{"id":93,"date":"2019-04-09T10:44:19","date_gmt":"2019-04-09T10:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aep05.epgpbooks.inflibnet.ac.in\/?post_type=chapter&p=93"},"modified":"2019-04-09T10:45:07","modified_gmt":"2019-04-09T10:45:07","slug":"advocacy-and-action","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in\/aep05\/chapter\/advocacy-and-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Advocacy and Action"},"content":{"raw":"
\"epgp<\/a>\r\n<\/span><\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nContents<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n1.\u00a0 Introduction\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n2.\u00a0 Definitions of advocacy\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n3.\u00a0 Models of advocacy\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n4.\u00a0 Forms of advocacy\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n5.\u00a0 Advocacy groups\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n6.\u00a0 Standards for advocacy services\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n7.\u00a0 Advocacy as a tool of social action\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n8.\u00a0 Advocacy as identified as a professional tool of social action.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n9.\u00a0 Components of advocacy in social action and social work\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n10.\u00a0 Strategies used in advocacy in social action\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n11.\u00a0 Summary\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\n1) LEARNING OUTCOMES<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAfter studying this module, you shall be able to\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Understand the basic concept and context of advocacy\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Analyse the relevance of advocacy in social work and social action practice and\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Evaluate the role of advocacy in social change and development\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n2)\u00a0 <\/strong>INTRODUCTION<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

Social workers often work with people who are disempowered and disenfranchised. A core aspect of their role should therefore be to understand peoples need, and work with and on their behalf to help them achieve them to best possible outcomes. Advocacy is a crucial part of this process; it is about taking action to help people say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain services they need (Action for Advocacy, 2002).<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Advocacy supports a variety of methods through which service user needs can be expressed and includes: self advocacy- where individual are empowered to speak for themselves; group advocacy- where people who share a common experience work together to bring about change; citizen advocacy- where a paid advocate or befriender speaks up on behalf of an individual. These can contribute to change in many levels, for the individual, a defined group, or more structurally, impacting on policy, legislation and the upholding of the basic human rights (Bateman,2000).<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Advocacy can take many forms, but mainly it can be divided into two broad types: people who take action for themselves as individuals, or groups; and volunteers or paid professionals speaking up on behalf of others who are unable to do so through difficulties in communication, capacity, discrimination, or powerlessness. The key aspects of advocacy that relate to social work practice are self-advocacy, the role independent advocates, and social workers as play an advocate.<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Advocacy is seen as one of the key roles of social worker and social workers are expected to challenge and lobby services in order to ensure fair access and treatment. Social workers are often state officials and must take into account their statutory obligations, budgetary and organizational policies, procedural guidance and their code of practice. All of these may constrain their ability to fully advocate on behalf of the person they are working with (Leadbetter, 2002). Advocacy is taking action to help people say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain services they needed.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n3) DEFINITIONS OF ADVOCACY<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n

David Brandon defines \u201cadvocacy involves a person(s), either a vulnerable individual or group or their agreed representative, effectively pressing their case with influential others, about situations which either affect them directly or, and more usually, trying to prevent proposed changes which will leave them worse off. Both the intent and outcome of such advocacy should be to increase the individual\u2019s sense of power; help them to feel more confident, to become more assertive and gain increased choices\u201d (David Brandon, 2001).<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Another definition of \u201csocial work advocacy is the exclusive and mutual representation of clients or a cause in a forum attempting to systematically influence decision making in an unjust or unresponsive system\u201d (Schneider & Lester, 2001).<\/p>\r\n \r\n

Advocacy can be described \u201cas the process of identifying with and representing a person\u2019s views and concerns, in order to ensure enhanced rights and entitlements, undertaken by someone who has little or no conflict of interest\u201d (Henderson and Pochin, 2001)<\/p>\r\n \r\n

\u201cAdvocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes-including public policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions \u2014 that directly affect people\u2019s current lives\u201d (Cohen, 2001). Therefore, advocacy can be as a deliberate process of speaking out on issues of concern in order to exert some influence on behalf of ideas or persons.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIn short \u201cAdvocacy\u201d means:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n