Strategies and Tactics Employed in Social Action

1 232 Social Work Intervention with Communities and Institutions12 Strategies and TacticsEmployed in Social Action * Beena Antony, Archana KaushikIntroductionSocial Action is the process of confrontation . It isused when other methods of Social work like groupwork and community organisation fail to meet theneeds of the clientele group. When the resourcesare in the hands of a few people and they dictatetheir own terms and conditions, when power equationis imbalanced and rights are denied to a particularsection of the community, Social Action comes intoplay. It aims at equitable distribution of resourcesand power among different Social work, for long, has relied on primarymethods (casework, group work and communityorganisation) for providing remedies to humanproblems.

2 However, in the sixties of the precedingcentury, there was growing realization about humanenvironmental situation as an integrated whole. Itrequired holistic approach and more dependence onthe primary methods of Social work was beingquestioned. Social institutions and Social structurewere found inadequate to meet the needs of individualsand , the relevance of Social Action is beingincreasingly felt. Social Action is used for mobilizingmasses to bring about structural changes in thesocial system. It is an organised effort to changeor improve Social and economic institutions.

3 It*Dr. Beena Antony and Dr. Archana Kaushik,University of Delhi, DelhiStrategies and Tactics Employed in Social Action233encompasses movements of political reform, industrialdemocracy, Social legislation and Social Action , like any other method of Social work,uses certain Strategies and employs certain tacticsduring its process to bring about the desired are these Strategies and Tactics ? Strategies and Tactics in Social ActionThe dictionary meaning of strategy is plan/policy/approach/stratagem. Tactic means method/approach/course/ploy/policy/devic e/scheme/way/trick/manoeuvre.

4 As indicated by the definitions of thetwo words, we understand that, like many socialworkers do, they can be used , some Social workers have made finerdistinction between strategy and tactic, as the formeris a larger term equivalent to a form or type ofsocial Action . Strategies and Tactics in Social actionmeans to organise strike, boycott, persuade, negotiate,bargain, etc. Let us take a look at how variousstrategies and Tactics are used in the process ofsocial better understanding of the Strategies and tacticsemployed in Social Action , attention should first bepaid to the process of Social Action .

5 Social Action ,many times, is considered an extension of communityorganisation. It necessarily involves the skills andstages of casework, group work and communityorganisation. The process of Social Action involvesthe stage is Developing Awareness. It is the studyof the Social problem, its gravity, causes, impact onpeople, etc. It involves understanding the socio-culturalmilieu of the community and the pressing socialproblem affecting the well-being of a section of or234 Social Work Intervention with Communities and Institutionsthe whole community. It also includes making peopleaware of the causes responsible for Social next stage would be Organisation.

6 It includessharing the study results with the people leaders of various groups and local leaders ofthe community are called for taking an integratedaction. Awareness is created especially by usingthe means of mass communication. It is followedby efforts to mobilize people to organise for the stage is Making Strategies . Goals are set onthe basis of felt needs and Strategies are developedto achieve them. The Strategies could be negotiatedwith the authorities or if the need arises, therecould be direct last stage is Action in which implementationof the proposed intervention is done.

7 This stage ismore methodical and concrete as the final outcomelargely depends on also suggests similar stages in his definitionof methods of Social Action . The methods of socialaction consist of research, planning, enlistment ofpublic support and interpretation to (and to applypressure on) those in the authority to implement (Cohen, 1958). Similarly, Dunham (1958) definesprocess of Social Action as efforts to bring aboutchange or prevent change in current Social practicesor situations, through education, propaganda,persuasion and pressure on behalf of objectives believedby the Social actionists to be socially desirable.

8 Here it may be noted that people s participation inprioritizing their own needs and determining theobjectives as well as the Strategies for Social actionis of utmost importance. However, Dunham givessocial actionists the right to decide on their own,the objectives they feel and Tactics Employed in Social Action235In the Indian context, the sarvodaya movement isone of the best example of Social Action . The processused by Sarvodaya workers is quite similar to theprocess of Social Action . The stages are:Parichaya (first introduction): This is a stage ofintroduction to the clientele and their Social needsand problems.

9 In this stage Social issues and strategiesare introduced to the (survey or study): Information is gatheredfrom the population on the burning issues and itsimpact on the socio-economic and cultural aspectsof life are discussed in great (propaganda): It involves creating awarenessat the mass level. The propaganda is meant formass mobilization for taking Action at the (association): Cooperation is sought fromdifferent people and organisations working in thesame area and or on similar (service): Welfare and developmental servicesare offered to the target helps in establishing (resistance): It involves coercive measuresagainst the existing authority, which require changeof power, structure and/or work or community service: Emphasisis on the constructive activities carried out at thecommunity level.

10 This enhances the credibility ofthe the climate of change: Social environmentis made conducive to positive , if the emphasis is on rendering of services,then it becomes more akin to community organisation236 Social Work Intervention with Communities and Institutionsthan Social Action . But the concept of lok shaktiin sarvodaya clearly indicates that the emphasis ison change. Das Gupta mentions Lok shakti maymean the collective capacity (power) of the peopleexpressed or latent, to deliberate, decide and acttogether . Awakening of Lok shakti dilutes the powerof the we focus on the Tactics and Strategies involvedin Social Action .