Abstract
Various studies show that the rating of the social workers profession is not very prestige in comparison with other professions. Often the leading motives why people choose to do social work are those guided by relative ideals, such as the desire to help people or to accomplish something socially significant not because of the prestige of profession. However, judgements about the occupational prestige in the wider community depend largely on the professional beliefs of social workers themselves and on how social workers themselves are positioning their profession. The focus of the authors of this article on the occupational prestige is analysed from the perspective of social workers in the sector. The study was carried out using a quantitative approach. In this study, the occupational prestige is considered in the context of symbolic capital. According to P. Bourdieu all forms of symbolic capital accumulates through relations of exchange The study results indicate that a significant part of the respondents feel the lack of authority and symbolic power. The symbolic capital in the form of professional capital is an essential factor of the authority and symbolic power of the social worker's profession, which, in turn, affects the occupational prestige in the society.
Highlights
The social worker’s profession in Latvia was formed in the early 90s of the previous century, when the opportunity to receive professional higher education in social work was created
The focus of the authors of this article on the occupational prestige is analysed from the perspective of social workers working in the sector
Professional capital is conceptualized as a form of symbolic capital; where prestige, status and influence in both institutional life and the wider public discourse are important to social workers [14]
Summary
The social worker’s profession in Latvia was formed in the early 90s of the previous century, when the opportunity to receive professional higher education in social work was created. In 2010, a study was carried out in Ireland [1] aimed at identifying why more women were employed in social work than men. The author of the study observed that there are certain prejudices in the viewpoint of men that the social worker’s profession is more suited to women, because it is typical of them to tackle various family-related problems, to feel the other person and to seek the opportunity to help emotionally. Men in the field of social work take more leading positions; but if they work as a social worker, they feel “different” and would like to feel more prestigious in their profession. Judgements about the occupational prestige in the wider community depend largely on the professional beliefs of social workers themselves and on how social workers themselves are positioning their profession
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