Job insecurity as a factor in the deprofessionalization of social work. Analysis and proposals from an expert perspective

Abstract

The objective of this research is to understand the process of deprofessionalization of Social Work by way of job insecurity to offer key elements that reinforce their professionalization and open the way to professional development. The research question is how the precarization of the labor market of social workers deprofessionalizes Social Work. To answer this question, a qualitative research based on discourse analysis was conducted through 50 in-depth interviews with Social Work experts in Spain. It is concluded that precarization, deregulation, the supply of generic jobs, unemployment and underemployment have caused a status and a weak social recognition of social work as a profession. Social work as a liberal profession has developed in Spain and is a solution to the precariousness of the labor market.