Human agency and social work research: A systematic search and synthesis of social work literature

Abstract

Human agency is core to social work. Practice theories and frameworks position human agency as socially mediated, but assume that people possess human agency to play determining roles in their life circumstances. Some of the discipline's seminal thinkers, however, argue that social work has adopted a disproportionate focus on the individual, whereby thehuman agencyofsocial workclientsand people experiencing marginalisation morebroadly is highlighted.Thisarticle drawsona systematic search, screening and synthesis of contemporary(2008-12) social work journal stoidentify and assess theprofession'sengagement with human agency. Ofthe 6,935 articles screened, weidentified 549 articles, or 7.9 per cent, that engaged with human agency of clients ornon-social worker groups. The minority of social work literature engaging with human agency presents expressions of human agency, or anidentification of the barriers to expressing human agency, inempirically and theoretically meaningful ways. The social work literature that considers human agency highlights the diversity and complexity of people's lives. Moreover, it demonstrates human agencyas socially mediated and contingent. The research literature outlinesan empirical basis tounderpin social work's empowerment, change and emancipati on objectives.