Naslov
Revitalizing radical social work in 21st century : practical opportunities for social change

Autori
Miljenović, Ana ; Žganec, Nino

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Social Action in Europe "Sustainable Social Development and Economic Challenges" : abstracts / - Brisel, 2011, 75-75

Skup
Social Action in Europe "Sustainable Social Development and Economic Challenges"

Mjesto i datum
Bruxelles, Belgija, 10.04.2011. - 13.04.2011

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
social change ; practice ; radical social work ; cooperative ; transformative ; demonstrative ;

Sažetak
Radical tradition exists in social work from its very beginnings. In spite of this, radicals experienced significant critics, e.g. that radical ideas remained ideology, there weren’t many practical implications and influence on social change was marginal. In light of these issues, paper tries to make contribution to practical opportunities of radical social work in 21st century. What is that social workers can actually do to make significant contributions to social change? Paper presents four areas of activities which can contribute to social change: demonstrative, cooperative, formative and transformative with practical examples from Croatian perspective. Demonstrative activities have aim to raise public conscious on certain issue, resource distribution and structural factors that affect social problem. ‘Public’ includes professional community, service users, politicians and population in general. These activities range from providing information to transfer social ideas through campaigns, cooperation with media and producing pressure in public sphere. Cooperative activities are to develop partnership in public space through finding partners, establish formal alliances, networking and associating. Possibilities can range up to political pressure (which happens through social movements and pressure groups). Formative activities encompass transfer of specific knowledge and experiences about radical approach to social work students. Stronger binding of social work education with the „real life“ of social work clients may open platform for their future social activism that is not necessarily associated with the prevailing „evidence based epistemology“ in social sciences. Transformative activities are directed to producing social change in narrow sense: providing new services or initiating changes through political processes. These aims can be achieved either by interfering in legislative processes or through direct political decision making by citizens. In all of these activities social workers can be seen as initiating and coordinating force that can develop sustainable platform for further social activism.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Socijalne djelatnosti

POVEZANOST RADA