Comportment, Contention, and Conflict: Identity and Role Dynamics Facing Social Work Practitioners in Cross-Cultural and Australian Practice Contexts

This thesis explores the history of social work in Australia, with a focus on the lived experiences of Bi-Cultural and Bi-Lingual Social Work practitioners.

It examines how the social workers' own sense of identity and experience of using their own cultural knowledge and language skills impacts on a personal and professional level, and the challenges and rewards that this presents.

The potential benefits to society includes understanding the experiences of social workers using their own bi-cultural and bi-lingual skills and knowledge as professionals across a range of practice areas in the Australian context. It informs professional Social Work practice standards, codes of ethics and education for future social work practitioners and the profession more broadly.