Review: Affecting Change -- Social Workers in the Political Arena (7th Edition)

Affecting Change: Social Workers in the Political Arena (7th Edition), by Karen S. Haynes and James S. Mickelson, is a pragmatic, step-by-step guidebook that teaches social workers how to become agents of change. This is one of the premier textbooks in the growing specialization of political social work. It shows how the skills of social workers are also the skills of effective organizers, lobbyists, policy analysts, and elected officials. Each chapter begins with an inspirational quote that invokes the importance of social justice. The assignments, case examples, summaries, and suggested readings demonstrate the importance of social workers' participation in the political arena. BSW and MSW social work students interested in political and social advocacy, lobbying, and policy practice would find this book a useful tool in learning the tools to effectively influence public policy. At 215 pages, this book includes a glossary of important terms that will help you promote socially-just policies with key stakeholders and understand how the political process works.

1. All Social Work Is Political
2. Social Work Values versus Politics
3. The Emergence of a Social Work Polity
4. The Debate
5. Policy Models for Political Advocacy
6. The Practitioner's Influence on Policy
7. Influence through Lobbying
8. Tools to Influence and Organize Others
9. Monitoring the Bureaucracy
10. The Campaign
11. Social Workers as Politicians
12. Your Time Is Now!
13. Glossary of Legislative Terms