Advanced marginality and stigma

This chapter explores the social and psychological impacts on poverty and inequality through the concepts of ‘advanced marginality’ and ‘stigma’. The analysis of social stigma is influenced by Loïc Wacquant's argument that the ‘underclass’ discourse corrodes not only social ties, but also the sense of self-worth of people living in the poorest areas and communities. The majority of social work takes place in these communities, where high rates of poverty, poor housing, high rates of crime and problems such as substance misuse are common. The chapter first considers the term ‘underclass’ before discussing the notion and implications of the term ‘advanced marginality’. It then examines E. Goffman's notion of stigma, Wacquant's arguments regarding ‘territorial stigmatisation’, and the impact of stigma and its links with modern representations of poverty. Finally, it describes the dynamics of anti-welfarism and uses the case of Mick Philpott to illustrate the ‘benefits brood’ stereotype.

Class, poverty and inequality

This chapter examines debates about the nature of class and inequality in the UK, along with their continuing importance to social work as a profession. It first considers the various discourses that explain poverty in relation to the nature of social work, noting that social work as a profession is committed to social justice but that in the debates exploring social work's theoretical focus on broader identity politics in the 1980s and 1990s, the issue of class was obscured or marginalised. The chapter proceeds by discussing how progressive parties have developed a whole new language of social exclusion to avoid addressing class, poverty and inequality as issues of social justice. It also looks at P. Bourdieu's 2010 analysis of class as well as recent trends and approaches to the study of poverty and inequality before concluding with an overview of the link between social work and poverty.

Poverty, inequality and contemporary social work

This chapter examines contemporary social work practice in an era when poverty and inequality have become more deeply entrenched. It first considers the broader current position of social work as it relates to poverty and inequality, which are fundamental issues of social justice and human rights, before discussing R. Lister's taxonomy of the potential ways in which individuals and families respond to living in poverty: ‘getting by’, ‘getting (back) at’, ‘getting out’ and ‘getting organised’. This taxonomy of agency can also be used as the basis for the positioning of anti-poverty social work. The chapter also explores social work approaches to issues of poverty and inequality, as well as the areas of children and families' social work, mental health practice and work with asylum-seekers and refugees as a means of analysing the complex relationship between poverty, social work and social justice.

Social work in the era of neoliberalism and austerity

This chapter examines the development of neoliberal ideas in a context of austerity. It begins with an overview of the key features of neoliberalism, focusing on two key beliefs at the heart of neoliberal ideas: the supremacy of the market (as the most effective means established for the distribution of resources) and a belief in liberty (freedom from state or other interference) as the supreme social and political value. It then considers F. Hayek's influence on the modern development of neoliberal thought, the nature and role of the state in neoliberalism, and the rhetoric of meritocracy. It also explores the austerity measures introduced by the UK coalition government from 2010 and how they reconstructed and re-engineered the country's welfare state. Finally, it analyses social work's place in this new era of neoliberalism and austerity.

Introduction

This book examines the impact of neoliberalism and austerity politics on the role of social work, and welfare provision more generally, in the UK. It considers the social, political and cultural contexts within which social work has developed as a profession and revisits debates about the nature of class and inequality in the country, arguing that the profession is committed to social justice but also the majority of social work takes place with marginalised groups. Drawing on the work of Imogen Tyler and other contemporary critical theorists, the book also analyses the nature of ‘advanced marginality’ and ‘stigma’ and how neoliberalism has created economic conditions which give rise to spatially concentrated areas of poverty and disadvantage. Finally, it discusses the welfare and penal systems during the period of neoliberalism and proposes a new or revised model of a social state based on notions of equality, mutuality and reciprocity.

Conclusion

This concluding chapter summarises the book's key themes and offers a number of suggestions about how social work can reassert its core mission and commitment to social justice. It begins with the argument that neoliberalism has to be understood as a political and economic project, noting how neoliberals' anti-statism is most apparent in attitudes to the welfare state — or, more precisely, payments made to those who are out of work. It then considers the cumulative effect of the government's austerity policies, the ideological attack on the whole basis of the social contract and the post-war welfare settlement, and the increase in the so-called ‘marketisation’ of the state. It also explains how neoliberal policies followed by a period of austerity has exacerbated inequality and ends by analysing the poverty paradox of social work.

Reimagining a social state

This chapter considers a new or revised model of a social state based on notions of equality, mutuality and reciprocity. It looks at ethical and philosophical approaches that can be used to develop an alternative model of welfare, citizenship and social provision, with the goal of finding an opportunity for social work and social workers to challenge the orthodoxy of a focus on risk management. To this end, the chapter draws on the work of Emmanuel Levinas to examine the notions of the duties we, as humans, owe each other. It first provides an overview of the politics of discourses of human rights and dignity before discussing the notion of ‘Othering’, Martha Fineman's concept of the vulnerable subject, the Capabilities Approach (CA), and Marian Barnes' ethic of care.

Welfare, punishment and neoliberalism

This chapter examines the broader impact of neoliberalism on welfare and penal policy, arguing that there has been an ideological and culture shift, which can be summarised as follows: the War on Poverty to a War on the Poor. It first considers three types of welfare states — liberal welfare states, conservative/corporatist welfare states, and social democratic welfare states — and the neoliberal argument against welfare systems before discussing the government's policy of welfare retrenchment known as austerity. It also analyses the rise of the penal state, the trend called ‘governing through crime’, some of the inherent contradictions within the penal state, issues surrounding penal policy, and prison conditions as a key area of concern for social work as a profession.