Betwixt and between
Qualitative findings from a study on a specialist social work service for Travellers in Ireland
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12606784 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joanne Kelleher (University College Dublin, corresponding author), Jim Campbell (0000-0002-2702-1122, University College Dublin), Michelle Norris (0000-0001-6109-2103, University College Dublin), Angela Palmer (University College Dublin) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 494-505 |
| Publication date | 2021-12-22 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Journal of Social Work (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1369-1457 • E-ISSN: 1468-2664 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13691457.2021.2016641 |
| OpenAlex | W4200115151 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 24 |
This paper reports on a study (commissioned by central government) of a specialist social work service provided by local government agencies (local authorities) in Ireland. The service originated in the 1960s, was designed to meet the accommodation related needs of Travellers, an indigenous, Irish, ethnic group, who have faced centuries of social exclusion and discrimination. The paper begins with an account of the economic and social problems faced by Travellers and then the few available Irish and UK publications. It then reports on qualitative findings drawn from interviews with social workers, Travellers and other key stakeholders. The idiom ‘betwixt and between’ is used to characterise the social work role. Respondents aspired to forms of social action and advocacy roles but were sometimes viewed with suspicion by Traveller activists. Local authority structures were overly focused on non-social work functions where social work expertise was rarely acknowledged or utilised. This partly explains why social workers faced challenges in upholding their professional values, regulatory obligations and continuous professional development. The authors conclude by arguing for a more clearly defined, human-rights based social work role, referencing lessons that can be drawn from the wider European literature
Accommodation · Government (linguistics · Indigenous · Irish · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative research · Social exclusion · Social science · Sociology · Healthcare innovation and challenges · Law · Psychology · Public Administration · Romani and Gypsy Studies · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work
Opportunities and Perception in Pro-Traveller Mobilisations in Ireland (1960–2000)
Social work and macro-economic neoliberalism
What’s your agenda? Reflective supervision in community-based child welfare services
Assimilation, control, mediation or advocacy? Social work dilemmas in providing anti‐oppressive services for Traveller children and families
Housing and Accommodation of Irish Travellers
Gypsy-Travellers and Welfare Professional Discourse
Social Work and Social Justice in Northern Ireland
Human Rights and Gypsies and Travellers
Critical, Anti-Oppressive and Human Rights Social Work in the ‘Rough Pathways’ of the Muslim Roma Neighbourhoods in Thrace
Lifeworld', 'System' and Family Group Conferences
Domestic Violence within the Irish Travelling Community
Ethnic sensitivity
Negotiating marginalized identities
Local government in the Republic of Ireland
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2025 (2) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |