Blaming-the-poor: strengths and development discourses which obfuscate neo-liberal and individualist ideologies.

Harms Smith, Linda

Abstract

Critical interrogation of social work texts reveals ideologies contributing to hegemonic 'taken-for-granted' knowledge that maintains oppressive power relations. In the South African context of ongoing inequality after the 1994 democratic transition, neo-liberal ideologies have structured and constrained social work knowledge and practice constitutive of social change. Similarly, conservative neo-liberal ideologies underpinning social work knowledge and discourse act performatively to shape practice and social realities. This article, based on a section of the author's PhD study, examines one of the thematic ideological trends found in post-1994 social work texts on poverty and social development, which reflect neo-liberal, individualist ideologies of 'blaming-the-poor' and personal culpability for poverty. A selection of three texts is discussed, illustrating processes and modes of operation of these ideologies in the various approaches proposed.

Citation

HARMS SMITH, L. 2017. Blaming-the-poor: strengths and development discourses which obfuscate neo-liberal and individualist ideologies. International social work [online], 60(2), pages 336-350. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872815594218

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 24, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Sep 24, 2015
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: Apr 25, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 25, 2017
• Journal: International social work
• Print ISSN: 0020-8728
• Electronic ISSN: 1461-7234
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 60
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 336-350
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872815594218
• Keywords: Blaming the poor; Development; Ideology; Individualist; Neoliberalism; Social work; Strengths perspectives
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/2286