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6/2020 – Evaluation in Social Work 1/2021 – ERIS Journal - Winter 2021 - Forced Migration and Minority Groups 2/2021 – 3/2021 – 4/2021 – ERIS Journal - Summer 2021 - Histories of social work

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Issues » 2015/4 - Clinical Social Work »

Position of Discourse of Spirituality in Social Work

Jan Kaňák

Abstract:
The article is conceived as a theoretical answer to the question aimed to describe an position of discourse of spirituality in social work area from the beginnings of social work as profession until now. For some authors social work is defined as an activity strongly influenced by discourses. At present, spirituality is perceived as integral part of social work profession mainly in the context of English literature, less in the Czech one. Texts dedicated to spiritually sensitive interventions, assessing the environmental situation with regard to spirituality and the like are printed in journals. Presence or absence of discourse of spirituality is not related only to changes in social work profession, but it seems that it is related to wider social changes – shift from modern to postmodern society. In the first part of the text I define terms spirituality, religion and discourse. Also I focuse on historical view on presence/absence of discourse of spirituality in social work. In the next part of the text, I offer periodisation of relationship between spirituality and social work by Canda and Furman and its modification according to better responsiveness to the Czech context.

Keywords:
spirituality, religion, discourse, historical view

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