Culture Matters

Social Work students explore the interfaces between cultural education and Social Work

The “Culture Matters - Social Work and cultural education” project was developed as part of the “Project Work” course, in which students on the bachelor's degree program in Social Work explored the question of how cultural education and cultural work can be integrated into the field of Social Work. Divided into four groups, each was accompanied by an institution.

The students first dealt theoretically with the concept of culture and the associated theories and trends. Subsequently, guest lectures by representatives of various cultural and social associations provided practical insights into the concrete work of the lecturers. This discussion enabled the students to develop a deeper understanding of the role of cultural work in Social Work and to recognize its potential in practice.

Maurice Munisch Kumar, lecturer for the “Project work” course: “In the 'Culture Matters' project, we as social workers took a look at cultural work, where it became clear to us that we have a lot of expertise in our profession, e.g. accompanying people in socio-cultural projects. This can strengthen the self, i.e. promote self-efficacy and self-confidence - all with the aim of enabling people in difficult situations to shape their everyday lives more independently again.”

The students share their personal insights and reflect on how their view of cultural education has changed over the course of the project and what impressions they have gained from their work in the respective institutions.

Group Kunst und Drüber: “For us, the concept of cultural education has become much more diverse and broader as a result of this project, meaning that culture is not only understood in the sense of going out or going to concerts, but also in terms of accompanying people. We have also become more aware of people's cultural participation, as not everyone has access to resources such as a potter's wheel, canvases or other materials to be able to express themselves artistically.”

Group Innsbruck Club Commission: “The project has made us more aware of how important spaces and events are for people. To create places where people can meet, where they feel safe and comfortable, where they can exchange ideas with other people and educate themselves in many different ways. Where everyone can be who they are”.

Group spectACT: “We think that there is definitely an interface between cultural education and Social Work. If you look at Forumtheater, for example, you can see that social problems are made visible through theater. Through the active participation of the audience, these problems can be discussed and addressed in the play. We in Social Work also try to make change possible together with people through participation”.

Group bilding: “This project has made us realize that the importance of cultural education is being seen less and less and that there is often no room for artistic expression in the sense of cultural education, especially in the traditional school environment. That's why places like the bilding are important, as they give children and young people a space in which they can develop and express themselves.”