2014

Siisiäinen, Martti

This chapter explores the development and the meaning of empowerment and presents the radical values of the concept that deals with the issue of power. The reason for concern with power is complex, but the chapter is based on mainstream contextual understanding that the primary role of social work is to assist people in their relationships with each other in order to promote human rights and social justice. It presents how empowerment that is characterized by two interdependent and interactive dynamics can contribute to a change, especially in terms of considering whose knowledge is valuable. Promoting empowerment means believing that people are capable of making their own choices and decisions and those human beings possess the strength and potential to resolve their own life situations and is willing to contribute to society. Empowerment is a basic social work concept that was introduced with the development of social work theories and redefined in the 1990s with postmodern theories in social work.