participant being from the field of Social Pedagogy or Social Work. Social Work was represented by

doc. Pavel Navrátil and Mgr. Ladislav Ptáček, Social Pedagogy by Dr. Lenka Gulová and Mgr. Dagmar

Gasnárková. The discussion was friendly and constructive, even when it turned to the present and

highly controversial Czech Bill on Social Workers. Despite the expected disagreement, we hope an

increased understanding of the concerns of both sides was reached. The whole section was

concluded by a bon mot, “The Chamber (as in the Professional Chamber of Social Workers) is a help,

not a threat,” in which the participants tried to characterize the modern world, detail how these

characteristics transform social risks, and identify what challenges these new risks pose for Social

Pedagogy and Social Work. The participants eventually uncovered an idea that should serve as food

for thought in both disciplines. The idea: It is not only the appearance of social risks and risk groups

that changes; our modern problem lies in traditional explanatory frameworks. We cannot effectively

help the needy if we use old points of departure for the analysis of their current situation.

The audio-visual recording of the round table is available via a hypertext link located within the text

in the current issue and also via a permanent link in the first slide of the journal web presentation in

the section Journal Videos. The written summary of the two-hour discussion is brief but does contain

a time frame where all the questions and answers of the individual participants are presented so that

users can navigate directly to sections of interest.

The last part of the monothematic Social Pedagogy and/versus Social Work issue is an expert essay

by Věra Tepličková: Paradigms of unique sciences. Without losing connection with the specialist way

of thinking, the author was not afraid to take risks. She begins by stating that help is a basic

anthropological category, as help in most of its forms is essential for human survival. The roots of

social thinking are seen in deep antiquity and their new quality is noticed in the so called “new

paideia,” which appeared in ancient Greek philosophy and leads from “self-acting” to realization. The

author leads us from the characters of Greek and Roman traditions into the modern times, during

which the need for social workers and social pedagogues has intensified by overemphasizing

individualism. Even though the author sees the difference between social pedagogues and social

workers (as both operate in times when the diversity of social reality requires specialization), she

eventually urges the two disciplines to cooperate closely. It is their cooperation that should help their

acknowledgement by experts and the lay public alike.

And with this comes the end of the monothematic part of this issue. The closing comments of

Tepličková and the unique overlap of both disciplines as made obvious from the issue’s other articles

have led the author of this editorial to several thoughts. First of all, there was originally no

1 Monothematic focused studies are also accessible in Czech or German language via hypertext link located at

the head of the studies. Studies are accessible not only to a wide international audience, but also to

domestic readers. It is necessary to refer your citation to the English studies, since these versions are seen

as prime, i.e., they contain digital object identifier (doi) and are indexed in databases.

Introducing a monothematic issue / Editorial 12

differentiation between Social Work and Social Pedagogy, and their generic difference was outlined

only in the first half of the twentieth century when both disciplines found it necessary to establish

themselves as independent sciences. It is therefore commonly believed that Social Pedagogy is

different from the field of Pedagogy, as is Social Work from the field of Sociology; that one is rather

more general and the other more applied is what differentiates them from each other. However, if

we look to the United States, the cradle of modern Social Work, we will find a completely different

picture. The activities of Jane Addams (1860–1935) at Chicago’s Hull House did not clearly separate

Social Work from Social Pedagogy. Likewise, we cannot separate them in the thinking of John Dewey,

who underpinned the theoretical and practical activities of his friend Addams, who by her activities

and thoughts on the continuously changing society simultaneously inspired Dewey to reach his most

revolutionary philosophical, pedagogical and social ideas. We also cannot forget that this is where

the major wave of “social work” in the First Czechoslovak Republic found its motivation, having been

imported directly from Hull House by Alice Masaryk and her colleagues. However, this direct lineage

was never duly appreciated. The probable reason is that the first half of the twentieth century, when

the inspiration reached Czechoslovakia and when both disciplines started to establish themselves as

scientific fields, was an era in which most Europeans (Masaryk being a notable exception) looked

down on American intellectual and practically-oriented social affairs from the position of an older

and wiser brother.

Even though it is clear from this issue that Social Pedagogy and Social Work significantly overlap and

support one another, it still surprises many. The current relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social

Work can be characterized as a gradual awakening from a dream of separate disciplines only to find a

mutual multidisciplinary origin. This is the reason we believe that Social Pedagogy and Social Work

should be seen as the proverbial coin with two sides (a metaphor used by one of the contributors).

And if this is so, then both disciplines should in the long-term think of intensifying their cooperation

on the level of ideas as well as on the academic, practical and organizational-legislative levels.

______

This monothematic block is, uncharacteristically, followed by another study that did not perfectly fit

in the univocal section on the relationship between Social Pedagogy and Social Work. As three

monothematic issues followed one another and none were appropriate for this contribution, the

editorial board decided to include the text in this issue in the form of varia. The work of Peter

Ondrejkovič, Understanding in the Social Research departs from the hermeneutical tradition to

ascertain and come to terms with the differences between the natural sciences and the humanities.

The humanities, he contends, are unique because they rely on interpretation, and this leads to the

application of different methods of research and analysis.

Three more sections follow this study. Reviews offer critical evaluations of Jakub Hladík’s book,

Multicultural competence of students of helping professions and Nicollete V. Roman’s book,

Parenting: Behaviors, cultural influences and impact on childhood health and well-being. The news

section contains Hladík’s report on the General Assembly of the Association of Educators in Social

Pedagogy. This is followed by an obituary of one of the pioneers of Social Pedagogy, doc. Jiljí Špičák,

to whom we pay our respects. Finally, we include a collegial advertisement of the Pedagogická

orientace journal, and we wish its editors and editorial board a successful year ahead.

Thanks are extended to the members of our editorial board as well as to the authors and reviewers

for their cooperation in the preparation of another monothematic issue. Without this energy and

determination the creation of a uniquely specialized scientific journal would not be possible.

Editorial board

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 13

Volume 4, Issue 1, pp. 13–24, April 2016

ISSN 1805-8825 | doi:10.7441/soced.2016.04.01.01

Social Pedagogy and Social Work: An analysis of their

Relationship from a Socio-pedagogical Perspectiv

Ewa Marynowicz-

Hetka

Contact to author

University of Łódź,

Faculty of Educational Sciences,

48/46 Pomorska,

91-408 Lodz

spolecz@uni.lodz.pl

Kontakt na autora

Unverzita v Łódźi,

Fakulta pedagogických věd,

48/46 Pomorska,

91-408 Lodz

spolecz@uni.lodz.pl

Copyright © 2016 by the author

and publisher, TBU in Zlín.

This work is licensed under the

Creative Commons Attribution

International License (CC BY).

Abstract: A proposal for the relationship between social

pedagogy and social work will be made in this manuscript. It is

assumed that social work is a certain type of practice cultivated

by representatives of the social professions. Social pedagogy can

provide an analysis of the field of social work, helping to orient

activities within the field and to determine the proper selection

of ways of conduct, a kind of a meta-theory. Such an approach

enables interaction and cooperation between representatives of

multiple disciplines within the humanities and social sciences

who are engaged in social work. It also has consequences for the

acceptance of multi-faceted and multi-dimensional approaches

to activities in the field of social work, which is recognized as an

important field for social pedagogues, allowing them to carry out

social actions from various perspectives, socio-pedagogical

among them. The socio-pedagogical perspective on social work

will be analyzed in this article.

Keywords: social pedagogy, social work, field of practice,

orientation of activity, relational model of social work, integrated

paradigm

Sociální pedagogika a sociální práce: Analýza

vztahů ze sociálně-pedagogického hlediska

Abstrakt: V tomto příspěvku je analyzován návrh vztahů mezi

sociální pedagogikou a sociální prací. Předpokládáme, že sociální

práce je určitým druhem praxe kultivované představiteli

sociálních profesí. Navíc může sociální pedagogika poskytnout

určitou meta-teorii pro analýzu pole sociální práce, pro orientaci

aktivit v tomto poli a pro výběr způsobu chování. Takový přístup

nám umožňuje potkat představitele mnoha disciplín humanitních

a společenských věd v poli sociální práce a spolupracovat s nimi.

Převzetí takové pozice má za důsledek přijetí mnohotvaré

a mnohadimenzionální přípravy aktivit v poli sociální práce.

Uvědomujeme si, že sociální práce se může chápat jako jedno

z důležitých polí aktivit sociálního pedagoga, ve kterém se sociální

akce provádí z různých perspektiv. Jednou z nich může být

sociálně-pedagogická perspektiva. Tento sociálně-pedagogický

úhel pohledu je předmětem analýzy v tomto příspěvku.

Klíčová slova: sociální pedagogika, sociální práce, pole praxe,

orientace aktivity, relační model sociální práce, integrované

paradigma

Marynowicz-Hetka / Social pedagogy and social work: An analysis of their relationship… 14

1 The starting point: The imperative of modernity – searching for

comprehensive knowledge for an analysis of the field in practice

Contemporary social work is suspended between theory and practice, which are intertwined but

nevertheless develop at different rates and in different contexts. For the development of social work

in these two areas at the same time, as a practice and as an academic discipline, it is necessary to

find positions that make it possible to comprehensively analyze the complexity of both the field of

practice and the reflection on it. What is needed is “comprehensive knowledge.” One of the sources

of which may be the concept of social pedagogy, due to its completeness (Radlińska, 1935;

Witkowski, 2014) expressed in the integrated paradigm of understanding the field in practice and the

activities in it.

Various theoretical positions and approaches lend themselves to different meanings of social work,

but what is fundamental is determining whether we understand it as a field of practice (profession,

type of practice), or as a separate, self-contained academic discipline (in the substantive rather than

institutional sense of it). Answers to this question divide scholars. When considering social work as a

discipline, we look for specific reasons, a separate linguistic apparatus, a method of research, and a

specific point of view. Furthermore, we question its status and the course of the process of becoming

a science of social work. When we think of it as a field of practice, we wonder from what

perspectives we can analyze, understand and explore this field, and what approaches can orientate

activity in it. We then consider a social employee, their level of professionalism, the methods of

work, the consequences, etc.

Obviously, the two perspectives can and even should intersect, but this dichotomous division

differentiates the positions and the perception of social work. Since the beginning of the 1990s, Poles

have adopted the perspective of combining the disciplines for which social work is an area of study

and field of practice, and of searching for common elements. In this way, Poles have been trying to

create the conditions for the sharing of concepts, ideologies, values, and goals, in the name of unitas

multiplex. Such intentions undoubtedly influenced the present level of development of the social

work academic discipline. As a result of discussions held at meetings of the Polish Association of

Schools of Social Work, the establishment of several posts of professors of social work was rejected

in Poland, a decision which counters those made in some other European countries. In Poland,

several (sub) disciplines aspire to analyze the area of social work recognized as a field of practice.

One of them is social pedagogy.

This paper will provide an analysis of this outlook and the socio-pedagogical perspective on the field

of social work, carried out in relation to the discipline’s requirements and development process. This

article will tackle this broadly-formulated topic in a context-based way, showing the dilemmas,

doubts and conditions of the relationships between social work and social pedagogy.

2 Social work – multiplicity of meanings: A proposal of a socio-pedagogical

interpretation

In order to get to know the field of social work and activity occurring in it, we can examine it through

different perspectives and take different theoretical and methodological approaches that

significantly modify its definition and make it a specialized discourse. They include, inter alia,

feminist, general, minority, radical, participatory, organization and management, institutional,

critical, and other trends. The adoption of a particular theoretical perspective determines the

multiplicity of the meanings of social work and differentiates the range of social work in practice. It

especially affects the orientation of the activity, which, depending on the specifics of the adopted

outlook, is characterized by the following oscillation:

Marynowicz-Hetka / Social pedagogy and social work: An analysis of their relationship… 15

- From protection, continuance, stabilization, standardization and normalization, distribution of

goods and services, management of problems and excesses of power exposed in the relations.

- Through mediating and creating a space of common experience (French: d’expérience

partagée)2, co-participation, and cooperation.

- To a change in the reforming dimension (transformation, melioration) and in the radical

dimension (contestation, systemic change).

This analysis suggests that perceiving social work and attributing meanings to it spans between the

field of practice and the disciplinary discourse. It also encourages a question: “What is social work (is

to be, should be), the field of practice (action/activity) or the disciplinary discourse, in meta-

theoretical terms?” The answers often situate it as a field of activity/practice, and also provide for it a

description, interpretation, and orientation of activity. One such answer is social pedagogy,

a category of action/activity, the analysis of which determines the orientation of professional

conduct and builds an integrated paradigm of the activity analysis.3

3 The conditions for creating the discipline in a substantive sense

Before examining the relationships between the field of social work and social pedagogy as one of

the possible meta-theories describing this field of practice, let us examine the conditions for creating

the discipline in a substantive sense (Ossowski, 1962).

Many of us, who are engaged in thinking about social work, in educating in this area of practice,

in research and activity in this field, put forward this question: “How can social work become

a discipline in a substantive sense?” Without going into a detailed discussion of the differences in

recognizing when some reflection on the practice already is a discipline,4 it should be noted that it is

not about “being” a discipline in the formal, institutional sense, which is achieved through

establishing a course of studies. Therefore, it is not about decreeing the discipline but about

developing it. In this sense, the process of generating an academic discipline on the field of practice

and developing theories is typical of the practical disciplines, that is those which – according to

Tadeusz Kotarbiński (1961) – are involved in designing, which is expressed through a long phase of

“pre-professional” practice. In the case of social work, this phase was formed in Europe as a result of

two different teleological interpretations: miser sacra est and miser pudibunda est (Wroczyński,

1964).

The process of generating a discipline related to a field of practice requires an understanding of the

elements that define phases and thresholds of becoming a discipline in a substantive sense^5. In

general, the following items are distinguished: the subject, the way of analysis and conceptual

apparatus, and the specific point of view, relevant to the discipline. However, it is not only about the

specification of individual examples for each of these elements that make up the discipline in a

substantive sense, but about its possibly comprehensive/complete vision (Witkowski, 2014).

Similarly, the conceptual apparatus depends on the assumed theoretical approach and should not (as

sometimes happens) be only a registry of the events in the language of the practice. In the phase of

creating the language of the discipline, this is one of the greatest challenges. The conceptual

2 A term derived from the concept of activity by John Dewey (cf. Dewey, 1968). I refer to it in greater detail,

inter alia, in Marynowicz-Hetka (2014, pp. 17–31).

3 I discussed this issue in several texts. For the most comprehensive analysis, see Marynowicz-Hetka (2010).

4 I discussed this issue in the handbook of social pedagogy, Vol. 1 (cf. Marynowicz-Hetka, 2006, 2007, 2009a),

Chapter 1.

5 An example of the discipline creation process embracing the influence of practice is the development of

social pedagogy and the identification and use of tools for its analysis, including the phases and thresholds

of its development (cf. Marynowicz-Hetka, 2006, 2007, 2009a), Chapter 7.

Marynowicz-Hetka / Social pedagogy and social work: An analysis of their relationship… 16

apparatus on the one hand expresses the applied theoretical and methodological references and is a

derivative of the positions and research approaches, and on the other hand, it is altered under the

influence of the changing paradigms, as well as the requirements of the language present in the field

of practice. It requires a careful analysis of the differences in the vocabulary used in the language of

communication and the intelligibility of the activity (Barbier, 2006). In this analysis, what is of

particular importance is how the determinants of the intelligibility of an activity are expressed

verbally and how it differs from the specificity of the language used by those participating in the field

of practice to communicate with other actors. The issue of the language used in the activity

constitutes a vast area of analysis that requires interdisciplinary competences (Sierocka, 2003). The

map of issues related to the conceptual apparatus of the point of view on action/activity in the field

of practice is extensive, and the problem of the semantics of the intelligibility of the activity becomes

extremely important for the construction of meaning and the sense of the concepts describing the

activity.6 Creating the language apparatus is the essence which makes it possible for the scientific

discourse to begin to take shape.

4 Searching for a comprehensive concept for the analysis of the field of

social work

The process of developing the discipline of social work is challenging also because of the complexity

of the related field of practice. The complexity of the procedure, which can gradually lead to the

emergence of a science (or sciences) concerning social work becomes both a challenge and a

requirement.7 This requirement of comprehensive thinking and such activities is all the more justified

when we do not have aspirations to create the discipline of social work, but we are looking for a

meta-theory that will be suitable for us and which in the complete dimension (for instance: social

pedagogy) will explain this field of practice and will orient the activity therein. The process of

reaching such a concept is also complex.

Primarily, the dilemmas that arise from this position relate to the need to build analytical tools that

would allow for the identification of changes taking place towards the complexity of analysis,

research, and activity. The preparation of such tools should be preceded by a reflection inter alia on

the changes of methodological approaches. The following aspects need to be taken into account:

- The methodological orientations that allow for clarification of that complexity by adopting an

interdisciplinary, transversal, integrated perspective.

- Noticing the effects of the methodological shift in research orientations towards ethnographic,

participatory research demanding a clear role reversal in the axis of the researcher-the subject.

- Highlighting the ways of understanding, typical for the intersubjectively shared practice:

through cooperation or commonalized (shared) experience (experience partagée), requiring in

effect the creation of a symbolic space.

- Anticipation of the threats brought by the comprehensive approach, which are most often

enumerated in its criticism, manifested in the superficiality of analysis, vagueness and ease of

generalization, the lack of analysis tools, etc.

6 For instance, the term habitus, coined by Pierre Bourdieu, introduced to the socio-pedagogical discourse

(Marynowicz-Hetka, 2006, 2007, 2009a), which according to Barbier (2006) is the term of intelligibility of

activity. It can also be applied as a "mobilizing concept" when its proposed use is to take up an activity

(Barbier, 2006, p. 266).

7 It is worth recalling a long discussion on this issue in the European and American circles (cf. Staub-

Bernasconii, 2001; Wagner, 1998; Sibeon, 1996; Sałustowicz, 2003), to name only some of the works in the

present discourse.

Marynowicz-Hetka / Social pedagogy and social work: An analysis of their relationship… 17

Among the multi-faceted and multi-reference approaches to the analysis of the field of activity and

research, perceived as groups of beliefs and analysis tools orienting the exploration of the field, three

solutions have been identified: pluridisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transversal. A similarly

organized discussion is taking place (Sabirón & Arraiz, 2014) around the specific logic of forming

knowledge (for example that concerning the social processes and phenomena), which departs from

the native disciplines and is situated in a cross-disciplinary and therefore complex approach. It

becomes “comprehensive knowledge” (Ibid.), determining disciplinary evolution processes (e.g., the

science of social work, or the science of education). It runs (Ibid., p. 40) in the following oscillation:

- From the disciplinary approach clearly defining the subject and method of research and giving

as a result fragmentary knowledge, applied generally in technological/instrumental solutions.

- Through the pluri-multi-disciplinary approach, which is a meeting point of many disciplines,

but each retains its references, and the application of research results evidently raises the level

of professionalism.

- The interdisciplinary approach where the redefinition of the object and method of research

takes place, which is often a reaction to the discourse position of “the end of science and

exhaustion of the object and method of study” (Ibid., p. 40). This is the approach generally

useful for the analysis of the field of practice and its optimization.

- To the transdisciplinary approach, which is characterized by the unity of knowledge yielding

new meanings and discovering new aspects of reality, e.g., the virtual one (Ibid., pp. 40–41).

This view does not differ much from the viewpoint of Edgar Morin (2007), which is the praise of

comprehensive thinking and acting, in contrast to the universal segmentation and fragmentation of

these areas, which are dangerous for our social life. The comprehensive approach, both in its

scientific and practical dimensions, gives new meaning to the theory and is useful in research and

streamlining the activity in the field of practice. It seems that for practical disciplines, it is a

recommended path. Social pedagogy is an example of such a comprehensive concept.

However, before this point of view on the field of social work is discussed, it is worth paying

attention to the concerns posed by the complexity position. This analysis may be the basis for

suggesting questions/assertions for further discussion. First of all, what is the influence of the

multiplicity of references and the variety of positions and concepts for the development of social

work? Does this multiplicity not generate fragmentation and segmentation in the approaches and in

the action/activity in that field? And, consequently, does it not induce the effect of excessive

specialty and specialization in education? In other words, does this practice not fit perfectly into the

process of institutionalization of social work? Second, can the use of a comprehensive approach to

the analysis of the field of social work be a sufficient antidote to its theoretical and conceptual

separation? How to reconcile integrated approaches (for instance an integrated paradigm of the

analysis of activity), and in particular the model of polyvalent education for activity (by designing)

with the expectations of the practice, and especially the limitations of social work to the structures of

social assistance, which is a clear casus in Poland. And third, within this line of thinking, the category

of action/activity in the field of social work becomes particularly important, together with the

analysis of the concept and its development and changes. Social pedagogy has noteworthy proposals

in this respect, as will be discussed below.

5 A comprehensive socio-pedagogical proposal of an analysis of the

action/activity in the field of social work

Against this background of the multiplicity of meanings of social work, the concept of social

pedagogy, formulated in the 1930s by Helena Radlińska, has lost none of its freshness. It is expressed

by the understanding of the field of activity in areas traditionally linked with social work in terms of

Marynowicz-Hetka / Social pedagogy and social work: An analysis of their relationship… 18

societal work. This means that such practices of social work, activities “for” individuals, social groups

and communities, “together” with them and “through” them, becomes societal work. The activities

in the field of social practice understood in this way rather require references to the humanistic

paradigm than the technology-related one. The orientation proposed in this approach (societal work)

of exerting influence with others and through them allows social work to fulfill the mediation or even

contestation function. It proves much less useful in carrying out by the practice of social work only

the function of stabilizing the status quo.8

The proposed socio-pedagogical perspective allows to a greater extent the fulfillment of this

methodical principle of social work, which is defined by the well-known metaphor, give a man a fish

and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime, which aptly expresses its

educational meaning. This is also associated with a whole set of issues related to the relational model

of social work (Marynowicz-Hetka, 2006, 2007, 2009a), which is so important for this perspective and

expresses the socio-pedagogical specificity of social work becoming societal work. This specificity is

simultaneously the essential link in the relationships between social work and social pedagogy.

The societal dimension of the action/activity in the field of practice of social work – elements of

the analytical tool. This part of the analysis includes an attempt to determine the specificity of the

societal dimension of social work. In view of the location of action/activity of social work in the social

context, its characteristic within the socio-pedagogical dimension is acquiring the attributes of

processuality and complexity, as the reality in which this activity (social work) is taken up turns out to

be comprehensive and increasingly complex (Marynowicz-Hetka, 2009b).

While analyzing what the societal dimension of the activity in the field of social work is and what it

can be, it may be useful to apply such tool of analysis which takes into account the following aspects:

the subject, the method of analysis, the conceptual apparatus, the conduct, the specific point of view

on the issues of the activity in the field of social practice.

Subject: commonalized experience. The first register of questions, differentiating the positions,

includes the following questions: “What are the characteristic features of the situation of performing

activity in the field of practice? What are the outer expectations towards it interiorized by the

subject? What are the reasons for taking up this activity? and What is the best way to do it?” These

are therefore questions concerning the subject of the analysis of the activity. Answering them would

require an extensive study and the analysis undertaken in this paper is rather an attempt to provide a

contextual answer.

Social work, recognized from the socio-pedagogical perspective, constitutes a certain type of activity

in which a special place is occupied by its societal dimension. It is an activity aimed at change and

transformation. Therefore, it is a dynamic process, facilitating the engagement of individuals and

groups in relationships with themselves, with others and through others. This process is described

according to different models, formulated depending on the prevailing theoretical and

methodological references.

Adopting the position of John Dewey who stated that the act of construction and reconstruction of

experience occurs in interactions (Hałas, 2006; Szacki, 2002, pp. 554–555) and is heading towards

commonality, we probably may similarly recognize activity in the field of social practice as a

relational (interactive) process. Such reasoning allows for the formulation of the thesis that the

specificity of activity in the field of social practice, its essence, sense and meaning will depend on

how we perceive social work. If this is the space of commonalized experiences of the subjects of this

activity, it also has similar attributes. Consequently, social work acquires the attributes of societal

work.

The concept of activity, recognized from the perspective of non-strategic conduct, generates the

concept of social activity, understood as an activity of a subject focused on building a symbolic

8 This classification of the functions of social work was proposed by Robert Castel (1998).

Marynowicz-Hetka / Social pedagogy and social work: An analysis of their relationship… 19

institution (Castoriadis, 1975; Marynowicz-Hetka, 2006, 2007, 2009a) in the milieu, which is the

object of the societal dimension of the practice of social work. This practice is aimed at empowering

individuals and collectives, which are characterized by four dimensions of the disoeconomicus model

(Wagner, 1998): “burden (load), support (base), protection, and subjectification (use)” (Witkowski,

2010, pp. 60–65). They define in a complete way the multiplicity of situations, which an acting

subject may come into contact with in the field of social work, and their complexities. They also point

to elements that can interact with (and through) one another.

The method of analysis. The second element of the tool is the adopted method of analysis of the

phenomenon that is characteristic of a given approach. The issue of the societal dimension of activity

in the field of social work cannot be considered in isolation from the social contexts in which this

practice is located and in which the research processes are carried out, particularly those relating to

its analysis. They are important for the understanding of the societal dimension of activity and the

development of the ranges of its senses and meanings. In addition, they matter for its location – not

on the outside of these contexts, and not only as an externally-determined attribute, but also within

these spaces, as an essential characteristic and the source of credibility of the undertaken activity.

Such a perception of the societal dimension of the practice of social work emphasizes the importance

of such attributes as relational character, processuality, temporality, contextuality and location.

These features define its scope, including the boundaries and possibilities as well as the ways of

crossing them. This is also important for the specifics of defining the situation and affects the design

of the conduct in which processuality and interactivity are considered special features.

The conceptual apparatus. An essential aspect of the tool is the conceptual apparatus that enables

taking care of the overall consistency of the evaluative communication on the activity and explaining

its meaning and significance. The core concepts of this apparatus are “social work” and “activity.”

The first of these is situated within the humanistic and relational paradigm of the model of activity.

This makes it possible to proceed to the determination of the societal dimension of this practice. The

second, recognized from the perspective of the non-strategic conduct, generates the concept of

societal activity understood as an activity of the subject oriented at creating the symbolic institution

in the milieu. In both of them, an important function is fulfilled by the concept of “experience,”

which, subjected to continual reconstruction and reorganization, enriches its content and increases

the ability to manage the further process of experiencing (Dewey, 1968). The conceptual apparatus is

a derivative of the adopted positions and research approaches. In the concept presented in this

article, a particularly important role is played by participatory, interactive and action research

approaches.

The construction of the conceptual apparatus affects the vocabulary used in the process of acting

and indirectly also the vocabulary applied during the evaluation process. Two types of vocabulary are

differentiated: the language of communication and the language of the intelligibility of activity

(Barbier, 2006). In particular, it is important to draw attention to the specificity of the language used

by the subjects acting in the field of practice, in communication with other participants of the

activity. Characteristic features of this type of vocabulary are its strong axiological mark and the fact

that its meanings are used simultaneously in several orders: imaginary, affective, and cognitive (Ibid.,

p. 187). The majority of the statements in this type of communication in the field of practice are

assessments of the effects of the activity or inspiring statements to undertake it. In association with

the location of the concepts in a kind of a network with others, we note the “inter-meaning

relationships of this kind of vocabulary” (Ibid., p. 187).

A specific point of view on the societal dimension of an activity in the field of social work

– a relational model of the practice of social work. The key element of the tool of analysis exploring

the societal dimension of an activity in the field of social work is the assessment of the self-

awareness of the scientific approaches used and their epistemological references. Undoubtedly, the

diversity of the assumed perspectives is facilitated by the choice of the theoretical understanding of

the activity. For instance, in performing the dichotomous division into a strategic and non-strategic

Marynowicz-Hetka / Social pedagogy and social work: An analysis of their relationship… 20

activity,9 in the former we are “the perpetrators of the deed” and while acting we have the

awareness that we influence the natural course of things. We are guided by rational solutions, which

in effect are relatively easy to be assessed by a reference to the previously-formulated goals. In the

latter (non-strategic activity), in acting, we only change the configuration of a given process, as well

as its structure, course, sequence of events, etc. This is of course significant for the occurrence of

difficulties in assessing the activity in the field of practice, because it is hard to define clearly the

evaluation references and liability of the assessments resulting from the unpredictability of the

course of the activity. In these types of activities, evaluation changes status. Often, assessments are

expressed probabilistically and heuristically, and they contain many more phrases that are frequently

shaped intersubjectively.

The assumed understanding of activity, as a process located in time and space, may be specified

closer through its elements: defining the situation, orientation of activity, designing it and

implementing it. These are not stages or phases of the activity, but rather components of this spiral

process, wherein they can permeate and transform.

The specificity of the point of view on the adopted understanding of the social dimension of activity

in the field of social work is expressed in emphasizing the importance of the relational model

of such work. Acting with this awareness allows the process to gradually acquire the societal

dimension and become societal work oriented at the Other, to find a humanistic dimension of the

relationship, based on searching for and revealing individual and collective forces in the milieu and

performing activity for this particular milieu, through it, aiming at creating a community, understood

as a values-sharing community. It is a systematic and continuous activity, containing the essential

features of the process such as anticipation of consequences and rationalization through prior

consideration and designing activities focused on transformation and optimization. The most

significant features of this activity are determined by its three dimensions: acting for a community,

together with it and through it.

6 Instead of the conclusion – a return to the title: Possible configurations

of the relationship between social work and social pedagogy

Determining the relationships between social pedagogy and social work becomes a problem also

because the concept of social work has been “imported” and incorporated from outside of the

theoretical system of social pedagogy, where social work was positioned as one of the functions of

social pedagogy, thus leaving the area of social activity open also for other disciplines. Social

pedagogy not only points to the pedagogical and social issues of social work recognized as societal

activity, but primarily explains the mechanisms favoring the act of designing changes and

transforming the environments. In this sense, its educational dimension may be outlined, and what is

referred to as the educational approach to social work, and social pedagogy itself, may be one of the

disciplines that constitute the theoretical bases of the area of social activity, which is defined as

social work. At the same time, it still is a good link between the group of educational sciences as well

as the culture – and society-related sciences.

Summing up the preliminary terminology findings and referring to the sources of associations of

Polish social pedagogy with social work, we are referring to a kind of social pedagogy that raises

questions about the societal significance of social work conceived as one of the areas of this field of

practice. Thus, referring to the Polish tradition of social work (Radlińska, 1935), it is difficult to talk

about the full symbiosis of social pedagogy and social work. However, if the socio-pedagogical point

of view of social pedagogy is expressed in its practical dimension, then this function of social

9 Discussed in more detail in Chapter 3 of a handbook of social pedagogy entitled The category of social

activity – the sense and importance (cf. Marynowicz-Hetka, 2006, 2007, 2009a). The inspiration for this

typology was the proposal of Jürgen Tillmann (2005).

Marynowicz-Hetka / Social pedagogy and social work: An analysis of their relationship… 21

pedagogy in relation to social work is particularly accented. Furthermore, in the adopted analysis, we

only emphasize the recognition of social work as an area of practice and culture of the profession

creating it, but we do not analyze the positions related to the process of academization and

disciplinarization of social work observed in many countries (Sałustowicz, 2003).

The importance of social pedagogy for orienting the activity of the subject in the field of practice is

that it forms the basis for constructing:

- Tools to analyze and explain the situation and their evaluation and interpretation (for example:

a qualitative measurement, the overall index of the environment, and a tool to assess the

threshold of development risk).

- Models and patterns as well as valorizing perceptions/representations (axiological), which may

constitute grounds/reasons for engaging in an activity from the socio-pedagogical perspective.

- Anticipating and optimizing imaginings/representations necessary to create projects and

proposals for transforming the environment, facilitating the construction of methodological

reasons that form the answers to the questions “how to act?” and “why act in such a way?”

Among these are affecting by enhancing the forces of the milieu, which in turn can be done by

the training/formation (French: formation, German: Bulding) of the acting subjects; affecting

through forecasting and anticipating the events; exerting influence by creating a community

– creating the symbolic institution.10

Reflecting on the possible associations of social pedagogy and social work, as well as on what a socio-

pedagogical orientation can contribute to social work understood as a field of action/activity, it is

worth noting that this specificity of social pedagogy and its usefulness for social work is expressed in

four characteristics that briefly define its point of view. These are globality, dynamics, compensation

and valuation.

The quality of relationships between social pedagogy and social work will depend among other things

on:

- The level of development of reflection in the field of social work as the field of operation, the

field of professional activity.

- The level of institutionalization of social work and social pedagogy, expressing itself both in the

creation of formal institutions (research centers, education centers, schools of social work,

research fields), and in the forms of institutionalization occurring within the existing structures.

An important distinguishing feature is the process of academization of education for the field

of social work, expressed in the establishment of a course of study at three levels of higher

education.

- Isolating or inclusive tendencies within social work and social pedagogy. The discussion on this

topic was begun by Antonin Wagner, who asked, “are we representing a homogeneous or

heterogeneous paradigm?” (Wagner, 1998).

- Views as to what social work is: a field of activity, in other words, the practice of social

pedagogy (Urbaniak-Zając, 2003, p. 32), or, as defined by Wagner (1998), the societal work, or

even a separate discipline, which has its own subject and research methods (Sałustowicz,

2003).

While observing the practice of social work or the expectations imposed on it by society, and while

analyzing the results of the reflection on it and thinking about it, one gets the impression of an

10 In the concept of social pedagogy presented in this paper, an important category is the symbolic institution

discussed in chapter 3 of the handbook of social pedagogy (Marynowicz-Hetka, 2006, 2007, 2009a). It is a

development of the concept of the invisible environment formulated by Radlińska (1935) and approximated

to modern readers by Lech Witkowski (2014).

Marynowicz-Hetka / Social pedagogy and social work: An analysis of their relationship… 22

explicit dissonance between designing the reality and the reality itself. We may simply say that the

practice of social work “does not match” the increasingly common paradigms situated within the

understanding of others, in their participation, which is generally referred to as the non-strategic

activity. Specifically, a gap is created when its societal dimension, located inherently in the complex

process of activity in the field of social work, is overlooked. Consequently, operations in the field of

social work are often limited to individual acts, isolating individual components of the complex

process of activity from the whole.

The idea of comprehensive thinking is very much present in social pedagogy (Radlińska, 1935), which

is seen as a “complete” concept (Witkowski, 2014). In the center of its interests, there are diverse

fields of practice. The complexity of observed social phenomena requires a deeper reflection on the

activity of subjects located therein. Social pedagogy is a certain mainstream of transversal thinking

that situates itself “at the crossroads of the human, cultural, social and educational sciences.” It

refers to such currents of thought as progressivism and pragmatism. The problem of cooperation is

one of the most important in its discourse.

The complexity of social phenomena observed in various fields requires a deep reflection on the

activities of the engaged actors. These activities can take many forms. One of them is societal work,

which refers to concepts comprising epistemological elements related to “how to work together.”

These include such categories as processuality, breaking, the relational character of the approaches,

which can be summed up by the expression, “I give-I take” (Radlińska, 1935; Dewey, 1968) and the

concept of the invisible environment (Radlińska, 1935), the symbolic institution (Castoriadis, 1975),

or a double-bind (Bateson, 1979), to enumerate only a few of them. These are all contained in the

culture of practice/activity (Barbier, 2011).

The culture of the practice of social pedagogues is saturated with the idea of co-operation, which

means doing “with”, “for”, “together” and also “through/owing to others.” A particular advantage of

this cooperation are the Others, that is individuals or collectives that we are looking for in the milieu,

going beyond/growing above others, due to their capabilities, possibilities and availability. These are

individuals capable of transforming the space into a community in which the primary merit is the

sharing of values, emotions, affections, and thoughts.

This analysis leads us to the concept of commonality of experience and co-design of space developed

by Dewey (1968). Its specific feature is the dynamics of the reconstruction of experience shared with

others. The concept of commonalized experience enriches an important category of social pedagogy,

namely the concept of the invisible environmental and the symbolic institution, emphasizing at the

same time the multi-dimensionality of space. Thus, social pedagogy, understood in this

holistic/comprehensive way, may provide for social work and its practice an extensive proposal of

meta-theoretical overview of the field and its changes.

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Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 25

Volume 4, Issue 1, pp. 25–37, April 2016

ISSN 1805-8825 | doi:10.7441/soced.2016.04.01.02

German version/Německá verze

The Relationship Between Social Work and Social

Pedagogy – Similarities in Theory and Profession

from a German Perspective

Klaus Kraimer^1

Lena Altmeyer^2

Contacts to authors

1,2 University of Applied Sciences,

Faculty of Social Sciences,

Rastpfuhl 12a,

D-66113 Saarbrücken

klaus.kraimer@htw-saarland.de

lena.altmeyer@htwsaar.de

Abstract: The contribution focuses on similarities of social work and

social pedagogy in the German-speaking area and with relation or

reference to International classic authors such as Mary E. Richmond

and Alice Salomon. The similarities that were elaborated point in

particular to a concentration on “education to maturity” (Adorno,

1969), which should be indispensable in both theoretical traditions.

The article is a short version of the study Case Reconstructive Social

work developed elsewhere (Kraimer, 2000, 2014) which includes

the social-pedagogical perspective as an integral part.

Keywords: social work, social pedagogy, professional work,

vicariously coping with crisis, qualitative respectively reconstructive

social research

Kontakty na autory

1,2 Univerzita aplikovaných studií,

Fakulta sociálních věd,

Rastpfuhl 12a,

D-66113 Saarbrücken

klaus.kraimer@htw-saarland.de

lena.altmeyer@htwsaar.de

Copyright © 2016 by authors

and publisher TBU in Zlín.

This work is licensed under the

Creative Commons Attribution

International License (CC BY).

Vztah mezi sociální pedagogikou a sociální prací

– teoretické a profesní podobnosti z německé

perspektivy

Abstrakt: Příspěvek se zaměřuje na podobnosti mezi sociální prací

a sociální pedagogikou v německy mluvící oblasti a na jejich vztah

k mezinárodně uznávaným autorům jako jsou Mary E. Richmond

a Alice Salomon či odkazy na tyto autory. Podobnosti, které jsou

rozpracovány, poukazují v první řadě na důležitost „vzdělávání

k dospívání“ (Adorno 1969), které je v obou teoretických tradicích

nepostradatelné. Příspěvek je zkrácenou verzí studie

Fallrekonstruktive Soziale Arbeit (Rekonstrukce případu jakožto

metoda sociální práce) publikované jinde (Kraimer, 2000, 2014)

která zahrnuje sociálně-pedagogickou perspektivu jako svoji

nedělitelnou část.

Klíčová slova: sociální práce, sociální pedagogika, profesionální

práce, zprostředkované zvládání krizí, kvalitativní respektive

rekonstrukčně sociální výzkum

1 Introduction

“Vicariously coping with crisis because these activities... are about dealing with the crises of others,

be it specific other persons or groups subject to sovereign collectivisation, or even future generations”

(Oevermann, 2009, p. 114).

Kraimer & Altmeyer / The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy … 26

This contribution aims at providing a brief insight into the relationship between social pedagogy and

social work. In the German-speaking area, the term “Social Work” is by now used as a heading for

both social work and social pedagogy^11. The focus is on both the historical genesis (Section 2) and on

current research and treatment methods which are presented based on their characteristics (Section

3). The explanations will look at case-oriented – in contrast to classificatory – research and treatment

methods. The two theoretical traditions discussed (social work and social pedagogy) have similarities

particularly in terms of their case orientation. The fourth part – largely in the shape of a thesis – deals

with disciplinary and profession-related bases for “case-reconstructive Social Work”. A case-

reconstructive process implies the establishment or re-establishment of an autonomous life practice.

Pedagogy and Social Work professionals should enable this e.g., in nurseries or at schools and as

such, early on in a person’s life. Autonomy must be re-established in a person’s life where this has

been lost or become impossible and should continue throughout their life. Collective disasters

(epidemics, wars) and human tragedies accompanying these are examples of situations in which a

person’s autonomy can suffer damage or destruction. This can also be caused by political and social

deficiencies, such as socialising interaction if deficient child-raising and educational processes prevail.

Overall, the aim is to present a current model that we consider to be internationally forward-looking:

Social Work as vicarious coping with crisis, in which social pedagogy and social work professionals

work in the hybrid work relationships of social aids to perceive social activities (such as in special

needs and curative pedagogy or in adult education) in order to estimate and promote the autonomy

options of their service users. As a result, we believe that “case-reconstructive Social Work”

constitutes a comprehensive model for designing Social Work because this offers support in coping

with crisis for different ages. “Case-reconstructive Social Work” relates to three dimensions of

professional action, which Oevermann (2009, p. 120) developed in the context of his

professionalisation research. These are the dimensions of: Somato-psycho-social integrity, law and

justice based on applicable laws, and methodically explicit verification of applicability in notional and

sensual perception (science and art) (cf. Section 4).

At the moment, the current debate in the Federal Republic of Germany only reflects these

perspectives rudimentarily. For instance – in the context of the primary social work discourse at

(specialised) universities – the socio-political development characterised by the neoliberal

restructuring of macrosocial conflicts and crises is increasingly a topic of discussions (cf. e.g., the

agenda of the 9th Federal Congress for Social Work in Darmstadt; 30 September to 2 October 2015).

The focus of educational science, which continues to dominate the socio-pedagogical discourse at

universities (cf. the topic Spaces for education. Spaces of education – 25th DGfE^12 Congress 2016 at

the University of Kassel), is currently on education. Discussions primarily deal with how education is

granted or withdrawn, as well as with how the rooms used for education are or could be designed

and what an optimal modulation of the cultures of education and child-raising could look like within

the given socio-spatial structures and the conditions for designing public education and child-raising

in social institutions.

2 Short historical outline: Social Work, social work and social pedagogy

From the 1960s, professional practice of social work and social pedagogy in Germany – nowadays

frequently combined under the heading of Social Work – undergoes a quantitative expansion (across

its life span and from cradle to grave) as well as a qualitative differentiation (such as school social

work). This applies increasingly from the 1980s, especially in the field of social work and social

pedagogy services, resulting in a summary of the formerly separate education and work areas.

