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Trust and Professionalism in Social Professions

The Case of Social Education

University of Murcia

Mariano Sánchez

University of Granada

This article aims at fostering reflection on trust and social professions through looking at a particular case: social education and its development and current status in Spain. The main argument presented has to do with the link between social professions and the permanent challenge faced by welfare states and democracies to provide answers to social problems and needs. Hence, social education is characterized as a means to fight social exclusion and grant wider access to social rights. Through educational programmes, projects and activities, social educators can struggle against exclusion and social injustice. Therefore, the authors sustain that exclusion is the hinge that articulates the connection between social practitioners and citizens' trust. Specific attention is paid to the capacity of Spanish social educators to be a depository of trust from their clients. The idea that excluded people actually have no choice but to trust someone else, such as for instance, social educators, is explored. According to this analysis, unless an effort is made in Spain to explain to lay citizens the role of social educators the development of trust will be more difficult. Therefore, a major challenge for Spanish social educators at the moment is to expand the knowledge and awareness about their practices in order to promote among citizens not only general confidence in the social system but trust in these social professionals.

Key Words: social education • social exclusion • social professions • Spain • trust • welfare state

Current Sociology, Vol. 54, No. 4, 595-606 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0011392106065091


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