Hybrid Intervention Based on Virtual Intervention with Marginalized Organizations, Outcast Groups, and Professional Users of Technology

Abstract

Technological developments have seriously affected all areas of life, including sciences and various professions, and social work has not been immune from these effects. Therefore, fundamental questions are raised, such as how social work has adapted to technological changes. How has this profession been able to enrich its field of knowledge, skills, and ethical standards in terms of extensive technological changes? Are social workers able to use technology-based services for their clients? Are all clients able to use technology-based services? Has technology increased or decreased the severity of social exclusion of clients? Therefore, to answer these questions, qualitative research was conducted using structured interviews with 15 social workers in various public, private, and charitable institutions in Tehran, who were identified through targeted sampling. After that, the findings were analyzed based on coding, and five main themes were extracted, which include virtual citizenship, virtual empowerment, smart client management, and virtual marginalization. The conducted research shows that social workers do not consider the use of technological tools as a fundamental right of the client and do not consider it among the client’s basic needs.

1. Introduction

Social work is rooted in interaction with disadvantaged and marginalized groups, and one of its historical foundations has been the effort to increase the social inclusion of these groups [1]. The historical evolution of social work shows that this profession has constantly had an evolutionary route in responding to needs and problems ([2], p. 105). Through the years, the target population of this profession has accelerated and turned out to be more diverse. In other words, social work considers a part of its scientific identity dependent on its dynamic and well-timed response to societal changes ([3], p. 19). But has the profession been capable of responding to the technological advances that affect human being’s lives each day? Has technology become one of the fundamental issues in this field? Evidence indicates shows that technology-based intervention in social work has failed to engage any of these three groups effectively: (1) disadvantaged groups unfamiliar with technology, (2) groups living in faraway regions and unable to access are not technology-savvy, and (3) groups that have access to technology and use technology skillfully. Some of these inefficiencies are rooted in insufficient social worker knowledge and skills, and others are partially due to professional inattention to the impact of technology on the social worker’s target populations. For instance, the development of technology-based services, such as various health platforms, for the first and second groups is unsuitable due to the lack of access to these services.

In contrast, the third group faces many health facilities and digital support, services whose designers are not necessarily social workers, and a range of software engineers, industrial engineers, etc. Such a situation exacerbates inequality and deprives disadvantaged groups of a significant portion of services. It also alienates the third group from social work services because technology professionals have ruled this group by surpassing social workers. This case can be a warning for social workers and revive the old query of whether social work is a science that keeps its foundations within the historical evolution of humankind. Based on this, it seems that social work has come to recognize its conventional techniques and interventions and flow toward technology-primarily based hybrid services and empower its goal network in this location.

2. Statement of the problem

The development of technology has affected all aspects of life and has had positive and negative consequences on human life. In this chapter, we are not looking for the positive effects of technology in social work. Still, by adopting a critical approach, we seek to understand the negative consequences of technology on the target population of social work. We begin the discussion with a set of fundamental questions: Is technology development from the most basic type, which includes the phone and smartphones and the mass production of applications, equally available to all people? Are all social work target populations literate in the use of technology? As food, clothing, housing, etc., are considered basic needs, social workers in various governmental, charitable, and private institutions seek to provide needs for their deprived clients. Are tools such as tablets, laptops, etc. among clients’ basic needs? A fact that became more apparent during the outbreak of coronavirus showed how many students were left out of education due to online teaching and lack of access to it. And another question: just as “citizenship” has become a criterion for the efforts and realization of people’s social, civil, and political rights, has the concept of “virtual citizenship” also been able to find its place? Finally, the question is, what do social workers do with a part of their target population who are professional users of technology, users who do not evaluate social work services as appropriate for them? Does this group also experience another aspect of deprivation? Because it seems that according to the development of technology, all people include two aspects of citizenship: real citizenship and virtual citizenship.

Most significantly, we review the competencies and professional qualifications of social workers. Have the courses related to technology literacy and acquiring skills in this field become one of the primary syllabi in social work? Is it necessary to form a trend called digital social work? The lived experience of working with disadvantaged groups shows that technology itself has created a new area of problems and increased social inequality. At times, it seems to have made the face of poverty more objective. As an example of a student who does not have a smartphone in class, his poverty is apparent, unlike in the past when poverty may have a hidden layer.

On the other hand, field observations display that social workers do not consider the right to technology as an inherent right of the client. Consequently, it’s feared that their interventions will be ineffective and one-dimensional. Accordingly, this research tried to investigate the aspects of technology that neglect has disrupted social work services in a qualitative and exploratory manner.

3. Research method

A qualitative research of thematic analysis type using semi-structured interviews was conducted in 2023 in Tehran (Iran). The sample population consisted of 15 social workers from support and service organizations who were selected through purposive sampling, and interviews with them continued until theoretical saturation was reached. The interview criteria included more than 5 years of experience working with underprivileged groups and providing support services to clients, experience in social work during the coronavirus epidemic, experience working with clients who use technology professionally, and at least a bachelor’s degree in social work. After the interviews, the information was analyzed by coding, and themes and categories were extracted. Table 1 presents the demographic characteristics of the sample population ([4], p. 31).

Grade	Age	Position	Interviewee
MSW	25	Child and family welfare social worker	Social Worker1
BSW	24	Psychiatric Social Work	Social Worker2
MSW	26	Child and family welfare social worker	Social Worker3
BSW	39	Psychiatric Social Work	Social Worker4
BSW	27	Child and family welfare social worker	Social Worker5
MSW	25	Social worker of female heads of household	Social Worker6
BSW	23	Social worker of female heads of household	Social Worker7
BSW	25	Social worker of female heads of household	Social Worker8
BSW	22	Social worker of female heads of household	Social Worker9
MSW	27	Substance Abuse Social Worker	Social Worker10
Ph.D.	26	Substance Abuse Social Worker	Social Worker11
BSW	24	Substance Abuse Social Worker	Social Worker12
BSW	43	Psychiatric Social Work	Social Worker13
BSW	45	Substance Abuse Social Worker	Social Worker14
BSW	42	Child and family welfare social worker	Social Worker14

Table 1.

Demographic characteristics of the sample population.

4. Findings

According to the data analysis, four main themes, including virtual citizenship, virtual empowerment, smart client management, and virtual marginalization, were extracted, which are given in Table 2 and are discussed in detail below.

Category	Theme	Row
The right to media literacy	Virtual Citizenship	1
The right to access virtual networks
The right to access technology tools
Sensitizing clients to technology	Virtual empowerment	2
Making clients aware of technology
Action based on technology
Demanding
Hybrid technology-based interventions	Smart client management	3
Virtual and non-virtual assessment
Virtual and non-virtual interventions
Virtual and virtual follow-ups
Delay in professional competency
Denial of access to technology tools	Virtual marginalization	4
Ignorance in technology policy

Table 2.

Extraction of themes and categories.

5. Analysis of the first theme

5.1 The first theme: virtual citizenship

The development of technology has led to the formation of a new concept called “virtual citizenship,” A type of citizenship that gives every person the right to benefit from technological achievements. This concept has dimensions such as the right to media literacy, the right to access virtual networks, and the right to access technology tools ([5], p. 63). Some social workers stated in the interviews that their clients cannot use their facilities due to illiteracy. As an example, social worker Code 1 said:

“During the outbreak of the coronavirus and the non-attendance of schools, the number of children not attending school increased, especially children who were in primary school, and this increase had two main reasons: not having a smartphone and the illiteracy of parents in using applications designed by education and breeding.”

On the other hand, the social worker of code 7 stated: “Educational planners and the government did not consider the diversity of the population during the Corona period. For example, we had children whose parents were drug addicts. When the child was required to attend the class virtually because they used drugs to sleep or did not have the necessary behavioral stability, they could not continuously benefit from education.

In this context, social worker Code 5 stated: “One of the problems we have with women heads of households is that we teach them various skills such as small production, but they are not able to use digital markets, and their products are not sold.” On the other hand, when we get help from a technology expert, the cost is high, or they take advantage of our ignorance.”

