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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON
FACULTY OF LAW, ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Making a difference: Female Social Workers’
Lives and Identities - A Biographical Study
by
Francisca C. Veale
Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosoph y
June 2012
ABSTRACT
This thesis investigates the motivations of female social workers in their decision to
embark on the study of and work in the profession. The thesis also offers some
recommendations for the education of social workers.
The historical emergence of social work as a profession and the role women have
played in shaping the profession and building traditions, in the United Kingdom, are
explored. The biographies of some significant women, the ‘early pioneers’ of social
work, are reviewed (albeit succinctly) to ascertain their motivation to help and make a
difference in the lives of other people. The hypothesis that women are socialised into a
caring role by the patriarchal structures of society is discussed as a possible explanation
as to why the social work profession consists predominantly of women.
A small-scale research project, which utilises a mixed-method approach from a feminist
standpoint and an auto/biographical paradigm, investigates the biographies and
motivational factors of female social work students and women social workers. In an
endeavour to find some tradition-building factors which might predict women’s
engagement with social work, the socio-economic and demographical data from the
early pioneers and the research project’s cohorts are taken into consideration.
Furthermore, the categories of ‘social justice fighter’ (Adams et al. 2002; Thompson
2002), and ‘wounded helper’ (Brandon 1976; Charon 2006; Frank 1995) are introduced
with the intention to ascertain whether there are common factors which influence
women’s wish to help others and their choice to become social workers.
The preliminary findings of the thesis suggest that financial gain is not the main
stimulus for women becoming social workers, but that altruistic motives and the idea of
social justice influences their career choice. The research findings further suggest that
life experiences (positive as well as negative) influence the decision to become a social
worker. The findings in the thesis are compared and discussed with similar studies in
the field (Parker and Merrylees 2002, Redmond et al. 2008, Stevens et al. 2012).
Summarising, the thesis proposes recommendations for social work education and the
curriculum:
a thorough selection process that investigates the personality, moral values and
the motivation of social work entrants by using biographical interviews and
narratives;
reflective and analytical processes are required to be an integral part of the
curriculum, thus facilitating students to address any latent emotional and/or
traumatic life experience which otherwise might lead to detrimental transference
in the social work interaction with clients;
a deconstruction of gender issues and perceptions as part of the curriculum
thereby encouraging more men to enter social work as students, lecturers and
professionals;
a pro-active promotion of a more positive image of social workers should be on
the curriculum with the aim of altering public perception of the social work
profession.
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ii
Contents
PAGE
Abstract i
Contents iii-v
List of tables and figures vii
Declaration of authorship ix
Acknowledgements xi
In memory of my grandparents xiii
The Star Thrower (Making a difference) Poem xv
1. Chapter: Making a difference 1
1.1. Introduction 1
1.2. Rationale – influences in arriving at the thesis 3
1.3. ‘Pieces of me’: the autobiographical journey of a social worker 7
1.4. Real life stories: social justice versus wounded helper 14
1.5. Preview of the chapters to follow 16
1.6. Summary 18
2. Chapter: The social and historical background to the development of 19
the social work profession
2.1. Introduction 19
2.2. The emergence of social work 19
2.3. A new vision of society 20
2.4. The German model 22
2.5. The American connection 24
2.6. Ladies’ work 25
2.7. Women shaping social work 27
2.8. Social work training, education and policy 29
2.9. Summary 30
3. Chapter: Early pioneers in welfare and social work – Women making 31
a difference
3.1. Introduction 31
3.2. Women’s biographies in the historical emergence of charitable and 32
social welfare work – The early pioneers
3.2.1. Lady Lucy Reynell of Forde 33
3.2.2. Rachel Countess of Bath 34
3.2.3. Mary Wollstonecraft 35
iii
3.2.4 Elizabeth Gurney Fry 36
3.2.5. Mary Carpenter 37
3.2.6 Florence Nightingale 38
3.2.7. Josephine Butler 39
3.2.8. Caroline and Emily Skinner 40
3.2.9. Dame Agnes Weston and Dame Sophia Wintz 42
3.2.10. ‘Victorian crisis of faith’ 45
3.2.11. Octavia Hill 46
3.2.12. Dame Henrietta Barnett 49
3.2.13. Beatrice Webb 51
3.2.14. Emmeline Pankhurst 54
3.2.15. Jane Addams 55
3.2.16. Mary Ellen Richmond 56
3.2.17. Mary Stewart 60
3.2.18. Dame Geraldine Maitland Aves 61
3.3. Four hundred years of remarkable women making a difference 62
3.4. Summary 65
4. Chapter: Women in social work today 67
4.1. Introduction 67
4.2. The individual versus society 68
4.3. Meeting social need: women’s function in the creation of human 69
and social capital
4.4. The changing face of social work 73
4.5. Women dominating the social work encounter – is social work a 78
‘natural calling’ for women?
4.6. Gender and ethnicity in social work 81
4.7. Motivation and self-awareness: the professional social worker 85
4.8. Social workers’ attitudes – fit for practice? 89
4.9. Summary – women making a difference 93
5. Chapter: Women researching women: The feminist researcher 95
5.1. Introduction 95
5.2. Feminist research 95
5.3. Reflexivity 100
5.4. Feminist research methodology and auto/biography 103
5.5. Auto/biography 107
iv
5.6. Intersubjectivity 111
5.7. The role of the researcher in the research process 115
5.8. Summary 117
6. Chapter: Methodology 119
6.1. Introduction 119
6.2. Research methodology: ‘in search for a method’ 120
6.3. Ethical considerations 121
6.4. The research participants 126
6.5. Methods of data collection 132
6.5.1. Focus group 134
6.5.2. Questionnaires 136
6.5.3. Interviews 139
6.6. The dilemma of finding the truth 141
6.7. The research plan 145
6.8. Summary 148
7. Chapter: Presentation, analysis and discussion of finding 149
7.1. Introduction 149
7.2. Presentation, analysis and discussion of the data from the focus 150
groups, questionnaires, and interviews
7.2.1. The findings from the focus groups 151
7.2.2. The findings from the questionnaires 157
7.2.3 The findings from the interviews 173
7.3. Review and discussion of the summarised findings 183
7.4. Summary 188
8. Chapter: Conclusion and future recommendations 189
8.1. Introduction 189
8.2. Reflections on my research journey 189
8.3. “What’s new?” 192
8.4. Recommendations for social work education 195
8.5. Summary – the end 199
Epilogue: “Call me just another star thrower” 201
Bibliography 203
Appendix contents 221
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vi
List of figures and tables
PAGE
Photo collage Pieces of me - My life story themes 8
Table 3.3.1. Early Pioneers 64
Figure 6.7.1. Research Plan 146
Table 7.2. Statistical breakdown of questionnaires 151
Table 7.2.1.1. Focus group motivation 152
Figure 7.2.1.2. Expectation of the social work profession 153
Figure 7.2.1.3. Anecdotal views by health professionals 156
Table 7.2.2.1. Questionnaire breakdown 158
Table 7.2.2.2. Reasons for becoming a social worker 167
Pie chart 7.2.2.3. Areas of social work 170
Table 7.2.3.1. Interviewee data 174
Table 7.2.3.2. Interviewees’ motivation 181
Figure 7.3.1. Summary of participation 183
Table 7.3.2. Summary of data across cohorts 184
Table 7.3.3. Comparison of early pioneers and my research data 187
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