{"id":{"repo_id":"helsinki","oai_identifier":"oai:helda.helsinki.fi:10138/277782"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/helsinki/oai:helda.helsinki.fi:10138/277782","repository":{"repo_id":"helsinki","name":"University of Helsinki","base_url":"https://helda.helsinki.fi/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"What does the future hold? : The reflections of students and lecturers on becoming a social worker in Zambia : a case study of social work education at the University of Zambia","abstract":"This research examines how social work lecturers and fourth-year students reflect on the journey towards becoming a social worker in the Zambian context, and how the challenges the students face can be understood. Through a case study approach, the research aims to capture the becoming that occurs during the years of education, before the students graduate and enter the field as professionals. The 'becoming' is approached as a process of identity formation, influenced by interconnected external and interior dimensions. The research examines the challenges that the students and lecturers face, both within the training but also in society at large. The concept of becoming is used as a key tool when trying to capture the transition from student to professional. Since the process of becoming is considered to be connected to time, change and transition, the informants have been asked to reflect on the past, the present and the future. The informants discuss their career choice, the training provided at the institution and the professions current status within the Zambian society. The research framework has a postcolonial approach and constitutes of Margaret Archer's theory on reflexivity and Henry Giroux's thoughts on the crisis of higher education. Due to the lack of previous research within this topic, the importance of both contextualising the research, as well as addressing the professions Western roots is emphasised. The study argues that the impacts of colonialism has to be considered when trying to understand and connect the prevailing rhetoric and practices of social work in general. The question of whether the western theories and methods really are applicable in the Zambian context is raised. The concept of indigenous social work and the struggle to localise the profession is discussed in relation to the idea of a standardised, universal and international profession. The empirical phase of the research was carried out in Lusaka in June and July 2017. Eight semi-structured individual interviews with lecturers in social work and one group interview with five fourth-year social work students were conducted at the University of Zambia. A questionnaire completed by 34 fourth-year students in social work was used as a third source of data. The data has been analysed through a thematic approach. The themes were abstracted mainly through a qualitative thematic content analysis, however a quantitative content analysis was also used on the questionnaire to provide the study with an overview of the educational context. The analysis starts with examining how the university training shapes the students’ processes of becoming professional social workers. The lack of teaching resources and the hierarchy within the institution are discussed topics. Further on the analysis examines the informants’ thoughts on the future, both for the graduating students as well as for the profession. One of the main themes that run through the findings is the profession's lack of recognition and resources, which affects the students and practitioners in many ways. The lack of a clear policy for social services as well as the absence of institutional guidance are also challenges that affect the Zambian welfare system and the people working within it. According to the study, these challenges have resulted in a struggle for the profession to form a collective identity and maintain a certain level of professionalism. Another common thread is the need for contextualisation of the profession, meaning redesigning the profession and the education to better fit the local context and decrease the western influences. To conclude, the biggest challenges for both the social work profession in Zambia as well as for the graduating students were said to be the lack of recognition, resources, regulation and local academic knowledge. This study maps out these challenges and how they are positioned in relation to each other.","abstract_html":"This research examines how social work lecturers and fourth-year students reflect on the journey towards becoming a social worker in the Zambian context, and how the challenges the students face can be understood. Through a case study approach, the research aims to capture the becoming that occurs during the years of education, before the students graduate and enter the field as professionals. The 'becoming' is approached as a process of identity formation, influenced by interconnected external and interior dimensions. The research examines the challenges that the students and lecturers face, both within the training but also in society at large. The concept of becoming is used as a key tool when trying to capture the transition from student to professional. Since the process of becoming is considered to be connected to time, change and transition, the informants have been asked to reflect on the past, the present and the future. The informants discuss their career choice, the training provided at the institution and the professions current status within the Zambian society. The research framework has a postcolonial approach and constitutes of Margaret Archer's theory on reflexivity and Henry Giroux's thoughts on the crisis of higher education. Due to the lack of previous research within this topic, the importance of both