Professionals, students, and researchers working in the field of Social Work and engaging with issues of poverty are frequently confronted with the question of how to talk about poverty—with clients, with people affected by poverty, and with fellow researchers. One possible approach is offered by a classism-critical perspective.

Classism-critical Social Work involves, first, recognizing and understanding one's own socialization and experiences within a society that is also a class society. Analytically reflecting on how these experiences shape perceptions, attitudes, and professional practice is essential. Awareness of these influences is a key prerequisite for establishing collaborative and respectful relationships with service users. Stereotypes create barriers and hinder the development of the trusting professional relationships that effective Social Work requires.

Second, a critical analysis of power and domination within class society is necessary in order to understand structural inequalities and to address them in ways that promote social justice. Such an analysis enables social workers to recognize the societal conditions that produce and reproduce poverty and exclusion, and to engage with them as part of their professional responsibility.

Questions of poverty and social class have been explored in depth by Social Work students at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences. In May 2026, this engagement resulted in a publication in which students reflect on their own biographical connections to these issues through literary and artistic expression.

The contributions offer insights into everyday experiences of classism in areas such as housing, daily life, employment, and education. As one student writes:

“For me, working while studying is not a choice—and often a burden. Little sleep, little free time, little time for loved ones: this is an obvious reality for me, yet often invisible to others.”

At the same time, the texts bear witness to experiences of shame, anxiety, and exclusion, while also conveying new insights, courage, resilience, and hope. Together, they provide powerful reflections on the realities of growing up and living in a class-divided society.

This short film by Social Work student Abdullah Abram was created as part of the Classism Workshop within Module 6.20 Diversity and Social Justice. In the film, Abram reflects creatively and artistically on his experiences of discrimination in accessing the labour market.

The film will be screened on 19 June 2026 as a supporting short film at the Zolli Open-Air Cinema in Bremerhaven. The event series combines film screenings with discussions on social issues, creating a space for dialogue and reflection on contemporary social challenges.

Download the programme: Zolli e.V.

“I had not looked closely at these issues before. Now I have become more aware, curious, and grateful for the courageous contributions that both inform and invite us to continue thinking together,” reflects Karolin Ritschel, social pedagogue, systemic therapist, and counselor, on her experience of the conference Klasse THEMAtisieren.

The conference took place at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences from 23 to 24 June 2025. Bringing together perspectives from practice, teaching, and research, it provided a space for critical engagement with poverty, social class, and classism in Social Work.

The outcomes of the conference will be published in 2026 by transcript Verlag in the edited volume Classism in Social Work: Impulses for Critical Practice, Theory, and Research.