A Poverty Informed Social Work Practice Framework
Keywords:
Poverty, Critical theory, Feminism, Intersectionality, Compassion, Human RightsAbstract
This article outlines a framework for poverty informed social work practice which was developed out of doctoral research about poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand. The framework is based on critical and feminist theory which informed the research process, and data drawn from 28 interviews with people who identified as living in poverty. The article begins with a brief review of relevant literature related to social work with people living in poverty, followed by discussion of critical theory and feminism. Semi-structured interviews were carried out using a feminist qualitative approach and an applied thematic approach was used to analyse the interview transcripts. From the interview data, and the theoretical underpinnings of the study, a poverty informed framework for social work was developed. There are six components to the framework: compassion, material support, advocacy, critical reflection, intersectionality and consciousness raising. The framework is practical and conceptual, a tool for social workers and educators to use when working in solidarity, or teaching about, working in solidarity with people experiencing poverty.
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