Historically speaking, both the development of social work and that of social pedagogy can be

11 In the essay at hand the term “Social Work” when used for the german term “Soziale Arbeit” is capitalized.

When used for the german term “Sozialarbeit” it is not capitalized.

12 German Society for Educational Science (DGfE).

Kraimer & Altmeyer / The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy … 27

interpreted as the systematisation of honorary and professional activities on an ethical basis – initial

similarities in the two traditions also become apparent here. Nevertheless, the two traditions have

a different focus as regards content. In social pedagogy, the reconstruction of educational and child-

raising crises is significant, whereas social work looks at the reconstruction of crises resulting from

poverty and hardship. Little by little, based on the anthropological fact that humans are dependent

on help in a crisis, methodical models arise in the context of historically grown, social reactions which

demonstrate increasing efforts towards professionalism. This is true of both theoretical traditions.

The aim here is to examine these different threads in more detail from a case-reconstructive

perspective by way of example – for further perspectives on the genesis of social pedagogy see Reyer

(2002), Dollinger (2006) and of social work see Lüssi (1991); for the genesis of Social Work see

Engelke (1992).

The origins of traditional social work are identified in the “poor relief by 19th century communities,

free acts of love and aid work, the... feminist movement and... welfare” (Bock, 1986, p. 746).

Key figures include Mary Richmond, Jane Addams and Alice Salomon. They trigger a collective

professionalisation, specifically because they establish connections with the classics of philosophy,

sociology and empirical social research, which are significant for the methodical context of theory

and practice. As a result, conventional social work is based primarily on sociological, socio-political

and legal knowledge, making reference to social connections, social co-habitation, social acts

or regulation by written norms and laws as well as opportunities for the provision of social aid. Social

work is centred around public welfare and social aid, which in the Republic of Germany is organised

primarily where private care or care by the family is disrupted or unavailable based on the principle

of subsidiarity; as a regulatory factor, this principle aims to characterise the need for, provision or

refusal of aid alongside the possibility of a person coping independently. At the heart of this tradition

are efforts to humanise living conditions through practical social work and its disciplinary reflection in

relation to principles such as a focus on the common good, social justice or opportunities for

everyone to participate in property, culture, child-raising and education. The current “social security”

system used in many countries in Europe – albeit applied very differently in each country – basically

follows this idea.

In contrast to social work in the traditional sense, social pedagogy focuses primarily on the pedagogic

body of thought and – more or less explicitly – follows a basic thought process based on theories of

education. This corresponds to the body of knowledge of general or systematic pedagogy, and above

all in pedagogic anthropology. This body of knowledge largely relates to matters of child-raising

and on pedagogical action as well as on theoretical statements about education, child-raising

and learning processes. Particularly Klaus Mollenhauer, Hans Thiersch and Burkhard Müller form part

of this tradition of social pedagogy – along the lines of a democratisation of living conditions – and in

favour of a more academic approach towards the discipline and profession now called Social Work.

These authors are turning hermeneutic and phenomenological approaches with connections to

earlier traditions into integral parts of the development of theories, practical research and practical

design relating to the two original traditions.

For instance, Thiersch is clearly speaking up in favour of a pedagogic focus of Social Work. In 1959,

Mollenhauer also suggests pedagogy, and more specifically social pedagogy, as the sole “basic

theoretical reflection” for Social Work as a whole. Mollenhauer in a later paper: “What we summarily

assign to the sphere of social pedagogy/social work is in fact a highly heterogeneous field of actions,

measures and institutions. Only part of this can be related to pedagogy” (Mollenhauer, 1988, p. 54).

With this, Mollenhauer opens up the opportunity of a re-alignment, which is expressed in today’s use

of the term Social Work. Niemeyer agrees: “For a long time, the term social pedagogy was closely

linked to the pedagogic knowledge base and argumentation culture and, if we focus on the

theoretical tradition for which Nohl has provided evidence, can be interpreted as finding its origins in

reform pedagogy and the German Civic Youth Movement. By contrast, social work – respectively

Kraimer & Altmeyer / The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy … 28

Social Work – is founded in the tradition of poverty relief and its origins lie in the civic feminist

movement” (Niemeyer, 2012, p. 146).

E.g., the ground-breaking compendium by Otto and Thiersch (2011) shows that nowadays, the term

Social Work is used to denote both social work and social pedagogy: Whereas the titles of the first

three editions (1984 with Hanns Eyerth, 2001, 2005) include the terms social work and social

pedagogy, the title of the fourth edition (2011; 5th edition 2014) only uses the term Social Work. “An

approximation in terms of content is also apparent in that phrases such as ‘social pedagogy/social

work’ are frequently used as if they are synonyms. Even universities, which Nohl – during his time in

Göttingen in the Weimar epoch – still recommended should emphasize social pedagogy as a sub-

discipline of pedagogy to distinguish it from the ‘science of welfare’ (Salomon) taught at Women's

Social Colleges, nowadays often combine these two terms“ (Niemeyer, 2012, p. 147). In terms of the

historic development of professional associations, it becomes apparent that the German Professional

Association for Social Work (DBSH) founded in 1995 combined the then existing professional

associations DBS (German Professional Association for social work) and BSH (German Professional

Association for Social workers/Social pedagogues, Curative Pedagogues – United Representation of

Social Pedagogy Professions e. V.). As such, the generic term Social Work also takes hold in this area.

As an interim conclusion, it can be stated that, while social pedagogy and social work developed as

distinct entities, today they have merged into one research and behavioural framework as Social

Work. This can e.g., be demonstrated as follows: When Social Work looks at the migration crisis,

it discusses macro-societal questions in the context of socio-scientific knowledge; if the topic is

education and raising the next generation, then the themes of education sciences are prioritised.

The two scientific reference systems act as two drives of one hybrid knowledge and behavioural

framework (cf. Schütze, 2014). As a result, this paper takes the approach that, given the current

heterogeneity and hybridity of Social Work, some of these areas cannot be substantiated in terms of

either pedagogy or education science.

3 Case reconstruction as a model for Social Work research and practice

– between abstraction and reification

“Case structures are always case structures of a historically concrete life practice... and as such

contradictory units of decision-making pressure and justification obligations as well as centres for

coping with crisis” (Oevermann, 2000, p. 148).

Today, Social Work – as a community of the two previously separate areas of social pedagogy and

social work – is basically dominated by two types of methods: They are research and behavioural

methods which have developed over time with more or less reference to each other and which

currently, within the meaning of habit^13 creation (see Figure 1), are essential for ensuring the long-

term autonomy of Social Work as research and behavioural practice. In order to understand this

connection, a distinction must first be made between “abstraction” (theory) and “reification”

(practice): This differentiation is required at all times in this regard in order to clearly underline what

can and should be achieved in each case so that an amalgamation that might damage the purity of

the process can be avoided. Research methods – using the mode of abstraction – require an

unconditional relief from the tasks of concrete practice. In principle, this is about developing

13 According to Bourdieu, habit describes the interplay of routines, habitualities and attitudes characterising

a person's manner. “The hermeneutic case understanding and theoretical understanding to form a routine

in professionalised practice cognitive structures used by social actors in their practical cognition are

incorporated social structures,” which “work beyond consciousness and discursive thinking” (Bourdieu,

1984, p. 730). In his revised professionalisation theory, Oevermann describes a habit formation which

ideally employs the components of applying the logic of vicarious coping with crisis (1996) (professional

habit).

Kraimer & Altmeyer / The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy … 29

scientific findings which are brought to bear independently of political or institutional expectations.

In this respect, scientific practice is free from the pressures of expectations, time or results in order

to be able to research the “matter itself” without being patronised. The aim is to develop theoretical

models, ideally through a prior reconstruction of practice, which operate in the reality of practice

and which can be taught to those studying the subject in the course of their studies – such as in

research workshops (cf. Kraimer & Wyssen-Kaufmann, 2012) so that the mentioned habit creation

becomes possible and is facilitated. The methods used are primarily research processes based on

reconstruction logic and hermeneutically inspired case work.

Habit creation as mediation instance between

Scientific Knowledge (competence of

theoretical understanding)

To understand scientific findings

(interpretation options of the

professional as knowledge which can

be generalized, extensive

development of models)

Research methods in the insight

finding mode

Professional Skills

(competence of case understanding)

To professionally handle actual

practice (client difficulties in their life

practice as “individual case”,

e.g., disadvantage, illness)

Action methods in vicarious coping

with crisis mode

Tensions can not be resolved technically

Figure 1 Habit creation in discipline and profession (Kraimer, 2014, p. 19)

Professional practice experiences time pressure and as such focuses on dealing with practical life

problems. As a result, methods for action – using the mode of reification – require the person acting

in professional practice to find relief by accessing methods which have previously been founded in

the discipline and whose approach has been habitualised. In principle, this is about practising

vicarious coping with crisis applying the knowledge basis of academic studies. The aim is to create

a work alliance to (re-)establish autonomous life practice. Accordingly, professional practice is bound

by the ethics of action, the disciplinary empiricism of research ethics.

The process of case reconstruction can be useful for both method types. The process of case

reconstruction, which constitutes a theory of art, is aimed at revealing case-specific social

connections in terms of meaning and actions, which are embedded in the structural system

and system of rules. This makes it possible to examine the relevant materials of expression

– corresponding primarily to the context of social aids, social prevention or social services – in

relation to their structural logic (research) and then apply this to the conceptualisation of an

intervention (practice), e.g., as vicarious coping with crisis or as biographical guidance.

Ulrich Oevermann (2000) introduces the method of sequence analysis, a process which can be used

to determine the analytical difference between the varied options of a given empirical reality and the

actual choices made (as a result of decisions). A distinction must be made between two characteristic

dimensions (parameters). The dimensions presented as creation and selection parameters are:

(1) Rules for creating meaning, which create possible connections in the relevant sequences

(thought-experimental generation of choices).

(2) The totality of options available as a togetherness necessitating a choice.

Kraimer & Altmeyer / The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy … 30

Selection option A

Simultaneous

generation of new

connection options

Rules for creating

meaning

Selection option B

(factual selection)

Simultaneous

generation of new

connection options

Simultaneous

generation of new

connection options

Selection option C

Simultaneous

generation of new

connection options

Generation parameters

Selection parameters

Figure 2 Generation and selection parameters, own presentation based on Oevermann (2000)

The sequence analysis method follows the sequential nature of life. As such, it is based around the

idea that human action is structured sequentially by rules. “Every apparently single action is

sequentially linked to a previous action within the meaning of a well-formed, rule-like connection.

In turn, it opens up scope for well-formed, regular connections” (Oevermann, 2000, p. 64).

The reconstruction of the material of expression is based on this.

The essential characteristic of case reconstruction is the approach that a case to be examined is

analysed in relation to its differentiation by practical decisions and based on objective data to

identify latent and manifest structures of meaning.

The aim of the methodically controlled reconstruction process is to reveal the origins of a case as

structural genesis. This is achieved by formulating key structural characteristics, which can be set out

in the shape of case structural hypotheses (cf. in detail: Kraimer, 2014; Oevermann, 2000). As a result

of a case reconstruction, a scientific object can be delineated explicitly and identifiably in its historical

development and in a characteristic, definable shape and rule-relatedness. This brings about the

essential difference compared to case descriptions, case studies or procedures whose aim is to

analyse content or to categorise, which merely allocated individual phenomena by applying

subsumption logic (normally terms or categories classified in advance) and which are missing

a dimension which unlocks the matter itself. In contrast to quantifying research (which applies

subsumption logic), an empirical generalisation is not the aim – instead, a structural generalisation

according to the methodology of objective hermeneutics is intended. A case reconstruction shows

how practice/a case operates or proceeds from a structural perspective – different from, or even

adding to, the presentation of the case history by the case itself or the person presenting the case

or the biography. Practice can also become involved in the course and on the basis of a case

reconstruction so as to reveal alternative options for action or develop suggestions for vicarious

coping with crisis/biographical consultations, as intended as part of Social Diagnostics. However,

above all, professional practice can be designed as case-reconstructive to begin with.

The reconstructive process can be used to find types of readings (using thought experiments) which

help to reconstruct the choice and reasoning of decisions. The aim is to read a text artistically

and creatively in order to identify the structure of meaning contained within it – no additional

Kraimer & Altmeyer / The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy … 31

meaning should be “superimposed” on the text. Oevermann has developed principles of

interpretation for just this purpose (cf. Oevermann, 2000): Absence of context, literalness, economy,

totality/extensivity, and sequentiality. The meaning is stored within a text, it is discovered

sequentially by different types of readings and finally it is revealed in its structuredness: Early on in

an interpretation, many different types of readings are still possible; in the course of the

reconstruction, the number reduces as inapplicable types of readings are excluded until the case

structure becomes clear.

4 Disciplinary and profession-related basis of Social Work: Vicariously

coping with crisis as a model of professional practice

The model of vicarious coping with crisis can be said to constitute a basis for Social Work

as a theoretical discipline and a professionalised activity as far as research on autonomy options and

the establishment or re-establishment of a somato-psycho-social integrity is concerned. The aim is

essentially to relate professional action in Social Work to the following dimensions in this context:

Table 1

Functional areas of focus of professionalization (Oevermann, 2009, p. 120)

Functional focus Client

Central type of

practice

Dominant type Mode of

of crisis

experience

(1) somato-psycho- particular life

social integrity practice

work cooperation

traumatic crisis

experience of

nature

and body

(2) law and justice

based on

applicable laws

community

based on law

processes based on crisis of

religious

formal/rational rules decision-making experience

(3) methodically universe of

methodical criticism crisis due to

explicit

discourse

of deliberative

inactivity

verification of (represented by discourse (logic of

applicability in the sovereign the better argument

notional and community

and suggestiveness

sensual

based on law) of sensual presence

perception

(science and art)

aesthetic

experience

Below, three theses will be presented for this context, which could lead a future development

of social work as a discipline and a profession along the lines of a case-reconstructive process:

Thesis 1: The project of professionalising “case-reconstructive Social Work” must be designed

based on the principle of vicarious coping with crisis.

“At the heart of our version of a professionalisation theory is the simple thesis that all

professional practice in need of professionalisation basically deals with the tasks of vicarious

coping with crisis for a client based on explicitly methodical knowledge, and that the manifest

professional state of these professions is linked to the perception of such vicarious coping with

crisis” (Oevermann, 2013, p. 119).

The regulating idea of vicarious coping with crisis, whose aim is to construct an autonomous life

practice, determines action for “case-reconstructive Social Work”.

Kraimer & Altmeyer / The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy … 32

Vicarious coping with crisis^14 constitutes a regulating principle which guides the professional’s action.

In the course of life, this is expressed in different ways and qualities in the support to cope with the

crises of appropriation, loss and regaining of autonomy. In this context, we must also ask about the

viability dynamics of a specific life practice – assuming a professional intervention – which can be

developed by reconstructing the individual history in interacting with professionally offered support

in an institutional context. Vicarious coping with crisis is based on “case-reconstructive Social Work”

action by a social lawyer. As a representative of those objectively or subjectively in need of help,

it has a duty to balance out any impairments of a humane life and to obtain the funds required for

this purpose and allocated by the legislator (cf. Oevermann, 2009).

Disciplinary autonomy

Explicit mandate

Problems of the mandate

- Paradox constellation of actions

- Cannot be standardised

Professional expertise

Theoretical understanding

Ability to understand abstract

knowledge

Overall competence

Case understanding

Ability to understand cases

Work cooperation

Simultaneously diffuse and specific

Committed role distance: help to help themselves

(Re-established) autonomy

Figure 3 The logic of vicarious coping with crisis (Kraimer, 2012, p. 92)

A client deficient in autonomy (see table 2) requires a type of help provided based on a mandate

which ensures the kind of expertise that does not lead to a de-autonomisation of the client but

instead contributes to the identification of options and their realisation for an autonomous life.

14 By way of example for this model, cf. the study by Czarny and Marks (2015) and the paper by Kraimer

and Altmeyer (2016).

Kraimer & Altmeyer / The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy … 33

The habit formation of the aide professionalised in this manner enables a work cooperation to be

established, enabling a factual dealing with the problem through help but not through control.

It is extremely important in this context for intervention practice which becomes effective in the

work cooperation to always remain aware of a realistic estimate of the client’s autonomy options

and mobilisation. This assumes an awareness of the conditions of an autonomous life practice and of

the term “free action”. The conceptualisation of a work cooperation requires the mentioned

knowledge as well as an ideal model based on an awareness of the theoretical foundations. Both of

these must be acquired during studies, as does knowledge of potential obstacles to such

a cooperation (cf. ibid).

Table 2

Theoretical process based on Liebermann and Loer (2009)

Phase

Client

Professional

Objective

Initial phase

Client must realise

that help is needed

(psychological strain)

Attitude of waiting

Mutual

communication

Anamnestic-diagnostic Reveals his need for

phase

help

Anamnesis and

diagnosis

Clarity about the crisis

to be resolved

together

Constellation phase

Contributes potential

for crisis

resolution/realises

own options

Professional

Verbal identification of

maieutically promotes the crisis to open up

the potential

scope for a solution

Modelling phase

Releasing

potential/move to

independent crisis

resolution

Promoting the client's Joint modelling of

autonomy

crisis resolution

Conclusion phase

Client acceptance of

responsibility

Recognition of

autonomy to be re-

established

Autonomy of life

practice

The process shown in table 2 shows an organisational model which constitutes an ideal process.

This process might be hampered in practice. The difficulties in contrast to the model developed by

Liebermann and Loer (2009) with reference to Oevermann can be found primarily in the specifics

of the type of social work practice so far (cf. Oevermann, 2009; Wigger, 2013). To summarise, these

are primarily the following problems:

- The problem of incompatibility between help and control.

- The problem of the stigmatising effect of help.

- The problem of a (frequent) lack of voluntary involvement.

For the latter reason alone, initiating a work cooperation – fundamentally based on voluntary

involvement – is made more difficult largely due to social control and help, creating a potential to

traumatise, particularly where help results in obligations to show gratefulness or shame and control

becomes overpowering.

Thesis 2: The logic of case reconstruction aims to reveal realistic options for an autonomous

lifestyle in practical Social Work.

The stylistic features of a case-reconstructive focus consist in showing that a dialectic context exists

between “what is” (mode of existence) and “what could be” (options for the future). The logic of

Kraimer & Altmeyer / The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy … 34

case reconstruction largely apply in that differentiated evaluation of a case is performed from

different perspectives. The case-reconstructive process thus serves the purpose of offering a realistic

insight into a life practice subject to crises and requiring help (cf. table 3).

Table 3

Perspectives of “case-reconstructive social work”

Perspective

(1) Humans and society as the subject

Activity

Reconstruction of appearance and entity – of what

is latent and what is manifest

(2) Constructive criticism of the ‘given’

Comparison between the reconstructed situation

with what is possible, between idea (target)

and reality (actual).

(3) Creating options for change

Realistic evaluation to change the given conditions

Knowledge gained through reconstructing a case serves the purpose of enabling an examination

of biographical processes, courses of action of a practice or institutional types of responses from the

perspective of coping with crisis as well as staying true to a realistic evaluation of a case. A social

worker who in light of this is introduced to the logic of “case-reconstructive Social Work”, “must still

get to know the factual situational principles of considerate social work action – e.g., assuming the

clients’ definitions of situations” (Schütze, 2002, p. 147). He can use case reconstruction as a tool to

identify the biographical sources of meaning with regard to the case in question and to become

aware of his own biographical traumatic dispositions (traumatic childhood experiences which appear

in a present case in a structurally similar way). Case reconstruction must be used to reveal this during

the case-handling process in the same way as paradoxes^15 and typically sources or tendencies

towards mistakes in professional work (cf. Schütze, 1997). A sober reconstruction of objective data,

authentic materials for expression and biographical conditions – on both sides – in the relevant case

problem enables new, structurally realistic options to be determined, which solidify the work

cooperation. Once responsibility for oneself has been factually achieved in work, parenthood and

citizenship, coinciding with the end of the moratorium of coping with the crises of adolescence, any

autonomy already achieved generally takes effect. This “logic of autonomisation” in broader versions

contrasts with the propagation of “lifelong learning”, whose principles are structurally contrary to an

autonomy already achieved.

Thesis 3: “Case-reconstructive Social Work” serves the purpose of promoting autonomous thinking

and action in the discipline and the profession.

Autonomous thinking and action are based on the anthropological basis of freedom. In the battle to

gain recognition, as described by Hegel, it becomes apparent that freedom is related to the ability of

humans to cross the borders of self-preservation and having to choose to maintain one’s freedom^16.

Language provides the means to achieve this. The method of objective hermeneutics make it

possible to reconstruct this battle for recognition as well as the history of decisions (individual or

collective choices) and to draw conclusions for Social Work. An interpretation may never be entirely

complete, but it can reach a temporary end point if no further general or specific statements are

possible – until a newly discovered context opens up a convincing reinterpretation. Identifying such

a structure, which delineates a pattern of meaning with the “mode of existence of a meaning”

according to Schleiermacher (2000), requires an act of methodically controlled understanding,

15 Schütze defines the paradoxes of prof. action as “difficulties and dilemmas in the work process, which

cannot be undone or avoided, and in which the professional necessarily becomes enmeshed” (Schütze,

1992, p. 137).

16 “Hegel was the first to correctly present the relationship between freedom and necessity. For him, freedom

is the insight into necessity” (Engels, 1990, p. 106).

Kraimer & Altmeyer / The Relationship Between Social Work and Social Pedagogy … 35

enabled not by empathy but by strictly methodical control and substantiality. The objective richness

of meanings – revealed by the hermeneutic method of case reconstruction – opens up because

subjective imagination is triggered early on in the cognitive process (relating to a life practice in

crisis). This is required to enable interpretation and is provided by the theory of art. In this way,

options to uncover what is new or “latent” are revealed. This is achieved through participation in an

educational process which decrypts latent meaning – represented in case and in theories – using case

reconstruction. The realisation of an objective meaning thus unfolds its effect step by step if

discursive communication based on the material of expression occurs. For instance, this is essential

when conceptualising a social diagnostic which requires as rich a data basis as possible and which if

possible must take into account all perspectives affecting a case, situation or event – meaning a set

of data about a social act. In this context, autonomous thinking and action are apparent in that

reconstruction logic is asserted against the usual subsumption logic. Whereas the latter subsumes

using theoretical terminology or commonly used definitions, the former analyses is based on

sequence and aims to identify the laws which a case represents in its totality “with reference to

readable, audible and visible symbols and markings” (Oevermann, 2002a, p. 23). Vicarious coping

with crisis is to make the crisis process of child-raising and socialising individuals, which offers an

opportunity to create autonomy in life practice, easier – as demonstrated. This assumes autonomous

thinking and action on the part of the professional actors – these can be social workers or

researchers who in the individual case act with the tradition of hermeneutic empirical science.

The realisation of a typological core case, the reconstruction of further cases to expand and modify

experience and the focus on structural generalisation logic in order to imagine an educational

process whose future is characterised by the case structures of a specific life, are the contents

and objectives of a case-reconstructive activity, which can commence its (Social) Work in life

practice.

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Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 38

Volume 4, Issue 1, pp. 38–56, April 2016

ISSN 1805-8825 | doi:10.7441/soced.2016.04.01.03

Czech version/Česká verze

Educational Discourses in Social Work

Jitka Navrátilová^1

Pavel Navrátil^2

Contacts to authors

1,2 Masaryk University,

Faculty of Social Studies,

Joštova 10, 602 00 Brno

jitkanav@fss.muni.cz

navratil@fss.muni.cz

Kontakty na autory

1,2 Masarykova univerzita,

Fakulta sociálních studií,

Joštova 10, 602 00 Brno

jitkanav@fss.muni.cz

navratil@fss.muni.cz

Abstract: An expert discussion about the nature of identity in

social work has been led in the Czech Republic for more than

a quarter century. This debate did not bring a definite shift in the

understanding of what social work is, nor did it bring a shared

stance on what its domain should be (Chytil, 2007; Navrátil

& Navrátilová, 2008; Matulayová & Musil, 2013; Punová

& Navrátilová, 2014). However, if there is any consensus on the

identity of social work, it refers to the fact that social work is a

socially constructed field (Navrátil, 1998, 2013a) and therefore also

multiparadigmatic or discursively open. If it is difficult or

impossible to capture sectoral identity with a clear and final

definition, sectoral identity can be seen in a pluralistic way through

discourses. This paper is built on the premise that one of the most

important factors influencing a sectoral understanding of sectoral

identity is university education, which is one of the key social

institutions that influence or even shape social discursive space

(Etzkowitz & Dzisah, 2012). In the paper we present the most

influential contemporary discourses, which are applied in the

education of social workers, and answer the question: What

assumptions about the performance of social work and more

generally the concept of sectoral identity are implied by the

selected discourses of education in social work? Particular among

these discourses is a socio-pedagogical perspective we compare

these other discourses with and show what values are crucial for

each of the different discourses and how they can enrich social

work as a discipline. We proceed from the extensive overview of

Czech, Slovak and English-language scientific literature, published

in regard to the problem o educating social workers in the past

twenty years.

Keywords: education, identity, social work, evidence-based

discourse, reflexive discourse, competence discourse, socio-

educational discourse

Vzdělávací diskurzy v sociální práci

Abstrakt: V České republice se již více než čtvrt století vede

odborná diskuse o podstatě identity sociální práce. Tato debata

však nepřinesla jednoznačný posun v poznání, čím sociální práce je,

a ani nepřinesla sdílený postoj o tom, co by mělo být její doménou

(Chytil, 2007; Navrátil & Navrátilová, 2008; Matulayová & Musil,

2013; Punová & Navrátilová, 2014). Pokud však v něčem shoda

ohledně identity sociální práce panuje, týká se toho, že sociální

práce je obor sociálně konstruovaný (Navrátil, 1998, 2013a) a tedy

rovněž multiparadigmatický, či diskurzivně otevřený. Je-li tedy

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 39

Copyright © 2016 by authors

and publisherTBU in Zlín.

This work is licensed under the

Creative Commons Attribution

International License (CC BY).

obtížné až nemožné postihnout oborovou identitu jednoznačnou

a konečnou definicí, lze na oborovou identitu nahlížet pluralitně

prostřednictvím diskurzů. Tato stať pak staví na předpokladu,

že jedním z nejzásadnějších faktorů ovlivňujícím chápání oborové

identity je univerzitní vzdělávání, které je jednou z klíčových

společenských institucí, které diskurzivní prostor sociální ovlivňují,

či dokonce utvářejí (Etzkowitz & Dzisah, 2012). Ve stati

představujeme nejvlivnější soudobé diskurzy, které se uplatňují ve

vzdělávání sociálních pracovníků, a odpovídáme na otázku: Jaké

předpoklady o výkonu sociální práce a obecněji o pojetí oborové

identity implikují vybrané diskurzy vzdělávání v sociální práci?

Specifické místo mezi těmito diskurzy zaujímá sociálně-

pedagogická perspektiva, s níž tyto ostatní diskurzy komparujeme

a ukazujeme, jaké hodnoty jsou pro každý z jednotlivých diskurzů

stěžejní a čím mohou obohatit sociální práci jako obor. Vycházíme

přitom z extenzivního přehledu české, slovenské a anglicky psané

odborné literatury, která k problému vzdělávání sociálních

pracovníků byla publikována v uplynulých dvaceti letech.

Klíčová slova: vzdělávání, identita, sociální práce, evidence-based

diskurz, reflexivní diskurz, kompetenční diskurz, sociálně-

pedagogický diskurz

1 Introduction

Social work is a field in which it is impossible to define the aim, as well as the content or performance

of social workers in an exhaustive and for all contexts valid manner (McDonald, 2006). The diversity

of the perception of social work affects the diversity of views on the education of social workers, and

vice versa, education has a significant impact on the concept of social work. With regard to the

objective of this study, it can be said that a number of approaches to learning has emerged

throughout the history of social work (Lishman, 2011). One of the crucial points, in which they differ

from one another, is the difference in what values social workers deem crucial when preparing for

their future occupations. Some directions emphasize the need to provide students with sufficient

theoretical knowledge, while other ones prefer the training of practical skills, and others emphasize

the topic of self-development, critical thinking and the ability of active participation. We believe that

accentuating a particular educational concept points the way not only for how the social worker will

be prepared for their future profession, but also what will constitute the actual performance of social

work. We proceed from the assumption that the method social workers' training affects the form of

social work. Although in general terms each approach seeks to “help clients manage interaction with

their social environment,” they are based on different assumptions and emphasize different

elements of education.

Although we can record a series of partial approaches through which social workers can be educated,

for the purposes of this study we present the four main discourses that sufficiently clearly illustrate

the scale of differences in the concept of preparing social workers for their future careers, both at

home and abroad. They are (1) the socio-pedagogical discourse, (2) evidence-based discourse, (3)

competency-based discourse, and (4) reflexive discourse. Each of them represents an important

direction in social work, each emphasizing different aspects of the training of social workers. The task

of this paper is to compare the differentiation of these discourses, present their different premise

and their consequences for the education and experience of social workers. The presentation of the

philosophical foundations which it is based on, makes it easier to understand the accents of different

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 40

approaches in a broader context. We analyze the findings on the individual discursive approaches in

order to understand their basic starting points and the direction of their original ideas. It is not so

much about identifying the approach that should be perhaps the most correct, but rather about

recognizing how different approaches in the education of social workers are manifested and what

they are directed towards.

In the following section we will introduce the different discourses regarding the training of social

workers. The structure of the analysis of discourse in education proceeds in the following structure.

First we always attend to general assumptions of the relevant discourse, then we proceed to

evaluate its approach to education and then analyze the identity that will be anchored in the given

discursive approach.

2 Social work and social pedagogy together, but each of them different

In our study, we had at least two basic options on how to approach the interaction of social work and

social pedagogy. First, it is possible to engage in social work and social pedagogy as two self-

establishing departments, which of course can govern common interests, theory and practice. The

second option is to deal with social pedagogy as one of the discourses that found its place also in the

context of social work. Given that the aim of this paper is to compare selected key discourses in

social work, we choose the second perspective as dominant. The belief that this approach can be

productive is also supported by the fact that it is possible to encounter the application of socio-

pedagogical perspectives in practical social work. For example, in Germany the socio-pedagogical

aspect was significantly identified with social work, but it is also possible to encounter this view of

social work in some Czech educators. Nevertheless, we consider it necessary to introduce at least

briefly, how the relationship between these two disciplines crystallized.

If we look at the emergence of modern forms of both fields, then we can find some parallels in the

causes of their institutionalization. Revolutionary social changes at the break of the 19th and 20th

centuries associated with industrialization, urbanization and modernization, whose consequences

influenced the life of all society, opened the way to the emergence of social work. Some authors

(Ševčíková & Navrátil, 2010; Navrátilová, 2015) put the emergence of the field in the context of social

risks that provoked these social changes, and thanks to which a large number of individuals and

entire families plunged into fatal poverty. Omnipresent poverty and the fight against it found a

response in the form of various types of assistance, which have tried to eliminate the consequences

of dramatic social change. Hugman (2009) points out that it is possible to trace two basic approaches

to social work. The first one, which was represented by the “settlement movement” supports a

structural view of social work, under which the activity of social workers should be focused on

providing tools and resources to certain groups of people to change social structures and conditions

that puts them at a disadvantage (Barker, 1995). Social workers are thus understood as active players

who should make their clients capable of changing social conditions. This approach represents the

beginnings of macro-level social work practice and focuses on the structural understanding of social

issues. In this context, social workers seek to mobilize clients to make structural changes.

In the second perspective, like the first, it was about helping individuals adapt to the conditions of

the social environment. Musil (2004) points out that the work of The Charity Organization staff, who

were the bearers and pioneers of this trend, was however directed to assisting individuals in

adapting to the conditions of the social environment through the effect on individuals and families.

Hugman (2009, p. 1139) associates the creation of this organization with the increase of professional

sensitivity at the end of the 19th century to charitable assistance for those individuals and families

who experienced the problems of poverty, family breakdown, poor housing, etc. Through direct work

with clients focusing on individual assistance to clients in their difficult situation, they created their

own work method. It was based on the use of the relationship between those who need help, and

their individual case workers. This relationship became a foundation to help the needy. Thanks to it,

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 41

clients tried to better cope with their problems, as well as to better achieve the resources available

through charitable funds and use them. One of the basic methods of social work – namely the case of

social work, was formed as inspiration for the activities of these charity workers. This concept of

work, which focuses on the individual functioning and issues of social order, represents the beginning

of micro-level approaches in social work.

According to Human (2009), what linked these two streams was the attempt to respond to the

increase in social problems arising from the processes of industrialization, urbanization and

modernization, which created a massive social movement of the industrial revolution across

northern Europe and North America (see Keller, 2007; Chytil, 2007). On the contrary, what divided

these two approaches was the understanding of the causes of client problems and the solutions that

should be applied (Hugman, 2009).

The diversity of approaches and traditions can also be seen in social pedagogy. Many authors point

to the great variability, but also the diversification of social pedagogy in Europe (e.g. Lyons

& Huegler, 2012; Kornbeck & Jensen et al., 2009; Ezechiel, 2015; Hämäläinen, 2015). As with social

work, the roots of social pedagogy are clasped with large social changes, which the processes of

industrialization and urbanization were characteristic for. Lyons and Huegler (2012) point out that

the origins of social pedagogy are primarily associated with the two paradigms. One of them saw

social pedagogy as a tool for social transformation through education communities, which was aimed

at all ages. The second, which appeared in 1920 in connection with the provision of professional and

academic field identity, established a closer understanding of social pedagogy as the education of

children and youth living outside the school and family context. Both of these views then had a

profound influence on the development of the profession itself and the field's development in

individual countries. Critics of these streams have pointed to idealism and susceptibility to

exploitative practices on one side, and little sensitivity to socio-political contexts on the other

(Böhnisch, 1999).

The beginnings of the establishment of these industries shows that, although each of them sought to

address the consequences of major social events in the daily life of individuals and communities,

their accents were different. In general we can say that social pedagogical perspective saw the

solution of social problems through the training of selected groups of individuals and communities as

well as their growth and socialization, while the perspective of social work sought to empower and

support individuals and communities in order to improve their social functioning.

It is evident that both fields are characterized by the intrinsic variability and ambiguity of objectives

and identities. This diversity and ambiguity of what is the domain of social work and social education

creates a space in which these disciplines can get closer together or even overlap. Another reason for

these overlaps may be the fact that both disciplines work with the same target groups, use the same

theoretical and conceptual resources and, ultimately, professionals from both sides strive for the

same thing: they want to improve the functioning of individuals, groups and communities though

they approach it from different perspectives. According to Böhnisch (1999), a significant

approximation of social pedagogy and social work occurred in the 60s and 70s through an emphasis

on emancipation and lifelong socialization. A shift toward education and sensitivity to socio-political

aspects became typical for both professions. Important concepts that both professions worked with

became those that focused on human development, personality and coping with everyday life

situations in interaction with structural, social and individual factors.

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 42

3 Social work in the socially pedagogical discourse

3.1 Basis

Hämäläinen (2015) explains that social pedagogy is associated with diverse ontological,

epistemological and axiological bases. In our study, we cannot deal with social education in all its

forms, but we choose what we believe very strongly influenced one of the discourses of social work.

It is the area of critical theory, which moreover, according to Hämäläinen, applies in the present in

social pedagogy (2015). According to Giroux (1997) and Marsh (2011) in this concept of social

pedagogy it is significant that social pedagogues are understood as part of the wider world, social

community, and contribute with their active influence to a critical change and empowering of the

disadvantaged. The concept of social pedagogy, critical consciousness is a fundamental defining

feature of social pedagogy.

One of the classic authors who followed the requirement of cultivating critical consciousness and its

application when making changes, is Paolo Freire (1972). His key premise included the challenging of

technical-rational education as a neutral model, arguing that many of its forms do not reject sexism,

racism, exploitation and actually conserve unjust social conditions. Therefore he developed programs

that should stimulate the growth of (critical) consciousness, and which may be the basis for a

creative and liberating action. Freire's work aimed the focus of teachers on topics such as power,

oppression, dialogue, empowerment and awakening consciousness. These ideas have become part of

not only teaching practice, but influenced the development of social work and its theory. Radical, and

later anti-discrimination and anti-oppressive directions, adopted the thesis on the need to promote

critical awareness as their central starting point.

These procedures started to be applied in social work in the 80s and 90s, and the increase of these

social work models was related to the need of some Western countries to face the explosive social

problems associated with “guest workers”, refugees, migrants from the east of Germany, the UK and

other developed Western countries. Specific discourse of social work whose accents were clearly

linked with socially critical thinking in pedagogy began to be cultivated under the banner of “anti-

oppressive” approaches (Navrátil, 2013b).

3.2 Approach to education

This type of discourse understands teachers – social workers as intellectuals who are able to

understand the teaching space as a place where students can explore, discuss, analyze the language

of knowledge and skills. All this should lead to the growth of critical thinking skills. The socio-

pedagogical perspective is based on the belief that the personal growth and development of critical

thinking are essential to improving the functioning of individuals and entire groups.

One of the models of critical thinking development and the development of consciousness is

represented by a model of didactic planes when preparing social workers for their future profession

(Sherpner, 1999). It is a model of application of social and pedagogical perspectives in the training of

social workers, which should lead to the development of critical thinking and awareness especially

among students, but quite naturally it also leads to the growth and progress of teachers. The

application of this perspective should lead not only to a student's progress, which is not only

characterized by acquiring new knowledge and skills, but also a deeper awareness of themselves,

their personal background and their impact on the performance of social work. Sherpner (1999),

building on the work of Garland, Jones and Kolodney (1976, pp. 17–71) defines and characterizes

these five didactic levels:

(1) Information intermediation

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This plane is not only about obtaining new information on social work, but especially the

development of new knowledge. So it is mainly about confronting new information with what

the student already knows, what they have experienced on the level of opinions and attitudes.

This didactic level significantly shapes the initial opinions and attitudes towards the

performance of social work. It expands new knowledge and receives information that may

become a basis for changing opinions and attitudes towards the practice. In this context,

Scherpner (1999) points out one pitfall of this plane. If the teacher merely transmits

information without understanding the context, this way of teaching will have little effect on

student learning and will have a rather negative influence.

(2) Reflection of professional role, its development and acquisition of new methods

In this plane, the teacher encourages the student to ask critical questions. Through them they

obtain the image of the subject and its context with which they work with in practice. Their

questions are focused on finding ways how to proceed, how they can deal with the particular

situation in the context of their experience. The teacher who leads the student within their

practical experience shows them instructions on how to approach certain situations. However,

they should only be some kind of guidance. The student should be encouraged to have

courage in finding their own way when recognizing discrimination and oppression. At this level

the student acquire specific professional methods and techniques that are intended to

improve their training and professional skills. Students deepen their knowledge through direct

experience.

(3) Self-education, self-reflection and self-knowledge

The personality of the social worker is one of the tools of social work. Students are therefore

encouraged to be more deeply engaged with their inner integrity, their attitudes to the subject

of their work, as well as professional values. They learn to distinguish their own stereotypes,

prejudices and other characteristics that reduce their ability to adequately work with clients.

The issues of motivation for social work come to the fore here. Motives can be different and

their timely non-differentiation may lead to subsequent errors and faulty performance in the

negotiations with the client. The student is slowly confronted with themselves, which they may

find very difficult and sometimes unpleasant. The teacher may assist with their own emotions

and experiences. By giving the student the opportunity to look into their inner feelings and

experiences, the learning process may deepen for the student (Seden, 2003).

(4) Biography and life plan

Experience from critical practice, which the student has built, naturally bring the question of

what this experience means for their next direction, especially for their professional life. They

ask themselves questions aimed at finding answers to where they will go in their professional

lives. They already have a sufficient idea of what types of difficulties and risks must be tackled

in their work, and realize how this work enriches them. They have a greater awareness of their

personality, their strengths and weaknesses affecting their practical execution of social work.

All this gives the student the space in which they may decide. In this context, they may be able

to think about their own as well as professional identity better.

(5) Transcendence and spirituality

This didactic plane refers to the fact that social work as a profession can have a spiritual and

transcendent dimension both for social workers and clients. These are particularly affected in

relation to human suffering. Face to face with these painful experiences, social workers are

confronted with finding a deeper meaning to their life and their work. Teachers should

therefore be sensitive to this area and prepare their students for it. Cultural and spiritual

sensitivity is becoming an essential prerequisite for the quality practice of social work.

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 44

Didactic planes can serve as the structure of the process in which social work students acquire skills

related to critical thinking and develop their critical consciousness. The issue here is not just about

the ability to understand oneself, but also about understanding one's anchor in the broader social

contexts that may influence our thinking.

3.3 The concept of identity

The basic concept of this discourse is the concept of “oppression”. This term refers to the structural

disadvantages for certain groups who are denied certain rights and options normally available to the

majority of the society or its elite. The aim of this concept of social work is to face these handicaps,

reduce individual and institutional discrimination based on race, gender, disability, social class and

sexual orientation (Thomas & Pierson, 1995, p. 16). This concept of social work generally deals with

various forms of oppression of women, members of different races, classes and ethnic groups,

religious groups and other social and cultural groups. It approaches them as a complex of

relationships that must be viewed from a single, discrimination revealing and declining viewing angle.

One of the authors trying to develop an anti-discrimination approach as a comprehensive model of

social work is Neil Thompson (1992). According to him, it is downright dangerous if a social worker is

unaware of discrimination or oppression, which the client is exposed to. Social workers here aim to

highlight in particular the oppression that arises between categories of people, e.g. oppression of

men against women (gender), one culture against another (ethnocentrism), between generations

(ageism), healthy people towards the disabled and so on. Social worker follows the principle that

intervention of social work can either strengthen or eliminate oppression. The basic values which

departmental identity stands on in this approach, is justice, equality and participation.

While the concept of “enabling” was emphasized in other concepts of social work, the purpose of

antidiscrimination approaches is the “empowerment” of people. While the concept of enabling is

individualistic and implies social work which helps people to acquire the skills that will help them

cope with the conditions in which they live, the concept of empowerment means helping people to

acquire more power (control, government) over their lives and living conditions.

