Pathways to Power: Readings in Contextual Social Work Practice

These readings offer critical perspectives and practice applications to define and illustrate an empowerment method of social work. The organizing theme, pathways to power, focuses on how people acquire and maintain power. This book goes beyond traditional practice perspectives to include methods that emphasize social justice, environmental contexts, strengths, and collaborative partnerships with clients and others. This book covers key theoretical perspectives, including contextual social work, social justice, multicultural competence, and social constructionism. Practice methods exemplifying empowerment social work feature policy practice, community action research, self-directed group work, grassroots community change, organizational redevelopment, community collaboration, and strengths-based approaches. For undergraduate and graduate social work students.