Love as emancipatory praxis : an exploration of practitioners' conceptualizations of love in critical social work practice

• Main Author: Butot, Michele Carrie.
• Other Authors: Moosa-Mitha, Mehmoona.
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Social service; Love
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1828/402

This thesis explores the relationship between love and critical social work, with the intent of inserting the concept of 'love as ernancipatorypraxis' into the literature of critical social work, and in order to incite dialogue with other practitioners. This thesis draws on reconstructionist notions of research, and involves dialogues with a group of practitioners - diverse across gender, race, age, sexuality, and class background. Central to the discussions were notions of spirituality as interconnection, and intersubjectivity grounded in critical analysis. Participants in the dialogues felt that love was not onlythe context of their practice, but was in fact essential to all their ways of perceiving, being and doing. From these dialogical discussions, a critical, emancipatory conceptualization of love emerged as a possibility existing between a constellation of elements including: deep presence and engagement; recognition of intrinsic value, sacredness and interconnection; openheartedness; compassionate challenge; and a willingness not to know.