Social work through the ages
Author: Sabine Mürköster
The following article uses characteristic quotes from contemporary specialist literature and oral history interviews to illustrate how the image of social work has changed over the last 75 years. The main aim of the review of the source material was to capture the style of the respective decade and to search for time-specific expressions. In addition, the collected quotes are intended to provide a reference to the respective social and political situations. The collection of quotations begins with a quote from the founding director of the Dortmund Youth Welfare School for Men, Friedrich Siegmund-Schultze. His aim in 1948 was to actively counter the turmoil and aftermath of a war that had forced him into exile abroad. He was concerned with overcoming class hatred, as well as implementing an unarmed concept of peace (Schruba 2000, p. 17). The reconstruction of welfare after the collapse of Nazi welfare care in a severely destroyed country, which was initially purely a matter of emergency aid, represented an immense challenge. Attempts were made to build on structures that had last been developed in the Weimar Republic. Denazification by the Allies could not be accomplished overnight, but continued into the 1970s (Münchmeier and Hering 2014: 207).
Civic education
Siegmund-Schultze used the term civic education. This suggests a paternalistic way of thinking that was common practice in social work at the time and up until the upheaval of the 1970s. Pedagogy at this time was still repressive and authoritarian (Münchmeier and Hering 2014: 229). Siegmund-Schultze saw his mission as educating people to think democratically and internationally (Schruba 2000, p. 37). Dietmar Freier, who completed his training as a youth welfare officer under Siegmund-Schultze and later worked as a lecturer until the founding of Fachhochschule Dortmund, continued to build on Siegmund-Schultze's work. His ideas and writings are accessible via the Dietmar Freier Foundation (www.dietmar-freier-stiftung.de), which he did not live to see established. In his statements, Freier focuses primarily on children and young people as the addressees of social work. Among other things, social work has the task of fulfilling the "physical, mental and social development of young people" (Siegmund-Schultze 1949/50: 263f.). This choice of words gives an idea of the style of the post-war years that were still to come. His work came at a time that was soon characterized by an economic upswing, the so-called "fat years" with an unemployment rate of 0.7% at times (Münchmeier and Hering 2014: 212/235).
In his later writings from the 1960s and 1970s, Dietmar Freier attempted to justify the necessity of social work in a welfare state benefiting from the economic boom, seeing this as the reason for the emerging problems. In his opinion, more freedom and a higher standard of living did not only bring good things (Freier 1966: 16). It is therefore not surprising that he described the revolutionary sixties, which led to more democracy within the university, as rather stressful (Freier 1966: 34, in Schruba 2000). The political unrest began in the educational emergency of the 1960s. The resulting student movement had a lasting impact on society. This was followed by an increasing radicalization of the political landscape (Münchmeier and Hering 2014: 235).
Student movement
With the beginning of the student movement to reform conservative and elitist structures, the tone in the specialist literature also became much sharper. Above all, anti-capitalist statements found their way into the literature. The expressions of sociologist Walter Hollstein show this impressively: "God stinks, color TVs only show shit in color, and sports cars only get you where you don't really want to be faster. "Freedom is consumer time", decree the sociologists of the industry. Freedom thus becomes the opposite of freedom. The super-industry turns people into cacophagi who eat the shit they have to produce - advertising and the press inculcate consumption [...]" "[...] this whole industry, even the stupidest healthy person realizes, is made for addicts [...]" (Hollstein 1973, in: Kuhlmann 2008: 145)
Such a sharp and almost vulgar tone is certainly no longer conceivable in specialist literature today. Even the term "Fritzen" (see Baron et al. 1978: 158) would not be used in an official form today. But it is a striking example of the rebellious period of upheaval with its criticism of conservative, bureaucratic, rigid structures. Social work was politicized. New ideas, such as anti-authoritarian education, were taken up and community work was expanded (Münchmeier and Hering 2014: 237). Georg Deventer, a graduate from the early 1970s, also spoke vividly in an interview about this time of change and experimental practice. He tells us that studying at the time was characterized by active strikes and intensive discussions in organizations such as the "Red Cell of Social Work" in order to get to the bottom of the "cause of all evil". A selection of Mr. Deventer's fascinating statements can be found in the appendix to this essay. The 1970s and 1980s were characterized by the Business Studies effects of the oil crisis. In the 1990s, the burgeoning neoliberalism heralded the dismantling of the welfare state. The free market, marketing, competition, services and the concept of the customer are characteristic expressions of that time. Dietmar Freier also notes that these have a direct impact on traditional social services, which have to fight for their form of existence (Freier 1989: 43). Last but not least, the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification brought challenges on both sides. Dietmar Freier recognizes the comprehensive social consequences in their various dimensions for the citizens of the former GDR (Freier 1991: 46). It was certainly a great challenge to take on these people with their worries and fears and to establish a new network of social work in the new federal states. The liberalization of the market had a direct impact on the fields of social work. Business management thinking is required more than ever and quality assurance measures to increase efficiency must be addressed. Non-profit independent providers are increasingly coming under pressure from private providers. It is all about efficiency. This is also measured in new evaluation procedures. Effectiveness thus becomes secondary. Business management premises are therefore not compatible with those of social work (Münchmeier and Hering 2014: 242f). Franco Rest, a former dean of Faculty 8, has a few pithy remarks to make on the 50th anniversary of social work in Dortmund. He notes the increasing internationalization and fears the loss of ethical premises due to the swelling pressure of the economy. He recognizes that cold management provides no room for values and attitudes and that this is precisely why social work is called upon more than ever to take decisive action against the loss of values (Rest in: Schruba 2000: 21). Not an easy task at a time when, as Ms. Klamt notes in the interview, there are hardly any job offers on the market for graduates of the university of applied sciences. The job insecurity with few prospects of permanent employment reflected the dismantling of the welfare state at the time. Her comments on the low esteem and poor pay also point to the low standing of social work at the time. Regarding the current situation, she notes the excessive and time-consuming documentation as a negative phenomenon of our time. On the positive side, she notes that the labor market situation has reversed and that today's graduates have the choice of which field of work they want to enter. This gives young social workers a more positive and self-confident image of the profession. However, this may also be related to the ongoing professionalization of social work over the last five decades. For example, Marie-Luise Bergmann noted the following in the interview: "I do believe that the standards have changed. When I look at my colleagues in the field, I notice that the demand for professionalism has increased. I also believe that self-confidence has increased due to the increasing scientification, and rightly so." (Marie-Luise Bergmann, lecturer at Faculty 8)
This statement creates the transition to the roll-up of the professionalization of social work, which concludes with Marie-Luise Bergmann's quote. The corresponding catalog article follows after the appendix of the first article.