Feminist theories of social work have been criticised in recent years for treating women as a uniform category and displaying insufficient sensitivity to the complex ways in which other social divisions (those of race, age, disability, etc.) impact on gender relations. This major text by a leading writer in the field seeks to develop a new framework for feminist social work that takes on board postmodernist arguments to do with difference and power yet retains a commitment to collective solidarity and social change. As such, it will be essential reading for students, educators and...

This book, by one of the leading theorists of social work, tackles a subject of crucial importance to students and practitioners alike: how social workers can enable their clients to challenge and transcend the manifold oppressions that disempower them (whether through poverty, disability, mental illness, etc.). It moves from a discussion of social work's purpose and ambitions to an exposition of theory and, from there, to the practice arenas of working with individuals, in groups, within organizations, and within a wider social and political context.

This inspiring and stimulating book confronts contemporary challenges facing social workers. Many of the forms of human, social and environmental degradation addressed arise from social problems that have persisted over time, such as social work's own uncertain professional status, poverty, structural inequalities, migratory movements and armed conflicts. However, these challenges include newer problems rooted in the interdependent nature of the world. These issues centre on globalization, the worldwide recession that undermined fiscal sustainability in Western countries, environmental...

Written by leading authorities in the field, this challenging book addresses complex issues of ethnicity and racial discrimination in ways that encourage further debate and analysis. Its main theme is that social work has been and remains, deeply implicated in racist policies and practices that have been locality specific, but that racism is also recognizable across borders as a phenomenon that appears everywhere. At the same time, the book focuses on innovative theories and practice which seek to promote an emancipatory social work which sets itself the goal of eradicating social injustice a...

The probation service has committed itself to anti-racist initiatives and those promoting equal opportunities for some time. However, the experiences of black people, whether as workers or 'clients' indicates that the realities of day-to-day practice are far removed from this. Moreover, the picture is just as bleak if not even more so in other parts of the criminal justice system including the judiciary and the prison service. Anti-Racist Probation Practice addresses this conundrum and drawing on the experiences of black people makes practical proposals for moving forward in non-tokenistic...

Citizenship as a status assumes that all those encompassed by the term 'citizen' are included, albeit within the boundaries of the nation-state. Yet citizenship practices can be both inclusionary and exclusionary, with far-reaching ramifications for both nationals and non-nationals. This volume explores the concept of citizenship and its practices within particular contexts and nation-states to identify whether its claims to inclusivity are justified. This will show whether the exclusionary dimensions experienced by some citizens and non-citizens are linked to deficiencies in the concept,...

Citizenship as a status assumes that all those encompassed by the term 'citizen' are included, albeit within the boundaries of the nation-state. Yet citizenship practices can be both inclusionary and exclusionary, with far-reaching ramifications for both nationals and non-nationals. This volume explores the concept of citizenship and its practices within particular contexts and nation-states to identify whether its claims to inclusivity are justified. This will show whether the exclusionary dimensions experienced by some citizens and non-citizens are linked to deficiencies in the concept,...

Published in 1999, Community Approaches to Child Welfare is written by both practitioners and academics to explore ways in which community-based, preventative approaches to child welfare can be used to support families experiencing behavioural problems with children or undergoing difficulties in raising them. Specific practice examples developed in Britain, Canada and Sweden provide an international dimension to this book. Comparing and contrasting developments within these countries reveal that there are both similarities in the methods adopted and difference in the ways in which these are...

Revitalising Communities in a Globalising World explores the opportunities and constraints that the dynamics of globalisation present for human development in a range of different countries and situations. Arguing that globalisation is currently a system of organising social relations along neoliberal lines, this timely volume examines practical examples of how people respond to significant social changes in their communities. The idea of communities is deconstructed to show that globalisation has collapsed the boundaries of time, space and place in ways that have exacerbated inequalities, at...