Urban Social Work
About the research group
What knowledge and skills do social workers need to be able to perform their work effectively at a time when social problems are increasing? And what are the prerequisites for tackling today’s complex social issues in large cities? As a research group, we use our knowledge and skills to examine these questions in socially fragmented cities.
Cities as the context
Cities are a source of creativity and renewal. They are the drivers of the economy and draw in many people. At the same time, we are witnessing in Amsterdam a growing division between the employed and the unemployed, between those with plenty of opportunities and those with very few, and between those with strong social networks and those who are socially isolated.
Many residents, especially those in areas at the edge of the city with high levels of social housing, feel socially excluded. The research group focuses on the issues and challenges that arise in precisely this large-city context. We also look at how urban issues such as poverty and misunderstood behaviour suburbanise to surrounding areas.
Research topics
We focus on four themes:
- Strengthening social foundations;
- Collaboration between well-being, care, and housing;
- Strengthening local collective social amenities;
- Strengthening informal social work (social shadow work).
Link with teaching
Through its practice-based research, the research group contributes towards the Bachelor’s and Master’s in Social Work at the AUAS. We are continuously strengthening the scientific basis for improving the quality of teaching. We also work in close partnership with the Buurtcampus(opens in new window). And every year, we jointly organise the Social Work event at AUAS with lecturers.
Collaboration
The research group works in partnership with various local authorities in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. For each of our research projects, we also work alongside various welfare organisations and other practice-based partners, and we have projects in which we collaborate with other research groups at the AUAS and at other educational institutions.
Werkplaats Sociaal Domein Amsterdam en Omgeving
The Urban Social Work research group coordinates the regional Werkplaats Sociaal Domein Amsterdam en Omgeving. This is a partnership involving regional universities of applied sciences, healthcare and care institutions, local authorities, client organisations, and knowledge institutions.
Read here more about the werkplaats (in Dutch)(opens in new window)