contextualising the research, as well as addressing the professions Western roots is emphasised. The study argues that the impacts of colonialism has to be considered when trying to understand and connect the prevailing rhetoric and practices of social work in general. The question of whether the western theories and methods really are applicable in the Zambian context is raised. The concept of indigenous social work and the struggle to localise the profession is discussed in relation to the idea of a standardised, universal and international profession. The empirical phase of the research was carried out in Lusaka in June and July 2017. Eight semi-structured individual interviews with lecturers in social work and one group interview with five fourth-year social work students were conducted at the University of Zambia. A questionnaire completed by 34 fourth-year students in social work was used as a third source of data. The data has been analysed through a thematic approach. The themes were abstracted mainly through a qualitative thematic content analysis, however a quantitative content analysis was also used on the questionnaire to provide the study with an overview of the educational context. The analysis starts with examining how the university training shapes the students’ processes of becoming professional social workers. The lack of teaching resources and the hierarchy within the institution are discussed topics. Further on the analysis examines the informants’ thoughts on the future, both for the graduating students as well as for the profession. One of the main themes that run through the findings is the profession's lack of recognition and resources, which affects the students and practitioners in many ways. The lack of a clear policy for social services as well as the absence of institutional guidance are also challenges that affect the Zambian welfare system and the people working within it. According to the study, these challenges have resulted in a struggle for the profession to form a collective identity and maintain a certain level of professionalism. Another common thread is the need for contextualisation of the profession, meaning redesigning the profession and the education to better fit the local context and decrease the western influences. To conclude, the biggest challenges for both the social work profession in Zambia as well as for the graduating students were said to be the lack of recognition, resources, regulation and local academic knowledge. This study maps out these challenges and how they are positioned in relation to each other.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Leuschel, Mikaela"],"institution":"Helsingin yliopisto","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Helsingin yliopisto, Valtiotieteellinen tiedekunta, Sosiaalitieteiden laitos","University of Helsinki, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Research","Helsingfors universitet, Statsvetenskapliga fakulteten, Institutionen för socialvetenskaper"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018","date_published":"2018","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:55:56Z","subjects":["becoming","professional social work","indigenous social work","indigenisation","postcolonialism","international social work","African social work","Zambia","social work students","studerande","att bli professionell","internationellt socialt arbete","postkolonialism","lokalt socialt arbete","professionellt socialt arbete"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["URN:NBN:fi:hulib-201812043659"],"render_values":[{"text":"URN:NBN:fi:hulib-201812043659","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10138/277782","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Helsingin yliopisto, Valtiotieteellinen tiedekunta, Sosiaalitieteiden laitos","University of Helsinki, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Research","Helsingfors universitet, Statsvetenskapliga fakulteten, Institutionen för socialvetenskaper"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Leuschel, Mikaela"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2018"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Helsingin yliopisto","University of Helsinki","Helsingfors universitet"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["becoming","professional social work","indigenous social work","indigenisation","postcolonialism","international social work","African social work","Zambia","social work students","studerande","att bli professionell","internationellt socialt arbete","postkolonialism","lokalt socialt arbete","professionellt socialt arbete"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["URN:NBN:fi:hulib-201812043659","http://hdl.handle.net/10138/277782"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This research examines how social work lecturers and fourth-year students reflect on the journey towards becoming a social worker in the Zambian context, and how the challenges the students face can be understood. Through a case study approach, the research aims to capture the becoming that occurs during the years of education, before the students graduate and enter the field as professionals. The 'becoming' is approached as a process of identity formation, influenced by interconnected external and interior dimensions. The research examines the challenges that the students and lecturers face, both within the training but also in society at large. The concept of becoming is used as a key tool when trying to capture the transition from student to professional. Since the process of becoming is considered to be connected to time, change and transition, the informants have been asked to reflect on the past, the present and the future. The informants discuss their career choice, the training provided