(Art -Matters of Tika, Pono, Aroha (detail). 2013. Acrylic, ink, foil on canvas. Simmons-Hansen).
"You have set something alive"(Participant) therefore would opportunity to speak and the associated infectiousness enlivened and deepen social work conversation?
Our research, Women and Spirit has found that as women spoke of their evolving relationships with spirituality we made explicit how each sees the world. For women spoke, dance, touched, cried, smiled, knitted, wove, wrote and knew and recreated ways that carried their accountability to their work. There remains a joy for both participant and researcher, a joy which appears highly infectious.
This leads us to recognize, and care for those meaningful workplace conversation and supervision relationships which make space enough for all or either of these points: wondering about spirituality, or assist our embrace of our spirituality, or/ and enable our care for the spiritual which can arise when with others.
One woman described how "Spirituality is about holding hope". "If we don't have faith that change is possible who will?" Another woman realized as she both spoke and then listened to others, that "there is a whole universe, so we are connected with each other and there is something behind that world".
Canadian Social worker's (Maxine Gibson) discoveries which echo the findings of many women whom spoke and keep speaking.
Can Spirituality "Save" Social Work? Maxine can be contacted at mjgibson@uvic.ca Maxine Gibson, June 17-19, 2010. The Fifth North American Conference on Spirituality and Social Work held from June 17-19, 2010, in Calgary, Alberta, at the University of Calgary.
In short: Given the current economic and political climate, the profession of social work is arguably experiencing a “crisis” and is in need of saving. The presenter invites you to contemplate this possibility and to explore ways in which the concept of spirituality might serve to influence this crisis for workers andthe crisis of care and control in social work practice in general.
In closing this part of the research acnowledgement and thanks is offered to all whom grew part of this research and part of the researchers life. 'Nga mihi nui kia koutou.' This work 'Women and Spirit' bought renewed lens for spirituality as our meaning, discovery of which added great delight and pragmatic value to women and the ability to work with thoughtful care-manaaki. This energy within social work , working with spirituality of another brings great warmth, wonder, resources, clarity, for when women spoke of spirituality many would state they experience something new (and knew) which became available :
Speaking out does
" set something alive"(Participant)
..................................................................