Critical Perspectives

Critical Perspectives in Social Work

Over the past decade, there has emerged a growing body of work on critical perspectives in, rather than on, social work practice (Allan et al., 2009; Fook, 2002; Fook & Gardner, 2007; Healy, 2000, 2009; Jones et al., 2008;). While, it is argued, the profession has a long tradition of critical writing about social work practice, what is distinctive and interesting about this emerging body of critical social work is its constructive focus. These are forms of critical social work writing seeking to articulate how social workers can use, and build, critical practice in the diverse contexts of social work. Of particular interest is the growing body of writing showing how to practise critically in contexts of [Page 192]practice more accurately characterised as largely or primarily sites of social control (H. Ferguson, 2008; Healy, 1998, 2000; O'Gara, 2008), particularly sites of statutory social work practice, such as child protection, mental health, and correctional services. This recent body of critical social work writing has emerged against a backdrop of the deepening challenges posed by neoliberalism and new public management on many of the institutional contexts of social work practice (Healy, 2009; McDonald, 2006).

What is Critical Social Work?

Critical social workers are committed to achieving social justice through social work practice. In some ways, this commitment is unremarkable in so far as social justice is recognised as a core value of social work practice by the International Federation of Social Workers and also in the ethical codes of many professional social workers' associations throughout the world (Banks, 2006). What is distinctive to critical social work are the practice principles through which the profession's commitment to social justice is realised. As Healy (2000) defined it, critical social workers emphasise the following.

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