1st Edition
Contemporary Feminisms in Social Work Practice
Contemporary Feminisms in Social Work Practice explores feminism as core to social work knowledge, practice and ethics. It demonstrates how gender-neutral perspectives and practices obscure gender discourses and power relations. It also shows feminist social work practice can transform areas of social work not specifically concerned with gender, through its emphasis on relationships and power.
Within and outside feminism, there is a growing assumption that equality has been won and is readily available to all women. However, women continue to dominate the ranks of the poor in developed and developing countries around the world; male perpetrated violence against women and children has not reduced; women outnumber men by up to three to one in the diagnosis of common mental health problems; and women continue to be severely underrepresented in every realm of power, decision-making and wealth. This worrying context draws attention to the ways gender relations structure most of the problems faced by the women, men and children in the day-to-day worlds in which social work operates. Drawing together key contemporary thinking about feminism and its place in social work, this international collection looks at both core curriculum areas taught in social work programs and a wide range of practice fields that involve key challenges and opportunities for future feminist social work.
This book is suitable for all social work students and academics. It examines the nuanced nature of power relationships in the everyday and areas such as working with cross-cultural communities, mental health, interpersonal violence and abuse, homelessness, child protection, ageing, disability and sexuality.
Introduction Nicole Moulding and Sarah Wendt 1. Conversations about Theory: Feminism and Social Work Sarah Wendt 2. Feminist Social Work Practice: Implications for the Twenty-First Century Melanie Shepard and Lake Dziengel 3. Ethics and Feminist Social Work Annie Pullen Sansfaçon 4. Feminism and social policy Lesley Laing 5. Feminism and the Delivery of Human Services Sue King and Deirdre Tedmanson 6. Repositioning Social Work Research in Feminist Epistemology, Research and Praxis Lia Bryant 7. Feminism and community development: illustrating the rural Margaret Alston 8. ‘Do something, change something’: feminist leadership in social work Mel Gray and Leanne Schubert 9. Poverty Alleviation in a Globalised World: A Feminist Perspective Lena Dominelli 10. Talking up and Listening Well: Dismantling Whiteness and Building Reflexivity Deirdre Tedmanson and Christine Fejo-King 11. ‘Something is Missing Here’: Weaving Feminist Theories into Social Work Practice with Refugees Laurie Cook Heffron, Susanna Snyder, Karin Wachter, Maura Nsonwu and Noël Busch-Armendariz 12. Putting Gender in the Frame: Feminist Social Work and Mental Health Nicole Moulding 13. Child Wellbeing, Mothering and Protection Fiona Buchanan 14. Domestic Violence and Feminism Sarah Wendt 15. Rape and Sexual Assault: Using an Intersectional Feminist Lens Fiona Buchanan and Lynn Jamieson 16. Homelessness and Intersectional Feminist Practice Carole Zufferey 17. Sexuality, Social Work and the Feminist Imaginary Margaret Rowntree 18. Constructing gender: feminist gerontology and social work practice Jill Chonody and Barbra Teater 19. Feminism and disability Barbara Fawcett 20. Engaging men in feminist social work: theory, politics and practice Bob Pease Conclusion Nicole Moulding and Sarah Wendt
Biography
Sarah Wendt is a Professor of Social Work at Flinders University, South Australia.
Nicole Moulding is a Senior Lecturer in social work at the University of South Australia.
