1st Edition

Neoliberalism, Nordic Welfare States and Social Work Current and Future Challenges

Edited By Masoud Kamali, Jessica Jönsson Copyright 2018
    292 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    290 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    How have three decades of neoliberalism affected the Nordic welfare states as well as the organisation, education and practices of social work in those countries?

    During recent decades the welfare states of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have gone through dramatic changes infl uenced by the political triumph of neoliberalism. This has led to both the electoral success of extreme right and mainstream neoliberal parties, and to the neoliberal ideological transformations of social democratic parties. The neoliberal doctrine of making governance cheaper has thus been made the focus of governance and has led to increased marginalisation and social problems.

    This is the first book to comparatively explore the role of neoliberal reforms on social work and social policy across the Nordic welfare states. The richly theoretical and empirical chapters explore and illustrate the consequences of the dominance of neoliberal policies and provide an analysis of the effects of globalisation, glocalisation, welfare nationalism, symbolic violence and forced migration. The book provides valuable insights into the shortcomings of retreating welfare states in a time of increasing glocal social problems.

    Neoliberalism, Nordic Welfare States and Social Work should be considered essential reading for critical social work education. Students, scholars, educators and researchers of Nordic countries and beyond have much to learn from this book.

    List of figures; List of tables; List of contributors; Introduction Neoliberalism and social work in Nordic welfare states Masoud Kamali and Jessica H. Jönsson; PART I Neoliberalism and the transformation of social policy Masoud Kamali and Jessica H. Jönsson; Chapter 1 Neoliberal drivers in hybrid civil society organisations: Critical readings of civicness and social entrepreneurism Linda Lundgaard Andersen; Chapter 2 Transformation of the Finnish Welfare State Tuomo Kokkonen, Kati Närhi and Aila-Leena Matthies; Chapter 3 Neoliberalism and the changing immigration and integration policies in Norway Ann Kristin Alseth; Chapter 4 Neoliberal management of social work in Sweden Marcus Herz and Philip Lalander; PART II Neoliberal reorganisation of the welfare states and social work practice Masoud Kamali and Jessica H. Jönsson; Chapter 5 Neoliberalism, welfare state and social work practice in Denmark Tove Rasmussen; Chapter 6 Neoliberalism, welfare state and social work practice in Finland Päivi Marjanen, Gary Spolander and Timo Aulanko; Chapter 7 The neoliberal reframing of user representation in Norway Bente Heggem Kojan, Edgar Marthinsen, Anne Moe and Nina Schiøll Skjefstad; Chapter 8 Markets, managers and machines: rationalising social work Marcus Lauri; PART III Neoliberalism and professional identities of social workers Masoud Kamali and Jessica H. Jönsson; Chapter 9 Responsibilisation, ideologies and professional identities in Danish youth social work Kathrine Vitus; Chapter 10 Social work restructuring and paradoxes of professional identity in Finland Camilla Nordberg; Chapter 11 The role of social workers under neoliberal ideology at the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Service (NAV). Nina Schiøll Skjefstad, Riina Kiik and Hugo Sandoval; Chapter 12 Professional strategies and neoliberal challenges in Swedish social work practice Majen Espvall; PART IV Social work education and a changing welfare state Masoud Kamali and Jessica H. Jönsson; Chapter 13 Social work education and a changing welfare state in Denmark Pia Ringø, Maria Appel Nissen and Vibeke Bak Nielsen; Chapter 14 Social work education in Finland Tuomo Kokkonen and Kati Turtiainen; Chapter 15 Social work education and the changing welfare state in Norway Ann Kristin Alseth, Aina Lian Flem and Halvor Fauske; Chapter 16 Neoliberalism and Social Work Education: Students’ ability to identify elderlies’ rights and needs Sofie Ghazanfareeon Karlsson; PART V Resistance and progressive social work in a global neoliberal era Masoud Kamali and Jessica H. Jönsson; Chapter 17 Beating the ‘unemployable’ with a stick? How Danish street-level workers transformed a Danish work-first policy Anna Diop-Christensen; Chapter 18 A social work perspective to the neoliberal mining boom in Finland and the possibility of an ecosocial response Satu Ranta-Tyrkkö; Chapter 19 Resisting neoliberal changes in social work education; Marianne Rugkåsa and Signe Ylvisaker; Chapter 20 Urban marginality, social mobilisation and youth work in the shadow of neoliberalism and segregation Ove Sernhede; Conclusion Current and future challenges for Nordic welfare states and social work Masoud Kamali & Jessica H. Jönsson; Index

    Biography

    Masoud Kamali is professor of social work and sociology at Mid Sweden University. His research encompasses questions of social justice, social movements and challenges to social work in a global and late modern world.

    Jessica H. Jönsson is a senior lecturer at the Department of Social Work, Mid Sweden University. Her research area concerns social work as a globalised and socio-political field facing increasing theoretical and practical challenges caused by socioeconomic, political and cultural transformations.