What is Radical Social Work?

Radical social work is an extension of politics into the field of social work. The theory of radical social work aims directly at the nature of inequality in our society. Radical social work can be used by a social worker at the policy level as well as the clinical level. Radical ideals can also be incorporated into the framework of management in the social work setting. At times radical social work is a critique of status-quo social structures that espouse authoritarian power dynamics; on the other hand, radical social work heavily leans toward what in all honesty can be best described loosely as 'socialism' as far as what has already been done in the field so far. Some prevalent themes that are explored through the radical perspective are: oppression, class, unjustifiable authority, hierarchy, and an equal socio-political representation in the field of all members of a given population. Most often a radical perspective pin-points the strengths of a client (be it an individual, a family, an organization) in accord with the eco-systems approach, and works in addition to typical interventions, breaking only with tradition when topics (or problems) have elements of directly with, or are possible to be seen through the lens of, socio-economic, political, struggle. At the heart of socialist ideals, which have been at the fore of radical social work practice, lies the strong commitment to revolutionary ideals. Some find it difficult to fathom revolution and fail to make the connection with social work as a profession. My belief is that these folks (often practitioners in the field) do not realize the rich history of the radical perspective and furthermore see the application of radical frameworks to be outside of the field of social work, which historically they have not. Although there are contemporary instances where radical questions have been somewhat buried in the last ten or so years, many positive alternatives are re-surfacing again. The radical perspective is rich in theory, adds wonderful skills to a social worker’s cannon of knowledge, and maintains a strong commitment to social justice in real terms. Radical social work addresses the challenges of society from below.