ABSTRACT

Following from the overview of postmodern feminism in the previous chapter, this chapter explores the connections between postmodern feminism and the objectives of critical social work. It is clear that feminism grounds itself in a political struggle which aims at changing gender relations (Flax, 1990b). It is also clear that progressive social work shares a great deal of the political intentions of feminism (Sands and Nuccio, 1992) in that it requires emancipatory practices in its involvement with oppressed and marginalised people. However, in view of the criticism of postmodernism’s failure to specify political grounds for action (Wapner, 1989), this chapter will examine postmodern feminism as a crisis for social work that has created important political openings. The work of the contributors of this book elaborates how those openings can be taken up in social work theory, practice and research.