Editorial: The social work voice – doxa and dissent in neoliberal times

Abstract

Welcome to this special issue of Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work. The theme for this edition is Child protection, the family and the state: critical responses in neoliberal times.

The vulnerable child in neoliberal contexts: the construction of children in the Aotearoa New Zealand child protection reforms

“…In the Aotearoa New Zealand context, understanding how notions of vulnerability and the social investment approach play out can only be understood if the broader neoliberal context is understood (Gray et al, 2015; Harvey, 2005; Keddell et al, 2016). In ANZ, neoliberalism is expressed through an active manipulation of markets to meet social needs (such as privatising social housing and the use of contracted third parties for social services to families and children), while reinforcing the cultural tropes of individualisation and ensuring self-responsible citizens over time, if not immediately (Garrett, 2010; Reimagining Social Work Collective, 2016; Wacquant, 2009).…”