Empowerment through Advocacy and Consciousness-Raising: Implications of a Structural Approach to Social Work

Authors

Maurice J. Moreau, Universite de Montreal

Abstract

Empowerment of oppressed clients requires of social workers to act as advocates and to assist clients in changing the dynamics which contribute to self-oppression or the oppression of others. The paper explores a five-stage process wherein oppressed individuals contribute to the social order that devalues them and, in the process, also participate in the oppression of others. The practice implications of a structural approach to social work committed to client empowerment in each of these stages are described.

Recommended Citation

Moreau, Maurice J. (1990) "Empowerment through Advocacy and Consciousness-Raising: Implications of a Structural Approach to Social Work," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 17: Iss. 2, Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.1939
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol17/iss2/6