How the rights-based approach can help social work deliver social justice outcomes: Lessons from housing rights activism in Scotland

Abstract

Drawing upon the findings of a qualitative case study of a housing rights community development project in Scotland, this article explores how a rights-based approach can help social work deliver social justice outcomes. Social work is often described as a ‘human rights profession’. However, there remains a gap between how rights are enacted within individual-focused practice and structural change efforts. This gap stems from the persistent divide between bottom-up and top-down rights-based approaches in micro and macro social work practice. Study findings suggest that a bottom-up rights-based approach can help social workers achieve individual-level improvements while simultaneously advancing wider social change. To do so, social workers need to reposition themselves from ‘the centre’ to ‘the side’ when applying human rights frameworks. Only then, can the rights-based approach help revitalize social work’s commitment to both individual well-being and social justice, particularly in contexts of increased participation, prevention, and early intervention.