“Social workers should advocate for living conditions conducive to the fulfillment of basic human needs and should promote social, economic, political, and cultural values and institutions that are compatible with the realization of social justice.” 

From the NASW Code of Ethics.

ADVOCACY PRACTICE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

Richard Hoefer, University of Texas, Arlington

Social justice is one of the six core values of the social work profession set out in the NASW Code of Ethics.  Professor Hoefer argues that advocacy is a key tool in achieving social justice, and this text offers a concise plan to help social workers integrate advocating into a generalist practice.

Advocacy Practice for Social Justice argues that social workers have an obligation not only to participate in advocacy, but also to empower others to do so. Throughout the text, anecdotes and case studies act as examples of the ethical imperatives for advocacy and advocating in social work. These motivations, combined with Professor Hoefer's structured approach to advocacy, will lead to more successful advocating and, in turn, increased social justice.

Professor Hoefer shows that the process of advocating is composed of the same basic steps familiar to social workers in generalist practice.  In both cases, these steps form a process that begins with establishing a relationship with the client, continues with the creation and implementation of a plan of action, and ends with short and long-term evaluation.  The author's clear step-by-step design acts as a blueprint for advocacy capacity building.

Features

• Each chapter includes tips and techniques for better decision making, always with regard to increasing social justice.  These techniques can be used in group role play or for individual reflection and critical thinking.
• The author introduces an Advocacy Map, a tool for planning and evaluation of advocacy practices.
• An entire chapter is devoted to questions of negotiation and persuasion, key skills in advocacy that rely on understanding the issue as well as the target of the advocacy.
• Tools and techniques for advocating drawn from other social science fields, including political science, psychology, sociology, and business.
• Brief history of advocacy in social work contextualizes contemporary practices.

Contents

Preface

References

Index

About the Author

Richard Hoefer is associate professor at the University of Texas at Arlington.  Professor Hoefer's educational background combines the disciplines of social work and political science, with masters degrees in both areas and a joint Ph.D. in the two subjects from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. His areas of research include Swedish and American social policy, curriculum issues concerning management of nonprofit organizations and the role of interest groups in policy making, He is an active program evaluator and has published in that area as well. Professor Hoefer also acts as director of the School of Social Work’s Legislative Internship Program, and he has served as President of the Texas National Association of Social Workers' political action committee, TPACE.

2005, Paper, 150 Pages, ISBN 978-0-925065-93-3, Price $32.95