Introduction
Social work (SW) requires substantial theoretical competence from professionals in the field. Shelley Rempel’s Advocacy in Practice is a valuable source of knowledge for specialists who frequently communicate with people. The book concentrates on using anti-oppressive theory and practice (AOTP) in advocacy within the SW context, as the author views anti-oppressive advocacy as an obligation of all experts in human service (Shelley, 2017). Although the text covers many matters, such as general history and personal stories, a piece of reading material chosen for the current review is Chapter 7. The selected portion of Rempel’s work is titled “Challenges, Trends, and Going Forward” and can be found on pages 151-169. My career is in the SW domain, and I am a supervisor in family services. Therefore, the choice of the reading was motivated by a desire to explore insights for my practice’s future course. In addition, I hoped to learn more about potential changes in advocacy because of its significance in providing service to distinct communities. Chapter 7 of Advocacy in Practice is a useful resource for SW specialists because to offers information on prospective trends for experts working with people.
Summary and Overview
Chapter 7 of the book covers the potential shifts in AOTP, which SW professionals may find useful. The author proposes three courses for the future: the effects of environmental degradation, the advantages and drawbacks of utilizing modern technology, and service users becoming more politicized and knowledgeable (Rempel, 2017). For instance, concerning the latter trend, the writer explains how individuals who need help strive to overcome oppression by finding information to educate themselves on being politically active (Rempel, 2017). Furthermore, the chapter depicts several traits necessary for specialists working with people (Rempel, 2017). For example, one such quality is pragmatism, which refers to the ability to balance options while estimating resources (Rempel, 2017). Consequently, the notable strengths of the reading are that the author thoroughly discusses conceivable changes that service practitioners should consider and presents many illustrative instances. Nonetheless, the only weaknesses of the text are a couple of misspellings and a lack of details on how specialists may improve their skills in advocacy (Rempel, 2017). Chapter 7 presents a satisfactory explanation of the future course of professions that provide assistance to and protect people.
Insights
The reviewed portion of Advocacy in Practice can modify how service practitioners view their jobs. The insights obtained are that resistance to a specialist’s advice is a way of coping with life difficulties and that courage is regarded among the traits needed by professionals who interact with people (Rempel, 2017). I used to believe that opposition to expert guidance may be due to prior negative experiences, but I have not thought of it as a coping mechanism. I have never considered the importance of courage for specialists who advocate for others in front of authorities (Rempel, 2017). Moreover, I found it interesting that the author uses Paulo Freire’s writings to explain the nature of relationships in the context of providing human service (Rempel, 2017). What both challenged and resonated with me was the realization that modern technology has drawbacks for underprivileged individuals (Rempel, 2017). Although I have worked with families who could not afford new gadgets, and we have identified ways to communicate effectively, I did not think of the troubles they may have faced. Therefore, the examined reading was quite insightful for my perception of work.
Furthermore, Chapter 7 answered my questions regarding the future of advocacy for specialists who guide people, and the reading raised some new queries. In particular, I learned about the potential trends regarding the impact of the changing environment, advanced technology, and the knowledge of service users (Rempel, 2017). Nonetheless, as the reviewed portion of the book also discusses skills required for practitioners, questions arose about how I can develop such skills as courage and pragmatism (Rempel, 2017). I have only now considered the role of the former quality and need to reflect more on whether I am fearless enough when families I work with seek protection from someone in power. Accordingly, since the book does not elaborate on ways to enhance one’s courage, I plan to do further research. In addition, the reading suggests that pragmatic advocates think “within the possible” (Rempel, 2017, p. 161). However, I tend to have rather high hopes for most of my cases, so I may need to learn to stop embellishing my expectations. Overall, Chapter 7 answered my initial questions, but I am now looking for ways to advance my skills.
Personal Reflection
While reading Chapter 7, I made several connections to my professional and educational backgrounds. First, I was reminded of the significance of critical thinking and reflexivity, which are the qualities covered in previous classes I had taken (Rempel, 2017). For instance, despite pondering on o my “client-worker interactions,” I often lack time to carefully assess my relations with others (Rempel, 2017, p. 162). Second, both in my work and discussions with colleagues, we have witnessed the trend of service users becoming more knowledgeable (Rempel, 2017). For example, many persons come to meetings with some theoretical background on different matters and intentions to take a specific approach to resolve a problem. However, I have noticed that such individuals rely on information from the Internet and are frequently misinformed, which is a potential drawback mentioned in the inspected chapter (Rempel, 2017). Third, in my SW practice, I often interact with families affected by the trend of environmental degradation, and the reading helped me understand better the complexity of the issue (Rempel, 2017). The reviewed text offered several informative connections to my prior experiences.
Chapter 7 provides lessons that can be integrated into practice within the SW context. First, as mentioned above, I plan to do additional research on enhancing my courage and pragmatism. Second, I intend to spend a little time but on a daily basis to be deliberately reflexive to continuously analyze my work and personal position (Rempel, 2017). For instance, the book’s author suggests looking for opportunities for social change (Rempel, 2017). Consequently, I hope to arrange a period in my schedule to purposely determine factors that can modify problems typically encountered by families in my practice (Rempel, 2017). Third, I will write a list of sources of information on different topics that my service users may consult if they strive to become more knowledgeable on specific or controversial matters. Such an inventory may prevent people from being misguided by unreliable Internet resources on subjects that individuals may wish to learn more about outside our sessions. I will incorporate what I have discovered into my practice by specifying ways to advance my skills, spending time to be intentionally reflexive, and assisting service users in locating trustworthy information to educate themselves further.
Suggestions and Recommendations
Upon reviewing Chapter 7 of Advocacy in Practice, it appears that the text is valuable for professionals who interact with different communities. The reading can be recommended to students and practitioners in advocating for others, including experts in SW, to enhance their comprehension of how challenges faced by diverse individuals are developing (Rempel, 2017). For example, the chapter can offer information for specialists who are only starting to consider the effects of the changing environment on vulnerable populations or are surprised or skeptical of service users’ knowledge (Rempel, 2017). The inspected part of the book can be practical for professionals who wish to enhance their interactions with people due to discussing helpful skills to be better at advocating and building deeper relationships (Rempel, 2017). The only suggestion that can be made for the author or the publisher is to examine the text for minor spelling mistakes, like “more knowledgeable and politicized than everY before” (Rempel, 2017, p. 156). Overall, the assessed reading can be recommended for students and experts who work with persons from diverse communities.
Conclusion
To summarize, Chapter 7 of Advocacy in Practice presents useful information for specialists in SW considering potential trends in the field of assisting people. Although the book concentrates on advocacy and AOTP in general, human service providers, including SW experts, can gain many insights regarding interactions with service users. Despite some minor insufficiencies, the author thoroughly explains the future of the occupation of protecting individuals who are becoming more knowledgeable but are likely to be affected by environmental and technological changes.
Reference
Rempel, S. (2017). Advocacy in practice: Creating a culture of social change in the human services. Oxford University Press.