Sub-theme 1.4: Social care and social control in social work coverage

The final sub-theme in the analysis was the use of dichotomous discourses to construct the profession between social work as social control versus social care. As written previously, these concepts represent the twin and contested logics of social work practice and the two are identified as being intertwined and interrelated (Fook 2002; Sheppard 2006). The

relationship between the care and control elements of the profession has been debated and written about extensively in the literature and in relation to the news media (Franklin &

Parton 1991). In exploring how the news media constructed the social function of the profession, and its use of stereotypes and descriptors, the analysis found that reporting tended to rely upon these larger and dichotomous discourses. Constructing social work as either one of these binary positions relied in some instances on the use of stereotypes, in particular around the ineffectual (wimps) or dictatorial (bullies) ability of workers written about previously. This argument was presented to participants during the workshops at an early and not as developed stage of the analysis and therefore was not a central point for discussion.

i. Social work as social care

News media reporting on social work that constructed the profession around discourses of social care championed the ability of the profession to provide support for individuals and the general community. In articles such as: ‘Social workers reject police pregnancy push, The Australian 9/12/13; ‘Call for farmers to get full-time social worker’, abc.net.au 26/02/2013;

‘Social workers want checks on elderly neighbours home alone’, news.com.au 23/06/2013;

‘Social workers push to extend support for youths in foster care’, abc.net.au 15/08/2013, social work was constructed by focusing primarily on the social care function and traditional charity discourses with workers as carers of the disadvantaged. As shown in Table 18 (p.

153), the majority of coverage focused on the ability of a worker to care for the wellbeing of individuals and groups. While there was a degree of overlap with practice methods (Table 14, pp. 147-148), this category of the media analysis instrument looked towards the larger social function presupposed in the reporting, as opposed to specific methods of practice.

The analysis of the social function began with determining whether the function was care and/or control in the reporting, but the categories extended inductively to what is

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presented in the table. The first six categories can be grouped more generally within a social care model of the profession and it is only by the seventh category (‘Gatekeepers of welfare services’) that elements of social control becomes a factor.

Table 18: News analysis - Social function

Social function Frequency (n) Per cent

Non-specific 154 33.6%

Caring for people and their wellbeing 124 27%

Advocates for social justice 44 9.6%

Safeguarding children & young people 41 8.9%

Supporting disadvantaged individuals, groups & communities 31 6.7%

Consciousness & awareness raising 23 5.0%

Gatekeepers of welfare services 20 3.3%

Gateway to welfare services 12 2.6%

Promoting social change 10 2.2%

Total 459 100.0%

As mentioned, the social care function was also linked to broader charity discourses as identified in the language used to describe social workers. Frequently used words include selfless, persistent, earnest, and as shown in the quote below, being referred to as the

‘authentic voices’ by former prime minister Kevin Rudd:

The bus next lurched to Mount Druitt, where the Prime Minister addressed a crowd of the Labor faithful from Unions NSW at the Wests Tradies Club. He talked about the Upstairs-Downstairs nature of an Abbott-governed Australia. He told the people gathered – nurses, social workers, bricklayers – they were ‘the authentic voices of Australia’.

(‘You’ve got to hand it to him: Kevin keeps going despite all snags’, theage.com.au, 7/09/2013)

The majority of reporting did not rely upon stereotypes (see Table 19, p. 153) but the ones that did, within a social care discourse, focused on the image of the ‘well-meaning but hapless social worker’ (‘Earning their web stripes’, The Age, 07.02.2013).

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Table 19: News analysis - Stereotypes

Stereotypes Frequency (n) Per cent

Non-specific 371 80.8%

Well-meaning but hapless 45 9.8%

Dictatorial & unethical 20 4.4%

Do-gooders 10 2.2%

Captives & apologists for the establishment 5 1.1%

Bleeding hearts 4 .9%

Organisers of the poor 2 .4%

Radical intent on changing our society 2 .4%

Total 459 100.0

As evidenced in the quote below, there were several examples (n = 45) of social workers being portrayed as acting against the best interests of the client, despite their good intentions.

