The aim of this scoping review was to identify, synthesize, and report research on reflective collaborative learning through virtual communities of practice (vCoP), which, to our knowledge, is scarce. A second aim was to identify, synthesize, and report research on the facilitators and barriers associated with resilience capacity and knowledge acquisition through vCoP. The literature was searched in PsycINFO, CINAHL, Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (ScR) framework guided the review. Ten studies were included in the review, seven quantitative and three qualitative studies, written in English and published from January 2017 to February 2022. The data were synthesized using a numerical descriptive summary and qualitative thematic analysis. Two themes: ‘knowledge acquisition’ and ‘strengthening resilience capacity’ emerged. The literature synthesis provides evidence of a vCoP as a digital space that supports knowledge acquisition and strengthens resilience for persons with dementia, and their informal and formal caregivers. Hence, the use of vCoP seems to be useful for dementia care support. Further studies including less developed countries are, however, needed to enable generalizability of the concept of vCoP across countries.

This qualitative study explores student learning progression through reflective writing on a tertiary-level course in social work. The study is based on the content analysis of three sets of data: student reflective writing, instructor formative feedback on this writing, and student end-of-course reflections. Our findings demonstrate that structured, scaffolded reflection and continuous formative feedback stimulated learning progression, increased awareness of one’s own learning strategies, and supported the adoption of an explorative, reflective stance in students. Therefore, the experimental course design with several reflective tasks created the sought-after intersection of the academic and professional literacies. This design stimulated student engagement and resulted in high attendance. This design is particularly suitable in heterogeneous classrooms and promotes student inclusion and active learning.

The aim of this study was to compare perceptions of learning from the COVID-19 pandemic and beliefs in subsequent changes for the future, among care home and home care staff, in four European countries. A 29-item on-line questionnaire was designed in English and later translated into Swedish, Italian, and German on the impact of the pandemic on stress and anxiety. Anonymous data from care staff respondents was collected in four countries between 07.10.2020 and the 17.12.2020: Sweden (n = 212), Italy (n = 103), Germany (n = 120), and the United Kingdom (n = 167). While care staff in all countries reported learning in multiple areas of care practice, Italy reported the highest levels of learning and the most agreement that changes will occur in the future due to the pandemic. Conversely, care staff in Germany reported low levels of learning and reported the least agreement for change in the future. While the pandemic has strained care home and home care staff practices, our study indicates that much learning of new skills and knowledge has taken place within the workforce. Our study has demonstrated the potential of cross-border collaborations and experiences for enhancing knowledge acquisition in relation to societal challenges and needs. The results could be built upon to improve future health care and care service practices.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have a pivotal role in fulfilling the social dimension of sustainability and contributing to a complex changing society. To meet these challenges, Malmö University has in interdisciplinary groups researched the role of challenge-based learning (CBL) in relation to staff, students, disciplines, and stakeholders. This position paper is based on that work. Malmö University argues that with a CBL approach, HEIs will actively contribute to the building of a sustainable learning society through collaboration in education, research, and innovation. This paper theoretically explores the CBL approach as a collaborative learning exchange within HEIs and society at large. CBL is defined through eight key elements, clustered as entities of three domains: diversity and inclusion, co-creation and collaboration, and change agents and contextual challenges. These are discussed and empirically exemplified with the purpose to support designing, planning, and accomplishing CBL in teaching and learning in HE for a global learning society.

