The Key Characteristics of Empowerment

Nowadays social work practice is concerned about different social problems and divides people into groups with similar problems: alcoholics, disabled, mentally ill, unemployed, old, drug abused and so on. Each member of such a group has his own label: “I am … (naming the problem).” Social problem means that there is lack of something and social work professionals in most cases pay a lot of attention to this lack, disorder to remove it from client’s life and less attention is paid to the positive sides – strengths, talents, resources and skills of a client.

Coping, strengths perspective and empowerment are those social work approaches, which focus on those positive in the client. Describing the empowerment approach in social care Braye S. & Preston-Shoot M.1 argue, that the services provided have been founded on a deficit model, focusing on problems and weakness.…