The hallmark of good practice in traditional social work is a sensibility to the feelings of the client. In

the case of the anti-discrimination approach, a similar emphasis is put on sensitivity towards the

experience of discrimination, oppression. The social worker must be able to take into account such

factors as: race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, etc., and the role of these

aspects in the client's situation. Failure to do so may damage the client more than help them.

Another feature of classical social work is the recognition of each person's uniqueness.

Representatives of the anti-discrimination approach do not want to question this value, but seeks to

deepen it even more by directing attention to the fact that uniqueness is not worth talking abstractly

about, and that every person is set in a quite specific social context.

4 Social work in evidence-based discourse

4.1 Basis

The approach largely came to the attention of social workers in the last decade of the 20th century.

What is typical and what distinguishes it from other approaches is the emphasis on the evidence-

based method. Although in other approaches to education in social work we can follow their link with

research and academic tradition, this approach is primarily based on the fact that the basis for the

decision-making of social workers must be scientifically (understand empirically) verified by evidence

(Sackett et al., 1996; Griffith, 1999; Sheldon, 2001; Webb, 2001). Social workers are expected to be

able to provide procedures and guidance that would be measurable and offer the certainty of

objectivist knowledge. In social work practice, this means that proven (verified by evaluation

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 45

research) or empirically-based interventions are utilized. Evidence is primarily used in the phase

when the social worker decides on a certain intervention in the role of an expert (solving the client's

problem). To reduce the risk of bad decisions made on the basis of unsubstantiated assumptions,

stereotypes or even prejudices, the decision must be supported by research findings. A major role is

therefore played by scientific support, which may be relevant information in the form of different

statistics, research summaries, research reports and scientific papers, etc. A primary emphasis is

placed on scientific evidence, because thanks to them the decision-making process when working

with a client becomes more objective, based on verified evidence-based research.

In the course of its development, evidence-based social work got under certain influences essential

to its current form. From the extreme view, which completely eliminated the influence of the

practical experience of social workers when dealing with the cases of clients, to an approach when

social workers have a certain space in the interpretation of scientific recommendation. Theses by

Rubin and Babbi (2010), who developed an integrative model of scientific practice, which in the work

of social workers takes into account (1) practical experience, (2) the best research evidence and,

finally, (3) the client's characteristics, are an example of the moderate understating of evidence-

based discourse in social work. The authors talk about the fact that none of these elements can stand

off to the side, as they can mutually support one another.

4.2 Approach to education

The close relationship between social work with scientific methods, which have become the basis for

decision-making and the intervention of social workers, naturally has a great influence on what is

expected within the education and professional training of social workers. The skills that they are to

gain in the course of social training derive mainly from precise scientific methodology based on

gradual steps that should lead the social worker to their mastery and success in working with clients.

According to Rubin and Babbi (2010), the methodology of “evidence-based practice” consists of six

basic steps: (1) the formulation of basic questions, (2) a search for evidence, (3) the critical evaluation

of the results of relevant work, (4) the selection of appropriate interventions, (5) the application of

intervention, (6) evaluation and feedback. The aim of vocational education is to teach students to

seek proper evidence, scientifically founded conclusion. It is therefore obvious that this type of

training of social workers emphasizes the development of methodical thinking, capability in the use

of research sources and their critical evaluation. According to Jarolímková (2004), ability to find the

best proof required the information literacy of users. Only via its development, we can be successful

in practice based on evidence. Therefore both students and social workers should be supported in

information literacy. This support should be provided, e.g. by training, counseling centers or through

specialized seminars and conferences. Within them they learn the hierarchical categorization of

evidence or information sources, according to the value attributed to the “evidence-based”

methodology. Study goals are focused on the acquisition of skills for the use of scientific resources

and evidence that serves as support for the decision to intervene.

4.3 The concept of identity

The identity of social workers in this discourse is very different from the other three. The thing in

which this approach is fundamentally different from others is mainly the approach to assessing the

client's life situation and deciding on intervention. In the first place it is expected from a social

worker here that they can accurately operationalize the client's problem and then find the

appropriate scientific evidence to support an effective intervention option when working with a

client. According to Novell (1990), the point is that the social worker is able to obtain resources and

support scientific data carriers for their decision-making on the intervention. In this context, the

emphasis is put on information fitness of social workers. If they have this skill, they can help their

clients, and moreover, their work will be efficient.

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 46

Rose (1985) points out that in the context of evidence-based practice, a social worker becomes an

ingenious processor able to choose the best solution for the given situation, and thus make the best

decision. Under this approach, the social worker is thought of as someone who can apply basic logical

principles to clients' problems, since it is based on the fact that the clients' behavior will probably

develop in a certain direction. Although there are different directions and perspectives in social work

based on evidence, it is clear that the center of gravity is in finding scientific evidence. The practical

experience of social workers, although it has application in this approach, does not play such a role.

The position of the theoretical framework is more influential is this approach than the experience

generated by practice. Less emphasis on the reflection on their own role and own identity in the

process of working with the client is also an unintended consequence of this.

5 Social work in training discourse

5.1 Basis

The competence-based discourse occupies a very significant place in the training of social workers,

especially in recent years. The idea that social workers should mainly learn to respond to clients' life

situation with appropriate behavioral strategies during studies has become very attractive for many.

In the Czech Republic, competence-based discourse penetrated most curricula in social work in the

last twenty years. The survey carried out among social work educators has shown that education

focused on competencies was a prevailing approach in the Czech Republic, through which students

are being prepared for their future profession as social workers (Navrátilová, 2010). This shift to the

training discourse is, however, also visible in other European countries, as reported by, for example,

Chytil (2007), Kearney (2000), Lorenz (2007); Webb (2001), and others.

Many authors point out that competency models are based on behavioral movement, which began

to emerge in the 20s and penetrated the educational systems in the 50s (Ainsworth, 1977;

Kuhlmann, 2009; Parker, 2006), and massively affected the education of social workers in the past

five decades in particular. A competence-based method of learning first appeared in public education

of youth and soon expanded to educational programs for teachers at larger universities and became

dominant in the educational programs and standards of various areas (Kuhlmann, 2009). It is worth

mentioning that the American psychologist and theorist of learning, David McClelland (1973), whose

article from 1973 Testing for Competence rather than Intelligence, which unleashed a storm of

controversy contributed very strongly to this, and de facto launched a “competence movement” in

the US (Adams, 1997). The “founding father” of the competency approach questioned its previously

used model for evaluating success through intelligence tests. He pointed out that the achieved

competencies should become the tool for this assessment.

Behavioral foundations highlighting interest in influencing human behavior brought elements of

objectivity, quantification and certainty into education. As stated by Navrátil (2001) and Matoušek

(2003), it was assumed that the results of empirical research would bring new knowledge about

general laws of behavior, while every human behavior under this approach is seen as the result of

what one learned or did not learn. According to Navrátil (2001), classic behaviorists do not focus on

specific (empirically measurable) behavior of the individual in the context of their environment.

Classical behaviorists do not follow the inner motives and causes of human behavior. On the

contrary, they believe that all behavior, whether it shows signs of normality or abnormality, is

learned in interaction with the environment. For this reason, behaviorists focus their attention to the

conditions and circumstances that affect the learning process. Findings from observations are used to

make the procedures used to re-teach undesirable behavior (Kuhlmann, 2009).

Behaviorism ideas that found their use in many social sciences (sociology, anthropology, political

science, social work, psychology) have gone through numerous changes since their early beginnings.

The fact that the initial disinterest of behaviorists about inner feelings and motives was replaced by a

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 47

focus on cognitive processes associated with human experience and behavior (experiences,

expectations, perceptions) may be considered among the most significant. The emergence of

behavioral theories that emphasize the emotional side of human behavior next to the rational side,

are an example. Such an instance can be Dryden's rational-emotional-behavioral therapy (Dryden,

2008).

Fay (2002, p. 152) states that the most developed and most influential theories of competence in

social sciences are those that are a mainstay for rational choice. In social work we can understand

this statement in response to a requirement that social workers were able to solve practical

problems. Reid and Epstein (1977) who developed the task-based approach in social work responded

to this request in the early 70s. The structure and methodology of this approach were to bring about

fundamental changes in the activity of social workers by increasing the efficiency of solving practical

problems encountered by the clients of social workers. This approach, like so many others, which

sought this efficiency, are characterized primarily by: being based on research findings, structured,

provide clear and specific guidelines, allow the adoption of a wide range of competencies, focus on

specific objectives, targeted on the fulfillment of tasks; they are time-bound and so they mobilize

efforts (Tolson, Reid, & Garvin, 2013).

Rationality of dealing thus became synonymous with efficiency in solving client problems. The

authors following behaviourist ideas consider the named characteristics to be positives and benefits,

especially in the education and practical experience of social workers.

5.2 Approach to education

The expansion of the competence-based model affects the entire education of social workers and

specifically the concept of professional experience which has a significant place in the professional

training of social workers. Clark (cit. according to Arkava & Brennen, 1996) pointed out that although

the competency approach is conceived in different ways in individual study programs, it is likely that

in these programs we encounter the following characteristics:

- Emphasis on outcomes rather than on the learning process. Within competency models it is

usually required that the student demonstrate achievement of a specific and predefined

competencies. Learning methods by which this competence is achieved are not so important.

The achievement of results in itself is therefore essential, the result.

- Teaching and learning are defined in terms of performance. Students must be able to

demonstrate that they are successful in demonstrating the performance desired in advance.

- Performances are understood in a behavioral approach. Performance requirements are often

given very clearly and lists of commands and requirements associated with the achievement of

specific competence are often compiled.

- Criteria for measuring performance are given. They determine when a student is successful in

their performance and when they have not achieved the desired result. These criteria are

usually presented by precise criteria that indicate different levels of competence.

Shardlow and Doel (1996) note that in the context of these models it paradoxically occurs that the

end of the educational process is actually the beginning. For this reason, the attributes of a

competent social worker in terms of desired behavior that fulfills the role of a social worker are very

precisely described. The “behavior” is most often specified through a system of skills, which a social

worker should be trained in. Each skill is operationalized at the level where it is clear what can be

considered evidence of achieving the competency. This kind of education is also reflected in the

relationship between teacher and pupil, as well as a social worker and client. Gabura with Pružinská

(1995) talk about the educational function of a relationship. A teacher is one who teaches, who is the

bearer of rules and clear instructions on how to proceed in certain situations. The student is

expected to critically question these instructions.

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 48

5.3 The concept of identity

Although we can say that the competence-based approach is highly popular, it simultaneously causes

extensive criticism by a number of authors, both foreign and domestic. For example, Lena Dominelli

(1996) examines the influence of a competence-based model in social work and its impact on the

practical experience of social workers. According to Dominelli, the competence-based model

simplifies different elements of complex and dynamic social interactions and reduces the social

nature of its individual components. Likewise, Bogo and Vayda (1987) point out that the

competence-based approach is focused on the specification of individual professional skills in

measurable behavior. There is only little room for reflection on the student experience. Dominelli

(1996) states that an emphasis on competence-based approach in education and social work leads to

technicistic and decontextualized learning, leading to the atomization of teachings, the problems of

the client and social work in general. He points out that this method of competency perception does

not emphasize the achievement of the best result, but even a satisfactory standard can be

understood as good enough in this sense. This can of course lead to a reduction in the quality of

education. Education is seen primarily in terms of rationality and therefore effectiveness. People

should acquire, or rather buy such a type of education, which will be based on market needs rather

than the needs based on the reality of daily life.

Dominelli (1996) points out that the competence-based approach in social work introduces

fundamental changes in social work deeper than they seem at first glance. Pressure on the

implementation of the competence-based approaches is not based on user needs or aspirations of

social workers, but from the ephemeral and unpredictable market, whose main driving force is to

gain profit. When transferring commercial thinking into education in social work, this caused a

fundamental shift in the distribution of power from professionals in social work (e.g., academics and

practitioners) to those who make decisions about financial resources. Competence-based discourse

in education is part of the global marketization of the welfare state and its reduction (McDonald,

2006).

Chytil (2007), Lorenz (2007) and Laan (1998) point out in connection with the privatization of

education of social workers that the commodification of education means a gradual loss of the

ethical identity of social work. They warn that the activity of social workers has also become a

commodity that has the same value as the other offered services. Help service itself has become the

subject of purchase, as it happens with common consumer goods. Hugman (1998) points out that

social workers have become producers of “welfare” and service users have become consumers. The

fact whether this service will be offered or not does not need to be dependent on whether the need

is felt by those who need help, but whether it can withstand the competing offer of other services.

This situation is, however, in many cases, inconvenient and dangerous, because the driving force of

the market is profit rather than helping those in need (Nussbaum, 2011)

6 Social work in reflexive discourse

6.1 Basis

In the last two decades, reflexive approach has raised a lot of expectations in many areas of

professional human activity and some authors even talk about the development of massive interest

in the use of reflection in diverse areas. Interest in reflective processes was opened by authors who

have begun to question the usefulness of linear thinking in applied technical professions, which

besides academic knowledge also need to take into consideration not only the experience of

professionals but also clients (Argyris & Schön, 1974; Schön, 1983). In social work, this motif occurs

primarily in authors from the Anglophone linguistic circle (but not exclusively). Reflexive approaches

have quickly become the subject of interest to a number of scientific and educational books in social

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 49

work, because the idea that the experiences of workers and suggestions from clients must be used

for adequate decision-making in social work seemed very natural in this context (D'Cruz, Gillingham,

& Melendez, 2007; Ferguson, 2003; Chow, Lam, Leung, Wong, & Chan, 2011; Morley, 2015; Nixon &

Murr, 2006).

It seems that in social work there is growing interest in the concepts of reflection, reflexing, etc. in

the context of growing awareness of uncertainty and ambiguity of the postmodern man thrown into

the world of many opportunities and risks (Bauman, 1995; Giddens, 2003). Social workers are forced

to respond to the status of “blurred” professional coordinates that formerly flanked the normative

practice of social workers (Musil, 2004; Musil & Šrajer, 2008; Navrátil, 2005). Social workers are

turning to reflecting their personality, experience and social conventions as a tool, which is a means

of feedback and which help shape a certain perspective of thinking and practical action in the

“blurred” (Musil & Šrajer, 2008) contours of profession and society.

Jane Fook (2002) also explicitly compares reflectivity and reflexivity as well as highlights the different

discourses from which these concepts have emerged. While according to Fook, reflectivity is

associated more with disciplines such as management and engineering, reflexivity was formulated in

the discourse of social sciences as a key research skill and associated with qualitative and especially

ethnographic research. According to Fook (1999), reflectivity is based on the positivist tradition, and

its purpose is to generate an objective theory, which should be deductively applied in practice.

Reflectivity in social work was rather connected with the social worker's effort to distance

themselves from their experiences and feelings and try to attain an objective approach to practical

work. Reflecting should also serve to uncover a formal contradiction between formal theory and the

practical experience of the social worker. The process of reflection is used here to deny the practical

wisdom of social workers, which arises inductively from daily practice. Reflexivity is conversely

associated with late-modern critique of objectivism and it values the practice of social workers more

(as well as the cognitive process). Fook (2002) also states that reflectivity is more related to the

process of reflection on practice, while reflexivity characterizes the social worker's ability to perceive

and evaluate their impact on research or practical activities. Fook also explains that reflectivity

applies particularly to efforts in understanding how things work, while reflexivity lies in efforts to

bring as many different perspectives and views when thinking about the client's life situation. A

comparison of selected characteristics of reflective and reflexive approach is presented in the

following table 1.

Table 1

Comparison of reflective and reflexive thinking

Reflective thinking

Reflexive thinking

Discursive origin

Management and engineering Social sciences

The nature of social reality

Objective

Constructed

Knowledge objective

Creation of objective theory

In-depth understanding of the

individual

Purpose of reflecting/reflexion Technically understand and

improve practice

Cultivation of personality,

expanding awareness of their

own impact on the ongoing

processes

Approach to practical

experience

Development and application of

a single “correct” model of how

things happen and how they

should be influenced

Finding different perspectives,

interpretations and ways of

solving

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 50

Timing

Following the completion of

work with the client or its

compact part

Source: Adjusted according to Schön (1983) and Fook (2002).

During work with the client

It is interesting that although Fook (2002) distinguishes the meaning of reflective and reflexive, she

proposes using the concepts complementary with the fact that reflexive attitude position supports

reflection of practice. In her idea, reflexive attitude is, simply put, rather a predisposition toward

reflexivity, while reflection is rather a process of reviewing practice. With this step, Fook (2002)

combines both concepts and makes them a part of one unit in practical terms. I will discuss the

options of connecting reflectivity and reflexivity later in the third section of this chapter. Since the

concept of reflexivity seems more apt to social work based on the performed comparison, I will deal

with it further in greater detail and in the text below I will introduce different concepts of reflexivity

and focus on identifying subtypes of reflexivity to describe their main characteristics.

6.2 The concept of education

Extensive work of John Dewey (1930, 1933, 1947) affected a number of later writers who have dealt

with the reflexive approach. Besides Donald Schön, who opened the gates of reflective thinking not

only for social work, we can mention Jack Mezirow (1985, 1991) and Stephen Brookfield (1987,

1995). They engaged in the learning process, in which individuals are drawn into a reflexive

evaluation of their experiences and interpretations. These authors focus primarily on the

transformation of knowledge and learning, in which they suggest to critically confronting the possible

interpretation of particular experience. Reflexive education is clearly focused on developing the

ability of future social workers to realize different perspectives, planes and interpretations of their

experiences and the experiences of clients. Within reflexive learning there are many models that can

be applied in the learning process. For example, Thompson and Thompson (2008) created a three-

dimensional model of a reflexive approach that takes into account the development of reflective

thinking and summarizes knowledge about this approach. These three dimensions of reflective

approach include reflection: (a) cognitive (b) affective and (c) value.

In cognitive reflexion it comes to cultivating simple thinking and even creative thinking, which is the

source of the skills of professionals, able to consider problems in their complexity and yet creatively

use all possible resources to be able to approach clients in a unique way. In the context of thinking

reflexion, Thompson and Thompson (2008) talk about several types of thinking that social workers

should develop so that their work with clients can be professional. Social workers should thus have

an open mind, receptive to the needs of clients and the context in which they live, and should be

able to think analytically. Thanks to the reflection of thinking, social workers should be able to use

their creative thinking in favor of the client. Unlike traditional approaches that did not recognize the

importance of emotions for the helping process, the reflective approach emphasizes their

significance in practice and reflecting on emotions is one of the prerequisites of this approach

(Biestek, 1957; Webb, 2001).

Developing a reflexive approach in practice also brought a new perspective, which is based on the

fact that just as thinking is important, the feelings also have an irreplaceable role in the process of

reflexion. Thompson and Thompson (2008) note that we would make a big mistake if we did not

recognize what a crucial role feelings and emotions play in the assisting process. Their significance is

primarily associated with the ability to share the problems of our clients, as well as the ability to

adequately respond to clients' problems. The development of the reflective approach in practice also

brings the realization that emotions play a key role in working with clients, and they are even a moral

compass in learning and practice. Thompson and Thompson (2008) follow the fact that within

reflective practice it is absolutely necessary for emotions to be integrated as one of the basic

elements of reflection.

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 51

Social work was associated with certain values, which are an indicator of social workers. They

represented something considered good and desirable in a profession. Emphasizing certain values

influenced the form and shape of social work. Through them anything that is deemed appropriate,

useful and appropriate to follow (Clark, 2000) was emphasized. It is therefore very important to

recognize on what value foundations our work as helpers stands on. Moss (2007) remarks, that

“without realizing values, our work can become dangerous. Values not only create our thoughts and

feelings, but also our response.” In this context, the integration of values into our practice supports

congruent behaviors, through which there is a consensus on how a client is thought of, what feelings

we have towards them, and how we treat them (Dryden, 2008). The absence of this consensus is

risky not only for the client but also for the social worker.

The above-described dimensions and elements provide us with an idea of the structure of the

reflexive approach in the training of social workers. Just mere knowledge of the structure and the

pursuit of its integration into the training of social workers will likely not be enough. The key is the

willingness to bring openness to the educational process and ability to integrate the diversity of

human experience as a source of creativity and innovative practices.

6.3 The concept of identity

We believe that the reflexive discourse of social work whose key principle lies in reflective thinking

represents a particularly useful way of checking the prerequisites and circumstances a social worker

operates with in their work with clients. Social work is conceived as an activity that should carefully

consider each step. Reflexivity in this direction is perceived as a better and more meaningful way of

regulating the practice than the emerging trend to make the implementation of social work

bureaucratic in all its aspects. Reflection and reflective practice are also a better and more

convenient practice management model for the profession of social work than the proceduralization

of its procedures, or any other restriction on the professional exercise of social workers. Reflexivity is

also philosophically and ethically closer to participatory approaches that understand the client as an

equal partner of the social worker. The nature of reflexivity is an effort to control the interpretation

of a social worker with all stakeholders (e.g., colleagues, supervisor, clients). The aim of reflexive

participation is not to reveal an objective truth, but rather open space to reflect on different truths,

with which and in which all the participants and especially the clients live. Parton and O'Byrne (2000)

mention the willingness of the social worker to share their insights in the living situation with the

client as an important characteristic of a reflexive approach, and consider this social worker's ability

as relational reflexivity.

In the context of reflexive discourse, social work can be understood as the instrument that not only

wants to promote reflection on the process of social work helping professionals. It also places the

responsibility to help clients reflect on their life situations so as to enable them to perform multiple

critical decisions about life. According to Giddens (1992), the objective of such efforts is for citizens of

all classes, ethnicities, abilities, sexual orientation and gender to be able to face questions on the

meaning of life, death, intimacy and personal relationships. The purpose of such social work is the

empowerment of people to enable them to take responsibility for their life and its control in the very

complicated living conditions of late modernity.

7 Conclusion

In this paper we focused on the question: What assumptions about the performance of social work

and more generally the concept of sectoral identity are implied by the selected discourses of

education in social work? It is necessary to say that every discourse is inherently quite specific and

also presents specific concepts of social work. In the following table 2 we attempt to clearly

characterize our findings:

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 52

Table 2

Overview of discourses

General basis

Key value

Evidence-based

discourse

Social work as a

science

Competence-

based discourse

Social work as a

craft

Reflexive

discourse

Social work as

reflecting

partnership

EVIDENCE

COMPETENCE

REFLEXION

Socio-educational

discourse

Social work as

empowering and

development

activity

EMPOWERING/

DEVELOPMENT

Approach to

education

The concept of

identity of SW

The goal is to

educate an expert

who knows what

is best for the

client

Expert profession

The goal is to

educate an expert

who can solve the

problem

Technical

profession

The goal is to

educate an expert

who seeks

understanding

Participating

profession

The goal is to

educate an expert

who deepens

their critical

consciousness

Empowering

profession

In our work, we have tried to identify the general basis, core value, access to education and the

concept of sectoral identity in every discourse. Further, we briefly summarize our findings, which are

presented in figure two.

The socio-educational approach in social work emphasizes the perspective of critical thinking that

enables the empowering of clients and their growth. A key aspect of evidence-based discourse is the

social worker's ability to find evidence that will allow them to devise the best possible intervention.

Competence-based discourse then assumes that it is essential that the social worker handle the

craftsmanship, thanks to which the client will provide the best support. Reflexive discourse is based

on the assumption that the best service can only come from reflecting cooperation.

These discursive bases are subsequently also reflected in the image of the adequate training of social

workers. Socio-educational discourse aims to educate an expert who deepens their critical

consciousness, susceptible to various forms of discrimination, and drawing up strategies to overcome

them and develop the client's potential. Evidence-based discourse identifies an expert who “knows”

and is able to obtain valid information as an ideal social worker. Competence discourse formulates a

vision of the ideal worker as a technically equipped professional who can solve the client's problems.

The ideal of a reflexive discourse is an expert seeking to understand the ambiguous dimensions of

the client's situation. Each of the discourses also represents a different image of the profession.

Socio-educational discourse creates an image of social work as a profession, which aims to empower

individuals and communities, their growth and development of potential. In the case of evidence-

based discourse, social work is depicted as an expert profession. Competence-based discourse then

depicts social work as a profession of tech-savvy experts who solve life problems. Reflexive discourse

represents a vision of social work as a participating profession, in which the best is a solution

achieved by cooperation.

The emergence of this paper was motivated by the search of the context of social work and social

pedagogy. Lyons and Huegler (2012) point out that despite the approximation of social education

and social work, their relationship remains controversial and changeable. This statement is

supported by research analyses conducted by Hämäläinen (2003), Kornbeck and Lumsden (2009),

which identified three different approaches to these relationships: (1) the position of hostile

divergence, within which social work and social pedagogy are two separate disciplines; (2) the

position of convergence where both disciplines are more or less the same, and (3) the position where

Navrátilová & Navrátil / Educational Discourses in Social Work 53

social pedagogy and social work are linked either in a complementary manner or through

subordination involving the management of one of the disciplines.

In terms of the said analysis of interdisciplinary collaboration relationships, our study falls into the

third position in which we point to the mutual permeability of social work and social pedagogy. We

have shown how one specific concept of social pedagogy influenced the educational discourse in

social work.

With our paper we wanted to contribute to the reflection of interdisciplinary cooperation in the field

of education of social workers. We found that the area of education opens up significant

opportunities for this collaboration. The proof of this assertion is the fact that currently one of the

most important educational discourses in social work was created through interaction with the ideas

of social pedagogy.

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British Journal of Social Work, 31, 57–79. doi:10.1093/bjsw/31.1.57

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 57

Volume 4, Issue 1, pp. 57–71, April 2016

ISSN 1805-8825 | doi:10.7441/soced.2016.04.01.04

Czech version/Česká verze

The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work

Blahoslav Kraus^1

Stanislava Hoferková^2

Contacts to authors

1,2 University of Hradec Králové,

Faculty of Education,

Rokitanského 62,

500 03 Hradec Králové

blahoslav.kraus@uhk.cz

stanislava.hoferkova@uhk.cz

Kontakty na autory

1,2 Univerzita Hradec Králové,

Pedagogická fakulta,

Rokitanského 62,

500 03 Hradec Králové

blahoslav.kraus@uhk.cz

stanislava.hoferkova@uhk.cz

Copyright © 2016 by authors

and publisher TBU in Zlín.

This work is licensed under the

Creative Commons Attribution

International License (CC BY).

Abstract: The article analyses the development of the relationship

between social work and social pedagogy at the end of the 20th

century in the Czech Republic and compares this relationship to the

one in neighbouring countries (Germany, England, France,

Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Slovakia,

Russia, Lithuania). The article further deals with various concepts

of this relationship (including identification, differentiation,

and convergent principle). It also compares the paradigms of social

pedagogy and social work (autonomy, similarities and differences

mainly in epistemological terms). Series of paradigms appear in

both social work and social pedagogy during their development.

A prevailing tendency towards the multi-paradigmatism can be

seen. Furthermore, the article discusses the differences in

professional aspirations within both fields and the number of job

opportunities for the fields graduates. A conclusion of the article is

dedicated to the professional career within social pedagogy

and social work regarding the real life situation in both fields.

Keywords: social pedagogy, social work, development

of paradigms, pedagogization, social education

Ke vztahu sociální pedagogiky a sociální práce

Abstrakt: Cílem studie je identifikování konvergentních

a divergentních prvků sociální práce a sociální pedagogiky

prostřednictvím obsahové analýzy a komparace. Výzkumný soubor

tvoří vědecké a odborné texty slovensky, česky, německy nebo

anglicky píšících autorů, s důrazem na definování obou disciplín

a priorizaci slovenské a české jazykové oblasti. Ve studii

identifikujme konvergentní a divergentní prvky sociální práce

a sociální pedagogiky jako dvou jedinečných disciplín a profesí,

přikláníme se k názoru, že sociální pedagogika je teoretičtější

a všeobecnější, zatímco sociální práce je praktičtější a vědou více

aplikovanou, avšak pro obě disciplíny je důležitá intenzivní

spolupráce usilující předně o prevenci sociálně patologických jevů

ve společnosti a vedoucí k zdravému fyzickému, psychickému

a sociálnímu vývoji jedince.

Klíčová slova: sociální pedagogika, sociální práce, vývoj, paradigma,

pedagogizace, sociální výchova

Kraus & Hoferková / The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work 58

1 Genesis and concepts of social work and social pedagogy

Concepts of social work and social pedagogy vary regarding the genesis of each field. Both disciplines

have special status within the system of science disciplines in the Czech Republic. Even though social

pedagogy has longer tradition (more like a way of theoretical thinking than a science discipline) it

gained fundamental position as well as social work after the year 1990. Both disciplines have

undergone interesting development since then. Common phenomenon of both fields is their still

increasing professionalisation, increasing importance from the theoretical and practical point of

view, and an interest in their study.

Some roots of social work can be found during the period of First Republic in connection to the figure

of Masaryková. However, the social work did not exist as a science discipline and its development

started after the year 1990, it was conducted at sociological workplaces within the Anglo-American

concept which distances itself from the social pedagogy. To this can be added that pedagogy is not

taught anywhere in the Czech Republic as a part of social work. Association of Educators in social

work does not even include social pedagogy in a minimum standard study plane.

An initial discussion regarding the legitimacy of social work as a scientific discipline resulted in an

opinion that social work has defined itself as an individual, integrated science discipline (separate

workplaces at universities are taken as evidence of that fact). Social work undergone longer-term and

more extensive development in western countries. In the broadest sense it is generally defined as a

scientific field engaging in activities that prevent or solve the problems of individuals and groups,

rising from the conflict between the needs of an individual and social institutions, with the intention

of improving quality of life. In real life it is a realisation of social policy. Social work enters the social

policy when the needs of citizens are not adequately met.

In that context it mainly provides these functions:

a) Curative – social work removes barriers, dysfunctions, and their results from life of an

individual that prevent his or her optimal development.

b) Stimulatory – social work secures a harmonic relationship of an individual and a society.

The state of social pedagogy (its roots go back to G. A. Lindner) must be described as chaotic mainly

in the first years after the velvet revolution (see Kraus, 1996). At the beginning the term “social

pedagogy” was used to describe whole methodological approach to pedagogy in its broad sense, as

well as the individual discipline that was (before the revolution) called educational theory. Nowadays

the term social pedagogy is clearly defined as an individual scientific discipline, which has strongly

multidisciplinary and integrating character.

Social pedagogy focuses on the everyday life of the individual, analyses his or her life situations and

creates such changes of social environment so as to help to optimize a personality development, and

minimize the discrepancy between an individual and a society. Emphasised is socio-educational help

for vulnerable groups of children and youth, and educational work with marginal groups. Main theme

of the whole field is a development of social creativity and an activation of everyone’s individual

power. It also focuses on a development of individual’s healthy lifestyle regarding his or her

individual abilities (Kraus, 2014).

In any case, we accept the broader concept of social pedagogy, according to which is this discipline

focused not only on problems of pathological character, marginal groups, on parts of populations

that are at risks of their development, and on people with potentially deviant behaviour, but also,

primarily, on the whole population in terms of creating a harmony between the needs of an

individual and a society, in terms of creating an optimal way of life in a given society.

Kraus & Hoferková / The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work 59

Basic functions of social pedagogy are:

- Preventive (to minimize all threats to optimal social development and to prevent deviant

behaviour).

- Compensational (to compensate all disadvantages, handicaps, and to correct behaviour

deviations).

In Germany both disciplines have many years of tradition even though the origin of every discipline

can be found in different historical period. Whereas social pedagogy and social pedagogical work can

be traced to the middle of nineteen century, the concept of social work is forming after the Second

World War. Further development has, mainly in recent years, strongly integrative character. The

coordination board, lately working in Germany on ensuring comparability of education programs

across the federation, is recommending to replace the existing dualism (two titles are used

Sozialpadagogik/Sozialarbeit) by one title Soziale Arbeit which is more in accordance with the Anglo-

American concept of “Social Work.” This concept is related to the overall status of pedagogy as such

in those countries.

According to the Huppert and Schinzler (1995), activities of a social nature relate to both fields and

boundaries are drawn artificially. As Wagner declares, social work and social pedagogy have

homogeneous professional paradigm, and the question is, weather it means a unity of both

disciplines or maintaining their own autonomy (including the fact that social pedagogy is viewed as

being more academical discipline than social work). Wagner advises to maintain some autonomy of

both disciplines even at the price of certain dualism (Wagner, 1998). Schilling believes that even

though both fields had common historical roots, in the 20th century they had evolved into relatively

independent fields, and its current trend is towards convergence (Schilling, 1999).

In Switzerland there is a similar view on social pedagogy and social work. “Although in real life

practice the fields of social work and social pedagogy are increasingly overlapping, in the theoretical

studies separate approaches are still applied. In the near future, however, an integration is assumed”

(Hochstrasser, 1991, p. 21).

In other western countries social work has usually longer and grater tradition than social pedagogy.

In English speaking countries the socio-pedagogical issues, and theoretical issues regarding education

in general are being dealt with in terms of sociology (or psychology), and therefore the term social

pedagogy is rarely to be seen. Recently is the situation changing and social pedagogy is being

discussed. A proof of this is the book by Camerona and Mosse (2011) “Social Pedagogy and Working

with Children and Young People” or the journal “International Journal of Social Pedagogy,” which is

being published since 2012 and aims to support a discussion about social pedagogy in English

speaking countries (International Journal of Social Pedagogy, 2006). The current state of both

disciplines is described in the third part of this paper.

Different situation is in Poland. Here the field of social work started to develop from the discipline of

social pedagogy, which has a longer tradition in Poland. Social pedagogy was seen as methodological

and theoretical base, and therefore, the founder of pedagogy Radlinská viewed the social work as a

branch of social pedagogy, other branches being: educational provident, cultural educational work,

and educational health care (Pilch & Lepalczyk, 1995). Social work is seen as a practical activity for

helping individuals and families that got into difficult situation in life with the aim of their full

participation in society. It is recently developing as an independent science discipline regardless the

social pedagogy (Brągiel, 2001).

In Slovakia, the development was similar. It was given mainly by the fact that the field of social work

was forming mostly at pedagogical work places (departments and faculties), namely in Banská

Bystrica, Prešov, Bratislava. Consequently, it also formed the view on the relationship of both

disciplines. Further development of both disciplines lead to convergence (Hroncová, Hudecová, &

Matulayová, 2001). Social work has gained, nowadays, an independent status as a field of science, it

Kraus & Hoferková / The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work 60

has its own scientific support and independent workplaces. It justifies a different concept and a

significant shift to the aforementioned Anglo-American model. To this situation that is similar to our

situation, Kratochvílová says: “It is alarming that study plans of social work, at some faculties, are

missing pedagogical disciplines. I believe that this mistrust and neglect of pedagogy is the result and

a relic from the period of excessive criticism after the social changes in 1989, when pedagogical

disciplines were criticised not only for its theories marked by the regime, but also for the mistakes

and failures in a practical implementation of a school policy” (Kratochvílová, 2001, p. 422).

In Lithuania, the social work and social pedagogy began to intensively develop in the 90s. Currently

they are perceived as distinctive and independent disciplines. Social work is developing on the basis

of sociology and social pedagogy is based on education science. Even though the profession of social

worker and social pedagogue are regulated by different resorts, both pursue similar goals and are

often using the same methods and means to achieve them (Leliūgienė, Giedraitienė, & Rupšienė,

2006). In Lithuania, social pedagogue became a part of a school assistance system and is perceived as

specialist, who cares for the solution of children’s social problems at an educational institution

– school, kindergarten, children’s day centre, care institution (Vaitkevicius, 1995; Leliūgienė, 2003).

In Russia, the 90s were, as well as in our country, the period of searching. It was a time when social

pedagogy, being a relatively new discipline, was defining itself, and was defining the relation to the

other scientific disciplines not only to pedagogical disciplines including social work. According to

Lipskij, social pedagogy is mainly theoretical discipline whereas social work is a practical approach in

real life (see Lipskij, 2004). Lipskij notes significant development in both fields in response to the

development of a social sphere of the whole society. He addresses gnoseological and methodological

basis of social pedagogy, he deals with technologies and processes in socio-pedagogical practice. The

work of Nikitin and others (2002) is, by its approach, closer to the practical use. It defines social

pedagogy in a broad sense as pedagogical aspects of social development of an individual, so called

“social functioning”, and social activities. The main topic is the educational assistance in the whole

socialization process, and its regulation. Nikitin also focuses on socio-pedagogical profession,

including activities associated with social work in to the field of social pedagogy, mainly in fields of

children’s and youths social-rehabilitation, and a work with people with personality disorder, socially

maladjusted people, including penitential care and “corrective” re-socialization pedagogy.

2 Paradigms of social pedagogy and social work

Concept of paradigm is not unambiguous. Accepting the basic definition by Kuhna, who perceives a

paradigm as a set of generally recognized scientific results representing, in a given time, a model of

issues and their solutions, for a given group of academics (Kuhn, 1997, p. 10), we must find the

situation confusing in both fields, social work as well as social pedagogy. As has been already

mentioned, several paradigms appear in both fields.

A. Regarding social work paradigms, there have been several of them during the course of its

development. Charitable paradigm (its essence was actually missionary work among atheists),

medical paradigm (it was an effort to get to know the social context in which the client lives on

the basis of “social diagnosis” and to propose an adequate way of helping him or her – “social

therapy”), psychotherapy (applying a psychoanalytical approach in order to understand client’s

personality, and to act also preventively within the “field therapy”) Next model is a sociological

paradigm that turns the attention of social workers from internal to external causes (client’s social

and economical conditions) and the social worker takes the role of a “social reformer.”

A relatively recent model, which appeared in the 80s, is the paradigm of a manager, where a

client becomes a customer and into a social work vocabulary are getting expressions like market,

competition, commercialization, supply, demand, etc. (Kappl, 2008).

Kraus & Hoferková / The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work 61

The last decades show that it is not possible to rely only on one concept, and therefore, at the end of

the 90s, Payne brings the concept of “small paradigms” (Payne, 1997).

1. Reflexivly-therapeutical: the aim of social work is to help to secure a psychosocial well-being of

an individual or group. Social work is a reflexive process through which clients can gain control

over their own lives.

2. Socialy-collectivistic – according to which people are gaining an influence on their lives by the

help of socio cooperation and solidarity. Social work aims to strengthen people’s

consciousness in order to participate on the creation and modification of institutions, to

contribute in changing the social order, and to create a society based on equality.

3. Individualistically-reformational – this concept sees the social work as one aspect of a whole

system of social services. Its aim is to meet the individual needs and to try to improve social

services. It means helping mainly by providing information, qualified advice, and making

resources available. It is a change in society and its institutions in order to be able to suite to

the needs of its citizens (Navrátil, 1998).

The concept of Ondrejkovič (2000) is also based on the above mentioned point of view:

1. Therapeutic – based on client principal; It’s about helping individuals and groups in order to

restore a distorted balance in the functioning of society. Main condition is a serious social

diagnosis.

2. Consulting – based on consulting service regarding legal issues, psychological problems,

relationships (domestic violence), and social issues (unemployment).

3. Reform paradigms – it focuses on problem solving strategies on the macro-social level

including social policy, economy, with the aim of effective social planning (for example help for

the whole region)

4. Educational – teaching social skills, pro-social education, helping with multicultural issues

solutions, re-qualification, etc.

According to DuBois and Miley, the aim of social work is to ensure that clients will no longer need the

help of social worker, and also that clients will be able to manage their problems on their own,

what’s more to ensure that they will not get in to the problems at all in the first place.

The title Social Work – An Empowering Profession, defines the aim of social work as an effort for

awaking manpower so everybody will be able to update their skills and knowledge. This is the

mission of modern social work – empowering clients to solve their problems by themselves, enhance

human ability to cope with their lives and operate efficiently. According to the authors, social work

performs three functions (DuBois & Miley, 1992):

1. Consulting – its core is the client’s problem.

2. Resource management – use and coordination of social services, connecting clients with the

formal and unofficial resources.

3. Educational.

B) Looking in history for paradigms of social pedagogy we will find, similar to social work, charity

paradigms, therapeutic paradigms, consulting and especially educational paradigms.

Ondrejkovič mentions therapeutic paradigms, including individual help, crisis intervention (quick

help), socio-therapy (a set of steps having a positive impact on life situation of people, who are at risk

regarding negative phenomena), counselling paradigms (crisis and drop-in centers, helplines,

pedagogical and psychological counselling, premarital counselling), educational paradigms (healing

pedagogy, retraining, preventive programs), macro-social paradigms (social planning, solving

Kraus & Hoferková / The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work 62

problems on the macro-level, being consistent with state social policy) (Ondrejkovič, 2004).

Knotová (2004) speaks about these paradigms: counselling, anthropological and re-educational.

A trend towards multi-paradigmatism is clear from above mentioned approaches. In this spirit is

social pedagogy described in a book Man-Environment-Upbringing (Člověk – prostředí – výchova)

with subheading Questions of Social Pedagogy (K otázkám sociální pedagogiky) by Kraus and

Poláčková et al. (2001). Here is social pedagogy presented as a scientific discipline of trans-

disciplinary nature focusing on the role of environment in upbringing and education not only in

connection to the problems of disadvantage groups that are at risk, potentially deviant acting groups,

vulnerable groups, but also in connection to the whole society by creating a harmony between the

needs of individuals and the society and contributing to the optimal way of life at a given time in a

given social conditions. Similarly is social pedagogy seen by Kraus (2014) in his new work Basics of

Social Pedagogy (Základy sociální pedagogiky).

Huppertz and Schinzler are bringing an interesting point of view, arguing that social pedagogy/social

work fulfil these functions (Huppertz & Schinzler, 1995):

- Pedagogical (contributing to the optimal development of personality, formation of a lifestyle).

- Preventive (activities and programs contributing to the prevention of various deviations).

- Compensation (activities balancing deficits from e.g., a very little stimulating environments).

- Correction (activities related to population placed in jails, institutions, homes).

- Tutorial (e.g. legal assistance and protection for those who find themselves on the margins of

society).

