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Dr Paul Stubbs
Senior Research Fellow/Znanstveni savjetnik
The Institute of Economics, Zagreb
Tel: +385 (0)1 23 62 239 (direct line)
Tel: +385 (0)1 23 62 200 (switchboard)
Fax: +385 (0)1 23 35 165
skype: paul.zagreb
http://paulstubbs.pbworks.com
CALL FOR
PARTICIPATION
Inter University
Centre (IUC) Dubrovnik, Croatia
School of Social
Work Theory and Practice
Social Work and
Social Policies Course
"The consequences of the global economic crisis
for social work and social policies"
14-18 June 2010
Course
directors:
Horst
Sing, Catholic University Eichstaett, Germany
e-mail:
[log in to unmask]
Paul
Stubbs, The
Institute of Economics, Zagreb, Croatia
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Riitta
Vornanen, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
e-mail:
[log in to unmask]
Course
Description
The Social Work and Social Policies
course is a part of the annual School of Social Work Theory and Practice in
Dubrovnik, Croatia. As its title suggests, its main focus is on the
relationship between social work and social policy, with a particular emphasis
on comparative, regional and global dimensions. It has traditionally explored
the relationship between different welfare state and social policy models and
their implications for social work. The course brings together experienced and
beginning practitioners, activists, researchers and teachers to explore the
contemporary challenges facing social work and social policy in different parts
of the world.
This year we take as our main theme the
Consequences of the Global Economic and Financial Crisis for Social Policy and
Social Work. This unprecedented crisis continues to have direct and significant
social impacts on poor and vulnerable populations throughout the world. It is,
also, a particular challenge for both social policy and social work with policy
makers and practitioners trying to respond to the crisis and also exploring which
social policy models and social work approaches can best respond to the crisis
and, indeed, offer a more sustainable social protection system to respond to
crises in the future.
The course offers an opportunity to
focus on the direct impacts of the global recession on poverty and exclusion in
different parts of the world. Have the ‘traditional poor’ fared
worse than the ‘new poor’?. How can social work maintain its focus
on prevention, protection and empowerment in the face of the need for a
‘firefighting’ approach to the crisis? Is there a tendency in some
parts of the world to further stigmatise the vulnerable as somehow
‘undeserving’ of support when fiscal resources are limited?
Beyond these questions, however, we also
want to explore the relationship between macro-level social, political and
economic questions and more micro-level social work issues. We plan to explore
this relationship and its challenges in changing societies and a changing
world, with a particular focus on both the direct consequences of the recession
for different population groups and wider questions of social policy and social
work approaches and models. Whilst it has become something of a cliché that
crisis always contains within it opportunities for progressive change, there is
evidence, at least at the level of rhetoric, that this crisis may lead to a
significant shift in terms of the role of social policy and social work in
relation to economic and political systems, institutions and thinking.
The course welcomes a wide range of
contributions which focus on any of these or related questions, whether in
terms of direct front-line experience or research or wider reflection. Above
all, our aim is to promote a dialogue between those more focused on social
policy questions and those whose emphasis is more on social work. Participants
are welcome to focus on single country experiences, on comparative work or on
wider issues such as the role of regional bodies like the European Union. We
particularly welcome reflection from countries in transition in Central and
Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union where some of the impacts of the
crisis have been most profound.
We aim to utilize a range of working
methods in the course including traditional longer or shorter oral presentations,
and small group and plenary discussions. We would like everyone who is accepted
as a participant to prepare a presentation, either a longer (up to 30 minutes)
more formal presentation or a short (10 minutes) reflection on an issue of
concern. We are happy to accept group presentations. We also welcome innovative
presentations using film, video or photographic materials.
How to Apply
Anyone interested in participating
should send a brief abstract (c.100-200 words) of their proposed presentation
and a short cv/resume in English to Paul Stubbs by email [log in to unmask]. The deadline
for applications is 26 April 2010 and all applicants will be notified as
to whether they have been accepted for the course by 6 May 2010 at the
latest. We are interested in attracting participants with different levels and
kinds of experience, including experienced scholars and researchers, graduate
and postgraduate students, senior and junior practitioners, and activists.
Further details
The working language of the course is
English. Participants are expected to attend for the whole five days of the
course. A course fee must be paid to the IUC – this is set at €75
for professors and €55 for students. We have no funds to support
participation but a number of scholarships covering accommodation and, in some
cases, travel, are available for academic participants from Croatia (Ministry
of Education Scholarships), and from Eastern Europe (HESP/OSI Scholarships).
More details on the course, on the IUC and on the scholarships can be found on
the IUC website http://www.iuc.hr.
March, 2010.