Just Get on with It’

A Qualitative of Study of Social Workers’ Experiences during the Political Conflict in Northern Ireland

Bibliographic Data

ID10894896
AuthorsJim Campbell (0000-0002-2702-1122, University College Dublin, corresponding author), Joe Duffy (0000-0002-7460-7775, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, UK), Carol Tosone (0000-0002-0278-8191, Silver School of Social Work, New York, USA), David Falls (School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, UK)
Year2021
Volume51
Issue4
Pages1314-1331
Publication date2021-06-28
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe British Journal of Social Work (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0045-3102 • E-ISSN: 1468-263X
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/bjsw/bcab039
OpenAlexW3122429244
LanguageEN
Citations received15
References cited37

This article reports on a retrospective study of social workers experiences and perception of practice during the height of the political conflict in Northern Ireland (1969–1988). The article describes the qualitative research methodology used to access the sample, design of interview schedule and data collection. Data were analysed using an iterative process to highlight emergent themes. Interviews were carried out with twenty-eight social workers who were employed in a range of agencies. The findings explore how social workers routinely had to negotiate access to communities in the midst of this violence, sometimes through paramilitary organisations. Respondents identified a range of coping mechanisms that they had used to make the ‘abnormal normal’. This included adopting apolitical, neutral stances, yet taking risks in the everyday tasks of meeting the needs of individuals and families. There was, however, limited evidence of employers providing support for practitioners, with peer support most prevalent and purposive forms of education and training during this period. The authors argue for greater attention to the skills and knowledge required for interventions with victims and survivors of the conflict and a more holistic approach to the analysis of social work and political conflict across international contexts

Coping (psychology) · Negotiation · Nonprobability sampling · Political science · Politics · Population · Psychological intervention · Public relations · Qualitative property · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Clinical Psychology · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work