- Structural (influencing processes relating to living conditions at the macro-social level, e.g.,

in the field of employment).

- Distributive (help and work with refugees and immigrants).

Noack defines in publication titled Sozialpädagogik the scope of social pedagogy as: leisure time and

education experience, socio-cultural work, work with children and youth, work with families, work

with the elderly but also work with the unemployed, the homeless, helping those who are

dependent, advice on debt (Noack, 2001). Again, it is clear that these concepts mingle the areas of

social pedagogy and social work.

In both social work and social pedagogy can be found some basic paradigms that can be summarized

as follows: counselling, therapeutic, re-educational, reform (structural), and also a paradigm that is

crucial for social pedagogy, educational. From some points of view, prophylactic paradigms are

integrated in social work

Paradigm stressing educational aspect of social work is based on the opinion that the social work

activities have educational character and that there are not many activities without educational

aspect in them (Tokárová et al., 2003). It should be noted that this paradigm is accepted very rarely

in the Czech Republic. Mollenhauer (1966) states that the activities that cannot be seen as

pedagogical phenomenons are slowly disappearing.

3 Context and specifics of social pedagogy and social work

Social work that excludes pedagogical aspects is based, uncritically, on American “Social Work.” It

copies the system that originated in different social and historical conditions and today does not exist

in its original form. Strict rejection of pedagogical aspects in social work relates to false notions of

pedagogy associated with traditional paternalistic activities, authoritarianism in the family and at

Kraus & Hoferková / The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work 63

school. On contrary, social work often takes on socially progressive pedagogical approaches and

solutions (e.g., group work, individual approach of education reform, intervention into the client's

environment, etc.) (Ondrejkovič, 2000). Additionally, both areas benefit from disciplines like

sociology, psychology, law, medicine, and others.

It can be said that, overall, there are three possible views on the relationship between the two

disciplines (Ondrejkovič, 2000):

a) The first approach, used in German-speaking countries, is a unification of both disciplines.

b) The second approach, typical for English-speaking countries, represents a clear differentiation

of both fields (if social pedagogy is even mentioned).

c) The third approach, is based on integration while maintaining a certain independence of both

disciplines (this approach is typical for Slovakia, and in a certain sense, Poland).

The first approach, in addition to already mentioned German authors, holds also Pfeiffer (1994).

Social work and social education are, according to Pfeffer, disciplines dealing with certain

professional conduct in the given society, which is predetermined by the normative foundations of

that society. Social work is referred to as a practically oriented science that must necessarily take into

account the living conditions of the clients. Noack (2001) sees social work as part of social education

and speaks about social pedagogical work. Erler also highlights the conceptual ambiguity, both terms

are understood essentially as synonyms and their differentiation, according to him, lies in the core of

the individual discipline that is either in social care (social work), or in social education activities

(social pedagogy) (Erler, 1993).

There is a consensus that in practice socially educational activities are closely associated with social

work. Solution of the scientific identity of both disciplines is still stimulating a discussion. In any case,

both fields, relating to social development, consistently pursue a goal of an active improvement of

life quality (Braches-Chyrek & Süncker, 2009).

The second approach is typical for the USA, Great Britain and other Western countries that have

adopted this model. As has been already mentioned, the situation is slowly changing in recent years.

In England during the 90s within the concept of social work, social pedagogy is beginning to be

mentioned referring to the German tradition, pointing out that it could enrich individualistic

conception of the English understanding of the concept of social work (Szmagalski, 2010). Petrie also

played an important role in the development of social education, in addition to the already

mentioned Cameron. Both understand social pedagogy as a discipline that forms the basis of

educational and care work with children and youth, especially in orphanages. Following the European

tradition they define four basic areas where is the social pedagogy applied: theory of education in

the environment, education policy, social and educational work with children and youth, and

education of social workers (Petrie & Cameron, 2009; Petrie, 2001).

In France, social pedagogy is not understood as a separate discipline, it is more about pedagogical

reflection of serious topics regarding socio-educational activities in connection with the

psychoanalytic theories, humanistic psychology and pedagogy, and critical pedagogy. Such socio-

educational topics then become part of the professional preparation of educators, social and cultural

animators and social workers (Bon, 2009).

Social pedagogy is discussed also in the Northern countries, discussions are about epistemological

and ontological questions of social pedagogy (Hämäläinen, 2003). For example, in Sweden is the

social pedagogy increasingly perceived as an important theoretical concept for the development of

social work as well as having practical applications in the fields of social work, but it is not perceived

as an individual discipline. Social Pedagogy seems to be a current issue mainly in connection with the

growing social problems and their solving process, and in cooperation with social work and special

need education (Eriksson & Markström, 2009, 2004). Similar situation is in Finland, where

Hämäläinen defines social pedagogy as meta-theory of social work. According to him, social workers,

Kraus & Hoferková / The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work 64

who work in different environments, must have knowledge and skills in the field of social education,

social mobilization and personal social development (Hämäläinen, 1989).

Also in Denmark is social pedagogy viewed as an academic discipline that has its own place within the

academic teaching. It is defined as a wide range of integration activities, which develop personality,

and skills necessary for life in contemporary society. It establishes forms of social work prioritizing

help to individuals with integration into society and in a processes of helping and learning (Madsen,

2006). Social pedagogy is reflected in education and care work of social workers and pedagogues,

who work with children and youth in their environment, in support of families, seniors and other

socially disadvantaged groups.

The third concept of social pedagogy is typical for Poland. Marynowicz-Hetka (2008), understands

social work as a field of social effects of various subjects that help in individual development, social

groups to overcome difficult life situations. In this context social pedagogy brings aspects axiological,

anthropological, and educational, into the social work and is giving it a sense, wholeness, and

educational foundations in terms of an individual and a society. Socio-pedagogical perspective on

social work can be conceptualized as field of social worker’s impact based on social interaction. Social

pedagogy also helps to clarify the mechanisms of designing and shaping the environment.

Radziewicz-Winicki states that social pedagogy creates theoretical and philosophical basis for social

work and is bringing an educational aspect into it (Radziewicz-Winicki, 2008). A remarkable work in

this aspect is the work of Kantowicz (2013) Pedagogika (w) pracy socjalnej. Kantowicz draws

attention to educational aspects of social work primarily in connection with strengthening the client’s

ability to be active and using knowledge of social pedagogy about the social environment.

As has been already mentioned, this approach prevailed also in the Slovak Republic. According to

Hroncová, Hudecová and Matulayová (2001), social pedagogy is a theoretical and general science,

which stresses socio-educational aspects in the relationship with a person who found himself in need

and also helps to prevent dysfunctional processes in human lives by intentional intervention into

their lives. Strieženec (2000) emphasizes the need of cooperation of both disciplines. According to

him, they have a common object of interest (a person), subject (social activity in a social

environment), humanistic approach (human assistance). As has been already stated, even though,

both disciplines have similar roots, social work has earned an individual position, as verified by

Tokárová. According to her (2008), a certain autonomy of both fields manifests itself as follows:

Social work as a scientific discipline is based on social policy, while social pedagogy on educational

policies, and in a same time there exists a certain bond between them. Social pedagogy is rooted in

educational science and social work is connected to the wide range of scientific disciplines.

We therefore believe that the optimal approach regarding the development of both disciplines is the

third one. The situation in the Czech republic, as has been already mentioned above, however, is

different, and only further development will show what direction it will take. To clarify the third point

of view, we can state that both disciplines have essentially the same functions, similar professional

paradigm, but also its own autonomy. For example, in an object of their interest and operation. The

concept of social pedagogy in our country, unlike social work, considers alongside specific population

categories, minorities, basically the entire population.

Intensive studies and scientific reflection of socio-educational reality led, by Levická (2002), to

adoption of definitions of both disciplines and to consideration of the following facts:

1. Social pedagogy is an individual pedagogical discipline (that is understood as a discipline

oriented on help in life) which aims, in a system of complex care, to provide help for children,

youth, and adults in different types of an environment by finding optimal forms of help and by

compensating various deficits.

2. The basic methods of social pedagogues, used in practice, include pedagogical methods.

3. Social pedagogy includes mainly educational activities.

Kraus & Hoferková / The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work 65

4. Social work grew out of the real need of society to handle socially difficult situation of its

members, it is society's responses to undesirable social phenomena.

5. Social work abroad is characterized by the advance theory of social work, and in most

countries it is accepted as a separate profession.

6. Identification with the assertion that the social work is using teaching methodologies.

If the aim of social work is to help the client to understand their own situation, to adapt to the

changed conditions, to acquire new skills, to take an active part of a community life, then a social

worker aims to achieve an optimum degree of harmony between the client’s needs, rights,

requirements and his or her real possibilities that are significantly influenced by the client's

environment. In real life it means that social work intentionally uses pedagogical methods in order to

help individuals to prepare to take an adequate role in a society (focusing on socialization), and in

order to help to manage and cope with significant changes in their lives.

In contrast, the social pedagogue is preparing individuals for their entry into the widest social

environment, is equipping him with an arsenal of required knowledge and skills the individual needs

in order to be fully capable of social integration in its broadest sense. This pedagogical effort is

nowadays focused more on acquiring a certain amount of skills, so called social skills, especially

problem solving skills, civic engagement, or critical thinking competence, solidarity thinking and

acting, and the development of individual skills so they contribute to the comprehensive

development of an individual as a social being. It offers help in the form of education and social

education for individual age groups, not only by methodical processes, but also by appropriate

organizational forms. Social pedagogy is a meaningful response to the requirement of permanent

renewal and expansion of knowledge and skills of individuals so as to maintain their full social

functioning and quality of life.

Differences and the autonomy of both fields can be, therefore, seen especially, depending on the

angle of view, from the epistemological perspective. And even if this perspective was very close, it is

always better to have two view points than only one.

It is evident that some differences can be found in a theoretical definition of both disciplines:

1. Firstly, “definition of the situation.” While social work is mainly focused on solving adverse

social events, a situation that has already occurred, the social pedagogy is focused more on

prevention.

2. Consequently, the second difference, described as “specification of the target population.”

Social pedagogy focuses on the entire population that is lead, by it, to a healthy lifestyle,

whereas social work has its target population “that has been already filtered”. “The filter” is

represented by a certain socially problematic situation.

3. The third difference arises from the “tools” used by both disciplines. Social pedagogy uses

social education as a tool for leading clients to optimal personality development and a healthy

lifestyle. And education in general is defined as deliberate process of personality formation.

Social work focuses more on changing the behaviour of individuals than on changing their

personality. Different view, therefore, concerns the ambition of the complexity of achieved

change (Janebová & Bartáková, 2001).

Social pedagogy, unlike social work, devotes significantly greater effort to preventative work with so

called “healthy and non-problematic” individuals, contributing to the development of a healthy

lifestyle and to the quality of life. It also helps individuals in terms of secondary prevention. It is

therefore clear that the goals of both disciplines partly overlap mainly in secondary and tertiary

prevention. Social work as well as social pedagogy focuses on helping risk individuals. From the

above mentioned, is clear that the optics of social work is mainly “practical” oriented, focused on the

goal. Formal object of social work is a “change of unfavourable social situation.” View of the material

Kraus & Hoferková / The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work 66

object of social work, a relationship of an individual and a society, is a view through a deviation from

the norm, through deviance. The view of social pedagogy is little different. It has no need to view

relationship of a man and a society via the filter of social deviance. It is interested in this relationship

in the long term, with the aim of optimal personality development and formation of a healthy

lifestyle.

Social pedagogy and social work have, undoubtedly, similar functions. The convergence theory of

social work and social pedagogy represents so called “demilitarized zone” between militant

supporters of Social Work and opponents of social pedagogy on the one side, and conservative social

pedagogues, who are highlighting differences between social work and social pedagogy, on the other

side (Ondrejkovič, 2000).

Sachße (1987) cites three reasons for pedagogization of social work:

- The clientele of of social work has changed: It does not include only minority groups of society,

but it aims at a wider population.

- The differences between educational institutions and institutions of social work are

increasingly diminishing.

- Methods, principles and measures of social work are increasingly resembling educational

methods.

Pedagogization of social work is desirable, especially, in the area of social prevention, namely in

drop-in centers for children and youth, social activation services for families with children, and social

rehabilitation services. These facilities are, by the law, included in the group of social prevention

services and their primary target group are mainly children and youngsters. An Act No. 108/2006

Coll. (2006) defines activities that form a group of mandatory offered activities, these being:

- Educational and motivational activities.

- Activities mediating contacts with a social environment.

- Social therapeutic activities.

- Assistance with asserting rights, justified interests and dealing with personal matters.

As is evident from the Act itself the main target group of these services are children and youth.

Activities mentioned are educational, training, and motivational activities. The field of training and

educational activities is in competence of social pedagogue, whose professional contribution may be

a welcomed enrichment to the area.

“Regarding the actual work with clients, in the spirit of this law, I believe that the current concept of

social work is designed for working with clients, who have at least a minimal ability to define their

social needs. If the client is recognized as being inneed he or she is offered a range of services, from

which they themselves select the services they want to use. In cases where the client is a child the

situation is complicated by the fact that the very process of negotiating the form of help is for the

child very demanding and sometimes may even be in disagreement with the child’s understanding of

the world. The model of service provision to children should be based on the concept of social

pedagogy, because it better reflects the needs of children clients than the concept of social work,

which is more suitable for the work with adult clients” (Caltová Hepnarová, 2009, p. 82).

A similar situation occurs in the case of facilities for children requiring immediate assistance. These

facilities are governed by The Act No. 359/1999 Coll. (1999), and fall under the Ministry of Labour

and Social Affairs. Their main objective is to provide protection and assistance to vulnerable children

for the necessary period of time (usually a few weeks or months). They fulfill, to the certain extent,

the objectives of school facilities, for example children's homes. By the law, facilities for children

requiring immediate assistance have to provide, among other things, educational care. Legislation

governing school facilities (e.g. children's homes) establishes the level of professional competence of

Kraus & Hoferková / The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work 67

the pedagogical staff, the same is not true in the case of facilities for children requiring immediate

assistance. The same situation is at schools. Social work is there also discussed. For example, Hopf

states that social work at school should act preventively and help students and teachers with

overcoming critical situations, and it should also define the objectives and tasks of social work at

school. According to Hopf (2001), social work at school should:

- Prevent deviation in the behaviour of pupils in schools.

- Promote social competence of children and youth by targeted events and offers.

- Mediate the youth free time activities outside the school and their activities within the school

environment.

- Look after groups of pupils with the consent of pupils and teachers.

- Alert the parents of socially handicapped pupils if they have the need of assistance or support

means.

Even though Hopf (2001) speaks about social work (in German concept), it is clear that he means in

fact social pedagogy.

4 Social work and social pedagogy in practice

Even with a different concept in theory, approaches of social pedagogy and social work mingle in

practice. Social Work provides assistance primarily in the material area, while social pedagogy in

social and educational area. The work of Lukas (1979), but also some other works (Bakošová, 2006;

Kraus, 2001, 1996; Ondrejkovič, 2000) show mingling themes and areas of practice of both

disciplines. A brief comment regarding those themes follows.

Lukas states that in the approach, which stresses social work aspects and suppresses aspects of social

pedagogy, interest in work with older people used to be found. Today, however, even this is not true.

In foreign countries, and also, recently, in our retirement homes, animators and moderators of free

time are trying to fulfil seniors' free time with meaningful activities. This effort clearly is a

pedagogical activity. The two approaches, in the concept of this work, can be found in two areas. An

area determining social benefits can be viewed as explicitly social work oriented, and an influence of

free time of children and youth can be seen as a purely pedagogical activity (for example in children

houses). There are areas where the social pedagogical aspects of social activities directly interferes

with social work. It is prominent in a work with youth and children. Work of social assistant and

curator is a matter of social work as well as of social pedagogy.

Some specifics of both approaches can be illustrated by a concrete example (Janebová & Bartáková,

2001). Let´s imagine a young unemployed Gipsy with primary education, addicted to heroin. What

can be offered by every area of practical activities? The aim is to create a social change towards full

integration into society. While social work is primarily focused on basic needs and physiological

needs, social pedagogy is focused more on the highest needs (meta-needs), for example personal

fulfilment. An area where both disciplines meet is the area of higher psychological needs.

Some difference is manifested in the ambitions of both professions. While social work approaches

the client pragmatically in order to, at least, diminish the risks associated with their behaviour, social

pedagogy aims to change the personality of the client. In this sense, social work operates with a

wider variety of deviant behaviour and therefore aims at wider range of goals. An objective of social

work can be “a very small change” as is for example a usage of a sterile needle or a change of the

way of drug intake from injection to inhalation. Social pedagogy demands more from the clients, it

aims to influence them so as to be able to live in a given society.

Kraus & Hoferková / The Relationship of Social Pedagogy and Social Work 68

An important factor of social pedagogy is also working with the clients even after they have

overcome their problems (heroin abuse, unemployment, and social exclusion) in a sense of

supporting the development of free, fulfilled, happy life style within the standards of society.

At this point it is possible to identify another significant difference between the two approaches. In

social work a strong emphasis is on termination, an end of work with the client. Among other things,

this is due to contracts. There is an increasing tendency to sign a contracts with the client, defining

goals of the work with the client, means to achieve those objectives, and their evaluation criteria, on

what principles will the achievement of those goals be controlled. A fulfilment of those objectives

relatively clearly determines the end of work with the client.

An accurate term to describe a process happening within social pedagogy is social education. But this

is a term that appears also in social work, even in official documents. Let us take The Educational

Standards of Social Work within which it is commonly spoken about. The problem being that it is not

defined. It's just a typical activity of the Czech social worker. It is probably one of following activities:

“providing social help (including a range of professional activities from counselling through therapy

and training to management, negotiation, and representation), aiming at improving of client’s

psychosocial functioning; better use of different client’s sources from intra-psychic and interpersonal

to social sources; causing a social change that is beneficial to the client in the social environment”

(Tomeš et al., 1997, p. 29).

Pedagogical Dictionary defines social education as a development of social skills of an individual. Its

aim is to equip students with knowledge, skills, habits and attitudes that are necessary for their life in

a society with other people (Průcha, Walterová, & Mareš, 2013). The objective of social education in

social work is to ensure that the client no longer needs an assistance of a social worker, he or she is

able to manage their own problems. Moreover the clients will no longer get themselves into any

problems in general. Social education in the context of social pedagogy assumes a focus of an

individual on relationships, on moral profile and social activity. A term “personality and social

development” is also used (Kraus, 2014, p. 66).

5 Conclusion

The analysis of paradigms of both fields confirmed our starting hypothesis that the basic paradigm is

essentially homogeneous. It is desirable to build up the identity of our scientific disciplines and

professions, and also to mutually benefit from learned findings. In The Czech Republic, however,

social work, as was already mentioned, ignores social pedagogy. It is obvious that the process of

finding the boundaries between social work and social pedagogy is happening more in theoretical

level than in practical level. The situation in practice is different from the theory. Members of both

professions are often meeting the same clients in similar situations and are often using similar

methods to meet the same goals. Sometimes they even compete for the same jobs. In this sense,

they are sometimes rather competitors.

The fact that in our country, social pedagogue as a profession has no legislative basis, is partially

compensated by the fact that it is entirely legitimate for graduates in Social Pedagogy to find an

employment within the department of Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (under the Act on

Pedagogical Staff of 2004), and in the field of social work (under the Act on Social Services of 2006).

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Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 72

Volume 4, Issue 1, pp. 72–86, April 2016

ISSN 1805-8825 | doi:10.7441/soced.2016.04.01.05

Czech version/Česká verze

Convergent and Divergent Aspects of Social Work

and Social Pedagogy

Andrej Mátel^1

Andrea Preissová

Krejčí^2

Contacts to authors

1 College of Health and Social

Work of St. Elizabeth,

Palackého No. 1, P.O.BOX 104,

810 00 Bratislava

andrej.matel@gmail.com

2 Palacky University in Olomouc,

Faculty of Education,

Žižkovo nám. 5,

771 40 Olomouc

andrea.preissova@upol.cz

Abstract: The study in hand aims to identify convergent

and divergent aspects of social work and social pedagogy through

the means of content analysis and comparison. The research

sample consists of scientific and specialised texts written in Slovak,

Czech, German, and English with emphasis on defining both

disciplines and prioritizing the Slovak and Czech language area. The

study identifies convergent and divergent aspects of social work

and social pedagogy as two unique disciplines and professions. The

authors incline towards the view that social pedagogy is more

theoretical and general, while social work is a practical and applied

science. However, intensive mutual cooperation is equally

important for both disciplines aiming primarily at preventing

socially pathological phenomena in society and thus leading to a

healthy physical, psychological and social development of the

individual.

Key words: divergence, convergence, social functioning, social

pedagogy, social work

Kontakty na autory

1 Vysoká škola zdravotníctva

a sociálnej práce sv. Alžbety,

Palackého č. 1, P.O.BOX 104,

810 00 Bratislava

andrej.matel@gmail.com

2 Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci,

Pedagogická fakulta,

Žižkovo nám. 5,

771 40 Olomouc

andrea.preissova@upol.cz

Copyright © 2016 by authors

and publisher TBU in Zlín.

This work is licensed under the

Creative Commons Attribution

International License (CC BY).

Konvergentní a divergentní prvky sociální práce

a sociální pedagogiky

Abstrakt: Cílem studie je identifikování konvergentních

a divergentních prvků sociální práce a sociální pedagogiky

prostřednictvím obsahové analýzy a komparace. Výzkumný soubor

tvoří vědecké a odborné texty slovensky, česky, německy nebo

anglicky píšících autorů, s důrazem na definování obou disciplín

a priorizaci slovenské a české jazykové oblasti. Ve studii

identifikujme konvergentní a divergentní prvky sociální práce

a sociální pedagogiky jako dvou jedinečných disciplín a profesí,

přikláníme se k názoru, že sociální pedagogika je teoretičtější

a všeobecnější, zatímco sociální práce je praktičtější a vědou více

aplikovanou, avšak pro obě disciplíny je důležitá intenzivní

spolupráce usilující předně o prevenci sociálně patologických jevů

ve společnosti a vedoucí k zdravému fyzickému, psychickému

a sociálnímu vývoji jedince.

Klíčová slova: divergence, konvergence, sociální fungování, sociální

pedagogika, sociální práce

Mátel & Preissová Krejčí / Convergent and Divergent Aspects of Social Work … 73

1 Introduction

The act of defining, in terms of linguistic semantic structure, makes an important statement about

the nature of the research object. According to Strieženec (2006, p. 98), a definition is to be as

complete as possible, yet at the same time the content is to be dense, and it should possibly form a

single sentence. The definitions and defining of social work and social pedagogy constitute the

central subject of this research, as they implicitly include the essence of social work and social

pedagogy as perceived by professional and experts.

The most common approach in terms of conceptualisation of contemporary social work and social

pedagogy is their understanding through the terminology used in different countries due to the fact

that they are culturally conditioned. The proponents of this constructivist approach, in which

scientific theories of social work or social pedagogy always depend on the social context, are for

example M. Payne (2005), N. Thompson (2000, 2008, 2010), P. Navrátil (2000, 2001), and others. In

contrast, Göppner and Hämäläinen (2008, p. 28) argue that such an approach tends to ignore the

issues of epistemology and the theory of science.

The presented paper seeks to outline the convergent and divergent elements of social work and

social pedagogy as two unique disciplines and practical activities. As convergent are seen those

elements through which the two disciplines “converge” (from lat. vergo incline, bend, verge + cum

together, with, in relation). The divergent elements are those through which the two disciplines

“diverge”, differ, or deviate from each other (from lat. divertó divert). By examining convergence and

divergence of the two entities above, we will be able to identify, determine and describe the

uniqueness and diversity of both disciplines.

2 Research methodology

The selected research topic is social work and social pedagogy in terms of their convergence and

divergence. The research question was formulated as follows: “How is social work and social

pedagogy defined by the contemporary Slovak, Czech, and selected foreign experts, while taking

current legislation into account, and what convergent and divergent elements can be identified in

the selected fields based on an analysis of their definitions?” The aim of the research is therefore to

identify the convergent and divergent elements of social work and social pedagogy.

Qualitative research was chosen as the research strategy. The research instrument used was an

analysis of documents using hermeneutic methods, mainly the content analysis. As the data selection

method is of significance in a content analysis, and with regard to the research topic and objective,

the following rules were applied when selecting the research sample:

 Literary sources must belong to one of the following types of documents:

- Dictionary or encyclopaedia, which explicitly define the terms “social pedagogy” and/or

“social work.”

- Monographs and textbooks of a collective character and providing the introductions,

basics, theory, methodology and methods of social work and social pedagogy, which is

explicitly stated in their tittle (journal articles, publications focused on selected target

groups of social work, etc., were excluded from the research data sample).

- Legislative documents.

 The text must explicitly provide a definition, or a certain implicit character of defining must be

evident.

Mátel & Preissová Krejčí / Convergent and Divergent Aspects of Social Work … 74

 In terms of content, we chose definitions which the authors of publication explicitly identify

with, i.e., present them as their own (yet nested quotations of other authors´ definitions were

excluded).

 A representative sample with a local focus – primarily Slovak and Czech publications were

chosen. Additionally, international context was also taken into consideration, therefore,

publications from the Anglo-Saxon and German environment were also included in the

research sample.

 As for the time perspective, material created after 1989 was selected due to significant

changes in the socio-political systems of the Slovak and Czech Republics.

The research sample consisted of 67 sources, 55 were from the Slovak and Czech language area

(26 of which were Slovak and 29 Czech), 9 were of the English origin and 3 of the German origin.

In the first stage, and with regard to research data management, content analyses of the examined

terms “social work” and “social pedagogy” were conducted separately. Individual definitions were

first separated into their elementary building blocks (entries) and semantic content units (phrases).

The main categories were then distinguished within these elementary units and subcategories were

assigned to them. Only in the second stage, did we compare the terms and content. The aim was to

identify the common and different elements of both definitions within the selected categories.

Within the content-oriented defining, five basic categories emerged describing the essence of both

disciplines studied:

1. Nature – What is social work? What is the nature of it?

2. Actors – Who performs it?

3. Object – Who / What is it performed for?

4. The nature of the activity itself – What are its goals, processes and tools used?

5. Field (resort) of functioning and conditions.

3 Research results

3.1 Defining social work

1. In the examined sample, we mainly watched for the terminology which the individual authors

defined social work with, the content, and structure of the definition itself. Given THE NATURE of

social work, it is possible to distinguish four basic subcategories with emphasis on the relationship

among them.

I. Almost all definitions present social work as a profession. Such understanding is supported

by the use of nouns activity, practice, activity and adjectives practical, specialised, professional

a helpful. These often collocated in: practical activity (Matoušek, 2003; Žilová, 2005), practice

(Tokárová et al., 2009), professional activity (Barker, 2003; Pierson & Thomas, 2006; Tokárová

et al., 2009), a form of professional help (OBDS, 2004), professional activity (Strieženec, 2001;

Mátel & Schavel, 2015), specialised activity (Act No. 219/2014 Coll., 2014), helping activity

(Brnula et al., 2011).

II. Many definitions also present social work as a science. In addition to the term science, other

nouns corresponded to this understanding of the term, e.g. discipline as well as a collocation

scientific area (Levická, 2002) and scientific discipline (Žilová, 2005). The adjectives used either

accentuated the scientific character of the discipline: a scientific discipline (Tokárová et al.,

2009), a professional discipline (Strieženec, 1997; Mühlpachr, 2008; Novotná

& Schimmerlingová, 1992; Levická, 2002), or specified the area of science: social science

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discipline (Matoušek, 2003) and its character: applied science (Barker, 2003; Mühlpachr, 2008;

Mátel & Schavel, 2015) applied scientific discipline (Žilová, 2005). The specific nature of social

work as a science was presented by many authors in their multidisciplinary (e.g., Novotná

& Schimmerlingová, 1992), interdisciplinary (Tokárová et al., 2009) or pluridisciplinary nature

(Žilová, 2005).

III. The latest trend is to emphasize social work as an academic discipline, or a field of

education. Internationally, it is to do with the influence of the International Association of

Schools of Social Work, which also reflected in the new global definition of IFSW (2014). Social

work is also represented as an academic discipline in the research sample by Mátel and

Schavel (2015).

IV. Many authors (Barker, Strieženec, Levická, Žilová, Tokárová and Mátel) emphasized the

parallel of the two aspects of the nature of social work as a profession and a science. It is

explicitly expressed by the American Dictionary of Social Work by the term empirical-

theoretical discipline (Barker, 2003), in Slovak by Strieženec (2006) and his theoretical and

practical branch. Other definitions further describe the relationship between the two aspects

of social work in parts of sentences, such as social work applies scientific knowledge into

practical activities (Novotná & Schimmerlingová, 1992; Strieženec, 1997; Mühlpachr, 2008;

Mátel et al., 2011; Gulová, 2011). From the diachronic perspective it is the original idea of

Novotná and Schimmerlingová (1992) that other authors have adopted and reproduced. A

global definition of social work (IFSW, 2014) provides the following wording: social work is a

profession based on the practice, and it is also an academic discipline. Mátel and Schavel

(2015) emphasizes the connection between all three dimensions, namely that it is an applied

scientific and academic discipline, and a professional activity of social workers.

2. With regard to social work as a profession and professional activity, many texts explicitly list

ACTORS who perform this activity. The authors express a certain consensus that the actors can

only be social workers. A classic statement attributed to a British author Neil Thompson (2000)

claims that, “Social work is what social workers do.” Some authors emphasize the professional

basis of their activities (Strieženec, 1997, 2001; Mühlpachr, 2008; Levická, 2002), in Mátel et al.

(2011) their qualifications, and Navrátil (2000) own professional community. Barker (2003)

describes the connection between the scientific basis of the discipline and the work of social

workers as a requirement of cognition or knowledge, and in IFSW (2014) supported by the theory.

Due to the International Federation of Social Workers and its influence, social work has been seen

as a profession based on values (Mátel et al., 2012), with a key role in this respect played by social

workers. It is them who apply values and principles in their professional activity (Barker, 2003). Of

particular principles/values of IFSW (2014) the following are emphasized: social justice

(Thompson, 2010) and respect for human rights, and most recently, shared responsibility, and

respect for diversity (IFSW, 2014). Based on the activity of social workers, some authors also

provide a certain specific scope of their activities (Novotná & Schimmerlingová, 1992; Tokárová

et al., 2009), but for the purpose of this study we do not list the particular activities here.

3. THE OBJECTS of social work are not listed uniformly among the selected authors. Generally, we

can distinguish two categories of objects of social work, which are the clients of social

environments, or the relationship between them, which is often termed as social functioning.

I. The clients of social work can be referred to as the primary objects of social work in the

studied texts. In the analysed definitions, these are referred to either in general as clients, or

they are distinguished among. All authors who explicitly included clients in their definition of

social work mean primarily individuals. Besides individuals, the term clients also includes other

social systems (Sheafor et al., 2000; Gulová, 2011), mainly family, group, community. Some

authors also explicitly list institutions (Strieženec, 1997; Mátel & Schavel, 2015), and society is

also listed among clients (Levická, 2002). With emphasis on the individual as the primary client

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of social work, it is necessary to pay increasing attention to human relationships and solving

the related problems (IFSW, 2014; Navrátil, 2000; Mátel et al., 2011; Gulová, 2011). Mühlpachr

(2008) emphasizes the integrity of a human and its preservation, while Navrátil (2000)

introduces the concept of social roles. In addition to the primary objects that are viewed

personally, objects of social work are also identified factually, through the concepts of social

issues (Schilling & Zeller, 2007; Matoušek, 2003), unfavourable social situation (Gulová, 2011),

collision situations (Strieženec, 2006), serious difficulties/obstacles (Pierson & Thomas, 2006),

material and social need (Act No. 195/1998 Coll., 1998), a lack of (Mühlpachr, 2008) and

dysfunctional elements (Strieženec, 2006), fulfilling their daily needs (OBDS, 2004).

II. The newest trend of contemporary social work is the emphasis on social environment

(Barker, 2003; Tokárová et al., 2009; Mátel et al., 2011; Mátel & Schavel, 2015; Sheafor et al.,

2012), which significantly affects the lives of clients, as well as the working environment of

social workers. These can be considered as the second category primary objects of social work.

The term used for these categories are social conditions (Schilling & Zeller, 2007; Matoušek,

2003).

III. The relationship between the clients of social work and their social environment is

conceptualized by the term and the concept of social functioning in the studied definitions

(Navrátil, 2000; Barker, 2003; Sheafor et al., 2012; Mátel & Schavel, 2015), or psycho-social

functioning (Barker, 2003; Mátel et al., 2011).

4. Based on THE NATURE OF THE ACTIVITY of social work itself, or of social workers´ activity, we can

distinguish the goals of social work, the process and tools by which the selected goals are

achieved.

I. Goals – In this respect there is a relatively wide variety of goals within individual definitions,

also depending on the type of objects of social work which they relate to:

- With regard to clients IFSW (2014) emphasizes strengthening, empowerment (Thompson,

2010; Mátel et al., 2011), liberation and enhancement of prosperity (Thompson, 2010).

Due to the individual function of social work, the German authors Schilling and Zeller

(2007) list assistance in self-determination and self-help, experience and support of one´s

personality. In Slovak conditions, the individuals´ own responsibility is emphasized

(Tokárová et al., 2009), as well as their security (Strieženec, 1997). The Collins Dictionary

of Social Work mentions protection (Pierson & Thomas, 2006). Matoušek (2003) uses help

of social workers towards the clients in order to achieve the client´s return into active life

in the society. Brnula and others (2011), in their definition, work with the concept of

quality of life. According to these authors, the goal of social work is to increase or stabilize

the quality of life of people whose quality of life is threatened or limited, in a humane

manner and so that the process of providing help is in accordance with their needs and

ideas and so that it leads to self-help.

- With regard to social environment Barker (2003), Matoušek (2003) and Mátel et al. (2011)

use creating favourable life conditions or social conditions, Tokárová et al. (2009)

mitigating the environmental impact, and German authors Schilling and Zeller (2007) use

a change in social conditions, or change of environment (Sheafor et al., 2012). In a similar

way, IFSW (2014) and the American Dictionary of Social Work (Barker, 2003) set out social

change as the objective of social work. At this point, it should be noted that German

authors Schilling and Zeller (2007) explicitly mention focus on the European, world and

social perspective, as well as human rights´ perspectives and goals of social work.

- Regarding the interaction of clients with their social environment, their mutual

adaptation, or improving mutual adjustment is accentuated as the goal (Tokárová et al.,

2009). In the context of social functioning, the goal of social work is the improvement of

social functioning (Sheafor et al., 2000; Barker, 2003), its renewal (Mátel et al., 2011),

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achieving its optimal (Mátel & Schavel, 2015), sufficient (Barker, 2003) or maximum level

(Sheafor et al., 2012). In the case of imbalance in social functioning, it is important that

the clients are protected against difficulties (Sheafor et al., 2000).

II. The process of social work activities, or directly of social workers, is best viewed through

identification of the verbs used. From the quantitative point of view, the verb help prevails,

which corresponds with the other used terms of providing social assistance, helping people.

Quite often in the texts, we find the verbs take care/caring (Strieženec, 1997, 2001; Levická,

2002; Pierson & Thomas, 2006; Tokárová et al., 2009; Seithe, 2012), which is related to the

close connection between social work and social pedagogy, especially in German authors.

Therefore, one German definition also contains education (Seithe, 2012). In the newer

concepts of social work, the term accompaniment prevails (Mátel & Schavel, 2015), support

(Pierson & Thomas, 2006; Mátel et al., 2011) and strengthening/empowering (IFSW, 2014;

Thompson, 2010; Mátel & Schavel, 2015), which were cited above also as the goals of social

work. Regarding the secondary objects of social work and in the context of social issues, the

following verbs were detected: determine, identify, explain, mitigate, eliminate and solve

(Matoušek, 2003; Tokárová et al., 2009; Gulová, 2011). The latter is also used in connection

with the notion of conflict situations in the form of need for its solution (Strieženec, 2006). The

term deficiency or lack collocates with removal (Mühlpachr, 2008) and prevention of its

formation/prevention (Mühlpachr, 2008; Levická, 2002). Regarding social environment as

another relevant primary goal of social work, predominately used verbs were: change (Schilling

& Zeller, 2007; Sheafor et al., 2012), improve (Schilling & Zeller, 2007; Tokárová et al., 2009;

Mátel et al., 2012), shape (Barker, 2003; Matoušek, 2003; Mátel et al., 2011), alleviate

(Tokárová et al., 2009), protect (Sheafor et al., 2000; Pierson & Thomas, 2006).

III. Tools – In their definition of social work, some authors also mention the tools to reach

goals, or tools used by social workers in their professional practice. They usually do so by

general naming special working methods (Strieženec, 2001; Levická, 2002; Mühlpachr, 2008).

Some authors emphasize a specific method, for example counselling (Strieženec, 2001; Levická,

2002; Mühlpachr, 2008; Seithe, 2012); group work (Seithe, 2012), community work (Pierson &

Thomas, 2006) and advocacy (Pierson & Thomas, 2006). The second group of instruments are

services, whether organized social services (Levická, 2002), tangible services (Barker, 2003),

social services (Barker, 2003; Gulová, 2011) or facilities (Seithe, 2012).

5. As for the FIELD or scope of action of social work, we can distinguish several areas where the

profession of social work is exercised. In the Slovak Republic the primary area of social work is the

field of labour, social affairs and family, which falls under the agenda of the Ministry of Labour,

Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic. Act No. 219/2014 Coll. (2014) regulates the

exercise of the profession of social work exclusively in this area. The same holds true in the Czech

Republic, where social work falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Labour and Social

Affairs and its exercise in the absence of professional Act is regulated by partial laws, especially

the Act on Social Services (Act No. 108/2006 Coll., 2006).

In addition to this area, social work also pertains to the field of healthcare, justice, and to a limited

extent to education, in both Slovak and Czech Republics. In the health sector it is still true that, “If a

medical facility is providing healthcare in the paediatric, geriatric, aftercare, psychiatric, drug

addiction, gynaecology and obstetrics, or long-term care units, there must be a social worker

employed in order to alleviate or remove the social consequences of the patient´s health situation in

connection with their hospitalization and release” (MZ SR, 2012). However, the above is a regulation

whose status is below an act, therefore, it is often ignored in the Slovak and Czech practice.

As a result, the presence of social workers in health care facilities is still largely administrative, if they

are present at all (Kuzníková et al., 2011, p. 20). In the Slovak Republic, social work is also performed

in the field of justice, which covers mainly Corps of Prison and Court Guard. According to the

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regulation in force, “The performance of social work with the accused and sentenced is ensured by a

social worker or a pedagogue authorised to perform social work” (Collection of orders, 2008). By this

regulation, the social worker is understood as a qualified expert in the field of social work. However,

the resort itself also allows other university educated professionals, including social pedagogues.

In the Czech Republic and under the Ministry of Justice, social work is performed both in detention

facilities (e.g. regulated by the Regulation of Director General of the Prison Service of the Czech

Republic, Decree No. 109/1994, 1994) and as a probation and mediation service (defined by Act No.

257/2000 Coll., 2000). The least favourable situation is in the Slovak education system, where a social

worker is not officially included in the relevant legislation on pedagogical employees and professional

employees, unlike a social pedagogue (Act No. 317/2009 Coll., 2009). In the Czech Republic, the

position of a social worker in school facilities is most often legally recognised in counselling centres or

in facilities for institutional and protective education (e.g. Children's homes, children's homes with

schools, residential educational institutions and diagnostic institutions), while the profession of a

social worker is not recognised by the Act on Educational Staff of the Czech Republic.

3.2 Defining social pedagogy

In the process of defining social work above, five basic categories emerged. The same categorization

was applied when analysing texts concerning social pedagogy in order to allow for a comparison of

both disciplines.

1. As for its NATURE, social pedagogy is seen either as a profession, science, academic discipline, or

its theoretical and practical complements are also reflected within the definitions.

I. Social pedagogy is often associated with science in the analysed publications. In this sense,

the following terms are used: discipline (Procházka, 2012), scientific branch (Bakošová, 2005),

professional discipline (Matoušek, 2003). Its pedagogical side was usually accentuated:

pedagogical discipline or teaching science (Kolář et al., 2010; Kraus, 2008; Kraus et al., 2001).

However, emphasis was also placed on its interdisciplinarity: a multidisciplinary field (Sekot,

1997), an interdisciplinary scientific branch (Soják & Čech, 2010), trans-disciplinary science

(Kraus et al., 2001), the science bordering between pedagogy and sociology (Tománek, 2013).

II. Social pedagogy rarely appears as a profession in the analysed definitions. As for the terms

used, the following nouns correspond with this notion of social pedagogy: activity, process,

practice, and collocations such as an educational process (Kraus, 2008), public care (Schilling,

1999), socially significant practice (Hrdá & Šíp et al., 2011), leisure activities (Kraus, 2008;

Lorenzová & Poláčková, 2001), preventive action (Kraus, 2008).

III. The nature of social pedagogy also defines its concept as an academic discipline, field of

study or academic activity. As with social work, such a characteristic is more of a recent trend

and is characterized, for example, by definitions of L. Gulová (2011), M. Procházka (2012)

or J. Němec et al. (2010). In Slovakia, social pedagogy in not a separate study programme, as

opposed to social work, and is taught as a subject within the study programme of pedagogy. In

the Czech Republic, although “some universities have programmes of social pedagogy, most of

their subjects draw from social work” (Gulová, 2011, p. 71).

IV. The authors of the analysed texts in their definitions most often emphasize the parallel

theoretical and practical parts of social pedagogy. Social pedagogy as a member of humanities

has its theoretical and practical sides that cannot be separated (Manniová, 2005; Gulová et al.,

2012; Hrdá & Šíp et al., 2011). Similarly the Dictionary of Andragogy defines social pedagogy as

a discipline of pedagogical science and at the same time as a field of practice (Průcha &

Veteška, 2012, p. 232).Terminological glossary of social pedagogy defines social pedagogy as a

science examining the social objectives of education and also as a socio-educational and

preventive action (Bakošová et al., 2013; cf. Hroncová et al., 2000). Other authors speak of

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applying the expertise of social pedagogy in practice (Klíma, 1993) or an analysis of social

factors and implementing procedures (Matoušek, 2003).

