Norways Historical Social Work Professionalization From A Feminist Perspective - Essay Example

This research paper explores the Norway’s Historical Social Work Professionalization From A Feminist Perspective and considering the historical position of women in this country. According to the account that was officially used, social work in Norway is as result of post-WWII welfare state. The gendered nature regarding the ‘new’ profession further reveals the professional story before the WWII, which was established by women’s ideas, values, and visions which were built structurally into the occupation. The article expounds on the historical social context regarding women’s professional work and its relations with social environments. Theoretically, the paper accounts on how masculine theories regarding professions have proved incompetency in accounting for both female and female professional projects because when effort Is highly devalued and different societal expectation of women and men are ignored. The development of post- WWII welfare made Norwegian social work to shift from the margins to move to a more central position. Though gender is still a vital dimension through which to deconstruct professional growth. Introduction In 2010, it was the 60th anniversary that was marked by the profession in Norway in the field of social work. In 1950, the Norwegian School of governmental and Social Work planned to meet the needs of ‘infant’ welfare state that immerged immediately after the world war II. The corps emphasized that the demand of the state had risen to a whole new king of professional and continual growth was contributed in the social word related to knowledge. The remarks were made during the anniversary celebration. The Norwegian’s social work profession focused on the formation of the social work in them field of professional work for the Norwegian women, and through this, subsequent engagement in the critical analysis of the ‘male-stream’ way social work has been hypothesized in the poetry on professions. We can therefore, say that social work is basically women’s work; in the communities found in Norway, women constitute a majority of its practitioners. From a feminist perspective, one can explore the constitution of a professional field and the building of the first school of social work, concentrating on these ground-breaking women tried to achieve, their working plans, thought styles and enthusiasms. On can argue that our considerate of professional growth is still overpoweringly male biased. Elaboration of the theories in the field I needed, with more attention directed to gender relation, women’s ways, and power structures. In regard to other things, professional theories on gender will produce richer and new understanding of professional growth and professions and allow people to make remarks on how the premises for growing in a successful platform within the profession platform which differ according to gender. Norway’s Social work development In Norway, it is publicly assumed that, in 1920, the National League of Norwegian Women (NLNW) initiated an initiative to educate people on the social work in Oslo. During that time, the phrase ‘social work’ was transparent and broad which was described to be more that a set of professional practices. Historian Seip (1990) considered social work to mention the women’s unpaid work in society during that time, especially when the Norwegians where undergoing industrialization. The new society that was introduced by the National League of Norwegian Women (NLNW) prospered though it created a kind of social problems, and concomitantly, Seip entitlements, a whole new political awareness regarding society’ role and responsibility to deal with them. In the new culture, wage operate the way we know today was introduced, organizational life emerged, and political democracy also emerged primarily because of NLNW. It’s important to note that most women had scarce access to well-paying job and their location was outside the political diaphragm. The only way the women seemed to be active was through the voluntary organizations which were held outside the home. One group that emerged and was well known by the Norwegians community was the Post-Natal Women’s Association which was a philanthropic group that participated in the helping women during and after birth. Other women’s group participated in the promotion of missionary work and alcohol abstention. Thereafter, many women groups united and started collaborating with local and public authorities to solve social issues. For the women to be fully be acknowledged in the society by the Norwegians, they took a long time for their present to be noticed have start having a place in the society. The historian Seip (1990) was deeply concerned with the class-division and the treat tensions that existed between middle- class how were mostly the female and the working-class who were the male who felt they were superior compared to their counterparts. Women tried to raise their voice to express their disgust for what they realized it was encroaching their way of life. One woman who was privileged to be in the working class termed charity work as a disgusting word she ever came across. She responded to the working-class men that women no longer needed their pity or mercy but what they all need was justice. Other women who visited the country were treated with much honor and respect. There need were attended to before resuming back to their countries. Most of the women how visited the country came there to present their country either for bilateral talk between or among the states or for any other state visit. Notably, women from all social classes from (upper to middle class women) participated in carrying out the social work and they also carried out top-down charity politics, and the women who were in the working class, without analysis or question, neutralized as female. The quotation from the historian Seip portrayed a great tension and conflict that existed between the male and the female in the Norway which was regarded as different social class. Women had started seen the need for them to develop materially and as professions. Most of the working-class women had no any intention of making as occupation out of their social work. The solidarity in women group helped them to make a step forward. Although most of the Norwegian literature on profession have no clarification or does not deal with the class aspect, the available literature that talked about the history of Norwegian social work implicitly portrays how gender and racism were closely interwoven and had formed and prevented development through an education program and as a profession. The national League of Norwegian Women’s School of Social Work New educational and social policies paved way to for neglected women to have a place and social positions in the public sphere. In 1940, the university of Oslo (which was the only university by that time) opened new doors to women to express their opinion. Women could now hold a seat on civic guardian functions and committees and later in the year, the university and other high school’s system allowed mixed-gender classes. Thereafter, a ruling was made to allow women have a at least one post in the civic committee. The post was for the women representative where she was expected to sort out questions relating to the support for the poor and pregnant women (Agerholt, 1973). After several years, later, women started holding special post in the state-financed public and filled in the position such as industrial inspectors, children’s home inspectors, and housing inspectors. The position demanded women who are much educated whereby they have attained formal education so that they can be in a better position of engaging well with the clients. Due to inadequacy of female professionals, the national league of Norwegian Women began to offer teaching on social courses which was regarded as a private initiative. The NLNW was formed in 1904 by female educated elite and other women who had relatively influential positions in the government and society at large. The NLNW’s mode of thinking relating to their educational program departed substantially from the logic in most men or what is referred to as “masculine-defined’ professional projects in that leaders started educating women who came from lower background. The NLNW major aim was to promote their self-interest or guarding their own turf to make sure their own exclusiveness in the market. The school started with a high notch and quite modestly with a series of short-term courses. The curriculum covered a wide variety of curriculum covering areas in languages, history, psychology, family planning, family budgeting, and personal hygiene. This was a good initiative to outdo the male chauvinism and racism in Norway. According to anthropologist Solheim, the modern gender now rest on two mutually dependent foundations. The first pillar is the division or split between working life and family. The second foundation rest on the split between public life and private life. Solheim urges that the upper-middle-class women, married or not married, they all participated in public life and took good care of their family. The education program brought a ‘natural’ expansion of their commitment to helping not only their family but other members of the society. Social work profession was adapted while still taking care of the family. Read More