This paper aims to reflect on internationalisation in social work education in a collaborative context. The research question addressed is how collaborative online international learning (COIL) supports the concept of Internationalisation at Home (IaH) to promote glocal knowledge in innovative social work education. The study is case-based, in which a thematic webinar on human rights issues connected students of social work from various countries in an international classroom. It discusses how the concept of Internationalisation at Home can be used effectively in practice through participatory design and participant feedback. The main conclusion of this case-based paper is that social work education should promote innovative learning scenarios that support the glocal approach, so that students are able to ‘act locally and think globally’, supported by a blended learning design.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected care workers all over the globe, as older and more vulnerable people face a high risk of developing severe symptoms and dying from the virus infection. The aim of this study was to compare staff experiences of stress and anxiety as well as internal and external organizational support in Sweden, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK) in order to determine how care staff were affected by the pandemic. A 29-item online questionnaire was used to collect data from care staff respondents: management (n = 136), nurses (n = 132), nursing assistants (n = 195), and other healthcare staff working in these organizations (n = 132). Stress and anxiety levels were highest in the UK and Germany, with Swedish staff showing the least stress. Internal and external support only partially explain the outcomes. Striking discrepancies between different staff groups’ assessment of organizational support as well as a lack of staff voice in the UK and Germany could be key factors in understanding staff’s stress levels during the pandemic. Structural, political, cultural, and economic factors play a significant role, not only factors within the care organization or in the immediate context.

Building on existing research and experiences regarding the use of supportive and assistive technology -- called welfare technology -- in elderly care, we have developed a framework to represent a holistic view of the complex tangle of factors contributing to the sustainable integration of these technologies into the elder care context. The framework is described here for the purpose of initiating a conversation regarding the framework with interested researchers. At the same time discussions are also being conducted with managers, caregivers, and other stakeholders involved in welfare technology deployment in eldercare in Sweden. Our ultimate goal with the framework is to provide general guidelines that municipalities and care organizations can use to improve the quality of life for elderly citizens through the successful selection, rollout and use of welfare technology that meets the needs not only of the elderly citizens needing support but also of the care providers and organizations. 

In this article, we aim to identify and explore possibilities and challenges of academicinterdisciplinary capacities and ethos. The objective is that this knowledge could be used both infuture interdisciplinary research projects and in educational settings. We achieve this through selfreflectivelearning processes among a group of interdisciplinary scholars from four distinctly differentsubjects. The method used is an autoethnographic and empirical self-reflective approach to datacollection, analysis and deconstruction of professional learning processes. This also serves to establishresearch methodological trustworthiness and authenticity. The results show that interdisciplinarityis undervalued by grant-giving institutions and the academic system, in general. It also entailstime-consuming and risky research practices. However, interdisciplinary and collaborative researchcreates a more innovative and stimulating learning environment and enforces new ways of thinkingand doing, in ascertaining each individual’s knowledge and competences. We argue that a long-terminterdisciplinary and collaborative research process could enhance and raise a critical thinking andcreative consciousness among scholars, contributing to a more holistic, sustainable and socially robustlearning in research and higher education. Finally, we conclude that this academic interdisciplinarycapacity and ethos could be framed and enhanced by the notion of Challenge-Based Learning.

This article is based on an international comparative social policy module held annually at MalmöUniversity (Sweden) with partner universities from several countries. Our study examines the results ofintra- and interpersonal dynamics among participants and lecturers, which we call "productive tension", inrelation to overarching questions about knowledge acquisition and the importance of reflexivity andreflectivity in the learning process. Students and faculty create a "community of practice" (CoP) (Lave &Wenger 1991) that benefits from a continuous interactive environment and direct engagement. Our studyuses a mixed method approach. The analysis considers qualitative data from interviews with theparticipating students and quantitative data from questionnaires. In this article, we focus on theproductive tension inherent in the reflective and reflexive processes. Reflective and reflexive processes areidentified that influence the students' experience of cross-border cooperation and their professionalidentity. Our study also demonstrates how the knowledge about "Social Work" as a profession can bebroadened through international comparative teaching and learning. The main conclusion of this work isthat reflective and reflexive learning processes in social work education enable participants to see andunderstand themselves from a broader perspective and strengthen their own professional identity.

This chapter reflects on internationalization in Social work education out of a national and local context. The content of Social Work Education in Sweden is, to a large extent, governed by national guidelines, due to the professional title of Socionom. The concepts of social work and social care are integrated in the degree. Only around one out of ten of all social workers have a Master degree. There is an ongoing process of professionalization in Social work with a strong connection between research, education and practice. The aim of this chapter is to give a contribution to Social Work education out of a swedish context. 

