ABSTRACT
This chapter describes links between anarchist theory, organisation and practice and social work. It explores anarchist social work in relation to radical and critical social work, noting differences and similarities. Anarchism “seeks to create a society without government or State, a non-coercive, non-hierarchical world in which fully realized individuals associate freely with one another”. Anarchist social work has uncomfortable things to say about social work within its common post-war setting of welfare state capitalism. Anarchism seeks to achieve autonomy, freedom and equality as it is only through autonomy and choice that we can foster self-fulfilment. Anarchists accept both competitiveness and co-operation are aspects of human nature but that authoritarian systems of government have, for centuries, promoted the former. Anarchists have argued for a bottom-up, de-centralised, direct democracy with people working together in local communities and syndicalised workplaces, federated across wider areas.
