The challenges, triumphs and learning from participating in an Australian social work students’ activist group

Abstract

This article traces the emergence of a student activist group called the Social Work Action and Advocacy Network for Students at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia. The article exhibits three founding members’ experiences of working collectively to achieve emancipatory goals: showcasing achievements; grappling with ethical tensions of working within a group; and demonstrating students’ capacity to re-author the identity of social work in a way that positions activism as central.