ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some of the models used in social work to conceptualize and address macro-oriented issues that affect clients. It offers social workers a framework on which to base macro practice, which is a vital part of the discipline’s charge. The chapter examines prominent theories that focus on the macro-level forces of race, discrimination, and oppression. Many social workers are interested primarily in working with individuals, but as this situation brings to light, many individual problems are the result of, or are aggravated by, larger social problems such as institutional racism and political, financial, and geographical disenfranchisement. In general, cases of institutional, cultural, and environmental racism present greater challenges for social work intervention than individual acts because transforming an entire system is more difficult than modifying individual behavior. The basic premise of social justice is that all humans have a right to live fulfilling lives, which requires access to appropriate resources, decision-making opportunities, and freedom from fear of persecution.
