ABSTRACT

This chapter concentrates on social work actions related to the concepts of politics and policy. These concepts, however, are far from self-evident. It uses the concept of political action regardless of what concept has been used in the original texts. The chapter deals with the commitments and challenges linked to the teaching of political issues in social work education. It considers the contents of the education and some of the teaching methods proposed. The chapter summarizes key issues and focuses on the texts from the point of view of the Finnish social work tradition. The relationship between social work and action for social reforms has often been described as ambivalent. In relation to social work education, the loyalty contradictions have been highlighted. In social work education that aims at political activity, there is a need for many kinds of subject contents. All political practice framed by awareness of the ethical commitments of social work.