Globalization and the Regulation of Social Work Practice in Canada

In the current context of global capitalism, regulating professions has changed from the traditional system designed by professions to protect their interests to a system structured primarily by governments with a stated aim of protecting the public. This research examines efforts by Canadian social workers to develop regulation within this context and argues that those involved in the process rarely understand the full implications for the profession or how their efforts may inadvertently support broader government goals.;At the outset, the research focused on 2 questions: Is social work legislation in Canada becoming more similar across jurisdictions to accommodate national and international interests? Is it becoming easier or harder for social workers from other provinces or countries to be recognized within provincial borders? The findings suggest that governments have little interest in making legislation similar to that in other jurisdictions and that to date there have been few mobility problems for social workers.;The data led to 7 additional assertions regarding social work's professional project focusing on different understandings of the terms "social work" and "social worker", social workers' motives in supporting and opposing professional regulation, and social workers' lack of awareness of the broader implications of their regulatory activities.;There are rich bodies of literature on the sociology of professions, regulation, and globalization, but little examining the linkages bringing these three concepts together. This research demonstrates how regulation is used to define who we are, what we do, and who is allowed to be a part of our profession. Social workers who want to have a say in this definition need to understand and participate in regulatory development.;Applying Stake's multicase case study methodology, the research examines three regulatory issues in depth; the decision in Ontario to establish a separate profession of social service workers within social work legislation, in Nova Scotia to require first time applicants to undergo candidacy, and in New Brunswick to pursue full recognition of the scope of practice defined in the legislation. The cases were selected through a survey distributed in all provinces to social workers involved in professional regulation with their respective associations.