"Det blev skillnad på människor" : En kvalitativ studie om socialarbetares förhållningssätt till samhälleliga föreställningar om kön, klass, etnicitet och sexualitet

Sammanfattning: This study aims to provide a deeper understanding of how social workers relate to societal notions of gender, class, ethnicity and sexuality in meetings with clients. As the basis of the study, qualitative interviews were conducted with four social workers. The results were analyzed by means of an intersectional perspective. The respondents described that societal power structures were present in social work and affected the clients. Male clients with Western origins were experienced in most situations less vulnerable, depending on other present power relations. Clients with non-European origin were perceived as more vulnerable, while LGBTQI-identified clients largely were invisible. All the social workers emphasized the importance of questioning their own beliefs and prejudices at work, in order to provide good treatment towards the clients. Social workers felt that the power structures of gender, class, ethnicity and sexuality may affect their treatment towards the clients, in one way or another.