Humour as a Boundary-Breaker in Social Work Practice

What is it about?

This qualitative study explored UK social workers’ broader understanding and experience of professional boundaries. This paper will examine one of the research themes – Humour as a boundary breaker. By using humour, social workers were able to break down the boundaries that often impede effective practice. Participants also used humour to build connections with service users, colleagues and other professionals. Nonetheless, there were various aspects of this practice that raised serious issues related to power, prejudice and discrimination. This theme is important to explore because of how relevant it was for participants’ practice and because humour is also an underexplored topic within the social work literature.

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Photo by Marija Zaric on Unsplash

Photo by Marija Zaric on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This paper has reported on a qualitative study that explored how UK social workers understand and experience professional boundaries within their practice. A single theme – Humour as a boundary breaker – has been explored in detail. Three participants (Bill, Fred and Helen) identified humour as an important aspect of their practice when navigating professional boundary issues, including using humour to break boundaries and to foster better relationships between social workers and service users, and between social workers and colleagues.