5.2 The second theme is virtual empowerment

The development of technology and a multitude of innovations has brought one of the primary services of social work as “empowerment” under the radius in such a way that the new concept of “virtual empowerment” can be introduced with four categories: sensitization of clients to technology, awareness of clients To technology, act based on technology and demand. In the interviews with social workers, it seemed that they still focused on the classic and traditional concept of empowerment. As an example of school literacy, training in technical-professional skills in conventional and limited digital marketing was vital for them, and the cultural category of empowerment focusing on technology was not a priority. This shows that technology has not yet become a prominent area and concern in social work.

The interviews showed that no social workers consider technology a fundamental right as a leading service and do not act in the direction of awareness and sensitizing in this area. As an example, social worker Code 9 states:

“We have never taught this skill to our children or other clients who do not know how to use the phone because we thought it was not our duty, and to be honest, we did not think about it at all.” We were.” Social worker Code 11 said:

“We only realized during the coronavirus period that the Internet and phones are important because our children were facing a lot of problems, and because of this, during the coronavirus period, our demand for phones increased, but now the Corona is over and Even if we apply, our managers will not agree because they believe that the applicants have more fundamental problems such as lack of food, housing, health, etc.”

The findings show that the use of technology is still not considered an essential and fundamental welfare right, and social workers, especially in working with disadvantaged groups, focus on five basic welfare needs: housing, health, classical education, insurance, and employment. Also, the findings show that some social workers cannot empower their clients and teach them how to use it properly due to a lack of media literacy, so they cannot provide services to their clients who use technology professionally. As an example, social worker Code 15 said:

“Currently, among the problems of our teenagers, especially teenage girls, is that they dangerously use the Internet and networks; for example, they become friends with those whom they sexually abuse, but we are not able to help them because the power of friends Their virtuality is more than ours, on the other hand, they have so much information that sometimes I can’t figure it out myself… The new generation is different from us.”

5.3 The third theme: Smart client management

Technology has brought one of the main parts of social work, that is, planning and intervention, under the spotlight. In such a way, we are facing a new concept, such as “smart customer management.” This theme has five main categories: hybrid technology-based interventions, virtual and non-virtual assessment, virtual and non-virtual interventions, virtual and non-virtual follow-ups, and delay in professional competence. The findings show that social workers in the service process consider traditional formats dominant over modern and technology-based forms. As an example, social worker Code 13 said:

“In my opinion, clients should participate in face-to-face meetings, and online and telephone services are not very effective, and the client does not get the desired result.”

Social worker Code 8 said:

“I close the case when the client does not answer my phone calls or attend meetings. I do not accept sending messages on networks such as WhatsApp and Telegram for follow-up because it makes the professional relationship informal.”

Social worker Code 4 said:

“I didn’t have a course on technology in social work at all in the university, and I’m only familiar with the traditional methods of social work. I don’t even know what the codes and ethical responsibilities have changed regarding technology, and I think universities should train social work students in this field. introduce.”

5.4 The fourth theme: virtual marginalization

The findings show that technology provides the basis for marginalizing a group of service recipients, so we found a new “virtual marginalization” theme in the data analysis. This theme has two main categories under the title of denial of access to technology tools and neglect in technology policy. As an example, Social worker Code 5 states:

“During the Corona period, I realized that the planners and policymakers did not see the diversity of the population in welfare and social planning; for example, during the Corona period, disadvantaged students were not seen at all, and the programs and actions were focused on the middle and upper-class students of the society, and this shows that a unified view It doesn’t exist, and sometimes the programs themselves cause the spread of discrimination and injustice.”

Social worker Code 10 said:

“When Corona came, the society was in chaos, and this shows that at the governance level, policies are not based on future research. I think even for them, technology was not taken so seriously. On the other hand, I am worried that the importance of using the technology that has increased tremendously during the Corona period will continue without regard for the disadvantaged and marginalized groups, and this will increase social exclusion and exclusion because all services may be based on technology, while I believe a hybrid view. There must be.”

