Von epischen Texten zum Ausfüllen KIgestützter Formulare

From epic texts to filling out AI-assisted forms. Child and Youth Welfare as Reflected in Its Records.

In child and youth welfare, the written record of social work is given particularly high priority, for example in the context of case planning processes. Interventions in a person’s life (or life worlds)—such as the termination of parental rights—are carried out exclusively on the basis of a written justification.

Even with increasing formalization, texts written by social work professionals contain elements of self-expression in the form of attitudes or preconceptions. Using examples of youth welfare agency documentation from the late 1950s to the present, this study illustrates how writing practices and professional development are intertwined.

The analytical examination of record-keeping, adapted from the Documentary Method, focuses not only on paper records but also on digital forms. In this way, the analysis addresses not only historical change but also the impact of human-machine interactions that are disrupting established routines. Professional standards such as participation and resource orientation, which have become established over time, are currently being put to the test and pose particular challenges for practitioners.

The interdisciplinary lecture series “Writing Practices in Social Work” organized by the Institute for Translation and Multilingual Communication (ITMK, F03) and the Institute for the Science of Social Work (IRIS, F01) examines the culturally and organizationally ingrained customs and routines of reporting in social work, drawing on research in professional communication.