Samyn, Sophie
[UGent]
Ciorta, Ionut
[University of Glasgow]
Wagener, Martin
[UCL]
Hermans, Koen
[KULeuven]
Roets, Griet
[UGent]
In this article, we critically explore the research findings of a qualitative study of local social policy and work interventions, called ‘the post-mobile project’ in Ghent, Belgium. The project provided temporary housing for families in container units, accompanied by mandatory integration assistance, and was implemented as a potential solution for Romanian Roma families after the dismantlement of two informal settlements in 2020. Our qualitative study explores the underlying ontological assumptions of the social work interventions in this project, and aims to gain insights into the role of contemporary social work practice in Belgium and its impact on advancing or hindering the pursuit of social justice within this Roma community. The study is based on an ethnography as a multi-method approach. Participant observations are complemented by document analysis, semi-structured interviews and focus groups to gain an in-depth understanding of the divergent experiences and opinions of different stakeholders involved in the interventions. The findings reveal different ontological frameworks regarding the way the social problem is defined, the project’s goals and the principles guiding practice, thus exposing tensions between the local policy-makers and the social justice orientation of social work practitioners.
Bibliographic reference |
Samyn, Sophie ; Ciorta, Ionut ; Wagener, Martin ; Hermans, Koen ; Roets, Griet. ‘We Reach out but we Also Expect Something in Return’: Social Work Engaging with Roma People in Temporary Container Homes at the Edge of the City. In: The British Journal of Social Work, Vol. bcad , no.253, p. 1-22 (2023) |
Permanent URL |
http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/281160 |