Primary Objective of Social Work: Social Justice - From Rhetoric to Practice Through Empowerment

Abstract

This article discusses the relationship between social justice and social work in a theoretical framework which is structured in the basis of the empowerment approach. It is emphasized that as an academic discipline and also a profession, the primary objective of social work is to ensure social justice. Throughout its development process from beginning to this time, connectedness of social work with social justice is analyzed through critical thinking. In every practice setting, both psychosocial improvement and development focus on the micro level and social change and policy practice focus on the macro level, social work requires a paradigm change to ensure the objective of social justice. To satisfy this requirement, both in an individual’s subjective life, and in the process of meeting the needs of large part of a society, the paradigm of empowerment mainly focuses on solutions rather than problems and sees people as actors in their own lives and solutions. Consequently, it is emphasized that, in various practice settings, from individual, group and family level to societal and policy practice level, professional practices which are structured in the basis of empowerment approach will directly serve the objective of social justice.

Keywords

• social work

Sosyal Hizmetin Temel Hedefi: Sosyal Adalet Güçlendirmeyle Retorikten Pratiğe

Abstract

Güçlendirme yaklaşımı temelinde yapılandı­rılan bu makalede, sosyal adalet ve sosyal hizmet arasındaki ilişki teorik çerçevede tartışılmaktadır. Bir disiplin ve meslek olan sosyal hizmetin nihai hedefinin sosyal adale­tin sağlanması olduğu görüşü vurgulanmak­tadır. Başlangıcından günümüze uzanan gelişme sürecinde sosyal hizmetin sosyal adaletle bağlantısı eleştirel bir bakışla tahlil edilmektedir. Mikro düzeyde psikososyal iyileştirme-geliştirme odaklı, makro düzeyde sosyal değişme ve politika odaklı her uygu­lama ortamında sosyal adalet nihai hedefine ulaşmada sosyal hizmetin ihtiyacı paradigma değişikliğidir. Bu ihtiyaca yanıt üreten, hem tekil olarak bireyin öznel yaşamında, hem de büyük ölçekte toplumun geniş kesimlerinin gereksinimlerini karşılamada, sorundan çok çözüme odaklanan ve sorunun sahiplerini çözümün baş aktörleri olarak gören para­digma güçlendirmedir. Dolayısıyla, profes­yonel uygulamaların birey, grup, aile düze­yinden toplum ve politika düzeyine değin çeşitlilik arz eden uygulama ortamlarında, güçlendirme yaklaşımı temelinde yapılandı­rılmasıyla sosyal adalet hedefine doğrudan hizmet edileceği görüşü savunulmaktadır.

Keywords

• sosyal hizmet

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