The State of Feminist Social Work

Social Work is currently in the throes of major change in its policies, organization and day-to-day practice, often referred to as modernization. Historically, feminist literature has had a powerful impact in terms of analysis of the significance of gender on social work, but this analysis has stopped short of engagement with the contemporary modernization agenda.Much has been written about the characteristic features of a feminist presence in social work and women social workers' role in developing emancipatory forms of practice, rooted in a commitment to egalitarian relationships with women service users. The State of Feminist Social Work challenges the failure of this dominant paradigm to respond to the present re-shaping of social work. In a radical reappraisal it highlights the significance for feminists of social work's location in the state and offers an alternative theoretical framework through which the experiences of women social workers can be placed within their structural context. This book opens up the possibility of diverse identities, indentifications and stances amongst women and social workers and provides the basis for critical engagement with the modernization agenda.