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EMOTIONAL LABOR OF SOCIAL WORKERS WORKING WITH THE POOR

Year 2021, Volume: 32 Issue: 2, 439 - 457, 30.04.2021
https://doi.org/10.33417/tsh.826609

Abstract

ABSTRACT
The present study examined the emotional labor of social workers serving the poor regarding the Emotional Labor Theory of Hochschild (1983). Based on in-depth interviews, the research focused on the emotions of the social workers who always face increasing poverty and caseloads and social policy practices keeping poverty under control rather than reducing it. A total of 18 social workers selected with the snowball sampling technique were interviewed in this case study. While some of the interviews (13 interviews) were carried out face-to-face between September 20 - October 5, 2020, others (5 interviews) were conducted via e-mail. The findings revealed three interrelated aspects of the participants working with the poor: a) encountering problems in work routines frequently, b) confirmation of the adverse impacts of increasing caseloads and being always with the poor on emotional well-being and their projections on social life, and c) resorting to insensibility/depersonalization, emotional splitting, and emotional labor to deal with reactions due to constant encounters with the poor. In addition, the research findings revealed that social workers did not receive any professional emotional support.

References

  • Referans1 Abramovitz, M. (2012). Theorising The Neoliberal Welfare State for Social Work. In M. Grey, J. Midgley, & S. A. Webb (Eds.), The Sage Handbook Of Social Work (33–50). London: Sage.
  • Referans2 Aca, Z. (2018). Türkiye’de Kamusal Sosyal Yardımların Yapabilirlik Yaklaşımı Çerçevesinde Etkinliği Analizi: Bursa Örneği. Yayımlanmamış Doktora Tezi, Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Bursa.
  • Referans3 Aca, Z. (2020). Yapabilirlik Yaklaşımı Çerçevesinde Kamusal Sosyal Yardımların Etkinliği Analizi: Bursa Örneği. Ankara: Türk Metal.
  • Referans4 Ashforth, B., Humphrey, E. ve Ronald. H. (1993). Emotional Labor in Service Roles: The influence of identity. Academy of Management Review, 18, 88-115.
  • Referans5 Creswell, J.W. (2013). Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri: Beş Yaklaşıma Göre Nitel Araştırma ve Araştırma Desenleri (Çev., Osman Birgin vd.,). (Gözden geçirilmiş 2. Baskı). Ankara: Siyasal Kitapevi.
  • Referans6 Davis, M. (1983). Measuring Individual Differences in Empathy Evidence for a Aulti-Dimensional Approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44(1), 113–126.
  • Referans7 Feldman, G. (2019). Towards a Relational Approach to Poverty in Social Work: Research and Practice Considerations. British Journal of Social Work, 49, 1705–1722.
  • Referans8 Fenton, J. (2012). Bringing Together Messages from the Literature on Criminal Justice Social Work and ‘Disjuncture: The Importance of ‘Helping’. The British Journal of Social Work, 42(5), 941–956.
  • Referans9 Frederickson, B. (2001). The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden And Build Theory of Positive Emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 18–26.
  • Referans10 Gerdes, K. E. ve Segal, E. A. (2009). A Social Work Model of Empathy. Advances in Social Work, 10( 2), 114-127.
  • Referans11 Gerdes, K. E., Lietz, C. A., ve Segal, E. A. (2011). Measuring Empathy in the 21st Century: Development of an Empathy Index Rooted in Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Social Justice. Social Work Research, 35, 83–93.
  • Referasn12 Grandey, A. A. (2000). Emotion Regulation in The Workplace: A New Way To Conceptualize Emotional Labor. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5(1), 95–110.
  • Referasn13 Grootegoed, E. ve Smith, M.(2018). The Emotional Labour of Austerity: How Social Workers Reflect and Work on Their Feelings towards Reducing Support to Needy Children and Families. British Journal of Social Work, 48(7), 929–1947.
