The Contradictions of Contemporary Social Work: An Ironic Response

There is a gap or dissonance in contemporary social work. On the one hand, there are broad or holistic definitions of social work such as the International Federation of Social Work and the altruistic and idealistic reasons why social workers join the profession. On the other hand, there is the contrast of mainstream statutory social work practice. The Social Work Reform Board aims to reduce or dissolve this gap or dichotomy by reclaiming the professionalism of social work with the adoption of a potentiality or capacity model of professional learning within a 'profession turn' which reconceptualises social work in terms of professional autonomy and expertise. The Professional Capabilities Framework can be seen as a key part of this professional transformation. The danger of this strategy is that it may further widen the gap between the aspirations of social work and the realities of practice. Adopting an ironic orientation may not resolve the dilemmas of social work but it proffers a constructive engagement for a profession in crisis and about to be subject to a further period of anxiety and uncertainty.