Swimming in an endangered estuary: female social work professionals' response to work demands
| dc.contributor.author | Sommers, Charlette Dawn | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Reitsma-Street, Marge | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-03-14T00:29:47Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-03-14T00:29:47Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2002 | |
| dc.degree.department | Faculty of Human and Social Development | |
| dc.description.abstract | Corporate Globalization is calling into question the provision of governmental social safety nets. This pressure intensifies when government services are scrutinized through inquiries such as British Columbia's Gove Inquiry in 1995. This inquiry followed by a Social Services Ministry re-structure in 1996 created a particular work environment for field social workers who work with the provinces' most vulnerable citizens. Most of these workers are women. This research conducted in April 2000, sought to discover how six female mid aged social workers experienced and responded to pressures and expectations in this setting. Spradley' s (1979) ethnographic Developmental Research Sequence Method was used as a guide for conducting the research. Analytic steps of increasing complexity were used beginning with the break down of participants' language into functional components which were then categorized, comparing and contrasting to search for similarities, and differences, culminating with three themes. These three themes were: tough complex, devalued jobs; positions filled but with no one in them; and fear of the pointing finger of blame. The themes, themselves paradoxical, revealed an endangered work environment which resulted in "survival" social work. The unravelling net and consequent unsupportive and fearful work environment, warn that the well being of our most vulnerable citizens and those who work with them are increasingly at risk. | |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Graduate | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/23506 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.rights | Available to the World Wide Web | |
| dc.title | Swimming in an endangered estuary: female social work professionals' response to work demands | |
| dc.type | Thesis |