Revisiting the public/private divide: Theoretical, political and personal implications of their unification

Abstract

Social workers invariably find themselves working at the boundary of the public/private divide. Intervene too readily and they are liable to face accusations of state intrusion and moral policing; fail to intervene and they stand accused of failing to protect the vulnerable. Increasingly, however, there has been a steady erosion of the concept of the private sphere for society as a whole. This trend also affects social workers as they find their conduct, both in and outside work subject to the scrutiny of the General Social Care Council. In the light of these developments, this paper revisits the public/private debate. First, the problems with such a dichotomy are discussed. Second, attempts to move beyond the dichotomy by use of a trichotomy are considered. Finally, the political and personal consequences for social workers of losing any distinction between the public and the private are highlighted. It is argued that there is a need to reconsider the importance of the private sphere as an area essential for human development, and of a need for a political outlook that is not obsessed by the minutiae of people's lives.