By 2050, the population share aged over 80 will double. Considering the number of older adults and the wide range of chronic conditions, health systems need to assure that care is adapted to the individuals' different needs and enables the elderly to be active and involved. This article is about introducing a food reminder system into the domain of dementia care. The aim is to explore and describe whether and how such a system, built with existing technology, can be valuable, and how caregivers adopted it in a real-world environment. The system is built with Android® tablets and is called iRemember.® The research is done as a case study at a care facility in Simrishamn, Sweden. Domain knowledge is gained by reviewing previous research and by conducting interviews with professionals at the facility. The system is developed, deployed, and evaluated at a care facility home for persons with dementia. Data about usage and perception of the value of the system is collected through observations and interviews. Results indicate that a food reminder system can be valuable to and empower people with dementia. They also indicate that caregivers can readily adopt such a solution, including both management and people working directly with persons with dementia.

This paper focuses on the exchange of knowledge that stems from staff’s experiences of working with the elderly in Sweden and Denmark. The article will, on the one hand, focus on how work in groups consisting of representatives from different levels in the elderly care sector previously served as learning spaces and cultural encounters. On the other hand, it will focus on tendencies to narrow the diversity of perceptions of elderly people and their care. The empirical material takes its points of departure from interviews, a film, and the work of project groups from learning, caring, and political perspectives. One main conclusion reached is that by studying professional meetings in comparison, we can contribute to shaping access to knowledge, identity, and the posi­tion of the individual. When several professional voices are heard, it adds value when we want to understand the care of the elderly and the meaningfulness of the profession.

The fact that the world's population is in aging is known for a long time. That this increase in the elderly will have consequences for care and care is considered to be of course. This book has as its starting point to concretize some of the themes that fall within this field. The reader gets insight into working life-related themes within the elderly care organization and recruitment base, relativeship, crisis preparedness, international comparisons in elderly care, and care and ethnicity. The book also gives an overview of how older people relate to social norms and beliefs about aging. In addition, the issue of the development of new professions in the field of elderly will eventually be seen, in view of the partially different needs that the future of the future is expected to have.

The purpose of this article is to problematize and detail how migration issues due to the labour market can be linked to social work education in higher education from the perspective of migration and internationalization out of a Swedish (and Nordic) context. Migration problems and challenges needs to be seen in a local and global context and the education needs to be characterized by this. In social work education, migration and internationalization means that one creates conditions for cooperation and understanding between the average nations, at home in our professional daily life and abroad through various exchanges in studies, research and practice, placements. Education in migration creates a deeper cross-border integration in which students coming from different cultures and traditions develop their skills and understanding through different pedagogical and didactic aspects. Migrations issues can thus be said to contain different levels of understanding on personal, organizational and societal levels and intervention in relation to knowledge creation. The language of migration and how we face it is to a high degree incomplete, and how we use terms and words is very much based on our contexts when it comes to the role of metaphors and stigmatization. The main conclusion is that migration issues in social work education need to be seen in practice as a concept of “acting locally and thinking globally”, and should be viewed as a major input for developing migration in higher education and social work education — a Glocal approach.

The aim of this paper is to reveal how the collaboration processes mobilise resources among countries with different logics of welfare, yet address similar problems of ageing society, in a caring, learning and political perspective. The study draws on social science theories and the analysis is based on qualitative empirical data from an interdisciplinary field. The main conclusion is that a multi-dimensional understanding of dementia care by shared knowledge of different welfare logics adds value to experiences of crossborder learning. A social innovation model is presented.

The affordances of processing subject knowledge through academic writing are rarely explicitly realised in social work education. In this article, we highlight the link between instructors’ efforts to facilitate students’ academic writing and students’ perceived increase of knowledge in the subject of social work in an international context. Based on instructors’ and students’ reflections collected before, during, and after a course, we aimed to answer the following questions: in what way can academic writing support students’ learning in social work? What are students’ reflections on the pedagogical model involving academic writing? The theoretical framework for the analysis was based on learning theories focusing on collaborative learning. The main conclusion is that the instructors’ awareness of how to scaffold students’ ability to write in an academic context and to develop the students’ understanding of social work in a local and global context is an important factor in student learning.

