Moving stories:Moving stories:

How movement and How movement and mobilities shape social mobilities shape social

work - work -

the role of the carthe role of the car

Harry FergusonHarry Ferguson

Professor of Social WorkProfessor of Social Work

University of the West of EnglandUniversity of the West of England

Harry.ferguson@uwe.ac.ukHarry.ferguson@uwe.ac.uk

Mobilising social work Mobilising social work

• We need to think of SW in terms of We need to think of SW in terms of movementmovement• Dominant conception of SW in theory, policy is Dominant conception of SW in theory, policy is

stationary, sedentarist – glued to computer!stationary, sedentarist – glued to computer!

• Emphasises inter-professional communication, Emphasises inter-professional communication, accountability, rational rule-following (eg, accountability, rational rule-following (eg, Laming, 2003)Laming, 2003)

• Ethnographies of SW have illuminated its life-Ethnographies of SW have illuminated its life-world, but rarely left the office (Pithouse, 1998; world, but rarely left the office (Pithouse, 1998; Scourfield, 2003; Dingwall Scourfield, 2003; Dingwall et alet al, 1983), 1983)

• Time use studies: Care Managers spend Time use studies: Care Managers spend 24% in direct contact with SUs & carers; 24% in direct contact with SUs & carers; 11% travelling (Weinberg et al, 2003) 11% travelling (Weinberg et al, 2003)

• Little systematic knowledge about Little systematic knowledge about experiences of doing the work: home experiences of doing the work: home visiting, driving, travel, journeysvisiting, driving, travel, journeys

• Child & adult protection etc are Child & adult protection etc are mobilemobile practices – npractices – need to be understood in eed to be understood in terms of capacities to protect and terms of capacities to protect and promote welfare while promote welfare while on the moveon the move..

‘‘NewNew mobilities paradigm’ mobilities paradigm’(Sheller & Urry, 2006; Urry, 2007)(Sheller & Urry, 2006; Urry, 2007)

• ‘‘mobilities’: movement of people, mobilities’: movement of people, objects, information, practices – objects, information, practices – locally, globally - flows, fluid images, locally, globally - flows, fluid images, networks, liquid metaphors networks, liquid metaphors

• New way of seeing existing SW New way of seeing existing SW practices – how movement shapes practices – how movement shapes where, how practice, relationships go where, how practice, relationships go on on

• Very nature of SW is unthinkable Very nature of SW is unthinkable without increased mobilitieswithout increased mobilities

•Liverpool SPCC, 1920 Liverpool SPCC, 1920

(credit: Liverpool City Record Office)(credit: Liverpool City Record Office)

• NSPCC ambulance service, London 1920-

1948

• NSPCC Inspector on motor cycle, 1930sNSPCC Inspector on motor cycle, 1930s

• The car and child protection practice, 1950s The car and child protection practice, 1950s

The car and child protection, The car and child protection, 19791979

• NSPCC Warrington Young People's Centre, NSPCC Warrington Young People's Centre, 2007: 2007:

The Station 12 Youth Bus promotes children’s The Station 12 Youth Bus promotes children’s

rights and ascertains their wishes and feelings.rights and ascertains their wishes and feelings.

The car as a site of SW practicesThe car as a site of SW practices

• As a ‘third thing’, ‘As a ‘third thing’, ‘a focal point to relieve a focal point to relieve tension’ when communicating with children tension’ when communicating with children (C. Winnicott, 1963, p.50) (C. Winnicott, 1963, p.50)

• ‘Apart from the non-verbal communication of literally holding a distressed child, there are many ways of symbolising encircling warmth – one possibility is to keep a rug in the car. Children certainly understand such symbols…’

(Juliet Berry, Social Work with Children, , 1972, p. 55)

• The car as a space for ‘keeping the The car as a space for ‘keeping the feelings open and flowing’ feelings open and flowing’ (Stevenson, 1963)(Stevenson, 1963)

• For ‘containment’ (Bion, 1962)For ‘containment’ (Bion, 1962)

• The SW as a ‘transitional participant’ The SW as a ‘transitional participant’ (Kanter, 2004), taking people on (Kanter, 2004), taking people on significant life journeys, which significant life journeys, which connect inner and outer experiences, connect inner and outer experiences, worlds worlds (Cooper & Lousada, 2005; (Cooper & Lousada, 2005; Froggett, 2002).Froggett, 2002).

