Social work’s prime responsibility is to engage with people and structures to address life challenges and enhance well-being in order to further social change, social development, social cohesion, empowerment (and liberation) of people. Engaging with people and structure requires an in-depth understanding of the local environment and the policy frameworks. Local environment such as resources, ecological community, and network of relationships between people is not static and social, economic, cultural and policy frameworks too change rapidly. The environment and frameworks within which social work professionals work and conduct research have changed and evolved over time. The socio-political landscape too has changed considerably over the last decade across the globe. The processes of globalisation, privatisation, new managerialism and technocratisation have further impacted different countries in different ways (Gibbs, 2001). These socio-economic and political developments have brought large scale changes in the community structures, institutional power arrangements and welfare systems, which have further led to new forms of injustice, oppression and discrimination. The gaps in the social structure are widening and new vulnerabilities have been created which pose serious threats to the well-being of people. As a result, subaltern voices on equality, social justice, human rights, development, security, education, health and mental health, employment, immigration and empowerment have emerged against the socio-political structures and systems. The varied ways in which these voices have played out differs from one environment to another.

中文翻译：

---

社会工作与变化的环境：参与决策

社会工作的主要责任是与人和组织互动，以应对生活挑战并增进福祉，以促进社会变革，社会发展，社会凝聚力，赋予人民权力（和解放）。与人和组织互动需要对当地环境和政策框架有深入的了解。资源，生态社区和人与人之间的关系网络等当地环境不是一成不变的，社会，经济，文化和政策框架也正在迅速变化。社会工作专业人员从事和进行研究的环境和框架随着时间的推移而发生了变化和发展。在过去的十年中，全球的社会政治格局也发生了巨大变化。全球化，私有化，新的管理主义和技术民主化以不同的方式进一步影响了不同的国家（Gibbs，2001）。这些社会经济和政治发展使社区结构，机构权力安排和福利制度发生了大规模变化，进一步导致了新形式的不公正，压迫和歧视。社会结构的差距正在扩大，新的脆弱性已经形成，严重威胁着人民的福祉。结果，出现了反对平等，社会正义，人权，发展，安全，教育，保健和精神健康，就业，移民和赋权的次要声音，反对社会政治结构和制度。这些声音发出的各种方式因环境而异。