Summary: This article provides an analysis of the current ideological and political context through which the nature and identity of social work are being constructed. The analysis briefly traces the development of social policy during the Conservative administrations in the UK between 1979 and 1997: and then a more detailed analysis is undertaken of the period since 1997 under the New Labour government of Tony Blair.
Findings: Social work has, under the New Labour government (1997-), become part of an incorporative agenda whereby the function of social work is predominantly to ensure that difficult and troublesome individuals are made to accept prevailing social norms, rather than inclusive in a way that permits a radical practice to better serve the recipients of social work services.
Applications: This article suggests a series of principles based upon the promotion of an emancipatory ideal that might help shape a worthwhile and productive future for social work.
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