  • Referans14 Hochschild, A. (1983). The managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Referans15 Hochschild, A. R. (2013). So how's the family? and Other Essays. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Referans16 IFE, J. (2015). İnsan Hakları ve Sosyal Hizmet (Çev. Ali Değirmenci vd.,). Ankara: Nika.
  • referans17 Kinman, G. ve Grant, L. (2011). Exploring Stress Resilience in Trainee Social Workers: The Role of Emotional and Social Competencies. British Journal of Social Work, 41, 261–275.
  • Referans18 Lavee, E. ve Strier, R. (2018). Social Workers’ Emotional Labor with Families in Poverty: Neoliberal Fatigue?. Chilf & Family Social Work, 23(3), 504-512.
  • Referans19 Lazo, D. ve Vik, E. (2014). Reflections on Empathy in Social Work Practice: A Qualitative Study among Swedish Social Workers. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:733643/FULLTEXT01.pdf. Erişim tarihi, 12.11.2020.
  • Referans20 Leon, A. M., Altholz, J. A. S. ve Dziegielewski, S. F. (1999). Compassion Fatigue: Considerations for Working with the Elderly. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 32 (1), 43-62.
  • Referans21 Leung, T. T., Mok, B.,Wong, H. (2005). Tension of Managerial Change in the Emotional Labour of Social Work. International Journal Of Knowledge, Culture And Change Management, 5 (3), 1-8.
  • Referans22 Merighi,J. R. ve Dinis, M. C.(2005). Surface Acting as a Predictor of Emotional Exhaustion in Portuguese Social Workers. The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 3(1), 303-310.
  • Referans23 Morris, A. J. ve Feldman, D. C. (1996). The Dimensions, Antecedents, And Consequences Of Emotional Labor. Academy of Management Review, 21(4), 986–1010.
  • Referans24 Morrison, T. (2007). Emotional İntelligence, Emotion and Social Work: Context, Characteristics, Complications and Contribution. British Journal of Social Work, 37, 245–263.
  • Referans25 Morrissette, P. (2004). Promoting Psychiatric Student Nurse Well-Being. Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing, 11(5), 534–540. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2850.2004.00753.x .
  • Referans26 O’Connor, L. (2019). How Social Workers Understand and Use Their Emotions in Practice. A Thematic Synthesis Literature Review. Qualitative Social Work, 19(4), 1-28.
  • Referans27 Özmete, E. (2011). Social Work As an Emotional Labor: Management of Emotions in Social Work Profession. http://www.sdergi.hacettepe.edu.tr/makaleler/EmineOZMETE-Labors.pdf. Erişim tarihi, 12.11.2020.
  • Referans28 Pizarro, D. (2000) Nothing More than Feelings? The role of Emotions in Moral Judgement. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 30(4), 355–75 .
  • Referans29 Punch, K.F. (2014). Sosyal Araştırmaya Giriş: Nicel ve Nitel Yaklaşımlar (Çev. Dursun Bayrak vd.). (2. Baskı). Ankara: Siyasal Kitapevi
  • Referans30 Reingold, D. A., ve Liu, H. K. (2009). Do Poverty Attitudes of Social Service Agency Directors Influence Organizational Behavior?. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 38, 307–332.
  • Referans31 Ruch, G. (2012). Where Have All the Feelings Gone? Developing Reflective and Relationship-Based Management in Child-Care Social Work. The British Journal of Social Work, 42(7), 1315–1332.
  • Referans32 Taşçı, F. (2008). Sosyal Yardım Yapma(Ma) Gerekçeleri Üzerine Yaklaşımlar. Kamu-İş, 9(4).
  • Referans33 Thomas, J. T., ve Otis, M. D. (2010). Intrapsychic Correlates of Professional Quality of Life: Mindfulness, Empathy, and Emotional Separation. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 1. doi:10.5243/jsswr.2010.7.
  • Referans34 TÜİK (2020a). https://biruni.tuik.gov.tr/medas/?kn=65&locale=tr. Erişim tarihi, 12.11.2020.
  • Referans35 TÜİK (2020b). http://www.tuik.gov.tr/PreTablo.do?alt_id=1013. Erişim tarihi, 12.11.2020.
  • Referans36 Wagaman, M. A., Geiger, J. M., Shockley, C., ve Segal, E. A. (2015). The Role of Empathy in Burnout, Compassion, Satisfaction, and Secondary Traumatic Stress among Social Workers. Social Work, 60, 201–209.
  • Referans37 Yıldırım, A. Ve Şimşek, H. (2018). Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri (11. Baskı). Ankara: Seçkin.

