Socialno delo, Vol. 37 (1998), Part 6
ARTICLES
ESSEYS
A Few Words on Working at Social Work Centres (Mostly on the Work with Adolescents) - 449, (Abstract)
ABSTRACTS
Abstracts
Editor's Notes
The answers to epistemological questions (as well as the questions themselves) derive from all kinds of sources. One of them is the cybernetic-cognitive theoretical body born from natural sciences and presented here by Lea Šugman Bohinc. The next paper, written by Gregor Adlešič, cannot be immediately placed in the epistemological frame, yet in its critique of Rawls' moral philosophy it draws attention to another important source of epistemological reflections, human and social sciences. But besides different sources, epistemology has also different definitions: from those in which it overlaps to a great measure with gnoseology (epistemology as the theory of the conditions of cognition) to those in which it critically analyses science itself (epistemology as the theory of the conditions of scientific work and thought). They can be brought together if their common field is introduced, namely, knowledge, which was extensively and very critically studied by Foucault. But this, of course, tips the scales in favour of human and social sciences, or in more precise words, the differentiation of actions and capacities deriving from knowledge turns out to be far more related to social relations than to any (other) object of scientific research.
This is certainly not a place to solve key problems of science, yet they are not to be ignored, because they are closely related to the conditions of practice which are, as clearly presented by Ivan Janko Cafuta, hardly unproblematic or noncontradictory. That the themes are indeed parallel is indicated by the author's view that one of the main problems in practice is precisely weak differentiation of actions and capacities at social work centres.
What an uncertain thing the so-called "applied science" is, is shown in the contribution by Tanja Lamovec. She recalls different - often contradictory - prescriptions by a variety of American experts, designed for mothers raising their children, in the past 50 years. The most serious lesson from her analysis, however, is not merely that it is necessary to think hard before applying our findings as prescriptions for users, but the fact that every such prescription, at least at the time when it is valid, seems perfectly in place, the only right thing to do, as it were, if one is "up to date with scientific findings". Even if tomorrow it will be considered altogether wrong.
Lea Šugman Bohinc
Epistemology of Social Work II
The paper logically proceeds from the contents presented in the paper Epistemology of Social Work (Šugman Bohinc 1997: 289-308), adding concepts such as interpretative activity, cybernetics of conversation, inner conversation, eigen (self, characteristic) behaviour or self-production, nontriviality and entropy, all this by drawing possibilities of their efficient use in the context of interaction of psychosocial help. The paper proposes the substitution of the habitual polarity conscious-unconscious with other metaphors which more suitably express the recursive unfolding of man's interpretative (mental) activities. It describes a method of (counselling, therapeutic, learning etc.) conversation which can more efficiently bring forth new desired interpretations of participants in conversation. The paper shows possible strategies of dealing with nontrivial systems (such as client system, professional system and other living systems) by developing hermeneutic epistemology of nontriviality.
Psychologist Lea Šugman Bohinc, M. A., is an assistant lecturer of psychology and cybernetics of psycho-social help at the University of Ljubljana School of Social Work.
Gregor Adlešič
Rawls' Theory of Justice
The paper outlines the basic theoretical and methodological starting points of Rawls' theory of justice. The latter is a systematic attempt to overcome and surpass evident deficiencies in modern utilitarianism and positivism which mark the majority of moral philosophy of the late 20th century. Rawls tries to overcome them by relating his ideas to Kant's moral philosophy, but he only incorporates Kant's basic moral demands without his methodology. Rawls assumes the demand of freedom and equality to be the focal point of moral convictions in modern democratic societies, however, he does not take it as a duty like Kant but as a right and the basis of their sense of justice. Rawls founds his starting hypothesis or his conception of justice upon the method of reflexive equilibrium which derives from pragmatic moral philosophy. For Rawls, moral philosophy possesses Socratic nature; only when the chosen principles have rationally been judged by the method of reflexive equilibrium, intuitions are changed accordingly. Thus what initially seemed like grounding our political prejudices finally turns out to be a method of changing our views of justice. The author presents in detail the radical conclusions entailed by the logic of the method of reflexive equilibrium.
Philosopher Gregor Adlešič, M. A., is a lecturer of philosophy and ethics at the University of Ljub-ljana School of Social Work.
Ivan Janko Cafuta
A Few Words on Working at Social Work Centres (Mostly on the Work with Adolescents)
The author describes his working field at a social work centre. He draws attention to several important problems and dilemmas he meets in his professional life. Initially, he outlines the legal framework of his professional activities, and proceeds to focus on several problem clusters. First, there is the problem of merging different, often mutually excluding roles in one person at a centre, and next, there are the questions of the protection of professional secrets, the professional profiling of workers, and the professional doctrines. Finally, he focuses on the problem of specialisation and on the need of sharper distinctions both within and outside the profession itself. He considers it insufficient that the actions of a social work centre are distinguished merely on the basis of different workers or working fields and argues that this distinction should be, in the interest of workers, followed by a sharper differentiation on the theoretical, doctrinal and structural levels.
Ivan Janko Cafuta is a sociologist and a social worker.
Tanja Lamovec
Only a Content Mother can be a Good-enough Mother
The author presents rapidly changing, and sometimes diametrically opposed, American "experts'" advice to mothers with regard to raising their children, which have taken quick shifts in the last 50 years. She analyses the consequences of such advice for children and mothers and relates them to the dominant social climate and values. At the same time, the imagery of "femininity" has changed, producing lately the new image of a single girl that is successfully exploited in advertising. In terms of these changes, the author explains the phenomenon of popular psychological literature for women which has to a great extent replaced the traditional "soap opera". The media make possible public display of the problems that have until recently been reserved to the private sphere. Their popularity shows that they satisfy an important need of women and some men, namely, to talk about their problems and get some feedback. There is nothing wrong with public discussions on personal issues, but the question is: how come it cannot be done on the level of intimate personal relationships?
Dr. Tanja Lamovec is a professor at the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Arts, department of psychology, and Chair of the psychiatric users' association Paradoks.