The Europeanisation of Education for the Social Professions
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Kornbeck: Convergence and divergence in conceptualising the professions of social work and social pedagogy Convergence and divergence in conceptualising the professions of social work and social pedagogy and their professional education, and the question of Europeanisation: Germany, Denmark and Belgium (1989–2004) Thesis submitted to the Institute of Education, University of London, In view of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, In Social Pedagogy, By Jacob Kornbeck BRUSSELS, 3 MAY 2014 (FINAL POST-VIVA VERSION) Thesis Final 06/05/2014 08:30:19 1 Kornbeck: Convergence and divergence in conceptualising the professions of social work and social pedagogy Inevitable Convergence? Two Hulls, Converging Wakes: as seen from the katamaran on Lake Constance (Bodensee), Germany/Switzerland, 6 April 2012 – Photograph: JK Thesis Final 06/05/2014 08:30:19 2 Kornbeck: Convergence and divergence in conceptualising the professions of social work and social pedagogy MULTIPLE DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to a number of people: To Harry Wett Frederiksen (“morfar”) (1916–1974), my beloved grandfather, who did not earn a PhD although he should have and certainly could have: I believe you would be pleased if you knew that I have made it; To my loving wife Gosia, who encouraged me to embark on the PhD journey and always thought I should continue; To our children Michael, Marianne and Melanie for bearing with me whenever their dad was unavailable on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, either working at home or in the office; To Hans Pfaffenberger (1922–2012), my old academic teacher, who passed away in the early spring of the year when I finally submitted my thesis: it was he who fostered my interest in social work, social pedagogy and their mutual relationship; he who inspired me to add two more years of study (1995–1997) to study social pedagogy; his seminal work on social work/social pedagogy convergence which forms part of the theoretical underpinning of this thesis: you kept asking me when I would finish it; To Pat Higham, my first Director of Studies, during my time enrolled at Nottingham Trent University (2002–2009): you always believed in me and my decision to change universities was entirely unrelated to your exceptional job done as a Director of Studies; To Pat and Jack Higham, for your friendship, for opening your home to me and showing me so much of England, especially the East Midlands and the Peak District; my many stays with you in Kimberley contributed to making the Nottingham phase of my doctoral studies such a formative experience: without you, I would not have known England or the UK so well; To Karen Lyons, part of my first supervisory team, who also believed in my PhD project from beginning to end; To Pat Petrie and Peter Moss, my supervisors at the Institute of Education, University of London (2010–2012): you too believed in me, and you welcomed me to Bloomsbury after changing universities; To the experts who opened the doors of their offices (and sometimes their homes) to me, sharing their knowledge and experience with me, facilitating access to documents and people. For reasons of anonymity they cannot be mentioned here, but in reading these lines, they will know my gratitude is extended to them. Thesis Final 06/05/2014 08:30:19 3 Kornbeck: Convergence and divergence in conceptualising the professions of social work and social pedagogy Abstract Across the European Union, an aggregate professional field can be identified: the “social professions”. This field is characterised by being composed, in most countries, of two traditional professions with specific higher education programmes: “social work” and “social pedagogy”. The thesis explores their mutual relationship by revisiting theories from Germany, the home of social pedagogy, where the two paradigms have, in higher education policy-making, largely merged in the second half of the twentieth century. This development at the level of curriculum prescription indicates the so-called “convergence paradigm” advocated, for many years, by some academic authors. Alternatives to convergence were known, however, and an analysis of material from other EU countries may serve to reassess the thinking which has become orthodoxy in Germany. The thesis established the concepts of “social work/social pedagogy dichotomy” (the fact that the two paradigms are separate and discernible) and “social work/social pedagogy convergence”, the latter drawing upon the German concept. Using these analytical tools, first to revisit and characterise the developments observed in Germany, then to assess material from Denmark and Belgium (French Community), the thesis shows that dichotomy has continued to be a determining factor of professional education