Feminist Approaches to Social Work Essay -- Gender Roles, Sexism, Oppr

This work is going to set out to investigate the relevance of feminist approaches to social work in right aways society. It go away first look at the different types of feminism that are show up in society. It will then trace and highlight the issue of feminism in society. This essay will then delve deeper into the different types of approaches that were taken on by feminists within the field of social work. It will talk of what effect these approaches had on society especially women. According to Hooks (2000) as cited in Considine and Dukelow (2009141) Feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression. It is prerequisite to explain the different types of feminism that are present in society first. Freedman (20015) states that there are umpteen different strands of feminism present in society, but the three most commonly recognised are liberal feminism, Marxist feminism and radical feminism, her exposition of these are as follows. Liberal feminism is based on the idea that everyone within a state should have the same rights and women should be treated equally to men. Marxist feminism is based on the belief that womens maltreatment is linked back to capitalism. Radical feminists believe that mens authority over women has a connection with patriarchy. The above explanation has been a brief introduction to the different types of feminism present in society. At a later stage within in this work, it will be examined what effect feminism has had on social work and society as a whole. Now that the meaning of feminism has been ascertained and the different types of feminism present in society today highlighted it is necessary to examine the emergence of feminism. Considine and Dukelow (2009141) argue that f... ...uding marriage, employment and social work agencies, to give up power (ibid 257). It quite manifest that unless there is a reduction in the power that men still hold over women in society today that feminist theory will not be accepted and recognised. Millet (1971) as cited in Slattery (2003157) states Patriarchys chief institution is the family. For many decades the Catholic Church in Ireland held a plastered reign over people in society. Both men and women conformed to what they preached. Women in society were denied their rights by the establishment of reformatories and institutions by the Catholic Church. When a woman throw pregnant and was not married she would be sent to one of these institutions. Society was only informed recently of the terrible ordeals that these women had to succumb to through the publication of many reports that were carried out.