Konstnärliga uttrycksformer i socialt arbete: En väg till empowerment?

Abu Jacobsson, S. Artistic expression in social work. A road to empowerment? Degree project in social work 15 högskolepoäng. Malmö University: Faculty of Health and Society, Department of social work, 2018.One of the main tasks of social work is to contribute to the empowerment of individuals and groups, and by doing so, also promoting values such as democracy, participation, equality and liberation of resources. During the last decades the development of social work has been characterized by processes of rationalization and higher demands on scientific evidence and evaluation. Social workers use standardized models and forms in the interaction with individuals, creating clients and needs that suit the system. From a critical perspective this type of rationalized practices contribute less to empowerment and liberation of resources, and more to social stratification, limitation and marginalization of those who do not “fit in”.This qualitative study aims at highlighting the potential of artistic expression in social work in the quest to promote empowerment at individual, group and community level. The results show that artistic expression, offering opportunities of reflecting human diversity, promote empowerment of individuals and groups in various ways, and contributes to processes of participation, social inclusion and democracy.Keywords: Artistic expression, empowerment, human development, participation, social inclusion, social justice, social work