Sinema ve Televizyon Dizilerinde Sosyal Hizmet Uzmanlarının Olumsuz Temsili: Eleştirel Bir Nitel Analiz

Öz

Sinema ve televizyon dizileri, toplumsal gerçekliğe ilişkin anlamların üretildiği ve yeniden inşa edildiği başlıca kültürel yapımlar arasında yer almaktadır. Bu bağlamda, mesleklerin medyadaki sunumları kamusal algının şekillenmesinde önemli bir etkiye sahiptir. Bu çalışma, sinema ve televizyon yapımlarında sosyal hizmet uzmanlarının olumsuz temsillerini eleştirel bir perspektifle analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Nitel araştırma yöntemine dayanan çalışmada, sosyal hizmet mesleğinin medya temsillerine odaklanan literatürde sıkça atıfta bulunulan film ve diziler örneklem olarak seçilmiştir. Belirlenen yapımlar tematik ve betimsel analiz yöntemleri kullanılarak incelenmiş; sosyal hizmet uzmanlarının hangi anlatı kalıpları, karakter özellikleri ve ideolojik çerçeveler üzerinden olumsuz biçimde kurgulandığı ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Elde edilen bulgular, sosyal hizmet uzmanlarının çoğu zaman mesleki açıdan yetersiz, ihmalkâr, aşırı müdahaleci ya da bürokratik sistemin duyarsız bir temsilcisi olarak betimlendiğini göstermektedir. Bu sunumların, mesleğin etik ilkeleri ve profesyonel sınırlarıyla büyük ölçüde çeliştiği belirlenmiştir. Çalışma, popüler kültürde sosyal hizmet uzmanlarına yönelik olumsuz temsil biçimlerini ortaya koyarak ilgili literatüre katkı sağlamayı amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sosyal hizmet uzmanları
• Medya temsilleri
• Olumsuz temsil
• Film ve dizi analizi

The Negative Representation of Social Workers in Films and Television Series: Effects on Public Perception

Öz

Films and television series are among the primary cultural productions through which meanings related to social reality are produced and reconstructed. In this context, the portrayal of professions in the media plays a significant role in shaping public perception. This study aims to critically analyze the negative representations of social workers in films and television productions. Within a qualitative research framework, films and television series frequently cited in the literature focusing on media representations of the social work profession were selected as the sample. The selected productions were subjected to thematic and descriptive analysis in order to identify the narrative patterns, character constructions, and ideological frameworks through which social workers are negatively constructed. The findings indicate that social workers are frequently portrayed as professionally incompetent, neglectful, excessively interventionist, or as insensitive agents of a bureaucratic system. These representations are found to be largely inconsistent with the ethical principles and professional boundaries of the profession. By systematically examining negative representation patterns of social workers in popular culture, this study aims to contribute to the existing body of literature on media representations of the social work profession.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Social workers
• Media representations
• Negative representation
• Film and television series analysis

Kaynakça

1. Aghaei, A., Sakhaei, A., Khalilimeybodi, A., Qiao, S., & Li, X. (2023). Impact of mass media on HIV/AIDS stigma reduction: A Systematic review and meta-analysis. AIDS Behav. 27(10):3414-3429. doi: 10.1007/s10461-023-04057-5.
2. Babapour, M., & Fathi, M. (2023). Reading the values and principles of social work from the perspective of existentialism philosophy, Journal of Social Work Research, 9(34), 53-83.
3. Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory of mass communication. Media Psychology, 3(3), 265–299. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532785XMEP0303_03
4. Blankenship, M. (2009). The Movie ‘Precious’ tells two stories at once. HuffPost, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-movie-precious-tells_b_350924
5. Chappell, C. (2010). Hollywood spotlight. Children’s Voice, 19(6), 28–32.
6. Conrad, I., Schulze, B., Corrieri, S., Heider, D., Schomerus, G., & Riedel-Heller, S. (2014). The film festival Ausnahme/ Zustand (State of Emergency)- Do feature films and documentaries on mental health reduce stigma and influence help-seeking attitudes? Psychiatry Research, 220, 1043–1050. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2014.09.006
7. Cooper, A (2014). Annie A Social Worker's Review. The New Social Worker, https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/reviews-commentary/annie-social-worker-movie-review/
8. Dale, D. (1986). A child in trust: The report of the inquiry into the case of Jasmine Beckford, The British Journal of Criminology, 26(2), 173-178.

