The place of emotion and commitment in social welfare work: using Socratic dialogue in research

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The place of emotion and commitment in social
welfare work using Socratic dialogue in research

• Sarah Banks
• s.j.banks_at_durham.ac.uk

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The presentation

• Aims
• Introduce and discuss Socratic dialogue as a
  method in research
• Share insights from recent dialogues on the
  themes of passion and vocation
• Outline
• What is Socratic dialogue?
• Its use in research (and teaching and community
  engagement)
• Some insights from the dialogues on passion and
  vocation

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What is Socratic dialogue?

• A method by which a group of people works
  together with a facilitator to find an answer to
  a well-formed philosophical question such as
  What is justice? When is it right to stop
  helping?
• Named after Socrates Greek philosopher, 470-399
  BCE. But not the same as Socratic method in
  Platos dialogues.
• Developed by Leonard Nelson (1882-1927) in
  Germany, elaborated by Gustav Heckman
  (1898-1996). See Nelson, L. 1940 Socratic Method
  and Critical Philosophy, New Haven, USA Yale
  University Press.
• Society for the Furtherance of Critical
  Philosophy founded in Britain, 1940. See
  http//www.sfcp.org.uk/socratic_dialogue.htm
• Socratic virtues listening, patience,
  perseverance, trusting ones doubts, talking
  frankly, postponing ones judgement.
• Consensus-seeking not debate. Cf process of
  jury deliberating
• Process of regressive abstraction going from
  the concrete to the abstract. Hour-glass
  procedure.

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Approach to the dialogue

• Participants contributions are based upon what
  they have experienced, not upon what they have
  read or heard
• Strive for consensus
• Try to understand the thoughts of the other
  participants postpone your pre- judgements
• Express yourself clearly and concisely
• Think for yourself (make no appeals to
  authority)
• Express your actual doubts but not hypothetical
  ones.

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Guidance for participants in choosing an example
to share

• Drawn from our experience (not hypothetical)
• Relevant to all participants
• Recognisable as an example of the question to all
  participants
• Active that is, the example-giver has
  participated themselves by acting, or by taking a
  certain position or point of view on it or having
  made a judgement
• Finished that is, the experience has come to an
  end
• Not unduly complicated
• One where the example-giver is willing to provide
  additional information to the group so they can
  investigate it fully
• Motivating for the other participants

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Question What is the place of passion in
social welfare work? Participants give examples
One example is selected An enthusiastic
part-time youth worker developed a fantastic
project all on her ownA key assertion relevant
to this example is sought Passion is a
motivator and brings creativity and innovation,
but where passion leaps over boundaries it
becomes problematic .
Question
Example
Key-assertion
Rules
Principles
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Rules applying also to other examples are
sought Passion needs to be encouraged/nurtured
passion also needs to be managed,
controlled/modified, translated into particular
contextsPrinciples applicable more broadly are
sought Value strong emotions and commitments,
but ensure they are properly directed
Question
Example
Key-assertion
Rules
Principles
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Levels of discourse and role of facilitator

• The dialogue itself (first order discourse)
  facilitator simply transcribes the main points.
• Strategic discourse about the direction or shape
  of the dialogue as it unfolds facilitator plays
  minimal role, but may offer suggestions about
  viable strategies.
• Meta-discourse about the rules governing the
  dialogue may be requested at any time by
  participants or facilitator. Facilitator
  responsible for answering questions.

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Aspects of the process

• Selecting one example to work on stimulates
  analysis of key features, relevance to the
  question interests of the group
• Co-constructing the chosen example eventually it
  is owned as much by the group as the
  example-giver
• Formulating key assertions
• Building on and responding to comments of others
• Question posing by participants

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Co-construction of an example (Vocation, Social
Work)

• A female social work student, J., described a
  work placement she had experienced with a
  supervisor who had lost her vocation/was burnt
  out.
• J. explained that the supervisor had been a
  social worker for 30 years. J. said of the
  supervisor Her feelings werent in it the
  work any more. J. gave an example to show what
  she meant. A young woman came to the office
  requesting help. The time was 11.30 am, and the
  supervisor finished at 12.00. So she sent the
  young woman away, passing her on to a colleague.
  J. commented that she thought Oh my god, you
  cant do that. She felt that the work should not
  be like this If you are a social worker, you
  are obliged to do your job. J. also commented
  that she felt that if she ever became burnt out
  in this way, she would leave the job.
• Participants then asked J. various questions,
  the answers to which revealed
• The organisation was not well-managed.
• The supervisor was not a manager, but she had a
  senior position.
• There was conflict in the organisation, which was
  not handled well.
• The supervisor did not get supervision herself.
• J did learn a lot from her supervisor.
• The supervisor had taken J. on placement because
  J. was motivated.
•  

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Towards a key assertion (Vocation, Health
SW)Building on and responding to comments of
othersQuestion posing by participants

• One participant commented that vocation is a
  value a positive value.
• Another suggested it might not be a value as
  such, but should be regarded as valuable. It is
  valuable in two ways
• Vocation is valuable to you (the practitioner)
  it gives you a good feeling (this may be for the
  right reason or for wrong reasons, such as
  dependency of patients/service users)
• Vocation is valuable to the people cared for (the
  importance of a smile, a caring attitude). It can
  be healing in health and social care.
• What is the relationship between caring (genuine)
  and vocation? Are we eliding the two?
• There is a distinction between I care and
  caring work.

