Abstract: (49 Views)
Introduction: Social workers often face a dilemma of career ambiguity, as on the one hand, due to the nature of their work, they require deep emotional involvement with clients, but on the other hand, due to structural and organizational constraints, they also face psychological pressures, role conflicts, and ambiguous working conditions. This situation is more complicated for women workers due to their family, social, and gender responsibilities. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to investigate the work life experience of women social workers in order to examine how they face various job challenges.
Methodology: The method of this study is qualitative, and the collected information is analyzed using thematic analysis. The research participants were selected through two methods of purposive and theoretical sampling, and on this basis, in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 female social workers working in the Welfare Department of Soumeh Sara County in Guilan Province.
Findings: Two overarching themes of multi-layered job burnout and professional activism of workers, client empowerment were the findings of this research. These two themes, which emerged from a wide range of specific organizing themes, have been very important in the effectiveness of women social workers' job activities.
Discussion:The job experience of women's social work is most often a multidimensional and exhausting phenomenon that not only reflects the individual suffering of social workers, but also reveals structural, psychological and institutional gaps in this profession. The continuation of this trend will not only cause discouragement in performing job roles and confusion in the effective activism of social workers, but also disrupt the process of empowering vulnerable groups
Methodology: The method of this study is qualitative, and the collected information is analyzed using thematic analysis. The research participants were selected through two methods of purposive and theoretical sampling, and on this basis, in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 female social workers working in the Welfare Department of Soumeh Sara County in Guilan Province.
Findings: Two overarching themes of multi-layered job burnout and professional activism of workers, client empowerment were the findings of this research. These two themes, which emerged from a wide range of specific organizing themes, have been very important in the effectiveness of women social workers' job activities.
Discussion:The job experience of women's social work is most often a multidimensional and exhausting phenomenon that not only reflects the individual suffering of social workers, but also reveals structural, psychological and institutional gaps in this profession. The continuation of this trend will not only cause discouragement in performing job roles and confusion in the effective activism of social workers, but also disrupt the process of empowering vulnerable groups
Article number: 9
Keywords: Clients, Female Social Workers, Job Burnout, Occupational Experiences, Social Workers', Professional Agency.
Type of Study: orginal |
Received: 2025/09/7 | Accepted: 2025/12/10
Received: 2025/09/7 | Accepted: 2025/12/10
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Social Welfare Quarterly
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