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ANARCHISTS IN SOCIAL WORK: KNOWN TO THE AUTHORITIES

John Evans et al, Martin S Gilbert

ISBN 0954915909, £8 or pdf version £3

Available from www.anarchistsinsocialwork.org.uk

Star Rating: 2/5

It seems to me that social work is now dominated by a more practical-based philosophy; long-gone are the heydays of radical social work. This book is an attempt to ignite the flames of political social work once again, writes David O'Driscoll.

The authors in this collection feel that anarchist ideas are often ignored or misrepresented.

The seven chapters are individual attempts to describe the authors' struggles either as social workers or as trade unionist representatives. The book promotes attempts to move social work thinking away from a more authoritarian, controlling social work to an empowering one.

The authors share a suspicion of management and organisational structures. The stand-out chapter is Martin Gilbert's historical account of anarchist ideas in social work. Overall, however I found it a less then satisfying attempt to rekindle my political interest.

David O'Driscoll is assistant director, Respond.