Empowerment: A Social Worker in Environment Perspective
by Allan E. Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD
As social work educator and pioneer Dr. Elaine Pinderhughes states in her 1983 article, “Empowerment for Our Clients and for Ourselves,” power denotes one’s capacity “to influence the forces which affect one’s life space for one’s own benefit” (p. 332). Each individual possesses various degrees of power in relation with others. Interpersonal power stems from factors such as access to knowledge, money, resources, communication skills, affiliations, physical strength, moral standing, and other personal qualities. As social workers entrusted with the primary ethical responsibility of serving our clients (NASW, 2021, s.1), we are trained to empower clients by fostering conditions that enhance their sense of control over their lives and decisions affecting them.
While our professional focus often lies in empowering others, this year’s NASW Social Work Month theme, “Empowering Social Workers,” serves as a timely reminder of the importance of self-empowerment. Just as we facilitate empowerment for clients by recognizing the possible sources of power in their social and physical environments, we can also empower ourselves by acknowledging the sources of power in our own environments. Consider the ecomap below.
In your own situation, consider how various systems in your environment may be empowering you to do the work you aspire to do and to live the life you wish to live. To what extent is your practice setting providing you with supportive policies; conducive working conditions; fair compensation; and access to the continuing education, technology, and supervision that you may need to flourish? If you want to diversify into new areas of practice, to what extent do your supervisors and professional associations provide you with guidance and support that you need to develop your competencies and repertoire of intervention strategies? If you are experiencing work-related stress, to what extent are your family, friends, medical professionals, and recreational systems providing you with outlets to manage stress and maintain your psychosocial well-being? Further, as you empower clients to address their concerns and pursue their goals, are you also feeling empowered by the meaningful connections and service that you are providing?
As we embrace the ethos of empowerment for our clients and ourselves, we are reminded to recognize and access various forms of support, cultivating our professional and personal environments to ensure that they are conducive to our autonomy, growth, and psychosocial well-being. As we empower ourselves, we are also enhancing our ability to empower the individuals, families, groups, and communities that we serve.
References
National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (2021). Code of ethics. https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Pinderhughes, E. B. (1983). Empowerment for our clients and for ourselves. Social Casework, 64(6), 331-338. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/104438948306400602
Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD, is Professor of Social Work at Florida Atlantic University and author of Social Work Values and Ethics (Oxford University Press).
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of any of the organizations to which the author is affiliated, or the views of The New Social Worker magazine or White Hat Communications.