This thesis examines the influence of faith on the work of female social workers in the Slovenian context, where this topic remains relatively under-researched. The main goal of the study was to explore how personal religiosity affects the professional conduct of social workers, their approach to clients, and their experience of professional and ethical challenges. A qualitative research approach was employed, based on structured interviews with eight religious social workers from various Christian traditions.
The findings indicate that faith represents an important inner source of strength, stability, spiritual support, and professional ethical orientation for these social workers. All participants experience their faith as a personal journey that shapes their values, empathy, and approach to work, while consistently maintaining professional distance and respect for the religious diversity of their clients. The study also reveals a critical stance toward institutional religion and strong support for an open, inclusive, and reflective spirituality.
A significant emphasis of the research lies in the need for a greater inclusion of topics on religion and spirituality in social work education, as the participants perceive a lack of professional literacy in this area. The thesis concludes that faith—when personally reflected upon and professionally integrated—is not a hindrance but a valuable source of inner stability, resilience to stress, and professional sensitivity.
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