The purpose of this article is to problematize and detail how Social Work Education can be seen in higher education from the perspective of migration and internationalization out of a swedish context. With internationalization is intended everyone the activities that aim to stimulate exchange and knowledge development, irrespective of it concerns students, teachers or other staff category. Migration problems and challenges needs to be seen in a local and global context and the education needs to be characterized by this. In social work education, migration and internationalization means that one creates conditions for cooperation and understanding between the average nations, at home in our professional daily and abroad through various exchanges in studies, research and practice placements. Education in migration intends a deeper cross-border integration in which students coming from different cultures, traditions develop their skills and understanding through different pedagogical and didactic aspects. The language of migration and how we face it is to a high degree incomplete and how we use terms and words is very much based on our contexts in which media is a part not the least when it comes to the role of metaphors and stigmatization. The purpose of this article is to problematize and to show how curriculum in International Social work education from a Swedish perspective can be developed and seen in the aspects of migration and integrative didactics in internationalization. Empirical base is observations and interviews. The theoretical frame of reference is provided by a Social Ecology modified model. A main contribution is that a continuous cross-border cooperation in international education in which teacher´s work closely together with permanent meeting places, the social context in itself for students and teacher´s may create a new framework for the planning and development of a deeper understanding of migration and education in the Social work discipline. The main conclusion is therefore that migrations issues in Social work education need to be seen in practice as a concept of ‘acting locally, thinking globally and should be viewed as a major input for developing migration in higher education and Social Work Education—A Glocal approach.

This article reflects on issues and lessons from an annual joint programme of learning for social work students from England, Germany and Sweden. It contributes to the understanding and development of International Social Work Education. The initial focus is on introducing communities of practice (CoP´s) as a theoretical framework. We extend this idea to interlocking circles with students, educators and practitioners. Further on, the question of how learning in Social Work in an international context can be organized and pushed on is adressed. Through participant feedback we highlight views and experiences of students who have learned from the programme. We show that a continuous crossborder cooperation in Social work Education in which teacher´s work closely together within permanent meeting places provides a social context in itself for students and teachers. Our main conclusion is that out of different learning outcomes, the environmental one is our ´unique´ contribution to knowledge and learning. A continuous cross-border cooperation in Social Work Education in which educators, students and practitioners work closely together within permanent meeting places, creates a social context in itself for all involved actors. Learning through the stimulation of being in a new meeting place and culture may create a new framework for learning in the International Social Work discipline. Our cooperation encourages the student´s capacity for social construction.

Detta dokument är tänkt att belysa hur innovationskultur kan förstås samt att ge stöd i förändringsarbete, och också stimulera medarbetare och chefer i detsamma. Förhoppningen är även att detta dokument kan ge politiker och andra aktörer en bild av hur det är att arbeta med verksamhetsnära projekt. Dokumentet belyser erfarenheter från en kunskapscirkel som genomförts inom ramen för projekt Testbed för äldreomsorgen, vilket inbegriper samverkan Malmö stad och Mötesplats Social Innovation (MSI) vid Malmö Högskola. Detta dokuments tillkomst hade inte varit möjlig utan medverkan av deltagarna i kunskapscirklarna, chefer, övriga medarbetare och förtroendevalda. Varmt tack till alla. Tack också till Vinnova som varit medfinansiär till Testbed för äldreomsorgen. Kunskapscirkeln planerades och genomfördes av detta dokuments författare. Malmö stad har etablerat en testbädd i nära samarbete med Mötesplats Social Innovation, Malmö högskola och Medeon AB med finansiellt stöd av VINNOVA. Det har skett inom ramen för projektet – ”Testbed för äldreomsorgen i Malmö stad”, juni 2013-oktober 2016. Sedan november 2016 ingår testbädden i ordinarie verksamhet. Testbed för äldreomsorgen erbjuder innovatörer att utveckla och testa behovsdrivna idéer och lösningar i praktiken, i reell miljö. Idéerna och lösningarna ska svara mot behov hos kvinnor och män som är 65 år eller äldre och som bor i ordinärt boende. Lösningarna ska bidra till att öka kvaliteten i vård och omsorg (Mötesplats Social innovation, 2016; Malmö Stad, 2017). En central del av Testbed för äldreomsorgen har varit att försöka skapa grundförutsättningar för en innovationskultur inom Malmö stads vård- och omsorgsverksamhet. Med innovationskultur avses i dokumentet en kultur där personalen har möjlighet att ta initiativ till och vidareutveckla idéer och lösningar som på olika sätt kan förbättra den dagliga verksamheten.