6. Conclusions

The conducted research shows that social workers do not consider the use of technological tools as a fundamental right of the client and do not consider it among the client’s basic needs. Therefore, this criterion is ignored in the social work process, including evaluation, planning, and development of support plans. On the other hand, social workers stated that if a client asks for a mobile phone, tablet, etc., this is a “want” and not a “need,” other issues have priority, which means technology tools and how to use them. It is not considered part of the essential goods and needs of the client. Therefore, social work interventions have failed to reduce poverty caused by the development of technology.

In a more precise language, it can be said that technology and its weakness in social work can be discussed in a four-factor system. The client, social worker, support organizations, and government are four factors. Exploratory findings show that the lack of literacy in the use of technology can be seen both in the social work community and in the client system. On the other hand, government policymakers, especially in developing countries, do not take into account the diversity of the population, especially the deprived and illiterate population or those living in remote areas, in the design of technological tools and applications, as an example, currently in Iran electronic systems design, it has happened that some clients do not have access to them due to lack of literacy. Therefore, they are forced to seek help from others, which violates the code of ethics of “confidentiality” in social work and sometimes causes negative feelings such as disclosure of information and shame. It serves the recipient and increases the client’s dependence on the surrounding people. Another critical issue is that technology is based on the Internet. If the Internet network is interrupted, there will be a general disruption in the process of providing services, especially in countries where the Internet and access to virtual networks may be filtered and overshadowed by political issues and social issues a more precise language, it can be said that the development of technology has tied social work to political and social matters more than ever before and has put new and significant challenges in front of them.

Also, the findings indicate that Newcomers enter the field of social work and provide services in this field without having professional qualifications. These people are the same software engineers, industrial engineers, and other technology experts who, by producing different applications, diverse sites, and expanding virtual networks focusing on health services and social services in some areas, have surpassed even social work. It is feared that with the entry of non-professionals, the fundamental values of social work, such as service, social justice, professional competence, and honesty, will be damaged. For these people, profiting and winning the competition is a priority to essential values such as service and first commitment to the client. The conducted research makes it necessary to design a model of combined interventions in social work, and before that, it requires social workers to use a “technology-based approach.” If social workers do not look at their profession and services through the lens of innovation, including technology-based innovations, this profession will lose its dynamism. It can even be argued that the new wave in social work is the wave of technology and its achievements that will change everyone’s life. Has affected and created a new form of discrimination, deprivation, and injustice. Therefore, along with other modern concerns such as the environment, it is necessary to give this critical priority, and social workers, with a commitment to the roots of the profession, which is one of the essential cases of depriving themselves, put virtual marginalized people in the text of their interventions and virtual inclusion. This is important when the virtual citizenship of clients is accepted as a fundamental right in social work, and by using combined interventions, the list of basic needs of the client is added, such as the right to media literacy, access to technology, increasing technological abilities, and the like.

Combined interventions mean using “technology-based” and “traditional methods” together. This type of intervention has two aspects; it includes both the social worker and the client. On the one hand, social workers need to use new approaches and not rely solely on traditional methods of service because technology has created a range of facilities, needs, and problems that lack attention and cause professional delays. For example, providing services is no longer limited to face-to-face meetings, and social workers must understand the importance of offline and online services. On the other hand, social workers cannot limit their assessments, interventions, and follow-ups to the real world and tangible tools because this limitation is considered a severe obstacle to developing the boundaries of knowledge and skills in social work. On the other hand, technology returns to clients. For example, social workers should consider these essential questions in their initial client evaluations: Can the client use a smartphone? Does the client have a smartphone? Where does the client live? Does he have access to the Internet? What kind of services does the client prefer, face-to-face counseling? Online counseling? On-phone consultancy? Advice by Email.

Since the development of information technology will increasingly offer new goods and services to society in virtual networks, information circulation, etc., the last one or two decades should be considered the first encounters of social workers with modern technology products. More diverse and complex products than the current phones and tablets will soon enter our lives, so social work should prepare itself for more profound and decisive contact with new technologies and their positive and negative consequences. Therefore, the design and implementation of experimental research in this field will become more necessary.