Title: The construction of gender in child protection work
Abstract: The thesis is a discussion of child protection, gender relations and social work
culture, the focus being the construction of men and women clients in the
occupational culture of the social work office. The empirical basis is an
ethnographic study of a child and family social work team in the UK, combining
methods of participant observation, in-depth interviews and documentary
analysis. The thesis structure is a conventional one. There is a review of the
context of the study in theory and policy, a discussion of research methods, five
empirical chapters, a theoretical discussion, and a conclusion that tackles the
question of relevance to social work practice. The key theoretical perspectives are
contextual constructionism and occupational culture as discourse. It is argued
that while the concept of patriarchy is pertinent to the topic of the occupational
construction of gendered clients, a post-structuralist understanding of the culture
of the social work office most usefully explains the presence of multiple gendered
discourses.
The ethnographic data show that client masculinity tends to be viewed negatively
(men as a threat, as no use, as absent, as irrelevant), although there are also
contrary discourses (men as no different, men as better than women). The
defining discourses identified in relation to women clients are women as
oppressed, women as responsible for protection, and women as making choices.
The selection of child protection priorities is found to be highly gendered, the
specific example in the local authority studied being the targeting of the physical
neglect of children, a decision that increases the scrutiny of mothering. There is
discussion in the thesis of the application of social work knowledge and values in
practice. There are found to be tensions between the individual and the social,
with implications for social work practice with men and women clients.
Publication Year: 1999
Publication Date: 1999-11-01
Language: en
Type: dissertation
Access and Citation
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot