Doing Radical Social Work by Colin Turbett

Author:Colin Turbett [Turbett, Colin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Social Work, Political Science, Public Policy, Social Services & Welfare, Human Services
ISBN: 9781137308542
Google: a0EdBQAAQBAJ
Publisher: Macmillan International Higher Education
Published: 2014-01-27T05:21:52+00:00

The Australian author Raewyn Connell (2005) is acknowledged internationally for work on ‘masculinity’ and its causes and consequences, contending that neoliberalism with its emphasis on entrepreneurialism and individualism (traditional masculine qualities) has no interest in social justice and equal opportunity, and so pushes back the position of women. The new masculinity, Connell adds, that is associated with business success, can do without older ‘bourgeois’ patriarchal associations such as religious commitment, marital loyalty and personal probity. It has also accentuated the role of competitive sport and reconfirmed a commitment to military confrontation as a way to resolve conflict with states that threaten economic interests (such as the ‘war on terror’, and the Iraq conflicts) (ibid.). It should not surprise us that men who are denied any pride in themselves according to conventional societal values will sometimes retreat into violent patterns within the only areas of their lives in which control might still be available – the home and family.

‘Father-inclusive practice’ (H. Ferguson 2011: 163) is helpful in all families where men have a presence. Models, however, are hard to find. In Scotland, a government-sponsored programme (the Caledonian System) is being rolled out to help men who have been convicted of domestic violence crimes address their behaviour through a two-year programme ordered by a Court (Scottish Government 2011b). This has to be an improvement on traditional punitive models of dealing with crimes of violence in the home. Whilst it is not immediately preventive, it does have the potential, in extreme cases, to stop male violence being passed down between generations from father to son. The Caledonian system involves three dimensions: direct work on a cognitive behavioural basis with convicted male abusers, work with the women who are direct victims of their violence and work with the children affected. There is no reason why earlier interventions involving direct work with males along similar lines cannot take place less formally, and this would be both creative and progressive. There is evidence that suggests that, when robustly followed, such programmes can have a transforming effect on men: ‘The (groupwork) skill lies in challenging directly and facilitating meaningful discussion, so as to draw men into confronting one another’s denial, minimisation and projection (blaming others)’ (Mullender 2002: 70).

Social work with families that focuses only on the mother and children reinforces societal views on gender roles and avoids important issues that can help poor families cope better with adversity. Radical practitioners should always ensure that men are receiving adequate attention and, wherever possible, are seen as agents of change included in children’s individual plans. There will be exceptions involving especially high-risk behaviours such as paedophilic tendencies.

It remains a fact that, in advanced capitalist countries, mostly male-perpetrated domestic violence continues to blight the lives of large numbers of women and children. Notwithstanding the remarks made about challenging male responsibility referred to earlier, there is evidence that, at a very basic level, women victims feel that they are unsafe and unbelieved (Mullender 2002). A basic principle of good practice is

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.