For several decades, social work and child protection systems have been subject to accelerating cycles of crisis and reform, with each crisis involving intense media and political scrutiny. In understanding the nature and causes of this cycle, little attention has been paid to the importance of collective emotions.
Using a range of cases from the UK, and also considering cases from the Netherlands, the US and New Zealand, this book introduces the concept of emotional politics. It shows how collective emotions, such as anger, shame, fear and disgust, are central to constructions of risk and blame, and are generated and reflected by official documents, politicians and the media. The book considers strategies for challenging these 'emotional politics', including identifying models for a more politically engaged stance for the social work profession.
- ISBN10 1322881294
- ISBN13 9781322881294
- Publish Date 1 January 2015
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 11 March 2015
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Policy Press
- Format eBook
- Pages 217
- Language English