USING THE BIOGRAPHICAL METHOD IN STUDENTS TRAINING FOR SOCIAL WORK

Abstract

The article describes the possibility of using the biographical method at students’ preparation to the decision of people’s social problems who turned out to be in a difficult vital situation. A research novelty consists of using the philosophical-anthropological approach as a methodological basis, that is oriented to understanding of client as a Person, whose vital problems are related to such unsteady forms of life as a risk, fear, trust, meeting, failure, crisis, life, history of life, fate, event, case. A research aim is a study of students’ readiness to the practical using of the biographical method in the activities of a social worker. Basic methods for realization of this aim are working with basic concepts relevant to the using of the biographical method: pedagogical workshop, portrait of “Me”, collage, reflection essay. The main results of the study were new topics of students’ research works, made by using the biographical method. In practical part of researches students use the quality analysis of the personal (correspondence, photos, autobiographies) and official (descriptions, archived data) documents, survey methods (telling clients about their life, relatives’ evidence about the stages of the client's life).