In this thesis, I explored how young people in Slovenia perceive social work. In the theoretical introduction, I first described the profession of social work by providing definitions, outlining its fields of practice, and describing its methods. I then discussed the public image of social work and examined how social workers experience and cope with their position in society. I also addressed the concept of professional identity and shed light on the issue of media reporting negatively on social work. Finally, I defined the concept of youth and presented how young people view social work, referencing various studies. The aim of my research was to determine how young people in Slovenia perceive social work and to identify what shapes their views. Additionally, I aimed to gather some insight into what might discourage young people from choosing social work as their career, in order to possibly develop strategies for improving awareness and the public perception of the profession. The research is quantitative, descriptive and empirical. The data were collected through a standardized online questionnaire, created using the Arnes 1KA online platform. It included both closed- and open-ended questions. The population consisted of all young people in Slovenia, aged 15 to 26 at the time of data collection. I used non-probability, quota-based sampling across three groups: visitors of the Faculty of Social Work’s information day, students and graduates of the Faculty, and other young people from the general population. The sample included 229 participants – 66 visitors, 92 students and graduates, and 71 others. The data were gathered using printed QR codes distributed at the information day, and the questionnaire was also shared on social media. The QR code was also available in the Faculty’s lobby. Data were analyzed quantitatively, using Arnes 1KA and Excel. I used descriptive statistical procedures, including univariate (frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, standard deviation) and bivariate analysis (2 and Cramer's ). For open-ended responses, I used open coding. The findings show that young people primarily associate social work with working with people and providing help. Most young people evaluate their personal experience with social workers positively. Information about the profession is mainly acquired through school, where most young people also first heard about it. In general, participants from the general population are not well informed about the profession. Young people think that social work has a low status in society and believe that a higher salary and stronger presence on social media would contribute most to making the profession more recognizable among young people. Students and graduates chose to study social work mostly due to their desire to help and work with people, while information day visitors were attracted by interest in the profession and their first-hand impression of the Faculty. Studying social work is often associated with a positive shift in perception of the profession, although some negative changes were also noted. Participants identified low salary and low societal status as the main deterrents from pursuing a career in social work. Based on the findings, I suggest increasing the presence of social work content on social media and stronger cooperation between the Faculty of Social Work and schools. I also recommend incorporating content on media representation into the curriculum to enhance students' competencies in engaging with the media. Due to the positive feedback from Informativa, I propose encouraging students to participate more actively in representing the Faculty of Social work to the public. Finally, I suggest systematic monitoring of the public image of social work to develop future promotional strategies.
|
