Care managers' responses to working under conditions of postmodernity

Postle, Karen Margaret (1999) Care managers' responses to working under conditions of postmodernity. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

The implementation of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 considerably changed the work of social work staff, usually termed 'care managers' and, increasingly, they express dissatisfaction with their work. The thesis therefore sought to use constructs of postmodernity as a 'lens' through which to view care managers' experiences, questioning the extent to which postmodern societal attributes shaped and influenced care managers' work.

Research, comprising interviews and observations, was conducted in two teams of care managers working with older people. Analyses of fieldwork data were interrogated with theory derived from literature about social work and postmodernity, and care management to derive theory concerning the nature of the care mangers' work in its societal context.

Discussions throughout the thesis demonstrate variation in the extent to which care managers' work has taken on attributes of a postmodern society. Their work appeared to be driven by market and managerialist demands, resulting in emphasised ambiguities and tensions, yet care managers used a modernist discourse of progress and, despite the altered nature of change in their work, some aspects of it withstood change. What emerged is a picture of a role in transition from modern to postmodern, characterised by aspects of both conditions. Further, it became apparent that most care managers sensed unease with current practice but, while describing their discontent, did not articulate this theoretically.

The examination of ways in which care management, located in transition from modern to postmodern, has adopted attributes of contemporary society, facilitates understanding of difficulties experienced by some practitioners in adjusting to their work's changed nature, and reveals threats to the continuation of social work with older people. Deconstructing the dichotomous positioning of social work:care management suggested by the care managers' comments, and reconstructing social work/care management offers some opportunity and optimism. This study illuminates current care management practice, implying both threats and opportunities for the future of social work with older people.

This record has no associated files available for download.