TRUST IN THE SYSTEM OF THE SOCIAL WORKERS’ PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY

Abstract

The article is devoted to the disclosure of the role of trust in constructing the forms and content of the contemporary social work in the community, which would correspond to the actual social order. It is shown that social work in the community, through its everyday practices, is endowed with a resource of transformation of interpersonal trust into institutional forms of confidence, and thus aims at solving complex social problems caused by the uncertainty of the future in a postmodern society that is transforming and experiencing multilevel crisis. In the multidisciplinary scientific discourse, the phenomenon of trust is “woven” into the topics of social well-being and social capital being considered as a component, condition and consequence. “Bridging” social capital allows mobilizing additional resources of human relations on the basis of trust and connections, that is, the build-up of the social capital strengthens community, ensuring the cohesion of people. The bigger the radius of trust (the circle of individuals or social groups that are part of a system of trust relations), the more powerful the social capital of the community is. The paper presents some results of the content analysis of group discussions and shared reflections around the phenomenological meanings of trust and the factors that influence trust and understanding building in local communities. Participative research has been carried out during the facilitation of the British Council Active Citizens Program in Ukrainian communities. The use of the methodology of phenomenological and constructivist approaches, tools of participatory research has led to the conclusion that the relationship of trust is the essence of social work in the community, being simultaneously its purpose, tool, principle and resource, and in the context of the professional status of social work – also an important competence.