ABSTRACT
Over the past three decades, a growing discussion on factors that either impede or promote social workers’ involvement in policy-focused activities has emerged (Abramovitz, 1998; Ezell, 1991, 1993; Hoefer, 2013; Jacobson, 2001; Rocha, Poe, & Thomas, 2010). However, only a small number of studies sought to empirically examine those factors. Moreover, most of these focused on factors associated with social workers’ political participation, which include partisan political activities, voting in elections, or volunteer work for a political party or a candidate for political office, all of which take place outside the social workers’ work settings (Ezell, 1993; Hamilton & Fauri, 2001; Hartnett, Harding, & Scanlon, 2005; Ritter, 2007, 2008). These activities are clearly substantial and are potentially indicative of social workers’ commitment to policy involvement. However, they can be best construed as facets of civic involvement and do not necessarily relate directly to social workers’ professional activities. Indeed a very limited number of studies have attempted to better understand the engagement of social workers in, what Ezell (1994) termed, job-related advocacy. These policy-focused activities are an integral part of social workers’ professional endeavors (i.e., they are undertaken in the context of the social worker’s workplace). Activities include advising or lobbying policymakers with regard to policy issues related to the agency domain or to client groups, teaching clients advocacy skills, analyzing a policy or social problem on the organizational, local, or government levels, or giving testimony in legislative committees.
