Words of Common Cause: Social Work’s Historical Democratic Discourse

Toft, Jessica

doi:10.1086/708165

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…The relationship between democracy and social work has a long and compelling history ( Toft, 2020 ), but in the work of Jane Addams we find detailed accounts of the connection in vital form. Far from being purely abstract, there is a pragmatic focus on the need for proximity to those living in poverty, such as through the Settlements.…”

Section: Discussion: a Democratising Agenda For Social Work Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Paradoxically, by questioning social work’s legitimacy at this fundamental level, we may yet find new ways to realign practice with the values of human rights and social justice that are said to underpin the profession. As Addams urged more than a century ago, we must ‘place the democratic aim of social justice firmly within social work’( Toft, 2020 ). Such a realignment is particularly urgent, given the socioeconomic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and its implications for a large and increasing number of families.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Social work legitimacy: democratising research, policy and practice in child protection

Warner

2021

The British Journal of Social Work

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This article analyses the concept of legitimacy as applied to the use of power in statutory social work with children and families in the UK. It draws on literature from police studies and criminology, in which the concept is a stable one that continues to be heavily researched and analysed. Police and social workers bear comparison in respect of legitimacy because of the significant powers they use on behalf of the state with direct implications for the civil and human rights of their fellow citizens. The article defines legitimacy in theoretical terms before applying the concept to social work. Here, perceptions of fairness in the distribution of resources, the quality of treatment people receive, and the quality of decision-making are critically examined. The article then proposes a democratising agenda across the three domains of social work research, policy, and practice. Through challenging social work’s legitimacy and analysing its relationship to social democracy, it is argued that new ways may be found to realign practice with the values of human rights and social justice that are said to underpin the profession. Given the severe socioeconomic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on many families, these questions acquire a particular urgency.

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Section: Discussion: a Democratising Agenda For Social Work Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social work legitimacy: democratising research, policy and practice in child protection

Warner

2021

The British Journal of Social Work

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“…The first African American president of the National Conference of Social Work, Lester Blackwell Granger has been described as the individual responsible for leading the social work profession to prioritize civil rights (NASW Foundation, n.d.), and a leader in explicitly centering social work attention on supporting democracy for marginalized communities (Toft, 2020). As was the case for many early African American social workers, Granger began as an educator.…”

Section: Domain 2: Influencing Policy Agendas and Decision Makingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Political Advocacy Without a Choice

Shepherd

Pritzker

2021

ASW

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From social work’s early days, African American social workers were engaged in what today is termed as political social work, yet their work is often overlooked in both social work education and the broader retelling of our profession’s history. This article examines the early history of African American political social work, using Lane and Pritzker’s (2018) five domains of political social work. We outline ways in which African American social workers’ lived experiences led them to engage in political social work to support community survival and to challenge injustice during the Black Migration period post-slavery, the Jim Crow Era, and the Civil Rights Movement. Even as broader structural dynamics sought to exclude African Americans from the political arena, dynamic and influential African American social workers laid the groundwork for modern political social work. They politically engaged their communities, lobbied for legislation, worked in the highest levels of government, supported campaigns, and ran and held elective office to ensure that civil rights were given and maintained. This manuscript calls for a shift from social work’s white-dominant historical narrative and curricula (Bell, 2014; DeLoach McCutcheon, 2019) to assertive discussion of the historic roles African American political social work pioneers played in furthering political empowerment and challenging social injustice.

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The Limits of Human Rights Discourse within Sovereign Territory: Examining US Refugee Policy Formation

Benson

2023

Social Service Review

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Words of Common Cause: Social Work’s Historical Democratic Discourse

Cited by 3 publications

References 68 publications

Social work legitimacy: democratising research, policy and practice in child protection

Social work legitimacy: democratising research, policy and practice in child protection

Political Advocacy Without a Choice

The Limits of Human Rights Discourse within Sovereign Territory: Examining US Refugee Policy Formation

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