ial Work in the face of the crisis: new challenges in professional practice for social workers

Abstract

In the light of the available data, the recent crisis has had an undeniable impact on the life of citizens: the unemployment rate has rocketed and the poverty rate has increased, resulting in a larger number of potential beneficiaries in the social protection systems. However, and at the same time, the welfare state is tottering under deficit reduction policies that have led to public services cuts related to social protection and care. How are social problems, and particularly social care, tackled in this context? To what extent can the appearance of the so-called «new social question» and the decline of the welfare state be linked to changes in the understanding and practice of the profession and, specifically, the challenges social workers must face? Responding to these questions causes us to suggest a paradigm shift resulting in constant professional self-conceptualization and the situational adaptation of social workers when performing their duties. This reflective exercise involves the implementation of different logical lines of action that lead to other professional figures in social work.