ABSTRACT
Using discourse analysis, this chapter presents a discourse of the social work profession in Estonia, taking the case of Saaremaa. In March 2020 island Saaremaa had more COVID-19 cases per capita than anywhere else in Estonia or Europe more broadly. Saaremaa experienced a so-called triple lockdown: a national lockdown, special restrictions for the municipality, and geographical isolation from the mainland. This led us to ask the question: how did social workers discursively construct professional social work practice within the context of uncertainty in lockdown, and what underlying components might challenge workers’ resilience at individual and local government levels? After analysing three focus group interviews with social workers this chapter reveals the complex situations in small communities facing the stigmatisation of professionals, highlighting the new working methods and new networks that helped to overcome acute crises and communicate the ‘hero’ discourse.