at the institution and the professions current status within the Zambian society. The research framework has a postcolonial approach and constitutes of Margaret Archer's theory on reflexivity and Henry Giroux's thoughts on the crisis of higher education. Due to the lack of previous research within this topic, the importance of both contextualising the research, as well as addressing the professions Western roots is emphasised. The study argues that the impacts of colonialism has to be considered when trying to understand and connect the prevailing rhetoric and practices of social work in general. The question of whether the western theories and methods really are applicable in the Zambian context is raised. The concept of indigenous social work and the struggle to localise the profession is discussed in relation to the idea of a standardised, universal and international profession. The empirical phase of the research was carried out in Lusaka in June and July 2017. Eight semi-structured individual interviews with lecturers in social work and one group interview with five fourth-year social work students were conducted at the University of Zambia. A questionnaire completed by 34 fourth-year students in social work was used as a third source of data. The data has been analysed through a thematic approach. The themes were abstracted mainly through a qualitative thematic content analysis, however a quantitative content analysis was also used on the questionnaire to provide the study with an overview of the educational context. The analysis starts with examining how the university training shapes the students’ processes of becoming professional social workers. The lack of teaching resources and the hierarchy within the institution are discussed topics. Further on the analysis examines the informants’ thoughts on the future, both for the graduating students as well as for the profession. One of the main themes that run through the findings is the profession's lack of recognition and resources, which affects the students and practitioners in many ways. The lack of a clear policy for social services as well as the absence of institutional guidance are also challenges that affect the Zambian welfare system and the people working within it. According to the study, these challenges have resulted in a struggle for the profession to form a collective identity and maintain a certain level of professionalism. Another common thread is the need for contextualisation of the profession, meaning redesigning the profession and the education to better fit the local context and decrease the western influences. To conclude, the biggest challenges for both the social work profession in Zambia as well as for the graduating students were said to be the lack of recognition, resources, regulation and local academic knowledge. This study maps out these challenges and how they are positioned in relation to each other.","Syftet med denna fallstudie är att granska hur fjärdeårsstuderande och föreläsare i socialt arbete reflekterar kring resan mot att bli professionell socialarbetare i Zambia. Studien belyser informanternas reflektioner kring utbildningen av socialarbetare vid University of Zambia, det sociala arbetet som framtida yrke, samt de utmaningar som finns för nyblivna professionella socialarbetare i Zambia. Studien tar fasta på processen att bli (eng. ’becoming’) och fokus ligger på tiden under studierna, det vill säga steget innan övergången ut i arbetslivet. Studien ser resan mot att bli professionell socialarbetare som en identitetsformulering där många faktorer inverkar och interagerar, därför utgörs studiens teoretiska ram av flera teorier som tillsammans belyser och hjälper greppa denna komplexa och multidimensionella process. Studien närmar sig både de externa och interna dimensionerna av detta identitetsskapande och samhällets roll granskas kritiskt. Den teoretiska ramen har en postkolonial utgångspunkt och består av Margaret S. Archers teori om reflexivitet och människans inre dialoger samt Henry A. Girouxs tankar kring krisen som den högre utbildningen står inför idag globalt. I och med att lite forskning har gjorts kring detta ämne lägger studien stark vikt vid att beskriva och kontextualisera professionen i den zambiska kontexten genom att presentera tidigare forskning samt sammanfatta professionens historiska utveckling. De samhälleliga, globala och historiska strukturerna bör beaktas för att kunna förstå den lokala kontext som studiens informanter skapar sin professionella identitet i. Det sociala arbetet, som det är format i dag, har sina rötter i väst och professionens utveckling på den afrikanska kontinenten måste granskas genom ett postkolonialt perspektiv. Frågor kring internationellt socialt arbete, universella principer och hur anpassningsbara de västerländska teorierna och metoderna är i icke-västerländska kontexter blir högst relevanta. Datainsamlingsprocessen utfördes i Lusaka under juni och juli 2017. Materialet består av åtta halvstrukturerade individuella intervjuer med föreläsare och en gruppintervju med fem studerande samt ett frågeformulär som 34 studerande svarade på. Samtliga informanter var fjärdeårsstuderande eller föreläsare i socialt arbete vid University of Zambia. Datat har bearbetats och analyserats genom en tematisk innehållsanalys. Analysen börjar med att granska hur utbildningen i socialt arbete bidra till formandet av de studerandes process mot en professionell identitet. Informanterna reflekterar kring bristen på resurser och studiematerial, vilket anses begränsa inlärnings- och föreläsningsmetoderna. Därtill diskuteras även de existerande hierarkiska strukturerna vid universitetet samt interaktionen mellan studerande och föreläsare. Studien analyserar hur dessa faktorer påverkar de studerandes möjligheter