International Social Work: A Chilean point of view

Department of Social WorkAlberto Hurtado UniversityAlejandra González Celis

What kind of social work are we envisioning? (1)

• Strong academic education to develop complex social interventions, based on concepts, specific contexts, and ethical and political options

• Our mission is to contribute to the understanding of social phenomena and to propose strategies for their interventions

(1): In Chile we have two different types of social work: one developed by Universities and one developed by Institutes (similar to technical or vocational schools) with a strong emphasis on technical skills. This was a consequence of the past political climate (coup).

Social work in UAH• We follow the University mission: a future built on social

justice that and to achieve this through academic procedures and external projects. For example, we are currently working on a neighborhood project with high risk families and children surrounded by drugs and violence. Professors and students are working in conjunction on this project.

• Our main goal is to provide students with the skills to transform our current social system and to influence national and international contexts.

• We are the only social work program conducting independent field projects.

Intervention in a Chilean context: the core of our discipline

Intervention is the process through which the social worker is able to articulate practice and knowledge in a continuous way that can transform a problem through a series of logical actions, proper planning, strategy and methodology” (Matus, 2001).

In addition

“Intervention is not a natural phenomenon, it is also not an artificial construction of time and space, in one moment it is defined by the perspective of different actors (those who solicited the intervention – institutions, individual and collective clients- and by the social workers themselves.” (Cazzaniga, 1997)

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FENÓMENO

Key

EPISTEMOLÒGICAS

DIAGNOSTICOS

OBJETIVOS

ESTRATEGIAS METODOLÓGICAS

INVESTIGACIÓN

TÉCNICAS

EVALUACIÓN

CLAVES ETICO

POLITICAS

CL

AV

ES

CO

NC

EP

TU

AL

ES

CL

AV

ES

HIS

TO

RIC

O C

ON

TE

XT

UA

LE

S

ANALISIS ORGANIZACIONAL

ANALISIS CONCEPTUAL

INSERCIÓN INSTITUCIONAL

Claves delPensamiento

Filosófico

Claves delPensamiento

FilosóficoTeoría de la

Acción Social

Teoría de laAcción Social

Introducción a laCiencia Política

Introducción a laCiencia Política

AntropologíaSociocultural

AntropologíaSociocultural

SociologíaSociología

PsicologíaPsicología

Introducción alTrabajo Social

Introducción alTrabajo Social

Sistemas Jurídicosde la Intervención

Social

Sistemas Jurídicosde la Intervención

Social

MatemáticaMatemática

Historia Socialy Política

Latinoamericana

Historia Socialy Política

Latinoamericana

Pobreza eIntervención

Social

Pobreza eIntervención

Social

Lógicas de laInvestigación e

Intervención Social

Lógicas de laInvestigación e

Intervención Social

EstadísticaEstadística

EconomíaEconomía

Sujetos de laAcción Social

Sujetos de laAcción Social

PolíticasSociales

PolíticasSociales

Metodología dela Investigación

Cuantitativa

Metodología dela Investigación

Cuantitativa

1er Semestre 2º Semestre 3er Semestre 4º Semestre

HabilidadesPsicosociales

HabilidadesPsicosociales

AnálisisOrganizacional

AnálisisOrganizacional

Estrategias deIntervención

Social

Estrategias deIntervención

Social

Diseño de ProyectosSociales

Diseño de ProyectosSociales

Análisis de Datos

Cuantitativos

Análisis de Datos

Cuantitativos

PolíticasSociales y

Familia

PolíticasSociales y

Familia

5º Semestre 6º Semestre

Administración yRentabilidad Social

de Proyectos

Administración yRentabilidad Social

de Proyectos

Metodología dela Investigación

Cualitativa

Metodología dela Investigación

Cualitativa

Análisis de Datos

Cualitativos

Análisis de Datos

Cualitativos

Evaluación deProyectos

Evaluación deProyectos

Trabajo Socialy Desarrollo

Local

Trabajo Socialy Desarrollo

Local

Intervención SocialIntervención Social

Trabajo Socialy Salud Mental

Trabajo Socialy Salud Mental

7º Semestre 8º Semestre 9º Semestre 10º Semestre

Intervención SocialIntervención Social

Intervención SocialIntervención Social

EpistemologíaEpistemología

Procesos de Mediación

Social

Procesos de Mediación

Social

DesafíosContemporáneosdel Trabajo Social

DesafíosContemporáneosdel Trabajo Social

Ética de laIntervención

Social

Ética de laIntervención

Social

Seminario de TítuloSeminario de Título

Competencias Habilitantes

CICLO BÁSICO COMÚN CICLO DE FORMACIÓN PROFESIONAL CICLO DE ESPECIALIZACIÓN

FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS SOCIALESDEPARTAMENTO DE

In these context

• BC send to us 2 students to developed a social work practice in Chilean organization

• These year it was our first experience

Experience Analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (S.W.O.T)

• Strengths– The exchange program will enhance both schools academic

quality and reputation– UAH has a large network of professionals and organizations

willing to host and supervise exchange students– UAH and Boston College have a close relationship which

make it possible to communicate with students before arriving in Chile about our methods of intervention

– Students were competent in the Spanish language

Experience Analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (S.W.O.T)

• Weaknesses- Because it was our first year conducting the program, there were lots of unknowns on both parts (UAH and BC)– There needs to be a better understanding on the students

part of Chile’s social service system– The lack of a standardized glossary of terms for international

social work lead to miscommunications on both parts– Social work in Chile is still developing itself into a reputable

profession, therefore there may be false expectations on the students part on how they will be received

– Lack of complete fluency in both English and Spanish made completing some of the requirements difficult

Experience Analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (S.W.O.T)

• Opportunities– The students flexibility and adaptability made the placement

process easier for everyone.– The students experienced minor culture shock. Chile is very

similar to United States– Because the students were from the United States, their

placements had high expectations of their abilities.– UAH has many long term projects in the field, which served

has successful placements for the students.

Experience Analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (S.W.O.T)

• Threats– The time period and duration of the program did not

allow for all goals and objectives to be met.– Expectations for supervision were unrealistic– Some of the expectations from the field placement

were unrealistic