The Swedish Social Landscape in Social Work Practice With Vulnerable Young Populations

Abstract

A substantial number of young people in Western countries are facing severe difficulties due to wider social, political and economic change. Using a review of the literature and a descriptive approach, this paper explores issues of youth education, training, employment and social capital on the Swedish welfare landscape, as important factors in the education of the social professions, to understand and meet the needs of young vulnerable populations. The research found growing uncertain conditions in young populations, growing socio-economic vulnerability, mental ill-health and insufficient access to the labour market. Furthermore, the results of the paper suggest shortcomings in the social services for disadvantaged young people, and current socio-political programmes seem to reinforce the existing pattern of inequality. The insights generated by this study have the ability to inform international, national and local evidence bases in this area. It may contribute to the support of reflective future practitioners who use research as an integral element of improving their holistic client-centred interventions. The article has been prepared in the frame of the project "Social Professions for Youth Education in the Context of European Solidarity"* with participation of Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, and Swedish universities that deliver programmes of training social professionals.

Collaborative Creativity in International Social Pedagogy Educational Settings

“…Nonetheless, in this development project, it was important to discover how to help social work students play an effective role in the growing diversity of social problems beyond the particular individual case [11,12]. It was also important to include their viewpoint to embrace both a unique individual perspective and the systemic structure surrounding their client [7,13].…”

“…It was also important to include their viewpoint to embrace both a unique individual perspective and the systemic structure surrounding their client [7,13]. Such a position includes practicing multilevel social work and requires critical standpoints on hindrances at micro, macro, local community, and globalized levels [9,[12][13][14]. Subsequently, the overall inquiry question that guided the developmental process and collaborative creativity in this developmental project related to-How can educational programs support students of social professions in their function within local arenas and in a globalized world when improving young people's life chances?…”

“…The outcomes of various project-related activities may be very different, but the logics of project work are build on development of new growth models and sources of inspiration, and create inputs for changes [12,16,31,36]. Based on the previous development work and the discussion of creativity needed for the development of social, cultural, and support systems for the well-being of young populations in European countries in general [6,12], a project was conducted called Social Professions for supporting Youth in a European Solidarity Context [37]. The goal of this work was the development of the art of education for students aiming to enter social professions.…”