The Construction of Character in Social Work Narratives of Practice with Undocumented Migrants

Machin, Helen; Shardlow, Steven M.

Abstract

Undocumented migration is a global phenomenon. Social work practice with undocumented migrants, worldwide, is ethically complex as social workers are positioned between the mandates of the state, designed to deter 'illegal' migration and the needs of their undocumented clients. Yet, despite this complexity, the relationship between social workers and their undocumented clients remains largely unexamined. In this article, we draw on interviews with thirteen social workers to analyse how character is constructed in narratives of practice with undocumented migrants. We have used narrative analysis to explore: the relationship between social workers and their undocumented clients; the influence of other key actors and social workers' constructions of their own practice. We identified three key findings from our analysis: (i) the emergency circumstances in which social workers encounter undocumented migrants made it difficult to establish relationships and consequently, undocumented migrants were weakly drawn in social workers' narratives; (ii) off-stage actors who existed outside of social workers' gaze (migrants' relatives, employers and migrant brokers) exerted power over undocumented migrants and inhibited trusting relationships with professionals and (iii) tension between social workers' moral claims about undocumented migrants and their personal empathy led to the construction of social workers as characters enmeshed in emotional conflict.

This article is focused on social workers' constructions of undocumented migrants. Social workers' accounts of their practice with undocumented migrants suggested that: The emergency circumstances in which social workers encounter undocumented migrants make it difficult to establish relationships. Off-stage actors who exist outside of social workers' gaze exert power over undocumented migrants. Social workers' moral formulations convey the emotional and ethical complexity of practice with undocumented migrants. The construction of character in social work narratives of practice with undocumented migrants.

Citation

Machin, H. E., Machin, H., Shardlow, S. M., & Shardlow, S. M. (2022). The Construction of Character in Social Work Narratives of Practice with Undocumented Migrants. British Journal of Social Work, 52(8), 5045-5065. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcac105

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 16, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Jun 3, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022-12
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 4, 2024
• Journal: The British Journal of Social Work
• Print ISSN: 0045-3102
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 52
• Issue: 8
• Pages: 5045-5065
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcac105
• Keywords: Social Sciences (miscellaneous), Health (social science)
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/bjsw/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/bjsw/bcac105/6599211?redirectedFrom=fulltext