2. The definitions of social pedagogy are formed with respect to its ACTORS. Across the analysed

publications, an actor is a social pedagogue, distinguished from a social worker (Kolář et al.,

2010). A social pedagogue is seen as a graduate in the given field, who is professionally prepared

to work in different areas of the social sphere (Bakošová et al., 2013; Soják & Čech, 2010). Some

authors placed social pedagogues in schools where they serve as assistants and advocates of

students (Lorenzová & Poláčková, 2001), contributing to a healthy socio-psychological climate of

the school (Kraus, 2008), professionally supporting teachers in schools at the level of education,

prevention, intervention, etc. (Soják & Čech, 2010) and providing social assistance with

pedagogical orientation (Hrdá & Šíp et al., 2011).

3. Social pedagogy is delineated by its OBJECTS. As in the case of social work, objects can be both

clients (individuals and groups) or the social environment and the relationship between them.

Children are usually considered clients of social pedagogy with various adjectives often added:

vulnerable children (Matoušek, 2003), children of poor and young people (Schilling, 1999),

disadvantaged children, Roma children or children of immigrants (Gulová et al., 2012), children

from vulnerable families (Průcha, Walterová, & Mareš, 2001; Průcha & Veteška, 2012). Some

authors, however, point out the need to view children/pupils as members of various social groups

(Hradečná, 1998). Different social groups thus become clients of social pedagogy: family, peer

groups, interest groups of extracurricular activities, school (Přadka et al., 1998; Hroncová

& Emmerová, 2004). Therefore, in addition to children and adolescents, adults are then

considered clients, including the endangered population as well as the whole society in terms of

creating a balance between the needs of the individual and society (Bakošová et al., 2013; Kraus

et al., 2001). In the broadest sense, every human can become the object of social pedagogy

(Balvín & Prokaiová, 2013; Strieženec, 1999).

Due to the position of social pedagogy within pedagogical sciences, all participants in the

educational process tend to be labelled as clients of social pedagogy, i.e. not only students but

also teachers, school headmasters and other staff in the school. Regarding the social environment,

its impact on education becomes an object of social pedagogy (Průcha & Veteška, 2012), social

factors threatening human development (Matoušek, 2003), pedagogically valuable stimuli

(Bakošová, 1994), the social aspects of education and personality development (Hroncová et al.,

2000), generally termed as conditions of education (Kolář et al., 2010) or a wide range of issues

“connected with the educational influence on risk and socially disadvantaged group of youth and

adults: dysfunctionalities in family and parenting, foster care, the issue of abused, neglected, and

sexually abused children, social deviation including delinquency and aggression, drug abuse, child

prostitution, pornography and the like.” (Průcha, Walterová, & Mareš, 2001, p. 217).

4. The NATURE of the activity of social pedagogy itself, can be analysed with regard to its goals,

processes and tools.

I. The most important factor in determining the goals of social pedagogy is a prerequisite of a

relation between the social environment and education. Social pedagogy is to deal with the

negative social phenomena that threaten the society (Manniová, 2005). Emphasis is placed on

rectification or optimisation of relation conditions between the client and the environment

(Bakošová et al., 2013; Bakošová, 2008; Balvín & Prokaiová, 2013; Kolář et al., 2010; Průcha,

2009; Strieženec, 1999), assistance in various social problems (Bakošová, 2008, 1994; Kraus et

al., 2001). More specifically, the goals of social pedagogy can be seen in activation of the

socially disadvantaged groups (Gulová et al., 2012) or in interdisciplinary research (Hrdá & Šíp

et al., 2011). Most authors logically emphasize the goals connected with the educational

process, e.g. changing people through education (Bakošová, 2008), analysis of the conditions of

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education that help or hinder the achievement of the goals of education (Kolář et al., 2010), or

professional training of social pedagogues for school practice (Gulová et al., 2012).

II. Similarly to social work above, in the case of social pedagogy an analysis of verbs will be

used to help understand the process of activity of social pedagogy. As for frequency, the most

important activities of social pedagogy are: preventing negative social events or prevention

(Schilling, 1999; Hroncová et al., 2000; Sekot, 1997; Němec & Vodičková, 2010; Kraus, 2008;

Soják & Čech, 2010; Bakošová et al., 2013). Equally important are educational and re-

educational activities (Sekot, 1997; Soják & Čech, 2010; Průcha, Walterová, & Mareš, 2001;

Gulová et al., 2012), as well as resocialization (Procházka, 2012; Průcha, Walterová, & Mareš,

2001; Hroncová & Emmerová, 2004; Kraus, 2008), integration (Bakošová, 1994, 2008; Tokárová

et al., 2000; Sekot, 1997) and intervention (Hroncová & Emmerová, 2004; Bakošová et al.,

2013). Social pedagogy purposefully influences humans (Kolář et al., 2010; Strieženec, 1999;

Bakošová, 1994). In relation to negative social phenomena, the following verbs are used:

protect (Schilling, 1999), compensate (Bakošová, 1994), create balance and stabilize (Kraus et

al., 2001; Bakošová, 2008), educate and utilise the goals of education (Kolář et al., 2010; Klíma,

1993; Kraus, 2008; Bakošová, 2005, 2008), deal with crisis situations (Hroncová & Emmerová,

2004), influence or initiate changes (Matoušek, 2003; Schilling, 1999; Soják & Čech, 2010),

clarify (Bakošová, 2005).

III. Among the tools of social pedagogy mentioned in the definitions rather less frequently, are

the procedures and methods that are to balance the adverse effect of social influences

(Matoušek, 2003), such as various preventive and curative measures (Schilling, 1999).

According to Z. Bakošová et al. (2013), the following instruments belong among the tools of

social pedagogy: education, re-education, self-education, counselling, prevention, intervention

and management.

5. Regarding the FIELD of action of social pedagogy, several areas can be distinguished for this

profession to be exercised. The primary areas of the activity of social pedagogues in Slovakia, is

the area of education. According to the Act No. 317/2009 Coll. (2009), a social pedagogue belongs

in the category of professional staff. According to this law, a social pedagogue “carries out

professional activities in prevention, intervention and counselling especially for children and

pupils at risk of socio-pathological phenomena, from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, drug

addicts or otherwise disadvantaged children and pupils, to their legal guardians and pedagogical

representatives of schools and educational facilities. A social pedagogue fulfils the roles of social

education, support of pro-social, ethical behaviour, socio-pedagogical diagnostics of environment

and relationships, socio-pedagogical counselling, prevention of socio-pathological phenomena,

and re-education of behaviour. They also perform expert and public educational activities” § 24

(Act No. 317/2009 Coll., 2009). Furthermore, they may also act in the field of labour and social

affairs and family in execution of the selected activities, such as when exercising socio-legal child

protection. Relatively large competencies can be gained in the area of justice, particularly in the

penitentiary practice. In the current Slovak penal and judicial system, a person on a position of a

“pedagogue” amasses a fairly high level of competences and responsibility when dealing with the

accused and convicted.

Among other activities, a pedagogue proposes a treatment program, provides the convict with

a list of activities that are organized in the facility; coordinates and facilitates the treatment of

convicts in the selected area, while managing a comprehensive agenda with decision-making

rights regarding disciplinary action against the convicts (Decree No. 368/2008 Coll., 2008). In the

Czech Republic, a similar delineation of the scope of activity of a social pedagogue is missing. It is

defined only in the area of social services, namely under § 110 (Act No. 108/2006 Coll., 2006),

which states that it is sufficient for the professional competence of a social worker to complete an

educational programs focused on social work and social pedagogy.

Mátel & Preissová Krejčí / Convergent and Divergent Aspects of Social Work … 81

3.3 Comparison of convergent and divergent elements

Convergence in terms of nature. Social work and social pedagogy are interdisciplinary-oriented fields,

independent helping professions and academic disciplines.

Divergence in terms of nature. In terms of the scientific nature, social pedagogy is a more theoretical

and more general discipline, while social work is a more practical and applied discipline. Social

work in Slovakia is a separate scientific and study field, while social pedagogy is rather a

subspecialty of pedagogy and is taught at universities merely within a study programme of

pedagogy. Social work belongs among social-behavioural sciences, social pedagogy among

pedagogical sciences.

Convergence in terms of actors. Social work and social pedagogy are performed exclusively by

qualified staff.

Divergence in terms of actors. In most countries, social work is exclusively carried out by social

workers with a university degree in social work. Social pedagogy is performed by social

pedagogues with a university degree in social pedagogy. The qualification requirements, however,

are socio-politically conditioned, and in certain cases, rather vaguely set. For example, in the

Czech Republic social work can be performed by persons educated in social pedagogy, and even

without university education (Act No. 108/2006 Coll., 2006) as the professional competence of a

social worker is: higher vocational education, university education or completion of accredited

training courses with particular focus, for example in the following fields: social policy, social and

humanitarian work, social pathology, special education, etc.

Convergence in terms of objects. The objects of the action of the two disciplines are not just clients

(individual, family, group, community, institution), but also the influence on the social

environment in which they exist.

Divergence in terms of objects. The individual disciplines have different preferences of clients, yet the

range of both is very wide. Social pedagogy prefers school and non-school environment, and in

terms of age, it works mainly with children and youth. Social work is provided to a greater extent

to adults and seniors, and in addition to its field or outreach forms, it is exercised in the natural

environment of the clients (in the family, community, open environment), as well as in the

outpatient and residential settings, especially in social service facilities. Matoušek differentiates

between both disciplines on the basis of their target groups as follows: social work as work with

adults, while social pedagogy as prevention of social failure among children and youth (Matoušek,

2003), while Machalová through the concept of “preventive social work” sees educational social

work as a border discipline of findings and methods intertwined with social pedagogy and social

andragogy. The concept of educational social work and counselling is seen as a lifelong process, as

a sub-discipline of social work, which aims to “develop and cultivate individual spiritual, mental

and social potential of individuals” of the target groups of social work (Machalová, 2013,

pp. 24–25).

Convergence in terms of the nature of the activity. For both professions, it is rather symptomatic to

cover a broad spectrum of different activities and to manifest a holistic approach, using various

yet common methods and procedures, especially prevention, re-socialization, counselling and

mediation.

Divergence in terms of the nature of the activity. Social pedagogy prefers mainly socio-educational,

preventive and re-educational activities. Social work uses various, own methods of work, such as

case, group, and community social work, street work and family social work.

Convergence in terms of the field or scope of activity. Both professions operate in several areas. The

common areas are labour, social affairs and family, and justice.

Mátel & Preissová Krejčí / Convergent and Divergent Aspects of Social Work … 82

Divergence in terms of the field or scope of activity. The primary areas of activity of social work is the

resort of labour, social affairs, and family. The primary areas of activity of social pedagogy is

education. While in the Slovak Republic social workers work in education, they do so without

legislative anchoring. Unlike social workers, social pedagogues do not work in the healthcare area.

4 Discussion and conclussion

The relationship of social pedagogy and social work is historically and culturally conditioned.

According to the German professor Johannes Schilling (1999), we can distinguish several models from

the historical perspective:

- Subordination – the proponents of this model argue which is a superior term, social pedagogy

or social work.

- Substitution – arbitrary interchangeability of the two terms, i.e. no distinction between them.

- Identity – identical disciplines as in “two sides of the same coin”.

- Alternative – both expressions are well established and can be used as alternatives.

- Convergence – mutual approximation of both disciplines while preserving their own identity.

- Subsumption – a double concept of social pedagogy/social work, or seeking an umbrella term

for both, e.g., social services.

Schilling (1999, p. 140) inclines towards convergence: “Social pedagogy and social work are not two

completely different fields, but they are neither completely identical. We can imagine them joined

together into one unit. Such convergence does not refer to tasks, decomposition, or a composition of

the areas. Instead, it refers to a joint development of social pedagogy and social work towards a

growing agreement, while taking into account their independence and individuality.” In German-

speaking countries in the area of education, it has been acknowledged for decades, that the areas of

Sozialarbeit (or Soziale Arbeit) and Socialpädagogik were very closely linked, to the point of being

identical.

According to Kraus (2008, cf. Ondrejkovič, 2000), there are three main views on the relationship

between the two disciplines in our settings:

- Identifying – practically means identification of both disciplines, metaphorically expressed as

“two sides of the same coin,” typical for German-speaking countries.

- Differentiated – both disciplines are clearly separated historically and on the basis of the

objects of their research. It is typical for the Anglo-Saxon area, and also applies in the Czech

Republic. In this regard, Kaplánek (Matoušek et al., 2013) states that mutual “passing by” of

social pedagogy and social work in the Czech theory and practice is not only due to different

theoretical approaches. The fundamental problem is the strict separation of social work and

pedagogy in practice on the basis of valid legislation.

- Convergent – means integration, while maintaining a certain uniqueness of both disciplines.

According to Kraus, it is practiced in Slovakia and Poland. Yet, in this respect we disagree with

Kraus. We believe that the current Slovak social work practice is dominated by the Anglo-

Saxon differentiation model, with the exception of schools (e.g., UMB Banská Bystrica) and

representatives, who professionally originate from social pedagogy and therefore at least

theoretically strive for convergence of both disciplines (e.g., Ondrejkovič, Bakošová, Hroncová

and Machalová).

Based on the study, we are inclined to think that it is possible to distinguish between convergent and

divergent elements of both professions that are understood as separate (differentiated) professions,

disciplines and fields of study in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic. We agree with Hroncová

Mátel & Preissová Krejčí / Convergent and Divergent Aspects of Social Work … 83

(In Kraus, 2008) according to whom, social pedagogy is more theoretical and more general, while

social work is more practical and a more applied science.

Due to many convergent elements, intensive cooperation between the two is crucial. A relationship

between the two disciplines is described as cooperative, for example by Žilová (2005). Both

disciplines have their own field of exact development and scope of activity in relation to the joint

entity of their subject that is defined by the specificity of their goals in relation to the target focus

– a healthy physical, psychological and social development of the individual. Naturally, this requires a

reciprocal use of theoretical knowledge, findings, generalization of empirical researches and mutual

adaptation and utilization of methods of work, i.e. cooperation on the principle of acceptance,

mutual respect and cooperation with other border disciplines. Due to interdisciplinary collaboration

between social pedagogy and social work in the area of prevention of socio-pathological phenomena,

Bakošová (In Ondrejkovič, 2009, p. 489) aptly notes that “the two disciplines will fare better if they

offer effective prevention programmes that are systematic, planned, long-term and will lead not only

to new behaviour practice, but also to their internalisation.”

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Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 87

Volume 4, Issue 1, pp. 87–103, April 2016

ISSN 1805-8825 | doi:10.7441/soced.2016.04.01.06

Czech version/Česká verze

Selected Methods of Intervention Suitable for Work

Social Educator with Children at Risk of Social Exclusion

Helena Skarupská

Contact to author

Tomas Bata University in Zlín,

Faculty of Humanities,

nám. T. G. Masaryka 5555,

760 01 Zlín

skarupska@fhs.utb.cz

Abstract: The study deals with the possibilities of the use of

certain methods, which have their origins in social work and are

also useful in the work of social educator working in socially

exluded localites. The study is based on the concept of social

educator as a separate profession and highlights one of the ways

in which social workers should act. Deliberately focuses on the

methods of work as a fundamental instrument profession. Socially

excluded localities, unfortunately, become an integral part of

Czech society. When working with the residents to create

multidisciplinary teams that include social educator who acts as a

bridge between educational establishments, family and welfare

authorities. In the paper, we introduce a few selected methods,

which are suitable for the job and that could broaden the skills

and hence the competence of social educator, including the

definition of social exclusion and its associated culture of poverty

as a specific phenomenon.

Keywords: social pedagogue, social exclusion, child at risk,

method, intervention, culture of poverty

Kontakt na autora

Univerzita Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně,

Fakulta humanitních studií,

nám. T. G. Masaryka 5555,

760 01 Zlín

skarupska@fhs.utb.cz

Copyright © 2016 by authors

and publisher TBU in Zlín.

This work is licensed under the

Creative Commons Attribution

International License (CC BY).

Vybrané metody intervence vhodné pro práci

sociálního pedagoga s dětmi ohroženými sociálním

vyloučením

Abstrakt: Studie se zabývá možnostmi využití některých metod,

které mají původ v sociální práci a jsou využitelné i v činnosti

sociálního pedagoga působícím v sociálně vyloučených lokalitách.

Studie vychází z konceptu sociálního pedagoga jako samostatné

profese a poukazuje na jednu z možností, kde by sociální

pracovník měl působit. Cíleně se zaměřuje na metody práce jako

základního nástroje profese. Sociálně vyloučené lokality se

bohužel staly nedílnou součástí české společnosti. Při práci s jejich

obyvateli se vytvářejí multidisciplinární týmy, jejichž součástí je

i sociální pedagog, který zde působí jako most mezi školskými

zařízeními, rodinou a orgány sociálně právní ochrany. Ve stati

představíme několik vybraných metod, jež jsou pro tuto práci

vhodné a jež by mohly rozšířit dovednosti a tím i kompetence

sociálního pedagoga, včetně definování sociálního vyloučení

a s ním spojené kultury chudoby jako specifického jevu.

Klíčová slova: sociální pedagog, sociální vyloučení, ohrožené dítě,

metoda, intervence, kultura chudoby

Skarupská / Selected methods of intervention suitable for work social educator with… 88

1 Introduction

In this study, focusing on description of selected methods/approaches inspired by social work which

are suitable for the intervention of a social educator as a member of the multidisciplinary team

working with children at risk of social exclusion. The social educator has not had a clear legislative

and thus competent anchoring in the system of helping professions even if social pedagogy in the

Czech Republic has been developing intensively for a quarter of century by which his position in a

multidisciplinary team becomes difficult. It follows that the choice of procedures, ways and methods

of intervention is not always completely clear to everybody.

The first part of this article is devoted to defining differences between the social worker and social

educator. It very briefly describes how different these two professions are and what is the most

common conception of a social educator in contemporary Czech discourse.

The fundamental part of the article is focused on methods/approaches, specific intervention

approaches^17 that are not uniform in the theory of social pedagogy. Kraus (2008) belongs to the

authors who are engaged in social pedagogy methods. He works with the methods of social and

educational activities.18 His approach to the methods is based on the fact that the social educator will

do educational work − that he was useful as a leisure time educator, tutor or teaching assistant.

These methods of social and educational activities are needed but their application within the

multidisciplinary team in working with endangered children in socially excluded areas, is not

sufficient.

Another author, more properly speaking, a woman author − Bakošová devotes to the issue of

methods in the theory of social pedagogy. The author (2008) attempted to make her own

classification of methods of social pedagogy by linking educational methods with the methods of

social work where only some approaches were chosen, as for example compensation of

inappropriate stimuli, strengthening own competence, offering of incentives resulting from individual

needs, planning a positive perspective and support for orientation to self-realization, as well as

methods of counseling and prevention, including consultation, supervision and intervention. Her

description of methods is very brief, mostly providing information, it is more concerned with brief

characteristics than with the own process analysis.

Already here in the introduction, it is necessary to define terminology of a method and an access. In

most sciences a method is considered as a way leading to a goal, that is the procedure. In social work

three basic methods of work were historically developed – work with individuals, groups and

community. Own intervention is called an approach that is based on theories of social work. There

already is a visible difference between social work and social pedagogy because in pedagogy

procedures are called methods.

The aim of this study is based on a theoretical analysis of the culture of poverty as a phenomenon

accompanying social exclusion and thus to submit several approaches in social work, including their

description and appropriate use of work when working with endangered children in socially excluded

localities. The social educator can now work according to them and thus extend his practical skills of

socially educational activity methods.

17 Intervention is interpreted as professional interference in the social situation of an individual or a group,

or a community exercised in their favour.

18 Kraus (2008) describes a method of organizing, group work, situational, staging, regime, animation and

mediation.

Skarupská / Selected methods of intervention suitable for work social educator with… 89

2 Social educator is not social worker

Before we begin the selection and description of our appropriate methods, we must first focus on

defining of a social educator. As was written in the introduction, a social educator does not have a

clear legislative definition in the Czech Republic.

Currently, the graduate of social pedagogy, according to Act No. 563/2004 Coll. (2004) can act as a

tutor, a teacher responsible for leisure time activities and a teaching assistant. All these teaching

professions have a description of activities and determined competence. They also have their own

degree courses that prepare for these specific positions. The social educator is not educated to be

only a tutor, teaching assistant or a teacher of leisure time activities. His academic field is different.

He specializes in issues of social phenomena related to education – the education in the broadest

sense.

The social educator can also perform, according to Act No. 108/2006 Coll. (2006) work of a social

worker. Even here, however, we have specialized fields of educating social workers directly. Is social

pedagogy considered to be a social work? Certainly not, although the focus is very similar. The

definition of Social Work approved by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW, 2015)

says that “social work is a practical profession and academic discipline that promotes social change

and development, social cohesion, empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social

justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversity are fundamental to social

work. Supported by theories of social work, social sciences and humanities as well as local

knowledge, social work involves people and structures to solving problems and improving welfare.“

According to this definition, social workers are bearers of changes in society and in the lives of

individuals, families and communities. Thus their focus is very similar to a social educator. He is also a

bearer of changes. In contrast to the social worker, who uses social attitudes while working with a

client or clients, the social educator is primarily a teacher, i.e. the one who works in the field of

education and choses educational approaches. Laca (2011) perceives a social educator as a specialist,

who helps children, youth, adults and parents in situations of balancing socialization deficit. He seeks

possibilities for a better quality of life through prevention, counseling or education.

Who is a social educator? A social educator is located on the border among pedagogy – educational

ciences and social work. The main difference between these two professions should be competence

and based on them the tools that are used to achieve the goal. Another difference is in the position

in which he stands in the organization. And the position is based on the concept of a social educator.

Regarding the position of the institution where the two professions meet, the social worker is

intended for direct work with clients to assess the situation^19 and determine the therapy, plan, what

will happen next with the client. The social educator, like special education teacher or school

psychologist in direct work with a client or a pupil performs a specific therapy.

The first concept of a social educator, which is quite widespread in the Czech Republic, is a social

educator as a manager of social problems. This concept is report by the authors Andrysová and

Martincová (2014, p. 45), who say “that the social educator organizes and manages the educational

process at a professional level and he influences the subject at two levels – integration and

development.“ Thus they adopt the definition of the profession, as it is accepted by Kraus (2008).

Other concept is offered by the workers of Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University. In their conception

the social educator is perceived primarily as a counselor, which corresponds to the field of

specialization offered by the study – Social Education and Counselling. Social educator as a counselor

who would realize educational counseling, prevention of risky behaviour and career counseling at

one position at schools and school facilities, is already currently very necessary specialization of

teaching staff. Unfortunately, the current state of law does not allow it, it is a pity to everyone

19 Assessing is a term replacing the term of diagnosis, diagnose that was used in the past.

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– teachers, pupils, parents. While abroad, the school counselor is a normal specialization for several

decades, for us it is still a tendency to replace this place by a school psychologist. However, the

psychologist is not educated in the issues of education on one side and on social issues on the other,

which is now involved in a range of school issues.

The author of this article further defines the social educator as a therapist. It is based here on the

definition of social therapy “as a specific kind of professional intervention aiming at achieving, by a

direct and indirect effect, desired changes in client behaviour and in his social environment, to solve

the situation, which directly threatens the client and prevent risky behaviours and conditions that

may support its development“ (Zakouřilová, 2014, p. 15). The social educator uses methods of socio-

educational action to remedy, remove, recover a social problem with the active participation of the

client. He may do so himself within his work in various types of equipment, or as a team member.

This concept is also directed to this study. As stated in the introduction to this paper, a social

educator should be a member of a multidisciplinary team that is committed to improving the

situation of children in socially excluded localities, i.e., to correction – therapy.

Professional work and assistance in these areas is only effective when the team is working well and in

accordance. The team mostly consists of a community worker who manages the team,

streetworkers, staff of the Social and Legal Protection Children, Labour office workers, curators,

possibly psychologists and lawyers in cooperation with schools, governments and businesses. In this

team there is an irreplaceable position for a social educator who should be primarily a mediator

among school, family and staff of social and legal protection of children. Therefore, such worker must

be – a social educator – equipped with appropriate methodological approaches to choose the

appropriate form of intervention.

3 Endangered child and social exclusion

Before I get to own methods of intervention, it is necessary to define who is an endangered child, a

child in a socially excluded locality and what the socially excluded locality is.

In the Czech Republic there is no single definition of an endangered child. We find this concept in

legal documents in the early 90s of the last century, when in 1990 the World Declaration on the

Survival of children, their protection and development was adopted by the United Nations. Article 22

of the World Declaration (1990) defines the terms that apply to child endangerment. For an

endangered child is thus considered a child – “an orphan, street child, a child of refugees, displaced

persons, victims of wars, natural and man-made disasters, children of migrant workers or children

living in other socially disadvantaged groups, working children, children and young people trapped in

prostitution, sexual abuse and other forms of exploitation, disabled children, adolescent offenders,

victims of apartheid and foreign occupation.“

The problem of inconsistent terminology is warned by the materials of the Ministry of Labour and

Social Affairs such as Proposed measures to transform and unify the system of care for endangered

children – basic principles of 2009. Here an endangered child (2009a, p. 3) is defined “as a child who

does not meet or there is an assumption of unfulfilled basic biological, psychological, emotional,

social and spiritual needs (need for stimulation, order, love, safety, social and societal recognition,

open, shared future). Another role is played by the social determinants of health and child rights. We

can say that every child is potentially at risk, more or less. Border is not possible to be determined

strictly, there are many factor threats as well as their intensity and development. Attention must be

focused on potential risks.“

The National Action Plan to transform and unify the system of care for endangered children for the

period from 2009 to 2011 defines the basic concepts on the basis of the multisectoral nature of the

entire document. For an endangered child (2009b, p. 5) is considered “a child whose basic needs are

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not met adequately and is threatened by risky behaviour.“ This definition is short but the more

concise and in this study will draw from it.

The second term, that stands in the title of this chapter and which is to be defined before we

proceed to the choice of methods of intervention, is a social exclusion. Social exclusion is a term that

first appeared in the 70s in France for individuals or groups of people who were excluded from the

system of state social security. The founder of the concept is considered a French politician René

Lenoir, who dealt with the concept in his book Les exclus: Un Français sur dix from 1974. The

concept was gradually taken over by the European Community in the 80s of the 20th century and

began replacing the term “poverty“. Current literature offers many definitions of the term. The Czech

space is most often used by the general definition based on the documents of the European Union

(2001), where social exclusion is a process which leads to crowding of people on the margins of

society and thay are limited to access to resources. It follows the fact that the socially excluded are

difficult or limited to access to social institutions, they are not represented in political organizations,

they can not participate in their rights by representation in governing bodies, have significant

limitations on the labour market and thus they become long-term unemployed and unemployable.

Social exclusion is not only poverty, as it is sometimes inaccurately reported, as has been observed

by a British sociologist Levitas (2003). Apart from poverty, she classifies unemployment and a specific

behaviour with features of pathology − people without morals as a part of social exclusion. For

Mareš (2006), this is not a complete list and he adds to these phenomena dimension of diversity

– cultural, religious, linguistic. Here we can see a different view of cultural exclusion feature. Levitas

incorporates it into the underclass, to people without morals, people of other subcultures while

Mareš can see it as a separate phenomenon. All these phenomena are a part of current discourses

on social exclusion in Europe.

Czech specific perceptions of social exclusion during the 90s of the 20th century, almost the entire

first decade of the 21st century is narrowing to only one ethnic group and Roma. At that time social

exclusion was viewed as a problem of the Roma ethnic group and its inability to integrate into

mainstream society. The change was brought by the crisis of 2008–2013, which affected a large part

of the population of the Czech Republic, and as shown by analysis of socially excluded localities, 2014

(GAC spol s.r.o, 2015), the Czech Republic increased in these areas without Roma. According to this

analysis about 95 to 115 thousand inhabitants of the Czech Republic lived in socially excluded

localities in 2014, in 297 municipalities with 606 locations and 700 dormitories, where a substantial

part of the population lives^20. Number of children is alarming. “A total of 22 percent of all pupils

growing up in socially excluded localities are trained in a highly ethnically homogeneous schools.

In absolute terms, this could mean a total of 3.000 to 3.500 pupils,“ as presented by the authors of

the Analyzes (GAC spol s.r.o., 2015, p. 10).

Because poverty is a central concept of social exclusion, let us look at it more closely now. Poverty is

a phenomenon that has accompanied mankind since the time when a person became aware of social

differentiation. From this point poverty is considered as a source of social problems. Defining of

poverty is very diverse and therefore there is a large number of different definitions of poverty,

which differ from each other by different views of this phenomenon. The concept of lack is the basis

of all definitions. Most often, poverty is defined as a situation in which an individual or a social group

can not meet the most urgent needs of its own funds (Dohnalová, 2011). When creating definitions

two approaches are usually considered. The first approach is objective and focuses on the

determination of universal human needs and their degree of fulfillment. Second, the relative

approach shows that poverty must be seen in historical and sociocultural contexts in particular.

Objective approach establishes peace, threshold, border or poverty line, which is the lowest level of

income, which is still considered to be sufficient in a particular country.

20 In the Czech Republic was to 2015, 1 January 10 261 791 inhabitants and 6 259 municipalities (MVČR, 2015).

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Poverty is seen as a source of human problems, different authors were dealing with the causes of

poverty and the characteristics of people living in poverty both in the past and in the present. A view

of the poor again has two levels. One group of authors sees the poor as independent, sincere,

honest, happy and divinely ordained, the second group is perceived as incompetent, lazy, dirty, evil,

who can blame themselves for a life in poverty. These two levels affect the forms and procedures for

dealing with poverty. Supporters of the first plane advise to leave the solution of the problem on

their own people because they consider them to be motivated, capable and able. Conversely, the

second group recommends setting programs to combat poverty in the form of direct control of

specific public authorities.

On this topic, whether poverty is the result of the inability or failure, a scientific study by an

international team of behavioral economists was published in the 341st issue of the journal Science

in 2013. The study is called Poverty Impedes Cognitive Function and focuses on measuring cognitive

functions, especially the intelligence, in the groups of people who are experiencing a period of

poverty. The study authors Mani, Mullainathan, Shafir and Zhao^21 (2013, p. 980) emphasize, that “the

data reported here suggest a different perspective on poverty: Being poor means coping not just

with a shortfall of money, but also with a concurrent shortfall of cognitive resources. The poor, in this

view, are less capable not because of inherent traits, but because the very context of poverty

imposes load and impedes cognitive capacity. The findings, in other words, are not about poor

people, but about any people who find themselves poor.“ In the next section of the text the authors

draw attention to the results regarding the measurement of intelligence. As a result of becoming

poor, differences in intelligence reached to 13 points. It follows that intelligence is not a fixed

constant, but is significantly affected by socio-cultural influences.The paragraph ends with the

sentence (2013, p. 980): “These sizable magnitudes suggest the cognitive impact of poverty could

have large real consequences.“

The American anthropologist Lewis^22 points to the need to distinguish between the concepts of

poverty and a culture of poverty. Already in the 50s of the 20th century, he studied behaviour in poor

areas of Mexico, then in Puerto Rico and New York. In Social Sciences he brings the term culture of

poverty, which clearly defines the article called The Culture of Poverty, published in the 4th issue of

the journal American from October 1966. The term culture of poverty is used as “a specific

conceptual model that describes a subculture of Western society, which has its own structure,

internal logic and their own way of life, passed in family lines from generation to generation“ (Lewis,

1966, p. 19). Lewis in his article identified 70 characters that characterize the culture of poverty.

These characters are summarized into four dimensions of the system. The first is the relationship

between subculture and mainstream society, second is nature of slum communities, the third

character of the family (sexual life begins very early, marriages are rare, most couples live only in

partnership, family centers around mother and mother's family, the relationship of mothers to

children is rational, with a minimum of love and protection, childhood is very short), and the fourth is

formed by positions,values and structure of the character of an individual.

Another typical feature of the culture of poverty is living in the present. People do not plan, live in

the moment, if they receive some benefits, which are paid for a month, so they consume them

immediately and according to what is interesting for them at the moment. There is no motivation to

change, they are dependent on the system. Language is poor, they do not understand to many

21 Anandi Mani is a professor of economics at the University in Warwick and she devotes to behavioral

ekonomics and a culture of poverty. Sendhil Mullainathan, a professor of economics of Harvard University,

dealing with behavioral economics and poverty. Eldar Shafir, professor of Princeton University in the

cognitive sciences, with a focus on behavioral decision making and policy and Jiaying Zhao, associate

professor of psychology, University of British Columbia, with a focus on behavioral science.

22 Oscar Lewis (1914–1970) originally studied history, gained a doctorate in anthropology at the Columbia

University in research focusing on the lives of peasant families and neighborhoods – slums (see http://what-

when-how.com/social-sciences/lewis-oscar-social-science).

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concepts, they have poor verbal skills. “These people only know their surroundings and their own

way of life, their outlook is at a provincial and local level, with little knowledge of history.They usually

do not have knowledge, vision or ideology to see the similarities among their problems and their

counterparts elsewhere in the world. They have no conscious of class, although they are really

sensitive on symbols of their condition“ (Lewis, 1966, p. 23). An explanation of these attitudes,

structures and values is now clearer. As found by the authors of the study Poverty impedes cognitive

functions, which is written above, it is the underdeveloped cognitive processe that reduces visibility

and overall perception of those persons.

Lewis was very often criticized for his concept of the culture of poverty. Opponents accused him with

psychological schemas as machismo, unclear sexual identification or inclination towards high number

of psychopathological behaviour among people in a culture of poverty. Furthermore, he was

criticized for his suggestions. Lewis was socially democratically oriented, therefore he thought that

introduction of a state system of social protection in the form of benefits will solve poverty (cf.

Smelser & Baltes, 2001, pp. 11904−11907). A very broad setting of social assistance system is

currently a cause of living in a culture of poverty and is making social exclusion.

In 1984 the issue of state guaranteed benefits was highlighted by Murray^23 in his book Losing Ground

(published in Czech Republic under the title Too much good, 1998), which analyzes 30 years of social

policy in the USA from 1950 to 1980 and concludes that it was the generosity of government in social

policy and it is the cause of the stagnating poor in American society. According to him, the poor lost

not only the motivation to do something about their poverty, but also self-esteem. “Governmental

social policy helps to establish the rules of the game... When population is more endangered and the

less number of independent sources it has, the stronger effect of the rules of the game is, applied

from above. The most convincing explanation for the significant change in the fortunes of the poor is

that they continue to respond to the world as before, i.e. in the form as they found it, while we −

meant non-poor and non-concessionary − we have changed the rules of the game of their world. Not

the rule of our world, only of theirs. The first of these new rules was that the poor have begun to

behave in a short term in a way that was disastrous in the long term. The second effect was to

camouflage these long-term losses – subsidizing irreparable mistakes. We have tried to give more to

the poor, and instead we have increased their number. We have tried to remove the obstacles on the

way out of poverty and thus inadvertently we have built a poverty trap“ (Murray, 1998, pp. 21−22).

Murray, on the contrary, proposed reduction in social benefits, their abolition at the state level and

transfer to the local level, closer to the beneficiaries and to assess their real claim on the basis of

need. His proposals were also highly criticized, especially from the social democratic positions. The

crisis of the welfare state in many respects, however, gives the author the truth, it turns out that

living on social benefits is a poverty trap and as Lewis (1966, p. 21) says “when the culture of poverty

occurs, it tends to maintain.“

Lewis's concept of the culture of poverty and social exclusion concept begin to fade together in the

late 20th century, at the time when, according to some experts, for example Toušek (2007, p. 14) is

“happening that ways of adapting to the conditions of social exclusion are so specific and

comprehensive that they set up their own subculture. According to the same author the existence of

this subculture may be the actual cause of social exclusion.“

Based on these findings, I would like to make a summary that social excluded is a specific subculture

of a developed society, characterized by a culture of poverty manifested in the dimensions of

economic, cultural and social, symbolic, political and spatial exclusion.

The economic dimension of social exclusion is given by unemployment, indebtedness, usury and

living on benefits. Cultural, social and symbolic are reflected in norms, rituals, language, attitudes,

23 Charles Murray (1943) is an American conservative political scientist, who became famous mainly as an co-

author of the controversial book The Bell Curve from 1994. Much of his interest is the welfare state,

intelligence and education policy (see http://www.aei.org/book/education/real-education).

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values, family structure and identity. The political dimension is given by a lack of interest in public

affairs and negativity to everything official, in conformity, represented by the state or self-governing

powers. Dimension of spacial exclusion is given by a creation of excluded localities in the form of

ghettos or slums. All these dimensions are intertwined with one another and their separation is

artificial, serving only as an auxiliary tool to describe.

The above text makes clear that every child who lives in such location is a child at risk, because its

basic needs are not met adequately and is threatened by risky behaviour.

Unfortunately, the number of children in the Czech Republic amounts to several thousands. The

number of 606 excluded localities in 2014 is a high number, to which must be paid sufficient

attention. Therefore there is a need for the creation of multidisciplinary teams that are working in

socially excluded areas and trying to change the conditions of life of these people. Targeted focus on

children at risk can help to ensure that at least they emerged from these locations and integrated

with mainstream society.

Therefore, every worker of a team should have in mind the specifics of socially excluded groups and

sites that concern to children, and their summary follows:

- They live in the present, do not know long-term planning, the future is something so remote

that they do not work with it.

- Cognitive functions are limited, the child is unable to use all the cognitive potential due to its

environment; Language is simple, children often do not understand the words, which are used

by a member of the majority.

- If a language is different, thinking is different, too − is focused on the present, opinions are

simple and practical, leading to survival, without insight into a broader context.

- Education is underestimated, has no value for them.

- The family is characterized by weak relation links.

- Relationship to mainstream society and particularly its norms and values is negative, often

completely opposite.

- They are not interested in participating in public.

- They expect that the state or municipality will ensure them, they do not understand that they

themselves should be able to take care of themselves, be active in a legal search of livelihood.

- They assume the way of life from generations of parents and consider it to be natural.

Presented characteristics are brief and incomplete list of different thinking and behaviour in children

and adults living in social exclusion but it is considered to be essential and necessary to understand

the differences and also important for the correct selection of interventions and at the same time the

methods of working with these children and their families.

4 Selected methods of intervention at work of a social educator with an

endangered child in a socially excluded localities

Because social work as a discipline has been concentrating on the issue of solving poverty and social

exclusion for several decades, it is appropriate for a social educator to find inspiration for using

methods of social intervention just in it.

First, however, let's have a look at the methods that social educators learn the most often during

preparation for their profession. They are primarily educational methods. The pedagogical textbooks

contain these methods of educational work − the method of explaining, persuading, asking

requirement, repression, advice, pleas, orders, encouragement (stimulation), example (pattern),

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exercise, reward, punishment regime, cooperation, competition, ritual (cf. Grecmanová et al., 1996;

Kraus, 2008). These methods are effective in work of any teacher. However, they are inadequate for

quality work of social educators.

Therefore, this chapter of the article extends classification of methods designed by Bakošová (2008),

which is based on both the methods of educational influence and the methods used in social work.

Unlike the brief characterization of methods I will focus on the detailed description of the

possibilities of using them by a social educator working with endangered children from socially

excluded localities.

When choosing approaches, the author of the study held the division, as used in social work.

As the first method of social intervention I chose an approach oriented to tasks. Approach is based

on the theory of social learning, theory of systems and cognitive theories. For authors are considered

Reid and Epstein, who in 1972 formulated a system of a short-term intervention. The basis for this

approach is a partnership and strengthening. Navrátil and Matoušek (2013, p. 109) state “that the

basis of an approach lies in the idea that the little success develops self-confidence, and that a man

would rather accept the tasks of his own choice.“ The method is based on six stages − preparation,

exploration of the issue, agreement on objectives, formulation and implementation of tasks,

completion and testing. The individual steps in detail include:

1. Preparation is the legitimacy of the intervention, which is based on cooperation and

understanding to the objectives of the intervention.

2. Exploration is clarifying the client's interests, defining and sorting by order of importance.

3. Agreement on objectives is about direction of change and is based on eight categories of

problems established by authors and they are:

- Interpersonal conflicts.

- Dissatisfaction of social relations.

- Problems with formal organizations.

- Difficulties in fulfilling roles.

- Problems arising in connection with the social changes.

- Reactive emotional distress.

- Inadequate resources.

- Difficulties with behaviour (behavioral problems).24

4. Formulation and implementation of tasks means the frequency of contacts, length of contract

and specific tasks.

5. Termination is determined at the outset that the client knows how long it will take

cooperation.

6. Testing applies only to a social worker who discovers how successful his intervention was (cf.

Navrátil, 2007).

Task oriented approach has great potential of application uses because it can be applied both in the

development of mental activities and in training of real activities. Its advantage is that it results in a

change, to the strengthening of self-confidence of an individual and groups.

Use of task-oriented approach when working with an endangered child from socially excluded

localities, is wide. It can be applied to both the educational sphere and on the change and

development of an individual and his family.

24 The exact description of the Encyclopedia of Social Work (Navrátil & Matoušek et al., 2013, pp. 110−111).

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Because social excluded live in the present, they can not plan future and that it is so remote that it

does not motivate them, it is appropriate for the individual educational objectives, when applied in

the educational field, to divide them into smaller sections and then further into individual tasks.

For better understanding of a pupil and thus the correct setting of individual tasks, educator can be

helped by completing eight categories of problems, as listed in the agreement on objectives.

We must also realize that children have small, almost zero motivation. And here it is appropriate to

motivate them to perform tasks which are short and the child can see a rapid result. It is better than

to set long-term objectives, such as − if you are successful in elementary school, so you can choose a

quality secondary school and your work perspectives will improve. Such motivation is not natural and

therefore useless for pupils from socially excluded backgrounds.

