Empowerment

Abstract

Social workers have historically worked towards facilitating the transaction between individuals and their environments for purposes of problem solving. Expertise for intervention in either end of that transaction has been a priority for social workers to the extent that the purpose of the intervention is often forgotten or overlooked. This article suggests that empowerment is the purpose of social work regardless of which end of the transaction intervention is directed. Practice strategies which promote empowerment purpose are proposed. A case example is given.