Oral Presentation
Submitter: Deb Stanfield, Te Kuratini o Waikato (Wintec), Aotearoa New Zealand
The social work kete: Designing social media practice in Aotearoa New Zealand
Kete is a Māori word used widely in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand. For English speakers, it is translated to mean “basket” or “kit,” is traditionally flax woven, and symbolises a vessel containing knowledge, principles and practices to guide us in our lives and in our work. The social work kete represents the toolkit of the profession and is a metaphor commonly used by social workers in this country to describe that which informs their practice and reflects their identity as professionals.
This presentation describes how participants in an ongoing mixed methods Aotearoa New Zealand study explored their social work kete to make sense of social media and its place in their practice. For example, the kete was described as a source of professional wisdom to guide ethical and competent social media use. It was also described as needing replenishment, lacking the technical and critical skills required in this digital age. Participants expressed fear about “shiny” new social media tools invading the kete, displacing core interpersonal skills so important to the profession. They were also enthusiastic about the potential of social media for the profession, for social justice and democracy, and considered how a modern social work kete might be woven to reflect social change while still retaining the core identity of the profession.
Social media and other forms of internet technology have a profound and continuing impact on society. Social workers are grappling with its ethical and practice implications, are asking questions about its risk to vulnerable people, and its impact on equality. This presentation shares creative, cultural insights from social workers in Aotearoa New Zealand who participated in interviews and focus groups exploring their relationship with social media.