Social workers and their carsSocial workers and their cars

• A place of safety in itself or means to A place of safety in itself or means to reaching a secure base (Smith, 2003)reaching a secure base (Smith, 2003)

• A space for spiritual and emotional A space for spiritual and emotional restoration, containment of anxietyrestoration, containment of anxiety

• A place for supervision, mobile officeA place for supervision, mobile office

• A space for ‘emotionally informed A space for ‘emotionally informed thinking’ (Ruch, 2007)thinking’ (Ruch, 2007)

Driving the mobilities agenda Driving the mobilities agenda forwardforward• Need new theories & language to capture Need new theories & language to capture

the mobile, liquid nature of SW practicethe mobile, liquid nature of SW practice

• Car is crucial in a complex system, to the Car is crucial in a complex system, to the flows flows of embodied practices between office of embodied practices between office – home– home

• Develop SWs skills up to practice well on Develop SWs skills up to practice well on the movethe move

• (Re)introduce ‘moving stories’ & emotional (Re)introduce ‘moving stories’ & emotional life into case recording, researchlife into case recording, research

• Living with uncertainty, risk, adventureLiving with uncertainty, risk, adventure

“ “So it seems that when you set So it seems that when you set out for a car ride you never know out for a car ride you never know where you will get to, or what where you will get to, or what will turn up on the way.” (Clare will turn up on the way.” (Clare Winnicott, 1963, p.51)Winnicott, 1963, p.51)

• Berry, J. (1972) Berry, J. (1972) Social Work with Children, Social Work with Children, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. • Bion, W. (1962), Bion, W. (1962), Learning from ExperienceLearning from Experience, London: Heinemann., London: Heinemann. • Ferguson, H. (2004), Ferguson, H. (2004), Protecting Children in Time: Child Abuse, Child Protection and Protecting Children in Time: Child Abuse, Child Protection and

the Consequences of Modernitythe Consequences of Modernity, Basingstoke: Palgrave., Basingstoke: Palgrave. • Ferguson, H. (2008), Liquid social work: Welfare interventions as mobile practices, Ferguson, H. (2008), Liquid social work: Welfare interventions as mobile practices,

British Journal ofBritish Journal of Social Work, Social Work, Vol , . Vol , .• Kanter, J. (2004), Kanter, J. (2004), Face-to-Face with Children: The Life and Work of Clare WinnicottFace-to-Face with Children: The Life and Work of Clare Winnicott, ,

London: Karnac.London: Karnac. • Laurier, E. et al, (2008), ‘Driving and ‘Passengering’: Notes on the Ordinary Laurier, E. et al, (2008), ‘Driving and ‘Passengering’: Notes on the Ordinary

Organization of Car Travel, Organization of Car Travel, MobilitiesMobilities, Vol. 3, No.1, 1-23. , Vol. 3, No.1, 1-23. • Miller, D. (2001), Miller, D. (2001), Car CulturesCar Cultures, Oxford: Berg. , Oxford: Berg. • Pithouse, A. (1998), Pithouse, A. (1998), Social Work: The social organisation of an invisible tradeSocial Work: The social organisation of an invisible trade, ,

Ashgate. Ashgate. • Scourfield, J. (2003), Scourfield, J. (2003), Gender and Child ProtectionGender and Child Protection, Basingstoke: Palgrave., Basingstoke: Palgrave.• Sheller, M. (2004), 'Automotive Emotions: Feeling the Car’ Sheller, M. (2004), 'Automotive Emotions: Feeling the Car’ Theory, Culture and Theory, Culture and

Society, Society, 21(4/5), 221-242.21(4/5), 221-242.• Sheller, M. and Urry, J. (2006), The new mobilities paradigm, Sheller, M. and Urry, J. (2006), The new mobilities paradigm, Environment and Environment and

Planning APlanning A, 38, 207-226., 38, 207-226.• Smith, M. (2003), Gorgons, cars and the frightful fiend: representations of fear in Smith, M. (2003), Gorgons, cars and the frightful fiend: representations of fear in

social work and counselling, social work and counselling, Journal of Social Work PracticeJournal of Social Work Practice, vol. 17, 2, 154-162. , vol. 17, 2, 154-162. • Stevenson, O. (1963), ‘The Understanding Caseworker’, Stevenson, O. (1963), ‘The Understanding Caseworker’, New SocietyNew Society, 1 August. , 1 August.

Reprinted in E. Holgate (ed), Communicating with Children, London: Longman, Reprinted in E. Holgate (ed), Communicating with Children, London: Longman, (1972).(1972).

• Urry, J. (2007) Mobilities, Cambridge: PolityUrry, J. (2007) Mobilities, Cambridge: Polity• Winnicott, C. (1963), Winnicott, C. (1963), Child Care and Social WorkChild Care and Social Work, Bookstall Publications., Bookstall Publications.