Exploring the Social Representations of Social Work in the Sri Lankan Cultural Context: A Qualitative Study

Masateru Higashida (), Amarawansa Ranaweera and Chulani Herath
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Masateru Higashida: Asian Research Institute for International Social Work, Shukutoku University, Chiba 260-8701, Japan
Amarawansa Ranaweera: Sri Lanka Association of Professional Social Workers, Pannipitiya 10230, Sri Lanka
Chulani Herath: Department of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health Sciences, The Open University of Sri Lanka, Nugegoda 10250, Sri Lanka

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-15

Abstract: This preliminary study examines the social representations of social work relevant to the Sri Lankan cultural context while considering indigenous social work discourses. Under the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, six Sri Lankan social workers participated in online semistructured interviews. The interview data underwent thematic analysis, from which four main themes emerged: social work views and positionality; the relation between social work education and practice; contexts and distinctive practices; and issues and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviewees’ narratives detailed how social work is represented in sociocultural contexts, emphasising community work and comparing local practices with Western-rooted professional social work discourses. Some interviewees’ accounts also reported challenges surrounding social work education and the issues of social work practice in a multiethnic and multireligious society. The findings suggest the need for further research, with dialogue and reciprocal exchanges by stakeholders, to explore the diverse social representations of social work in the global and local contexts.

Keywords: indigenous practice; ABC model of indigenous social work; international perspective; social constructionism; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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