Czechia: social workers as members of the Czech parliament

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61989592%3A15260%2F25%3A73632192" target="_blank" >RIV/61989592:15260/25:73632192 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/edcollchap-oa/book/9781447373506/ch004.xml" target="_blank" >https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/edcollchap-oa/book/9781447373506/ch004.xml</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.51952/9781447373506.ch004" target="_blank" >10.51952/9781447373506.ch004</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Czechia: social workers as members of the Czech parliament

Original language description

Despite their critical role in addressing social issues, Czech social workers have played a limited role in shaping national policy. This chapter examines their political participation in the Czech parliament and the factors influencing it, including the social work environment and institutional opportunity structures. It also explores their career pathways and social advocacy. Using an exploratory approach, the study identifies eight social workers – spanning the entire parliamentary spectrum – who have held parliamentary seats within five parliamentary terms from 2006 to the parliament elected in 2021. The analysis reveals that despite the profession’s low political profile, social workers are over-represented in parliament relative to their share of the workforce. Findings indicate that social workers follow the general patterns of Czech political careers, often beginning at the municipal level before advancing nationally. However, professional and institutional barriers – such as the weak political emphasis on social work education, professional fragmentation and gender disparities – limit broader engagement. While some social workers in parliament actively advocate for social policies, their engagement varies based on professional background and political alignment. The chapter argues that strengthening macro-policy education and fostering professional unity could enhance social workers’ capacity to drive systemic change. Ultimately, it highlights their potential as political actors while acknowledging structural and professional limitations.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

C - Chapter in a specialist book

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50601 - Political science

Project

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Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Book/collection name

Social Workers in Political Office A Comparative Perspective on Recruitment, Career Patterns and Social Advocacy

ISBN

978-1-4473-7349-0

Number of pages of the result

17

Pages from-to

"47–63"

Number of pages of the book

222

Publisher name

Policy Press (Bristol Policy Press)

Place of publication

Bristol

UT code for WoS chapter

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