Participation, Marginalization and Welfare Services: Concepts, Politics and Practices Across European Countries

by Lars Uggerhøj, Aila-Leena Matthies

Overview

Current debates around participation and marginalization dominate the agenda of many European political forums. There is an increasing concern about the stability of social cohesion and a growing number of particular groups of people who are regarded as being at risk of being socially excluded or marginalized. This volume goes beyond the surface of public discussions to look at the central role played by welfare services in European societies in either strengthening or hindering participatory citizenship and democracy.

In current discussions welfare services - understood in a broad sense - are centrally positioned: there are high expectations that welfare services can hinder marginalization and enable participation. Yet marginalization is, in most cases, rooted in the deeper structures of society, with economy, participation and involvement dependent on political or highly personal factors, which are beyond the scope of welfare services. This groundbreaking volume posits that participation and marginalization are ‘twin’ concepts, expressing opposing sides of one and the same processes faced by individuals and communities. It will be essential reading for social workers, sociologists and policy-makers throughout Europe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472407498
Publisher:	Ashgate Publishing Ltd
Publication date:	02/28/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	19 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Aila-Leena Matthies, University of Jyväskylä, Finland and Lars Uggerhøj, Aalborg University, Denmark.

Aila-Leena Matthies, Martti Siisiäinen, Silvia Fargion, Petra Videmšek, Lena Dominelli, Kati Närhi, Tuomo Kokkonen, Sara Hultqvist, Tapio Salonen, Patricia Almaguer-Kalixto, Emma Juaneda, Carmen Marcuello, Mia Arp Fallov, Sissel Seim, Tiina Silvasti, Lars Uggerhøj, Juha Mikkonen, Monika Larsson, Shula Ramon, Shira Hantman, Roxana Anghel, Carolyn Gutman, Wendy Criden, Miriam Ben-Oz.

Table of Contents

Contents: Introduction: How participation, marginalization and welfare services are connected, Aila-Leena Matthies; Cross-European research on various aspects of participation and marginalization in the field of welfare services, Aila-Leena Matthies; Part I Concepts: Four faces of participation, Martti Siisiäinen; Clients’ participation and social work practices: the case of the contract between client and practitioner, Silvia Fargion; From definition to action: empowerment as a tool for change in social work practice, Petra Videmšek. Part II Policy Analysis: The age of austerity in welfare services: impact upon social work and marginalized people, Lena Dominelli; Transformation of participation politics and social citizenship in Finnish welfare governance, Kati Närhi and Tuomo Kokkonen; Service user involvement in the Swedish welfare services: in theory and in practice, Sara Hultqvist and Tapio Salonen; Multilevel governance mechanism to promote the participation of marginalized groups, Patricia Almaguer-Kalixto, Emma Juaneda and Carmen Marcuello; Capacities of participation and local inclusion: a double-edged sword, Mia Arp Fallov; Collective action and social movement of poor people: a road to participation and power?, Sissel Seim; Participatory alternatives for charity food delivery? Finnish development in an international comparison, Tiina Silvasti. Part III Practice Analysis: The powerful meeting between social workers and service users: needs, barriers and possibilities in participation processes in agency settings, Lars Uggerhøj; Coping strategies among marginalized youth in Finland, Juha Mikkonen; Social rights within the frame of personal assistance in a Swedish context: opportunity for participation for people with disabilities? Monika Larsson; Learning from a cross-country evaluation of service users' involvement in social work education and research, Shula Ramon, Shira Hantman, Roxana Anghel, Carolyn Gutman, Wendy Criden and Miriam Ben-Oz; Conclusion: Participation or marginalization: how different perspectives lead towards a democratic direction, Lars Uggerhøj; Index.