Negotiating the Accessibility of Help
Signposting and Boundary Work in Social Services’ Online Interactions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13054883 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nataliya Thell (0000-0001-5319-8426, Lund University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Publication date | 2025-08-27 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Inclusion (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2183-2803 • E-ISSN: 2183-2803 |
| Publisher | Cogitatio (PUBLISHER • PT) |
| DOI | 10.17645/si.10465 |
| OpenAlex | W4413745477 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 24 |
Easy, low‐threshold access is widely regarded as a major advantage of online services. In Sweden, several municipalities are striving to increase the accessibility of their social services by responding to anonymous users online. This article considers the nature of the accessibility of these online services. Two online platforms were studied: (quasi‐)synchronous online chats and asynchronous online enquiry forms. Online chat logs and question form exchanges were closely analysed using conversation analysis. Accessibility of online services was approached through the concept of boundary work, focusing on how social workers navigate the constraints of what they can and cannot do when responding to anonymous users online. The analysis revealed that users seeking personalised advice or requesting immediate interventions were redirected to instead contact the local social services in person. When directing users to seek help elsewhere, social workers invoked constraints in their online role to account for not providing the requested help. The study’s findings are discussed in terms of the unmet expectations of online users due to limitations in the remit of online social workers. Although online facilities made social workers technically accessible, the range of services available online was limited to providing information and general guidance
Boundary (topology · Boundary-work · Mathematical analysis · Negotiation · Physics · Social science · Sociology · Work (physics · Digital Economy and Work Transformation · Healthcare innovation and challenges · Mathematics · Psychology · Social Psychology · Social Work Education and Practice
The Handbook of Conversation Analysis
Plan 9 From Cyberspace
Somewhere to turn to
“Do I understand you right then?”
Conversation analysis in social work research
A systematic review of technology-mediated social work practice
Conversation Analysis and Telephone Helplines for Health and Illness
Microanalysis Of Online Data
De‐gendering parents
Outreach social work
Making informed choices in social care
Respecifying Mediated Interaction
Conversation Analysis and Online Interaction
Using Internet technologies in rural communities to access services
Client Satisfaction and Outcome Comparisons of Online and Face-to-Face Counselling Methods
Can inequality be tamed through boundary work? A qualitative study of health promotion aimed at reducing health inequalities
Approaching institutional boundaries
Advising without personalising
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |