Advocacy in the Context of Community Practice

Abstract

Advocacy is the inclusion of marginalized groups in decision-making processes and the reorganization of power relations in order to increase the quality of life and to ensure social justice. Advocacy is an important component of working with the community. The advocacy role is functional in achieving the goals of working with the community, such as problem-solving, bringing about changes in the physical and social environment, building institutional capacity, ensuring cooperation, and regulating power relations. Advocacy activities gain importance in the context of working with the community when vulnerable groups experience difficulties in accessing services and resources, when their fundamental rights and freedoms are violated, and when gaps in legislation cause difficulties in practice. This study consists of three parts. In the first part, advocacy is examined in the context of working with the community, and the stages of advocacy, strategies, and online advocacy are included. In the second part, the issue of advocacy in social work education is discussed and the difficulties encountered in advocacy are given. In the last part of the study, the steps of advocacy are examined through the case of veterans who are not considered disabled. It is considered that the study will bring new perspectives to social workers and other professionals who take active responsibilities in advocacy activities.

Keywords

• Community practice
• advocacy
• social work

Toplumla Çalışma Bağlamında Savunuculuk

Öz

Savunuculuk, yaşam kalitesinin yükseltilmesi ve sosyal adaletin sağlanması için bireylerin karar alma süreçlerine dâhil edilmesini ve güç ilişkilerinin yeniden düzenlenmesini ifade etmektedir. Savunuculuk, toplumla çalışmanın önemli bir bileşeni konumundadır. Toplumla çalışmanın problem çözme, fiziksel ve sosyal çevrede değişimler meydana getirme, kurumsal kapasite geliştirme, iş birliğini sağlama ve güç ilişkilerini düzenleme gibi amaçlarına ulaşılmasında savunuculuk rolü işlevseldir. Kırılgan gruplar hizmet ve kaynaklara erişimde güçlükler yaşadığında, temel hak ve hürriyetleri ihlal edildiğinde, mevzuattaki boşluklar uygulamada güçlükler doğurduğunda toplumla çalışma bağlamında savunuculuk faaliyetleri önem kazanmaktadır. Bu çalışma üç bölümden oluşmaktadır. Çalışmanın ilk bölümünde savunuculuk, toplumla çalışma bağlamında incelenmekte, savunuculuğun aşamalarına, stratejilerine ve çevrim içi savunuculuğa yer verilmektedir. İkinci bölümde sosyal hizmet eğitiminde savunuculuk konusu işlenmekte ve savunuculukta karşılaşılan güçlüklere yer verilmektedir. Çalışmanın son bölümünde ise malul sayılmayan gaziler vakası üzerinden savunuculuğun aşamaları irdelenmektedir. Çalışmanın savunuculuk faaliyetlerinde etkin sorumluluklar üstlenen sosyal hizmet uzmanları ile diğer profesyonellere yeni bakış açıları kazandıracağı değerlendirilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Toplumla çalışma
• savunuculuk
• sosyal hizmet

Kaynakça

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