If you can make contact with the parents of the child, even here, it is appropriate to show the

benefits of education in the present than in the future. Most parents of socially excluded pupils

perceive school as a hostile territory, as an institution that belongs to the major society.25 An

educator can not rely on the fact that parents are willing to work with the child at home, that they

will help or check homework. It must also reckon with the fact that it is a big problem for the child to

bring to school all devices that are needed for a particular day. A task-oriented approach can help

here, too.

This approach can also be used in cases when a volunteer is involved in the educational process who

provides tutoring. Then there is a very good agreement between the teacher, volunteer and the

pupil's parents, when various tasks and responsibilities of the different actors are set. The agreement

should be set, with the cooperation of different actors, by a social educator who acts as an expert

and coordinator. The role of a social educator as a member of the multidisciplinary team lies in the

fact that he helps the school to find suitable volunteers, ensures contact with voluntary organizations

and cooperation among the school, parents and social workers − from communities, terrain,

department of social and legal protection of children and curators.

The second method of intervention is the reality therapy, which as a counterweight to the

psychoanalytic approach has been created by an American psychiatrist Glasser^26 in 1960. In 1965 he

published a book Reality Therapy, which describes the method. The basis is the principle of reality

and responsibility. The aim of this approach is that people are able to evaluate their behaviour as

right or wrong in compliance with applicable laws and social standards. People who deviate from the

standard, they are unable to meet their basic needs, especially the need for affection and the need

for respect − to know that I have value for myself and for others. The purpose of intervention is to

focus on working with clients at present and future, not to deal with the past.

In the reality therapy it is necessary to help clients to understand the world realistically and

realistically meet their needs. For this it is important for the client to be in personal deep relationship

with one or two persons. These relationships are the most important because through them the

client gains strength and encouragement to be able to cope with reality. The client has to learn how

to correct and appreciate himself. Responsibility is the ability to meet the needs in such a way as not

prevent other people in meeting their needs. A responsible person is motivated to make struggle and

suffer hardships in order to become self-esteem. Socio-educational activities lead toward greater

maturity and responsibility of clients who are inadequately socialized. A social educator must teach a

client in a short time what is learned during childhood or adolescence, both in his family and school

environment. Reality therapy consists of three complementary techniques:

- Develop a deep personal relationship with the client.

25 Claiming that most parents perceive school as a hostile territory as we find already in the aforementioned

Lewis (1966), and Smelser and Baltes (2001).

26 William Glasser (1925–2013), in addition to real estate therapy, he is also an author of Choice Theory, which

according to him explains all human behaviour (cf. William Glasser Institute, 2015).

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- Reject such behaviour of a client, which is unrealistic and irresponsible, but in spite accept the

client and be involved in his life.

- Gradually teach the client better, more responsible and more mature ways of meeting the

needs within the boundaries of reality (cf. Novotná & Schimmerlingová, 1992).

Procedure of reality therapy can be summarized in the following steps:

1. Participation − here is to create a relationship between the two parties, a worker must be able

to gain trust and act upon a client as a natural authority, as a mentor who understands and

also gives a clear sense of belonging and acceptance.

2. Evaluation of the current behaviour − it discovers what the client is doing, why he is doing that,

if he understands what he does, and a therapist or a worker explains neighborhood response

to client behaviour, what are the norms, rules and leads the client to make himself recognize,

where his behaviour or conduct is inadequate with thestandard in a given society.

3. Planning of possible behaviour − if, in the form of small steps, a change in client behaviour is

planned, with understanding and insight of the client, identification with the necessary change

in his behaviour. It is good when the first tasks are scheduled to be successful, it leads to

strengthening the client.

4. Commitment to plan − this phase is built on acceptance of the plan of changes in behaviour of

the client. It is advisable, if only it is possible, a plan to be drawn up in writing and the therapist

and the client sign it.

5. No excuses, no punishment − because it is worked with explaining, acceptance or rejection of

the client's behaviour, but not with punishment for bad behaviour or failure to comply with

the plan, thus eliminating unnecessary excuses why something is not possible. If the client is

not able to keep the plan, he has the option to propose adjustments after agreement with the

employee (see William Glasser Institute, 2015).

Reality therapy has been primarily directed to the social rehabilitation of prisoners. It is very close, as

well as the first mentioned method, to the cognitive behavioral approaches. In the current social

work its use is much broader and can be used where an individual has set no boundaries of his

behaviour, he does not know any commonly applied rules of conduct, and he does not recognize

conformity.

The author of reality therapy Glasser used this approach in education. Centre of use of this approach

lies in the field of education. With respect to that, students from socially excluded backgrounds have

different boundaries − what is allowed and what is not, they live in other rules and standards are

different and often hardly identifiable with the standards of the majority, reality therapy is very

suitable for the change in behaviour.

Social educator explains what is appropriate behaviour, what the rules are and what are the

standards that the majority recognizes. He explains everything through step by step techniques and

performs feedback or reflection or mirror techniques, and thus he demonstrates his disagreement

with the pupils behaviour outside the norm. Because the pupil is usually very well aware of his rights

from his home, the teacher has to explain that rights mean also obligations. If the pupil or his parents

want to exercise the rights, they must also perform the duties. The basis is made by patience, calm

communication and consistency on the part of the teacher. The same techniques can be used to

communicate with parents.

Third chosen method of intervention is antioppressive approach. This approach has its origins in the

80s and 90s of the 20th century in the USA, UK, Germany. It is based on a term oppressive

− oppressed. Antioppressive thus means against oppression and it is also used in the sense of anti-

discrimination. This approach aims to reduce individual and institutional discrimination based on

Skarupská / Selected methods of intervention suitable for work social educator with… 98

race, gender, disability, social class and sexual orientation, according to the Dictionary of Social Work

by Thomas and Pierson (1995).

In 1992 British author Neil Thompson came with antioppressive approach as a uniform model

of social work. He identifies three basic requirements of antioppressive approach:

- Justice − each will be handled according to law, without any restrictions.

- Equality − does not mean sameness, but a necessity based on specific needs, therefore

equality of opportunity.

- Participation − involvement of clients, client involvement in selecting targets and resources.

Other authors, for example Denney (1983) distinguish the following types of antioppressive

approaches:

- Assimilation − minority receives culture of majority, and surrenders most of its original culture

in the process of acculturation.

- Liberal pluralism − the principle of equal opportunities are the result of anti-discrimination

laws.

- Cultural pluralism − based on the possibility of coexistence of different cultures in the same

place, the result is multiculturalism, currently very difficult approach.

- Structuralism − is based on the concept of social layers that have different access to power and

resources, the result is either a confirmation of inequality or a fight for its settlement.

Neither of these approaches is ideal. Based on past experience, it is advisable to combine these

approaches based on specific situations.

According to Navrátil (2013), Thompson introduces a concept of empowerment into antioppressive

approach.

The author of the concept of empowerment, however, is not Thompson, but the Brazilian educator

Freire.27 He devoted himself to improving the lives of the poor in the form of education. At the end of

the 60s of the 20th century he comes with the work of Pedagogia del oprimido (Pedagogy of the

Oppressed), which sees the individual as a self-forming entity that is aware of its historical

development. Freire notes that oppressed groups based on various justifications of oppression

perceive themselves negatively and feel unable to deal with the situation themselves (cf. Freire,

2001; Ledvinková & Macků, 2011).

Navrátil (2013) in the analysis of Thompson's work Anti-discriminatory practice from 1997 states that

Thompson replaces the concept of capacitation, which was normally used in social work, by

authorization. Capacitation is a concept of adaptation, while authorization is a control over own life

and living conditions. Correct application of antioppressive approach must be based on structural

factors such as gender, identity and ethnicity, race, age, disability, sex or social orientation and their

role in the life situations of people. To reflect these factors Thompson suggests P-C-S analysis, which

means to assess the life situation of a specific person at a personal level − P (ideas, attitudes, feelings,

actions), cultural − C (perception, thinking, behaviour), structural − S (social relationships). The result

of this analysis is awareness that oppression and discrimination is not a matter of individuals but is

based on cultural and social conditions. “Antioppressive model comes with initiatives to encourage

social workers to reflect different aspects of the use of power and its impact on the life of the client“

(Navrátil, 2013, p. 95).

In the current educational practice antioppressive approach is irreplaceable. It is preventing all forms

of discrimination. It is used in everyday education. For being properly used by a teacher, he must be

27 Paulo Freire (1921–1997) a Brazilian educator, reformer, a Christian thinker, in our country known for the

concept of critical thinking.

Skarupská / Selected methods of intervention suitable for work social educator with… 99

able to work with prejudices, stereotypes and ethnocentrism. In working with different we often

meet outminded and hard – to − realize prejudices. These are hard to control by individuals and in

the mainstream society they are quite widespread, so you can expect that they also meet a teacher.

Becoming aware of prejudices and stereotypes in attitudes and behaviour is the first way to anti-

discrimination and application of the concept of P−C−S analysis. The second is to work with own

ethnocentrism, that I can not assess culture of different people through the eyes of our culture.

A social educator should use the concept of empowerment in the intervention with socially excluded.

It should encourage pupils or their parents to take responsibility and control over their lives, over

their living conditions. The concept of empowerment also leads to self-acceptance, self-awareness,

and that brings us to identity and ethnicity. Educator, as a guide empowerment expands students'

social group that runs the culture of poverty, a broader community, transforms the feeling of

belonging and perception of the concept we to more people, disrupts honored cultural patterns of

culture of poverty, participates in forming a broader ethnicity, leading to assist integration and social

inclusion.

The following two approaches are not direct methods of intervention in a specific sense. For the

work of a social educator in working with a socially endangered child in socially excluded localities

they are important.

One of these approaches is case management. Case management, sometimes a case social work

− a case conference “is a coordinated action leading towards client support, with participation of all

available sources (family, professionals, social and health services etc.). A professional is responsible

for implementation of case management (usually a social worker) who is responsible for evaluating

client's needs and together with the client and other people, who are interested in it, creates an

individual plan“ (Solařová, 2013, p. 4). It is a method that has not been considerably expanded in the

Czech Republic so far. It is basically about contemporary classical case work, which is the basic

approach of individual social work. Unlike traditional case work where one worker works with a

client, the method of case management assumes more heads − more reason, therefore,

of teamwork. Formation of multidisciplinary teams is so typical for case management that are

currently used in working with socially excluded. The objective of this intervention is making a

support network.

Knowledge of case management for a social educator is suitable for its understanding of the

competencies of the multidisciplinary team members, for understanding the role of a coordinator

and knowledge of support network formation. A social educator often becomes a coordinator, a case

manager among students, school, family, volunteers providing tutoring, workers of social legal

protection and curators. Knowledge of networking, namely, knowledge of networking and informal

relationships among children, parents, siblings and people of the same age as well as assisting in the

creation of non formal links and relationships among children, teachers, tutor, curator, etc., is

essential for successful intervention. The result of this activity is an individual development plan, as it

is in the Act No. 359/1999 Coll. (1999).

The second approach is a socio-ecological model or in literature sometimes referred to by the term

ecological perspective. Social ecological model is based on the assumption of a man as a part of the

ecosystem. It focuses on the individual in his environment, both social and natural, his relationship to

this environment and interaction.

This approach appears in the 60s, when starting to develop the concepts of social functioning. An

important personality was Gordon, who in 1969 came up with the idea for social work as the work

between systems and environments. Thus ecological approaches are classified into system theory.

Navrátil (2001) reports that Heard summarized Gordon's basic ideas of social work into seven points:

1. Social work has concurrently a dual perspective. It focuses both on man and his situation − that

is, the system and its environment.

Skarupská / Selected methods of intervention suitable for work social educator with… 100

2. Social work takes place at the interface between the human system and its environment.

3. Phenomenon, which occurs at the interface between the system and the environment, is

transaction.

4. Transaction is a process in which the system and its environment mutually attune. On the side

of the system it is in terms of managing, and on the side of immediate environment it is in

terms of its quality.

5. The interface of the system with the environment causes a change in both.

6. The best transactions are those that support the growth and development of a body while

improving the environment (that means that it becomes a better place for all systems that

depend on it).

7. For growth and development, it is essential that there is a persistent redistribution of entropy

between the body and the environment.

Ecological approaches introduced additional terms into social work. The first is the adaptation, i.e.,

the ability to adapt to the social environment and the second resilience, or resistance, hardiness.

Tasks of social work in socio-ecological approaches lie in strengthening the competencies of clients in

meeting their needs and the appropriate response to the demands of the environment in influencing

social environment to allow meeting client needs and improving interactions between them and the

social environment.

In the literature^28 we meet definitions of three basic types of social functioning:

- Adaptive − adaptable, people have capacity to solve problems, working with them on a

contract basis.

- Risk − do not have their own resources to deal with or are at risk of another system. Here it is

necessary to use prevention, reduce hazardous systems.

- Maladaptive − problems are so serious that the systems are not able to solve them. Here it is

necessary to use curative − protective activities of social work or social pedagogy.

Socio-ecological approaches do not focus only on the individual. Systems creating social support,

which is kinship, neighborhood, local systems, but also social policy and social security systems. are

getting In the foreground.

These approaches should be close to a social educator because he also is being educated in the field

of environment. According to the type of environment he can chose appropriate types of

interventions. In intervention at the level of the microsystem he is focused on the individual or his

family where he tries to change. In intervention at the level of mezosystem he focuses on groups, eg.

peers, class groups, and in intervention at a macro level he seeks to change the community, which

includes a socially excluded locality.

Both these approaches − case management and social ecological model complete intervention

methods. Possibilities of his position in a multidisciplinary team are presented to a social educator

and especially lead him to work with an endangered child in socially excluded localities and be aware

of the importance of the whole social environment and not to focus only on the child's personality.

5 Conclusion

In the presented study, I first dealt with the issue of defining differences and connections between a

social worker and a social educator, defining phenomenon of the culture of poverty and

28 Cf. Bartlett (1970), Giddens (2013), Gordon (1969), Kraus and Poláčková et al. (2001).

Skarupská / Selected methods of intervention suitable for work social educator with… 101

consequently the possibility of appropriate interventions for endangered children from socially

excluded localities. I am of the opinion that the social educator,is not a social worker, everyone has a

different mission in solving social problems, although both are aimed at the same target group. Social

worker approaches to solving problems from social and psychological point of view, while social

educator in terms of educational ones. Where the two professions can and should intermingle or

supplement is the possibility of using approaches and methods that are used in both fields.

In this study I focus on a social educator who works in socially excluded localities. First of all, I

describe the culture of poverty as a specific behaviour that is not still sufficiently known in the Czech

professional public. Secondly, I am offering several approaches to a social educator that are applied

in social work and are being recommended for work with this target group. My aim is thus to

contribute to the expansion of professional competences of a social educator.

Selected methods of intervention can be used either independently or in combination with others.

This is due to the complexity of the problems that occur in socially excluded localities. Social situation

of a child is not only one social problem but affects the child, his personality, his education,

socialization and its environment − family, school, work environment of parents, municipal

environment, etc. For these reasons, the problem of a child is not possible to deal with without

respect to the social situation of his family and community. Therefore, it is necessary to solve it

comprehensively and precisely, for these reasons it is advisable to choose an eclectic approach. This

approach gives us the possibility to choose among different methods of interaction, and variously

combine and interconnect them. Thereby setting the intervention directly on the requirements of

the endangered child and thus successfully operate and achieve the needed results.

As I explained in the third chapter, in the Czech Republic after the last crisis, the number of socially

excluded localities increased and thus increased the population and children in these groups. In 2008

the government set up Agency for Social Inclusion to help socially excluded localities, however, it

works on the principle of login, not on the principle of prevention and screening. Currently it only

works with 26 sites, however, research of an agency GAC saw 606 of them for 2014.

If the state and government want to begin actively solve the situation of socially excluded localities in

the future and thus children at risk of social exclusion, they will have to change the system of aid and

especially in these localities to establish the position of social educator as a school worker in a

socially excluded locality and thus a member of the multidisciplinary team. Then it is necessary that

the social educator has to be well equipped for the job with knowledge of the problems of socially

excluded groups, the specifics of culture of poverty and the different kinds of intervention, and

especially could work with them.

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Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 104

Ročník 4, číslo 1, pp. 104–105, Duben 2016

ISSN 1805-8825

Study Review

Czech version/Česká verze

Selected Methods of Intervention Suitable for Work Social Educator with

Children at Risk of Social Exclusion

The author of Selected Methods of Intervention Suitable for Work of Social Pedagogue with Children

Endangered by Social Exclusion deals with a significant topic: the introduction of social work methods

into pedagogical practice. In my opinion, there is an increase in the number of pupils that can be

labelled socially disadvantaged as defined by the education legislation (this is true not only for the

socially-disadvantaged locations referred to by the author, but also in connection with the rise of

social benefits receivers, overindebtedness, and an increase in poverty of the majority of single-

parent households). The importance of skills and knowledge connected to social work is growing in

pedagogical practice. Social pedagogy can thus play an important role in introducing methods into

school practice or in creating cooperation of the non-profit sector with primary and secondary

schools.

I see a problem spot in the study in the interpretation of the culture of poverty leaning towards the

underclass concept where the author refers to the propositions of Murray. The partial responsibility

for the problems of poverty (and its reproduction) lies, according to Murray, with the expenses of a

social state that allows for the certain adaptation and life strategies of the underclass (see Mareš,

1999, pp. 175–184). In the political context of the United States, the given interpretation served to

justify cuts in social benefits.

I do not believe that restrictions in social expenses can help poor and poverty-endangered people in

any way. A recent experience with the so-called social reform of minister D. Drábek allows us to learn

a lesson about what practical consequences of moralization can be seen in connection with poor

people, together with the effort to cut down social benefits that in this particular case led to the

repression of poverty (e.g., public service and the DONEZ project).

The growth in the number of socially-handicapped families can be blamed, in my opinion, on the

economic crisis together with the insensitive social policy of the Nečas government in 2010–2013.

The receivers of social benefits became one of the neoliberal rhetoric topics of the Nečas

government, despite the fact that the real expenses of paid social benefits form no significant burden

for the state budget. The stigmatization of the receivers of social benefits served the political goals of

the government that introduced a policy of restrictions as a recipe for surviving the economic crisis.

Social benefits are by no means an ideal solution for poverty, and a former colleague of mine (a

social curator) compared their effect to sedatives. Unless we have a more efficient cure, is there a

reason to get rid of this kind of help? Generational passing of the “culture of poverty” pattern is a

problem, and discussions looking for more efficient solutions of poverty than social benefits are

clearly necessary. Restrictions in social benefits are not the correct step. The road from socially-

excluded locations to a different life is not easy, and we cannot expect children from such

environments to accept our values (the values of middle class Czech society). Fulfilling these values

(high school leaving exams, university diploma, work enabling securing a mortgage, etc.) is more

difficult for children that were born into the environment of Czech “ghettos.”

What prevents integration of socially-excluded citizens apart from discrimination in the labour

market, the so-called trade with poverty or the anti-Romani mood, is the culture described above,

life strategies of adapting to a marginal social position and the significantly lower cultural capital of

the majority of the mentioned citizens. It should be social pedagogy that knows how to work with

this handicap.

Stanoev / Study review: Selected methods of intervention suitable for work social educator… 105

Martin Stanoev

Faculty of Education, Masaryk University in Brno

Reference

Mareš, P. (1999). Sociologie nerovnosti a chudoby. Praha: Slon.

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 106

ročník 4, číslo 1, str. 106–109, Duben 2016

ISSN 1805-8825

Kulatý stůl

Záznam ze zasedání kulatého stolu na téma

Nedořešený hlavolam: Sociální pedagogika a/versus

Sociální práce

Termín konání: 16. 2. 2016

Místo konání: Ústřední knihovna PF MU v Brně

Moderátoři: Radim Šíp a Martin Stanoev

Pozvaní účastníci: Pavel Navrátil, Lenka

Gulová, Ladislav Ptáček, Dagmar Gasnárková

Otázky diskuse:

 Jaká je historie a současnost vztahu sociální

práce a sociální pedagogiky po roce 1989?

 Jak se současná situace (globalizace,

integrace Evropy, uprchlická krize/hysterie)

promítá či by měla promítnout do výuky

oborů i do praxe samotné?

doc. Mgr. Radim Šíp, Ph.D. Působí na PdF

Katedry sociální pedagogiky MU v Brně.

Stál u vzniku časopisu Sociální pedagogika, kde

působí jako redaktor studií.

Dne 16. 2. 2016 se v prostorách Ústřední

knihovny Pedagogické fakulty Masarykovy

univerzity v Brně uskutečnilo historicky první

zasedání kulatého stolu časopisu Sociální

pedagogika. Cílem diskuse kulatého stolu bylo

přiblížení vztahu sociální pedagogiky a sociální

práce z pohledu předních českých akademiků

a praktiků obou disciplín. Zasedání moderovali

Radim šíp a Martin Stanoev a v debatě

odborníků kulatého stolu vystoupili Pavel

Navrátil, Lenka Gulová, Ladislav Ptáček

a Dagmar Gasnárková.

Záznam zasedání byl publikován

prostřednictvím video kanálu časopisu na

YouTube, kde lze sledovat vývoj diskuse od

vstupního představení účastníků, přes konkrétní

příspěvky v diskusi dle vymezených časových

stop ve dvou hlavních proudech.

Mgr. Martin Stanoev, Ph.D. Zaměřuje se na

oblast sociálního vyloučení, sociální marginality

a sociální pedagogiku. Před svým působením

v Centru empirických výzkumů na Fakultě

veřejných politik SU v Opavě pracoval deset let

jako sociální kurátor v Brně, kdy se zabýval

sociální prací s lidmi bez domova a po

propuštění z výkonu trestu.

První z nich přináší okruh otázek vztahující se

k historii a současnému vztahu sociální práce

a sociální pedagogiky po roce 1989. Diskuse

byla zahájená otázkou etablování sociální práce

a sociální pedagogiky v ČR. Dále se diskuse

zabývala otázkou, co mají sociální práce

a sociální pedagogika společného a v čem se liší.

Prostor byl věnován také vyjádření zkušeností

Redakce / Záznam ze zasedání kulatého stolu na téma Nedořešený hlavolam… 107

doc. PhDr. Pavel Navrátil, Ph.D. Působí na FSS

Katedry sociální politiky a sociální práce MU

v Brně. V minulosti působil jako ředitel

Občanské poradny v Brně, byl vedoucím

katedry Křesťanské sociální práce UP Olomouc

a Centra praktických studií. Vědeckovýzkumná

činnost zahrnuje mimo jiné výzkum sociální

exkluze a inkluze v české společnosti a oblast

etnika, minority a marginalizovaných skupin

v ČR.

Mgr. Lenka Gulová, Ph.D. Působí jako vedoucí

Katedry sociální pedagogiky PdF MU v Brně.

V rámci své profese se specializuje na oblast

multikulturní výchovy, sociální práce,

andragogiky, axiologie a pedagogické praxe.

Je garantkou CŽV vzdělávání, obor

vychovatelství.

Mgr. Ladislav Ptáček, DiS. Působí jako vedoucí

Oddělení sociální prevence a pomoci Odboru

sociální péče Magistrátu města Brna, pracovník

linky důvěry a předseda správní rady o. s.

Modrá linka, mediátor a předseda rady o. s.

Mediační centrum.

Mgr. Dagmar Gasnárková. Profesně působí

na Oddělení sociálně-právní ochrany dětí

města Břeclav. Je zástupcem vedení odboru,

kde uskutečňuje přímou klientskou práci

a odborné sociální poradenství.

Redakce děkuje uvedeným za jejich účast

na zasedání kulatého stolu.

(názorů) a přínosů vzniku Asociací vzdělavatelů

v sociální práci, vzdělavatelů v sociální

pedagogice a Profesní komory sociálních

pracovníků. Diskuse rozvíjela současně aktuální

téma vyjednávání o změně legislativy, otevření

připravovaného zákona spontánnímu konsensu

sociálních pracovníků a pohledu na Zákon

o sociálních pracovnících v otázkách působení

Profesní komory při udělování akreditací. Dotkla

se také otázky, zda nový návrh zákona a role

Profesní komory v sociálních pracovníků v tomto

zákoně nejsou vedeny snahou o vyloučení

absolventů některých oborů z možnosti být

zaměstnán na pozici sociálního pracovníka.

V diskusi bylo zdůrazněno, že se nejedná

primárně o vyloučení některých skupin,

ale o zkvalitnění přípravy sociálních pracovníků

a vytváření profesní platformy, která bude

schopna efektivně vyjednávat s institucemi státu

tak, aby byla zabezpečena náležitá péče

o klienty. (K tomu srov. především pasáž:

30:45–50:35).

Druhý okruh otázek otevřel rozhovor

o promítání současné situace (globalizace,

integrace Evropy a uprchlické krize/hysterie)

do výuky oborů i do praxe samotné.

Diskutována byla proměna sociální reality

pozdně moderních společností procesem

globalizace, případně integrace Evropy a s ní

související vyvstání nových nároků a výzev,

jež jsou na sociální pracovníky a sociální

pedagogy kladeny. Akademici i praktici obou

disciplín dále přispěli k diskusi o způsobu, jakým

lze ve veřejném prostoru prosazovat hodnoty

tak, aby byly naplněny, a jakým způsobem lze

dle vlastní zkušenosti směřovat proti proudu.

Závěr diskuse byl věnován životnímu krédu ve vztahu k pozici (práci) sociálního

pedagogika/sociálního pracovníka. Poděkování všem zúčastněným, včetně doc. Chytila, doc. Gojové a

doc. Vávrové za spolupráci na přípravách zasedání na závěr přednesl Radim Šíp.

Celý záznam kulatého stolu lze sledovat na YouTube v rozsahu 01:50:26. Pro rychlou orientaci

v záznamu lze využít níže uvedených časových stop, které jsou umístěny rovněž pod záznamem

online.

Záznam časových stop zasedání kulatého

stolu

Vstupní intro: 00:00–00:22

Úvod a představení účastníků: 00:23–04:22

1. oblast: 04:23–50:35

Historie a současnost vztahu sociální práce a

sociální pedagogiky po roce 1989?

otázka: (R. Šíp: 04:23) Jak se etablovala

sociální práce a sociální pedagogika V ČR?

Redakce / Záznam ze zasedání kulatého stolu na téma Nedořešený hlavolam… 108

P. Navrátil: 05:00

L. Gulová: 06:38

L. Ptáček: 12:06

otázka: (R. Šíp: 13:17) Co má sociální práce a

sociální pedagogika společného a v čem se liší?

P. Navrátil: 14:00

L. Gulová: 15:58

otázka: (M. Stanoev: 18:07) Jaká je Vaše

zkušenost (názor) a jaké vidíte přínosy vzniku

Asociací vzdělavatelů v sociální práci,

vzdělavatelů v sociální pedagogice a Profesní

komory sociálních pracovníků nejen pro obory,

ale i samotné klienty?

L. Ptáček: 19:17

P. Navrátil: 20:57

otázka: (M. Stanoev: 23:53) V jaké fázi je dnes

vyjednávání o změně legislativy? Do jaké míry

by měl být připravovaný zákon otevřen

spontánnímu konsensu sociálních pracovníků,

který se zatím zcela nezformoval?

L. Ptáček: 24:48

D. Gasnárková: 25:46

M. Stanoev: 30:27

otázka: (R. Šíp: 30:45) Jaký je Váš pohled na

návrh Zákona o sociálních pracovnících

v otázkách působení Profesní komory při

udělování akreditací?

P. Navrátil: 32:13

L. Gulová: 34:52

L. Ptáček: 37:50

M. Stanoev: 39:56

P. Navrátil: 40:21

L. Gulová: 43:53

R. Šíp: 45:55

D. Gasnárková: 46:13

L. Gulová: 48:27

P. Navrátil: 48:56

L. Ptáček: 50:07

2. oblast: 50:36–01:49:33

Jak se současná situace (globalizace,

integrace Evropy, uprchlická krize/hysterie)

promítá či jak by se měla promítnout

do výuky oborů i do praxe samotné?

otázka: (R. Šíp: 50:36) Jak proměnil sociální

realitu pozdně moderních společností proces

globalizace, případně integrace Evropy?

A kde se obyčejný člověk může s těmito

proměnami setkat?

P. Navrátil: 51:52

M. Stanoev: 56:23

L. Gulová: 56:39

P. Navrátil: 59:10

otázka: (R. Šíp: 59:54) Pociťují lidé z praxe tyto

záležitosti nějak intenzivněji za posledních 5 až

10 let než dříve?

L. Ptáček: 01:00:05

otázka: (M. Stanoev: 01:02:13) Mohl byste

upřesnit cílové skupiny, kde dochází podle Vás

k posunu?

L. Ptáček: 01:02:19

D. Gasnárková: 01:03:32

R. Šíp: 01:08:01

L. Gulová: 01:08:48

otázka: (R. Šíp: 01:09:36) Souvisí nárůst

agresivity se současnou situací či je podmíněn

změnami?

L. Gulová: 01:09:42

otázka: (M. Stanoev: 01:10:35) Jaké vyvstávají

nové nároky (výzvy) pro sociální pracovníky

a sociální pedagogy?

P. Navrátil: 01:11:07

R. Šíp: 01:14:58

L. Ptáček: 01:16:20

L. Gulová: 01:18:16

P. Navrátil: 01:21:06

L. Ptáček: 01:23:16

otázka: (M. Stanoev: 01:24:40) Jakým

způsobem lze hodnoty prosazovat ve veřejném

prostoru tak, aby byly naplněny?

Redakce / Záznam ze zasedání kulatého stolu na téma Nedořešený hlavolam… 109

L. Ptáček: 01:25:00

P. Navrátil: 01:25:43

R. Šíp: 01:28:09

L. Gulová: 01:29:06

otázka: (R. Šíp: 01:33:19) Jakými způsoby jdete

proti proudu?

L. Ptáček: 01:33:43

P. Navrátil: 01:35:40

D. Gasnárková: 01:36:50

R. Šíp: 01:40:00

D. Gasnárková: 01:40:09

L. Gulová: 01:40:47

P. Navrátil: 01:41:01

R. Šíp: 01:41:15

P. Navrátil: 01:41:25

Otázka: (R. Šíp: 01:43:50) Jaké je Vaše životní

krédo ve vztahu k profesi sociálního

pedagogika / sociálního pracovníka?

P. Navrátil: 01:44:26

L. Gulová: 01:45:27

D. Gasnárková: 01:46:44

L. Ptáček: 01:47:10

M. Stanoev: 01:48:02

R. Šíp: 01:48:56

Poděkování a rozloučení: 01:49:34–01:50:08

Závěr: 01:50:09–01:50:26

Záznam kulatého stolu lze sledovat zde:

Odborná esej

Paradigmy jedinečných vied

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 110

ročník 4, číslo 1, str. 110–114, Duben 2016

ISSN 1805-8825

Ak sa zaoberáme podstatou alebo riešením sporného vzťahu sociálnej pedagogiky a sociálnej práce,

je potrebný malý exkurz do histórie ľudstva, kde sa rodili počiatky solidárneho a sociálno-výchovného

myslenia a kde je možné zreteľne rozpoznať predmet záujmu, ktorým sa tieto budúce vedy

v budúcnosti zaoberali. Základným objektom, ktorý sa k obidvom viaže, je človek v spoločenstve.

V prípade sociálnej pedagogiky je to človek, ktorý sa od ostatných a s ostatnými učí byť platným

a zároveň spokojným členom spoločnosti; v prípade sociálnej práce je to človek, ktorý v nejakom

ohľade zlyhal, bol zo spoločnosti vylúčený a k tomu, aby ho spoločnosť opäť prijala, potrebuje od

ostatných špecifický prístup, pomoc alebo podporu. Domnievame sa, že tento druhý prípad má oveľa

hlbšie korene, pretože isté formy solidarity sa v spoločenstvách objavovali už niekoľko tisíc rokov

pred našim letopočtom, čo vysvetľuje Levická tým, že pomoc je prirodzenou a nevyhnutnou

kategóriou ľudstva, ktorú človek potrebuje na prežitie (Levická, 2004, s. 17). V najstarších dejinách

ľudstva nachádzame rôzne formy útlaku a zneužívania, no na druhej strane i starostlivosti a ochrany.

Najstarší známy sumerský zákonník Urnammu (2111–2093 p. n. l.) alebo Chammurapiho zákony

(1728–1686 p. n. l.) môžeme považovať za jedny z prvých legitímnych snáh chrániť a pomáhať

slabším a nemohúcim, či podporovať vybrané skupiny obyvateľov, napr. vojenských veteránov.

Starostlivosť, pomoc a ohľad nachádzame v rôznych náboženstvách, ako napr. budhizmus, judaizmus,

islam a najmä kresťanstvo, ktoré je považované za nositeľa základov sociálneho učenia.

Práve v období šírenia kresťanstva, kedy sa pomoc blížnemu začína chápať ako cnosť, prestávajú byť

isté formy solidarity individuálnou záležitosťou či nepísanou povinnosťou v rámci rodiny a stávajú sa

zámernými snahami spoločnosti. Tieto snahy smerujú v rôznych formách (almužny, ubytovanie,

ošetrovanie a iné) k rôznym cieľovým skupinám (žobráci, pocestní, vdovy, siroty, chudobní, chorí,

umierajúci atď.), no nepresahujú rámec solidárnych činností. Nezaoberajú sa prevenciou alebo

nápravou, neskúmajú príčiny ani nerozdávajú sankcie. Základným motívom a objektívnym cieľom

prvých predchodcov sociálnych pracovníkov je podať pomocnú ruku tomu, kto ju práve v tej chvíli

potrebuje.

Ak sa snažíme najstaršie pramene solidárneho myslenia a sociálnej práce hľadať v dobách prvých

štátov a opierame sa najmä o pojmy ako pomoc a ochrana, tak prvopočiatky sociálnej pedagogiky je

možné spájať až s myšlienkami antických filozofov. Predmetom nášho záujmu v súvislosti s týmto

obdobím a s témou je najmä oblasť výchovy, ktorá sa v období Antiky spája s pojmom paideia.

Nie stará paideia v zmysle živenia, výživy, vychovania (5. stor. p. n. l.), ale nová paideia, ktorá

predstavovala formu starostlivosti o dušu, čiže základnú formu výchovnej činnosti, učenie sa životu.

Paideia podľa Kudláčovej (2007, s. 64) značí priviesť človeka k tomu, kým je a jej zmyslom nie je len

sebapoznanie, ale predovšetkým sebakonanie – realizácia možností a potencialít skrytých v človeku

a najmä v tom, čo je pre ľudskú bytosť určujúce – v duši.

Takéto poňatie paidei je podľa nás výstižným definovaním pojmu a je možné ho považovať za základ

výchovy v každej spoločnosti, či už sa jedná o spoločnosť primitívnu alebo vyspelú. I v dielach Platóna

a Aristotela s takýmto videním paidei nachádzame zhodu, no hovoriac o Platónovej alebo

Aristotelovej paidei je v porovnaní so staršími autormi možné spozorovať akúsi nadstavbu, ktorá sa

u predošlých autorov nevyskytuje. Ak vychádzame z toho, že paideia je učením sa životu, Platón

a Aristoteles zdôrazňujú sociálny aspekt tohto procesu. Paideia je učením sa životu v spoločenstve

a pre spoločenstvo. Potrebu ľudskej spoločnosti v súvislosti s vlastným poznávaním je možné

zaregistrovať už v Platónovom podobenstve o jaskyni (2001), kde autor jednak zdôrazňuje význam

poznania pre človeka samého, a zároveň poukazuje na fakt, že poznanie je naplnené až v súvislosti

s interakciou s inými ľuďmi. Nejde tu teda len o individuálne objavovanie a poznávanie pravdy,

Tepličková / Paradigmy jedinečných vied 111

ale zároveň o prirodzenú potrebu človeka sa o svoje poznanie s niekým podeliť. Už v tomto momente

môžeme hovoriť o sociálnom rozmere paidei.

Aristoteles si tiež uvedomuje hodnotu a silu spoločenstva, rozvíja tieto myšlienky a posúva ich

na ďalšiu úroveň, keď v Politike nabáda k verejnej a spoločnej výučbe: „Pretože však celá obec má len

jeden účel, je zrejmé, že i výchova musí byť jedna a tá istá pre všetkých a že starostlivosť o ňu musí

byť vecou spoločnou, nie súkromnou, ako dnes, kedy sa každý o výchovu svojich detí stará sám

a súkromne ich vyučuje predmetom podľa vlastnej voľby. Spoločné úlohy vyžadujú spoločnú

prípravu. Nesmieme sa tiež domnievať, že by každý občan prináležal len sám sebe, ale musíme byť

presvedčení, že všetci prináležia obci, pretože každý je časťou obce; i musí potom starostlivosť

o každú jednotlivú časť dbať prirodzene o starostlivosť o celok“ (Aristoteles, 1939, s. 259).

I keď sa na prvý pohľad môže zdať, že sa Aristotelove myšlienky zásadne dotýkajú problematiky

vyučovania, implicitne je možné vnímať dôraz na sociálny význam výchovy. Aristoteles v nich

zdôrazňuje potrebu jednoty a spoločného vedenia pre zachovanie spoločného účelu (dobro),

ktorý má priniesť prospech nielen samotnej obci, ale i každému z občanov.

Zástancom týchto myšlienok bol i Qiuntilianus, rímsky rečník a teoretik rečníckeho umenia. Tento sa

ešte viac sústreďuje na hodnotu a dosah sociálneho kontaktu a v jednej zo svojich úvah uvádza:

„Predovšetkým si budúci rečník, ktorý bude musieť žiť medzi veľkým množstvom ľudí a byť na očiach

všetkým, od mladosti zvykne (v škole) nemať strach z ľudí a viesť samotársky život, akoby sa bál

svetla. Myseľ potrebuje neustále podnety a pozdvihovanie a v odlúčenosti takéhoto charakteru buď

chradne a chytá akoby pleseň v tieni alebo sa nadchýna planou vierou. Ten, kto sa nemá možnosť

s niekým porovnávať, sa nutne preceňuje. Ak chce potom ukázať svoje vedomosti, je oslepený

slnkom a do všetkého nového vráža ako človek, ktorý sa sám učil to, čo mal robiť medzi ostatnými.

To nespomínam priateľské zväzky, ktoré pretrvávajú až do staroby, pretože sú presiaknuté

posvätnosťou blízkeho vzťahu. Ani zasvätením pri posvätných obradoch nevzniká pevnejšie puto ako

pri štúdiách. Kde sa priučí zmyslu, ktorý nazývame spoločenskosť, veď prirodzene sa zhromažďujú

nielen ľudia, ale i nemé tvory. K tomu pridaj, že doma sa môže naučiť len to, čo sa mu ukladá,

v škole však tiež to, čo sa ukladá iným“ (Kudláčová, 2007, s. 62–63).

Qiuntilianus sa síce obracia vo svojich úvahách na budúcich rečníkov, no jeho videnie absencie

sociálneho kontaktu človeka s človekom zároveň vystihuje podstatu sociálneho sveta každého

človeka. Qiuntilianus poukazuje na dôsledky a negatíva sociálnej izolovanosti a zároveň na prínos

spoločenských interakcií počas štúdia. O jeho chápaní významu potreby stretávať sa s inými ľuďmi

svedčí najmä poznámka o chradnutí mysle v dôsledku odlúčenosti, zmienka o posvätnosti

priateľských zväzkov ale i o výhode a možnosti učiť sa od iných alebo prostredníctvom iných.

Ak zhrnieme podstatu myšlienok týchto troch autorov, dostaneme základy praktickej sociálnej

pedagogiky v tej najčistejšej podobe. I bez hlbšieho vhľadu je v hore uvedených úryvkoch cítiť dôraz

na význam spoločenského ovplyvňovania a interakcie, na význam rozvoja sociálnej povahy. Jedná sa

o akési spoločnosťou uznané vzájomné pôsobenie, ktoré sprevádza človeka počas celého jeho života

a učí ho byť platným a zároveň spokojným členom ľudského spoločenstva. Učí ho akceptovať platné

pravidlá a normy a zároveň sa presadiť. Učí ho prijímať vekmi overené vzorce správania a zároveň ich

odovzdávať ďalej. Tu je možné vidieť spojenie paidei nie s odovzdávaním a so získavaním informácií

a poznatkov o svete a veciach v ňom (teda s vyučovaním), ale s odovzdávaním a prijímaním ľudského,

sociálneho kapitálu. Nositeľom takejto paidei, a vlastne sociálnym pedagógom v tom najširšom slova

zmysle, je každý človek – rodič, priateľ, sused, každý, kto predstavuje istú šablónu žiadaného

správania sa v spoločnosti a kto sa o svoje sociálne vedomosti a zručnosti delí s ostatnými

a odovzdáva ich ďalej. V súčasnosti je však bežným javom to, že sa človek, resp. dieťa s takýmto

prirodzeným sociálnym pedagógom stretáva čoraz menej. Podporovaný individualizmus,

uprednostňovanie technických a digitálnych kontaktov, nedostatok spoločne stráveného voľného

času v rodinách má a ešte len bude mať za dôsledok to, že spolunažívanie párov, rodín, komunít ale

i generácií bude čoraz problematickejšie. Ľudia sa budú musieť učiť žiť spolu. Tak, ako ľuďom trvalo

Tepličková / Paradigmy jedinečných vied 112

viac ako jedno storočie prijať a akceptovať existenciu a pôsobenie psychológov alebo špeciálnych

pedagógov, tak si spoločnosť bude zvykať na sociálnych pedagógov. Sociálnych pedagógov už nie v tej

prirodzenej podstate každého človeka, ale sociálnych pedagógov ako odborníkov. V tomto (teda

užšom) poňatí je sociálny pedagóg odborník, vychovávateľ, ktorý je znalcom zákonitostí spoločenskej

výchovy, vie na ostatných pozitívne pôsobiť a predstavuje, či poukazuje na možnosti, ako prežiť

potrebný, zmysluplný a spokojný život v spoločnosti ostatných ľudí. Obsah sociálnej výchovy je

v tomto videní protikladom dnes tak prezentovaného individualizmu. Podporuje a propaguje všetko,

čo súvisí so socializáciou, s podporou sociálnych vzťahov a s generačným prenosom. Sociálny

pedagóg by mal byť osvetárom a špecialistom na prácu so skupinami, napr. s rodinami, so školskými

triedami, s pracovnými skupinami, s komunitami, s verejnosťou a prezentovať pozitívnu komunikáciu,

pozitívnu výchovu, rozvoj vzťahov a spoluprácu. Sociálny pedagóg by mal byť prirodzeným partnerom

a spolupracovníkom rodičov a učiteľov, vychovávať k životu v spoločnosti a snažiť sa o prevenciu

sociálnych problémov a sociálnych zlyhaní človeka. Takto pochopenú a prezentovanú sociálnu

výchovu/pedagogiku si nie je možné zameniť so sociálnou prácou, ktorej objektom záujmu je síce ako

v sociálnej pedagogike človek, no v súvislosti s jeho zlyhávaním v spoločnosti a so zameraním sa na

pomoc, podporu a sprevádzanie. Na rozdiel od sociálneho pedagóga by sociálny pracovník mal byť

predovšetkým špecialistom na prácu s jednotlivcom a zamerať sa na tých, ktorí v príprave na život

v spoločnosti neobstáli, ktorí zlyhali alebo sa ocitli v zložitej životnej situácii. Sociálny pracovník by

nemal byť úradníkom a jeho základným pracovným miestom by mal byť terén. Profesia sociálneho

pracovníka je veľmi náročnou a v jeho osobnostnej a profesijnej výbave by nemali chýbať

predovšetkým empatia, schopnosť načúvať a schopnosť odborne zasiahnuť v rôznych problémových

či krízových situáciách. Tieto predispozície by sa mali stať jedným z kľúčových výberových kritérií

záujemcov o túto profesiu.

