Social work as ‘pest’ or agent of positive change: the accommodating and transformative aspects of resilience in the discursive stances of (future) Czech social workers

The study investigates discursive representations of resilience in the context of social responsibility and sustainability in social work. Resilience is discussed as a combined result of individual, interpersonal, and organisational efforts which should not only protect the individual but also aim for broader social cohesion. Data were gathered in a longitudinal set of focus groups with Czech MA students of social work at the University of Ostrava. A sociolinguistic analysis of discursive stances was employed to gain a novel perspective while linking qualitative micro-analysis with broader social implications. Built upon the principles of a social constructivist paradigm, the analysis unveils how the participants position themselves as respectable professionals while drawing on sometimes hostile discourses in their surroundings that misunderstand, fear, or denigrate their work. The ultimate objective of the article is to highlight the importance of discursive awareness and transdisciplinary cooperation that could help (future) social workers cope with negative discourses in the societal context which is marked by compartmentalisation and worldwide increasing discursive divisions in society.