Abstract
The complex nature of oppression is witnessed in the lives of people who are marginalised in this society. As social work practitioners, we have a moral, ethical and legal responsibility to challenge inequality and disadvantage. Historically, the profession, in attempting to understand, explain and offer solutions to the difficulties experienced by groups and individuals, has drawn from, amongst others, the disciplines of sociology, psychology, history, philosophy and politics. This multidisciplined theoretical framework, informed by antioppressive principles, provides social workers with a tool to understand and respond to the complexity of the experience of oppression.
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Further reading
Barn, R. (1993) Black Children in the Public Care System (London, Batsford). A research study which highlights the significance of race and racism on decisions made by social workers and on the care careers of black children.
Campion, M. J. (1995) Who’s Fit To Be a Parent? (London, Routledge). This book, cutting across numerous professional boundaries and personal expertise on parenting, investigates what is deemed as fit parenting and how it is to be assessed.
Hugman, R. and Smith, D. (1995) Ethical Issues in Social Work (London, Routledge). A critical analysis of the ethical implications of recent legislation, trends in social work thought and policy such as user empowerment, feminism and anti-oppressive practice.
Humphries, B. (ed.) (1996) Critical Perspectives on Empowerment (Birmingham, Venture). Interrogates the concept of empowerment and raises questions about the political context in which debates about empowerment take place.
Walker, A. (1983) The Color Purple (London, Women’s Press). A first-person account of domination and abuse, it is also a story of recovery and the love and support that women can offer to each other.
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© 1998 Beverley Burke and Philomena Harrison
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Burke, B., Harrison, P. (1998). Anti-oppressive practice. In: Adams, R., Dominelli, L., Payne, M., Campling, J. (eds) Social Work. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-14400-6_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-14400-6_19
Publisher Name: Palgrave, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-333-68818-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-14400-6
eBook Packages: Palgrave Social & Cultural Studies CollectionSocial Sciences (R0)