The Emotional Politics of Social Work and Child Protection

For several decades, social work and child protection systems have been subject to accelerating cycles of crisis and reform, with each crisis involving intense media and political scrutiny. In understanding the nature and causes of this cycle, little attention has been paid to the importance of collective emotions.

Using a range of cases from the UK, and also considering cases from the Netherlands, the US and New Zealand, this book introduces the concept of emotional politics. It shows how collective emotions, such as anger, shame, fear and disgust, are central to constructions of risk and blame, and are generated and reflected by official documents, politicians and the media. The book considers strategies for challenging these 'emotional politics', including identifying models for a more politically engaged stance for the social work profession.

Author: Joanne Warner
Publisher: Policy Press
Published: 02/01/2015
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781447318439

About the Author
Joanne Warner is a senior lecturer in social work at the University of Kent, UK.