In my thesis I present three analyzes, using the method of autoethnography, in which I rely on scientific and non-scientific literature and my personal diaries that were written during two years of my practice placement at the asylum home, focused on children (2015/16) and women (2016). In my first analysis, on language of my diaries, I find out that language and discourse are one of the pivotal factors in social changes. Language and discourse reveal values, attitudes, structures and relationships in society. Discourse also occurs in legally formal terms (such as: aliens, refugees, migrants, asylum seekers, etc.) and in social work records. An example of this are also my diaries, in which I have often addressed people by using peculiar adjectives and diminutives. With the help of the anthropological phenomenon of »my people« I critically evaluate myself in this matter. Reason for doing so was the sense of a special commitment in their lives (stories) and the fear that by writing about it, I would abuse all what people I worked with (especially women), gave me. Nevertheless, people are (were) not
»mine«. They are unique individuals therefore this kind of addressing is not professional. In doing so, they are »discursively« being »owned«, which is in contrary to the profession of social work. Because it is very much important to present the living environment of the poeple in which we worked together I present, in my second analysis, the asylum home through Goffman's concept of a total institution and back it up with excerpts from my own diaries. I demonstrate the deliberate processing of people, the loss of dignity, privacy and humanity. I also show insecurity that affects people's mental health and other rights, and how people who apply for international protection become subject to power and nevertheles how, while working with them, I became that as well. In the last part, in my third analysis of the women's group at the asylum home, I show the importance of continuity of visits for establishing contacts and building intimate working relationships and the importance of communication - for which an antiracist perspective and ways of empowering women were most essential. The most important ways of empowering women were: establishing a safe space, exploring their desires and needs, evaluation, using psychological exercises to encourage them to speak about their emotions and experiences, language learning, group relaxation exercises, exercising (sport), using inclusive language, empathy (feel and recognize their emotions and experiences) and permission for spontaneity in response to women's needs at the time. One of the results of the group work was also care that my colleague Ana and I devoted to women (by socializing, time, conversations, empathy, advocacy and humor), care that we devoted to each other (by conversations, encouragement, critical reflections and empathy), care that women have given each other (by babysitting, help with cooking and overcoming boredom), and care that women have shown to me and Ana (with sympathy, affection, conversation, willingness to advocate and by giving us space and consolation when we needed it). Based on my findings I suggest that in social work, we allow ourselves to get close with people we work with. This means that we enter into working relationships as people and allow ourselves to trust and receive (not just give). In addition I suggest the use of an inclusive terminology and critical reflection of the dominant discourses (including our own) and that we fight against the system that is controlling people's mobility, which is a fight for social justice. We should fight not only against a violent system, but also within it.
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