Zwischen Tradition und Transformation

Church-Based Social Work in the Canton of Zurich is currently confronted with profound societal transformations, including growing social inequality, migration-related vulnerabilities, demographic ageing, mental health challenges and increasing demands for professional accountability and inter-institutional cooperation. At the same time, the Catholic Church disposes of specific organisational resources such as strong local presence, long-term relational networks and a comparatively high level of trust, particularly among socially disadvantaged and migrant populations. This tension between structural pressure and institutional potential constitutes the starting point of this master's thesis. The study addresses the central research question of which conceptual and structural adaptations are required for Church-Based Social Work in Zurich to remain socially effective under conditions of a pluralistic welfare state while preserving its ecclesial identity. Four sub-questions guide the analysis: (1) Which societal developments shape the field of Church-Based Social Work? (2) Which theoretical approaches from theology, social work and governance research provide suitable orientation? (3) Which legal and institutional frameworks define opportunities and constraints in the Canton of Zurich? (4) How can identity-consistent development options be systematically justified on this basis? Methodologically, the thesis is designed as a theoretical-conceptual and normatively reflective study. It draws on a structured analysis of interdisciplinary academic literature, ecclesial and organisational documents, and the legal-institutional governance framework of the Zurich dual system. No original empirical data are collected; instead, existing empirical findings are synthesised and translated into a coherent analytical framework at the intersection of social work, practical theology and welfare-state research.The central argument of the thesis is that Church-Based Social Work can only remain legitimate and sustainable if ecclesial identity is not understood as a boundary marker but as a reflexive professional resource. The results show that a social-space-oriented design, combining parish-based presence with specialised social work, low-threshold access, linkworker functions and structured cooperation with public welfare systems, enables such an identity-consistent positioning. At the structural level, the Zurich programme logic, democratic governance structures and established interfaces with Caritas and professional support units provide both constraints and leverage for implementation. The thesis concludes that future-oriented Church-Based Social Work requires an explicit integration of theological orientation, professional standards and public accountability. Conceptual clarity, role differentiation, impact-oriented programme logic and synodal governance are identified as key conditions for maintaining both social effectiveness and ecclesial credibility in a pluralistic context.