Det sociale arbejde i en totalinstitution: en undersøgelse af de dilemmaer, der kan opstå for socialpædagoger, når de skal agere i en struktureret organisatorisk kontekst

This thesis aim to illustrate and analyse the dilemmas that occur in social pedagogical work with criminal offenders under the age of 18, placed at a secured institution after they have been sentenced a youth sanction. The dissertation examines how dilemmas arise in the social pedagogical work with criminal youth, based on an understanding that social work can be met by a paradox in the balance between sanction and resocialization.
The thesis is methodically based on a qualitative case study, where empirical data is collected at the secured institution Kompasset. With a critical realist perspective empirical data is gathered mainly by interviews with social workers at the institution. The purpose is to analyse the employees' understanding of the work effort directed at the criminal youths placed in the secure institution. The dissertation highlights the dilemmas by elucidating the social workers’ description and conception of the sanction. The empirical data will be analysed based on Erving Goffman’s theory regarding the total institution and Michael Lipsky’s theory concerning discretion and role conflicts. Furthermore Peter Høilund and Søren Juul’s theory on social judgement will support the analysis on discretion.
The analysis contains three sections, which is structured with inspiration from Inge Bryderups description on the understanding of social pedagogical work. The sections are: “The purpose and target group”, “The social pedagogical work” and “The development and learning process”. The first section describes and explains how social workers may face dilemmas in relation to the different aspects of the youth sanction. They may experience different conflicts when balancing their professional identity and the limitations the institution may cause.
The second paragraph describes and explains how institutional conditions may put the employees into some professional dilemmas. This can be seen as an indication of the staff's perceptions of conflicting values. Furthermore it may cause dilemmas when the social workers can’t affect the established structures of the institution. The employees do not experience a dilemma regarding the visible external structure that is the fence. In contrast the young people, themselves experience great frustrations in the determining structure. This can explain a
dilemma in relation to the significance of the surrounding fence and what is being signalled hereby. Furthermore, it is emphasized that relational work is considered to be one of the most important resources in social pedagogical work. The employees described that the social work in the youth sanction can’t be based on personal relationships, wherefore the partnership between the youngster and the pedagogue might be characterized by dilemmas in relation
to the relinquishment of relational work.
The third paragraph describes and explains that the criminal youth can have a tendency to be psychologically damaged, wherefore the development process is not possible to facilitate. The ability to facilitate development is thought to be of importance in social pedagogical work, wherefore this limitation can lead to dilemmas in social work. Furthermore, a dilemma is found when the criminal youths do not want to be included in the social treatment.