This article is a theory based reflection out of the development ecology. When studying an organisation, transformation and spheres of influence of professions and in education, the Development Ecology model provides a tool for understanding the encounter between societal, organisational and individual dimensions, a continual meeting point where phenomena and actors occur on different levels, including those of the organisation and society at large. However, the theory of development ecology may be questioned for how it looks at the individual’s role in relation to other actors in order to define and understand the forces underlying the professional development. The focus on the individual might prevent the understanding of group wise development. Resilience capacity on a mental, intra level and an entrepreneurial way of building, developing and keeping networks gives the different levels in the Development Ecology model a broader understanding of what stimulates learning processes. Factors relating to both the inside of the individual and social ties between individuals in a group context in relation to global factors need to be discussed.

The problems and challenges of Social work relate to both local and global contexts, and Social Work Education needs to be characterized by this, although how to fully realize it is complex. The purpose of this article is to problematize and detail how Social Work Education can be seen in higher education from the perspective of internationalization out of a swedish context. The article should be seen as a contribution to Educational Science where internationalization can add to the understanding of social education. Research data has been collected from two groups of respondents: Social work students and lecturers in Social Work Education. The theoretical frame of reference is provided by a modified social-ecological model called the Entrecology model, a connector in education between the individual in relation to her or his surrounding context on different levels. The main conclusion is that the concept of ‘acting locally, thinking globally, should be viewed as a major input for developing Social Work Education—A Glocal approach.

This article presents findings and discussions generated on the basis of the Danish-Swedish development project CareSam. The article will on the one hand focus on how work in groups consisting of representatives from different levels in the elderly care sector at one time served as learning spaces and cultural encounters in which established notions of older people and elderly care were challenged and discussed. Inspired by action research these challenges were brought forth through discussions of and through insight in practical experiences. On the other hand it will focus on the tendencies to narrow the diversity of perceptions of elderly people and their care, which were also seen in the project and led to stories in which the meaningfulness of care work were honored. Departing from the interviews presented in the CareSam film and parts of the empirical material produced in Connection to the work in the project-groups this paper will ask whether it is possible to represent care work for elderly people with all the ambiguities it holds: How can we as researchers represent both meaningfulness and straining dimensions of care work? Can we avoid either supporting Florence Nightingale-ideals or cementing negative cultural perceptions of help-needing elderly and the people who support them in everyday life? In answering these questions and thereby reflecting on our own work process we apply a caring, a learning and a political perspective. Hereby the article wishes to formulate a methodological point: The CareSam cross sector collaboration produced important experience near knowledge, but also lead to present somewhat one-sided understandings of elderly care. Applying theoretical perspectives to analyze the empirical material and the working process, nuances the understanding and makes it possible to maintain immediately conflicting dimensions in this kind of work.

In increasingly globalised societies higher education meet challenge to integrate the international and intercultural dimensions into their services, strategic plans, education programmes and research. There were few discussions around the concept of “Internationalization at home” (IaH) during the last years in the academic community. This article generally outlines a process of IaH in higher education, by giving examples from the bachelor programmes of Social Work and Nursing Education at Malmö University, Sweden. The internationalisation of the curriculum at home was shown to have a much greater impact than individual mobility alone. The authors of the article present their own analysis about possibilities to understand the culture, profession in the process of IaH improving professional and intercultural competences. Modern society poses a challenge for professionals – to think globally and to act locally.

