Gender a výzkum / Gender and Research 2008, 9 (2): 37-44

How Women and Men Are Constructed as Clients in Social Work Practices

Radka Janebová, Lucie Černá

Gendered practices in social work have never before been the subject of research in the Czech Republic. This article looks at gender perceptions and stereotypes in social work practices. It contains a discussion of some findings from a recent qualitative study of a social work organization. The research set out to explore the gendered constructions of women and men as clients. Data were collected from in-depth interviews with social workers. The conclusion of research is that women are constructed as responsible for protection, as cooperative, as subordinate and as hysterical, whereas men are constructed as outspoken, as uncooperative and as aggressive. The findings show the importance of raising the awareness of social workers about their gender strategies and the possible impact of these strategies on their professional work.

Keywords: social work, social construction, gender, stereotypes, prejudices

Published: June 1, 2008  Show citation

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Janebová, Radka and Lucie Černá. 2008. "How Women and Men Are Constructed as Clients in Social Work Practices." Gender, Equal Opportunities, Research 9(2):37-44.
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