The making of a civil society politics in social work: Myth and misrepresentation with the Global Agenda

Abstract

This article addresses ‘the making’ of the Global Agenda in social work by situating the process of agenda-setting itself as an object of critical reflection. It discusses the way in which the agenda positions social work as part of a global civil society network somewhat removed from grassroots social work and raises concerns about its failure to address the causes of or possible solutions to social and economic inequality. The authors deploy recent empirical research relating to object-oriented politics, particularly the ‘no issue, no public’ debate on political mobilization as a more viable alternative in contributing to structural change.