Villains, fools or unsung heroes? A study of the contradictory narratives of social work identities in contemporary England

The aims of this paper are to identify rival stories of social work which reflect the contradictory and ambivalent attitude of society to the profession and to argue that critical pedagogy can offer a way forward beyond these contradictions. Based on a qualitative study of a qualifying undergraduate social work degree in social work, 48 participants were interviewed: participants included academics, students, service users and practice educators