till reflektion och kritiskt tänkande. Vidare granskar analysen informanternas tankar kring övergången från studerande till professionell. Informanterna reflekterar kring det sociala arbetets framtid och arbetsmöjligheter och utmaningar som de studerande kommer att tvingas förhålla sig till. De intervjuade studerandena ser fram emot sin examinering men uttrycker även en viss oro gällande ovissheten kring de framtida arbetsmöjligheterna. Informanterna är alla överens om att det finns ett stort behov av professionella socialarbetare i landet, dock delar frågan om de existerande arbetsmöjligheterna åsikter. En del av föreläsarna anser att behovet av professionella socialarbetare är så stort att det inte borde vara svårt att hitta anställning, medan andra informanter menar att professionens brist på erkännande, resurser samt lagstadgad roll försvårar processen. Sammanfattningsvis framkommer fyra centrala utmaningar som blivande zambiska socialarbetare står inför, nämligen resursbrist, brist på kunskap anpassad till den lokala kontexten, avsaknad av lagstiftning och reglering av professionen samt brist på erkännande. Ur materialet framgår att dessa utmaningar bidragit till att det zambiska sociala arbetet fortsättningsvis är starkt kopplat till västerländska teorier och metoder och att professionen fortfarande behövs kontextualiseras. Detta har även tidigare forskning antytt. Studien visar att utmaningarna försvårar skapandet av en gemensam kollektiv identitet, vilket i sin tur gör stärkandet av professionens synlighet och inflytande betydligt svårare. Studien reflekterar kring hur dessa utmaningar kan förstås och kartlägger hur de inverkar och står i relation till varandra."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["What does the future hold? : The reflections of students and lecturers on becoming a social worker in Zambia : a case study of social work education at the University of Zambia"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Helsingin yliopisto, Valtiotieteellinen tiedekunta, Sosiaalitieteiden laitos","University of Helsinki, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Research","Helsingfors universitet, Statsvetenskapliga fakulteten, Institutionen för socialvetenskaper"],"dc:creator":["Leuschel, Mikaela"],"dc:date.issued":["2018"],"dc:description.abstract":["This research examines how social work lecturers and fourth-year students reflect on the journey towards becoming a social worker in the Zambian context, and how the challenges the students face can be understood. Through a case study approach, the research aims to capture the becoming that occurs during the years of education, before the students graduate and enter the field as professionals. The 'becoming' is approached as a process of identity formation, influenced by interconnected external and interior dimensions. The research examines the challenges that the students and lecturers face, both within the training but also in society at large. The concept of becoming is used as a key tool when trying to capture the transition from student to professional. Since the process of becoming is considered to be connected to time, change and transition, the informants have been asked to reflect on the past, the present and the future. The informants discuss their career choice, the training provided at the institution and the professions current status within the Zambian society. The research framework has a postcolonial approach and constitutes of Margaret Archer's theory on reflexivity and Henry Giroux's thoughts on the crisis of higher education. Due to the lack of previous research within this topic, the importance of both contextualising the research, as well as addressing the professions Western roots is emphasised. The study argues that the impacts of colonialism has to be considered when trying to understand and connect the prevailing rhetoric and practices of social work in general. The question of whether the western theories and methods really are applicable in the Zambian context is raised. The concept of indigenous social work and the struggle to localise the profession is discussed in relation to the idea of a standardised, universal and international profession. The empirical phase of the research was carried out in Lusaka in June and July 2017. Eight semi-structured individual interviews with lecturers in social work and one group interview with five fourth-year social work students were conducted at the University of Zambia. A questionnaire completed by 34 fourth-year students in social work was used as a third source of data. The data has been analysed through a thematic approach. The themes were abstracted mainly through a qualitative thematic content analysis, however a quantitative content analysis was also used on the questionnaire to provide the study with an overview of the educational context. The analysis starts with examining how the university training shapes the students’ processes of becoming professional social workers. The lack of teaching resources and the hierarchy within the institution are discussed topics. Further on the analysis examines the informants’ thoughts on the future, both for the graduating students as well as for the profession. One of the main themes that run through the findings is the profession's lack of recognition and resources, which affects the students and practitioners in many ways. The lack of a clear policy for social services as well as the absence of institutional guidance are also challenges that affect the Zambian welfare system and the people working within it. According to the study, these challenges have resulted in a struggle for the profession to form a collective identity and maintain a certain level of professionalism. Another common thread is the need for contextualisation of the