Přehled o publikaci

This study explores how social workers navigate and respond to the circulation of disinformation in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, with particular attention to the affective and socio-spatial dynamics that shape trust and knowledge-making. Grounded in feminist epistemology and anti-oppressive social work theory, the research positions social workers as epistemic agents embedded in contested knowledge environments. Using a qualitative research strategy, the study draws on interviews with five social workers who have both lived and professional experience in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the Czech Republic. Thematic analysis, following Clarke and Braun's model, revealed three key roles social workers adopt in relation to disinformation: social workers as epistemic mediators; social worker as a knowledge steward and epistemic amplifier; and social workers as epistemic agents. The findings challenge dominant correctional paradigms that treat misinformation as individual ignorance, instead foregrounding relational, affective, and structurally constrained epistemic practices. This study contributes to feminist social work by reimagining practitioners as allies in epistemic justice—validating subjugated knowledges, responding to emotion as epistemic force, and resisting institutional distrust. Implications for social work education include the need for education that cultivate epistemic reflexivity, emotional literacy, and critical digital engagement. Social workers should be equipped to address not just disinformation, but the systemic conditions that make it persuasive.