ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the social work identity and the ways in which it is framed in popular media. It looks at two examples, the first detailing a scenario where a social worker is, in a social situation, unsure of whether to tell new acquaintances about their profession, the other the role of the media in building up a negative image of social workers. The chapter argues that social work is yet to develop a real engagement with theories of identity or selfhood. It focuses on the application of Mead’s interactionist self to social work is advanced. In adopting an interactionist framework to social work selfhood, the chapter explores the synergy between the personal and the professional; the manifestation of identity in the social work task of assessment and reflexivity in relation to self-making. The chapter also examines social work identity in terms of the wider profession as well as social worker’s personal identities and their ongoing construction.