Yoksullarla Çalışan Sosyal Hizmet Uzmanlarının Duygusal Emeği

Year 2021, Volume: 32 Issue: 2, 439 - 457, 30.04.2021
https://doi.org/10.33417/tsh.826609

Abstract

Çalışmada yoksullara hizmet veren sosyal hizmet uzmanlarının duygusal emeği Hochschild (1983)’ün duygusal emek teorisine referansla incelenmiştir. Derinlemesine görüşmelere dayanan araştırmada artan yoksulluk, artan vaka yükleri ve yoksullukla mücadelede yoksulluğu azaltmaktan ziyade kontrol altında tutan sosyal politika uygulamalarıyla karşı karşı olan sosyal hizmet uzmanlarının duygularına odaklanılmıştır. Örnek olay çalışması niteliğinde olan araştırmada kartopu örnekleme ile 18 sosyal hizmet uzmanı ile görüşme yapılmıştır. 20 Eylül 2020-5 Ekim 2020 tarihleri aralığında yürütülen görüşmelerin bir kısmı (13 görüşme) yüz yüze bir kısmı ise (5 görüşme) e-posta aracılığıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bulgular yoksullarla çalışan sosyal hizmet uzmanlarının birbiriyle alakalı üç yönünü ortaya koymuştur: a). sosyal hizmet uzmanları çalışma rutinlerinde sıklıkla sorunlarla karşılaşmaları, b). artan vaka yükleri ve sürekli yoksul insanlarla iç içe olmanın duygusal refahları üzerindeki olumsuz etkisinin ve bunun sosyal yaşamlarına yansımalarının teyidi, c). sürekli yoksullarla karşılaşmanın duygusal tepkisiyle baş etmek için duygusal hissizlik/ duygusal duyarsızlaşma ve duygusal bölünme gibi duygusal emek uygulamalarına başvurmadır. Ayrıca araştırma bulguları sosyal hizmet uzmanlarının profesyonel olarak duygusal koruyucu bir destek almadıklarını ortaya koymuştur.

