Poverty, Inequality and Social Work: The Impact of Neo-Liberalism and Austerity Politics on Welfare Provision

This book offers a critical and sociological analysis of the domino effect that neoliberalism and austerity politics can have on the roles of social work and societal welfare provision. Cummins argues that social work should move away from the resultant emphasis on risk management and bureaucracy and return to a focus on relational and community approaches as the cornerstone of practice. Applying theoretical frameworks to practice, including those of Bourdieu and the recent work of Wacquant, Poverty, Inequality and Social Work examines the development of neoliberal ideas and their impact on social welfare. It explores the implications of this across a range of areas of social work practice, including work with children and families, working with asylum seekers and refugees and mental health social work.