Abstract
This chapter aims to discuss how identity and professionalism are constantly constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed in relation to time and place. The point of departure is my memories of specific and turbulent periods in my life, where I was forced to reconsider who I was and what I wanted. My intention is also to deconstruct these memories in order to understand what was really happening and how they affected my professional life as a social worker. Looking back, I can see that there are several turning points with many possible outcomes to the incidents described in this chapter. In my understanding, class gender and ethnicity in relation to time and place have always played a major role in the construction of my professional narrative.
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Notes
- 1.
In the late ’70s, the term African-American was not used in everyday life as a denomination for people with dark skin colour. Instead, the term ‘black’ was widely used, inspired by the ‘Black Power movements’ and their slogan ‘black is beautiful’. Since the late ’80s, the term African-American has been favoured. The New World Encyclopedia http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/African-Americans; TW Smith – Public Opinion Quarterly, 1992 – academic.oup.com
- 2.
The International Federation of Social Workers, IFSW and the International Association of Schools of Social Work, and IASSW are organisations that represent social workers and schools of social work worldwide. https://www.ifsw.org/what-is-social-work/global-definition-of-social-work/
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Johansson, IM. (2020). Turning Points. In: Lane, L., Wallengren-Lynch, M. (eds) Narratives of Social Work Practice and Education in Sweden. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45874-4_5
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