Practising Critical Reflection to Develop Emancipatory Change: Challenging the Legal Response to Sexual Assault

Overwhelmingly, critical practitioners working across a range of human service fields, who are committed to emancipatory and progressive social change ideals, report feeling powerless, alienated from the means of change, and hopeless about their capacities to make a difference in the lives of the individuals, groups or communities with whom they work because of restrictive contexts that ultimately determine the nature and parameters of their work. This ground-breaking book addresses this dilemma by demonstrating how critical reflection as an educational tool enables practitioners to envision possibilities for change. The legal system, particularly in its response to sexual assault provides a perfect example of this type of context and this volume explores the work of sexual assault practitioners that are engaged in supporting victims/survivors of sexual assault through the legal process. By reshaping ideas that have previously been considered as predominantly theoretical and abstract, Morley’s work provides an innovative framework that enables social work and human services practitioners to find hope, agency and practical strategies to work towards change, despite operating in contexts that appear immutably oppressive.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Foreword; Preface; Introduction; The legal response to sexual assault; Theorising the impact and thinking about change; The need for law reform; Alternatives for thinking about change: critical postmodernism and critical reflection; Stories from front-line practice; Identifying and challenging barriers to change; Finding alternative paths: resisting further obstacles to change; How does critical reflection on practice develop possibilities for change?; Critical postmodern theory: enhancing feminist practices and prospects for change; Final reflections and concluding comments. Appendices; References; Index.

About the Author :
Christine Morley is Associate Professor and Head of Social Work and Human Services at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia.

Review :
'Using sexual assault services as an example, this book demonstrates how liberating the theory and processes of critical reflection can be for those working in potentially challenging and disempowering situations. The framework for practitioners and their clients engenders a sense of hope and possibility, to see opportunities for action that can lead to personal and system change.' Fiona Gardner, La Trobe University, Australia 'Morley's work communicates how critical reflection can enable practitioners to overcome dominant discourses, transcend powerlessness and construct alternative ways of reasoning and acting. Case studies of frontline workers provide clear guidance on activating critical reflection to achieve emancipatory approaches. This accessible book written by a leader in the field will appeal to human service practitioners, educators and those tasked with developing policies and practices.' Linda Briskman, La Trobe University, Australia `Using sexual assault services as an example, this book demonstrates how liberating the theory and processes of critical reflection can be for those working in potentially challenging and disempowering situations. The framework for practitioners and their clients engenders a sense of hope and possibility, to see opportunities for action that can lead to personal and system change.’ Fiona Gardner, La Trobe University, Australia `Morley’s work communicates how critical reflection can enable practitioners to overcome dominant discourses, transcend powerlessness and construct alternative ways of reasoning and acting. Case studies of frontline workers provide clear guidance on activating critical reflection to achieve emancipatory approaches. This accessible book written by a leader in the field will appeal to human service practitioners, educators and those tasked with developing policies and practices.’ Linda Briskman, La Trobe University, Australia