Annual of social work, Vol. 20 No. 1, 2013.
Review article
SOCIAL POLICY AND SOCIAL WORK IN THE ECONOMIC CRISIS TIMES IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Maja Gerovska Mitev
orcid.org/0000-0003-3854-5199
; Institute of Social Policy and Social Work, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Skopje Cyril and Methodius
Sunchica Dimitrijoska
; Institute of Social Policy and Social Work, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Skopje Cyril and Methodius
Abstract
The paper analyzes the impact of the global economic crisis in relation to social policy and social work, with a focus on experiences and conditions in Macedonia in the period from 2008 till 2012. During an economic crisis social policies are challenged through austerity measures which impact the employment possibilities, the living standard and particularly burden the conditions of those in poverty and social exclusion. Social work is also affected through the need to cater the existing social work clientele as well as to target new vulnerable groups, such as: retrenched workers, self-employed workers, unemployed graduates, the homeless and others who due to a lack of access to the labour market and income, are increasingly faced with social problems, such as deprivation, marginalization, domestic violence, etc. The analysis in this paper shows that although the social conditions (unemployment, poverty) in Macedonia have not deteriorated as a result of the economic crisis as in other European countries (i.e. Baltic countries, Spain), they show only a negligible improvement. The paper also focuses on anti-crisis measures, and gives an outline of main challenges in social policy and social work in Macedonia during the economic crisis.
Keywords
social policy; social work; economic crisis; new social risks; vulnerable categories
Hrčak ID:
104556
URI
Publication date:
3.6.2013.
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