1. Social Pedagogy – A Danish Edition???
NERA 2017, March
Britta Nørgaard, lecturer, Ph.d. UCN
Presentation:
Who am I?
Ph.d.
Why am I here now
Excuse
Earlier
now:
Britta Nørgaard UCN

2. One perspective or one mental model
Social Pedagogy – with a target group who already had “fallen out” of the circle
In Denmark we had different educations and eudcational places until 1992 –
Often we have seen this mental model – and then you might say that the human beings in the circle and the methods became the issue and the object
Britta Nørgaard UCN

3. Another perspective
From 1970 and forward we have seen this mental model more – the term early intervention could be heard – a new chance –
Both models could place the professional with a feeling of being rescuer or being defining the way to follow
Britta Nørgaard UCN

4. Social pedagogy, social work and social politics
In Denmark we have another term and category.
The professionals in social pedagogy are educated and called : SOCIAL EDUCATORS
Which reflections do these different words /terms inspire?
Education – upbringing – socialization – pedagogy - we cannot totally separate the meanings .
I hope to be able to raise a discussion today through this presentation.
It is not a secret that I am quite critical when it comes to education and to politics in this field.
In my empirical work I have seen splendid work – but I also know that we see less good examples (
Just now doing a desk study for big stakeholders – about good practice in the area for people with permanent needs for social pedagogical support.
Britta Nørgaard UCN

5. Defining S.P? What elements contribute to a definition? Knowledge?
Professionals?
Education?
Target groups?
Methods?
Politics and legislation?
Social philosophy?
Britta Nørgaard UCN

6. Traditions in Denmark
We have some identity problems ( Erlandsen 2013) – after more than a century discussing the core – only recently a specific field of research – and does this field contain the right questions?
Danish names: Sofie Bagger, Grue Sørensen - and more recently Holst, Madsen, Rosendal Jensen ( perhaps mostly textbooks)
German inspiration: Giesecke, Natorp, Naul, Thiersch
Freire, Dewey
Britta Nørgaard UCN

7. Which questions
A question of exception, of normality, of inclusion, of behavioral regulation,
A question of practice ? Is it possible to identify what types of knowledge S.P build upon? Is still needed!!
For years psychology has been a big part of this knowledge
Before – and again now – we see biology as another essential part
Social politics – a development where contributing to work and being useful in society tend to supersede traditional social politics and values
Britta Nørgaard UCN

8. A third perspective
Britta Nørgaard UCN

9. Inside the circle
Social pedagogy in this understanding? Is it the same as pedagogy in general?
The professional term: Social educator might give us a clue:
Following this: In Denmark social pedagoy is seen as part of the way society should work in general – and the social educators could be seen as – in a Mead-understanding – society’s generalized ”other”.
And at the same time: developing the potentials in any human being to be able to realize these - living a good life. Presupposing what??
Inside the circle I see the meeting between two human beings as essential – but does it work – is it realized??
And what makes it work
And what could be seen as a barrier?
Britta Nørgaard UCN

10. Inspiration from Naul (2007) – relecting the broad field of SP.
So many elements is part of the Social pedagogical activity and meeting
Britta Nørgaard UCN

11. Inspiration from Naul to see potential in S.P. practice (2007)
My supplements:
Culture and meaning - LIFE itself
Communication and body language
Britta Nørgaard UCN

12. 2017 – the situation Social pedagogy is changing
From oral to more written traditions
From a very little regulated area to more regulation and control
From very individual and sometime quite private methods/ways to more systematic and documented methods
Social pedagogy as a specialization in the education as social educator
Britta Nørgaard UCN

13. Working field
All social educators can apply for work in all areas of pedagogical work – in kindergartens, in schools, orphanages, in work with alcohol addicts, criminala, in prisons, in psychiatric hospitals, in homes for people with physical and intellectual disabailities etc…
One education – 3 specializations
One education ( since 1992)
2 trade unions
Many public employed – many private
Britta Nørgaard UCN

14. To create an overall picture?
S.P. in Denmark – in my opinion – is hard to grasp in an overall picture - a ”wild area” –
Necessity to have many approaches and individual methods
Necessity to have well educated social educators
Necessity to be more aware of the ( different types of ) knowledge in S.P
Necessity to have a wellfunctioning crossdisciplinary work respecting S:P. as a value
Britta Nørgaard UCN

15. Can we identify any risks regarding S.P
NPM
Demands on the use of evidens based methods
Scripts
Educational weakness
Economy
Lack of knowledge and research
Weak voices of critique
SOLUTION – FUTURE??
Permanent working on qualifications and quality in S.P. must be a big part of the answer
Britta Nørgaard UCN

16. references
The journal: ”Tidsskrift for Socialpædagogik” – from 1997 – until now – a lot of artices discussing extactly what S.P. is?
Erlanden, T. (2013): “Socialpædagogikkens udvikling i Danmark,” kap.2 i Erlandsen, T. ; Rosendal Jensen, N.; Langager, S.; Petersen, K.E. (red.)(2013): “Socialpædagogik – en grundbog”. Hans Reitzels Forlag, Kbh.
Giesecke, H. (1997): ”Socialpædagogik og skolen”, Tidsskrift for socialpædagogik
Langager; Søren (1999): ”Efter integrationen – ude på hjørnet eller inde i cirklen. 5 skitser.” I Carsten Nejst Jensen m.fl. (red): Ungdomsliv og læreprocesser i det moderne samfund. Billesø og Baltzer
Naul, Roland ( 2007): “Social-pedagogical challenges and sport in the institutionalised daily lives of children and young people” Speech held – at the 10 years anniversary for the Danish Association for Social Pedagogy, Tidsskrift for Socialpædagogik
Reyer, J. (2008): ”Socialpædagogikkens teoritab: En historie om forfald eller om forandring” Tidsskrift for Socialpædagogik, 2008
Thiersch, H (2013): ”Socialpædagogik – et arbejdsfelt med paradokser”, Tidsskrift for Socialpædagogik,
Britta Nørgaard UCN