profession, meaning redesigning the profession and the education to better fit the local context and decrease the western influences. To conclude, the biggest challenges for both the social work profession in Zambia as well as for the graduating students were said to be the lack of recognition, resources, regulation and local academic knowledge. This study maps out these challenges and how they are positioned in relation to each other.","Syftet med denna fallstudie är att granska hur fjärdeårsstuderande och föreläsare i socialt arbete reflekterar kring resan mot att bli professionell socialarbetare i Zambia. Studien belyser informanternas reflektioner kring utbildningen av socialarbetare vid University of Zambia, det sociala arbetet som framtida yrke, samt de utmaningar som finns för nyblivna professionella socialarbetare i Zambia. Studien tar fasta på processen att bli (eng. ’becoming’) och fokus ligger på tiden under studierna, det vill säga steget innan övergången ut i arbetslivet. Studien ser resan mot att bli professionell socialarbetare som en identitetsformulering där många faktorer inverkar och interagerar, därför utgörs studiens teoretiska ram av flera teorier som tillsammans belyser och hjälper greppa denna komplexa och multidimensionella process. Studien närmar sig både de externa och interna dimensionerna av detta identitetsskapande och samhällets roll granskas kritiskt. Den teoretiska ramen har en postkolonial utgångspunkt och består av Margaret S. Archers teori om reflexivitet och människans inre dialoger samt Henry A. Girouxs tankar kring krisen som den högre utbildningen står inför idag globalt. I och med att lite forskning har gjorts kring detta ämne lägger studien stark vikt vid att beskriva och kontextualisera professionen i den zambiska kontexten genom att presentera tidigare forskning samt sammanfatta professionens historiska utveckling. De samhälleliga, globala och historiska strukturerna bör beaktas för att kunna förstå den lokala kontext som studiens informanter skapar sin professionella identitet i. Det sociala arbetet, som det är format i dag, har sina rötter i väst och professionens utveckling på den afrikanska kontinenten måste granskas genom ett postkolonialt perspektiv. Frågor kring internationellt socialt arbete, universella principer och hur anpassningsbara de västerländska teorierna och metoderna är i icke-västerländska kontexter blir högst relevanta. Datainsamlingsprocessen utfördes i Lusaka under juni och juli 2017. Materialet består av åtta halvstrukturerade individuella intervjuer med föreläsare och en gruppintervju med fem studerande samt ett frågeformulär som 34 studerande svarade på. Samtliga informanter var fjärdeårsstuderande eller föreläsare i socialt arbete vid University of Zambia. Datat har bearbetats och analyserats genom en tematisk innehållsanalys. Analysen börjar med att granska hur utbildningen i socialt arbete bidra till formandet av de studerandes process mot en professionell identitet. Informanterna reflekterar kring bristen på resurser och studiematerial, vilket anses begränsa inlärnings- och föreläsningsmetoderna. Därtill diskuteras även de existerande hierarkiska strukturerna vid universitetet samt interaktionen mellan studerande och föreläsare. Studien analyserar hur dessa faktorer påverkar de studerandes möjligheter till reflektion och kritiskt tänkande. Vidare granskar analysen informanternas tankar kring övergången från studerande till professionell. Informanterna reflekterar kring det sociala arbetets framtid och arbetsmöjligheter och utmaningar som de studerande kommer att tvingas förhålla sig till. De intervjuade studerandena ser fram emot sin examinering men uttrycker även en viss oro gällande ovissheten kring de framtida arbetsmöjligheterna. Informanterna är alla överens om att det finns ett stort behov av professionella socialarbetare i landet, dock delar frågan om de existerande arbetsmöjligheterna åsikter. En del av föreläsarna anser att behovet av professionella socialarbetare är så stort att det inte borde vara svårt att hitta anställning, medan andra informanter menar att professionens brist på erkännande, resurser samt lagstadgad roll försvårar processen. Sammanfattningsvis framkommer fyra centrala utmaningar som blivande zambiska socialarbetare står inför, nämligen resursbrist, brist på kunskap anpassad till den lokala kontexten, avsaknad av lagstiftning och reglering av professionen samt brist på erkännande. Ur materialet framgår att dessa utmaningar bidragit till att det zambiska sociala arbetet fortsättningsvis är starkt kopplat till västerländska teorier och metoder och att professionen fortfarande behövs kontextualiseras. Detta har även tidigare forskning antytt. Studien visar att utmaningarna försvårar skapandet av en gemensam kollektiv identitet, vilket i sin tur gör stärkandet av professionens synlighet och inflytande betydligt svårare. Studien reflekterar kring hur dessa utmaningar kan förstås och kartlägger hur de inverkar och står i relation till varandra."],"dc:identifier.uri":["URN:NBN:fi:hulib-201812043659","http://hdl.handle.net/10138/277782"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Helsingin yliopisto","University of Helsinki","Helsingfors universitet"],"dc:subject":["becoming","professional social work","indigenous social work","indigenisation","postcolonialism","international social work","African social work","Zambia","social work students","studerande","att bli professionell","internationellt socialt arbete","postkolonialism","lokalt socialt arbete","professionellt socialt arbete"],"dc:title":["What does the future hold? : The reflections of students and lecturers on becoming a social worker in Zambia : a case study of social work education at the University of Zambia"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:55:56Z"}