Engagement in social and political action
Engagement in social and political action is crucial for social workers as a way to minimize inequality through social policy (Chu et al. .2017). Curry- Stevens (2011), recognizes how much there is a need for social workers to get involved in systemic advocacy efforts. Person-to-person power has i known to influence action and decisions through personal discussion. Jansson (2018) states how person-to-person power resources are developed and used to secures policy through politics with the need of a highly influential network as well as contacts. Jansson (2018) states the strategy for enacting person-to-person power resources includes applying the kind of power that the audience respects, which can vary from the position, reward power, or even coercion. According to Chu et al. (2017), knowledge and skill concerning global standards exhibit expertise power. Social workers should understand how the receivers in the policymaking process perceive power. This can also be reinforced by emphasizing shared values and beliefs (Chu et al. 2017),) and ethical commitments with the audience to gain support.
Substantive power, on the other hand, tries to re-align policy to gain support from particular groups during advocacy. Jansson (2018) states, in substantive power, policies can be re-aligned during the drafting of a proposal or deliberation. According to Curry- Stevens (2011), policy advocates should include as many ‘motivator’ as possible to attract and hook target groups. The challenge comes in when key groups are in conflict and when a lot of concessions have to be made to obtain support from a group. Shaping contexts to minimize such challenges may involve mobilizing groups, gaining media support, conclusive researches, and working with government associations. The strategies for increasing the success of substantive power include quoting more acceptable titles for proposals, introducing proposals as pilot projects, and placing a project under a state body.