9. Dijk, T. (2023). Analyzing frame analysis: A critical review of framing studies in social movement research, Discourse Studies. 25, 153-178. 10.1177/14614456231155080.
10. Doruk Şahin, Ö. (2020). George Gerbner’ın yetiştirme kuramına özgün bir katkı: “Kamular türkü söyleyin”. Etkileşim, 6, 200-204, https://doi.org/10.32739/etkilesim.2020.6.82
11. Downey, E. P., Jackson, R. L., Puig, M. E., & Furman, R. (2003). Perceptions of efficacy in the use of contemporary film in social work education: An exploratory study, Social Work Education, 22(4), 401–410. doi:10.1080/02615470309143
12. Edmondson, D., & King, M. (2016). The childcatchers: An exploration of the representations and discourses of social work in UK film and television drama from the 1960s to the present day. Journal of Social Work, 16(6), 639–656. doi:10.1177/1468017316637221
13. Entman, R. M. (1991). Framing U.S. Coverage of ınternational news: Contrasts in narratives of the KAL and Iran air ıncidents. Journal of Communication, 41(4), 6–27. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.1991.tb02328.x
14. Ercan, E., & Demir, F. (2015). Yetiştirme kuramı: Anadolu Üniversitesi Fen Fakültesinde yapılan araştırma. Gümüşhane Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Elektronik Dergisi, 3(1), 127-144. https://doi.org/10.19145/guifd.10613
15. Freeman, M. L., & Valentine, D. P. (2004). Through the Eyes of Hollywood: Images of social workers in film. Social Work, 49(2), 151–16, doi:10.1093/sw/49.2.151
16. Gibelman, M. (2004). Television and the public ımage of social workers: Portrayal or betrayal? Social Work, 49(2), 331–334, doi:10.1093/sw/49.2.331
17. Hall, S. (1985). Signification, representation, ideology: Althusser and the post-structuralist debates, Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 2(2), 91–114.
18. Hall, S. (1989). Cultural ıdentity and cinematic representation. Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media, 36, 68-81.
19. Hall, S. (1992). Race, culture, and communications: Looking backward and forward at cultural studies. Rethinking Marxism, A Journal of Economics, Culture & Society, 5(1), 10-18, DOI: 10.1080/08935699208657998
20. Hall, S. (1997). Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices. (Vol. 2). S. Hall (Ed), Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
21. Heffley, L. (1996, Şubat 3). TV review: Touching Hilarity with ‘Boys next door’, Los Angeles Times, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-02-03-ca-31743-story.html
22. Henderson, L., & Franklin, B. (2007). Sad not bad, Journal of Social Work, 7(2), 133–153. doi:10.1177/1468017307080352
23. Hinkamp, C. (2021). Netflix's the trials of Gabriel Fernandez, Children’s Legal Rights Journal, 41(1), 68, https://lawecommons.luc.edu/clrj/vol41/iss1/8
24. Higgins, J. A., & Dermer, S. (2001). The Use of film in marriage and family Counselor education, Counselor Education and Supervision. 40(3), 182–192, doi:10.1002/j.1556-6978.2001.tb01251.x
25. Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing cultures: The Hofstede model in context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), doi:10.9707/ 2307-0919.1014
26. Hingley-Jones, H., & Kirwan, G. (2023). Poverty: social work perspectives. Journal of Social Work Practice, 37(2), 131–135, doi:10.1080/02650533.2023.2233845
27. Hobbs, E., & Evans, N (2017). Social work perceptions and identity: How social workers perceive public and professional attitudes towards their vocation and discipline, Aotearoa New Zealand Socıal Work, 29(4), 19–31.
28. Hoffner, C., & Buchanan, M. (2005). Young adults' Wishful identification with television characters: The Role of perceived similarity and character attributes. Media Psychology, 7(4), 325–351. doi:10.1207/S1532785XMEP0704_2
29. Gerbner, G. (1965). Institutional pressures upon mass communicators, The Sociological Review, 13(1), 205–248. doi:10.1111/j.1467-954X.1965.tb03119.x