References

  • Referans1 Abramovitz, M. (2012). Theorising The Neoliberal Welfare State for Social Work. In M. Grey, J. Midgley, & S. A. Webb (Eds.), The Sage Handbook Of Social Work (33–50). London: Sage.
  • Referans2 Aca, Z. (2018). Türkiye’de Kamusal Sosyal Yardımların Yapabilirlik Yaklaşımı Çerçevesinde Etkinliği Analizi: Bursa Örneği. Yayımlanmamış Doktora Tezi, Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Bursa.
  • Referans3 Aca, Z. (2020). Yapabilirlik Yaklaşımı Çerçevesinde Kamusal Sosyal Yardımların Etkinliği Analizi: Bursa Örneği. Ankara: Türk Metal.
  • Referans4 Ashforth, B., Humphrey, E. ve Ronald. H. (1993). Emotional Labor in Service Roles: The influence of identity. Academy of Management Review, 18, 88-115.
  • Referans5 Creswell, J.W. (2013). Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri: Beş Yaklaşıma Göre Nitel Araştırma ve Araştırma Desenleri (Çev., Osman Birgin vd.,). (Gözden geçirilmiş 2. Baskı). Ankara: Siyasal Kitapevi.
  • Referans6 Davis, M. (1983). Measuring Individual Differences in Empathy Evidence for a Aulti-Dimensional Approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44(1), 113–126.
  • Referans7 Feldman, G. (2019). Towards a Relational Approach to Poverty in Social Work: Research and Practice Considerations. British Journal of Social Work, 49, 1705–1722.
  • Referans8 Fenton, J. (2012). Bringing Together Messages from the Literature on Criminal Justice Social Work and ‘Disjuncture: The Importance of ‘Helping’. The British Journal of Social Work, 42(5), 941–956.
  • Referans9 Frederickson, B. (2001). The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden And Build Theory of Positive Emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 18–26.
  • Referans10 Gerdes, K. E. ve Segal, E. A. (2009). A Social Work Model of Empathy. Advances in Social Work, 10( 2), 114-127.
  • Referans11 Gerdes, K. E., Lietz, C. A., ve Segal, E. A. (2011). Measuring Empathy in the 21st Century: Development of an Empathy Index Rooted in Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Social Justice. Social Work Research, 35, 83–93.
  • Referasn12 Grandey, A. A. (2000). Emotion Regulation in The Workplace: A New Way To Conceptualize Emotional Labor. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5(1), 95–110.
  • Referasn13 Grootegoed, E. ve Smith, M.(2018). The Emotional Labour of Austerity: How Social Workers Reflect and Work on Their Feelings towards Reducing Support to Needy Children and Families. British Journal of Social Work, 48(7), 929–1947.
  • Referans14 Hochschild, A. (1983). The managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Referans15 Hochschild, A. R. (2013). So how's the family? and Other Essays. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Referans16 IFE, J. (2015). İnsan Hakları ve Sosyal Hizmet (Çev. Ali Değirmenci vd.,). Ankara: Nika.
  • referans17 Kinman, G. ve Grant, L. (2011). Exploring Stress Resilience in Trainee Social Workers: The Role of Emotional and Social Competencies. British Journal of Social Work, 41, 261–275.
  • Referans18 Lavee, E. ve Strier, R. (2018). Social Workers’ Emotional Labor with Families in Poverty: Neoliberal Fatigue?. Chilf & Family Social Work, 23(3), 504-512.
  • Referans19 Lazo, D. ve Vik, E. (2014). Reflections on Empathy in Social Work Practice: A Qualitative Study among Swedish Social Workers. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:733643/FULLTEXT01.pdf. Erişim tarihi, 12.11.2020.
  • Referans20 Leon, A. M., Altholz, J. A. S. ve Dziegielewski, S. F. (1999). Compassion Fatigue: Considerations for Working with the Elderly. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 32 (1), 43-62.
  • Referans21 Leung, T. T., Mok, B.,Wong, H. (2005). Tension of Managerial Change in the Emotional Labour of Social Work. International Journal Of Knowledge, Culture And Change Management, 5 (3), 1-8.
  • Referans22 Merighi,J. R. ve Dinis, M. C.(2005). Surface Acting as a Predictor of Emotional Exhaustion in Portuguese Social Workers. The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 3(1), 303-310.
  • Referans23 Morris, A. J. ve Feldman, D. C. (1996). The Dimensions, Antecedents, And Consequences Of Emotional Labor. Academy of Management Review, 21(4), 986–1010.
  • Referans24 Morrison, T. (2007). Emotional İntelligence, Emotion and Social Work: Context, Characteristics, Complications and Contribution. British Journal of Social Work, 37, 245–263.
  • Referans25 Morrissette, P. (2004). Promoting Psychiatric Student Nurse Well-Being. Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing, 11(5), 534–540. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2850.2004.00753.x .
  • Referans26 O’Connor, L. (2019). How Social Workers Understand and Use Their Emotions in Practice. A Thematic Synthesis Literature Review. Qualitative Social Work, 19(4), 1-28.
  • Referans27 Özmete, E. (2011). Social Work As an Emotional Labor: Management of Emotions in Social Work Profession. http://www.sdergi.hacettepe.edu.tr/makaleler/EmineOZMETE-Labors.pdf. Erişim tarihi, 12.11.2020.
  • Referans28 Pizarro, D. (2000) Nothing More than Feelings? The role of Emotions in Moral Judgement. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 30(4), 355–75 .
  • Referans29 Punch, K.F. (2014). Sosyal Araştırmaya Giriş: Nicel ve Nitel Yaklaşımlar (Çev. Dursun Bayrak vd.). (2. Baskı). Ankara: Siyasal Kitapevi
  • Referans30 Reingold, D. A., ve Liu, H. K. (2009). Do Poverty Attitudes of Social Service Agency Directors Influence Organizational Behavior?. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 38, 307–332.
  • Referans31 Ruch, G. (2012). Where Have All the Feelings Gone? Developing Reflective and Relationship-Based Management in Child-Care Social Work. The British Journal of Social Work, 42(7), 1315–1332.
  • Referans32 Taşçı, F. (2008). Sosyal Yardım Yapma(Ma) Gerekçeleri Üzerine Yaklaşımlar. Kamu-İş, 9(4).
  • Referans33 Thomas, J. T., ve Otis, M. D. (2010). Intrapsychic Correlates of Professional Quality of Life: Mindfulness, Empathy, and Emotional Separation. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 1. doi:10.5243/jsswr.2010.7.
  • Referans34 TÜİK (2020a). https://biruni.tuik.gov.tr/medas/?kn=65&locale=tr. Erişim tarihi, 12.11.2020.
  • Referans35 TÜİK (2020b). http://www.tuik.gov.tr/PreTablo.do?alt_id=1013. Erişim tarihi, 12.11.2020.
  • Referans36 Wagaman, M. A., Geiger, J. M., Shockley, C., ve Segal, E. A. (2015). The Role of Empathy in Burnout, Compassion, Satisfaction, and Secondary Traumatic Stress among Social Workers. Social Work, 60, 201–209.
  • Referans37 Yıldırım, A. Ve Şimşek, H. (2018). Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri (11. Baskı). Ankara: Seçkin.
There are 37 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language Turkish
Subjects Sociology (Other)
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Zeynep Aca 0000-0002-3399-5310

Publication Date April 30, 2021
Submission Date November 16, 2020
Published in Issue Year 2021 Volume: 32 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Aca, Z. (2021). Yoksullarla Çalışan Sosyal Hizmet Uzmanlarının Duygusal Emeği. Toplum Ve Sosyal Hizmet, 32(2), 439-457. https://doi.org/10.33417/tsh.826609