Inequality and poverty have profound effects on service users, and radical social work seeks to address these systemic issues to achieve social change. Social work has long been torn between its role as a state agent and its potential to drive activism and political action. This tension raises a crucial question: can social work engage with the broader societal factors that shape the lives of the people it serves?
Radical social work embraces the idea that meaningful practice must incorporate political action. Social workers are not only tasked with helping individuals but also recognizing and addressing the public causes of their private struggles, such as inequality, poverty, and systemic injustice.
What is Radical Social Work?
Radical social work refers to a political theory and practice that focuses on understanding and addressing the root causes of social problems. Unlike traditional approaches, radical social work emphasizes taking action to achieve social change, not just treating the symptoms of larger societal issues.
In many instances, state policies contradict the values of social welfare by ignoring the structural causes of hardship or, worse, blaming individuals for their circumstances. Radical social work challenges this narrative by focusing on the material conditions that shape people’s lives. Poverty, inequality, and oppression are central to the difficulties faced by many service users, and ignoring these factors reduces social work to a superficial function.
A Rich History of Activism
Radical social work has existed since the profession’s inception, evolving through movements like the feminist and anti-racist social approaches of the 1970s and the Social Work Action Network (SWAN). This tradition emphasizes anti-oppressive practices, inclusivity, and social justice.
Examples of radical social work are especially prevalent in Latin America, where social workers have pioneered techniques focused on empowering service users by addressing both their material conditions and the psychological effects of oppression. Social workers in Greece and Spain have also been at the forefront of social action, using their skills to challenge austerity measures and advocate for marginalized communities. In Spain, the “orange tide” movement has led the charge against neoliberal policies and service cuts, symbolized by their slogan, “Say No to Cuts. Don’t Shut Up!”
Connecting Theory and Practice
Radical social work is more than just a theory; it’s a practical tool that helps social workers address the immediate needs of their service users while keeping the larger, structural issues in focus. Whether through advocacy, awareness-raising, or group work, radical social work uses creative methods to push for systemic change.
The core pillars of radical social work are democracy, empathy, militancy, anti-oppressiveness, and structural practice. Together, these values form the acronym “Demos,” representing the transformative power of the people social workers serve. Radical social work draws its legitimacy not from bureaucratic structures but from its commitment to utilizing this political power for meaningful social change.
Why Radical Social Work Matters
Radical social work’s emphasis on addressing inequality and poverty is crucial in today’s world, where social workers are often asked to focus on technical aspects of their job and ignore the larger societal issues at play. However, research consistently shows that these structural factors are the primary determinants of people’s well-being, not personal characteristics or morality.
As social workers, it’s essential to recognize the root causes of the hardships faced by service users and to engage in practices that seek to transform the social systems that perpetuate inequality. Radical social work reminds us that we can—and should—play a part in advocating for social justice and creating a more equitable society.