30. Gerbner, G. (1969). Toward “cultural indicators”: The analysis of mass mediated public message systems, AV Communication Review, 17(2), 137–148. doi:10.1007/BF02769102
31. Gerbner, G. (1970). Cultural indicators: The Case of violence in television drama. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 388(1), 69–81. doi:10.1177/000271627038800108
32. Gerbner, G., & Gross, L. (1976). Living with television: The violence profile, Journal of Communi¬cation, 26(2), 172–199. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.1976.tb01397.x
33. Gerbner, G (1998). Cultivation analysis: An overview, Mass Communication & Society. Vol: 3(14), 175-194.
34. Gillig, T., Rosenthal, E., Murphy, S., & Folb, K. (2018). More than a media moment: The Influence of televised storylines on viewers’ attitudes toward transgender people and policies. Sex Roles. 78(26),515-527
35. Goddard, C. (2022). Social workers on the small screen, Children & young people now, https://www.cypnow.co.uk/content/in-depth/social-workers-on-the-small-screen/
36. Gonta, G., Hansen, S., Fagin, C., & Fong, J. (2017). Changing media and changing minds: Media exposure and viewer attitudes toward homosexuality, Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research, 5(5), 22-34.
37. Jarkiewicz, A. (2015). Documentary film as a tool for social work – the experience of social worker, Social Work: Experience and Methods, 16(2), 83-98, doi:10.7220/2029-5820.16.2.5
38. Jones, R. (2024). Social work across the decades: the Maria Colwell inquiry, Community Care, https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/05/09/social-work-across-the-decades-the-maria-colwell-inquiry/
39. Kubrak, T. (2020). Impact of films: Changes in young people’s attitudes after watching a movie. Behavioral Sciences, 10(5), 86, doi:10.3390/bs10050086.
40. Kreuter, M. W., Strecher, V. J., & Glassman, B. (1999). One size does not fit all: The case for tailoring print materials, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 21(4), 276–283.
41. Kurchak, S. (2015). Losing Isaiah: The White savior trope 20 years later, Consequence, https://consequence.net/2015/03/losing-isaiah-the-white-savior-trope-20-years-later/
42. Leedham, M. (2024). Depictions of social workers and other caring professionals on television. Journal of Social Work, 24(5), 664-684, doi:10.1177/14680173241240980
43. Laganá, L., & Gavrilova, L., Carter, D. B., & Ainsworth, A. T. (2017). A randomized controlled study on the effects of a documentary on students’ empathy and attitudes towards older adults, Psychology and Cognitive Sciences - Open Journal, 3(3), 79–88.
44. Liles, R. E. (2007). The Use of feature films as teaching tools in social work education. Journal of Teaching in Social Work. 27(3-4), 45–60, doi:10.1300/j067v27n03_04
45. Mark D. Taracuk;Julie M. Koch, (2021). Use of a media intervention to increase positive attitudes toward transgender and gender diverse individuals, International Journal of Transgender Health, 24(1), 86-98.
46. McIntosh, F. (2008, Kasım 16). They ticked their boxes but let Baby P die in pain. Sunday Mirror, https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/they-ticked-their-boxes-but-let-baby-p-die-358841
47. Morgan, M., & Rothschild, N. (1983). Impact of the new television technology: Cable TV, peers, and sex-role cultivation in the electronic environment. Youth and Society, 15(1), 33-50.
48. Morgan, M., & Shanahan, J. (1996). Two decades of cultivation research: An appraisal and meta-analysis. B. R. Burleson (Ed.), Communication Yearbook, 20, içinde (ss. 1-45). Newbury Park, CA: Sage
49. Murdach, A. D. (2006). Social work in the movies: Another look. Social Work, 51(3), 269–272, doi:10.1093/sw/51.3.269
50. O’hagan, K. (1997). The problem of engaging men in child protection work, The British Journal of Social Work, 27(1), 25–42, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23714610