The purpose of this article is to highlight and give reflections on elderly care in two welfare states, Sweden and Denmark, on the basis of the question: how can the elderly care profession be understood from a transnational perspective? The empirical data consists of a project, and the analysis is based on an ecological model. The main conclusion is that by focusing on societal and professional knowledge sharing from a regional perspective, we can develop our understanding of the driving forces behind access to knowledge, professional identity maintenance and the professional position of the elderly individual.

The purpose of this article is to examine the importance of the meeting in relation to entrepreneurial learning, by examining two learning environments within a Swedish context based on different types of meeting: a research circle in higher education and, in collaboration with teachers and pupils from primary school, the process of establishing a school musical. The methods used to achieve our aims were interviews, focus groups and action-based research. The theoretical interpretative framework is based on the individual and the individual’s interaction with the surrounding environment. One conclusion is that there seems to be the potential for knowledge when different players with no previous experience of cooperation meet. A prerequisite for the development of this knowledge, which can be developed and can then contribute to new thinking, seems to be closely connected with the existence of a participative approach. The two studies demonstrated a key aspect of change in how resistance is handled, when it initiates and encourages both individual and collective action competence. Consensus in disagreement is seen as a driving force behind knowledge acquisition. In a safe and respectful environment, there can be disagreement on the substance under discussion, and yet actors can take on this challenge and reach a conclusion, albeit a temporary one.

The purpose of this article is to problematize and detail how Social Work Education can be seen by students and lecturers within the field of social work in higher education from the perspective of internationalization and globalization. The article should be seen as a contribution to Educational Science where internationalization can add to the understanding of social education. The problems and challenges of Social work relate to both local and global contexts, and Social Work Education needs to be characterized by this, although how to fully realize it is complex. Research data has been collected from two groups of respondents: Social work students and lecturers in Social Work Education. The theoretical frame of reference is provided by a modified social-ecological model called the Entrecology model, a connector in education between the individual in relation to her or his surrounding context on different levels. The main conclusion is that the concept of ‘acting locally, thinking globally, should be viewed as a major input for developing Social Work Education—A glocal approach.

This article aims to present a picture of how a university discipline has been created in Lithuania, given the background of changes caused by the Lithuania’s emancipation from the Soviet Union. The theoretical frame of reference is provided by a modified model of Bronfenbrenners developmental ecology. Data collection has primarily been in the form of interviews with university staff from Lithuanian institutions for higher education. In addition to the interviews, literature lists, course schedules and other key documents have been collected and analysed. The analysis focuses on individual’s conceptualisation of three main areas. The study demonstrates how the creation of management and economics as a university discipline in Lithuania has been formed by a combination of political/ideological, economic, institutional and individual factors. One of the study’s main contributions is to highlight the significance of the concept of academic freedom and to focus on the paradox, where constraint under the old system is replaced by another form of constraint. In this case, where the rigidity of the old Soviet doctrine is replaced by a new freedom; but instead of being given greater opportunities to influence and change the subject, the academic staff are forced into a position where, once again they are subjugated to the influences of international sources.

