Intercultural competence in socio-pedagogic family support (SPFH) exemplified with Turkish migrants in Berlin

Abstract

This article, which is based on an empirical survey1, addresses the problem of insufficient "intercultural competence" in socio-educational family assistance (SPFH). This is an educational assistance provision under § 31 SGB VIII (Sozialgesetzbuch Acht - Social Security Code Eight). Due to the powerful presence of the counsellor within the family, SPFH constitutes a significant invasion of the family's autonomy. It is therefore all the more important that, while working with families with migration background, not only general professional standards, but also vital quality criteria of "intercultural competence" are met - both during the process of assistance planning by the youth welfare service, as well as during the day-to-day cooperation between the qualified employee of the private welfare agency and the family. This article illustrates the requirements placed on an interculturally competent practice of planning and implementing socio-educational family assistance by means of a case example. The present article is based on a study by the author concerning intercultural competence in SPFH (Erdem 2011). The survey utilized a double perspective, i.e. this of family counsellors of German and Turkish descent on the one hand, and this of parents of Turkish descent on the other. The study's research question is: Which problems are reported by the parties and to what extent does intercultural competence prove itself to be an essential component of cooperation in SPFH?