ERIS Journal – Transformative Intersectional Social Work in Research and Practice. Jg. 2025, Heft 4

Kurzfassung/Abstract

Intersectionality as a theoretical concept and analytical tool underpins principles of social justice through the essential requirement of understanding the dynamics of power and privilege as well as their intertwined nature in the context of socially constructed identities. This edition focusses on transformative and intersectional social work.
Key aspects of intersectional approaches include understanding how power and domination
or discrimination and oppression interact. Central to all approaches is the critique of one dimensional or additive perspectives on social categories such as gender, disability, class, and race, and their respective power relations. Intersectional research and practice add complexity in two ways. On the one hand, it analyses several interwoven social categories in terms of their relevance for participation or exclusion; on the other hand, it involves a multi-level approach that considers the reciprocal effects of social structures, discourses, and identity constructions.Intersectionality provides tools for social work to explore its own links to oppression but also promotes a direct commitment to transformative social work practice based on critical reflexivity and social analysis, allyship with social movements, advocacy, and cultural humility, among others. This issue focuses on articles that provide new insights into intersectional research and transformative social work practice. It also includes an open section looking at the complexities faced by children and families at risk, addressing homelessness through tailored approaches, and understanding the nuances of communication in social work practice. Through these varied lenses, the contributions in this edition underscore the need for a reflexive approach in social work research and practice to tackle the layered challenges that professionals face.