Mechanisms that impact the experience and sustainability of the professional identity of social workers

This paper identifies mechanisms that impact the professional identity of qualified social workers. Professional identity has become a focal point in social work, especially considering contemporary neoliberal settings and pressing global concerns about workplace conditions affecting the status of the profession. On this basis, a scoping literature review was implemented with an aim to identify how professional identity is experienced, sustained, and/or undermined. After screening, a final dataset of 91 peer-reviewed sources, spanning a 25-year period, was produced for analysis. Descriptive analysis discovered that most of the sources were empirical, originating largely from European and Western-based countries, and China. Thematic analysis revealed eight mechanisms, five of which focused on sustaining professional identity, especially through experiencing a robust, congruent, and/or collective professional identity, as well as pride. Three mechanisms highlighted how internal tensions within social work and sociopolitical contexts can weaken regard and status of the profession, undermining professional identity. Implications for prioritising the mechanisms that sustain professional identity are identified for key stakeholders, with emphasis on the need for systemic efforts that increase respect, value and understanding of social work.