About the book
‘Empowerment’ is a term in widespread use today and one that is often considered to be a self-evident good. Here, McLaughlin explores its emergence in the 1960s through to its rise in the 1990s and ubiquity in present day discourse and interrogates its social status, paying particular attention to social policy, social work and health and social care discourse. He argues that a focus on empowerment has superseded the notion of political subjects exercising power autonomously.
This innovative volume:
- Discusses the relationship between concepts of empowerment and power, as they have been understood historically.
- Analyses changes in the conception and meaning of empowerment in relation to the shifting social and political landscape.
- Acknowledges the positive impact empowerment strategies have had on those who have campaigned to be empowered and also on those who have saw their role as being to help empower others.
- Highlights ways in which talk about empowerment can actually work in such a way as to further disempower those already marginalised.
Critically examining how ‘empowerment’ has become embedded in contemporary social and political life, this work offers a discussion of the term’s multiple meanings, what it actually entails, and how it constructs and positions those being empowered and those empowering.
Editions of Empowerment
- EBook
- ISBN 9781317591801
- PDF
- ISBN 9781317591818
Read an Excerpt
‘Empowerment’ is a term in widespread use today and one that is often considered to be a self-evident good. Here, McLaughlin explores its emergence in the 1960s through to its rise in the 1990s and ubiquity in present day discourse and interrogates its social status, paying particular attention to social policy, social work and health and social care discourse. He argues that a focus on empowerment has superseded the notion of political subjects exercising power autonomously.
This innovative volume:
- Discusses the relationship between concepts of empowerment and power, as they have been understood historically.
- Analyses changes in the conception and meaning of empowerment in relation to the shifting social and political landscape.
- Acknowledges the positive impact empowerment strategies have had on those who have campaigned to be empowered and also on those who have saw their role as being to help empower others.
- Highlights ways in which talk about empowerment can actually work in such a way as to further disempower those already marginalised.
Critically examining how ‘empowerment’ has become embedded in contemporary social and political life, this work offers a discussion of the term’s multiple meanings, what it actually entails, and how it constructs and positions those being empowered and those empowering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Empowerment about?
‘Empowerment’ is a term in widespread use today and one that is often considered to be a self-evident good. Here, McLaughlin explores its emergence in the 1960s through to its rise in the 1990s and ubiquity in present day discourse and interrogates its social status, paying particular attention to social policy, social work and health and social care discourse. He argues that a focus on empowerment has superseded the notion of political subjects exercising power autonomously.
This innovative volume:
- Discusses the relationship between concepts of empowerment and power, as they have been understood historically.
- Analyses changes in the conception and meaning of empowerment in relation to the shifting social and political landscape.
- Acknowledges the positive impact empowerment strategies have had on those who have campaigned to be empowered and also on those who have saw their role as being to help empower others.
- Highlights ways in which talk about empowerment can actually work in such a way as to further disempower those already marginalised.
Critically examining how ‘empowerment’ has become embedded in contemporary social and political life, this work offers a discussion of the term’s multiple meanings, what it actually entails, and how it constructs and positions those being empowered and those empowering.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Empowerment?
Society and Social Sciences > Social services and welfare, criminology > Social welfare, social policy and social services > Social work
Where can I read a sample of Empowerment?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781317591801
Is Empowerment part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Routledge Key Themes in Health and Society
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Empowerment?
Kenneth McLaughlin
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Empowerment is available as ebook(ISBN 9781317591801) and pdf(ISBN 9781317591818)