51. Purcell, C., & Chow, D. S. L. (2011). The reorganization of children’s social services in England. Public Money & Management, 31(6), 403–410, doi:10.1080/09540962.2011.618764
52. Rivadeneyra, R. (2005). From ally mcbeal to Sabado Gigante: Contributions of television viewing to the gender role attitudes of latino adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 20(4), 453–475. doi:10.1177/0743558405274871
53. Robison-Greene, R. (2020). The Case of Gabriel Fernandez: Social work and public Responsibility,https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1550&context=lpsc_facpub
54. Rossi, A. (2016). Media's influence on attitudes towards gay men, Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations.
55. Siporin, M. (1984). Have you Heard the One about Social Work Humor? Social Casework, 65(8), 459–464, doi:10.1177/104438948406500803
56. Signorielli, N., & Morgan, M., (2009). Cultivation analysis: research and practice. Stacks, D.W., Salwen, M.B. (Ed.), An Integrated Approach to Communication Theory and Research, second ed. içinde (ss. 103-136). New York: Routledge,
57. Stacks, D. W., Li, Z., & Spaulding, C. (2015). Media Effects. In J. Wright (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 15, 29-34.
58. Stanfield, D., & Beddoe, L. (2013). Social work and the media: A collaborative challenge. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work, 25(4), 41–51, doi:10.11157/anzswj-vol25iss4id62
59. Sullivan, R. (2010). Can ‘Precious’ be a teaching tool? Social Workers Speak https://www.socialworkersspeak.org/hollywood-connection/can-the-movie-precious-be-a-teaching-tool.html
60. Thompson, N. (1992). Existentialism and Social Work (1st ed.), Routledge, doi:10.4324/9781315255699
61. Tuncay, T. (2024). İzmir’de 5 çocuğun öldüğü yangının ardından: Çocuk güvenliği meselemiz, Fikir Turu, https://fikirturu.com/toplum/izmirde-5-cocugun-oldugu-yanginin-ardindan/
62. Vaughan, P., Rogers, E., Singhal, A., & Swalehe, R. (2000). Entertainment-education and HIV/AIDS prevention: A Field Experiment in Tanzania, Journal of Health Communication, 5, 81-100. 10.1080/10810730050019573.
63. Valentine, D. P., Freeman, M. (2002). Film portrayals of social workers doing child welfare work. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 19(6), 455–471, doi:10.1023/a:1021145713542
64. Wain, D. (2016). Social workers on TV: why is it so difficult to get right? Community Care, https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2016/06/01/social-workers-on-tv/
65. Warner, J. (2013) Social work, class politics and risk in the moral panic over Baby P, Health, Risk & Society. 15(3), 217-233, doi: 10.1080/13698575.2013.776018
66. Weiss-Gal, I. (2009). Teaching critical perspectives: Analyses of professional practice in the film Ladybird Ladybird, Social Work Education, 28(8), 873–886. doi:10.1080/02615470802702157
67. Westwood, J. (2013). Media and social work. A. Worsley, T. Mann, A. Olsen & E. Mason-Whitehead (Eds.), Key concepts in social work practice içinde (ss. 137-141). Sage. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260134647_Media_and_Social_Work
68. Widom, C. S. (1989). The cycle of violence, Science, 244(4901), 160–166.
69. Zaklama, S. (2025). Exploring the foundations of media framing theory. European Modern Studies Journal. 9(1), 75-89. 10.59573/emsj.9(1).2025.7.
70. Żemojtel-Piotrowska, M., & Piotrowski, J. (2023). Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory, Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavio riçinde (ss. 1-4). Springter International Publishing.
71. Zugazaga, C. B., Surette, R. B., Mendez, M., & Otto, C. W. (2006). Social worker perceptions of the portrayal of the profession in the news and entertainment media: An Exploratory study, Journal of Social Work Education. 42(3). 621–636. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23044198