Modern Critical Social Work Theory

Words: 2119
Pages: 9
Open Document
Anti-oppressive practice is an approach developed out of Modern critical social work theory (Healy, 2014). This paper will firstly provide a description, then an outline of Modern critical social work theory’s history. Additionally, it will consider a case study through an Anti-oppressive approach discussing the issues, interventions, how change is expected to ocurr, strengths and weaknesses.
Modern critical social work is the application of social work from a critical theory perspective. It seeks to address the impact of broad social structures in particular at the macro level as opposed to focusing on individual service user’s problems. In turn, it rejects any focus on psychological assessment and instead, assessment is done through a structural …show more content…
Modern critical social work was prominent during the 1960’s and 1970’s and was developed in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the USA (Baines, 2001). Modern critical social work grew out of functionalism, feminism, racism and conflict theories. (Watson & West, 2006). It refers to a broad range of practice approaches including feminist social work, anti-racist practice, anti-oppressive practice and anti-discriminatory social work (Healy, 2014, p. 185). However, Critical social work theory finds its historical roots in Karl Marx’s Conflict Theory (Rogowski, 2008; Baines, 2001). According to Baines (2001), Marx did not consider class as a descriptor but rather an illuminator of the strategic positioning of various groups of people, and how they can work to change the structures that result in their oppression (Baines, …show more content…
This critical assessment of the service user’s experiences assists the practitioner to understand the personal, cultural and structural processes that shape the service user’s experience (Healy, 2014; Strier & Binyamin, 2014; Baines, 2001). From the structuralist perspective, Lucy is facing various barriers. It is important to note at this point that many structures of oppression interlink and can reinforce each other (Raineri & Calcaterra, 2015; Healy, 2014; Baines, 2001). Firstly, Lucy was born and raised in Thailand which is influenced by a strongly patriarchal society, where women are regarded as inferior and do not have the same position and rights in society as men do (Atlantic Thai, 2013; Martin & Jones, 2012). It could be argued that Lucy was looking for a way to escape her culture’s discriminative and oppressive structures which are why she sought a husband from overseas. Antantic Thai (2013) and Martin and Jones (2012) state that many Thai women regard Australian, American and British men to be exceptionally wealthy and therefore seek these husbands to escape the oppression of poverty in their own country. Paul’s parents who are characterised by Lucy as directive and critical, reinforce the patriarchal
Show More

Related Documents: Modern Critical Social Work Theory

Conflict Theory, Karl Marx, and the Communist Manifesto Essay

Conflict Theory, Karl Marx, and The Communist Manifesto In order to understand Marx a few terms need to be defined. The first is Bourgeoisie; these are the Capitalists and they are the employers of wage laborers, and the owners of the means of production. The means of production includes the physical instruments of production such as the machines, and tools, as well as the methods of working (skills, division of labor). The Proletariat is the class of wage-laborers, they do not have their own…

Words 1335 - Pages 6

Task Centred and Crisis Intervention Essay for Social Work

applying appropriate theory the organisation and structure of social work practice may be enhanced (Howe 1999:104). Social workers use theory to inform practice and provide a sense of direction and guidance in their professional engagement with service users "An alternative way of using theories to help in reflection is by using them critically against one another. Differences between theories can help in reflection in practice by enabling alternative and opposing theories to criticize practice…

Words 3872 - Pages 16

The Sociological Imagination

The major focal point of Mills's work were social inequality, was the power of elites and their control of society, the shrinking middle class, the relationship between individuals and society, and the significance of an historical perspective as a key part of sociological thinking. Mills's most powerful and famous work, was The Sociological Imagination (1959), define how one should access the world if one wants to see and understand as a sociologist does. He focuses on the importance of seeing…

Words 194 - Pages 1

Modern Mass Media

internet is the single most important technological breakthrough of the latter part of this century, and it has changed the way in which people communicate and access mass media and even the way they comment on social and political issues. However there are many questions being asked as to how social platforms such as facebook, twitter, chatrooms and discussion boards can fulfil the conditions of a public sphere for rational debate. The internet is now the biggest global arena where people go to express…

Words 1340 - Pages 6

Conflict Criminological Analysis

and it is something that shall continue to exist. Therefore, conflict criminology is still extremely applicable to everyday situations and continues to be relevant. The fields of conflict and critical criminology view crime as a product of social conflict for example, the unequal treatment of people across social classes (i.e., the rich go unsanctioned while the poor are over sanctioned) (Cartwright, 2011). The emergence of conflict criminology was during a time of great change in history; bringing…

Words 1251 - Pages 6

Lombroso Research Paper

within Lombroso work about 200 years ago. So today, are those past theories back reflecting a sort of self-inflected defaulted mental developed higher criminal behaviour? Or is it an atavistic culture for some? Whatever this era of atavistic behaviour would be called, to which extend can society become a victim of it? What impact may some misled judgements become higher prejudice, in which the mass subjects would become perpretors of their victimization? Would it be possible that modern society due to…

Words 805 - Pages 4

Thanksgiving: Crime and Theory Essay

criminological theory.  State the causes of crime according to classical and neoclassical criminologists.  Describe the biological theories of crime causation and their policy implications.  Describe the different psychological theories of crime causation and their policy implications.  Explain sociological theories of crime causation and their policy implications.  Distinguish major differences among classical, positivist, and critical theories of crime causation.  Describe how critical theorists…

Words 1619 - Pages 7

Marxism and Its Contribution to the World Politics Essay

Introduction: Since the emerge of the societies and social life, political theorists tried to develop frameworks and ideas in order to explain main causes of incidents that occur in international relations. Two German thinkers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels developed a theory mainly based on a materialist view of history and society in early 1900s, which is commonly referred as Marxism. Since its' introduction to the political science Marxism have become one of the core schools of thoughts in international…

Words 3247 - Pages 13

Essay on Heart of Darkness

Marlow, through unspeakable darkness as the African jungles come alive and the colonization of the Continent's states unfolds. It's needless to say that Conrad's work remains legendary, but a great deal of its legend lies as a result of its controversy. Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian writer known to be much less than enthusiastic about Conrad's work, calls Conrad himself a "bloody racist" declaring Heart of Darkness amongst the most offensive writings of the twentieth century. While Achebe is not alone, many…

Words 1438 - Pages 6

Essay about Organizational Theory on Apple Inc.

Organizational Theory on APPLE INC. 1.Introduction Power is a measurement of an actor’s ability to influence the behavior, thoughts or activities of another actor (eds Ott, Parkes & Simpson 2008). Authority, power that is legitimized by the legal and cultural foundations on which an organization is based, is the ultimate source of power in a organization (Gareth R. Jones 2001). Whenever there is a use of authoritative control it creates resistance and obedience. In this essay, power and the…

Words 2624 - Pages 11