ABSTRACT
Second, the critical and community-oriented approach which was evident throughout the interviews further draws our attention to social work as a broad and holistic profession. Social workers we interviewed were continuously shifting their gaze between individuals, families, communities and the broader social context
as they sought to work on issues with clients. Long-term, relational and engaged practice focused on community-wide projects, strategies and activities was a strong theme in all the conversations we had. Social workers contextualised their practice to connect with culture, local history, economic and environmental issues, politics, and patterns of community life. They also consistently took a critical stance, traversing often entrenched and challenging structural disadvantage in local communities and working on issues of racism, domestic violence, unemployment, mental health, housing, transport and poverty. This critical and community-oriented approach to practice has much to offer social work educators and practitioners across urban, regional, rural and remote settings, as workload pressure, reduced funding, competitive tendering and fee for service increasingly flavour the human services landscape. In our research, regional, rural and remote social workers both articulated and enacted this approach across a range of fields. For many, this was a matter of necessity; however, it is also linked with the skill and knowledge level and focus required in the specialist-generalist role outlined above. The quote below is indicative of this perspective and provides a helpful bookend to our discussion of critical and community-oriented practice. This reflection was provided post-interview:
In regard to the interview, I felt that I focused more on broader social work and felt that I did not give enough focus to the community development aspect of rural practice. When I talked about working in rural communities, the community can also be your support. For my practice, I felt it was important to be well-connected to community that meant relationship and knowledge of community. It was this that directed my practice. Always reflecting on my overall aim of working my way out of a job; groups becoming self-sufficient, looking for leaders, sharing responsibility, encouraging participation, staying on the peripheral. Individuals: how can I work in a way that assists a person working through their problem or issue, and building their tool box for managing life. In what way could I influence policy or give voice to rural and other broader social issues, and be accountable. In both rural social work positions I conducted a mapping exercise with community to understand, connect and work with, what they identified important to their quality of life living in rural [communities].
