Social Workers Power

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Regarding social work and power, Arnon Bar-On maintains that ‘if social workers are to help their clients, then they must master the discourse of power and use it effectively’ (2002, 998), by this he means that social workers should be able to know and understand how to use the power they have without oppressing service users and people that they work with. In other words, service users should be left empowered because of this power. On the other hand, Steven Lukes outlines that there is a difficulty in describing what power is he goes on to say that what you think of it depends on whether you are a service user or a social worker. As a social worker, it can be a sign of choice, independence or legitimacy and for service users it can be faced …show more content…

Local authorities have the mandate to safeguard and promote the welfare of girls and women in their boroughs. I strongly believe that FGM is used as power and control over women. Over 140 000 women and girls have undergone this procedure here in the UK so now social workers must notify the police if they discover that such an act has been performed. This only relates when it has been disclosed by a child under 18 or the social worker has had visual confirmation. Failure to report this leads to disciplinary measures. Cultures that practice this argue that FGM guarantees purity before marriage, men enjoy sex with circumcised women and that uncircumcised women are unclean, whilst others not supporting this state that it has serious health and mental implication these vulnerable girls. There is a lot of pressure for parents to circumcise their girls because the role tradition plays in their lives. There is also the pressure to fit it. Parents feel that if they do not do this other people from their community will see them as not following culture and condemn them. Parents are even taking their children back to their home countries for examples countries like Ethiopia in order for the girls to be circumcised. The procedures are carried out mostly by the grandmother or someone older who is known in the community (HM Government,

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