The purpose of this project is to establish a regional (the Øresund region) network within the elderly care sector, CareSam. This network will bring together interest groups in order to create in-service training, identify opportunities for cooperation, and provide a two-way knowledge transfer within the region. Within this network, interest-groups will be represented in order to initiate in-service training, identifify co-operation possibilities and transferation of knowledge on both sides of the Øresund region. The project will make substantial and transparent contributions to the development of quality assessment for public-sector elderly care in the region. Even though there are many similarities between Sweden and Denmark, there is significant potential for knowledge transfer within the elderly sector – Sweden and Denmark have different traditions when it comes to client influence, education systems, service and attitudes. A growing number of danes are establishing in Skåne and many of those danes are assumed to stay as pensioner’s in Skåne. Even though there are many similarities between Danes and Swedes when it comes to culture, there are significant differences in the welfare sector and expectations and experiences on welfare. This is the reason why there is a significant potential of knowhow transferation and learning from each other in the region; in the area of education, client participation and what to expect from service. This is the reason why there is a significant potential of knowhow transferation and learning from each other in the region; in the area of education, client participation and what to expect from service. The project should investigate this potential. CareSam is a cooperative initiative between Malmö University, Sweden (www.mah.se) and Roskilde University, Denmark (www.ruc.dk), as well as Scania´s Association of Local Authorities, Sweden (www.kfsk.se) and Metropol College, Denmark (www.phmetropol.dk). The project content includes theoretical inputs, evaluation and process work. The goals of the project are to strengthen the day-to-day integration of the elderly sector in the Øresund region, to establish a functional network, and to promote knowledge acquisition in the following areas: • Cultural knowledge and the future of elderly care in the Øresund region • Education in the elderly sector • Dementia in the elderly and its impact on staff. The project will contribute in a substantial and transparent way in order to develop the quality assessment within the (public) elderly-care sector in our region. The project content of theoretical input, inspiration and process work. Project goals are to: a) Strenghten the integration of on a daily-basis in the Elderly sector in the Öresund region b) Establish a network. Further on, there is a goal to develop knowledge focusing a) Cultural knowledge and reflections on the future of the elderly-care in the Øresund region b) Education in the elderly sector and c) Dementia among elderly and its impact on staff-people. Project goals are also to: Inspire different interest-groups on both sides of the Øresund region by using new, professional inputs Know-how transferation, mutual exchange of experiences on a cross-border basis and develop new, concrete knowledge based project-ideas as a quality assessment and integration tools As a consequence of a more integrated labour market in the Øresund region, the project will contribute to raise and deepen knowledge and understanding for both demands and needs in the elderly care. It will also stimulate and support the recruitment of staff-people. As a result, a film and an anthology was produced www.mah.se/caresam http://dspace.mah.se/handle/2043/16574

This anthology is part of the CareSam project, which focuses on the elderly sector in Sweden and Denmark and is financed by the EU-Interreg I VA. The purpose of this project is to establish a CareSam network in the Øresund region. This network will bring together interest groups in order to create in-service training, identify opportunities for cooperation, and provide a two-way knowledge transfer within the region. The project will make substantial and transparent contributions to the development of quality assessment for public-sector elderly care in the region. Even though there are many similarities between Sweden and Denmark, there is significant potential for knowledge transfer within the elderly sector – Sweden and Denmark have different traditions when it comes to client influence, education systems, service and attitudes. CareSam is a cooperative initiative between Malmö University, Sweden (www.mah.se) and Roskilde University, Denmark (www.ruc.dk), as well as Scania´s Association of Local Authorities, Sweden (www.kfsk.se) and Metropol College, Denmark (www.phmetropol.dk). The project content includes theoretical inputs, evaluation and process work. The goals of the project are to strengthen the day-to-day integration of the elderly sector in the Øresund region, to establish a functional network, and to promote knowledge acquisition in the following areas:

• Cultural knowledge and the future of elderly care in the Øresund region

• Education in the elderly sector

• Dementia in the elderly and its impact on staff

A welfare state consists of a variety of client organisations within which, among other professions, academics and social workers are active. Social work as a profession has developed in a welfare context where changes at the different levels of the individual, organisation and society constantly pose new challenges to the profession. When a society undergoes a total transformation, this also affects higher education, especially when it comes to facing needs for new competencies in a subject area such as Economics and Management. A change in a profession can also be seen on different levels and in various contextual environments. The thesis addresses the overall question: In the transformation of different societal and organisational environments, which factors may influence professions’ knowledge acquisition and learning processes? The theoretical frame of reference is provided by a modified model of Bronfenbrenner’s Development Ecology. This theory focuses on the individual’s drive and ability to influence their specific environment. This study’s point of departure is the individual and the individual in relation to their surrounding context on different levels. The thesis makes a contribution by improving knowledge of how Development Ecology may be seen in a welfare context by using study objects within the fields of education and a profession. The data collection primarily took the form of interviews. Other sources were added to the interviews; an analysis of key documents, lectures and seminars where there was an interaction with students as additional, empirical sources in various contexts, along with study visits. The thesis is based on the following three original publications: Management and Economics studies in Lithuania – the creation of a university discipline, Development Ecology in German Social Work and Proposed Enhancement of Bronfenbrenner’s Development Ecology Model. The study demonstrates how the Development Ecology model in a modified and developed form can constructively contribute to understanding a profession undergoing change. In addition, the study shows how the Development Ecology model can be used in two various societal and organisational contexts. It also demonstrates how professional autonomy is conditional given certain organisational and societal frameworks. Finally, the study reveals that entrepreneurship and learning are closely linked to each other and knowledge acquisition is about meetings on different levels where the interplay between the individual and their internal driving forces is essential – namely, to emphasise that the internal driving forces belong to the individual involved (a person).

