Får man vara snäll som professionell? - En studie om språkligt gränsarbete i socialt arbete utifrån begreppet snäll

Sammanfattning: Is it Allowed to be Kind as a Professional? – A Study about Linguistic Boundary Work in Social Work Based on the Concept Kind Author: Tilde Olsson Title: Is it Allowed to be Kind as a Professional? – A Study about Linguistic Boundary Work in Social Work Based on the Concept Kind.[Translated title] Supervisor: Stig Linde Assessor: Staffan Blomberg The aim of this study was to examine variations of linguistic boundary work based on the concept kind, within the field of social work. A cross-cutting issue was how bachelor students, in this case at the Social Academy of Lund, and professionals at a treatment center, where kind is a catchword for a good social worker, construct themselves as professionals based on the concept kind. This is a qualitative study, with a quantitative element. Empirical methods were surveys, and a focus interview. The answers were processed by a fenomenographic content analysis and by binary oppositions. The theoretical framework involved profession theory, theory of knowledge, and ethical perspectives. Results revealed that the concept kind raised thoughts that extended on a continuum of contradictions, in terms of trait (stupid versus wise), action and target aspects. Kind worked as a limiting factor in terms of professionalism, based on the students' definitions, while the social workers regarded kindness to be an enabling factor. The concept was used by the students as a tool to separate them from the amateurish and simple work while the social workers used the concept as a compass to keep up with the difficult work. The spoken and written boundary work constructed professional identities that were related to the performance of the fundamental, long-term, and complex work, for both groups. However, one could see some differences regarding the professional and ethical ideals that were encouraged and challenged on the bases of the arguments. For example the social workers questioned standardization, evidence – based methods and its ideological foundations, while they emphasized the moral character and virtues of the employee in a work that involves a great deal of uncertainties and contradictions. The students on the other hand rejected the concept kind because they associated it with arbitrariness and stressed the importance of professional objectivity.