Feminist Social Work: Concepts, History, Theories & MCQs with Answers
Explore feminist social work, its meaning, history, and theories through 10 engaging MCQs with answers and explanations. Learn key concepts and principles today!
Feminist social work is an approach that integrates feminist principles to address gender inequalities and challenge patriarchal systems. Emerging in the 1960s and 1970s during the second-wave feminist movement, it focuses on empowering women and marginalized groups through collaborative, gender-sensitive practices. Key theories like radical, intersectional, and postmodern feminism guide its emphasis on systemic change, self-reflexivity, and contextual analysis. By tackling issues like domestic violence and workplace discrimination, feminist social work promotes equity and social justice.
Multiple Choice Questions on Feminist Social Work
1. What is the primary focus of feminist social work?
a) Addressing economic inequalities only
b) Promoting gender equality and challenging patriarchal structures
c) Focusing solely on individual counseling
d) Advocating for legal reforms without social intervention
Answer: b) Promoting gender equality and challenging patriarchal structures
Explanation: Feminist social work emphasizes addressing systemic gender inequalities and challenging patriarchal norms that perpetuate oppression. It integrates gender analysis into social work practice to empower women and other marginalized groups, focusing on both individual and structural change.
Overview: This highlights the core mission of feminist social work, which is rooted in dismantling systemic gender-based oppression while promoting equity and empowerment.
2. When did feminist social work begin to emerge as a distinct approach?
a) Early 19th century
b) 1960s and 1970s
c) 1990s
d) 2000s
Answer: b) 1960s and 1970s
Explanation: Feminist social work emerged during the second-wave feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s, when social workers began integrating feminist principles to address gender-specific issues like domestic violence and workplace discrimination, aligning with broader women’s liberation efforts.
Overview: The historical context ties feminist social work to the second-wave feminist movement, marking its formal development as a response to gender inequities.
3. Which theory emphasizes the personal as political in feminist social work?
a) Systems theory
b) Radical feminist theory
c) Cognitive-behavioral theory
d) Psychodynamic theory
Answer: b) Radical feminist theory
Explanation: Radical feminist theory asserts that personal experiences, such as domestic violence or reproductive rights, are inherently political, reflecting systemic patriarchal oppression. In feminist social work, this theory drives advocacy for structural change alongside individual support.
Overview: This underscores how radical feminist theory connects personal struggles to broader societal issues, a key framework in feminist social work.
4. What is a key principle of feminist social work practice?
a) Maintaining hierarchical client-worker relationships
b) Empowerment and collaboration with clients
c) Focusing only on policy advocacy
d) Avoiding gender-specific interventions
Answer: b) Empowerment and collaboration with clients
Explanation: Feminist social work prioritizes empowering clients by fostering collaborative, egalitarian relationships. It seeks to amplify clients’ voices and strengths, particularly for women and marginalized groups, to challenge oppressive systems.
Overview: Empowerment and collaboration reflect the client-centered, anti-oppressive ethos of feminist social work, distinguishing it from traditional hierarchical models.
5. Which feminist theory focuses on the intersection of gender, race, and class?
a) Liberal feminist theory
b) Intersectional feminist theory
c) Postmodern feminist theory
d) Socialist feminist theory
Answer: b) Intersectional feminist theory
Explanation: Intersectional feminist theory, developed by scholars like Kimberlé Crenshaw, examines how gender intersects with race, class, sexuality, and other identities to create unique experiences of oppression. Feminist social work uses this lens to address diverse client needs.
Overview: Intersectionality is critical in feminist social work, ensuring that interventions consider multiple, overlapping forms of marginalization.
6. How does feminist social work view the role of patriarchy?
a) As irrelevant to social work practice
b) As a minor factor in client issues
c) As a systemic structure perpetuating inequality
d) As a purely cultural phenomenon
Answer: c) As a systemic structure perpetuating inequality
Explanation: Feminist social work identifies patriarchy as a systemic structure that perpetuates gender-based inequalities, influencing issues like wage gaps, violence, and access to resources. Interventions target both individual and societal levels to dismantle these structures.
Overview: Recognizing patriarchy as a systemic issue is foundational to feminist social work’s approach to addressing root causes of inequality.
7. Which historical event significantly influenced feminist social work’s focus on domestic violence?
a) The Industrial Revolution
b) The women’s suffrage movement
c) The establishment of battered women’s shelters in the 1970s
d) The civil rights movement
Answer: c) The establishment of battered women’s shelters in the 1970s
Explanation: The creation of battered women’s shelters in the 1970s, driven by feminist activists, highlighted domestic violence as a social issue rather than a private matter, shaping feminist social work’s focus on advocacy and support for survivors.
Overview: This event marks a pivotal moment in feminist social work, emphasizing its role in addressing gender-based violence as a systemic issue.
8. What does feminist social work emphasize in its approach to client assessment?
a) Standardized diagnostic tools only
b) Gender-sensitive and contextual analysis
c) Financial status as the primary factor
d) Ignoring social determinants of health
Answer: b) Gender-sensitive and contextual analysis
Explanation: Feminist social work uses gender-sensitive assessments that consider clients’ social, cultural, and economic contexts, recognizing how gender and other identities shape their experiences and challenges.
Overview: Gender-sensitive analysis ensures that feminist social work addresses the unique, context-specific needs of clients, aligning with its anti-oppressive framework.
9. Which feminist theory critiques traditional social work for reinforcing gender roles?
a) Liberal feminist theory
b) Postmodern feminist theory
c) Ecofeminist theory
d) Cultural feminist theory
Answer: b) Postmodern feminist theory
Explanation: Postmodern feminist theory critiques traditional social work for perpetuating binary gender roles and universalizing women’s experiences. It advocates for deconstructing these norms to create more inclusive, individualized interventions.
Overview: This theory challenges feminist social work to question normative assumptions, promoting flexibility and inclusivity in practice.
10. Why is self-reflexivity important in feminist social work?
a) It ensures adherence to agency protocols
b) It helps practitioners examine their own biases and privileges
c) It focuses on administrative efficiency
d) It limits client interaction
Answer: b) It helps practitioners examine their own biases and privileges
Explanation: Self-reflexivity encourages social workers to critically examine their own identities, biases, and privileges, ensuring that their practice remains client-centered and does not inadvertently reinforce oppressive dynamics.
Overview: Self-reflexivity is a cornerstone of feminist social work, fostering ethical practice by addressing the practitioner’s role in power dynamics.
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