Episode 48 Abolitionist Social Work | Challenging the Status Quo with Dr. Alan Dettlaff
In this compelling conversation, Alan Dettlaff, a leading figure in the abolitionist movement within social work, provides profound insights into the challenges and aspirations of this transformative approach.
Dettlaff introduces us to the UpEnd Movement, a revolutionary initiative dedicated to dismantling the child welfare system, viewed as a mechanism of family policing that perpetuates inequality. He eloquently articulates the broader abolitionist mission to dismantle oppressive systems, including prisons, policing, and the child welfare system, to pave the way for a more just and equitable society.
Throughout the dialogue, Dettlaff confronts the profession's historical roots in social control and emphasizes the urgent need for social work education to engage in critical conversations about racism, oppression, and abolitionist approaches. He challenges social workers to grapple with the silence and fear that inhibit speaking out against injustice, particularly concerning the genocide in Palestine.
The conversation navigates through various themes, from the impact of racism on child welfare to the structural issues leading to family separations. Dettlaff underscores the importance of empowering parents facing child welfare investigations and advocates for a future where oppressive systems are replaced with structures prioritizing equity and justice.
In a series of thought-provoking sound bites, Dettlaff challenges social workers to question the status quo, advocate for systemic change, and center the voices of marginalized communities in their practice.
Overall, this conversation with Alan Dettlaff serves as a clarion call for social workers to embrace abolitionist principles, challenge oppressive systems, and strive towards a future grounded in equity, justice, and collective liberation.
Takeaways:
The Up End Movement is an abolitionist organization focused on abolishing the child welfare system, which is seen as a family policing system that perpetuates inequality.
The abolition movement aims to end systems that maintain oppression and contribute to inequality, such as prisons, policing, and the child welfare system.
Social work as a profession has a history of social control and needs to critically examine its role in maintaining oppression and inequality.
Social work education should engage in critical conversations about racism, oppression, and the need for abolitionist approaches.
The profession of social work is at a crossroads, with some social workers advocating for a more radical future while others resist change.
Social work students play a crucial role in pushing for a more radical and abolitionist future for the profession.
The profession needs to address the silence and fear that prevent social workers from speaking out against injustice, including the genocide in Palestine. It is crucial to challenge oppressive systems and speak out against injustice in social work and the child welfare system.
Racism has a significant impact on child welfare, and it is essential to address the structural issues that lead to family separations.
Parents facing child welfare investigations should be aware of their rights and seek legal assistance to counter the power of the system. T
he future of social work lies in imagining a society without oppressive systems and working towards building new structures that prioritize equity and justice.
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