The Bologna reform has, despite its negative effects, been beneficial to the formal level of social work studies in Europe. After 2000 the social work discipline faced an intensive development of graduate and postgraduate programmes, internationalisation and research activities. These processes also include the establishment and development of the first European doctoral studies in social work and social politics – Indosow. The article describes the dilemmas of neoliberalisation of higher education and innovations, introduced by the first European doctoral programme of social work (2009) as it is the first international doctoral programme at the University of Ljubljana. The main characteristics of Indosow are academisation of social work and doctoral theses based on comparative and critical analysis. Nevertheless, the need to develop professional doctoral studies in social work corresponding to domestic (Slovenian) needs, still remains. Despite the harmonisation of higher education, the doctoral studies in Europe and in the world still face great differences in structure, form and teaching. The article presents some differences and some deficits in implementation of doctoral studies in Slovenia.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3683941
In the article the regulations which have changed or have been added anew comparing to the previous legislation in the field of social assistance which forms a part of welfare state activities are critically analysed on the basis of criteria identified as a result of analysis of the welfare state typologies, and on the basis of basic values, practices and concepts of social work. Firstly, those regulations are pointed out that show the changes to the (neo)liberal welfare state. And secondly, regulations which could be estimated as incentive for contemporary social work practice and those which are seen as obstacles are juxtaposed.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3722341
Ethnicity has been increasingly becoming a recognisable constituent of social work which is shown also in its growing integration in the education programme in social work – also in Slovenia. In order to break the historical silence and the neutral or passive attitude to ethnic differences and social exclusion it is necessary to fight for institutional changes in social work and the transcendence of institutional, cultural and personal racisms. The article is concerned mainly with Roma ethnic minority being one of the most and historically marginalized ethnic minority groups in Slovenia. It presents two main areas relevant to social work: the legal and sociological perspective (how minorities are treated in Slovenia) and the social work perspective (how social work has responded to minority needs and how social work education has adapted).
COBISS.SI-ID: 3683685