Social work in Spain: a new social and economic reality to develop in practical academic training

• Published in: Social work education 2019-11, Vol.38 (8), p.996-1009
• Main Authors: García-Moreno, Cristina, Anleu-Hernández, Claudia Maria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: College students; Economic crisis; Internet; practice teaching; Professional practice; professional practices; Professional training; Professionals; Qualitative research; Social work; Social work education; Social workers; Spain; Students; Training; Tutoring; Welfare
• ISSN: 0261-5479; 1470-1227
• DOI: 10.1080/02615479.2019.1611756

This work focuses on understanding how the current Spanish economic crisis is generating changes in the social and economic reality in which social work degree students are developing their practical training and on knowing if this new reality has an impact on their training and on the vision, they can create of the profession. Using a mixed qualitative methodological approach, we aim to visualize and analyze the opinions and insights that both social work professionals and students provide. Online and face-to-face interviews were conducted with social workers working as practice tutors. Likewise, two focus groups were set up and social work degree students at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain) were also interviewed. The main results show that the new scenario creates a debate not only among professionals, but also among the students themselves. They value this stage as an opportunity to rethink their future professional practice. This article may be applicable to the European context, given that the economic crisis is affecting, to a greater or lesser extent, on the different welfare states in Europe.