Social work practice within an economic downturn: Understanding austerity through an anti-oppressive framework

Abstract

Human rights and social justice have been the traditional mission of social work. In 2008, social workers in Ireland began operating within the greatest period of economic recession since the 1930s. This recession poses a serious threat to the human rights of conventional social work clientele. Simultaneously, a dearth of articles has been published which address the topic. The present paper provides a focused commentary on the literature through the application of an anti-oppressive framework (AOF). The tripartite framework is constructed based upon demarcationist, incorporationist and egalitarian agendas, and was selected for its capacity to address the multifaceted nature of social oppression as identified within the literature. The paper begins with an overview of the impact of the recession on social work practice and its conventional clientele. It then provides a justification and explanation of the elected AOF. Each agenda within the framework is critically evaluated in terms of its broader expression both during and post recession. This evaluation is then used to inform a critical discussion on what lessons may be learned for social work policy and practice moving forward.