Postmodern Feminist Theory and Social Work

A recent burgeoning of feminist writings has triggered reconceptualizations of social work knowledge. Emerging writings across disciplines have provided insight into women's status in a patriarchal society, the sexist biases of social and behavioral theories, and the feminization of poverty. Social work has been much slower in confronting the opportunities and challenges offered by the dramatic newer developments in feminist theory that include poststructuralism, deconstruction, and French feminism. This article discusses the contributions and difficulties that postmodern feminist thought has to offer for the reconceptualization of social work theories and practice. It provides an overview of the status of feminist theory within the social work literature and describes the roots and explains the concerns of postmodern feminism. Finally, the article discusses the relevance, implications, and challenges of postmodern feminist theory in relation to social work theory and practice.