The lessons learned from the feminist social movement for the reflection on social work intervention

Abstract

This article inquires for the contributions of the feminist movement tothe processes of social work intervention from the experience of feministsocial workers, taking into account that feminism, as a social movement, isboth an object of study for the profession and a possible environment foracademic-politic action. The article also considers that collective actionsare subordinate organization processes intended to challenge the social,economic, political, and cultural structures of society, and evidence theirdemands and interests –in this case related to women–. Such processesbring about an ethical-political discourse that has been incorporated by andfor Social Work and thence must be analyzed to extend the profession’sperspectives and challenges of intervention and investigation.

Also, this document is the result of an essay in the form of a final paperfor an academic degree, developed in several stages: a conceptual approachto the notions of feminism as a new social movement, the historicalrecovery of the global and national feminist movement, the reconstructionof the historic connections between social work and the movement,the reflection about the central discussions that feminism provides forprofessional practice, the approach to feminism as a political-ethical choicefor professional intervention, and a final section of conclusions.