Sústredením sa na prvopočiatky sociálno-výchovného myslenia a pomoci a na základe hore

uvedených poznatkov nemusíme teda vzťah medzi sociálnou pedagogikou a sociálnou prácou nutne

chápať ako sporný. Najmä keď si uvedomujeme, že sociálna pedagogika je predovšetkým vedou

pedagogickou, tzn. že základom je výchova človeka k životu v spoločnosti, a sociálna práca, ktorá je

označovaná za praktickú pomáhajúcu profesiu, je založená na pomoci a starostlivosti o človeka

v tiesni či zložitej životnej situácii.

Prečo teda, ak sú paradigmy také jasné, sa pôvodný význam a zámer týchto činností nemôže stať

elementárnym kľúčom k rozlíšeniu a definovaniu týchto dvoch vied i dnes?

Prekážkou tejto jednoduchej orientácie je v prvom rade historické prepojenie sociálno-výchovnej

a solidárnej činnosti. I keď sa dnes v záujme jasného definovania predmetu paradoxne pokúšame

nájsť čo najviac rozdielov a špecifík v týchto odboroch, nemôžeme poprieť, že prepojenie medzi

sociálno-výchovným pôsobením a sociálnym cítením má hlboké historické korene. O prirodzenosti

tohto prepojenia v praxi môžeme hovoriť najmä preto, že sociálno-výchovné pôsobenie či pomoc

blížnemu vychádzali z každodenného spôsobu života (v stredoveku ovplyvneného predovšetkým

učením Ježiša Krista) a z potrieb človeka priamo v rodinách a v samotných komunitách. Ľudia boli

nútení z existenčných dôvodov byť a žiť spolu, učiť sa jeden od druhého, pomáhať si.

Druhým dôvodom sporného vnímania vzťahu týchto dvoch disciplín je súčasné chápanie inter-, trans-

a multidisciplinárneho prístupu k obidvom vedám. Pod vplyvom rôznych názorových prúdov, v snahe

vinterpretovávať do pôvodných základov rôzne prístupy, v snahe poňať a pochopiť predmet i objekt

záujmu v obidvoch disciplínach z čo najširšieho uhla pohľadu, teda čo najkomplexnejšie, nie je možné

sa vyhnúť stretom v istých bodoch, ktoré zákonite musia byť pre obidve vedy spoločné. Ak sa

prekrývajú i metódy, formy a prostriedky práce, je možné očakávať, že v odbornej ale i v laickej

verejnosti budú vznikať určité pochybnosti a že verejnosť bude vnímať tieto dve disciplíny často ako

kolízne.

Problém je pravdepodobne i na strane absencie obojstranného rešpektu a uznania jednotlivých

profesií medzi sebou, čo je dôsledkom najmä nevyjasneného vzťahu a kompetencií medzi obidvomi

Tepličková / Paradigmy jedinečných vied 113

vedami. I keď sa tento stav môže javiť ako vnútorná záležitosť dotknutých vied, zasahuje i do

vnímania bežných ľudí, ktorí nemajú dôvod zamýšľať sa nad rozdielmi či riešiť akademické spory

a reagujú tým najbežnejším spôsobom – nezáujmom. Len málokto z opýtaných by dnes vedel

odpovedať na otázku, ako sa odlišujú tieto dve profesie. A čo je na zváženie – často to nevedia ani

samotní sociálni pedagógovia a sociálni pracovníci. Tieto dve profesie ľuďom splývajú do jednej,

neurčitej, a tú potom vnímajú najčastejšie v spojitosti s problémami a so „sociálkou“. Ak pre

porovnanie uvedieme medicínske disciplíny, ktoré majú tak ako sociálne vedy spoločný objekt

záujmu, nemôže sa v žiadnom prípade stať, že pediater supluje prácu zubára, alebo že sa chirurg

odváži zastupovať očného lekára. Potreby a narastajúce zdravotné problémy ľudí si počas stáročí

vyžiadali rozčlenenie pôvodnej medicíny na samostatne fungujúce odbory a ich vymedzené činnosti

rešpektujú nielen samotní lekári, ale aj ich klienti, pacienti, ktorí vyhľadávajú odborníkov striktne

podľa svojich potrieb. I keď vychádzajú z jednej podstaty, jednotlivé medicínske odbory sú jedinečné,

sú presne definované a kompetencie, ktoré z nich vyplývajú, presne vystihujú činnosti jednotlivých

odborníkov. Naše dve skúmané vedy pravdepodobne potrebujú prejsť podobným procesom

a predovšetkým potrebujú dostatok času k tomu, aby boli plne akceptované a uznávané verejnosťou

i samotnými odborníkmi. Vyjasnenie vzťahu a kompetencií prinesie nielen poriadok v samotných

vedách, ale i reálnu šancu ich nadväznosti a efektívnej spolupráce. Ak túto snahu podporí i štát

(najmä finančne), môže vzniknúť symbiotický tandem dvoch výnimočných vied, ktorý bude na jednej

strane napĺňať a odovzdávať medzigeneračné odkazy a na strane druhej sa postará o tých,

ktorí nevládzu alebo nemôžu. Tak, ako jednotlivé odbory medicíny smerujú k naplneniu celostného

zdravia človeka, tak by tieto dve vedy mohli byť zárukou a istotou jeho optimálneho sociálneho sveta.

K riešeniu nášho hlavolamu neprispieva ani súčasná legislatíva. V tejto súvislosti uvádzame príklad zo

Slovenska, kde sa vo vyhláške Ministerstva školstva SR č. 437/2009 Z. z. (2009), uvádza, že na výkon

profesie sociálneho pedagóga je potrebné vysokoškolské vzdelanie druhého stupňa v študijných

odboroch, medzi ktorými je uvedený i odbor sociálna práca. Ako je možné na pozíciu sociálneho

pedagóga v školstve zamestnať niekoho, kto sa počas štúdia odboru sociálna práca s pedagogikou

takmer alebo vôbec nestretol? Toť otázka.

Sociálna pedagogika a sociálna práca sa ako vedné disciplíny začali formovať v 19. storočí.

Museli prejsť stovky rokov, kým sa zo zmienok o prvých formách pomoci a prvých sociálno-

výchovných myšlienkach stali ucelené systémy právoplatných vied. Prispeli k tomu myšlienky a diela

desiatok filozofov a pedagógov, teoretikov i praktikov, ktorí si začali všímať tejto oblasti ľudského

života, zamýšľať sa nad jej podstatou, hľadať riešenia vzniknutých problémov a svoje zistenia verejne

prezentovať. Vo svojich snahách ani len netušili, že postupne rozvíjajú koncepty budúcich vied.

Už od raného novoveku sa objavovali myslitelia, ktorí vo svojich úvahách o sociálnom svete človeka

nadväzovali na myšlienky starovekých a stredovekých osobností a ktorí svojimi pohľadmi a názormi

ovplyvnili celé budúce generácie autorov. Ján Amos Komenský, Juan Luise Vives, neskôr Helvétius,

Basedow, Pestalozzi, Don Bosco a iní stavali nové a rozvíjali už existujúce teórie, a doslova vytvárali

podmienky pre tých, ktorí o niekoľko desaťročí neskôr stanovili jasné teoretické a metodologické

východiská týchto spoločenských vied. Táto dlhá cesta odvíjajúca sa od dvoch obyčajných,

ale pre ľudstvo nesmierne dôležitých činností, je symbolom ľudskej nespokojnosti a zároveň

entuziazmu a tvorivosti. Je ukážkou toho, že sociálny svet človeka je nestabilný, že je v nekonečnom

pohybe plnom zmien, na ktoré je možné neustále reagovať. Stovky názorov, kompilátov, pochybností

a kritických reakcií dali vznik bohatým, no zároveň komplikovaným systémom, ktoré sa niekde

stretávajú, inde prelínajú a zároveň sa dostávajú do rozporov.

I napriek nedoriešenému vzťahu majú dnes tieto dve vedy nezastupiteľné miesto v spoločnosti.

Nezáleží na type prostredia, nie je dôležité ani spoločenské usporiadanie. Historicky podložená

prestíž sociálnej funkcie výchovy i jedinečnosť sociálnej pomoci sú totiž pre prežitie ľudstva

nevyhnutnosťou v každej dobe a v každom prostredí. Vzhľadom na túto nevyhnutnosť a význam

solidarity a sociálno-výchovného pôsobenia v spoločnosti bol vznik obidvoch vied v dejinách ľudstva

najmä otázkou času. Ich vývoj a smerovanie bol a je predovšetkým otázkou chápania zmyslu

Tepličková / Paradigmy jedinečných vied 114

človečenstva a úcty k životu. Je možné predpokladať, že najbližšia budúcnosť obsahu sociálnej

pedagogiky a sociálnej práce bude poznačená najmä nezdravou podporou egocentrizmu a súťaživosti

u detí, problémami vyplývajúcimi z narastajúceho individualizmu, sociálnymi konfliktami

a prehlbujúcimi sa sociálnymi rozdielmi medzi ľuďmi a národmi. Nachádzame sa v období,

kedy sociálna pedagogika a sociálna práca síce majú svoje právoplatné miesto v systéme

spoločenských vied, no o svoju prestíž stále usilujú. Sociálna pedagogika a sociálna práca sa môžu

v najbližších desaťročiach stať silnými a jedinečnými odbormi, avšak za predpokladu, že budú pre

bežných ľudí zrozumiteľné. Nemôžu chcieť byť za každú cenu inter-trans-multi disciplínami a nemôže

dochádzať k vzájomnému spochybňovaniu týchto dvoch vied. Ak totiž majú byť tieto dva odbory

plnohodnotnými a uznávanými, malo by platiť, že „vzťah medzi sociálnou pedagogikou a sociálnou

prácou nevychádza z protirečenia, ale zo vzájomného dopĺňania“ (Strieženec, 2001, s. 47).

Věra Tepličková

Centrum voľného času Stará Turá

Literatúra

Aristoteles (1939). Politika. Praha: Jan Laichter.

Kudláčová, B. (2007). Človek a výchova v dejinách európskeho myslenia. Trnava: Pedagogická fakulta,

Trnavská univerzita v Trnave.

Levická, J. (2004). Základy sociálnej práce. Trnava: Spoločnosť pre podporu vedy a vzdelávania

na FZaSP TU.

Platón (2001). Ústava. Praha: OIKOYMENH.

Strieženec, Š. (2001). Úvod do sociálnej práce. Trnava: Tripsoft.

Vyhláška Ministerstva školstva SR č. 437/2009 Z. z., ktorou sa ustanovujú kvalifikačné predpoklady

a osobitné kvalifikačné požiadavky na jednotlivé kategórie pedagogických zamestnancov

a odborných zamestnancov. (2009). Dostupné z https://www.minedu.sk/data/att/2967.pdf

Varia

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 115

ročník 4, číslo 1, str. 115–124, Duben 2016

ISSN 1805-8825 | doi:10.7441/soced.2016.04.01.07

Porozumenie v spoločenskovednom výskume

Peter Ondrejkovič

Kontakt na autora

Univerzita Hradec Králové,

Pedagogická fakulta,

Rokitanského 62,

500 03 Hradec Králové

peter.ondrejkovic@uhk.cz

Contact to author

University of Hradec Králové,

Faculty of Education,

Rokitanského 62,

500 03 Hradec Králové

peter.ondrejkovic@uhk.cz

Copyright © 2016 by authors

and publisherTBU in Zlín.

This work is licensed under the

Creative Commons Attribution

International License (CC BY).

Abstrakt: Témou príspevku je porozumenie ako odhaľovanie

významu alebo zmyslu sociálnych javov, udalostí, vzťahov

a procesov, situácií alebo i samotného postavenia výskumníka

v istom sociálnom kontexte, ktoré sa stávajú kľúčovými

pojmami humanitných vied. Obsahuje aj malý exkurz

do empirickej sondy, v ktorej sa pracovníci v humanitnej sfére

pokúšajú vlastnými slovami napísať, čo si pod porozumením

predstavujú, kedy sa nazdávajú, že skutočne porozumeli

sociálnemu javu, vzťahu, procesu, prípadne i sebe. Príspevok

v závere uvádza význam porozumenia, ktoré zdôrazňuje

i zaradenie sociálneho rozmeru medzi všeobecné priority EÚ.

Klíčová slova: porozumenie, význam, teória rečových aktov,

porozumenie v hermeneutike, konštrukcionizme,

etnometodológii a interpretativizme

Understanding in the Social Research

Abstract: The theme of this paper is understanding in the

sense of revelation of meaning or sense of social phenomena,

events, relationships and processes, situations and the

position of a researcher in a certain social context, all of which

are becoming key concepts in the humanities. It also includes

a small empirical excursion, in which workers in the

humanitarian sphere attempt to write in their own words

what they mean by understanding, when they consider that

they truly understand the social phenomenon, relationship,

process, or even themselves. The conclusion indicates the

importance of understanding, which is highlighted by adding

the social aspect to general EU priorities.

Keywords: understanding, sense, theory of speech acts,

understanding in hermeneutics, constructivism,

ethnomethodology and interpretativism

1 Stručný úvod do problematiky porozumenia

V spoločenskovednom výskume, vrátane sociálnej pedagogiky, neraz predstavuje kategória

porozumenia takmer axiologizujúcu samozrejmosť, ktorú netreba ďalej vysvetľovať, ktorej všetci

rozumejú, neraz skôr intuitívne ako racionálne. V škole sa celkom bežne stretávame pri vysvetľovaní

učiva s otázkou vyučujúceho: „Rozumeli ste?“. Osobitnú kapitolu by predstavoval problém,

ako porozumel študent textu, s ktorým sa stretáva v priebehu štúdia. K riešeniu podobných otázok

má prispieť nasledovný text, ktorý si kladie za cieľ súčasne upozorniť na nevyhnutnosť ďalšieho

skúmania a komparácií jestvujúcich teórií.

Ondrejkovič / Porozumenie v spoločenskovednom výskume 116

Porozumenie má v našom živote nemalý význam. Neraz určuje naše konanie, jeho prostredníctvom

sa sami poznávame, budujeme svoje vzťahy k sebe i svojmu okoliu, volíme cesty a spôsob života.

Iste jestvujú veci, javy, procesy i vzťahy, ktorým porozumieť nie je ľahké.

Porozumenie sa stáva kľúčovým pojmom humanitných vied, osobitne interpretatívnej sociológie

a sociálnej pedagogiky. V nich nie je skutočnosť človeku jednoducho daná, ale je predmetom

neustálej interpretácie aktérov sociálneho života. Teda toho, ako rozumejú tomu, čo robia iní,

ako rozumejú výtvorom svojim aj ostatných, ako rozumejú jazyku a symbolom, všetkému,

s čím prichádzajú do styku a ako k porozumeniu dospievajú. To si súčasné spoločenskovedné

disciplíny uvedomujú, reflektujúc samé seba a preto sa stávajú súčasne aj reflexívnymi. „Alternatíva,

komplementarita, pluralita a tolerancia predpokladajú porozumenie v štandardnom a vo vysoko

sofistikovanom zmysle“, uvádza Petrusek (1993, s. 145). K tomu patria nie iba „zdravý rozum“,

ale aj prekonávanie náhodilosti, nekvalifikovanosti, naivnosti, ktoré môžu byť niekedy dokonca

nebezpečné, pretože „...čím složitejší je moderní společnost... tím méně je srozumitelná pro lidi...

nesrozumitelnost a nesamozřejmost našeho života... si uvědomíme až tehdy, když narazíme na

problém...“ (Petrusek, 2009, s. 15, 31)

Porozumenie pokladáme za obsahové pochopenie stavu veci, ktoré nespočíva iba v tom vziať niečo

na vedomie, ale aj intelektuálne sa zmocniť súvislostí, v ktorých stav veci spočíva. Porozumenie

znamená podľa Wilhelma Diltheya^29 rozpoznanie z daných vonkajších pozorovateľných znakov

„vnútorné“, (sociálno)psychické. Porozumenie sa často zamieňa za vysvetlenieím, s ktorým úzko

súvisí ale nie je totožné. Žiaľ, súčasný vývoj vo vede poznamenal predstaviteľov sociálnych

(humanitných) vied tak, že „...si už takmer nerozumejú a navzájom nekomunikujú“ (Sedová, 2011,

s. 769). Podľa tvrdení viacerých autorov je to dôsledok víťazstva tzv. prírodných vied v súperení dvoch

kultúr. Prírodné vedy „zvíťazili“ tým, že sa „... zaštítili svojou pragmatickou efektívnosťou

a neodškriepiteľným praktickým, technickým a technologickým prínosom... pričom... v týchto

pretekoch, v ktorých nešlo o nezištnú lásku k pravde, uspeli a získali náskok pred sociálnymi vedami“

(Sedová, 2011, s. 770). Sociálne vedy, ktorých jadro spočíva vo vedách o správaní, na rozdiel

od prírodných vied však nemôžu existovať bez kontextov poznávania konania, ktorého podstata

spočíva v porozumení. Ako uvádza Fay (2002, s. 139 a nasl.), podľa interpretativizmu jestvuje zásadný

rozdiel medzi skúmaním človeka a spoločnosti a skúmaním prírody. Vedecké pojmy majú k sociálnym

javom zásadne iný vzťah, ako k prírodným javom. V sociálnych vedách pojmy vytvárajú skúmanú

realitu, kým v prírodných vedách slúžia k popisu a vysvetleniu javov. Význam danej veci závisí od roly,

ktorú má táto vec v systéme, ktorého je súčasťou. V prípade sociálnych vied ide o systémy nesmierne

komplexné a bohaté, v ktorých zohrávaúlohu aj presvedčenie, ľudská túžba a zámery konkrétnych

ľudí. Konanie, správanie, ktoré je úmyselné, teda intencionálne, je vyvolané istým druhom situácií

alebo udalostí, ktoré si konajúci uvedomuje. Je najvlastnejším „premostením“ medzi človekom a jeho

prostredím v prírode. Základom konania je porozumenie svojmu konaniu i konaniu iných,

čo je nevyhnutné pri pretváraní východísk (vstupných daností) na výstupné danosti (ciele).

Iba v súvislosti s týmto druhom činnosti má zmysel hovoriť o konaní.

Preto na rozdiel od vysvetlenia porozumenie^30 možno charakterizovať ako odhaľovanie významu^31

alebo zmyslu sociálnych javov, udalostí, vzťahov a procesov, situácií alebo i samotného postavenia

výskumníka v istom sociálnom kontexte.

29 Podrobnejšie pozri o tom Lessing (2001).

30 Neraz je vhodné použiť termín chápanie vo význame porozumenia. V tomto význame hovorí o chápaní aj

Lyotard (1999, s. 78). Podľa Herbarta Blumera ľudia, veci ako i inštitúcie majú pre nás význam, ktorý je

ústredným problémom symbolického interakcionizmu. A najvhodnejšou metódou pre riešenie toho

problému je práve interpretácia. Blumer vychádza z troch premís: (a) Ľudia konajú voči „veciam“ na základe

významu, ktoré pre nich znamenajú. K „veciam“ patria aj ľudia, situácie a inštitúcie. (b) Ich samotný význam

je odvodený, alebo priamo spočíva v sociálnych interakciách, do ktorých vstupujeme s ľuďmi. (c) Významy

Ondrejkovič / Porozumenie v spoločenskovednom výskume 117

Vynára sa otázka, ako je vôbec možné pochopiť to, ako druhí konajú? Nie je práve v tejto oblasti

podstata porozumenia konaniu? (Sedová 2011, s. 769–782). Simon Blackburn sa pýta, či si jeden

druhému rozumieme. Jeho odpoveď znie áno. Toto áno čiastočne zmierňuje, keď dodáva,

že „... rozumieme jeden druhému do veľkej miery... pretože máme spoločný jazyk... slová majú

význam, a preto ak vám niečo oznamujem, dokážete nahliadnuť, čo tým myslím... a práve v tom

spočíva porozumenie... Slová vo svojom prvotnom alebo bezprostrednom význame (podľa Johna

Locka) nezastupujú nič iného, ako idey v mysli toho, kto tieto slová užíva. Slová nám umožňujú

nechať druhých nahliadnuť do súkromnej komnaty, ku ktorej máme inak prístup iba my sami“

(Blackburn, 2012, s. 76).

Viacerí autori zdôrazňujú odkrývanie (neraz skrytej) motivácie, ktoré má prispieť k sprístupneniu

subjektívnych aspektov konania (druhých). K porozumeniu patrí prípadne aj schopnosť tieto javy,

udalosti a procesy v sociálnom kontexte interpretovať, artikulovať v reči. Porozumenie môže

znamenať aj celostné vedenie, dosiahnuté bezprostredným prežívaním a chápaním (nielen

rozumovým). Neraz hovoríme aj o vcítení, empatii, bezprostrednom uchopení podstaty príslušného

sociálneho javu, najčastejšie na základe pozorovania, rozhovoru. V takom prípade máme do činenia

s umením (zručnosťou) preniesť sa do života osoby, skupiny, alebo javu, ktorému má výskumník

porozumieť. Porozumenie bude teda závislé aj od príslušnej kultúry, sociálnej skupiny, vzdelania

a intelektu výskumníka. Habermas (1981, s. 70) v tejto súvislosti uvádza, že porozumenie nemôže byť

normatívne pripisované, ale že ho dosahujeme komunikatívne.

Nesporný význam musíme pripísať jazyku, Austinovej teórii rečových aktov^32 (Austin, 2004),

podľa ktorej výpoveďou neoznačujeme iba istý obsah alebo skutočnosť, ale výpoveď ako rečový akt

môže slúžiť k uskutočneniu istého alebo celkom iného konania. Teória rečových aktov teda postuluje

komunikatívnu kompetenciu, ktorá obsahuje schopnosť aplikáciou výpovede konať a otvára otázky

na základy systému, princípy a pravidlá, ktorými disponujú ten kto hovorí a ten, kto je jeho

poslucháčom. Austin pritom rozlišuje konštatačné výpovede (tvrdenia), ktoré môžu byť pravdivé

alebo nepravdivé a performatívne výpovede, ktoré sa môžu podariť, alebo aj nie, t.j. môžu a nemusia

viesť k zmene konania, pričom otázka o ich pravdivosti je irelevantná.

Hans Georg Gadamer (1960) uvádza, že ak chceme niečo poznať, musíme podľa hermeneutiky

používať aj iné postupy, akými sú tradičná metodológia a gnozeológia. Musíme vedieť aj načúvať,

nechať sa oslovovať a tiež sa aj pýtať. Javy okolo nás musíme chápať nie iba ako fakty, ale ako niečo,

čo svedčí o tom, že aktéri, ktorí sa podieľali na vzniku príslušného javu, tento vlastne „zanechali“ ako

jednu z možných odpovedí na množstvo otvorených otázok. Gadamer zdôrazňuje, že sa musíme

naučiť vo vede a výskume pýtať sa s nimi, nepovažovať nič za hotovú odpoveď (definitívny jav),

ale ako problém, s ktorým sa musíme zžiť, ak máme odkryť všetky jeho významy vo všetkých jeho

vrstvách. Preto je podľa Gadamera hermeneutika predovšetkým umením interpretácie. Pokladáme

však za dôležité upozorniť, že v prípade vcítenia (empatie ako podmienky nadväzovania sociálnych

vzťahov)33 je vždy treba overovať, či sú správne hypotézy, príp. otázky, ktoré z problému vyplývajú.

vznikajú, používajú sa a menia v procese interpretácie, v ktorom sa s významami ľudia dostávajú do styku

(Blumer, 1969).

31 Podľa Šefránka (2002) neexistuje jeden pravý a správny pojem významu. Možno skonštruovať a používať

mnoho pojmov významu. Tieto konštrukcie treba oceniť vtedy, keď sa s ich pomocou dajú formulovať

a riešiť zaujímavé problémy.

32 Austinova teória rečových aktov: Austin (2004) delí rečové akty na lokučné, ilokučné a prelokučné,

na základe toho, či činnosťou myslíme vyslovenie nejakej vety, t.j. akt vykonáme, keď niečo povieme,

alebo tým, že niečo povieme, konáme, alebo aktom myslíme zmenu myšlienok, pocitov a konania

poslucháčov a hovoriacich. Existujú aj iné delenia, napr. na fonetické, fatické a retické atď.

33 Dôležitou podmienkou rozvoja schopnosti empatie sú sociálne vzťahy, v rámci ktorých jednotlivec

posudzuje a vyhodnocuje signály druhého človeka – primárne vo vzťahu k sebe (ako ho má ten druhý rád,

nakoľko si ho váži, čo ten druhý z jeho správania akceptuje a čo pokladá za nesprávne atď.), sekundárne aj

so záujmom práve o toho druhého človeka (ako sa cíti, čo prežíva, prečo sa tak správa atď.). Vďaka týmto

signálom môžu sociálne vzťahy pretrvávať a vyvíjať sa. Spomínané signály majú predovšetkým neverbálnu

Ondrejkovič / Porozumenie v spoločenskovednom výskume 118

Gadamer zdôrazňuje, že „porozumět znamená být ve vztahu zároveň s ‘věcí samou‘, jež se projevuje

skrz tradici a s nějakou tradicí, odkud ta ‘věc‘ může ke mně mluvit.“34

2 K otázke zmyslu

V procese porozumenia podľa jedného z prúdov vo fenomenologickej sociológii a etnometodológii je

dôležité nielen to, akým spôsobom sa snažíme porozumieť svetu, v ktorom žijeme, ale najmä to,

aby sme tomuto svetu dali sami zmysel (Garfinkel, 1967)35. V tomto zmysle chápanie súvisí

i s konštrukcionizmom^36, keďže chápanie súvisí s konštrukciou znovuvytvorenia zmyslu poznávaného.

Opisovanie a rozprávanie sa vždy uskutočňuje vo vnútri nejakého rámca, ktorý zabezpečuje pojmové

prostriedky pre popis reality a pre jej prerozprávanie. Podľa toho každé poznávanie a následne

vedenie ako konštrukcia nevyhnutne vychádza z hľadísk, ktoré sú definované sociálnymi, kultúrnymi,

intelektuálnymi, politickými, morálnymi, príp. ekonomickými záujmami príslušnej konštrukcie

vedenia. Každé vedenie je teda chápaním z určitej perspektívy (Ondrejkovič, 2004, s. 42). Stávanie sa

zmysluplným prostredníctvom chápania (otázkou je či aj porozumenia) je súčasne inscendenciou

(z lat. in-sciens, tiež in-scendo), vstupovaním chápajúceho človeka do seba samého,

sebaprehlbovanie a do určitej miery i spiritualizácia a humanizácia.

Marleau-Ponty koncipuje dianie života ako ontologickú paradigmu. V tejto paradigme hľadajúc

zmysel je reč tela tohto sveta taká, ako akéhokoľvek univerzálneho média, v ktorom sa až

z rozpoznania (poznania) konštituuje ako poznané, ale ktoré musí poznanie znovu zniesť (spracovať).

Čo mi prinesie a umožní takto vidieť (zmysel) je len viditeľná sebareferencia, videnie seba, ktorá je

prítomná nie ako priama evidencia, ale ako nepostrehnuteľná, ktorá je prítomná nepriamo,

ako tvarovo jednotiaci vzťah. Priamy dôkaz ale nie je ako niečo nepostrehnuteľné; je to nepriamo

prítomné ako tvarovo (jednotiace). Telo^37 bude teraz (podľa toho) znamenať stelesnenie

nepostrehnuteľného a zmysel tvoriace hranice vnímania (Danzer, 2003).

3 Otvorené otázky

Porozumenie je súčasne aj interpretačný postup, ktorým možno odkrývať špecifickosť predmetu ne-

prírodovednej vedy, na rozdiel od „úspešnejšej“ metódy prírodných vied (Balon, 2007). Porozumenie

znamená predovšetkým porozumenie intenciám a motívom ľudského (sociálneho) správania,

ako súčasti porozumenia „veci“ a preto porozumenie nie je možné previesť do kauzálneho zákona

alebo kauzálneho vysvetlenia.

podobu. Prvotným, veľmi dôležitým vzťahom, ktorý môže významne prispieť (ale aj naopak – mať rušivý

vplyv) k rozvoju schopnosti empatie, je, pochopiteľne, vzťah matka – dieťa, resp. rodičia – dieťa.

V neskoršom veku postupne rastie vplyv sociálnych vzťahov s ďalšími osobami (príbuznými, rovesníkmi,

učiteľmi a pod.).

34 Kudrna (1964, s. 96).

35 Podľa Garfinkela každý účastník interakčných aktov je vlastne praktický sociológ. Sociológia preto nie je

ničím iným, než snahou pochopiť to, čo ľudia robia, aby rozumeli svetu v ktorom žijú a konajú.

36 Na odlíšenie konštruktivizmu v umení, literatúre a architektúre a v spoločenských vedách sa prikláňame

k požívaniu termínu konštrukcionizmu. Rozumieme pod týmto pojmom ľudské vnímanie, ktoré je

konštrukciou a jej interpretáciou. Ľudský mozog rozumie len svojej vlastnej „reči“, jeho spojenie so svetom

sa uskutočňuje prostredníctvom receptorov. Mozog pritom nereprodukuje skutočnosť, sprostredkovanú

receptormi, ale vykonáva istú redukciu. Výsledkom je naše vedenie ako výsledok konštrukcie, nie poznatok.

37 Človek, podľa Marleau-Pontyho, ktorý dáva zmysel všetkému, nemá telo, ale je telom. Človek a jeho

(ľudské) správanie je organizačným princípom nášho sveta. Nájsť seba v zmysluprázdne a navrhnúť sa v ňom

znamená objaviť zmysel. Vedomie seba, tela a dejín obsahujú štruktúry, prostredníctvom ktorých

realizujeme zmysel (Marleau-Ponty, 1974).

Ondrejkovič / Porozumenie v spoločenskovednom výskume 119

Treba však upozorniť na snahy spochybniť spoločenskovedný výskum z dôvodov prehnaného

zdôrazňovania rozdielov podmienok, z ktorých vychádzajú tie hľadiská, z ktorých vychádza naše

vedenie. Ako príklad uvádza Fay (2002, s. 15 a nasl.), že by sa zdalo, že ľudí z určitej skupiny môžu

poznať (rozumej porozumieť – pozn. autora) iba ľudia z rovnakej skupiny. Iba ženy môžu rozumieť

ženám, iba Afroameričania môžu poznať Afroameričanov, iba Rómovia môžu porozumieť Rómom.

Táto problematika sa stáva zrejmá, keď budeme inými slovami tvrdiť, že aby sme niekoho poznali,

musíme nimi byť (Fay, 2002, s. 15). Iná je už otázka, či niekoho poznať znamená aj mu rozumieť.

Keď pripustíme, že porozumenie nie je možné previesť do kauzálneho zákona alebo kauzálneho

vysvetlenia, možno si pomôcť jednoducho jazykovou analýzou textu alebo jazykového prejavu,

pričom skúmame význam slov a ich väzieb. Možno si pomôcť aj logickou analýzou, pri ktorej

skúmame vnútorné skĺbenie prejavu, vrátane zisťovania logických vád, nejasností, medzier a skratiek,

príp. logických skokov. Nezaobídeme sa ani bez výstavby prejavu ako celku, vrátane jeho členenia.

K interpretácii patrí celkom prirodzene aj kontext, umiestnenie prejavu v jeho súvislostiach.

4 Malý exkurz do empírie

K odpovedi, ktorá sa nedá vyjadriť, nemožno podľa Wittgensteina vyjadriť ani otázku. „O čom

nemožno hovoriť, o tom treba mlčať“ (Wittgenstein, 1984, s. 85). Keď sa dá otázka vôbec položiť,

možno na ňu aj odpovedať. Požiadali sme preto pracovníkov pôsobiacich v humanitnej sfére, aby sa

pokúsili vlastnými slovami napísať, čo si pod porozumením predstavujú, kedy sa nazdávajú,

že skutočne porozumeli sociálnemu javu, vzťahu, procesu, prípadne i sebe. Stručná obsahová analýza

preukázala značné rozdiely v chápaní pojmu porozumenie. Takmer všetci (22 participanti) sa zhodli

v tom, že samotné porozumenie je proces s rôznou dĺžkou trvania. Náhle „osvietenie“ s významom

porozumenia sa vyskytuje zriedka, ale i vtedy je spravidla výsledkom dlhoročných skúseností

a vzdelania. K výzve predstáv o porozumení odpovedali pedagógovia i sociológovia.

Významná predstaviteľka staršej generácie hereckého umenia, činná i vo vede, výskume

a pedagogickom procese, v rozhovore uviedla, že:

„... stvárnenie roly herca je spravidla výrazom porozumenia. Vtedy už nie režisér a jeho príkazy,

ale osobné porozumenie role v sociálnom kontexte ju skutočne dotvára“.

Gavora a Šrajerová (2009) uvádzajú, že porozumenie textu je najdôležitejšia činnosť pri čítaní; čítať

bez porozumenia vlastne nemá zmysel. V školskom prostredí má porozumenie textu kľúčovú úlohu

– zefektívňuje učenie sa učiva. Učivo, ktoré žiak dobre pochopil, si lepšie integruje s predchádzajúcim

učivom a dlhšie si udrží v pamäti.

„... Učiteľ by mal preto vedieť, do akej miery žiak rozumie čítanému textu. Mal by systematicky

diagnostikovať porozumenie textu, aby zistil silné i slabé stránky čítania žiaka a aby stanovil,

akým problémom musí čeliť. Už dlhšie sa v diagnostike ujal názor, že chyby žiaka nie sú (len)

nedostatkom, ale aj cenným diagnostickým údajom, ktorý musí učiteľ poznať a využívať“

(Gavora & Šrajerová, 2009).

Odlišný význam porozumeniu pripisuje učiteľka na základnej škole:

„Sedela som nad tým "rozumiem", popísala som už kopec verzií, stále sa dostávam k tomu,

že rozlišujem "rozumiem" niekomu a "rozumiem" niečomu. Keď rozumiem niekomu, myslím,

že je to o tom, že sa dokážem priblížiť jeho mysleniu, vcítiť sa, pochopiť, ako sa dotyčný cíti,

čo prežíva, čo potrebuje. Ak rozumiem niečomu, to znamená, že som pochopila, ako tá vec,

proces... funguje, a dokážem tak potom túto vec použiť na to, aby som si uľahčila nejakú prácu,

ale aj to, že dokážem niečo ďalšie vytvoriť sama. Napr.: rozumiem tomu, ako mám pracovať

v PC programe Imagine a keďže viem, ako to funguje, tak dokážem vytvoriť v tomto programe

interaktívne cvičenia pre deti.“

Slovník i myslenie vedeckého pracovníka (SAV) neuľahčujú charakteristiku porozumenia:

Ondrejkovič / Porozumenie v spoločenskovednom výskume 120

„... otázka je podľa mňa veľmi dobre zodpovedaná vo Filozofických skúmaniach (L.W),

kde porozumenie sa preukazuje v schopnosti rozpoznať pravidlo (súvislosť) a pokračovať

správne v postupnosti čísiel či v hre, či správne používať (nové/cudzie) slová. V prípade

argumentu či nejakého dôvodenia/textu sa porozumenie prejavuje v schopnosti prerozprávať

či vyjadriť argument svojimi slovami. V interakcii tvárou v tvár pri počúvaní rozprávania

o nejakom zážitku, probléme, pocitoch (nemusí ísť len o interakciu, ktorá je súčasťou výskumu)

si overujem svoje porozumenie tak, že uvediem príklad niečoho podobného, čo som sama

zažila, alebo poznám z literatúry a filmu a spýtam sa "rozprávača", či je to naozaj podobné,

alebo nie. Ak nie, požiadam ho, aby mi uviedol nejaký ďalší príklad, ktorý je podobný.

Takto postupujem aj vtedy, keď mi niekto dáva veľmi všeobecnú charakteristiku zážitku – napr.

"učiteľka ma šikanuje". Chcem poznať čo najviac príkladov skúsenosti "šikanovania", aby som

mohla porozumieť, ako dotyčný/á používa (rozumie) slovo šikanovanie“.

Procesuálnu stránku porozumenia zdôrazňujú viacerí vedeckí pracovníci:

„... Porozumenie chápem ako stav, ‘finálny produkt‘ istého procesu a deja, cez ktorý odkrývam

problematiku istého javu, situácie, vzťahu a pod. Znamená to potom, že mám porozumenie,

dospela som do štádia, že veci rozumiem.

Niečomu porozumieť pre mňa znamená porozumieť princípu fungovania daného javu, situácie

(príčina – následok). Teda chápať jeho základný mechanizmus: čím je tento jav spôsobený,

ako – podľa akých pravidiel, akým metódami, postupmi sa deje, ako prebieha a čo spôsobuje.

Ak som niečomu porozumela, viem to opísať, zdôvodniť prečo to vzniká a aké sú toho

dôsledky“.

Následne je tu aj príklad:

„Môj syn sa v istej situácii správa neprimerane danému kontextu (v škole, v rodine – vzhľadom

na jeho možnosti a vek). Porozumieť pre mňa znamená predovšetkým zistiť, prečo sa tak

správa, čo dané reakcie vyvoláva. Porozumieť pre mňa v tejto situácii aj znamená prijať

interpretáciu dieťaťa k tomuto javu – v príklade neprimeranému správaniu dieťaťa.

Porozumenie je potom porozumením príčinám, prejavom, dôsledkom tohto správania.

Porozumieť znamená pre mňa odkryť príčinné vzťahy tohto javu z pohľadu môjho, ale aj

z pohľadu dieťaťa“.

Participantka si ďalej kladie otázku, ako možno porozumieť (vlastnému dieťaťu):

„Otázkou je ako možno porozumieť (ja som tá, ktorá chcem porozumieť) tomuto správaniu cez

optiku iného – v tomto prípade dieťaťa. Porozumenie je tak vysoko individualizované poznanie,

ktoré nemusí byť v súlade s porozumením iného. Osobitne, resp. asi predovšetkým vo vzťahoch

a javoch týkajúcich sa ľudí. Myslím, že vo fyzike môže byť porozumenie oveľa transparentnejšie,

čistejšie, menej subjektívne. Samozrejme v prípade, ak existuje nejaký jednotný pojmový aparát

a všetci ho prijímajú a používajú“.

S prehľadným a dôkladným prístupom k porozumeniu sme sa stretli u ďalšieho participanta.

I tu je príznačné, že je to nielen vedecký pracovník, ale i vysokoškolský pedagóg.

„Agnosco“ (lat.) znamená rozpoznať, uvedomiť si. Iný význam slova porozumieť v latinčine je

comprehendo, teda uchopiť niečo. V angličtine zase pojem understand opisne hovorí o tom,

že voči niekomu či niečomu je možné postaviť sa pod (za) niečo.

Americké školy prvej polovice 20. storočia (najmä etnometodológia, interpretavizmus) a vlastne

všetky ďalšie teórie v ich línii dodnes ako keby do dôsledkov popierali možnosť porozumenia si

ľudí navzájom. Etnometodológia z hľadiska funkcionality priamo hovorí o tom, že porozumenie

si slúži len na pocit vzájomného porozumenia a nie na reálne porozumenie si. Každý jeden

totižto máme rozličné životné skúsenosti a v kombinácii s našou psychikou je nájsť zhodu na

matematickej úrovni znamienka „=“ (áno rozumiem čo hovoríš) možné len v pravdepodobnosti

Ondrejkovič / Porozumenie v spoločenskovednom výskume 121

na úrovni permutácií blížiacich sa k nekonečnu. Dá sa však vo všeobecnosti prijať tvrdenie,

že slovné vyjadrenie „rozumiem ti“ smerujúce ku partnerovi má aj emocionálny a interakčný

charakter a funkciu.

Ako chápať tento pojem v kultúrnych štúdiách?

Rozumieť niečomu v súčasnej teórii a chápaní kultúrnych štúdií (culture studies) a teórie kultúry

sa dá vysvetliť ako súladnosť medzi mojim vlastným videním reality a tým, ako si myslím,

že je realita konštruovaná. Súhlasiť s niečím na základe porozumenia predpokladá teda,

že moja predstava (moje videnie sveta) je rovnaké s tým ako v danom momente vnímam to,

čo sa deje pred mojimi očami.

