"Social Work in Romanian Rural Communities: An Inside Perspective from a Qualitative Study"

Cristina Faludi,Nicoleta Neamțu

doi:10.24193/tras.61e.2

Cristina Faludi, Nicoleta Neamțu

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.24193/tras.61e.2

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Abstract

The social work profession was revived in Romania in 1994, when the first generation of university graduates went to the field. However, only in 2011, when the Law no. 292 of Social Work was issued, the framework for the activity of social workers in the rural communities was settled. Although the legislation provided a proper context for the unfolding of a meaningful social work in rural settings, the labor market was far from being able to absorb the great number of needed professionals. On the one hand, the paper intends to present the barriers that marked the beginning of social work in the Romanian rural space. On the other hand, the paper briefly describes the particularities and the opportunities for social work in the rural areas. Also, through the voice of professionals, the main social problems in the countryside are exposed and some possible interventions aiming at the improvement of the life conditions among the villagers are proposed. The study is based on 43 qualitative interviews carried out in 2016-2020 with professionals employed as social services workers by commune or village local councils. The collected data were explored and interpreted using thematic analysis. One conclusion is that the field is dynamic and in need of substantial improvement.

Highlights

IntroductionIn Romania, 46.3% of the population is living in rural areas (Romanian Statistical Yearbook, 2018)
The paper provides a useful addition to the already existing data from the Romanian literature regarding the profile of the social workers and the specific characteristics of social work in rural areas
Data from the interviews has emphasized the need for qualified social workers in rural areas, the need for stress management skills, burnout prevention and self-care activities for personnel, the need for professional supervision in social work and the need for supplementary professionals in social work in each commune

Summary

Introduction

In Romania, 46.3% of the population is living in rural areas (Romanian Statistical Yearbook, 2018). The rural communities are far behind the urban ones in terms of economic and social development. The rural areas have faced multiple and interconnected challenges in the fields of education, health, social inclusion, basic infrastructure, diversification of employment, outward migration, and population ageing (European Commission [EC], 2016). The majority of the communes and villages face the same challenges: they have a small size, have a low level of administrative authority, maintain weak cooperation across counties and are not capable of building projects to integrate rural and urban communities. With great differences between villages located in the proximity of big urban areas and remote villages and between communes far from and close to European roads. For 135 communes the local revenues represented more than 50% of the budget (EC, 2016)

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