Current welfare policy encourages “coproduction” between citizens and welfare workers so that “lay expertise” effectively becomes part of the provision of services. Drawing on fieldwork from Danish mental health services, this article analyzes how expertise and authority are organized and performed in a network linking welfare workers and users as well as new participants (e.g., volunteers) and artifacts. Theoretically, the article employs Goffman's dramaturgical distinction between “frontstage” and “backstage.” The findings indicate that welfare workers coproduce services by covering their authority and expertise in “frontstage” meetings with users. However, relational and material resources in encounters “backstage” make welfare workers appear as accountable experts, which both fosters and threatens their credibility.

中文翻译：

---

社区精神卫生服务中联合生产的日常戏剧：分析福利工作者作为“秘密特工”的表现

当前的福利政策鼓励公民与福利工作者之间的“共同生产”，以便“专业知识”有效地成为服务提供的一部分。本文利用丹麦精神卫生服务机构的实地调查，分析了如何在连接福利工作者和使用者以及新参与者（例如志愿者）和人工制品的网络中组织和执行专业知识和权威。从理论上讲，本文采用了戈夫曼在“前台”和“后台”之间的戏剧性区别。调查结果表明，福利工作者通过在与用户的“前期”会议中涵盖他们的权威和专业知识来共同提供服​​务。但是，在“后台”遭遇的关系和物质资源使福利工作者显得像是负责任的专家，既树立又威胁着他们的信誉。