The title not only posed the seemingly simple question, but also the program of an online lecture series at the HWG Ludwigshafen, which ended on December 4, 2024: "What is (nowadays) critical social work" was dedicated to the critical content of the science of social work against the background of its current challenges.
On the one hand, rationalization measures and increasing dependence on the private sector are hitting the social sector particularly hard because it is considered unproductive in the usual economic accounts and is subject to enormous cost-cutting measures. On the other hand, the consequences are also gradually becoming apparent in social work as a science. While financially strong companies, for example, cross-finance science in various ways, for example through public-private cooperation or third-party funding, and thus tend to jeopardize the independence of research and education enshrined in constitutional law, the social sector simply lacks the capital to do so. There is hardly anything to redistribute here.
These and other, very similar framework conditions make it difficult for social work that does not simply want to surrender to these circumstances, but claims to maintain a critical and reflective approach in theory and practice, while at the same time showing solidarity with those affected. A shortage of specialists, an increased number of cases and enormous pressure to act characterize the reality of professionals - usually to the detriment of their addressees. And even critical social work research is finding it increasingly difficult to identify progressive practices - whether in institutions or political movements - due to this downward spiral. Nevertheless, the participants rose to the challenge.
The online lecture series took place as part of the Master's seminar "Critique of Social Work - Critical Social Work", which was led by Norman Böttcher, deputy professor of social work studies. After the students had worked through different concepts and perspectives of criticism of and in social work, the seminar was opened up to external participants from the second half of the semester.
The first guest was Prof. Dr. Michael May on October 30. The former professor at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, who played a key role in the development of the degree programs and research infrastructure there, drew on the traditions of critical social theory originating from Karl Marx, namely Theodor W. Adorno and Max Horkheimer, Ernst Bloch, Oskar Negt and Henri Lefebvre, as well as those of critical educational theory such as Heinz-Jürgen Heydorn and Michael Winkler, under the title "On the practice-philosophical foundation of critical social work". Of particular interest to the 40 or so attendees, most of whom are students already working in the field of social work, was the research-based perspective developed by May, which was particularly relevant to the practice of social work.
The second lecture, held by Helga Cremer-Schäfer, also a now retired professor of educational science (Goethe University Frankfurt/Main), took place on November 13 under the stimulating title "Why there can be no 'good institutions' in prevailing conditions - but critical institutional research paves the way to 'reflexive institutions'". By turning from social theory to the meso level, i.e. that of institutions, cooperating practice partners obviously also felt addressed. Afterwards, one facility manager thanked us by email and hoped for more formats of this kind: "I think it's a great idea! I feel that more social institutions should take part in such seminars so that they can reflect on their procedures, thought patterns and also their institutions. I'm glad that there are still such islands of critical theory in Germany."
The last lecture in the series was given by Prof. Dr. Gerd Stecklina on 4 December on the topic of "Coping with life - a critical look at social work". Stecklina, who holds the Chair of Theory and History of Social Work at Munich University of Applied Sciences, was a student and long-time companion of Lothar Böhnisch, a luminary in the history of social work. Stecklina not only clearly explained the theory of coping with life developed by the latter, which systematically attempts to make social developments comprehensible and workable at the level of everyday practice for social workers and the recipients of social work in order to create the ability to act. He also showed how the theory of coping with life influenced him in his own thinking and how he made it usable for further research.
In all of the presentations, it became clear how important it is to critically reflect on one's own science, which is not content with distancing itself from its object, in this case the practice of social work, but rather understands the so-called theory-practice relationship as a mutual stimulus. This relationship is neither about an unmediated juxtaposition nor about a one-sided dependence of the respective areas. It is to be hoped that such dialogs can be continued in the future.