One social worker who came to visit tried to create a memory box with my dad, filling it with mementos of happy days gone by. This activity just made him cry, as though he knew that for him a happy life was over. As a result, the social worker decided against this exercise, leaving a box entitled Michael’s Memories lying around the house.’ (‘I lost my Dad to Alzheimer’s’, Sunday Herald Sun Magazine, 16.06.2013)

While in most instances the ‘well-meaning but hapless’ social worker was of relatively minor consequence, there were several articles (n = 15) where the reporting was more critical of the inability of social workers to fully understand the complexity of the issues they deal with. One article published by conservative columnist Andrew Bolt drew upon this stereotype in writing:

What can a few more social workers fix when more than 630,000 families don’t have mum or dad living with them? What can a mere law do when porn flows into every computer in almost every dark home? When beer is celebrated more on TV than faith? It is for us all to fix a culture not safe for children of people dead to love and deaf to duty. (‘When Neglect Turns to Rage’, Herald Sun, 1/04/2013)

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Within this stereotype, a naive profession was constructed that is hampered by the reality of practice beyond their noble goals and ideals. The reporting was once again less critical of individual workers or their motivation but the emphasis was on the naivety of professionals who see the world optimistically and do not grapple with the full complexity of the social realities they are attempting to change. The significance is that while not overtly negative, the reporting constructed social work as mainly an ineffective profession.

ii. Social work as social control

News media reporting that used social control discourses to construct the profession (see Table 18 p. 153) focused primarily on the profession’s role as ‘gatekeepers’ and their powers within protective services. This was deemed to be the more critical of the reporting analysed. Coverage within this discourse proved to be critical of social work in its ability to support individuals, including the competency of those who carry out this type of work. The underlying idea is that social workers, and their motives, are not to be trusted:

The submission of the Australian Association of Social Workers to the Senate inquiry into the NDIS bill demonstrates self-seeking wrapped in concern. Social workers fear the ‘transition from block funding to individual funding packages’ may threaten the viability of the service system – that is, their jobs. (‘Beware Self-interest Dressed as Social Conscience’, The Australian, 12.02.2013)

Social work was constructed as a profession that does not wield its significant power effectively and is driven by self-interest rather than the humanitarian goals that are espoused. Social workers were described as liars, as shown earlier, and generally inept in their ability to carry out their tasks. This presents a further dichotomy, as while the

profession was constructed around social control, reporting was critical of this and in many instances also their ability to carry out their social control function effectively.

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Either by over reacting:

A top child protection investigator yesterday accused social workers of

‘over reacting’ to some reports of abuse, comparing the kids in care to the ‘stolen generation’ of Aboriginal children. (‘Alarm at soaring number of kids in foster care’, news.com.au, 08.03.2013)

or not acting soon enough:

A social worker arrived a day after the cigarette burn was reported to find the little girl dressed in a hat and reluctant to show her face. When asked about the burn, the then three-year-old said, ‘Mum hit there’ and ‘Mum did that’. Despite this, no further action was taken. (‘Kiesha’s tragedy:

trail of neglect and abuse’, theage.com.au, 26.06.2013)

Abuse of power within this context also became a recurrent topic as reporting focused on instances of unethical practice including sexual abuse (‘Seventh abuse case puts Labor under pressure’, The Australian, 06.05.2013) and misappropriating resources (‘Gambler social worker jailed for stealing from domestic violence victims’, theaustralian.com.au, 06.09.2013). Social workers were constructed as corruptible individuals who betrayed the wellbeing of their clients for their own selfish interests. The articles did not make inferences about the profession as a whole but rather focused on the failure of individuals. In these examples, the AASW was not cited or sought for comment.

The dominant beliefs about the tension between the social care and control functions of the profession have been written about and debated extensively in the literature. The analysis suggests that social work in the media was constructed using a dichotomous understanding of these discourses similar to those present in the more aspirational elements of the social work literature and general discussion, viewing care as the true purpose of the profession and control as something to discard. These concepts and their tensions will be further explored throughout and in relation to participants’ formation and maintenance of their social work identity.

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