What this interview is about:
Dealing with extremism is no longer a marginal issue for social workers, but rather part of their day-to-day professional lives. In this interview, Prof. Dr Simon Wilhelm Kolbe (SRH University) and Henning-Schulz Hunger (SRH Mobile University) share their insights.
Professor Kolbe, Mr Schulz-Hunger, how has the situation regarding extreme and extremist attitudes in social work changed in recent years?
Simon W. Kolbe: It is clear that extremist views are now much more visible in the public sphere and in digital media than they were a few years ago. This applies in particular to far-right extremist movements, but also to other forms of ideologically charged enemy stereotypes that are finding their way into the everyday working lives of social work professionals.
Henning Schulz-Hunger: But cases of extremism, particularly far-right extremism, are also being documented in other educational settings, such as schools or religious education. A recent survey by Bayerischer Rundfunk in secondary schools shows that two-thirds of the schools surveyed have experienced racist, anti-Semitic or anti-LGBTQ+ incidents. (Source: BR Recherche: Viele rechtsextreme Vorfälle an Bayerns Schulen | BR24)
What does this mean in concrete terms for social work practice?
Simon W. Kolbe: On the one hand, professionals are encountering direct hostility or derogatory remarks more frequently, for example in conversations, in institutions or on social media. On the other hand, clients and target groups of social work are increasingly being targeted by extremist actors who attempt to exploit existing insecurities, inequalities and fears.
Henning Schulz-Hunger: During events on the topic of extremism, students are increasingly reporting incidents of extremism or right-wing extremism in their fields of work.
In your view, why are social work clients particularly affected by extremist influences or hostility?
Simon W. Kolbe: Many of the people social work supports belong to vulnerable or marginalised groups that have little social influence and experience discrimination more frequently. Consequently, they become targets for extremist actors and, on the other hand, potential target groups who are approached with supposedly ‘helpful’ offers or promises of belonging.
Is it more a case of people becoming victims of extremism, or do you also observe an increased susceptibility to radicalisation?
Henning Schulz-Hunger: As I just mentioned, both play a role: clients can become victims of threats, hatred, exclusion or violence, for example because of their background, religion, gender or lifestyle. At the same time, people in difficult life situations may be more receptive to simple answers, strong authority figures and clear offers of belonging, which extremist groups deliberately exploit.
What are the key challenges for social work when extremist attitudes are present in the field, including amongst professionals themselves?
Henning Schulz-Hunger: When far-right or other extremist beliefs are held by staff members, trust in institutions can be severely damaged, particularly among people who have themselves experienced discrimination. There is also a risk that clients will be consciously or unconsciously devalued, given poorer advice, or excluded from services. This runs counter to the professional guiding principles of human rights, justice and the recognition of diversity.
How does this affect teams and organisations?
Simon W. Kolbe: Extremist attitudes can influence work cultures, for example when discriminatory remarks are trivialised or relativised, or when managers tolerate such attitudes. This gives rise to ethical conflicts for colleagues who adhere to professional and ethical codes of social work and must uphold these values in their day-to-day work.
Which extremist movements play a role in your teaching on social work?
Simon W. Kolbe: Broadly speaking, we distinguish between right-wing extremism, left-wing extremism, religiously motivated extremism, Reich Citizens and self-governors, foreign-related extremism, and efforts aimed at the anti-constitutional delegitimisation of the state. It is important to us to always take a cross-phenomenological view of ideologies of inequality, the legitimisation of violence and the rejection of democratic processes.
What is actually being done at universities, for example at SRH Mobile University and SRH University, to prepare future professionals for these challenges?
Henning Schulz-Hunger: In the Social Work degree programme, courses on human rights, the promotion of democracy, diversity and the prevention of extremism are playing an increasingly important role. In addition, there are study conferences, workshops and project seminars in which students discuss real-life cases and develop their own strategies for action.
What are your key priorities in this regard?
Simon W. Kolbe: It is important to raise awareness of extremist positions, educate students about recruitment and communication strategies – particularly on social media – and promote democratic values and moral courage. Students should learn to recognise when boundaries are being crossed, to intervene professionally, and to keep both their own safety and their relationship with clients in mind whilst doing so.
What role do school social work and experiential education play in preventing extremism?
Simon W. Kolbe: School social work can build bridges between pupils, teachers, parents and extracurricular activities, thereby identifying conflicts, exclusion and tendencies towards radicalisation at an early stage. Interdisciplinary collaborations, such as with school pastoral care or with clubs, offer good opportunities to prepare young people for the challenges posed by extremism.
Henning Schulz-Hunger: Experiential education projects promote self-efficacy, teamwork and a change of perspective, whilst also fostering interaction. This can help break down prejudices, as participants experience that, contrary to their own assumptions, people are different from what they expected and that negative stereotypes are not confirmed.
How can social work professionals respond to this without becoming drawn into political polarisation themselves?
Henning Schulz-Hunger: What is crucial is a clear professional stance guided by human rights, the dignity of every individual and democratic principles, rather than party political lines. Building on this, we need media literacy, spaces for reflection, interdisciplinary cooperation and a willingness to engage with uncomfortable issues on an ongoing basis.
