”Han som sköter om katten, han värnar jättemycket om det, det är faktiskt det enda han värnar om så är det katten” En studie om djurs roll och funktion inom äldrevården och psykiatrin

Abstract Author: Frida Andersson Title: Animal's role in social work Supervisor: Tove Harnett Assessor: Johan Cronehed The purpose of this essay was to find out what roles certain animals are given in social work, using semi-structured interviews at five different places. The places I have visited specialized in either geriatric care and/or mental illness. During my interviews with the staff there I asked them to specify advantages as well as disadvantages with animals, from their own experiences. I wanted to know how the patients interact with the animals, and if the animals and their role are evaluated in any way. I also asked them about the differences between certain species of animals, as well as differences between an animal, and for example a doll. My results showed that the involvement of animals in the daily care can bring good as well as bad aspects. For example, an animal means extra workload for the staff, but an animal can also give the patients a feeling of responsibility. The results also showed that the same phenomena can be described as either good or bad depending on who you ask. Keywords: Animal assisted therapy/activities, elderly, mental illness, social constructions, interactio