SCWK2006 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Neoliberalism, Social Inequality, Managerialism
12 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
SCWK 2006- WEEK 2
Reading
Doing Anti-Oppressive Practice
• Introduction explores the historical roots of anti-oppressive social work, the theory it draws
on, and on-going tensions in both theory and practice
• What are the causes of social problems and what can we do to address those causes and
prevent social problems rather than merely treating the victims?
• These questions have been central to the development of a strand of social work emerging
from social movements and aimed at fundamentally transforming the political, economic,
social and cultural factors underlying and generating inequality and injustice
• Transformation
• Refers to ways of relieving people's emotional pain and immediate difficulties while
simultaneously working to change the larger forces that generate inequity, unfairness and
social injustice
• Anti-oppressive practice is one of the main forms of social justice-orientated social work
theory and practice today
• Attempts to integrate the search and struggle for social change directly into the social work
experience
• Rather than a single approach AOP is an umbrella term for a number of social justice-oriented
approaches to social work
• Anti- oppressive social workers try to provide service to people seeking it but also help clients,
communities, and themselves to understand that their problems are linked to social inequality
Core Themes
1. Macro-and micro social relations generate oppression
2. Everyday experience is shaped by multiple oppressions
3. Social work is a contested and highly political practice
4. Social work is not a neutral, caring profession, but an active political process
5. Social justice-oriented social work assists individuals while simultaneously seeking to
transform society
6. Social work needs to build allies and work with social causes and movements
7. Social work's theoretical and practical development must be based on the struggles and needs
of those who are oppressed and marginalised
8. Participatory approaches are necessary between practitioners and "clients"
9. Self-reflexive practice and ongoing social analysis are essential components of AOP
10. A blended, heterodox social justice perspective provides the best potential for politicised,
transformative social work practice
Roots of Anti-Oppressive Practice
• Older perspectives and newer theoretical schools argue for ongoing refinement of theory in
response to changing social conditions
• Global capitalism, neoliberalism and managerialism generate practice environments in which
social workers encounter new kinds of challenges and issues
• To address challenges AOP social workers find themselves asking many questions (how we
provide resources and act in solidarity, nurture local leadership and encourage social justice
initiative, sustain ourselves)
• AOP is sufficiently established that much of its writing focuses on taking AOP into new practice
areas
• Most challenging tasks is the translation of theory into frontline practice
Epistemology
• Theory or study of knowledge itself
• Theories identify a key oppressed group/s who require liberation through the fundamental
reorganisation of social relations
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