Libor Musil

Do social workers avoid the dilemmas of work with cliens

This article is devoted to Lipskys suggestion that the purpose of street-level policies is to establish and justify patterns of behaviour that enable street-level bureaucrats to avoid the dilemmas provoked by uncertain working conditions. Based on a review of relevant literature as well as on case studies in the culture of social work service organisations by the authors, the article suggests that two kinds of street-level policies are described by the research. The first one is consistent with the aforementioned idea by Lipsky and follows the wish of social service workers to avoid the dilemmas of their work with clients without trying to change those uncertain conditions that provoke these dilemmas. The actors of the second kind of street-level policy try to negotiate with relevant partners and to change uncertain working conditions that are at the roots of their dilemmas. Both kinds of street-level policy are described by means of empirical examples and their substantive features are summarised.

The Influence of Prejudicial Typifications on My Approach to Clients Suffering From a Mental Illness

The goal of this article is to answer the following question: “What influence do my prejudicial typifications (representations) have on my approach to clients suffering from a mental illness?” I have described and tried to reflect on the development of my perceptions of clients. The process of reflection had three phases. The outcome of this article consists in recommendations stemming from experience that helped me become aware of my prejudices toward people with psychiatric diagnoses.