Profiling competences or portraying anti-oppressive practice? Video-analyzing the behavior of social welfare practitioners engaged in social circus

Social circus is a social welfare practice that includes teaching circus techniques to socially vulnerable groups. It is often used as a tool for social intervention. Since the 90s, the interest in social circus practice as a catalyst for change has increased. More attention is being given to the role of practitioners involved in social circus. Several studies have profiled them based on the set of competences they should master to achieve anticipated outcomes (Caravan Circus Network, 2012; Milagre, Passeiro, and Almeida 2003). We challenge the very act of profiling, arguing that the way practitioners and participants ‘connect’ via social circus should be understood through observing the way they put themselves ‘at disposal’. By means of a video analysis, we aim to portray rather than profile practitioners involved in social circus. This moves us into visualizing the anti-oppressive practice promoted in the social work discipline (and out of the competence based discourse that currently dominates professional development discourses. References:Caravan Circus Network (2012) Annual Report 2012. Caravan European Youth Circus and Education Network. Retrieved from http://www.caravancircusnetwork.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Annual_Report_12_LW.pdf Milagre C, Passeiro J & Almeida V (2003) New trainer profiles for socially disadvantaged groups. European journal of vocational training 3: 20-28. Nzira V & Williams P (2008) Useful concepts in anti-oppression. In: V. Nzira & P. Williams (eds.) Anti-Oppressive Practice in Health and Social Care. London, UK: Sage, pp. 21-40.

ISBN:978-9067841979

Publication year:2017