Power Relations, Participation, Empowerment, and Social Work

This chapter critically examines the challenges and possibilities of empowerment and participation within feminist social work practice, using the example of a women's shelter in South Tyrol, northern Italy. It explores how efforts to redistribute power between social workers and residents reveal both emancipatory potential and structural limitations. Central to the discussion are the dynamics of empowerment, participation, and othering, analysed through a situated intersectional lens. This chapter shows how the introduction of new practices—such as participatory house meetings, resident-led documentation, and delegated responsibility for communal tasks—challenged traditional hierarchies by creating opportunities for women to exercise agency and co-decision-making. While these initiatives fostered autonomy and strengthened community identification, they simultaneously provoked resistance among staff, who perceived the loss of control as disorganisation or professional risk. It is argued that empowerment is best understood as a relational, processual, and context-specific negotiation rather than a fixed outcome. The discussion illustrates how conflicts, far from being detrimental, can serve as learning opportunities for both staff and residents, aligning with feminist social work principles. A long-term evaluation, six years after implementation, suggests that certain participatory practices—such as resident-organised cleaning schedules—were sustained and gradually normalised, fostering a more consultative culture between staff and residents.