MAKT, EN FÖRUTSÄTTNING FÖR HJÄLP?

Sammanfattning

Abstract

Author: Ellinor Carlsson and Renate Höjd

Title: "When you can make a difference and when you can´t" the power relation between psychiatric

disability social worker and client [translated title]

Supervisor: Eva Skogman

Assessor: Norma Montesino

One branch of the social works field of research is the relation between social worker and

client. Research has shown that the power and inequality in the relation between helper and

person being helped is needed for the helper to provide help. Power is often mentioned under

negative circumstances such as social workers abuse of their power position, violating the

person being helped. However, Michel Foucault suggests that power is something neutral that

exists in every social interaction. The negative aspects of power are effects of the parties not

reaching agreement. Through Michel Foucault and Max Weber we have described how the

social system affects people seeking help. With a qualitative research we have studied how

social workers experience the power relation between them and their clients. We have focused

on the group of people with psychiatric disability and interviewed six social workers working

with that target group. Our purpose was to describe and analyze how psychiatric social workers

experience their power position. Our findings suggested that the social workers have their

power position in mind but not in their everyday work. They recognize both positive and negative

aspects of power for them and for their clients and describes situations were they don't

have power to help. This because of how the system is built and because of the client's right

to say no to help. With the results in mind we have argued that social workers have a great

impact on their client and his/hers experience of the encounter with the social system. Therefore

it's of great importance that the power relation is discussed and taken into consideration.