Po tretie, a tu je najväčší problém, je otázkou, či je vôbec možné položiť znamienko „=“ do

vzťahu porozumenia medzi dvoma ľuďmi. Keď budeme chcieť ísť do najjemnejších porozumení

rôznych vecí, tak bude nepravdivé tvrdenie, že ľudia si môžu porozumieť a následne vyjadriť

súhlasný postoj. Na úrovni výrazne generalizovaných pojmov (choď, urob, počkaj), možno

pravdepodobne často podfarbených normativitou, je to porozumenie medzi dvoma ľuďmi

výrazné a zároveň je závislé na dĺžke vyjednávania individuálnych porozumení. Tu by sa dal asi

problém rozťať.

Je rozdiel porozumenia v kognitívnej a emocionálnej oblasti?

Pokiaľ hovoríme o probléme porozumenia si ľudí v tzv. kognitívnej oblasti je porozumenie si

medzi ľuďmi výrazné a dokážu si porozumieť, pretože sú si vzájomne blízky na rôznych

úrovniach (toho, že sú ľudia, predstavitelia jednej kultúry, jednej skupiny, jedného záujmového

združenia) a to práve kvôli tomu, že používajú rovnaký jazyk a zdieľajú rovnaké vysvetlenia vecí

(napr. na pojme „kultúra“ sa skôr zhodneme ako sociológovia než ako sociológovia a umelci

– v druhom prípade je potrebný dlhší vyjednávací čas na porozumenie si). V konečnom dôsledku

si ale myslím, že si môžeme porozumieť – pozrieť sa z pohľadu toho druhého, či rozpoznať,

uvedomiť si jeho „slová“.

V emocionálnej oblasti je hľadanie porozumenia silne podfarbené emocionálnym prežívaním.

V tejto oblasti sa omnoho viac uplatňuje empatia a z oboch interakčných strán sa ani

neočakáva, že by si obe strany porozumeli do úplných detailov.“

Z pohľadu pedagóga a akademického funkcionára je často vnímaný pohľad na porozumenie ako istý

nadhľad:

- snaha o pochopenie druhého človeka, alebo situácie, alebo nejakej veci,

- poznanie zázemia, ktoré sa so situáciou, vecou, človekom a podobne spájajú,

- poznanie informácií, ktoré s problémom, človekom, situáciou súvisia,

- vnímanie kontextu, v ktorom je informácia podávaná za účelom porozumenia,

- merané i vlastným postojom, resp. vzťahom k veci, človeku, situácií, ktorá je podávaná,

- konfrontáciou medzi vlastným presvedčením a zhodnotením stavu situácie, v ktorej

k porozumeniu má dochádzať.

I medzi sociológmi sme sa stretli s pochybnosťami o možnostiach porozumenia, dalo by sa povedať,

že v zmysle Simon Blackburnovej otázky, či si jeden druhému rozumieme (Blackburn, 2012, s. 76).

Ja si osobne myslím, že tomu druhému nemôžeme nikdy porozumieť dokonale. Môžeme sa o to

pokúsiť, byť empatickí, ale neprežívame jeho situáciu, nemáme jeho životné skúsenosti

(či pozitívne alebo negatívne). Porozumenie môže byť intenzívnejšie, ak máme spoločné zážitky,

skúsenosti a pod. Viem porozumieť svojmu introvertnému a citlivému synovi, pretože sama som

bola introvertným dieťaťom (a stále si pamätám tie pocity). Môj muž má problém porozumieť

takému dieťaťu, pretože celý život bol extrovert, pochádzal zo šiestich detí, kde si svoje miesto

Ondrejkovič / Porozumenie v spoločenskovednom výskume 122

musel vydobyť. Myslím si ale, že je podstatné snažiť sa porozumieť, aby sme s tými druhými

dokázali koexistovať.

Medzi kvalifikované odpovede na otázku o porozumení možno zaradiť aj nasledovnú odpoveď,

skôr už esej na základe skúseností a dôkladnej úvahy participantky:

Vo veľmi všeobecnej rovine môžeme pod porozumením myslieť pochopenie podstaty, zmyslu,

kauzality alebo významu niečoho – veci, javu a pod. V tomto zmysle sa nám natíska pre

porozumenie synonymum pochopenie. Iste však by sme tieto pojmy použili v rozdielnych

situáciách rozdielne, jednak podľa osobnej jazykovej kultúry alebo podľa objektu, ktorému

treba porozumieť, pochopiť ho.

Porozumenie vníma participantka v dvoch základných rovinách. V rovine porozumieť konkrétnym

veciam, javom alebo procesom (napr. prírodovedná oblasť) a v rovine medziľudských vzťahov

(sociálno-spoločenská oblasť).

Prvá z uvedených rovín je založená v podstate na čisto zmyslovo-rozumovej, poznávacej báze

a súvisí so schopnosťou pochopiť, osvojiť si konkrétny objekt porozumenia (vec, jav, proces),

ktorému treba porozumieť. Vychádza z úrovne poznatkov, schopností ich kombinovať a vidieť

súvislosti (IQ).

Porozumenie v druhej, sociálno-spoločenskej oblasti je založené na osobnej vnútornej motivácii,

záujme a empatii. Vychádza z predchádzajúcich skúseností, poznatkov a schopnosti vcítiť sa do

konkrétnej situácie, vzťahov, druhého človeka alebo aj skupiny ľudí (EQ).

Vychádzajúc z uvedeného pokusu o konštrukt možného vysvetlenia porozumenia vidíme

niektoré spoločné prvky, ktoré by sme mohli použiť v ďalšom pokuse, tentokrát o „všeobecnú

definíciu porozumenia“:

Porozumenie je výsledkom vedomej, vnútorne motivovanej snahy o pochopenie vecí, javov,

procesov, alebo vzťahov za účelom ich poznania s cieľom jeho ďalšieho využitia v činnosti

človeka alebo jeho pôsobenia na okolie v rámci komunikácie a medziľudských vzťahov.

V spoločenskej oblasti porozumenie úzko súvisí so zaujímaním postojov k spoločenským javom,

iným ľuďom a kvalitou vzťahov s nimi.

V sociálno-spoločenskej rovine môžeme teda skrátene voľne povedať, že porozumenie je

výsledkom vnútorne motivovanej snahy o pochopenie druhého človeka. Druhému človeku sme

pravdepodobne porozumeli vtedy, keď pochopíme dôvody, resp. príčiny jeho správania sa,

prejavu a konania voči našej osobe alebo voči iným ľuďom. Vždy však ide len o možnosť,

ktorá je determinovaná mierou nášho poznania druhej osoby v pokiaľ možno najširších

súvislostiach, tiež ide o našu schopnosť empatie, intuície a tiež podmienené mierou motivácie

porozumenia.

Preto úplne porozumieť druhému človeku je nesmierne ťažké, ak vôbec možné. Porozumenie

v medziľudských vzťahoch je potrebné a snáď jedine aj možné ako niečo pozitívne, dobroprajné,

čo nám umožňuje obohatiť náš vzťah k inému človeku, pochopiť ho alebo aj nás samotných

v určitej situácii. Premisou tu však musí byť dobrý úmysel, pozitívna snaha, motivácia alebo aj

láska.

Porozumenie bezprostredne súvisí, ba i podmieňuje súcit:

V Budhovom učení je napr. premisou vzťahu k iným bytostiam (ľuďom, všetkým živým tvorom)

schopnosť súcitu, ktorý je v tejto súvislosti možné vnímať ako vyššiu úroveň empatie. Vďaka

súcitu Budha pochopil nielen zmysel a kolobeh života vo večnosti, ale aj sám seba ako jeho

súčasť. Nazeranie na porozumenie z takejto alebo podobnej duchovnej roviny pravdaže otvára

ďalšiu inú kvalitu priestorov pre vnímanie porozumenia, pretože tu už opúšťame ľudské

hľadiská a ocitáme sa v priestore, ktorý nás presahuje.

Ondrejkovič / Porozumenie v spoločenskovednom výskume 123

Preexponovaný súcit bez schopnosti aj určitej miery kritického pohľadu sa však môže stať

v konečnom dôsledku zraňujúcim sklamaním. Preto porozumenie vychádzajúce z dobrej snahy

a úmyslu nemôže byť nikdy len jednostranným, ale aj akoby ponukou, darom druhej strane,

ktorá by s ním mala rovnako pozitívne naložiť v rámci vzájomného vzťahu. Ak sa tak nestane,

buď sme sa teda napriek obojstrannej snahe vzájomne neporozumeli, resp. neboli sme toho

schopní, alebo o to porozumenie druhá strana nemá záujem, nemá pre ňu význam. Tu myslíme

prirodzene na vzťahy dospelých ľudí, pretože vzťah k deťom je v zreteľne inej rovine.

Tam východisko lásky, súcit a obetavosť ako východiská porozumenia sú nanajvýš potrebné

a veríme, že dieťa vždy vníma takýto prístup, vzťah ako útočisko istoty a bezpečia zvlášť

v zložitejších životných situáciách (biblický príklad návratu strateného syna, kde otvorená náruč

nič sa nepýtajúceho otca objíma, chráni a odpúšťa súčasne).

So zdôrazňovaním snahy (o porozumenie, stotožňované s chápaním) sme sa stretli častejšie.

Najvýraznejšie bola prezentovaná takáto snaha o stotožnenie u participantky so sociologickým

vzdelaním:

Porozumenie je výsledkom snahy o pochopenie druhého človeka takého, aký skutočne je,

rovnako jeho skutkov a postojov, pričom východiskom tejto snahy musí byť pozitívna motivácia,

dobroprajné myslenie, empatia alebo aj nezištná láska. Takéto porozumenie je však potrebné aj

dať zreteľne najavo ako prejav ruky podanej s dobrým úmyslom pomôcť, správne sa chápať

navzájom a tak sa spoločne usilovať o kvalitný vzťah. Akokoľvek to znie ideálne,

ba až romanticky, inej cesty niet, zvlášť v dnešnom svete relativizácie skutočných hodnôt

a všetkého, čo vytvorilo a predstavuje dnešnú európsku civilizáciu.

Uvedené konštatovanie snahy o pochopenie druhého človeka takého, aký skutočne je, by sme mohli

považovať i ako záver malého empirického exkurzu do názorov na porozumenie, ktoré by si zaslúžilo

osobitný výskum.

5 Záver

Porozumenie má v našom živote nemalý význam. Neraz určuje naše konanie, jeho prostredníctvom

sa sami poznávame, budujeme svoje vzťahy k sebe i svojmu okoliu, volíme cesty a spôsob života.

Význam porozumenia zdôraznilo i zaradenie sociálneho rozmeru medzi všeobecné priority EÚ

(EUR-lex, 2016).38

Cieľom spoločenskovedných disciplín by sa malo stať prispieť k objasňovaniu zdanlivo známych

a všeobecne používaných pojmov, medzi ktoré patrí aj porozumenie. Jeho osobitný význam

nadobúda riešenie v sociológii, sociálnej pedagogike a sociálnej filozofii.

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ročník 4, číslo 1, str. 125, Duben 2016

ISSN 1805-8825

Recenze

Hladík, J. (2014). Multikulturní kompetence studentů pomáhajících profesí.

Zlín: UTB.

Autor si stanovil na první pohled jednoduchý úkol, opak je však

pravdou – předložit čtenáři nové poznatky související s multikulturní

kompetencí studentů pomáhajících profesí. Práce je jako by

načasována do současného politického, ekonomického i kulturního

dění dnes, kdy pojem multikulturalita, multikulturní výchova a vše,

co s ní souvisí, rozděluje společnost na dvě části. Jedni ji přijímají,

jiní odmítají a zbytek názorů osciluje mezi těmito dvěma póly. A právě

kdy jindy, nežli v současné době, je zapotřebí uvést na scénu

pojednání, které by osvětlilo nutnost, ba přímo nezbytnost připravit

nejen studenty sociální pedagogiky, případně sociální práce

(kteří budou stát v první linii), ale i další odbornou, případně laickou

veřejnost na problémy multikulturní výchovy současnosti.

Z uvedeného pohledu lze přijmout příspěvek jako aktuální a nesmírně

životný. Dr. Hladík totiž opírá svou práci nikoliv o sumarizaci již

vyřčeného vědění, ale o vědu a výzkum postavené sice na bázi odborných poznatků, avšak bez

zbytečného obvyklého teoretického balastu. Není totiž na scéně multikulturní výchovy žádným

nováčkem a v každé ze čtyř kapitol svého pojednání dokazuje, že se na poli multikulturní výchovy

velmi dobře pohybuje. Osvěžením jeho práce jsou skutečně druhé dvě kapitoly, které jsou

manifestací Hladíkovy vědecké odbornosti a erudovanosti, s jakou přistupuje k rozvoji multikulturních

kompetencí studentů pomáhajících profesí. Výslednicí jeho snah je poselství studentům pomáhajících

profesí proklamované v kapitole páté, jež na jedné straně upozorňuje na úskalí multikulturní výchovy,

na straně druhé, za pomoci doporučených kompetencí, ukazuje, jak jí zdárně proplout; jinými slovy,

jak ji úspěšně zvládat.

Závěrem nezbývá než konstatovat, že toto ač na první pohled sice útlé, ale myšlenkově hutně nabité

dílo dr. Jakuba Hladíka lze považovat za zdařilou monografii, která se nezalekla v dnešní hektické

současnosti zachvácené směsicí různorodých pohledů a názorů na multikulturní výchovu se jim

postavit s odkrytým hledím, a dává jasnou odpověď na otázku, kudy se ubírat správným směrem.

Publikace je cenným zdrojem žádoucích poznatků nejen pro studenty oboru sociální pedagogika

či sociální práce, ale i pro celé spektrum odborníků těchto i dalších oborů.

Miloslav Jůzl

Institut mezioborových studií, s.r.o., Brno

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 126

ročník 4, číslo 1, str. 126–129, Duben 2016

ISSN 1805-8825

Recenze

Roman, N. V. (2015). Parenting. Behaviors, Cultural Influences and Impact on

Childhood Health and Well-being. New York: NOVA publishers.

Pozoruhodný pohled na multikulturní aspekty rodičovského

výchovného stylu

Téma rodičovského stylu výchovy nabývá na významu a naléhavosti

především v kontextu dopadu kulturních rozdílů v transformující se

společnosti, tedy za historicky sociálně vypjaté situace zásadních změn

v oblasti ekonomického, sociálního a kulturního vývoje přinášejícího

nové hodnotové akcenty nejen v blasti životního způsobu či životního

stylu, ale i ve sféře přístupu rodičů k výchově dětí a mládeže.

Právě v tomto kontextu je účelné si znovu uvědomit zejména obsah

pojmů rodiče a rodičovství. Zatímco v prvním případě máme před sebou

zejména zodpovědnost za závislé jedince v oblasti výživy a osobního

vývoje, v případě rodičovského stylu výchovy je navíc akcentována

všestranná a cílená podpora dítěte směrem k samostatnému

a aktivnímu přístupu k životu dospívajícího jedince.

Výzkum rodičovského stylu výchovy (parenting) se postupně stává objektem zájmu mezinárodních

monografií hledajících odpověď na otázku, jak a proč se rodiče staví k výchově svých dětí a jaké

zásadní socializační a hodnotové výchovné efekty to přináší. Významný přínos na tomto badatelském

poli patří Dianě Baumbrid, která v průběhu šedesátých let systematicky zkoumala dopad různých

rodičovských stylů výchovy na kognitivní, emocionální, sociální a fyzický vývoj dětí. Během dalších let

se pojem rodičovský styl výchovy (parental styles) stal výrazem hodnotového, psychologického

a behaviorálního rodičovského přístupu k dětem. Ten běžně s ohledem na míru a význam kontroly

a vcítění se dělíme na autoriářský, autoritativní a shovívavý (permisivní). Recenzovaná kolektivní

monografie pak prezentuje poznatky kulturně odlišných rodičovských stylů výchovy s cílem upozornit

na možnosti a meze výchovných praktik a naznačit cesty směřující ke všestranně duchovně a fyzicky

rozvinutému jedinci, a to v kontextu různých sociálně, politicky a ekonomicky odlišných oblastí

soudobého světa, stojícího aktuálně před otázkou kulturní koexistence spíše bezradně.

Hlavní autorka a editorka práce, přední jihoafrická představitelka výzkumu dětí a rodiny, za účasti

10 kolegů z řady jihoafrických univerzit a badatelů z Číny, Kanady, USA a Nového Zélandu, přistupuje

ke zvolenému tématu široce rozkročeným rejstříkem témat tím, že vychází z premisy výrazného

dopadu rodičovského výchovného stylu na osobnostní vývoj v dospělosti. To je zřejmé již v první

kapitole podávající vyčerpávající přehled o možnostech a mezích, výhodách a úskalích autoritářského,

autoritativního, shovívavého (indulging) a zanedbávajícího (neglectful) stylu rodičovské výchovy.

Za nejvyváženější a nejpřirozenější je pak v souladu s relevantní odbornou litertaurou považován

výchovný rodičovský styl autoritativní nabízející vyrovnanou hladinu kontroly a rodičovského

pochopení. Trpce se však konstatuje, že zatímco máme bezpočet výzkumných dat o dopadu

rodičovského stylu na výchovu dětí, jen málo odborné pozornosti je dosud zaměřeno na jeho vliv

na vývoj osobnosti v dospělém věku.

Tématicky logicky navazující kapitola Úloha rodičů, společnosti a státu na zdravý vývoj v dětství se

kvalitativním šetřením osmi mužů a žen ve věku 21 až 65 let zaměřuje na dopad různého

sociokulturního prostředí na kvalitu dětství, přičemž je pro relevantní situaci v Jihoafrické republice

vedle nezpochybnitelného růstu přinejmenším materiálního blaha většiny dětí stálým problémem

(což ostatně prokazuje i současná jihoafrická badatelská produkce z oblasti psychologie a sociální

Sekot / Roman, N. V. (2015). Parenting. Behaviors, Cultural Influences and Impact… 127

práce) hrozba předčasné pregnance pro mladistvé dívky a drogová závislost a zvýšená kriminalita

u mladých teanegerů. V tomto ohledu se konstatuje nedostatečná úloha státu zejména na poli

možností společenského uplatnění mladých lidí, jasně si vědomých nejen svých práv, ale i povinností.

Následující kapitola se věnuje tématu „Politická socializaci mládeže v kontextu rodiny“. To je i pro nás

v situaci spíše slábnoucího zájmu o politiku a politické dění mladých lidí téma zajímavé a současně

i závažné. Autorky výzkumu 275 jihoafrických teanagerů vycházejí z konstruktu politické socializace,

v jejímž rámci si jedinec osvojuje politické postoje a chování. Přitom se i zde potvrdilo, že významným

prediktorem zájmu mladých lidí o politiku je právě komunikace s rodiči na politická a lidskoprávní

témata a že, jak je známo, se zejména v sociálně marginalizovaných komunitách hodnotově

významné politické a sociální postoje generují mnohdy do neoficiálních struktur, vyúsťujících

dokonce i v násilné konfrontace s policií. Autorky bohužel nespecifikují rasové pozadí této

skutečnosti, přesto či právě proto by tato skutečnost mohla a měla být impulzem pro náš výzkum na

poli sociálně, kulturně a politicky znevýhodněných skupin.

Problematika etnických minorit je v další kapitole reflektována výzkumem amerických autorů

zabývajících se nesporně palčivým tématem rizikových forem chování hispánské mládeže. Text jasně

pojmenovává socializačně problémovou skupinu, kterou v současných Spojených státech nesporně

hispánská mládež tvoří. Autoři tuto skutečnost dokumentují relevantním daty o konzumaci alkoholu

a drogové závislosti, které jsou právě v této kategorii mládeže zřetelně vyšší než u bílých a černých

vrstevníků. K příčinám této skutečnosti se přičítá zejména nízká rodičovská kontrola a nedostatečná

akulturace této stále rostoucí části americké populace. O to naléhavěji je doporučována praxe

autoritativního výchovného stylu s důrazem na důslednou rodičovskou kontrolu a zvýšený zájem

o každodenní běh života dětí ze strany rodičů. Tento imperativ však postrádá základní oporu na půdě

společensky efektivních preventivních iniciativ. Autoři tak s vysokou znalostí problematiky doporučují

velmi konkrétní a prakticky nosné strategie týkající se zvyšování schopnosti komunikace s dětmi,

a to jak na verbální tak na nonverbální úrovni. Velkou slabinou právě permisivních forem rodičovské

výchovy je nedostatek komunikace ve snaze předejít konfliktům, zvláště pokud se ze stejných důvodů

účelově přehlížejí možné negativní vlivy ze strany vrstevníků. I zde je tedy jako základní

nezastupitelná cesta prevence negativních forem chování a jednání mládeže doporučován

autoritativní rodičovský výchovný styl, cíleně podporovaný praktickou osvětovou, informační

a v zásadě výchovnou prací výchovných a sociálních pracovníků směrem k adekvátním formám

rodičovské autority jako nepochybně nejefektivnějšího preventivního kroku na poli prevence

kriminality mládeže. To však předpoklá přímočaré pojmenování zdrojů a příčin daného problému.

Americkým autorům této kapitoly se to, jak se zdá, podařilo. Naopak náš spíše nekonkrétní,

polovičatý, preventivně neúčinný přístup obecně k palčivým problémům minority je tak spíše

zaměřený na nesmírně nákladné „řešení“ jejich důsledků, nikoli skutečných příčin.

Zajímavý pohled na problematiku rodičovské výchovy nabízí editorka recenzované práce spolu

s bývalým doktorandem Fakulty sportovních studií Masarykovy university Eugenem L. Davidsem

výzkumným tématem orientovaným na dopad rodičovské authority na zdravotní zodpovědnost,

pohybovou aktivitu a stravovací návyky. Toto téma v globálním měřítku nabývá na významu

a aktuálnosti zejména s rozšiřováním sfér tzv. sedavé společnosti (klesající potřeba pohybu a fyzické

námahy v práci, domácnostech a osobní dopravě) a s razantním nárustem obezity především dětí

a mládeže za situace, kdy naopak nejen z ekonomického pohledu stoupá význam aktivního přístupu

k životu a tedy i zodpovědnosti za osobní zdravotní kondici. Na vzorku 457 venkovských teenagerů

z okolí Kapského města byl cestou metody Zdraví podporujícího modelu (Health promotion model)

proveden výzkum týkající se zdravého životního stylu adolescentů, který je zde vymezen jako

individuální chování podporující zdraví, pocit osobní pohody a osobnostního růstu. Přitom i v případě

venkovských jihoafrických adolescentů se projevují negativní dopady sedavého způsobu života

spojeného s poklesem zájmu o pravidelný pohyb a nárůstem konzumace tučných a sladkých jídel.

I zde se ukazuje, že právě rodiče významně působící v podpoře zásady aktivního zdraví,

tedy vštěpování celoživotní zásady pěstování pravidelného pohybu a racionálních starvovacích

Sekot / Roman, N. V. (2015). Parenting. Behaviors, Cultural Influences and Impact… 128

zvyklostí, jsou zpravidla nositeli autoritativního výchovného stylu, již jsou si plně vědomi své

zodpovědnosti za ekonomický, sociální a psychologický rozvoj svých dětí či adolescentů.

Přitom matky v tomto smyslu pozitivně působí zejména v oblasti zodpovědnosti za individuální zdraví

a stravovací zvyklosti; otcové jsou spíše orientováni na míru podpory pohybových aktivit svých

potomků. Nejslabší úlohu pak v dané oblasti výchovného působení sehrává autoritářský přístup

k výchově dětí a adolescentů.

Nesporně jedinečné téma rodičovského přístupu adoptovaných dětí z odlišného kulturního prostředí

nabízí novozélandský příspevek z pera Anity Bibbs. Jde o adopce etnicky, rasově či kulturně odlišných

dětí, které dnes z globálího hlediska vysílajících zemí zasahují Čínu, Rusko, Guatemalu, Koreu, Etiopii,

Kolumbii, Haiti a Vietnam. Naopak nejvíce dětí v tomto globálním rámci je adoptováno v USA, Itálii,

Francii, Španělsku, Holandsku, Švédsku a Kanadě, což nesporně specifickým způsobem ilustruje slabé

a silné stránky soudobé globální společnosti. Přitom tato forma adopce svojí unikátností

a specifickými problémy nabízí řadu výzev, benefitů a jedinečných forem uspokojení; klade však

nesmírné nároky na schopnost uspokojení kulturních a duchovních hodnot adoptovaných dětí,

nároků na zdravotní péči a specifických výchovně vzdělávacích postupů, a to zejména v případech

možného překonávání kulturních a zejména rasových předsudků nového kulturního prostředí,

v situaci, kdy kupříkladu zařazení dítěte do multikulturní školy je výrazným prediktorem přirozeného

výchovného a socializačního procesu. Studie připomíná zejména přípravná stadia adopce devatenácti

ruských dětí v sedmnácti novozélandských rodinách, které byly postaveny i před zásadní problém

nového uspořádání pracovních povinností s cílem co nejúčinněji a nejpřirozeněji komunikovat

s adoptovaným dítětem. Přitom není pochyb o tom, že zejména v počátečních fázích adopce je

mnohdy zapotřebí odborníků na budování mezilidských vztahů či specialistů v oblasti pedagogiky,

práva, sociální práce a psychologie. Transkulturní adopce dětí je nesporně závažným (stejně jako

zpravidla úctyhodným) krokem cílícím k vyvážené a harmonické sebeidentifikaci jedince, ke zdravým

mezidským vztahům, k osvojení si nových kulturních hodnot, dosažení přiměřeného vzdělání,

odstranění případných traumat, schopnosti důstojně čelit případným rasistickým postojům a zejména

k aktivnímu přístupu k osvojemým dětem jako suverénní osobnosti obdařené v dospělosti schopností

řešit náležitým a obecně přijímaným způsobem výzvy, problémy a úskalí, které život obecně přináší.

Problematika mateřské péče o preadolescentní jihoafrické děti ve věku 10–12 let je dalším z pestré

palety témat recenzované práce. Na základě Vygotského sociokulturní teorie akcentující hodnotově

kulturní vývoj jedince v přímé reflexi se zkušenostmi reálného sociálního světa dospělých, potvrzuje

výzkum osmi desítek jihoafrických matek známou skutečnost, že mateřská péče o děti ve věku 10 až

12 let přináší zcela unikátní zkušenosti spojené s intergeneračním napětím preadolescentů,

vnímaným většinou jako období „bouřek a stresu“: Přitom většina dětí v tomto věku je silně citově

zranitená, což ponechává prostor pro mateřskou autoritu především v případech, kdy vztah matka-

dítě je posilován přátelskými otevřenými vztahy kamarádství. I pro jihoafrickou rodinu ve zvýšené

míře platí, že navození takového vztahu je zpravidla silně erodováno i vnějšími sociálně

ekonomickými problémy, kterým je rodina různou měrou a intenzitou vystavena.

Další tématicky vyhraněná kapitola se týká nejenom v českém prostředí spíše opomíjené

problematiky, a to dopadu socializačně výchovného vlivu rodiny v oblasti náboženské víry.

Honkgonský příspěvek vychází ze specifik asijského kulturního prostředí a považuje náboženství

v podobě religiozity dětí a mládeže z hlediska socializačního a výchovného jako mnohdy účinný

hodnotově hluboce ukotvený nástroj prevence depresivních symptomů a emočních stresů, závislosti

na návykových látkách, kriminálního jednání, rizikového sexuálního či sebevražedného jednání

a tendencí. To platí zejména v případě praktického hodnotového dopadu náboženství v tradičních

rodinách pevných partnerských a generačních vazeb; v moderní čínské společnosti s rostoucí

rozvodovostí je pak tento etický a hodnotový význam náboženství erodován, stejně jako v nedávné

politicky, kulturně či ideologicky bouřlivé historii naší společnosti

Poslením tématem široce rozkročené problematiky rodičovského výchovného stylu,

který recenzovaná kolektivní monografie nabízí, je dopad konzumece alkoholu v těhotenství na

Sekot / Roman, N. V. (2015). Parenting. Behaviors, Cultural Influences and Impact… 129

mentální a fyzický vývoj dítěte. Kanadská studie shrnuje dostupné výsledky klinických šetření v této

oblasti a připomíná, že první záznamy z této medicínsky a sociálně problémové sféry pocházejí až

z konce 19. století, proto se tedy alarmující dopad těchto případů dostal do širšího povědomí

odborné a později i laické veřejnosti díky francouzské psychiatrii konce 60. let minulého století.

Přitom zřejmě nejničivější dopady alkoholismu rodičů na jejich potomky jsou trvale zaznamenávány

v Rusku, kde je také statisticky největší konzumace tvrdého alkoholu na obyvatele (ročně 22,3 litrů).

Studie připomíná devastující účinky prenatálního alkoholismu na dítě jak v oblasti intelektuální,

mentální a emotivní, tak i v oblasti sociální. Navíc se stále více aktualizují nesmírně společensky

nákladné dopady takto postižených jedinců, z čehož rezultuje zvýšená pravděpodobnost poruch

chování, nepravidelná školní docházka, drogová závislost, nestandartní formy sexuálního chování,

neschopnost opatřit si a udržet stabilní bydlení a zajistit si vlastní existenci trvalým kvalifikovaným

zaměstnáním. Je nepochybné, že i tato sociálně závažná oblast sociální patologie vyžaduje poučený

a rozhodný přístup ze strany odborníků již tím, že takto handicapovaný jedinec je nejen sám o sobě

a pro sebe problémem, ale zatěžuje společnost neschopností být její integrální a přínosnou součástí

a nikoli trvalou ekonomickou či dokonce bezpečnostní zátěží.

Tématicky bohatě komponovaná práce badatelů řady zemí a široké palety odborného zaměření

nabízí řadu nikoli běžně dostupných poznatků a informací, které svým odborným ukotvením osloví

zejména pedagogy; nemenší význam představuje pro oblast sociální pedagogiky, psycholoigie

či teorie a praxe sociální práce. V řadě výzkumných dat a závěrů by čtenář nepochybně uvítal jasnější

a jednoznačnější specifické vymezení výzkumných vzorků, které by plastičtěji a zejména pro sociální

praxi cíleněji ujasnilo bližší sociální, etnické či dokonce rasové ukotvení respondentů. Platí to zejména

pro jihoafrické studie a českému pozornému čtenáři to nikoli náhodou může připomínat často

politicky či ideologicky „dobře míněnou“ starategii, která může sice přispívat k jisté „odborné

korektnosti“, ovšem za cenu snižování účinnosti již tak nesnadných cest řešení existujících problémů.

Platí to zřejmě jak v případě přístupu k multirasové či multietnické jihoafrické nebo kanadské

společnosti, tak pro etnicky sociálně problémové skupiny v českém prostředí.

Aleš Sekot

Fakulta sportovních studií Masarykovy univerzity v Brně

Informace

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 130

ročník 4, číslo 1, str. 130, Duben 2016

ISSN 1805-8825

Valná hromada Asociace vzdělavatelů v sociální pedagogice

Valná hromada Asociace vzdělavatelů v sociální pedagogice se 8. 2. 2016 sešla v rámci svého řádného

zasedání na půdě Cyrilometodějské teologické fakulty Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci. Zvoleni byli

členové výkonné rady ve složení Mgr. Jakub Hladík, Ph.D. (předseda), PhDr. Jiří Pospíšil, Ph.D.

(místopředseda), prof. PhDr. Blahoslav Kraus, CSc., PhDr. Jitka Lorenzová, Ph.D. a Mgr. Milena Öbrink

Hobzová, Ph.D. (tajemník). Schválená byla úprava stanov, výroční zpráva a zpráva o hospodaření.

Priority činnosti Asociace na další funkční období výkonné rady projednané na valné hromadě se dají

rozdělit do dvou oblastí:

1. Vzdělávací: Cílem je vypracování standardů vzdělávání oboru sociální pedagogika.

Standardy mají určovat zejména obsah studijního oboru sociální pedagogika, rámcově také cíle

a profil absolventa. Mají být vodítkem pro vzdělavatele v tomto oboru a mají tvořit vzdělávací

základ společný pro všechny studijní obory sociální pedagogika. Standardy mají doporučující

charakter s dostatečným prostorem pro individuální rozdíly v zaměření jednotlivých pracovišť.

Vzdělávací standardy přispějí k profesnímu ukotvení sociálního pedagoga v legislativě a následně

i praxi.

2. Legislativní: Práce členů výkonné rady i ostatních členů Asociace se bude soustředit na prosazení

pozice sociálního pedagoga do zákona o pedagogických pracovnících. Navazuje se tak na aktivity

v minulém období, kdy byl vypracován dokument Návrh na zařazení profese sociálního

pedagoga do zákona č. 563/2004 Sb., o pedagogických pracovnících. Zpráva byla zaslána

do Výboru pro vědu, vzdělání, kulturu, mládež a tělovýchovu Poslanecké sněmovny

a Senátu Parlamentu České republiky. Tato zpráva sloužila také jako jeden z podkladů pro studii

proveditelnosti Zavedení pozice sociálního pedagoga do škol vypracovanou společností

Tady a teď a Demografickým informačním centrem pro Ministerstvo školství, mládeže

a tělovýchovy České republiky. Neexistence sociálního pedagoga v současné škole negativně

ovlivňuje práci učitelů a fungování škol. Učitelé jsou nuceni soustředit pozornost nejen

na samotnou vyučovací činnost, ale také na sociální a výchovné problémy žáků často spojené

s jejich rizikovým chováním. Sociální pedagog se má ve škole soustředit zejména na tyto činnosti:

sociálně výchovnou a preventivní, vzdělávací a osvětovou, podpůrnou, intervenční a ochrannou,

poradenskou, mediační, analyticko-diagnostickou a depistážní.

V rámci legislativní oblasti se činnost Asociace zaměří také na normy zasahující do sociálního

segmentu práce sociálního pedagoga. Budou pokračovat započatá jednání na MPSV směřující k tomu,

aby absolventi oboru sociální pedagogika nenaráželi na legislativní překážky při uplatňování

se v resortu tohoto ministerstva.

Asociace vzdělavatelů v sociální pedagogice vznikla v roce 2013 jako sdružení osob, které se podílejí

na vzdělávání nebo činnosti v oblasti sociální pedagogiky na území ČR. Základním cílem je rozvíjet

sociální pedagogiku jako studijní a vědní obor včetně jeho aplikací v praxi.

Jakub Hladík

předseda Asociace, Fakulta humanitních studií Univerzity Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education 131

ročník 4, číslo 1, str. 131–132, Duben 2016

ISSN 1805-8825

Nekrolog

Ohlédnutí za panem docentem Jiljím Špičákem (1934–2016)

Doc. PhDr. Jiljí Špičák, CSc. se narodil 10. června 1934 v Prostějově. Tam získal základní vzdělání

a vystudoval Obchodní akademii. Hudební nadání rozvíjel hrou na housle na tehdejší Hudební škole

v Prostějově.

Pedagogickou kariéru Jiljí Špičák zahájil v roce 1952 v Přerově (MEOPTA) jako pomocný učitel,

kde působil jeden rok. Poté absolvoval vojenskou základní službu. Po návratu v pedagogické dráze

pokračoval jako učitel Osmileté střední školy v Olšanech u Prostějova vyučovacích předmětů ruský

jazyk, zeměpis a hudební výchova. Byl aktivní ve výchově mimo vyučování, organizoval turistické

výlety a vedl úspěšný 40 členný pěvecký žákovský sbor. V době vzniku Pedagogického institutu

v Olomouci se v roce 1959 stal vysokoškolským učitelem na katedře pedagogiky v kabinetu

mimoškolní výchovy. Počátkem prosince 1959 se uskutečnila druhé exkurze vybraných studentů do

Československého pionýrského tábora v Seči, kterou J. Špičák organizačně zajistil.

Svou odbornost rozšířil do oblasti pedagogiky a postupně získal titul PhDr., posléze CSc.

a byl jmenován docentem. I po obnovení Pedagogické fakulty Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci byl

významným členem pracovního týmu katedry pedagogiky.

Docent Jiljí Špičák se profiloval v teorii výchovy, zejména pokud jde o teorii a metodiku výchovy mimo

vyučování pro vychovatele v domovech mládeže, psal úvody do metodiky zájmových činností

v domově mládeže a do teorie a metodiky výchovné práce pro vychovatele. Po roce 1990 byl

odborným garantem studijního oboru a programu vychovatelství. Se studenty absolvoval letní i zimní

kurzy pobytu v přírodě. Tam byl i metodicky zdatným pedagogem s mnoha dovednostmi jako jsou

orientace v přírodě, lyžování, herní činnosti, zpěv a hra na housle a kytaru. Rokem 1990 nastal

počátek rozvoje disciplíny i studijního oboru sociální pedagogika. V roce 1993 vyšel jeho učební text

Prostředí z pohledu sociální pedagogiky jako příspěvek k řešení dílčího výzkumného úkolu k přípravě

k získání pedagogické způsobilosti ve vysokoškolském studiu vychovatelství. Jak sám autor napsal

v úvodu, jde sice o izolovanou, ale ucelenou výseč z rozsáhlé sociálně pedagogické problematiky.

Text sloužil také studentům vysokoškolského studia učitelství a dalším zájemcům z řad studentů

doplňujícího studia.

Pan docent Špičák se angažoval i v rámci České pedagogické společnosti k vytváření a profilování

sociální pedagogiky jako pedagogické disciplíny, a to v odborné skupině vysokoškolských učitelů

z různých univerzitních fakult. Aktivně se zúčastňoval na přípravě i konání odborných konferencí

k alternativní pedagogice, které pořádala tehdy již katedra pedagogiky s celoškolskou působností.

Šlo o zajišťování výuky veškerých teoretických pedagogických disciplín v přípravě učitelů základních

a středních škol na Pedagogické fakultě, Přírodovědecké fakultě, Fakultě tělesné kultury a Filozofické

fakultě Univerzity Palackého.

Docent Jiljí Špičák byl dobrým učitelem studentům, oblíbeným i váženým, examinátorem a

předsedou komise pro státní závěrečné zkoušky, kde jsem měl příležitost být coby člen komise po

řadu let přítomen. Pana docenta Špičáka jsem měl možnost poznat též jakožto školitele v doktorském

studijním programu, kdy ke všem svým doktorandům přistupoval moudře a s erudicí. Jak jsem sám

mohl pozorovat a jak mi potvrdil syn pana docenta, tak i po dovršení šedesáti let jej stále naplňovala

pedagogická profese, která mu přinášela radost a vracela mu vynaloženou energii. Po dovršení

šedesáti pěti let už mu nebylo umožněno dále odborně a lidsky působit na studenty, kterým zasvětil

velkou část své celoživotní profesní dráhy. A tak profesi opustil jeden ze služebně nejstarších učitelů

Pedagogické fakulty UP Olomouc, na které působil v letech 1960 až 2000. Svůj další život věnoval

zejména rodině, manželce, dětem a vnoučatům. Taktéž až do doby, kdy mu to nemoc znesnadnila

Bůžek / Ohlédnutí za panem docentem Jiljím Špičákem (1934–2016) 132

a posléze úplně znemožnila, se setkával s písničkou při jeho kytaře či s houslemi s prostějovskými

old skauty poté, co se pro roce 1990 vrátil do obnoveného Junáka – českého skauta.

Pan Doc. PhDr. Jiljí Špičák, CSc. zemřel po delší nemoci v prostějovské nemocnici dne 26. února 2016.

Na prostějovském hřbitově jsme se s ním rozloučili dne 4. března 2016. Pedagogická fakulta

Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci dala zesnulému velký věnec s živými květy a se stuhou. Čest jeho

památce.

Antonín Bůžek

odborník z praxe, dříve působící na Pedagogické fakultě Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci

a na Fakultě humanitních studií Univerzity Tomáše Bati ve Zlíně

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education

Published by Faculty of Humanities, Tomas Bata University in Zlín

Editorial board:

Editor-in-Chief: Jiří Němec, Faculty of Education MU, Brno.

Managing Editor: Jitka Vaculíková, Research Centre of FHS TBU, Zlín.

Editor: Radim Šíp, Faculty of Education MU, Brno.

Editor: Radana Kroutilová Nováková, Faculty of Humanities TBU, Zlín (maternity leave).

Editor: Anna Petr Šafránková, Faculty of Humanities TBU, Zlín.

Editor: Jakub Hladík, Faculty of Humanities TBU, Zlín.

International editorial board:

Stanislav Bendl, Faculty of Education UK, Prague; Christian Brandmo, Faculty of Educational Sciences

UiO, Oslo; Adele E. Clarke, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences UCSF, San Francisco;

Miroslav Dopita, Faculty of Education UP, Olomouc; Jolana Hroncová, Faculty of Education UMB,

Banská Bystrica; Jim Johnson, School of Education and Department of Psychology PLNU, San Diego;

Vladimír Jůva, Faculty of Sports Studies MU, Brno; Michal Kaplánek, Jabok – Higher School of Social

Pedagogy and Theology, Prague; Blahoslav Kraus, Faculty of Education UHK, Hradec Králové;

Roman Leppert, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz; Peter Ondrejkovič, Faculty of Education UP,

Olomouc; Milan Pol, Faculty of Arts MU, Brno; Andrea Preissová Krejčí, Faculty of Arts UP, Olomouc;

Miroslav Procházka, Faculty of Education JU, České Budějovice; Jiří Prokop, Faculty of Education UK,

Praha; Ewa Syrek, Department of Social Pedagogy UŚ, Katowice; Petr Vašát, The Institute

of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague; Soňa Vávrová, Faculty of Social Studies OU,

Ostrava.

Contact

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education

nám. T. G. Masaryka 1279, 760 01 Zlín

E: editorsoced@fhs.utb.cz

T: +420 576 038 007

W: www.soced.cz/english

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education, 4(1). 2016. Published by Faculty of Humanities, Tomas Bata

University in Zlín. Editor-in-Chief: Jiri Nemec. The journal is published twice a year in an electronic

format. The Journal accepts previously unpublished and reviewed papers only.

ISSN 1805-8825

Duben 2016/April 2016

www.soced.cz

ISSN 1805-8825

Sociální pedagogika | Social Education

Časopis pro sociální pedagogiku

The journal for socio-educational theory and research

Publisher

Tomas Bata University in Zlín

Faculty of Humanities

Mostní 5139, 760 01 Zlín

Czech Republic