The circle of social reform: the relationship social work—social policy in Addams and Richmond

Branco, Francisco

doi:10.1080/13691457.2015.1084272

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Initiatives such as the programmes can act as a response to neoliberalism's erosion of humanism (Lorenz, 2005;Ferguson & Lavalette, 2013) in welfare contexts. This implies a renewed understanding and restoration of social work's human ideals (Branco, 2016) by both opposing and working alongside formalistic traditions. In our three examples, we see this diversity (Lorenz, 2005;Ferguson & Lavalette, 2013;Andersen, 2018) as an enacted critique of normative and formalistic dogma (Ferguson & Lavalette, 2013;Healy, 2014) in order to achieve social change.…”

Section: Human Values and Contextual Tensionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The social enterprises employ the diversity of participation and community, ideally to transform users' opportunities into a resource for social change (Healy, 2014;Branco, 2016). They recognize the nexus between personal and social change, consequently revealing tensions related to significantly different approaches when dealing with social problems.…”

Section: Tensions and Potentials For Changementioning

confidence: 99%

“…We examine how the programmes, as community work, challenge formalistic welfare service, and we ask which frictions arise in a highly institutionalized context (Bevir, 2016;Branco, 2016;Clarke, 2018). How can we understand community work in a welfare context?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The social enterprises form around complex and sometimes undiscovered approaches by focusing on a sense of community as meaningful social work (Lelieveldt, 2004;Svensson, 2014;Nykänen, 2020). The participants see a need to employ the potentials of diversity deriving from users' own experiences and social problems (Branco, 2016), and in order to transcend established norms and traditions, they wish to improve the lives and wellbeing of users by developing participation and social skills (Lorenz, 2005;IFSW, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Community Work as Opposition

Svensson¹,

Nielsen²

2020

JCSW

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A number of tensions pertaining to social problems and human suffering become apparent when analysing community work in a Danish welfare setting. As a source for critical reflection, we discern some of these challenges, but also potentials, which relate not only to a Danish context, but to challenges in any highly institutionalized welfare system. Three community work social enterprises serve to exemplify the objectives of addressing social problems by fostering participation and empowerment. To enhance and include the voice of service users, the programmes attempt to cultivate human resources as opposed to perceived formalism and a subsequent diminishment of the potentials of community inclusion. The formalistic governmental agendas are perceived to be unable to appreciate the diversity of service users’ individual needs and social challenges, which produces conflicting prospects. Such a dichotomy between formalistic welfare practices and the ideals represented in the three enterprises offers a podium for users, professionals, policymakers and researchers to consider alternative expressions of community work, and how these can address social problems. We maintain that rapidly changing welfare models require an increased sensitivity to human suffering as a position embedded in the habitus and sociological imagination of community work. It is a source for reflection on the role of welfare arenas perceived as spaces in which service users ideally, based on their own social situation, can improve their social circumstances. It is an invitation to reflect on the potentials of community work in a diversity of cultures and practices.

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