Social Work and Hostile Environments - The mainstreaming of the far right and challenge for social work

Join us for the 3rd in our “Social Work in Hostile Environments” series.

Over the past decade, we have seen the rise and increasing mainstreaming of the far right in the UK and globally. This has occurred over a period of financial, political and health crises, austerity, cuts to essential social services, and growing inequality that the far right has exploited and exacerbated. This can present social workers with a range of complex challenges, including less resources and more difficult working conditions. In this talk, Aaron Winter will examine the far right and their impact on politics, society, more disenfranchised and vulnerable populations and social work, as well as ways we can respond to and address it.

Aaron Winter is Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Lancaster University and Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS). He is co-editor of Historical Perspectives on Organised Crime and Terrorism (Routledge) and Researching the Far Right: Theory, Method and Practice (Routledge), and co-author of Reactionary Democracy: How Racism and the Populist Far Right Became Mainstream (Verso). In addition to his academic teaching and research, Aaron works with communities, educational institutions, government agencies and charities, and appears regularly in the media. He is co-editor of Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power and the Manchester University Press series Racism, Resistance and Social Change, and a trustee of the Runnymede Trust and Sociological Review Foundation.

BASW members can view the presentations from the previous two webinars at BASW launches 'polarising politics' guide for social workers. You can also access recently published BASW Polarising Politics guidance via the same link. This guide serves as a reminder for social workers on professional responsibilities, but also includes how social workers can uphold their values and ethics in a challenging environment, and how to exercise their rights as a private citizen to resist against a political agenda that they do not agree with.

If you have any queries please contact events@basw.co.uk.

If you’re not yet a BASW member, now’s the perfect time to join. Membership starts from just £5.39 a month and gives you access to this training, plus a huge range of BASW events, at a significantly reduced rate. It’s a great way to invest in your professional growth while connecting with a supportive community. Learn more here: https://basw.co.uk/why-join-basw