Radical Social Work and Social Action

RADICAL SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL ACTION

SOCIAL WORK SEMINAR PAPER

SUBMITTED BY

SANDEEP CHAURASIA
BASW FINAL YEAR STUDENT
ROLL NO. 07

AT

SCHOOL OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
TULJAPUR, OSMANABAD

RADICAL SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL ACTION

ABSTRACT “There are no rules for revolution any more than there are rules for love or rules for happiness, but there are rules for radicals who want to change their world”………… Saul D. Alinsky, 1971. Above statement has the key to change the existing Indian society. In India, different social movements are going on against the politics of neoliberalism. This paper examines the difference between radical social work and social movements. This paper also reflects upon the ongoing movements and also criticizes social work practice. Managerial perspective to social distress created as a result of neoliberal policies. The paper has also tries to reconcile social action and radical social work theory. As the writer is a student social worker, he tries to reflect upon his own experience of field work, theory and voluntary work.

Introduction:
Contemporary social work practice struggled with inability to tackle the social issues which are related with structure and power dynamics of society. Social work uses psychoanalytical theory (case work), group work and community work to settle the existing problems which are created either by state or by capitalist class. Anti capitalists’ movement, human rights movements showed the inability of social work methods and processes to affect existing system because in these movements radical/critical approach of social work practiced. It is not that social workers should be demoralized by inability of his/her profession but they should take some radical approach rather than only doing social action with only integrating marginalized sections, tribal and poor of the society. Because these social action failed due to insufficiency of resources and powers while protesting

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