Analysis of Iranian social problems: Commodification of human sciences
Analysis of Iranian social problems
Commodification of human sciences
Dr. Salman Qaderi, The social worker
The concept of the Commodification and commodifying the knowledge, social sciences and services are universal phenomena including macro-middle-micro structural factors but this concept is debatable and important due to its consequences.
Commodification means the principles, regulations, methods and the logic of market affects on different arenas, fields, knowledge and professions; Consequently, the standards, principles and terms of market gradually bring them under its rules.Analysis of Iranian social problems
Various factors such as dominance of capitalism and the socio-economic-culture issues have been very effective on creating and intensifying the commodification of social events. In fact, commodification influenced by profit expands the power interests between those who are powerful and non-powerful and close to or far from power sources. Professions including psychology, social work, consulting and sociology have been influenced by regulations and processes of market.
It seems the psychology and partly consulting have been faster commodified, and the social work has too. The sociology has been lower influenced but it has the potential to be commodified. Despite the fact that the social work is based on human respect, efforts on the social justice and equal services among deprived groups, it sounds during two last decades, the social work effected by socio-economic conditions has quickly moved toward commodification according to the article 44 of constitution related to the privatization. Clear examples contain the increment of license for social work clinics (positive life centers), social programs (social support for child labor), treatment centers of addiction, charity centers, plans for empowerment of women, children and slum regions.Analysis of Iranian social problems
Academic training methods are also effective. Individual training methods and social programs can intensify the commodification of social services. There are two groups of service providers and clients during commodification process of social services. The service providers are social workers and personnel who work in centers and the clients are those who require social services. At lower levels and rules dominating the behavior of service providers and clients, there is a kind of trade usually includes money and power. The money broker may be found by employers or public, semi-public and international entities. The services (regardless of any quality) will be provided as long as there is money broker and the social programs would be stopped if there is not enough required credits. The social work activities are not planned and run based on the needs of society but by credit, power and money.
Some of the social work centers have an absolute dependence on public budgets and supports and they will be closed if the public budget are removed; because their nature depends on trade , interactions and in other word the processes of social work commodification. In this point of view all services are calculated by numbers. They do not pay attention to the quality of services and their effectiveness on the target group. Only the quantity of services is important. Some managers believe there are programs with more economical efficiency while the others are less economical. This attitude implies the commodification of social services. The main criteria are profit and the cost of services. The profit and loss are principles of market which exist in social work and finally lead to weak plans based on document and photo. In this context, the social services are not scientifically and accurately evaluated due to the lack of scientific tools and competent authorities.
Sometimes there are informal relationships between administrators and staff experts which prevent the accurate assessment of social services quality. What we observe is that the the main ideology and ethics have been neglected in social work. The rule of market principles and commodification of social services are the consequences of this process. The winners are managers, staff experts, policy makers and the losers are target groups with limited access to the services. Continuity of commodification leads to increment of social gaps, distrust, dissatisfaction of target groups, social inequalities and increment of corruption.
In the end, it should be noted that the commodification may be inevitable but its rapid growth in social work can be very harmful. The nature of social work profession has been defined by a continuous contact to the society especially deprived groups.Analysis of Iranian social problems
