Social Work Advocacy Research

With the implement of One-Child Policy,China government has made great effect in controlling fast growth of the population from 70 s last century.At the same time,our country has emerged more and more “loss of only child families”.These families may face different kinds of difficulties and all these problems will make “loss of only child families” become more and more vulnerable,being at a disadvantage.In Shanghai,some social service agencies are using social work advocacy to help “loss of only child families” fight for their interests in social service project,including implementation and evaluation process,making service delivery system respond well to these families.Comparing with using petitioning,advocacy is a more moderate way to solve problems and has better effect.This paper is aimed at making a thorough inquiry about h ow “Y” social service agency used advocacy to help “loss of only child families” in trouble.Advocacy refers to advocates use "represent" and "affect" two dimensions to " represent for service users" and "affect the outside world" when service users are at a disadvantage situation,so that the service delivery system will respond well to the needs of service users.By participating in project providing services for “loss of only child families”,the writer summarized advocacies practiced by social service agency into three categories: case advocacy,policy advocacy and organization advocacy.Moreover,the writer also included the cases of advocacy and found the strategies to do advocacy: no-conflict strategy,low-grade conflict strategy and moderate-conflict strategy.Finally,the writer summarized the experience of advocacy,including defining the source and the nature of the problem,formulating concrete reasonable goal,assessing the problem of situation,reviewing resources to select the appropriate strategy and action.At last,social workers should also carry out evaluation and reflection after completion of advocacy,improving advocacy skills as well as advocacy quality.