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The place of passion in professional life(themes
from Socratic Dialogues)

• Enthusiasm generated by the worker through
  energy, excitement, putting in extra effort,
  caring about the work, calling (vocation).
• Enthusiasm of the participants/service users
  energy, desire to achieve change. Used by the
  worker, motivates/demotivates the worker.
• Qualities of the worker achiever, organiser,
  strong personality, charismatic, eccentric,
  rebel, creative, powerful, controlling,
  determination to do it my way.
• Emotion empathy, painful emotion, anger at
  injustice, frustration, proud of passion.
• The importance of values commitment to
  ideals/values of the profession/occupation,
  standing up for what one believes in, doing what
  one believes is right.
• Passion as a strong emotion, can be negative as
  well as positive.
• Need for balance/control passion as one
  ingredient, needs to be properly
  controlled/directed/modified, control it through
  reflection, the dangers of passion without
  professionalism, the need for passion within
  parameters.

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The place of vocation in professional
life(themes from Socratic Dialogues)

• Important values dedication to welfare of
  others, doing good, working for the greater good,
  giving something back to society, commitment to
  community, strong sense of fairness and justice,
  religious commitment, faith,
• Moral qualities of the worker genuineness,
  trustworthiness, person of integrity, dedication,
  perseverance, heart in the right place
• Emotion frustration, embarassment, passion.
• Role of vocation - providing motivation to go
  into the work and to continue, orientation,
  guiding star, personal goal, source of strength,
  a sense of purpose, inspiring for others, a
  positive value.
• Vocation as antidote/counterbalance to technical
  execution of job, as a longer term commitment,
  doing something outside/beyond the usual job
  role, putting more of oneself into the work, as a
  natural drive.
• Vocation alone is not enough in a professional
  context theres a need for a balance with
  academic and practical competence.

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Passion example from a youth work manager

• The example giver said he was the manager of a
  passionate female part-time worker. In
  supervision he asked her what her priorities
  were. She announced her own very well-developed
  project based around the health needs of young
  women. It sounded fantastic, but she was
  startlingly unprofessional. This was not part
  of her job. What struck me was her downright
  nerve. She was smart and persuasive she would
  wear a suit. Her plans caused the manager
  embarassment. But the piece of work was
  important, even though it was outside her job
  description. There were tensions with the other
  workers, who were angry with her and angry with
  the manager. She was a person without
  boundaries. She couldnt verbalise the youth
  workers role. She was driven. The manager
  defended her actions at team meetings.
• The youth work was excellent. But it sapped the
  energy of other workers who had a passion for
  more traditional work. Her passion was a personal
  crusade. She had a strong personality, was
  eccentric, a self-publicist, distracted attention
  away from the young people. Possibly others were
  envious.

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Vocation example from a local authority
community worker

• This example giver started by saying that she
  had lived out in the sticks. From a young age
  she had a strong sense of fairness and justice.
  She had a sense of vocation - drawing out
  peoples skills. She qualified as a community
  and youth worker and had previously worked in the
  voluntary sector. She found a great contrast in
  approach when working in a local authority
  setting. There people tended to have a commitment
  to a job rather than to the community. For
  example, the local authority she worked for had
  contracted in an organisation to undertake
  consultations with local people. They used
  questionnaires they were not asking certain
  questions. The LA just wanted people to tick
  boxes.There was no concept of putting more of
  oneself into the exercise.
• I work with community members who want genuine
  consultation. They are sceptical about me because
  I work for the local authority. I need to come
  across as genuine. Some groups trust me.   I
  was part of a team of three. It was new. The aim
  was to improve relations with the voluntary
  sector. I am the only person with a voluntary
  sector background. Some others do not understand
  my frustration I feel embarrassed to be an
  officer of that local authority.

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Elements of personal engagement
empathic
personal
political
caring
Values/ commitments
Relationship with users
personal
religious
Personal engagement
passionate
giving help
Process
Motivations
dedicated
receiving satisfaction
closeness
Challenging/ critical
changing society/ policy/practice
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Elements of professional accountability
benefit service users
professional
employer
socially beneficial
Outputs/ outcomes
Standards/ values
national government
measurable
Professional accountability
respect- ful
ethical
Justification
Process
effective
fair
efficient
rational
competent
protocol
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Negotiating the tensions and making connections
betweenpersonal engagement
professional accountability
benefit service users
professional
empathic
personal
EMPLOYER
political
SOCIALLY BENEFICIAL
caring
Outputs/ outcomes
Standards/ values
Values/ commitments
Relationship with users
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
personal
religious
MEASURABLE
Personal engagement
Professional accountability
giving help
passionate
respect- ful
ethical
Process
Motivations
dedicated
Justification
Process
EFFECTIVE
receiving satisfaction
fair
closeness
EFFICIENT
rational
changing society/ policy/practice
Challenging/ critical
PROTOCOL
competent
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The place of passion(quotation from Socratic
dialogue)

• Im pleased that passion is important for people
  in this room. Its not in the dictionary of
  people who make decisions about services for
  children and young people. You cant measure it.
  (Youth worker)