Social work and the idea of object

The article considers the possibility of expressing the contested nature of social work via objects and their stories. Two Collections of objects and their stories (object/stories) are analysed and compared – an English language Collection (Obj1) and a Latin American Spanish language Collection (Obj2). A thematic analysis results in a schema of three categories of object/story: practical, symbolic, and totemic. The object/stories vary in the degree to which they reflect a social work that is community-oriented or focused on the individual. The two Collections are analysed for similarities and differences, and the authors consider wider applications of the learning from the project.