Empowerment Practices
Published In
Encyclopedia of Social Work
Document Type
Citation
Publication Date
11-2021
Abstract
Empowerment practices are rooted in empowerment theory and fundamentally focus on power as a source of equity and inequity. Based on transformation ideology, empowerment is a counter to perceived and objective powerlessness. Amelioration of client problems contain both personal and structural dimensions and are accomplished through multilevel interventions. In this approach to practice, the professional is not the central power figure who assesses, designs, implements, and intervenes on behalf of the client. Rather, historically marginalized people, families, and communities are considered experts in their experience of problems. Empowerment practices are rooted in an understanding of power (personal, social, and structural), consciousness transformation, interactive systems, importance of relationships, and the long history of societal dehumanization of marginalized communities. In this model, social work research is characterized as a form of practice that is influenced by larger social inequities and can be used to reproduce inequity or create partnerships for change with marginalized communities.
Rights
Copyright © Oxford University Press 2021.
Locate the Document
DOI
10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.128
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/36784
Citation Details
Ortega, D. M., & Rodriguez-JenKins, J. (2021). Empowerment practice. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Encyclopedia of Social Work. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.128