in Denmark and Belgium, while there are no signs of convergence. The discussion is based on the 15-year period starting with the enactment of the relevant EU directive on mutual recognition of qualifications (1989–2004). By ending in 2004, the investigation enables recent English developments in relation to the exploration and possible future introduction of “social pedagogy”, alongside “social work”, to be taken into consideration, thereby helping to inform current English and British debates. (266 words) (Date of count: 14 April 2014) Thesis Final 06/05/2014 08:30:19 4 Kornbeck: Convergence and divergence in conceptualising the professions of social work and social pedagogy MINISTER: This thing is much bigger than Education, Sir Humphrey, and we should be responding to that. […] BERNARD: Yes Minister, but you do realise that if you raise issues such as those, you are in danger of getting into debates about pedagogy, don't you? (Penney, 2012, pp. 73-74). Thesis Final 06/05/2014 08:30:19 5 Kornbeck: Convergence and divergence in conceptualising the professions of social work and social pedagogy Declaration I hereby declare that, except where explicit attribution is made, the work presented in this thesis is entirely my own. Date: …………………… Signature: ………………………………………………… Word count Word count (exclusive of cover page, dedication, table of contents, references, glossary and annexes, but inclusive of the entire text of Part A, Part B, Part C and the footnotes pertaining to this text): 94,474 words (NB: In the post-viva phase the 80,000 words limit did not apply.) (Date of count: 14 April 2014; no subsequent alterations) Thesis Final 06/05/2014 08:30:19 6 Kornbeck: Convergence and divergence in conceptualising the professions of social work and social pedagogy Contents Multiple dedication 3 Abstract 4 Declaration 6 Word count 6 Part A 14 Chapter 1. Introduction 15 1.1. Purpose of the investigation 15 1.2. Scope of the investigation 20 1.2.1. Geographical coverage and reference period 20 1.2.2. The social professions: Social Work and Social Pedagogy 20 1.3. Social Work/Social Pedagogy dichotomy, Social Work/Social Pedagogy convergence, Europeanisation 23 1.3.1. Social Work/Social Pedagogy dichotomy and Social Work/Social Pedagogy convergence 23 1.3.2. Europeanisation 25 1.4. Research questions 26 1.5. Contextualisation 29 1.5.1. Diverse societies, diverse economies, diverse welfare states 29 1.5.2. Diverse policy priorities (education and training) 34 Chapter 2. Literature Review 41 2.1. Introduction 41 2.2. Reference works and surveys available 42 2.3. Social Pedagogy in a European perspective 43 2.3.1. Social Pedagogy literature in German and other non-English languages 43 2.3.2. English-medium Social Pedagogy literature 43 2.3.2.1. British scholarship 44 2.3.2.2. English-language scholarship from other European countries 45 Thesis Final 06/05/2014 08:30:19 7 Kornbeck: Convergence and divergence in conceptualising the professions of social work and social pedagogy 2.4. Social Work/Social Pedagogy dichotomy 46 2.4.1. Social Work/Social Pedagogy dichotomy in German scholarship 46 2.4.1.1. The divergence theorem 47 2.4.1.2. The convergence theorem 47 2.4.1.3. The subordination theorem 48 2.4.1.4. The subsumption theorem 49 2.4.1.5. The identity theorem 50 2.4.1.6. The substitution theorem 50 2.4.2. Social Work/Social Pedagogy dichotomy in English-language scholarship 51 2.4.2.1. European English-medium scholarship 51 2.4.2.2. Hämäläinen’s contribution 52 2.4.2.3. French English-medium scholarship 54 2.5. Social Work/Social Pedagogy convergence 55 2.5.1. Social Work/Social Pedagogy convergence in German literature 55 2.5.2. Social Work/Social Pedagogy convergence in English-language literature 55 2.6. Europeanisation 56 2.6.1. European integration and employment opportunities 56 2.6.2. Europeanisation: mutual recognition of qualifications 58 2.6.3. Evaluations of academic exchange activities 58 2.6.4. Europeanisation or bilateral learning? 59 2.6.5. Europeanisation/internationalisation – and the demise of Social Pedagogy in Germany? 60 2.7. Conclusions from the Literature Review and implications for the investigation 62 Chapter 3. Methodology 65 3.1. Type of investigation 65 3.2. Pre-empirical phase 68 3.2.1. Desk research 68 3.2.2. Sample of professions, qualifications and programmes 68 3.2.3. Reference period; “historical” rather than “chronological” time 70 3.2.3.1. The 15 Year Reference Period (1989–2004) 70 3.2.3.2. “Historical time” 71 Thesis Final 06/05/2014 08:30:19 8 Kornbeck: Convergence and divergence in conceptualising the professions of social work and social pedagogy 3.2.3.3. The “long 1990s” perspective 73 3.2.4. Sample of countries 74 3.2.5. Addressing the transnational nature of the research undertaken 78 3.2.6. Ethical aspects 78 3.3. Empirical phase: field work 79 3.3.1. Correspondence 79 3.3.2. Travels (field visits) 81 3.3.3.