Abstract
This article analyses the work position of social workers in Italy according to national research carried out in 2008 which considers 1000 people registered at the OAS (Ordine Assistenti Sociali). The first theme it dealt with concerns spheres of professional engagement and the most relevant types of users whom social workers encounter depending on territorial context and work seniority. The other two themes concern working conditions, analysed according to activities actually carried out, and the interests that social workers show in these activities. On the whole, we found a national situation characterized, on one hand, by a wide plurality of working areas corresponding to the increasing plurality of types of users, and on the other hand, by elements of substantial homogeneity, concerning both the types of intervention actually carried out, and, above all, concerning the subjective importance they gave to them. In particular, the respondents gave high priority to the nature and quality of the relationship with the users of social services.