This study highlights how a profession acquires knowledge in the context of the German welfare state. This is achieved by studying the organisation, transformation and sphere of influence of social work in Germany. The theoretic frame of reference is provided by a modification of Bronfenbrenner’s model of developmental ecology. If we view Social work as an action-oriented discipline, then both action and intervention are essential elements. Social work can thus be said to contain five different levels of intervention. This study is focusing the meso-social level and the exo-social level. The main result of this article leads us to a paradox and a professional dilemma. The social worker’s freedom and power within their own profession, a professional empowerment, can be said to be more conditional, where, whilst creativity has been stimulated, these are acceptable only within the boundaries defined by the newly created civil structures and interest groups. Key Words: developmental ecology, knowledge acquisition, social work, sphere of influence, transformation

How academic disciplines are constituted and the related professional development must be viewed within their wider social, political and economic aspects. When studying the organisation, transformation and spheres of influence of professions, the Development Ecology model provides a tool for understanding the encounter between societal, organisational and individual dimensions, a continual meeting point where phenomena and actors occur on different levels, including those of the organisation and society at large. However, the theory of development ecology may be questioned for how it looks at the individual’s role in relation to other actors in order to define and understand the forces underlying the professional development and constitution of academic disciplines. Factors relating to both the inside of the individual and social ties between individuals and in relation to global factors need to be discussed.

Studies of the circumstances surrounding the creation and development of a university discipline are a part of pedagogical research. This thesis highlights the development of management and economic education against the background of changes caused by the Lithuania’s emancipation from the Soviet Union and aims to present a picture of how management as a university discipline has been created in Lithuania between the period 1988-1997. The nexus of this study is individuals and individuals in context. The theoretical frame of reference is provided by a modified model of Bronfenbrenners developmental ecology, complimented by Bergs tier (level) model. Data collection has primarily been in the form of interviews with university staff from Lithuanian institutions for higher education. In addition to the interviews, literature lists, course schedules and other key documents have been collected and analysed. One of the studies primary foundations is that reality is a social construct. The analysis focuses on individual’s conceptualisation of three main areas: re-programming, course schedules and literature lists, alongside their attitudes and interests. The study demonstrates how the creation of management and economics as a university discipline in Lithuania has been formed by a combination of political/ideological, economic, institutional and individual factors. Behind these factors are decisions taken at a variety of different levels, including national level (macro), local/institutional level (exo), collegial level (meso) and individual level (micro). International influences have also played an important role and their effects represent an additional level, the so-called exmacro level. A further factor comes into play in the meeting between the previously rigid doctrine and the new doctrine, which isn’t so much a doctrine but rather more of an academic freedom; a freedom that didn’t exist previously, at least not one that was acknowledged. A final factor in the study is the impact that the consequences of change, the various influences described above and this new-found freedom, have had on the subject’s content and method of teaching. One of the study’s main contributions is to highlight the significance of the concept of academic freedom and to focus on the paradox, where constraint under the old system is replaced by another form of constraint. In this case, where the rigidity of the old Soviet doctrine is replaced by a new freedom; but instead of being given greater opportunities to influence and change the subject, the academic staff are forced into a position where, once again they are subjugated to the influences of outside (international) sources.