Lessons from Social Work’s History for a Tumultuous Era

Abstract

For more than a century, political-economic, demographic, and ideological forces have shaped US social work. Torn between social justice and status enhancement, the profession vacillated between advocating for social reform and seeking elite support. Ongoing contradictions between empowerment and expertise, social change and social control, and collaboration with and coercion of constituents reflect this tension. During the past 4 decades, neoliberalism, antiwelfare perspectives, and hyperpartisan politics transformed social work practice and its research and knowledge base. The 2016 election rocked the profession and produced significant changes for the people with whom we work and the nature of social work. New social movements, such as Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, and global action over climate change and gun violence have also posed new challenges. Social workers must now reexamine long-standing assumptions about practice and evidence; their relationship to power, place, and context; and their role in shaping the future of US society.